Caring for a loved one can change your life and although the process can be rewarding, at the end, sometimes it creates, for all involved (family and friends), tension and new challenges. John Boden, founder of ElderIssues, and a nationally recognized expert in elder care issues and geriatric care management explains when a family meeting is to take place and what to expect. He says: “…Family meetings are a meaningful way to gather information, discuss options and plan for the future. Most of us do not want to face the eventuality of the physical or mental decline that may come with old age the signaling the need to rely on others for help with daily activities. It is best, of course, to be discussing ideas and planning for them ahead of these events so that elders are full participants. However, when a family member does begin to experience physical or mental changes that cause concern, it is important for the family to gather. Early involvement can ensure that this time is a positive, meaningful exchange that revolves around the expressed or known interests of the loved one…” Read it all.
Posts Tagged ‘Assisted Living at Home’
Caring at Home for an Elder? When is it Time for a Family Meeting?
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010Depression Among Seniors in Residential Care
Saturday, May 22nd, 2010In a study released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), data shows that nearly 45% of seniors in residential care live with depression or symptoms of depression. The report states “…More than two in five (44%) Canadian seniors living in residential care homes are diagnosed with or have symptoms of depression. The study, Depression Among Seniors in Residential Care, is one of the largest of its kind in Canada to examine the prevalence of depression and the impact it has on persons living in residential care 
, such as long-term care, nursing or personal care homes. Based on data from CIHI’s Continuing Care Reporting System, the study included nearly 50,000 residents age 65 and older across four provinces and one territory (Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Yukon).
CIHI’s study found that, while about one in four (26%) seniors living in a residential care facility had a diagnosis of depression, a further one in five (18%) had symptoms of depression with no documented diagnosis. Residents were considered to have symptoms of depression if they had a score of at least 3 on the Depression Rating Scale, which measures symptoms such as persistent anger, tearfulness and repetitive anxiety. Read More
There is Hope….New Tools to Detect Alzheimer’s
Sunday, May 16th, 2010
Living Well has been doing research for the best practices to assist and support people with Alzheimer’s. Now we have good news.
In an article by Shirley Wang, in the Wall Street Journal on April 15, 2010, we learned that “…companies specializing in medical imaging are pushing to develop chemical agents to detect Alzheimer’s disease from brain scans, a process that one day may make it possible to predict who will suffer from the progressive ailment before symptoms appear.
Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc., a tiny imaging company based in Philadelphia, and multinationals like Bayer, AG and General Electric Co., are among those working on imaging compounds to help doctors spot signs of the memory-robbing disease. Such chemical compounds would be a first of their kind and would help their makers tap into the multibillion dollar Alzheimer’s diagnostic market. These diagnostic tools will be important to developing new treatments as well. Many experimental Alzheimer’s treatments appear to work better in patients with less severe forms of the disease but are too weak to have an effect on patients by the time they are diagnosed today…” Read more
Assisted Living Facilities Can Not Be the Havens We Think!
Friday, May 14th, 2010
Aging in Place: You do not need to leave your home!
In an article by Rochelle Oliver, published on Psych Central, we learn that although “… a large number of the elderly population spends their remaining years in assisted living facilities, new studies have brought to light the effects these sorts of facilities have on an older person’s mental and physical wellbeing.
The research conducted in Los Angeles by lead author Jennifer Martin, PhD of the University of California Los Angeles and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System suggests that 65 percent of the elderly in assisted living facilities aren’t able to get the necessary amounts of sleep they need to maintain good health… read more.
Technology Can Help Track “Wanderers” with Dementia
Monday, May 10th, 2010
The need for special training and smart technology to help track the rising number of people with dementia who wanders beyond logic patterns was raised in a recent article by Kirk Johnson in The New York Times, Johnson explains that “…For generations, the prototypical search-and-rescue case in America was Timmy in the well, with Lassie barking insistently to summon help. Lost children and adolescents — from the woods to the mall — generally outnumbered all others…But last year for the first time, another type of search crossed into first place here in Virginia, marking a profound demographic shift that public safety officials say will increasingly define the future as the nation ages: wandering, confused…” Read more
Living Well Assisted Living at Home, Inc. proposes combining smart technology with specialized services can help to keep these people safe at home. Models like the one they called High Tech-High Touch offers a solution to the challenge of caring for elders who experience any type of dementia or cognitive decline and want to stay at home instead of going to an institution.
Seniors Get Into the High Tech…I-Pad is the New Gadget!
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Living Well Assisted Living at Home, supports a model of High tech and High Touch to support aging in place. Some people believe that older people are not into technology at all. Nonetheless research shows that the recent largest population entering the internet are seniors (mainly to use email with family members and shop online). On May 3, 2010, the San Francisco Chronicle published an article stressing the appealing that the new i-pad by apple has for seniors. “… It’s too early to get a demographic breakdown of the people who have bought the new tablet computer – more than half a million of which have been sold. But Apple’s new gizmo appears to be resonating well with older adults, who see the 10-inch computer as a device that speaks to their particular needs…” You go grandma!
Combined goal: Moving 37,000 seniors out Nursing Homes!
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
An article in USA Today, reinforces the concept of Living Well Assisted Living at Home, which supports people aging AT HOME. Although at some point seniors need to “get better” and recover at rehabilitation centers and nursing homes, eventually the final goal is going back home. The article states that even the government is paying for people to get out of nursing homes. The program gives nursing home residents personal and financial help to live on their own or in small group settings, as well as payments for costs such as apartment security deposits, household furniture and alterations to make homes or cars accessible to the handicapped.
This proves that we are right! Read the article
