The Secrets of Savvy Nursing Home Shoppers

by ElderCarelink

Once you have made the decision to place your parent or loved one in a nursing home, it is time to find the right facility. We’ve all heard horror stories of uncaring staff and unclean rooms, but you can avoid making a mistake by following these insider tips.

First, compile a list of nursing homes in your loved one’s area. You can find local nursing homes at ElderCareLink.com

Next, you need to go to www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare to find the government quality ratings assigned to those homes.

Third, you need to create a short list of homes to tour.

While looking at the government site, here’s how to decipher the quality ratings.

Health inspection: This list contains about 180 individual sections, breaking down all major aspects of care in nursing homes. The Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services sends trained staff to every location to make objective reports of facilities, and the reports are checked at the federal level to ensure quality standards.

Staffing: In addition to the ratio of staff to residents, this rating takes into account the need for and number of trained nurses on staff. The CMS recommends asking about staff turnover and any qualifications the staff might have beyond nursing certifications.

Quality measures: This is an in-depth look at how well nursing homes perform on ten fairly common and very important aspects of senior care such as how the staff helps residents dress themselves and how they treat skin ulcers.

Using this three-step approach can help you find the best nursing home that will provide a caring and home-like atmosphere for your loved one. Get started now at ElderCarelink.com.

Adult Day Care Makes You a Better Caregiver

 by ElderCarelink

Caregiving brings with it a whole host of emotions – not the least of which is guilt. No matter how much you give, you always think there is more you could be doing.

However, don’t let that guilt stop you from taking advantage of adult day care respite services. Yes, you may feel like you are unloading your responsibility on someone else, but an elder care study found you’d actually be doing your loved one a favor.

Turns out, adult day care has benefits that can help you be a better caregiver.

The study, published in the journal The Gerontologist, found caregivers who care for elders with dementia experienced less stress when the individual with dementia used adult day care services.

The research, conducted by Steven Zarit from Pennsylvania State University, revealed a range of benefits for caregivers who enroll their loved one with dementia in adult day services.

Lower care-related stresses

Better experiences during the day

Lowered anger levels

Reduced non-care stressors that could lead to depression

"Caregivers who live with and care for someone with dementia can experience extraordinary amounts of stress," said Zarit. "The use of adult day services appears to provide caregivers with a much-needed break that can possibly protect them from the negative health effects caused by chronic stress."

What’s more, lower stress levels and less anger can mean you are the caring compassionate caregiver you want to be, not the running-on-fumes one you are currently.

If you are ready to make a positive change for yourself and your loved one, visit ElderCareLink.com to find adult day cares in your area.

Gerontology Student Opportunity

We have a really cool opportunity coming up this weekend. The Woodbury Art Museum, located at University Mall and affiliated with UVU, is opening two gerontology-related exhibits this weekend!  The reception will be held on January 17th from 6 to 8 pm (and there will be free food!).  

The first exhibit is called the Memory Care Project and contains art done by dementia patients at the Provo Rehabilitation and Nursing Center and EngAGE Utah. 

The second exhibit is the Hidden Voices exhibit representing underrepresented populations through the expression of art, particularly the geriatric population. 

Four types of in-home care providers

 by ElderCarelink

Hiring an in-home care provider is a big decision for all parties concerned. Often times, the situation is approached from a "we'll try it -- once" angle, making finding the right home care aid of paramount importance.

When it comes time to make the choice of who to call, you've got a couple of options: non-medical home care and home health care.

Non-medical home refers to a series of non-medical services provide by caregivers, which could include help with daily living activities, transportation, providing medication reminders and more.

Home health care is a broad term that covers a gamut of health care services provided in the home. In most cases, home care is typically less expensive than receiving care in a nursing home (skilled nursing facility), a hospital, or assisted living facility.

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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

Are you considering home health care services for a loved one? Wondering if Medicare will pay for those services? If your loved one meets certain eligibility requirements, Medicare does pay for a range of health care services.

Medicare.gov (Official US Government Site for Medicare) 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227). For specific questions about expenses, claims, etc., you can call Medicare.

Take the time to do your homework and due diligence before bringing in a professional to help your parent or loved one out around the house.

Respite care can be a lifeline for caregivers

 by ElderCarelink

Caregivers hear it all the time: "Take care of yourself or you won't be able to take care of other's."

 But, how does a caregiver find that time? Keeping up with the various demands of our time is nearly impossible and usually has us running in circles. However, there are resources available to help caregivers to take a break. Caregivers must be willing to search for these resources and accept help.

Here is a list of some possible public services available to caregivers:

1. County human services agency. Many county human services agencies have funds set aside for respite care, much of which is not dependent on financial need.

2. Senior companions. RSVP, a senior volunteer program, offers senior companion programs in many areas. Senior companions are seniors in good health who offer company for elders at home while the caregiver has some time to themselves.

3. Faith communities. Many faith communities and churches have volunteer groups. These volunteers can keep elders company while the caregiver runs errands or takes a break.

These options are generally provided at no or minimal cost.

Paid respite care

Paid options shouldn't be overlooked or ignored. Just a few hours of assistance can mean the difference in a caregiver's physical and mental health.

Here are two popular choices:

1. In-home care. A flexible option, in-home care can be scheduled to meet the elder's and caregiver's needs.

2. Adult day care. Adult day care offers a variety of activities for elders and, like in-home care, is very flexible.

Although an elder may fight the idea of having someone else caring for them, caregivers cannot give in to their guilt. Caregivers need to detach and take care of themselves. If you feel you cannot leave your loved one, even for an hour, then you need help. Please check out the various options mentioned above. You are as important as the person you care for.

Home care breakdown, what's right for you?

 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.

Happy 2014! 

This is a new year with a lot of new changes. One big change is the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) that is now underway as of January 1st. Here are some websites with basic facts about ObamaCare as well as an awesome short video that explains the changes very well. Hope this clears up some of the unknowns about the changes that are happening with health care!

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-Ilc5xK2_E&noredirect=1

Informative websites:
https://www.healthcare.gov/
http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-facts.php