Beginning Care For Your Elder
For the best senior care center visit: https://threelinks.org/senior-living/.
It is obvious that those of us who see our aging parents' needs change want for them exactly what we would want for ourselves. For a very simple reason, we want them to get the right attention and care at the correct time in the right place. But desperately wanting it and knowing what it means specifically for our father and mother, understanding what our possibilities are, and knowing where to find reliable information on each possibility isn't at all simple. Often, we don't even know what questions to ask, much less where to look for the answers.
For caregivers journeying on this unfamiliar road, the following map can help point the way and at least offer a basic overview of what's coming up around the next bend, and the next, and the next. According to the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care: It is difficult to predict how much or what type of assisted living care any one person might need. Service and support needs vary from one person to the next and often change over time.
Women need care for longer (on average 3.7 years) than do men (on average 2.2 years)." As our loved ones' care needs change, the "right place" may need to change as well: "Most long-term care is actually provided at home—either in the home of the person receiving care or at a family member's home.
There is also an increasing amount of long-term care available in the community through programs such as adult day service centers, which often supplement care at home or provide respite for family caregivers. For people who cannot stay at home, but who do not need the level of care provided in a nursing home, there are a variety of residential care settings, such as assisted living, board and care homes, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs).
Nursing homes provide long-term care to people who need more extensive care, particularly those whose needs include nursing care or 24-hour supervision in addition to their personal care needs. Hospice care is short-term, supportive care for the terminally ill (life expectancy of six months or less) that focuses on pain management, emotional, physical, and spiritual support for the patient and family. It can be provided at home, in a hospital, nursing home, or a hospice facility." As family caregivers, the more we learn about these different service options for our loved ones, the more reasonable and realistic our decision-making can be.
My Loved One Needs More Care: Longterm Care Options
Many people have a negative perception of nursing homes. They envision an institution where the residents are drugged-up and drooling. Such facilities are a thing of the past. Increasing state regulation and demand for quality care has shifted the industry to make it more inviting and tailored to meet the needs of the patient/resident.
Nursing homes offer 24 hour skilled nursing and medical care. Most often, physicians and nurses oversee the care of the resident. Many facilities also boast a physical therapy that will provide temporary or long term rehabilitative services. Nursing homes, such as Three Links - Minnesota, MN, can offer a wonderful quality of life.
It is important to keep in mind that nursing facilities can be costly. According to a 2004 Metlife survey (more than 5 years ago), the average cost of a nursing home room for a private room was $192 per day and $169 per day. These averages cost thousands of dollars more compared to the cost of assisted living.
If the goal is to keep your loved-one at home or out of the nursing home as long as possible, it is important to recognize when they need more help or oversight. Providing healthy, nutritious meals, eliminating falls risks (stairs, bath tubs, loose rugs), and offering social stimulation are crucial to the overall well-being of your loved-one. Often times, this will mean moving them into a community home or an assisted living facility that is senior friendly, such as Three Links that offers safety and care. Prevention is key and although implementing change can be difficult, it may ensure a better quality of life for your loved-one.
What Is Nursing Home Abuse?
According to the 2010 Census Bureau, people age 65 and over comprised approximately 13% of the population. By 2050 it is projected that 20% of the population will be age 65+. Additionally, over 1.4 million elderly adults are currently living in nursing homes in the United States.
Nursing home abuse, also known as elder abuse or neglect, is a serious cause for concern in our elderly population. It is difficult to determine the exact number of nursing home abuse instances each year, but with the ever-increasing elderly population and nursing homes that are regularly understaffed, with workers that are under-paid and over-worked, nursing home abuse and neglect continues to be a serious problem.
Elder abuse is defined as intentional actions, or a failure to act by a caregiver or healthcare professional, that cause harm or create a serious risk of harm to an elderly individual.
Nursing home abuse may include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, or even neglect.
