Hidden Costs of Assisted Living - AgingCare.com:
Carol Bradley Bursack, Expert
Author, speaker, columnist and eldercare consultant
The strong suit for in-home care agencies is their flexibility. During my years of caregiving for multiple elders, I used the services of two different in-home care agencies in the traditional manner, which was to fill the gaps in home care that I couldn't provide for my loved ones.
One of the reasons that assisted living centers are appealing to many people is that they offer a relatively high level of independence. If your parent is in good health and doesn't require much assistance with everyday tasks, assisted living is a terrific option. In fact, residing in an assisted living center is similar to having a private apartment, complete with private bathroom and kitchen, but you can rest easy with the knowledge that trained staff is on hand to help your loved one when necessary.
However, assisted living centers are not all cut out of the same mold. Depending on what part of the country you live in, what you get at assisted living may cost more.
Assisted living facilities provide a safe environment with convenient meals and social opportunities in their "base package." They are generally set up so that an elder can obtain help if he or she falls or has another emergency. Many also offer transportation by bus or other means for group outings or to specific locations.
But what about the basics of personal care: help with dressing, bathing, keeping track of prescription refills, setting up daily doses, injecting medications such as insulin, and a companion for trips to doctor appointments? Many assisted living facilities don't provide it in the "base" package. The services are add-on pricing.
So make sure you understand what services they do and don't offer per the contract, and what services may be available, but would cost extra. You might get some services you are expecting, but not all.
It works differently at different communities. At Emeritus Senior Living in Bonita Springs, FL the base rent is for what is called independent living. Any room could become an assisted room if the resident has a health care need. A caregiver goes to the room to help with showering, medication management and more. But, there's a fee for that.
Dave Mainwaring's Knowledge Network. Includes a more inclusive newsbasket: Mainzone Knowledge Network http://mainzoneknowledgenetwork.blogspot.com/
A newsbasket is on-line Internet publication containing comprehensive aggregated collections of information.
Confabulating and Confabulations
Everyone and particularly medical personnel and caregivers must understand!
Confabulating and ConfabulationsIn psychology, confabulation (verb: confabulate) is a memory disturbance, defined as the production of fabricated, distorted or misinterpreted memories about oneself or the world, without the conscious intention to deceive.
Key factors in confabulations are there is no intent to deceive, second the person being unaware that the information is blatantly false. Confabulating is distinct from lying because there is no intent to deceive, and the person being unaware that the information is blatantly false.
Carers challenge: is what they say true? Confabulations become a far greater concern in the later stages, because confabulations are much more likely to be acted upon.
It is difficult for everyone to accept a mind is damaged.
Not only is memory damaged their ability to process thoughts and conversations is impaired.
Confabulations are a major annoyance and can be dangerous- when we the take everything in a discussion at face value. Confabulating is very frequently observed in people with Alzheimer's.
We all Confabulate when we make..verbal statements and/or actions that inaccurately describe history, background and present situations unintentionally. We must be aware of information that is blatantly false yet are coherent, internally consistent, and appear relatively normal.
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The Truth About Hospice | Author- Kathryn Watson
"Hospice is about living not about dying."
The Truth About Hospice- Kathryn Watson
Like many today, Kathryn Watson was thrust into the world of Eldercare with little knowledge or understanding of the industry.
Podcast- Listen to A Hospice Social Worker Explain “What is Hospice”
The challenges Kathryn Watson overcame led her to write Help! My Parents Are Aging Five steps to help you make the right decision regarding their care Paperback
and
Help! I Can’t Do This Alone When caring for your spouse becomes too hard Paperback
The Truth About Hospice
Like many today, Kathryn Watson was thrust into the world of Eldercare with little knowledge or understanding of the industry.
Podcast- Listen to A Hospice Social Worker Explain “What is Hospice”
The challenges Kathryn Watson overcame led her to write Help! My Parents Are Aging Five steps to help you make the right decision regarding their care Paperback
and
Help! I Can’t Do This Alone When caring for your spouse becomes too hard Paperback
3 Factors to Help You Compare Nursing Home Care - AgingCare.com
Ross Blair, Expert
President and CEO, eHealth Medicare
3 Factors to Help You Compare Nursing Home Care
Chances are, at some point you or a loved one may need to spend time in a nursing home.
In fact, about 70 percent of Americans will need a form of long-term care at some point in their lives. As more baby boomers continue to turn 65 — seniors are expected to comprise 19 percent of the population by 2030 — a growing number of people will be looking for the right place to receive the care and services they need.
3 Factors to Help You Compare Nursing Home Care - AgingCare.com:
President and CEO, eHealth Medicare
3 Factors to Help You Compare Nursing Home Care
Chances are, at some point you or a loved one may need to spend time in a nursing home.
In fact, about 70 percent of Americans will need a form of long-term care at some point in their lives. As more baby boomers continue to turn 65 — seniors are expected to comprise 19 percent of the population by 2030 — a growing number of people will be looking for the right place to receive the care and services they need.
