Aging in place is the act of growing old where you choose to live. There is a huge movement among seniors that want to live at home and retain the same type of rights that would have in a facility setting. There are new regulations in place to help people that wish to stay at home, while they age.
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Assisted Living History
January 30th, 2012, General Info, Life in Assisted Living
Before the invention of assisted living facilities (AFL), people had a choice of aging at home with a family caregiver, a home health nurse/aide, or going into a nursing home. The idea of assisted living facilities is loosely based on group homes and apartments that were available for disabled and special needs individuals. Many of the residents, in these types of homes, needed limited help in their everyday activities (activities of daily living or ADLS). Most of the time this help is very limited and may only mean that an aide stops in to do a check on the resident or other minor things.
Alzheimer’s in Assisted Living
January 23rd, 2012, Alzheimers Care, Assisted Living Concerns, Life in Assisted Living
Can someone diagnosed with Alzheimer’s live in an assisted living facility (ALF)? According to most facilities: yes.
Older Drivers
January 16th, 2012, General Info
We have all been behind the slow car that is being driven by the elderly man or woman and felt aggravation. We wonder why they can’t speed up or just get off the road because we’re all in a rush to get where we are going.
Depression Leads to Stroke Risk
January 9th, 2012, Assisted Living Concerns, Resident Care
In a recent release from the American Medical Association, the link between depression and stroke was listed. The link shows that depression can raise the risk for stroke, though that risk is heightened by other factors as well.
Visiting Your Friend or Loved One
January 2nd, 2012, Assisted Living Concerns, Life in Assisted Living
It’s time to visit someone you care for who has recently moved into an assisted living facility (ALF). The visit has been one you have both anticipated and dreaded. How will your friend look? Will the room be bare and hospital-like? Will your visit be interrupted by other residents?
Home Care or Assisted Living?
December 26th, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, How to Select an Assisted Living Facility
Assisted living is an expensive option for people that must rely on private pay in order to receive their daily assistance. Most people that are in assisted living facilities rely on paying out of pocket or on their private insurance. Only a few beds per facility are left open for people that receive Medicaid.
When Is Assisted Living A Bad Idea?
December 19th, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, How to Select an Assisted Living Facility
There comes a time when a family member, or even a close friend, is growing in age and growing in need of an extra hand from time to time. As the days pass, from time to time develops into a stronger need for help and, it’s at the point when the question of assisted living comes into the conversation.
Preventing Falls
December 5th, 2011, Life in Assisted Living, Resident Care
Preventing falls is not as challenging as one might think. Sometimes what prevents the falls are things that are overlooked, or unnoticed by those who tend not to trip easily.
Resident Rights: Know Them!
November 28th, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, Life in Assisted Living
Rights cannot be enforced if they are not known. Whenever anything is in question regarding the care of a resident in a care facility, ask questions and keep the lines of communication open. Otherwise, the resident’s rights may be compromised. Make inquiries with your loved one frequently about their care as a resident, how they are treated and if all of their needs are being met.
Caregiving and Sex
November 14th, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, Life in Assisted Living
Intimacy and sex play key rolls in relationships, including those who are disabled or frequently visiting ALFs (adult living facilities). Do you feel too tired? Are you too overwhelmed with everything going on? Does fear creep in each time you think about sex and intimacy?
Flu Shots – Little Pain, Big Health Investment
November 7th, 2011, Resident Care
There are signs outside many pharmacies and grocery stores touting flu shots are available here, there and everywhere. Generally, flu shots are administered from early October to November. Keep in mind the flu season runs from November to April. Because the elderly have a compromised immune system, the flu can be deadly for them. Flu shots come with little pain and a big health investment.
Gadgets To Make ADLs Easier
October 31st, 2011, Life in Assisted Living, Rehabilitation Care, Resident Care
What makes an ADL (activities of daily living) easy varies from person to person, so while this information is useful, it is important to do independent research in order to find out exactly what will help and what might hinder. Keep in mind the needs of the individual, as well as what their personal levels of comfort are.
Signs of Alzheimer’s Family May Miss
October 24th, 2011, Alzheimers Care, General Info
2011 Medicare Open Enrollment Deadline – Changed!
October 10th, 2011, Medicare
Since late enrollment has been an issue in the past, measures have been taken in order to avoid and prevent this problem from reoccurring. The 2011 Medicare open enrollment deadline has changed to an earlier date this year. In the past, the deadline was December 31st.