Nursing home abuse can be difficult to observe, especially if you are not aware of the types or signs of abuse. Elder abuse and neglect can range from physical or sexual abuse to emotional abuse, financial abuse, or even neglect.
Although it is difficult to imagine, there are instances in which elderly residents in nursing homes experience unwanted, non-consensual sexual contact by either another resident or possibly even a healthcare worker. Elders who are sexually abused may be forced, coerced, or manipulated into sexual conduct.
- Unexplained bruising, cuts, or bleeding
- Bedsores or decubitus ulcers
- Broken or fractured bones
- Infection
- Lethargy
- Inability or lack of willingness to communicate
- Physical or emotional withdrawal
- Malnutrition or dehydration
- Poor hygiene and/or presence of urine and feces
What Should You Do If You Suspect Your Loved One Is Experiencing Nursing Home Abuse?
The first step is to regularly monitor the care that your loved one is receiving at the facility. Next, if you believe that your loved one is being abuse or neglected, contact the local Department of Aging and Disability Services to file a complaint.
It is important to protect your legal rights. You should contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney immediately to discuss your potential nursing home abuse case.
Nursing home abuse, also known as elder abuse or neglect, is a serious cause for concern in our elderly population. It is difficult to determine the exact number of nursing home abuse instances each year, but with the ever-increasing elderly population and nursing homes that are regularly understaffed, with workers that are under-paid and over-worked, nursing home abuse and neglect continues to be a serious problem.
Elder abuse is defined as intentional actions, or a failure to act by a caregiver or healthcare professional, that cause harm or create a serious risk of harm to an elderly individual.
Nursing home abuse may include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, or even neglect.
Types Of Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse can be difficult to observe, especially if you are not aware of the types or signs of abuse. Elder abuse and neglect can range from physical or sexual abuse to emotional abuse, financial abuse, or even neglect.Physical Abuse
Physical abuse occurs when physical force causes harm to an elderly victim. This may include pushing, scratching, hitting, shoving, biting, or physically restraining a victim.
Sexual Abuse
Although it is difficult to imagine, there are instances in which elderly residents in nursing homes experience unwanted, non-consensual sexual contact by either another resident or possibly even a healthcare worker. Elders who are sexually abused may be forced, coerced, or manipulated into sexual conduct.Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse occurs when an elder experiences emotional distress as a result of the actions of a caregiver. For instance, a caregiver may cause humiliation, intimidation, or neglecting an elder resident or patient.Financial Abuse
Stealing money or property from an elderly individual through manipulation, coercion, or trickery is considered financial abuse.Neglect
Elder neglect, or nursing home abuse, most commonly occurs when a resident does not receive the proper physical, medical, or emotional care. Neglect may pose serious risks to nursing home residents and it may lead to physical or emotional abuse.Signs Of Nursing Home Abuse
If your loved one is currently residing in a nursing home or assisted living facility, it is important that you regularly monitor their treatment and care. Here are some signs of nursing home abuse to be on the lookout for:- Unexplained bruising, cuts, or bleeding
- Bedsores or decubitus ulcers
- Broken or fractured bones
- Infection
- Lethargy
- Inability or lack of willingness to communicate
- Physical or emotional withdrawal
- Malnutrition or dehydration
- Poor hygiene and/or presence of urine and feces
What Should You Do If You Suspect Your Loved One Is Experiencing Nursing Home Abuse?
The first step is to regularly monitor the care that your loved one is receiving at the facility. Next, if you believe that your loved one is being abuse or neglected, contact the local Department of Aging and Disability Services to file a complaint.
It is important to protect your legal rights. You should contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney immediately to discuss your potential nursing home abuse case.
Medications and the Elderly
Facts about Medications and the Elderly
Older Americans comprise about 13% of the population but they consume over 30% of all prescription drugs.
It is estimated that 30% of the older population taking medications have had an adverse drug reaction.
Up to 20% of hospital admissions for the elderly are due to adverse drug reactions.