3 Factors to Help You Compare Nursing Home Care - AgingCare.com:
Today's Geriatric Medicine - Alzheimer's/Dementia
Today's Geriatric Medicine - Alzheimer's/Dementia
Dementia and Inappropriate Sexual Behavior
Cognitive Evaluation for Memory Concerns
Lifestyle Influences Brain Health
Alzheimer's Research Comes of Age
Music and Art in Memory Care
Behavioral Expressions in Dementia Patients
Alzheimer's Diagnosis in Primary Care
Cognitive Decline Screening and Resources
Gait Speed Reflects Cognitive Function
Interventions Slow Brain Atrophy
Lighting Affects Dementia Patients’ Sleep
Therapeutic Options in Alzheimer’s Disease
Holistic and Creative Arts Therapies in Alzheimer’s Care
Fish Oils and Cognitive Function
Alzheimer’s Disease and the Blood-Brain Barrier
Evidence-Based Memory Preservation Nutrition
New Target for Therapy in AD Patients
Memory Maintenance
Pharmacological Prospects for Alzheimer’s Treatment
Medications Target Alzheimer’s Disease
What Should You Tell Patients About Alzheimer’s?
DBS to Treat Alzheimer’s Patients?
The Gait-Cognitive Decline Connection
Can You Recognize Lewy Body Dementia?
Recruiting Patients for Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials
Dementia and DSM-5: Changes, Cost, and Confusion
Alzheimer’s Staggering Financial Impact
12/15-Lipoxygenase’s Role in AD Prevention
New Technology to Detect, Diagnose AD
Dementia Care Model Facilitates Quality Outcomes
Integrating Palliative Medicine With Dementia Care
Dementia-Related Behavior Management
Combating Dementia With Infrared Light?
Deep Brain Stimulation
Becoming ADEPT at Predicting Mortality
New Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease
MMSE vs. MoCA: What You Should Know
Vitamins and Dementia — Delaying Cognitive Decline?
Dealing With Dysphagia
New Molecular Tools Developed in Alzheimer’s Research
Hope for an Alzheimer’s Cure?
Alzheimer’s Cure on the Horizon?
Imaging Alzheimer’s Disease
Cognitive Camouflage — How Alzheimer’s Can Mask Mental Illness
Dementia and Inappropriate Sexual Behavior
Cognitive Evaluation for Memory Concerns
Lifestyle Influences Brain Health
Alzheimer's Research Comes of Age
Music and Art in Memory Care
Behavioral Expressions in Dementia Patients
Alzheimer's Diagnosis in Primary Care
Cognitive Decline Screening and Resources
Gait Speed Reflects Cognitive Function
Interventions Slow Brain Atrophy
Lighting Affects Dementia Patients’ Sleep
Therapeutic Options in Alzheimer’s Disease
Holistic and Creative Arts Therapies in Alzheimer’s Care
Fish Oils and Cognitive Function
Alzheimer’s Disease and the Blood-Brain Barrier
Evidence-Based Memory Preservation Nutrition
New Target for Therapy in AD Patients
Memory Maintenance
Pharmacological Prospects for Alzheimer’s Treatment
Medications Target Alzheimer’s Disease
What Should You Tell Patients About Alzheimer’s?
DBS to Treat Alzheimer’s Patients?
The Gait-Cognitive Decline Connection
Can You Recognize Lewy Body Dementia?
Recruiting Patients for Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials
Dementia and DSM-5: Changes, Cost, and Confusion
Alzheimer’s Staggering Financial Impact
12/15-Lipoxygenase’s Role in AD Prevention
New Technology to Detect, Diagnose AD
Dementia Care Model Facilitates Quality Outcomes
Integrating Palliative Medicine With Dementia Care
Dementia-Related Behavior Management
Combating Dementia With Infrared Light?
Deep Brain Stimulation
Becoming ADEPT at Predicting Mortality
New Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease
MMSE vs. MoCA: What You Should Know
Vitamins and Dementia — Delaying Cognitive Decline?
Dealing With Dysphagia
New Molecular Tools Developed in Alzheimer’s Research
Hope for an Alzheimer’s Cure?
Alzheimer’s Cure on the Horizon?
Imaging Alzheimer’s Disease
Cognitive Camouflage — How Alzheimer’s Can Mask Mental Illness
How the Invention of Alzheimer's World Changed My Life Alzheimer's Reading Room
How the Invention of Alzheimer's World Changed My Life Alzheimer's Reading Room: How the Invention of Alzheimer's World Changed My Life
Alzheimer's Reading Room The best way to find Solutions to the Problems that Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers face each Day
The best way to find Solutions to the Problems that Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers face each Day
- See more at: http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2011/07/why-i-invented-alzheimers-world-and.html#sthash.xGvr50v3.dpuf
The best way to find Solutions to the Problems that Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers face each Day
- See more at: http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2011/07/why-i-invented-alzheimers-world-and.html#sthash.xGvr50v3.dpuf
Alzheimer's Reading Room The best way to find Solutions to the Problems that Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers face each Day
The best way to find Solutions to the Problems that Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers face each Day
The best way to find Solutions to the Problems that Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers face each Day
Dealing With Angry Seniors Under the Same Roof By Sarah Peterman on July 8, 2015
Angry & Elderly: Dealing With Angry Seniors Under the Same Roof http://tinyurl.com/oqc8g56
By Sarah Peterman on July 8, 2015 under Aging in Place as a Family, Process of Aging, Senior Care Advice
{QUOTE}
By Sarah Peterman on July 8, 2015 under Aging in Place as a Family, Process of Aging, Senior Care Advice
{QUOTE}
Every experienced family caregiver knows that seniors have their good days and bad days. Mood swings resulting from dissatisfaction, poor health, stress, pain, and a loss of dignity can easily lead to your loved one to lash out against you and others that they care about. Being a family caregiver under these conditions can be particularly stressful for the sandwich generation, who are “sandwiched” between living with an elderly parent and caring for their own children.
