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Seniors & Covid

10+ Ways to Connect and Care During COVID

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

As our elders stay inside their homes, their apartments and their residential communities, we search for ways to connect with them as well as to make their lives and their care better. Here are 10+ ways to connect and care for your elders during this unprecedented time.

 

Some are simple, but simple works right now.

Engage with Them:
  • Send a note or card in the mail. Include a photo, a drawing, or news clipping that you want to share. Elders love getting snail mail.
  • Ask them to write you a story that they’ve never told you before.
  • If your elder has FaceTime or their community has a tablet that they are using for family connections, use this means to have some virtual face-to-face time.
  • Set up a daily or weekly chat time. Stick to it.
  • Send them magazines, puzzles, books, craft supplies. You can order online and have them delivered.
  • Some floral companies are doing contact-free deliveries. Order balloons or flowers to brighten your elder’s day. Springtime is great for blooming plants.
  • Send your elder a box of blank cards and a book of stamps. They can use them to write to loved ones and friends. Send addresses or suggestions so they don’t have to search.
  • Offer to do their spring yard work. You can visit from a distance that way.
  • If you live nearby, order a food delivery for them and the same one for you. Then call them while you enjoy the same meal.
Make Sure Your Elders Are Getting Consistently Good Care:
  • Check to see if your elder’s doctor or care provider is offering telehealth visits. Sign your elder up for telehealth instead of their next in-person visit, if appropriate.
  • Set up a Care Conference with your elder’s care providers via video or phone. Ask about physical, cognitive and mental health.
  • If your elder lives in a care community or retirement community, call the Activities Director and ask if you can order or send something for their residents to enjoy. Trivia books to use? Puzzle books? Individual crafts?
  • Now is a great time to set up mail order Rx deliveries for maintenance meds. If your elder is using a retail pharmacy, set up delivery with them (or move to a retail pharmacy that does do delivery).
  • Staff members at retirement and care communities are running ragged right now. Order delivery of meals, snacks or gift cards. Call and ask what they need.
  • Check with your local Area Agency on Aging to see what resources are available at low or no cost to assist your elder right now.

 

More than anything, find ways to stay connected. Isolation is not a good place for anyone, but especially not elders.

Stay well, friends. Know we’ll work our way through this time and find some very special connections along the way.

Author Suzanne Blankenship

 

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Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference?
Caregiving

Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference?

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

When given the option between convalescing at home and in a nursing home, most people prefer to remain at home and age in place. Besides the familiarity, home is the place where people have lived their lives and created memories with friends and family. Even the smallest house is often viewed by the senior as a comfortable setting that is well-suited for their personal belongings, pets and visitors. Many seniors create a support network of friends and family close to home, and aging in place makes it easier for beneficial bonds to remain strong. The positive emotional bond people have often helps speed their recovery, as long as they receive the therapeutic and support services they require. Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference?
Both nursing homes and home care agencies provide the resources and services to increase comfort and assist recovery. They both have the common goal of helping your loved one with activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and promoting healthy longevity.

Nursing Home Care

Nursing homes provide around-the-clock medical and non-medical care to a population that is primarily elderly or disabled. Facilities are staffed with aides, nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered nurses (RNs), along with others who provide emotional support, enrichment activities, physical and occupational therapy and pharmacy services. All nursing homes have immediate access to physicians though few have a physician in-house, around the clock. They have full-time kitchens and housekeeping staff, and some provide transportation with vans or buses. Institutional nursing homes normally have all their services under one roof or a short distance away. In-house social activities are planned for residents in all licensed nursing facilities. Many also have libraries, recreation areas and entertainment scheduled for holidays or special occasions.

