Things To Look for in a Retirement Home

5 Things to Look for in a Retirement Home
good article on www.smartmoney.com
"Continuing care retirement communities are probably the best prepared to deal with healthcare issues that arise as one gets further on in their golden years. This type of community hosts independent living quarters, assisted living facilities and nursing homes. That way, if a resident's health deteriorates, he or she could get the proper treatment without changing facilities. 'There will come a day when [a patient] will need [in-house, health] services,' says Holohan. 'You don't want...to change homes three or four times.'"

How to make a visit to the physician easier for AD patient.

Pleasantries Adult Day Services - Marlboro, Massachusetts - Alternative Alzheimer’s care
Tammy Pozerycki
Owner & Director
Writes in a Pleasantries A.D.S. newsletter:

It is important that your loved one with Alzheimer's disease have regular visits to his or her physician. These visits should address all medical and behavioral issues which may be related to Alzheimer's disease. In order to experience a productive appointment with the physician, try the following suggestions:

* Choose a "good" time of day for the appointment time (most likely morning will be best.)

* Bring along an activity that your loved one enjoys (books, sorting activity, coloring, etc) as well as a snack and water. This will prepare you for an unexpected wait time.

* Bring a list of all medication including over-the-counter. Create a list of questions in preparation of the minimal time available with the doctor.

* Depending on your situation, it may be helpful to bring someone else with you, such as a close friend or family member.

* Discuss what you can expect for the future and advance directives.

* It is good to take notes as there will be much discussed in a short amount of time.

* Be open and honest. If you are not happy or satisfied with the physician, make he or she aware of your concerns. Switching physicians can be confusing to your loved one and possibly detrimental in the longrun. If discussed, the issues may be resolved.

Senior Centers and Adult Day Care activities

Browsing the Web to see what many adult day care programs and Senior Centers were offering. I found the following:

Active floor and table games
Art Therapy,
Arts
Bingo
Card Games
Chair exercises
Chorus & Music Therapy
Cooking
crafts,
Daily Exercise
Discussion groups (books, films, current events)
Discussions: contemporary and devotional
Entertainment
Exercise classes personalized for individual levels of activity and ability.
Gardening
Group discussions on a wide range of subjects
Guest speakers from community organizations
Health awareness talks
health monitoring by a nurse to meet individual needs. There is a
Holiday and birthday celebrations
Horticultural Therapy
individual counseling,
Inter-generational Programs
Kosher Lunch
Local outings.
Mental stimulation games such as BINGO
miniature golf course on site
Music
Musical entertainment and sing-a-longs
nutrition education,
Nutritional Snacks
meals and snacks individualized for specific dietary needs.
field trips,
On Site Library
Organized games of bridge, bingo, cards and trivia,team events
personal care,
Pet Therapy
podiatry care,
Poetry Class
Pottery
quiet rooms with rest areas and television
recreational classes,
Relaxation time
Reminiscing
Spiritual Program
Stretching or other gentle exercise
Student Interns
Tai Chi Class
Talking about current events
Transportation
Volunteers
Weight Loss Club
Woodworking Shop

Your Caregiving Journey: a internet talk radio show

Your Caregiving Journey, with Denise Brown, delves into discussions about your caregiving situations. Each week, a topic related to the challenges of eldercare.
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BlogTalkRadio is a provider of thousands of internet talk radio shows.

the Alzheimer's Roller Coaster the slow journey into the Alzheimer's Twilight Zone.

Thoughts from the Roller Coaster by LCC Metairie, Louisiana

LCC shares her thoughts, feelings and ideas on a long, slow journey on the Alzheimer's Roller Coaster into the Alzheimer's Twilight Zone.

A very personal EOADer's journal by a woman sharing her daily life while dealing with Early Onset Alzheimer's. I became aware of LCC while reading her valuable contributions to cargiver discussions on the AD Message Boards

LifeCare, consultations by Matt Burns

LifeCare, Alzheimer’s Assoc. offering consultations - Business First of Columbus:

The Central Ohio branch of the Alzheimer’s Association is moving from knocking on doors to opening its own through a new partnership with Columbus’ LifeCare Alliance.

