As America Ages Senior Care Flourish's

by ElderCarelink      

The Georgetown University Public Policy Institute estimates nearly 70% of individuals may need some form of long-term care after they turn 65.

"People want to stay in their own home," says James Firman, president of the National Council of Aging, "and if they can't, they want to go to a place where they can get assistance but that still feels homelike."

Alternatives to nursing homes

According to Medicare.gov, most older Americans who need long-term care can receive care at home and don't need to enter a nursing home.

Alternatives to nursing homes include home care services, assisted living facilities, boarding houses, or adult day care.

Here is a quick look at two long-term care alternatives:

1. Home care services. Home visiting services can be beneficial for elders that wish to remain in their homes. Home care workers can provide a range of services, from physical therapy to bathing assistance, transportation to meal preparation.

2. Adult day care services. Adult day care centers provide activities for seniors during mostly business hours, Monday through Friday. They offer family caregivers the opportunity to take a break or go to work.

But, families should discuss the various long-term care options in advance, well before care is necessary.

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When enough is too much, in-home care can help

by ElderCarelink  

 Perhaps more difficult than admitting that your parent or loved needs your help as caregiver is admitting that you simply can't do it alone. When you've hit your physical and emotional limits in caregiving, you shouldn't feel guilty -- and you certainly shouldn't lose hope. There are a myriad ways to find and get the help you need, all the while improving the care your loved one receives and your relationship.

In-home care is easy, and it allows your parent or loved one to keep his or her pride and enjoy the comforts of home. Not all in-home care comes in form of a live-in nurse.

Here's a breakdown of the most common kinds of in-home help available:

Companion homemakers: These folks are here to help you with chores around the house, not provide your parent or loved one with medical support. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, walking the dog, yard work -- think of companion homemakers as eager and willing helpers.

Home health aides: Home health aides give you a break from helping your parent or loved one with bathing, dressing, using the bathroom and other needs. They can be full-time, live-in or part-time, depending on your needs.

Therapists: Helping with physical issues, speech, emotional distress and a variety of other needs, therapists are more akin to doctors making house calls than they are to around-the-house helpers -- but when leaving home is an issue, homecare therapists fit the bill perfectly.

Registered nurses: A registered nurse (RN) is trained to provide skilled medical care to meet your parent or loved one's needs, whether that's on a part-time basis or full-time, live-in.

Admitting you need help and getting it will always be better than letting things fall apart, so ask before it's too late.

Adult day care offers respite care for caregivers during the holidays   

 by ElderCarelink

The arrival of the holidays is supposed to mark a time of enjoyment and celebration. However, for most caregivers, the holidays mean additional pressure. From cooking to cleaning, shopping to family get together, the list of responsibilities just seems to grow and grow.

It is important to be cognizant of stress and anxiety levels during the holiday season, as depression commonly affects caregivers during this time. Reduce those stress levels by turning to community services available to caregivers who need and want to free up their schedules to rest, deal with daily responsibilities, run errands or even do some holiday shopping.

Adult day care services

Adult day centers typically coordinate a variety of programs during daytime hours. These programs traditionally fall into three categories, according to the National Adult Day Services Association

Social.Recreational and group activities appropriate for your loved one's condition and need.

Health. Social activities, including health and therapeutic services.

Specialized. Targeted activities based on a loved one's specific care needs, such as dementia, Alzheimer's, stroke, or Parkinson's.

This holiday season, caregivers should consider turning to adult day services to get more time to focus on getting rest. Whether it is exercising or spending time with family, activities away from caregiving can help reduce stress and anxiety levels.

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Eight Questions to Ask When Choosing the Right Adult Day Center

by ElderCarelink

According to the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA), there are approximately 4,600 adult day centers nationwide. These centers typically provide social, medical, and specialized care for elders in community or group settings. If you've been considering enrolling your loved one or parent into a facility, it may be a solid choice.

 Adult day care is a really good option to have care in a group or social setting, says Gina Kaurich, a professional geriatric care manager.

 Selecting a center

 If you and your parent believe adult day care is a good option, be sure to exercise caution and due diligence when selecting a facility. The NADSA recommends that caregivers and family members first evaluate the needs of their loved one. For example, social activities may be important if your parent lives alone. On the other hand, a parent with dementia or special health concerns may need a facility with a lower client to caregiver ratio.

 Before making a decision, be sure to tour several facilities to get a sense of what different providers have to offer.

 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid recommend asking the following questions when touring a facility:

 1. How long has the center been in operation?

2. Is the center licensed? Is that license valid?

3. What are the costs?

4. What type of training and credentials does the staff possess?

5. What types of activities are offered?

6. Is access to medical or personal care services available?

7. Are transportation services available?

8. How are behavioral issues addressed and handled?

Caregivers should also contact their state's licensing board or health department to inquiry whether any substantiated complaints have been made against the facility.If you're ready to take the next step and find an adult day care provider, let ElderCarelink.com assist you.