Home Care

Licensed skilled nursing agencies care for home-bound individuals. They provide services ranging from companionship and cleaning to skilled nursing care. Visits to the home can be scheduled on an hourly basis, daily or overnight, as the need and budget allow. Most home care agencies also work to maintain consistent care and encourage bonding by scheduling the same nurses or caregivers with the same seniors whenever possible. Some seniors utilize these services immediately after discharge from the hospital, and many continue to access services on a longer-term basis once rehabilitation is complete. Families also benefit from homecare as it provides them with professional assistance called respite care so they can spend time away from their loved ones with confidence knowing the senior is in expert hands.

Final Considerations

Choosing between a nursing home and home care services can be a matter of physical needs or personal preference. The goal of each is to better the patient’s comfort level, and when possible, achieve independent living. Which you choose for yourself or a loved one needs to be thought through carefully based on physical and emotional needs as well as both short term and long term goals.

By Christine Day – While Christine’s main passion is nursing, on her off days she enjoys writing for Salus Homecare. Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference?

Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference?

Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference? Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference? Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference? Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference?

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What Seniors Miss Most about Home in Facility Care
Caregiving

What Seniors Miss Most about Home in Facility Care

by Richard Bitner
written by Richard Bitner

Moving away from home and into a care facility can be a jarring experience for seniors. While moving to an assisted living facility or a nursing home is sometimes the only option, studies* have found that these moves can have a damaging effect on the emotional, mental, and physical well-being of seniors. What Seniors Miss Most about Home in Facility Care
It’s little surprise then that nearly 90% of seniors reported to the AARP* that they wished to age-in-place for as long as possible. That’s true even in situations where seniors require professional in-home care to live at home safely and comfortable. In-home care providers like Visiting Angels now offer specialized senior care programs that give seniors the options they need to age in place.
If you spend time talking with seniors, you’ll find common concerns about things they’ll miss if they need to make the move to institutional care. Below, we’ve compiled 16 things about home that seniors miss most when they relocate to a care facility. What Seniors Miss Most about Home in Facility Care

Home Itself

  1. Favorite Possessions. Moving to a care facility requires serious downsizing. While seniors’ most cherished items usually make the trip, there simply isn’t room for all of the souvenirs, memories, and personal items that many seniors wish to bring with them.
  2. Comfortable Furniture. Some care facilities allow residents to bring furniture with them. Some don’t. And even among those that do, space is limited.
  3. Space and Privacy. Some care facilities offer less than 100 square feet of living space per person. Even those with relatively spacious living areas can feel claustrophobic after decades in larger living quarters.
  4. Personalized Décor. Your mom or dad has made home feel like home with décor that fits their tastes and personality. Care facilities usually give off a sterile, impersonal feel because they need a design that works for everyone.
  5. Gardens and Yard Space. It can be difficult to no longer have a patch of outdoor space to call their own. This can be particularly troubling for seniors with green thumbs.
  6. Climate Control. In nursing homes and assisted living facilities, climate control is often in the hands of staff — not seniors — leaving many residents feeling overly warm or chilly.
  7. The “Feel” of Home. After living in the same home for many years, nowhere else “feels” like home. This feeling can be especially acute in care facilities, where occupants have few spaces that they can truly call their own.

Neighborhood & Community

  1. Favorite Shops and Restaurants. Seniors don’t just lose the familiarity of home when they move to facility care. They also lose the neighborhood stores, restaurants, and coffee shops they’ve grown to love over the years.
  2. Parks and Public Spaces. Moving to a care facility often means losing access to favorite outdoor spaces, making it hard for seniors to enjoy the fresh area.
  3. Friends and Neighbors. One of the hardest parts about moving is saying goodbye to the friends and neighbors that made their neighborhood feel like a community.
  4. Local Community. Relocating to a care facility in a different town or state dislocates seniors from the local community. Seniors find themselves miles away from clubs, groups, and religious communities they’ve participated in for years.
  5. A Familiar Space. When you’ve lived in the same neighborhood for long enough, the trees, streets, and sidewalks feel as much a part of “home” as your living room or bedroom.