It is estimated that over half of the deaths attributed to adverse drug reaction are for people age 60 and above.
The Journal of the American Medical Association recently reported that if adverse drug reactions were classified as a disease it would rank as the fifth leading cause of death in the United States .
A major problem with medical treatment for the elderly is the large number of prescription medications the average older person is taking. On average a person over age 75 has five prescription drug medications and is using at least two over-the-counter medications as well is taking herbal supplements. Due to impaired ability to "clear" medications from the body, recommended dosages of prescription drugs are generally too much for older people. This can result in over-dosage and drug reaction and in some cases even death. The medical community is well aware of this problem, but finding the right dosage is often a problem because drug reactions are often masked by symptoms of the many chronic medical problems most elderly endure. In addition older people often don't recognize or they fail to report drug reactions. Another huge problem is that the primary care provider may not be aware of all of the prescriptions being taken and some of these drugs may be causing interaction with each other. Finally, many elderly either over-dose or under-dose or fail to take medications.
The most common problem with medications is that the doctor or the pharmacist may not be aware that a patient is taking a number of drugs prescribed by other doctors. Many older patients continue prescriptions with a number of doctors and specialists and no one doctor, not even the primary care physician, often knows the number or extent of medications being taken. Add onto this the fact that the elderly are most likely consuming a variety of over-the-counter medications as well as herbal supplements and it is not surprising to see the large number of adverse drug reactions and hospitalizations and deaths due to drug reactions among the elderly.
Elderly people also often fail to adhere to proper dosage and frequency of dosage with their medications. Some will take more pills than prescribed because they think more is better and will cure the condition faster. Others have a noncompliant attitude towards medical treatment in general and often refuse to take any drugs prescribed for them. Many are confused or have memory problems and aren't even aware they have taken pills or need to take pills. Oversight and administration of medications by a responsible person is an extremely important duty for caregivers of the elderly.
Controlling Problems with Medications
Here is a list of herbal supplements that may interact or interfere with prescription drugs.
• Ginkgo Biloba
• St. John's Wort
• Saw Palmetto
• Ginseng
• Yohimbine
• Senna Or Cascara
There are also a number of prescription drugs that should be avoided with the elderly. The elderly person or a responsible family member should always consult with the doctor and asked that doctor if he or she is sure that the medication is safe for an older person. It is not inappropriate to challenge a physician. If prescription drugs are bought through a trusted pharmacist, the pharmacist may also be willing to consult on the safety of the medications for an older person.
Doctors and pharmacists are generally careful about overdosing or using harmful mixtures of drugs but other than dosages based on body weight, most prescription drugs do not have recommended dosages for older people. Often the doctor must experiment to find the right dosage and the problem is that many older people or their families fail to recognize drug reactions or they fail to report them. Without the proper feedback, under-dosage or over-dosage might occur and effective treatment of the condition is not possible. And of course over-dosage may cause more severe problems than the condition being treated.
Controlling the Problem of Multiple Medications
In order to control the problem with an older person taking multiple prescriptions from many doctors, the older person or a responsible family member should bring all medications being taken by the patient to a doctor's appointment. This definitely includes all herbal supplements and over-the-counter medications as well. It is useful to go over with the doctor what each medication is for. If there is no reason to take that medication or if it may be causing interaction the doctor should indicate that and should withdraw the prescription. As a general rule the more the medications the more the potential problems. A concerted effort should be made to prescribe the fewest medications possible to control a medical problem.
One way to combat the problem with an older person not complying with taking pills at the proper time or not taking enough or taking too many is to use the popular "pill calendar box". Most people have adopted this idea but for those who haven't this is an extremely effective way to administer medications.
