Tag Archives: Healthcare

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Independent Living No Longer An Option?

Senior Couple In Discussion With Health Visitor At HomeImagine you receive a call from the hospital and you discover that your senior has just suffered a stroke. You rush to the hospital and immediately are flooded with questions by the doctors and nurses (and have your loved one’s Medical Life List on hand to help with the process). During the hospital stay, it’s determined that your loved one can no longer live on their own and you have to decide where they are going to live.

But how? You’ve heard of senior living options such as assisted living facilities and nursing homes, but what’s the difference? What’s the best option for your family member? Let’s look at the differences:

Assisted Living Facilities:

  1. Bridge the gap between independent living and skilled nursing facilities or nursing homes
  2. Provide a variety of services for residents who need occasional assistance with “activities of daily living” like bathing, using the bathroom, and taking medication
  3. Focus on providing as much independence to your loved one as possible

Nursing Homes and Skilled Nursing Facilities:

  1. Generally certified by your state and provides 24/7 nursing care.
  2. Your loved one will likely need a nursing home if he or she is bed bound, on a respirator, requires wound care, or needs daily nursing care.
  3. Best suited for individuals who require round-the-clock care for complex medical needs.

Depending on what your senior’s new needs are, one of these options will be better than the other.  It’s important to know how each is different so you can choose the best option for your loved one.

We hope we have 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.

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How To Start Off On The Right Foot With Your Assisted Living Facility

There is an old saying, “You get more bees with honey.” This speaks true especially when moving into an assisted living facility. This transition can be very stressful on you and your loved one and making sure you start off on the right foot can help make this transition easier. Lori-Ann shares some great tips on how to do this in this week’s video.

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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.

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Available for download, NOW!

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My Precious Dad and Assisted Living

DadMePortraitI imagine many girls say they have the “best Dad in the world.”  But I REALLY did!  

My Dad, Rev. William (“Tex”) Rickard was a United Methodist pastor, an athlete, a jokester, the father of 6 amazing children and an all-around great guy.  He was the guy you wanted to be with to watch a ball game or to tell your deepest fears.  As a single mom, he helped me raise my two beautiful girls and even put up with our crazy dog, Chloe.

So when he had emergency surgery on his back at the age of 88, after taking great care of himself his whole life, he and I were unprepared to suddenly move him into an assisted living facility.  After all, as a proud, strong minister, he took care of other people – he certainly didn’t need people to care for him.  And yet, after looking at the possibilities, assisted living seemed like the right choice for us.

So we approached the move head on by:

  1. Touring local facilities and making a list of costs and services
  2. Talking to staff to find out how they interact with residents
  3. Eating at the facility to see how the food was and getting a sense of community at meal times

We learned a lot during a journey.  We made some good choices along the way and also made some mistakes.  The most important thing we learned was that communication is the key.  You and your loved one have to be prepared to communicate with your family and the facility about your priorities.  Remember there is no perfect choice.  However, if you are choosing an assisted living facility with the right information – the choice can work out great.

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

I hope this post helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!