Personal Routines

  1. Sleeping Patterns. In a care facility, it can be tough for older adults to maintain the sleep schedule they prefer. Lights-out rules may be in place, nurses and other residents can disrupt sleep, and the unfamiliar space can make it hard to get shut-eye at night.
  2. Eating Habits. Moving to a care facility can make it difficult for seniors to eat the foods they enjoy, or eat meals at the times when they want to eat them.
  3. Favorite Activities. It can be hard for seniors to enjoy favorite hobbies and activities within a care facility environment, particularly those that require space or specialized equipment.

Independence & Control

  1. One of the most unsettling aspects of moving to a nursing home or assisted living facility can be the lack of independence. Even if seniors need help from family or professional caregivers to age in place, the fact that they still live at home allows them to retain a sense of independence and self-sufficiency. Often, it’s this sense of independent is the thing that seniors miss most after moving out of their home and into a care facility.

Looking to help your mom or dad age in place? Visiting Angels offers free, in-home assessments to help seniors and their families decide if in-home senior care is right for them. Schedule your assessment today by calling 800-365-4189 or by getting in touch with your local Visiting Angels office.
*Sources: https://press.aarp.org/2014-04-25-New-AARP-Report-Outlines-What-Older-Americans-Want-In-Their-Communities-How-Many-Are-Thinking-of-Moving
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7148624
http://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2757&context=utk_graddiss
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12558718

What Seniors Miss Most about Home in Facility Care

What Seniors Miss Most about Home in Facility Care What Seniors Miss Most about Home in Facility Care What Seniors Miss Most about Home in Facility Care What Seniors Miss Most about Home in Facility Care What Seniors Miss Most about Home in Facility Care

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Setting up Care for Aging Parents while on Vacation
Caregiving

Setting up Care for Aging Parents while on Vacation

by Kimberly Johnson
written by Kimberly Johnson
CONGRATULATIONS! In honor of your upcoming wedding anniversary, your spouse just surprised you with a romantic week-long trip. You know you are supposed to be thrilled but, there is no way that you can go. You are the primary caretaker for your aging parents, and a vacation is impossible. Setting up Care for Aging Parents while on Vacation
Who will take care of Mom? Setting up Care for Aging Parents while on Vacation
Who will look in on her in the afternoons?
How will she get to the doctor? Setting up Care for Aging Parents while on Vacation
Who will set up her medications? Setting up Care for Aging Parents while on Vacation
And… what happens if there is a real emergency? Setting up Care for Aging Parents while on Vacation
These are the exact reasons that you NEED a vacation. Being the primary caretaker for aging parents is challenging and demanding, and it takes its toll on you. You need this for your heart and mind. Setting up Care for Aging Parents while on Vacation
Before you start packing for your romantic getaway here are some options to keeping your aging parents safe and well, while you are relaxing by the beach!

Home Care

The preferred option for your aging parents is to remain in the same environment. Remaining at home creates the least disruption, especially for seniors dealing with memory loss or if they require specialized medical equipment.
Ask a relative or a sibling can assume the primary caretaker duties and stay over at your parent’s house while you are away. If this is not an option, ask the daytime caregiver if they can work extra hours. A home health care registry can provide personalized service from regular calls throughout the day, to night shifts or if your aging parents requires it, complete 24-hour care. Setting up Care for Aging Parents while on Vacation

Residential Care Facilities

Although not ideal, if it is impossible for your aging parent to remain in their accustomed routine at home, rest assured they will be well taken care of at a residential facility. ARCH National Respite and Resource Center, provides a wealth of information and a national locator tool that can help caregivers find respite services in their community.

Assisted Living Residence

This is ideal for independent seniors that require less help. The expectation is that your parents are mentally alert and can dress and feed themselves. Your parents can live in their own apartment while sharing communal living and dining areas.

Nursing Home

These facilities are intended for seniors with greater personal and medical requirements. Care is available day or night and constant nursing can be provided if it is deemed necessary.