Many elderly order their medications through the mail and some may even obtain prescriptions on the Internet. Internet prescriptions might be a common practice for very popular medications such as phetermine or Viagra. It is recommended that all medications be ordered through one pharmacist particularly a pharmacist that has a certification in geriatric pharmacy. By controlling all medications through one database, the pharmacist can alert the older person or his or her family about a possible drug interaction or adverse drug reaction. This central database approach should become much easier for those older people who enroll under the Medicare part D drug program. Presumably the company offering the drug benefit will have a database for its insureds.
See more about senior care go to my website: https://threelinks.org/senior-centers-minnesota/
Planning for Your Elder Years
If we were to ask an older person what his or her most important concerns for aging are, we would probably get a variety of different answers. According to surveys frequently conducted among the elderly, the most likely answers we would receive would include the following three principal concerns or life wishes:
1. Remaining independent in the home without intervention from others
2. Maintaining good health and receiving adequate health care
3. Having enough money for everyday needs and not outliving assets and income
To address these concerns and maintain the quality of life wanted in the elder years, it simply takes a little preplanning. Few people do this kind of planning. It is human nature not to worry about an event until it happens. We may prepare financially for unexpected financial disasters by covering our homes, automobiles and health with insurance policies. However, no other life event can be as devastating to an elderly person’s lifestyle, finances and security as needing long term care. It drastically alters or completely eliminates the three principal lifestyle wishes listed above. The majority of the American public does not plan for this crisis of needing eldercare. The lack of planning also has an adverse effect on the older person’s family, with sacrifices made in time, money, and family lifestyles. Because of changing demographics and potential changes in government funding, the current generation needs to plan for long term care before the elder years are upon them.
One of the important things for planning is how to maintain your lifestyle as you age. You may be healthy enough to stay in your own home with help provided for the following activities of daily living: maintaining a home, providing meals, supervision, companionship, transportation and shopping services. This type of care at home is non-medical and must be provided free of charge by family, friends, or volunteers or the care must be paid for out-of-pocket by the family. Government programs, in most cases, will not pay for this kind of care. It is estimated that 80% of all long term care is non-medical, with 90% of that care provided in the home. It is most likely that your long term care will begin with home care. It is wise to plan now how you will pay for care when it is needed. In evaluating your future income you may find it necessary to add some resources such as long term care Insurance to pay for assisted living or nursing home costs. Long term care insurance must be purchased while you are younger and healthy. Failing health, stroke or other aging issues will not allow you to qualify for this insurance.
Consider where you may want to live in your elder years. Many assisted living facilities offer complete care alternatives with a nursing home wing if needed. Senior retirement communities also offer many amenities with some including home care options.
Now is the time to do estate planning. A professional estate planner will give you direction on how best to protect your assets for future needs and for Medicaid planning. Do your paper work. Now is the time to create your trusts, will, medical directives in a living will and any other documents you want noted for future use. Gather insurance policies and bank records where they can be found by family members in case you are not able to get them yourself. We don’t like to think of our elder years in terms of health problems, but a sudden stroke, heart failure or onset of dementia could make it impossible to carry out our own wishes if preparation was not made ahead of time.
For more information on planning for your eldercare needs in the future, or to get assistance with what needs to be done for a elderly spouse, parent or loved one, please see https://threelinks.org/
Listen To Your Needs
In the world of care giving, most caregivers think that the only thing that matters is the person you are caring for. Believe it or not, this is incorrect. As I often tell my clients, you must take care of yourself first. If you are sick or debilitated, you are doing no good to your loved one. When our company assists a family member with geriatric care services or northfield senior center care placement, I find myself using the above sentence time and time again. You must listen to your needs and be well nourished, not only in mind and body but also in spirit. Take the story of Shirley below.
