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.
Assisted Living Concerns
Aging In Place
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012, Assisted Living Concerns, General Info
Alzheimer’s in Assisted Living
Monday, 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.
Depression Leads to Stroke Risk
Monday, 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
Monday, 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?
Monday, 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?
Monday, 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.
Resident Rights: Know Them!
Monday, 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
Monday, 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?
Long Term Care Insurances, Worth The Cost?
Monday, 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.
Who Can Operate An ALF?
Monday, 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
Monday, 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
Monday, 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.
Beat the Heat Advice for Seniors
Saturday, June 25th, 2011, Assisted Living Activities, Assisted Living Concerns
Irene is retired, she loves to work in her garden. Because she has always spent hours outside, she thinks the heat and humidity of Midwestern summers don’t bother her. Then last year an unusual heat wave hit her area. Five days into the heat wave, her daughter Kim came over because Irene sounded confused on the phone. Kim found her mom passed out on the kitchen floor. Irene’s one large fan wasn’t enough to fight the effect of the heat and humidity on her body. The ambulance came quickly when called, but Irene almost died. She had heat stroke, the most serious form of hyperthermia.
H1N1 (Swine Flu) and You
Monday, June 13th, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, Resident Care
Recently the World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement that the H1N1 Pandemic had ended. The death toll around the globe is at an estimated 18,000. This is far below what the WHO expected – due to the rate at which the virus spread, the organization originally thought the death toll would reach the millions.
While this is good news on the whole, those that are susceptible to influenza should still receive their flu shots. Swine flu (H1N1) is not wiped out and like any virus, can make a comeback.
Suicide Risk Increased For Seniors In Facilities
Monday, May 2nd, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, Life in Assisted Living
A study earlier this year pointed to an increased risk of suicide for senior in facilities. The facilities included in the study encompassed Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Skilled Facilities. The study can be found online in the May 18th edition of PLoS Medical Journal.
Who Will Watch Over Us?
Thursday, April 28th, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, Life in Assisted Living, Resident Care
Many of the seniors that moved into an Assisted Living facility did so for the added safety of being ‘watched over’ during the night. They do so with the assumption that ALFs have the same staffing requirements as a skilled facility and that there will be several aides per hallway or floor to answer any calls for assistance late at night in case of an emergency.
Assisted Living Facilities Inspection Process in Iowa Needs Tweaking
Monday, April 25th, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, Assisted Living Regulations
All is not well with the inspections process for assisted living facilities in Iowa, according to the inspectors themselves. The process has undergone drastic changes in the past few years, in fact, the inspections are no longer done by the same department initially responsible for them.
Volunteers Act As Legal Guardians But Loved Ones Shouldn’t Need Them
Monday, April 11th, 2011, Assisted Living Activities, Assisted Living Concerns
Indigent people near Fort Worth, Texas have the ability to have volunteers act as legal guardians. It means that disabled veterans and those with mental and emotional difficulties don’t have to worry that their wishes will be followed if something were to happen.
Dignity in Assisted Living
Monday, March 7th, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, General Info
When someone thinks of an Assisted Living Facility, often the first thing that comes to mind is the upscale look of the facility. People may assume that because the facility looks so classy that the quality of life will match the scenery.
Top Ten States With 5 Star Nursing/Assisted Living Facilities
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, General Info
US News and World Report published a list of ten states with the highest percentage of 5 stare rankings. This list was published in January 2010.
Power of Attorney
Friday, February 25th, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, General Info
Power of attorney has been a term used in soap operas and movies for a very long time. We’ve all heard the horror stories: someone’s power of attorney took them for everything they owned. Left the poor person penniless or worse.
Sexual Abuse in Assisted Living Facilities
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns
What is sexual abuse?
Sexual abuse is the act of forcing another person to perform or participate in an unwanted sexual act. The offenses/acts can include:
NCAL Annual Reports
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011, Assisted Living Concerns, General Info
The National Council on Assisted Living (NCAL) gathers information on assisted living facilities and providers from around the nation and reports on them every year. The council was started in order to better help consumers understand their options and to help seniors find the best facility for them.
Medicare Physicians’ Pay Cut Leads to Patient Refusals
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