Tag: Improving Senior Care

What To Look For In Senior Care Services?

The aging process can sometimes be stressful both to the elderly and their families. Senior care services strive to deliver the best care possible. They help seniors handle life’s challenges, build strong relationships, and emotionally support them as they journey through the aging period. So it is highly important to make sure that our elderly loved ones get the best care possible. Families must discuss specific qualities that would like to see in a senior care service:

  • Professional and Compassionate
    A provider that is an expert in delivering quality service to seniors should be the top consideration of families. Employees of the said service should have the heart and passion for the elderly, not juts view the job as a means of living.Seniors have different personalities and families should ensure that they match their caregivers to their individual needs and differences. When a caregiver is committed and compassionate in helping seniors, this will create a positive and strong relationship between the elderly, their families, and the care givers themselves.
  • Creative and Respectful
    Senior care providers should have a level of creativity where they can maintain an environment that keeps their patients active and enjoy activities like in a normal home setting. They should take into consideration a senior’s physical, mental and social faculties that contributes to their overall well-being.In addition, providers should demonstrate the highest degree of respect among their elderly patients. They should also understand the needs and find effective ways to enrich their lives with the work they provide.

When it comes to choosing a provider for your beloved elderly member, families should sit down, take time and thoroughly look into their options. Talking to the senior about their preferences and needs can help you narrow down this important decision.

 

Senior Care Job: Preparing for an Interview

Before landing a job as a senior care giver, you will need to undergo an interview. Employers primarily want to determine if you are a perfect candidate for the position. So, how are you able to show that you are the right person for the job?

An interviewer will ask questions about your characteristics. They prefer someone who:

  • is responsible, trustworthy, reliable, empathetic and patient. Since seniors have limited capabilities the aforementioned characteristics are vital. Make sure you have these qualities.
  • is reputable, experienced, and knowledgeable. A good track record of past senior care services is a huge advantage during interviews. They might ask you about your previous client, former responsibilities, and the reason for leaving the position. Remember to put in good references too.
  • who has a positive attitude towards work. You will not be alone in performing senior care services, you will also work with a group of health care professionals. Having qualities that make you easy to work with and enjoyable is a plus factor. Expect questions about your personality and attitude, such as what are your weaknesses and strengths and what do you like and dislike about the job.

Also, prepare yourself with situational questions like what you will do when an emergency occurs, how you can show dignity and respect in life-ending situations, and how you handle difficult patients. If you are able to answer these questions satisfyingly, then you might be a good fit.

As the interview commences, ask the interviewer questions as well. You have the right to know what are the specific needs and personality of the patient, experiences of previous senior care givers with the said patient, schedule of tasks, and any special precautions to take with the elder.

Of course, after the interview, you will need to know if you push through with the job. Decide whether or not you want to work with your employer, the elder patient, working settings, and responsibilities you will perform.

 

Proper Nutrition for Senior

Everyone should know that appropriate nutrition plays a role in our health. This is also true for seniors and individuals who have serious diseases. Terrible physical health, depressive disorders and lonesomeness can also play a vital role in poor eating routine. Many seniors who experience these problems overlook their nutritional needs, and this can result in more severe medical conditions. They may tend to eat more sugary or high cholesterol foods that may lead to diabetes or hypertension.

The food we eat may determine the health of the senior. Thus, it is necessary to monitor the food they eat as part of the senior care program. As an example, it is essential for a person with diabetes to regulate how many sugary and starchy foods in his or her diet and for someone struggling with high blood pressure to cut out salt from their diet. It is of course difficult for a senior to monitor the food that he eats on their own. A physician or a nurse may guide the patient on what is healthy and what is not. Seniors must have good sources of nutrients to sustain their systems and for them to avoid diseases. The healthier they eat, the healthier they become.

The nurse can educate the individual and family the amount of carbohydrates in the food typically eaten by the patient; or the aide will shop for and prepare food with low sodium content, avoiding those that are high in sodium. Getting a proper meal on a daily basis often leads to better nutrition.  It will also avoid unneeded hospitalization thus saving money by avoiding hospital bills and medicines.

Senior Care Health Insurance

Medical health insurance policies may help cover part of the expense of elder-care.  It is very important to know that to which a policyholder is eligible and it’s also essential to understand the restrictions of your respective insurance so you will not waste time pursuing benefits that they may never acquire.  For people doing extended planning, comprehending the limits of coverage is important to avoid misunderstandings about who covers the cost for care later on.

As “elder-care” is a wide term and one not utilized by most medical health insurance corporations, it is useful to consider insurance benefits in categories instead of the whole.