Looking to attend a holiday industry event?  Click Here to view our Utah Professional Networking calendar or to post your own holiday time special event.  Have a wonderful season!  Quick Links to Seniors Blue Book Media Kit About Us  Contact Us  Housing Search Home Health Search  Non-Medical Home Health Search Senior Resource Search SeniorsBlueBook.com Need More Free Senior Blue Books? Order More Here  Sign Up for theSeniorsBlueBook.comCommunity E-Bulletin Right now on SeniorsBlueBook.com there are: 20 Professional Networking Posts       140 Senior Activity & Events Posts 4 Announcements & Job Postings   If you are having an upcoming event, class or seminar be sure to let the community know by posting it on SeniorsBlueBook.com Below is  just a sampling of some the upcoming events:  Professional For Seniors Monthly Networking Meeting Alzheimer's Family Support Group

What's the difference between nursing homes and assisted living

by ElderCarelink

When it appears some form of senior living for a loved one is on the horizon, it pays to familiarize yourself with the different options, including nursing homes and assisted living.

 Assisted living and nursing homes:

 Assisted living. Assisted living emerged in the 1990s as a form of senior care for individuals who could no longer live on their own, but did not require 24-hour supervision or assistance provided by nursing homes. These facilities traditionally provide custodial-care services in home-like atmospheres. Residents can get assistance with bathing, eating and dressing, and many facilities offer shared meals, housekeeping and laundry services and more.

 Nursing homes. Nursing homes, also referred to as 'skilled nursing facilities' provide continual, 24-hour medical attention to their residents. For seniors who have significant medical problems, severe cognitive issues or mobility impairments, nursing homes are equipped to provide the proper level of care.

 Some things to keep in mind:

 Remember, assisted living facilities are not licensed or regulated on a national basis, but on a state-by-state level. In turn, assisted living care falls into a spectrum of definitions, with facilities called assisted living homes, personal care homes, residential care homes and more. That means you should be diligent in your research, visit the facilities you are considering and be sure to make sure it is a licensed and regulated facility.

On the other hand, many nursing homes across the US are approved to accept Medicare, Medicaid or both. This is important as the cost of nursing home care is typically higher than assisted living. So, which is best? That's up to you and your family to decide. Take time to figure out your loved one's needs, review the advantages and drawbacks of each type of care, and research the various options thoroughly to find the right senior living option for your elder.

Six Things To Think About For Senior Housing

by ElderCarelink  

Any talk that you can see coming is going to be a difficult one, and the housing talk with your aging parent or loved one is certainly no exception. Fortunately, some of the pressure can be taken off of both parties by starting the conversation early (i.e., before the decision must be made) and coming to it prepared with a few speaking points.

 Here's a list of six things to think about and talk about with your loved one before the eleventh hour:

 1. Care needs. Does your parent or loved one have a worsening medical condition? What level of care does s/he need now? How about down the line?

 2. Accessibility. Your loved one will need access to things around the house and around the community. From getting to the store to making it to the hospital, pulling weeds to climbing out of the bath, location and access are major issues to consider.

 3. Socializing. Very few people actually enjoy being alone. Consider what kind of social activities your loved one needs to stay sane, whether it's organized activities or the ability to walk over to a neighbor's house.

 4. Caregiving. Don't go for homes or communities that only barely meet your loved one's needs today; go for housing options that meet tomorrow's possibilities.

 5. Finances. What's your budget? Your loved one's? How can everyone live comfortably on that amount of money?

 6. Professional assessment. If you're getting push-back to these questions or neither you nor your loved one really know what to do with the answers, consider talking to an elder-care professional about what housing options would work.

 Have this conversation early, even if only to get your loved one thinking about the issue.

Sources of loneliness and what you can do

by ElderCarelink

With very, very few exceptions, no one likes to be alone. For the elderly, dealing with the loss of friends and spouses can make them particularly susceptible to feelings of loneliness. In a six-year study, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, asked over 1,600 adults age 60 and older about feelings of isolation, lacking meaningful contact and being left out, and the findings make one point very clearly: loneliness can be a serious health issue.

Over the course of the study, the group of elderly men and women who reported feelings of loneliness were roughly twice as likely to have declines in their ability to complete simple tasks like bathing, dressing and eating. These adults were also 45 percent more likely to die than their more connected counterparts. Rather than letting your parent or loved one live in a constant "I don't want to be a bother" state of isolation, resigned to passing quickly and quietly, you can take steps to combat this issue.

Stay in touch. They might not be ready to move in with you, but they definitely want to stay in contact. Make time for dinner, chats over coffee and quality family time.Help them make new friends. An adult daycare center is a great option for taking the weight of caregiving off of your shoulders for a few hours a day and getting your parents or loved ones connected to more people their age.

Encourage love. Whether it's a romantic relationship, a new pet to dote over or a young grandchild to spoil, love is the silver bullet for loneliness. Encourage it, and help it grow.

Don't make your first (or last) chat with your loved be about health issues. Start sharing the love today.

Another awesome blog about aging:

http://www.healthinaging.org/blog/

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A Day in the Life of a Senior

This week, the class got the opportunity to experience some different things that seniors sometimes have to experience. Everyone got to class and were given briefs to put on, then they had to put 8 pieces of corn in each shoe, tie their knees together, wear sunglasses with vaseline rubbed on them, put cotton balls in their ears, wear gloves and a face mask and then go run two laps around the school track. These were to simulate different pains that different seniors feel due to chronic diseases or other problems. Here are some pictures of the experience:

 

Huntsman World Senior Games!

What an awesome opportunity we had to go help out at the Senior Games. We got to help out for 2 weeks doing different health screenings for the seniors that participated in the games. Here are some pictures of our experience:

Strength and Flexibility

VO2 Max

Glaucoma

 

Bone Density

Blood pressure

Eye Exam

Some other health screenings we did included: Body Fat Composition, Bone Density, Balance, Blood Sugar, Blood Pressure