Stress Busters

In order to go on vacation safe with the knowledge that your parents will be comfortable and safe until your return, start planning early. Depending on their mental capacity try and involve your parents in the decisions related to their care.

Finances

  • Understand the finances.
  • Add the costs of elder care into your vacation costs.
  • Research veterans benefits, Medicaid, foundation grants, and state funding.

Paperwork

No matter where your parents will be staying, organize a folder containing important paperwork.

  • List of primary and secondary emergency contacts
  • List of family contacts
  • List of physicians- with phone numbers and addresses
  • List of preferred hospital and pharmacy
  • List of all medications and which doctor prescribed them
  • Important documents: power of attorney, living will, advance directives, DNR orders
  • insurance cards

Enjoy Your Vacation

Relax! You are ready to enjoy a stress-free vacation. You have made arrangements for your aging parents and you have seen to the last detail. Now, is your time to take a break from the stress of being the primary caretaker.
Focus on the milestone of your wedding anniversary and enjoy the romantic getaway. BON VOYAGE!

Y.Feinerman is the digital marketing manager for Family First Home Health Care. Yocheved is passionate about family and is known to be the “go to person” for family life cycle events and FUN!
Family First Home Health Care is a consumer directed private care registry, with the purpose of putting our client in control. We are comitted to referring those caregivers who can provide high quality, innovative care and who strive for excellence. Caregier screening and referral care our business. Each of the caregivers on our registry unergo a rigorous background screening and a credetial verification. Click Here and F1HH will be in touch with you within 24 hours.

Setting up Care for Aging Parents while on Vacation

Setting up Care for Aging Parents while on Vacation Setting up Care for Aging Parents while on Vacation Setting up Care for Aging Parents while on Vacation

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Caregiving

Simplify Prescription Packaging to Avoid Nursing Homes

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

medsNumerous factors impact a senior’s ability to live independently, such as health and memory problems, mobility issues, and care coordination concerns. Often overlooked is the fact that one quarter of all nursing home admissions are the result of poor medication adherence. Simplify Prescription Packaging to Avoid Nursing Homes
Representing a loss of independence, being placed in a nursing home is a difficult milestone for both seniors and their families. It is also costly for seniors, their families and the health care system. The cost of a single room in a nursing home averages more than $200 per day and close to $200 billion for all Americans annually. About 62 percent of this cost in the United States is assumed by public, taxpayer-financed sources such as Medicaid and Medicare.
Almost half of seniors aged 65 and older take at least five different prescription drugs regularly, and one in four take between 10 and 19 pills each day according to data compiled by Kelton Research. In addition, more than half of seniors admit to not taking their medications as directed, and the adherence rate decreases as the number of daily medications prescribed increases.
“For seniors, taking one pill a day is manageable, however the complexity of taking multiple medications each with its own set of instructions, represents a real challenge that impacts their health and independence, says Ian Salditch, CEO of Medicine-On-Time. “However, the difficulties associated with taking multiple medications can effectively be addressed through customized prescription packaging.”
Salditch’s company developed Medicine-On-Time, where local pharmacists sort and organize medications into personalized pill cups labeled with the day, date and time to take them. Pharmacists provide all the pill cups to the patient organized into colorful calendar cards. It’s convenient, easy-to-use and, most importantly, proven effective to help people maintain independence and enjoy better health. A study released in the American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy found that seniors using Medicine-On-Time were 66 percent less likely to be admitted to a nursing home.
“It is an all too familiar process – adult children sorting their parents’ medications into pill boxes,” Salditch says. “Medicine-On-Time puts this process in the hands of licensed pharmacists and in doing so helps to ensure safety and accuracy, helping seniors maintain their independence and their quality of life.”Believe it or not, research conducted by Prince Market Research shows that seniors fear moving into a nursing home and losing their independence more than they fear death. The same study found that baby boomer children of seniors also fear for their parents,-particularly their parents’ emotional and physical well-being should they have to enter a nursing home.
 

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