The association and LifeCare, which runs the Meals on Wheels program among other services, this month began a program offering free consultations to individuals and families dealing with Alzheimer’s or those who believe a family member could have the disease.

In Columbus, the groups are hosting five consultations a month at churches, senior centers and community centers, while several other nearby counties will have similar consultations set up on a less frequent basis, association CEO Michelle Chippas said.

For the sake of public health

Shortage of doctors hits MetroWest - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News

the Massachusetts Medical Society to discuss the primary care shortage.

In its latest survey of state doctors, released this week, the society found shortages of dermatologists, neurologists, urologists, vascular surgeons, OB/GYNs and, once again, the internists and family practioners who make up primary care.

In particular, this year the society found that 40 percent of family care doctors and 56 percent of internists are not accepting new patients, the highest proportions in the study's eight-year history.

Also, this year marks the first appearance of OB/GYNs on the shortage list, exacerbating the lack of internists and family doctors since many women rely on that specialty for routine care.

"With our state health reform initiative, we quickly learned that universal coverage doesn't equate to universal access," said Medical Society President Dr. Mario Motta, referring to a 2006 state law that has achieved insurance coverage for 97 percent of residents but strained the system.

Communication Problems | caregivers of elderly patients

Communication Problems Between Dementia Patients and their Caregivers Can Cause Physical Strain « Home Instead Senior Care of Michigan

by: Bert Copple, Home Instead Senior Care of Michigan

A recent study took a look at how caregivers of dementia patients feel when caring for and transferring their patients. The study, which was done at Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, investigates how nurses’ aides at three dementia care facilities in western Sweden feel about person transfers in the workplace and what they do to reduce the physical strain. Although the resident’s weight was hardly a factor in physical strain, Cristina Wångblad, one of the researchers behind the study recently published in the scientific journal Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, found communication problems and misunderstandings to be much more leading causes.

‘The symptoms of dementia are very individual and can vary from one day to the next, and sometimes even from one moment to the next. This makes person transfers in dementia care very demanding for the personnel’, says physiotherapist Cristina Wångblad.

It’s noted that individual-specific knowledge about patients can be useful as well. Caregivers can give, for example, specific vocal queues and pitches, and gestures that are specific to and recognized well by each patient.

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Recommend reading full article.

Home Instead Senior Care of Michigan provides In-Home Non-Medical Care and Companionship for Seniors Living in Michigan

Aging In Place Technology Watch

About | Aging In Place Technology Watch

"Laurie M. Orlov, a tech industry veteran, writer, speaker and elder care advocate, is the founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch, a market research firm that provides thought leadership, analysis and guidance about technologies and related services that enable boomers and seniors to remain longer in their home of choice. In addition to her technology background and years as a technology industry analyst, Laurie is a certified long-term care ombudsman in Florida"

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Categories

* Aging in Place Tech business potential
* assistive technologies
* cognitive and brain fitness
* communication devices
* computers and internet
* contribution and legacy
* dementia care technologies
* games
* games, fun and fitness
* healthcare
* home and remote monitoring
* medication management
* product snapshots
* telehealth and telemedicine

http://www.ageinplacetech.com/user/register

Gerobabble | Diane LeVan's Blog

Gerobabble
Diane LeVan's Blog

Location: San Francisco : CA : United States
A grad student in Clinical Gerontology at Notre Dame de Namur University, currently working onMasters thesis, plus a certificate in grief counseling.

Gerontechnology Start up company

Gerobabble: Gerontechnology: Eldercare-at-home startup seeks beta testers

Maham Daher
Masters in Public Health & MBA
University of California, Berkeley
Haas School of Business

Cell: 617-319-6290
maham_daher@haas.berkeley.edu

A start-up that has begun providing Aging in Place Assessments for Bay Area families.
Of special interest:: technologies to keep people connected to their family (ex. digital picture frames, phones with amplification, etc)

Is It Depression? by Mikol Davis, Psychologist

"Feeling low doesn’t have to be a permanent part of getting older. There are many elders who are able to take aging in stride, and accept the many limitations that accompany getting along in years. Aging is frequently marked by losses. Loss of spouses, siblings and friends, as well as losses of physical strength and abilities can lead to sadness. The sadness associated with loss can lessen with time."
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read full article
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Health.Care.Coach-.Elder.Care.Management.800-240-0908

Health Care Coach- Elder Care Management
8311 NW 24 Ct.
Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
800-240-0908

Pain In ederly often undiagnosed

Pain In People With Dementia Often Undiagnosed

Laurie Wang
University of Alberta how to identify when an elderly person is experiencing pain - and receive treatment sooner rather than later.