While dealing with these feelings and the emotional strain they cause can require a considerable amount of patience and empathy, there’s much more you can do than simply hope for more good days than bad ones. Below you can learn about several simple steps you can take to help those you look after to be less cranky, and help preserve your own wellbeing as a family caregiver in the process.
Download A Free Guide to Dealing with Elderly Anger
Emotional Turmoil in the Elderly
Getting older can magnify our character traits, often in undesirable ways. Someone who was crabby in their younger days may be prone to full-on bouts of rage in old age. Unfortunately, caregivers are often the target of these outbursts, and it may seem at times as though there may be no simple solution to deal with this type of behavior. After all, when outbursts are not caused by serious problems like chronic pain or difficulties in memory, they’re often the result of serious illnesses like Alzheimer’s or dementia, over which your loved one has no control.
How to Handle Anger
The first step to dealing with these problems is to understand that you shouldn’t take these negative emotions and their associated behavior personally. Pain and disease can cause us to act in very inappropriate ways, and it’s important to take any opportunity for a break from your caregiving duties that you can get. In the long term, you’ll likely want to spread caregiving amongst as many friends and family members as you can to make the possibility of these breaks more frequent.
The best solution to dealing with difficult elderly parents is almost always communication. Unfortunately, parents can be generally uneasy talking with their children about fears of the future, finances, and their mortality. If your loved one seems increasingly frustrated, anxious, or otherwise emotionally disturbed, it’s your responsibility to find out why if you want to help fix the problem. The next time both of you are in a pleasant mood, try warming them up to the conversation, and be ready to try several times before you’re successful.{END QUOTE}
Read more: http://www.griswoldhomecare.com/blog/dealing-with-elderly-anger/#ixzz3fUK21wz9
Legal Issues – Revoking prior Powers of Attorney
From Jim Koewler's The Koewler Law Firm website
The agent named in a now-revoked POA may not be happy about being
replaced. That deposed agent may use the authority in the old POA to
take actions with the principal’s assets. The bank or investment office
or real estate agent (or anyone else, for that matter) has no way to
know that the POA has been revoked. (Not many former agents would act
out in this manner, but those few that would certainly can hurt their
principals.)
To avoid an old POA being accepted as current, there are practical steps (in addition to the legal steps) to revoke an old POA.
The principal should try to retrieve all of the copies of the prior
POAs. Retrieving all of them can be a daunting task if there are a
number of copies. (Most POAs have a statement that a copy is to be
honored just like an original, so retrieval of copies is important.)
For advice, representation and peace of mind through these difficult issues, contact Jim Koewler of The Koewler Law Firm. Legal Issues when someone has Dementia – Revoke prior Powers of Attorney |
The agent named in a now-revoked POA may not be happy about being
replaced. That deposed agent may use the authority in the old POA to
take actions with the principal’s assets. The bank or investment office
or real estate agent (or anyone else, for that matter) has no way to
know that the POA has been revoked. (Not many former agents would act
out in this manner, but those few that would certainly can hurt their
principals.)
To avoid an old POA being accepted as current, there are practical steps (in addition to the legal steps) to revoke an old POA.
The principal should try to retrieve all of the copies of the prior
POAs. Retrieving all of them can be a daunting task if there are a
number of copies. (Most POAs have a statement that a copy is to be
honored just like an original, so retrieval of copies is important.)
For advice, representation and peace of mind through these difficult issues, contact Jim Koewler of The Koewler Law Firm. Legal Issues when someone has Dementia – Revoke prior Powers of Attorney |
CMS will modify—not scrap—two-midnight' rule - Modern Healthcare
Under the two-midnight rule, the CMS directs its payment contractors to assume a hospital admission was appropriate if a patient's stay spanned two midnights and otherwise should have been billed as an outpatient observation visit.
The rule was conceived to address a spike in observation stays attributed to hospitals' fear that Medicare audit contractors would challenge their admissions.
Many patients, as a result, found themselves ineligible for skilled nursing after spending days in the hospital because their stay had been billed as observation.
CMS will modify—not scrap—two-midnight' rule - Modern Healthcare
The rule was conceived to address a spike in observation stays attributed to hospitals' fear that Medicare audit contractors would challenge their admissions.
Many patients, as a result, found themselves ineligible for skilled nursing after spending days in the hospital because their stay had been billed as observation.
CMS will modify—not scrap—two-midnight' rule - Modern Healthcare
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