As the majority of senior Americans have Medicare as their main health care insurance coverage, it is helpful to be aware of its benefits and coverage. To start with, it needs to be said that Medicare is only going to pay money for medical care; it doesn’t cover the expense of personal care.  This means Medicare will not pay for assistance to help the elderly execute their activities of everyday living like bathing, grooming, eating and mobility.  Therefore with little exclusion, Medicare will not pay money for home-care or assisted living.  Medicare does cover elderly care, although not at 100% and only for a restricted time period.

In relation to medical equipment, healthcare supplies and medicines, Medicare offers benefits in each of such areas provided the items are medically important, determined by a physician and are among the list of approved items.

With regards to assisting people to age in place, Medicare will not pay for home improvements.  However, Medicare offers a distinctive program in some spots through which all of a participating senior’s healthcare requirements are covered.  These programs are usually well liked by individuals who are lucky enough to get to live in an area of the country where this sort of insurance is provided.

Deciding on Senior Housing Plan

Choosing a senior house for you or your loved one is not an easy decision. It is a tough and demanding decision for you and your family. However, when there is a serious medical problem involved, you need to consider some of your options to avoid more problems. There are so many different senior housing programs out there; you just have to make a good choice. Everyone needs a healthy, safe and fulfilling home atmosphere while you age, so you need to know the best program that offers good senior care.

As we grow old, we experienced some major changes physically or simply our current situation. Planning your future housing needs is an integral part of making sure that you can still survive as you become older. Obviously, every senior differs in needs; therefore, the senior housing choice for another person might not be appropriate for you personally. You need to match the housing plan with your lifestyle, financial needs and health condition. You can also consider living with a retirement community or a nursing home where nearly all tenants are older than 65 and senior care is proven and tested.

While you age, you need some assistance with your physical needs, including activities of everyday living. This might vary from shopping, cleaning, cooking, and taking care of pets to intensive assistance with bathing, walking around, and eating. This can arise from the sudden condition, like a stroke or heart attack, or perhaps a more gradual condition that gradually needs increasing care, for example Alzheimer’s disease.

If you are living alone and far from your family, your current home can be too hard or too costly to keep. You might have health issues making it difficult to manage tasks like house work and yard maintenance. While you age, your situation will change, buddies or family might not be as close, or neighbors may move or transfer. You may not be able to continue driving or get access to public transit to be able to get together with family and buddies. Modifying your house and long-term care can both be costly, so balancing the concern you’ll need with where you need to live requires careful evaluation of your budget.

Lowering Senior Care Costs Using Technology

There is an increasing demand for Long-term Care (LTC) in the country which is estimated to reach 27 million by the year 2050; this is according to a research conducted by the Bipartisan Policy Center. LTC is given to patients with long-term or chronic diseases, mostly seniors who have complications and inability to monitor themselves. There are many existing LTC options offered to seniors like assisted living facilities and retirement homes. They offer around the clock services with equipments to monitor the patients, as needed. However, the senior care cost may be a burden to the patient and their family.

Many researches and programs have been created to find a solution to reduce the cost. The ideal situation is for the senior to stay at their houses, but the lack of equipments may hinder it from happening. According to a separate study, most of the seniors (90%) prefer to stay at their homes. This is why technology is continually being improved to make it affordable and convenient to use. Researchers are now looking for ways to improve the sensor technology where it can remotely detect the vitals and the overall health of the patient. This technology will reduce the cost since the patient will no longer stay long at the hospital for monitoring and check-up. It will likely reduce the patient’s stress in transportation.

The main purpose of the sensor is to alert the hospital whenever the patient is in an emergency; for instance of fire or a fall; but their capabilities are limited. The research makes the sensors more advanced by giving it the ability to detect the real-time health condition of the patient, making it a “smart sensor”. The sensor will send a regular report to the physician as well as an emergency report that detects abrupt changes in the health condition of the patient. Improving the sensor technology will definitely lower the cost of maintenance of long-term senior care. And it will give them a sense of independence and allow them to stay closer to their home and their family.

Home Care Services for Seniors

When one of our loved ones reaches retirement age, concerns start to arise regarding their condition, like whenever they are alone in the house, they are starting to forget a lot of things or they already need assistance in doing basic chores. One option to be assured of their well-being is to have a senior home care service. Through this, you don’t have to fear for their safety whenever you are away from home, while allowing you to have time to see them when you return home. There are a lot of institutions that offer the home care services. But, it would be nice to choose the most committed to the highest quality of service they can provide. In choosing a service, you will need to check the record of the institution. You may ask friends or neighbors who know such senior care services.

The home care service must be able to provide respite care to the senior as well as companionship and someone to talk to. It is very necessary to keep the social activity of the senior; holding a conversation with them will keep their mind active. The service must also be able to assist with the diet and eating of the senior as well as check the expiration of the food they are eating. Keeping track of the daily activities of the senior is also part of their job. They must have a daily plan of their activities which might include the bathing, grocery, entertainment, visits to friends or hospital, as well as set schedule for trips on vacation.