The University of Alberta's Cary Brown, PhD, has a new tool to help. She has developed an online workshop and toolkit for caregivers, health-care providers, family members and friends of people with dementia.

The researcher from the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine created an evidence-based website with a narrated presentation on pain and dementia, a downloadable resource pack for family members, a downloadable pain log and a facilitator's toolkit with background material, a planning guide, promotional material and supplemental information for organizations who wish to put on a workshop.

The online workshop and toolkit are available at: http://www.painanddementia.ualberta.ca

Home Health Care Agencies the Next Business "Bubble?"

The Deli

Are Home Health Care Agencies the Next Business "Bubble?"
Ads for Home Health Care agencies are all over the Classifieds sections of local newspapers these days. Not only are these businesses wanting you to hire their caregivers to assist you our your loved one at home, they want YOU to work for them! Suddenly, the market for Certified Nurses' Aides (CNAs) is huge, and training sessions are springing up everywhere to prepare those who wish to enter the workforce in this capacity.

Dealing with Incontinence, products

Discover information and advice for caregivers of those with incontinence - TENA

What would you like to know about caring for someone with incontinence?

Understanding and discussing bladder weakness can be the first step to successfully managing it. So we’ve pulled together some useful information to help you and your loved one get incontinence into perspective and under control.

Product Finder

Ms. Jacobson's article titled, Medical Issues and Terminology in Long Term Care

Medical Issues and Terminology in Long Term Care

Shay Jacobson, RN, MA
Lifecare Innovations, Inc.
Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois
630-953-2155
www.lcius.com

If you would like to read Ms. Jacobson's article titled, Medical Issues and Terminology in Long Term Care, visit the ElderCare Matters Library at www.ElderCareMatters.com/library.

Boston Examiners examine hundreds of topics. http://www.examiner.com/boston

Elder care book review - Family in The Attic by Elizabeth R. Pettiford

“Family in The Attic” is an amazing book and really should be required reading for anyone who has a senior parent, perhaps living alone, but beginning to find it too difficult to keep up their home and their own care. As families of such senior family members find themselves faced with total bewilderment of what to do and where to go, there are many great resources out there to help you...

When doctor prescribes a narcotic painkiller, not to worry about addiction

When the doctor prescribes a narcotic painkiller, dont we…

The concern about painkillers and addiction is actually one of the biggest myths about pain management when it comes to serious diseases like cancer. When someone is in serious pain, pain medication functions differently in the body than when someone who's not in pain takes it. In fact, drug addiction is specifically defined as dependence on opioid medications to satisfy physical, emotional, or psychological needs rather than to deal with medical problems.

Car keys mean freedom, Taking away keys tough but ...

News - newsjournalonline.com

What You Need to Know

Taking the keys away from a parent or loved one with Alzheimer's, dementia or similar diseases can be difficult. Here are tips to make the task easier:

WARNING SIGNS

· They forget how to locate a familiar place and get lost.

· They fail to observe traffic signals and signs.

· They become angry and confused while driving.

HOW TO LIMIT DRIVING

· Ask a doctor to write a "do not drive" prescription.

· Have them tested by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

· Offer to drive or arrange other transportation.

· Have someone the person respects and trusts recommend they stop driving.

· Park the car on another block or in a neighbor's driveway.

· Hide the car keys or disable the car by removing the distributor cap or battery as a last resort.

BE PREPARED

· If the person wanders, he or she can get lost while driving, so register them in the Alzheimer's Association's Safe Return Program. Call 1-888-572-8566 or go online to alz.org and click on "medic alert + safety center" on the right-hand side of the home page.

SOURCE: Alzheimer's Association

What you might expect from Geriatric Care Managers

Geriatric Care Managers – What You Can Expect | dBC-Channel.com
Professional workers who you can approach when it comes to expertise and knowledge in senior issues. They can also be referred to as case managers, elder care managers or service coordinators.