Posted on Monday, March 2, 2015

How to Move to Assisted Living with Ease

How do you know when it is the right time for you or your loved one to move from independent living to assisted living?

This decision varies depending on the circumstances.

Is the maintenance of the independent living home becoming too much to handle?
Are there transportation problems getting to the doctor, the grocery store, and friends?
Are there safety concerns about stairs or potential falls?

For my Dad, he was very healthy and independent. He had no expectation that he would ever need to live in an assisted living home. Then he began to have unexplainable falls. We took him to the doctor and surgery was required immediately. After the surgery, he needed a place to live with very good care and assistance. He simply couldn’t live in his former home with the bedrooms upstairs and no help.

We talked about the options openly. Should we have someone live with him? Should we move him to apartment which could be shared with another senior that would provide company and sharing expenses for extra help with cooking, cleaning, medications and transportation?

It was a difficult decision as he was a very strong independent man who had spent his life as a Methodist minister caring for everyone around him. He did not like the idea of admitting that he was the one who now needed care. However, we looked at the options and decided an assisted living home near my house and office would be the best choice for now. We did not decide it would be the choice forever. We kept our other options open.

We quickly learned that there was no perfect option, however, we knew we needed some help.

In order to make the transition smoother, we brought some of his precious items from home. A quilt for the wall from the church, many family photos and his precious desk which made it seem more like home. He had always been athletic and loved the outdoors and the birds. We made sure he went outside as often as possible.

The other most important help with the transition was keeping his car at the assisted living home. My dad LOVED cars! Even though he could not drive, he knew his car was there. We had a fabulous “helper” who would come during the week and take him to doctor’s appointments, breakfast, church in his car. It made him feel like he still had those things he loved and control of his daily life.

For more information about what my Dad and I learned, see HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choosing an Assisted Living Facility.

Helping you “Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

Posted on Friday, February 27, 2015

Helpful Health Care Links: February 27, 2015

Our helpful health care links focus on two hot topics in health care this week– New findings on how to prevent peanut allergies and the nation’s largest health insurance company increasing regulations on Hysterectomy coverage. Both are worth your time. And, as always, if you ever come across a healthcare story that you think merits more attention, please send it our way!

Early Consumption May Prevent Peanut Allergy, New Study Suggests

A new study suggests that peanut allergy can be prevented at a young age by embracing peanuts, not avoiding them.

Biggest U.S. Health Insurer Tightens Rules on Hysterectomy Coverage

The nation’s largest health insurer is imposing tighter controls on its coverage for hysterectomies after more than a year of debate over a medical device that was found to spread hidden cancer in some women undergoing the procedure.

We hope we have helped you SPIN YOUR HEALTHCARE YOUR WAY!

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How do you make the right decision about moving yourself or a loved one into an Assisted Living Facility without being overwhelmed? How do you even begin talking about it? HealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: Choosing an Assisted Living Facility” ebook guide gives you all of the practical advice you need to make the right choice.

Available for download, NOW!

Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2015

Don’t Move In Without Them: 5 Things to Look for When Choosing a Room in Assisted Living

How do you start narrowing down your choices when it comes to the actual room for your mom, dad, or other aging loved one at assisted living?
When it came time to move my dad, we discovered that five things are essential in making that decision:

Size for your budget. Rooms in assisted living come in all shapes and sizes, from apartment-like layouts with a kitchenette and a living room to simple bedroom and bathroom combinations. Look closely at your budget before committing to a large, spacious room and evaluate how much “living” your loved one will do in that room. For example, if he or she is outgoing, much of that living will be done in the social areas of the facility, so they may not need a large private room. If however, he or she treasures their alone time, having more space may be worth the price.
Room for essential personal items. Your loved one can’t take everything from their previous home with them, but make sure there’s room enough for a few essential items. In my dad’s case, it was his desk. While it was a tight squeeze, having this beloved reminder of his life as a pastor made all the difference to him.
Bathroom that works for your loved one. Can he or she maneuver easily and safely around the space? Is everything reachable given his or her mobility and range of motion? Remember that you can add shower chairs and elevated toilet seats to make the bathroom more accessible.
Easy-to-reach temperature controls. Having control of your room’s temperature is essential. Can your loved one easily adjust the thermostat?
Near to (or far from) the nurse’s station. Consider how far away or how close your loved one wants to be to the nurse’s station. He or she may want the comfort of being within calling distance of the aides, but, on the other hand, the constant noise may be too disruptive, especially at night.

Looking at these factors, I know that every senior will have a different answer. But taking them into consideration will save you time, money, and grief later on.

We hope we’ve helped you SPIN YOUR HEALTHCARE YOUR WAY!

For more information, please check out HealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: Choosing an Assisted Living Facility”. It is a practical guide to making the right decisions for seniors when living independently is no longer an option.