Long Term Care Insurances, Worth The Cost?
September 5th, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, Long Term Care Insurance
From 30s to 40s
When people are in their 30s or 40s, they are busy planning on the present. Most are buying homes, financing college for their children, or just beginning to save for what they expect will be a healthy retirement. Long term care, such as an Assisted Living Facility is not even on their minds.
This could be a mistake, financially, when they reach retirement age. Many people find that they need some sort of assistance in their sixties or sometimes even earlier. If long term insurance has not been purchased, it is very possible that these individuals will find themselves in a skilled nursing facility well before they had expected. This can be due to running out of savings or having no savings and needing to rely on Medicaid for long term insurance.
You’ve Won! Mail Scams
August 29th, 2011, General Info, Resident Care
Your aging mother calls, she just received a large check in the mail. Not just any check, but a check for several thousand dollars! No catch – the senders just ask that the check be deposited and once it clears in about seven day, send them a small few (usually one or two hundred dollars) to cover their processing fees. After a thorough examination and several phone calls, you determine the check is, in fact, a legal check from a real bank account.
What do you do?
Stimulating Activities For Residents With Dementia
August 22nd, 2011, Alzheimers Care, Assisted Living Activities
Residents that are suffering from any type of dementia benefit from activities that stimulate the brain and body. When activities are instituted to improve the quality of life of residents with dementia, their overall health can be improved. Behavior that has been affected by the dementia or ‘acting out’ can be suppressed or even eliminated for some residents.
Even if someone is losing their memory, they can still enjoy many activities. It is not that difficult to find interesting things that anyone with dementia can enjoy. Think of simple, relaxing activities.
Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
August 15th, 2011, Alzheimers Care, Resident Care
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is most often portrayed as a disease of memory. Important dates are forgotten, names of friends and family, and eventually the people that a sufferer of this disease may have know their whole lives are erased from memory.
While the loss of memory is terrible, other symptoms affect the lives of those with AD. Alzheimer’s is a disease that steals not only the memory, but the quality of life from those it affects. Simple day to day activities become difficult or even impossible to perform.
Alternative Alzmeimer’s Treatments
August 8th, 2011, Alzheimers Care, Life in Assisted Living
Some individuals choose to try alternative treaments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Below you will find a list of a few treatments.
Coenzyme Q10-
An anti-oxidant known that is manufactured by the body and is used to promote proper reactions in cells. It has been determined by some studies that Q10 does not have a prfound effect on Alzheimer’s, though some physicians do encourage their patients to use the supplement. Too much Q10 can be detrimental to the body and self treatment without the aid of a physician should not be undertaken.
Who Can Operate An ALF?
August 1st, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, Assisted Living Locations
There are no federal regulations concerning the operation of Assisted living Facilities. Each state has their own regulations, but even with state by state laws there are some disturbing trends.
Every Can Do It
Directions on how to open ALFs exist on the Internet and in many comments on these articles or ‘how to guides’, you will see people operating assisted living ‘facilities’ out of their homes. Small homes, any size from two to six bedrooms. Each bedroom may house one or two seniors. In some states there are even such so-called facilities based in double wide mobile homes.
Alzheimer’s And Environmental Links
July 25th, 2011, Alzheimers Care, Assisted Living Concerns
For years medical science has been researching the various elements that are suspected to play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). When science understands what causes a particular condition, that brings us closer to treatments for established cases of a disease and one step closer to preventing or curing the condition altogether.
Environmental elements are large players in the development of AD. Heredity poses a large portion of risk, but there have been many instance of Alzheimer’s in patients with no definite family history of the disease. For these diagnosed cases, there may have been an environmental link.
Assisted Living Advocacy
July 18th, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, General Info
Did you know that every community has advocacy programs for seniors? It does not matter if you live at home or in an Assisted Living facility, you are entitled to advocacy for your concerns. The federal government has a website devoted to locating your local senior advocate organizations : www.eldercare.gov
This website lists every advocacy group in your community. You can also find your local Long Term Care Ombudsman by searching your state and zip code.
This website lists every advocacy group in your community. You can also find your local Long Term Care Ombudsman by searching your state and zip code.
When you are in need of advocacy your local senior groups can help you. By providing information, speaking to administrative staff on your behalf, or helping you apply for benefits such as Medicaid. Becoming a member of one of these groups also gives you the chance to learn and perhaps become an advocate yourself.
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