“I remember it was hard to remember when I last ate, last did laundry (until I ran out of clean underwear a couple times). I just did not pay any attention to my own self-being. I had been ignoring pains in my mid-section until one day I doubled over in severe pain and off to the ER I went. I was admitted and surgery done within a few hours. The diagnosis was scar tissue that had wrapped around the bowel and caused an obstruction. The surgeon who cared for me was also caring for my mother He scolded me something fierce! He also passed the word to the rest of the doctors caring for my mother, they all came to my hospital room and delivered their own “scolding” speech. Mom was in the nursing home at this point but my care giving duties increased while she was there rather than lightened. The nursing home called me and wondered when I was coming back as they did not know what to do for my mother…. can you believe that? It’s true!”
Shirley experienced what so many caregivers deal with on a daily basis. Once you get behind those four walls of that hospital room or nursing home, NOTHING matters anymore but your loved one. The hardest thing you can do is to pull away and go home to take care of yourself. How can a caregiver achieve a well-nourished mind, body and spirit? Below are some suggestions.
1. Establish an arrival and departure time. Don’t try to stay 24 hours a day. As hard as this may be, it’s essential that you get rest. Perhaps you so you can’t rest worrying about your loved one. Just being away from the situation will give your mind a body a chance to decompress, if just for a few hours.
2. Remember to eat. Either make time to go get you something from the cafeteria or bring something in from home. Do not depend on snack machines and coke to fuel your body for the stress of care giving.
3. Develop a good relationship with the staff at the hospital or nursing home. That way, you can depend on someone to not only look out for your loved one, but also for you.
4. When you can take no more or your health dictates it, hire the services of a professional. A geriatric care manager can be a huge asset to the care of your family member. They not only look after the care of your loved one, but they keep you in constant communication on their health status.
5. Gain understanding. A lot of the stress that we feel as caregivers comes from the constant barrage of information that is coming at us from many different directions. Get all the information you can on your love ones conditions and learn all you can. Often times, all the wondering and worry can affect the mind and body in so many ways.
These are just some simple ways to be well nourished as you care for your loved one. As Shirley found out, there comes a time when the caregiver becomes the one needing care. Please, take care of yourself before it comes to that.
Living in a Nursing Home
When your family member is admitted in to a nursing home, you may wonder what goes on during a typical day. Do they lie in bed all the time? Are they getting up and getting the physical exercise they need to stay functioning? In this article we will discuss the typical day in a nursing home beginning with awakening to closing a day with family and friends.
Your loved one will awaken around 6am to receive a shower or bath. They are assisted with getting dressed by the nursing aides. Around 7am, your loved one will be assisted to the dining room for breakfast. If they choose, they may eat in their room, but social interaction is encouraged. Each resident is served a meal, with any dietary guidelines ordered by the physician. Your loved one will always have the choice of an alternate meal if they dislike the items on the menu.
Once breakfast is over, your loved one returns to their room where they are given their ordered morning medications. During this time, the nursing aides straighten up the resident rooms, change bed linens, fill water pitchers and visit with residents. Once medications are given, there is usually a morning activity. They can choose to attend exercise or an outside activity. Volunteers and facility activity staff help residents to enjoy all the fun. During this period and after lunch, rehabilitation staff may be working with those residents needing strengthening or assistance in walking.
Lunch is generally around 12pm daily. Most of the direct nursing staff should be available in the dining room to assist with feeding. Lunch is followed by an afternoon activity such as BINGO or a church group sing-a-long.During this time, there will be offered in room activities for those residents who can’t get out of the room. This may include sing along, manicure and pedicures, or simply socializing with activity staff.
The evenings are set-aside for TV watching, socializing with family and fellow residents after the evening meal. Most residents will retire to bed by 8pm. During the night, the nursing aides check on your family member periodically to make sure they are comfortable and safe. For those residents that have trouble sleeping or are night oriented, they will be assisted to the common areas where they can be watched by the nursing staff until they are ready to lay back down.
What follows is a typical day in the life of a nursing home resident. You are encouraged to ask about the daily routine when you go and visit a nursing home that you are interested in placing a loved one. Remember that this place is going to be their new home and they deserve to be comfortable in it.
View more articles and information at website, https://threelinks.org/senior-living.