Personal needs of the senior must also be assisted like eating, dressing, medication and mobility. Home maintenance may be included. Since it is the place where the senior will stay most of the time, it must be cleaned and be safe for the senior. Making a decision in choosing a caring service for your loved one is complicated. They must offer a wide variety of home care services; so that it may include activities and support that will be very appropriate your elderly loved one’s needs.

 

Senior Care and Parent Reluctance

It can be painful for family members to watch a parent battle with day to day activities they used to find easy and the situation becomes even more complicated when a mother or father is reluctant to talk about his or her complications. They may worry losing their freedom, they may feel they are becoming a burden or they may simply be reluctant to recognize their need for help. They may even suffer from psychological issues or intellectual incapacity, restricting their capability to comprehend or deal with late-life changes. Luckily, a bit of understanding and planning can go a long way toward reducing the anxiety of a tough senior care conversation.

A good first step to determining how to bring up a complicated subject like senior care is knowing the factors why an aging loved one may want to avoid the conversation. “If your loved one is in need of senior care, he or she is likely dealing with loss, physical loss, psychological loss, the lack of independence,” says the Mayo Clinic. “Accepting care might mean relinquishing comfort and adjusting to new routines. As a result, your loved one might feel terrified and insecure, upset that he or she needs help or guilty about the idea of becoming a burden to family.”

Sadly, one of the most wrenching factors why it can be difficult to talk to a senior parent is when mental sickness or cognitive loss is an issue. A 2012 report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies found that between 14 and 20 percent of American seniors suffer from one or more mental health problems, such as depressive disorders or substance abuse. Furthermore, more than 5 million people in America are living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Organization. The occurrence of these and other wellness issues in the ageing population make it more urgent than ever for family members to take charge of their loved ones’ well-being. It’s important to start by having a sincere and patient conversation.

Senior Care and Overall Wellness

Gone are the days when senior care was specifically about dealing with medical needs. Instead, the present day modern senior living facilities take a much more natural strategy, servicing the senior’s body and mind. In addition, senior living is constantly on the go from the standard elderly care facility servicing very ill sufferers, to independent living communities housing active and vibrant elderly people. As a result, the industry has adapted to offer an extensive continuum of care that focuses on the resident’s overall health and fitness.

Following this pattern of senior, a recent blog on Senior Care Corner provided 8 tips for helping elderly people improve and sustain their memory. It points out that “the brain function of aging can begin when we are only 45 and that by age 80, average people have lost 40% of their memory.” Many of these recommendations replicated the idea underlining dimensions of health and fitness concept, elderly people need to be pushed and involved in a variety of activities. Some recommendations in the article are to:

  • Find ways to keep them active
  • Provide psychologically exciting activities
  • Engage them in social activities
  • Get your senior connected to family, friends and other networks

Most significantly, dimension of health and fitness play a crucial part in a resident’s evolving senior care plan. The powerful changes to various measurements may illustrate a minor decrease that may need to be analyzed by the medical employees and therefore may require appropriate changes to the care plan. Such simple changes in health and fitness and practical recognition of the same along with a proper good care plan, could save communities significant money (tied to demographics, improved ADL services, lawsuits, etc.). In summary, senior health is no longer about just offering the best medical care, but is about offering the best overall care.

What Senior Care can Bring to the Table

Perhaps you cannot think about the situation, but for a short time, just close your eyes and think about what it could be like to be looking after your partner, an individual whom you’ve spent almost all your life with and looking after his or her needs because their health is starting to decline. Over time, the psychological and physical exertion for this act of love can affect even the best of us. If your parent or guardian is offering senior care to their partner, know that it could be more than they can handle.

But when your dad, for example, had a stroke or cardiac arrest and the physicians informed your mom that he was going to need extra help getting around the house and looking after his own well being, she said that she would deal with him. Maybe she considers that it’s her responsibility, or she loves him so much that she would not even think twice about being the individual to provide that stage of proper care for him.

And while you may think that she has everything under control, that she is doing well, the psychological cost can be even greater than the actual one. Dealing with being a senior care service agency to a partner is one of those things that are often an unmentioned pressure. She will not say that it’s wearing her down and she will continue to do what she can to make sure that her spouse, the love of her life, has what he needs and that he is safe and healthy.

However, what happens if that degree of care means that her wellness is affected as well? The best thing that anyone can do when their partner needs some form of senior medical care services is to consider choosing a professional care company to assist. This does not mean that your mom would not be there for your dad, but rather that she will get some much needed help so that she can be there for him psychologically as well. Senior care can create all the distinction in the world for a partner who is looking after the love of their life.