by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Nov 2, 2014 | Caregiving, Dear Donna, Uncategorized
Dear Donna:
My father’s hearing loss has gotten very bad over the past few years. While I want him to be able to stay independent for as long as possible, I worry a lot about his ability to be safe. I’m especially concerned because, despite our best efforts to convince him to stop, he still smokes. I was at his house one day when the smoke alarm in the dining room went off while he was cooking and he didn’t even hear it! I’m not sure what to do with him.
Alysha in Holland, Michigan
Dear Alysha:
You are right. Smoking and hearing loss are a tough combination. I’m sure it is does create a lot of anxiety for you.
There are definitely smoke detectors and alert systems that can help with your father’s situation. They are specifically designed for those living with a hearing impairment. I’m sure they can help to ease some of the fears you have about your father’s safety. Most of the major smoke detector manufacturers make them. What is different about these products is that they flash a strobe light and/or send out a strong vibration to alert those living with a hearing impairment of the danger. Many also have an alert that will actually shake the bed in case the home’s resident is sleeping when the smoke detector goes off.
Thank you for sharing your concern with us, Alysha. It provides us with an opportunity to help raise awareness about National Fire Prevention Week which begins on October 4th. Seniors are twice as likely to be harmed or fatally injured in a fire. After the age of 85, that risk goes up to four times more likely.
There are a variety of ways you and other adult children in Michigan can to decrease a senior loved one’s fire safety risk. The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) has a library of resources that can help. They range from kitchen safety tips to escape planning.
I hope this information is helpful, Alysha!
Donna
“Dear Donna” is an aging expert from Heritage Senior Communities, a family-owned company serving seniors across the state of Michigan for 67 years. Older adults in the greater Holland area will soon have the opportunity to tour our nearly completed Village at Appledorn West community. It will be home to 88 independent senior living apartments. Construction is projected to be completed this month. An assisted living community will also open on the same campus in the late spring of 2015.
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Aug 4, 2014 | Caregiving, Dear Donna, Uncategorized
Dear Donna:
My 88-year old mother lives near Grand Haven, Michigan. I live with my family in Saline, Michigan. In the past six months she has ended up in the emergency department of the hospital seven different times for problems ranging from falls to mismanaging her medication. It is difficult to get to her quickly when I live so far away. These frequent emergencies are causing real problems for me at work. My boss was sympathetic at first, but it has happened too many times. I’m concerned I could lose my job over this. With two kids in college, we can’t afford for me to be without it.
One of my colleagues suggested I look at nursing homes for my mother, but our HR Director told me she recently moved her father to assisted living after he was falling repeatedly at home. She said they have been able to help him significantly reduce the number of falls he has and his overall health has improved.
My question for you is can an assisted living community really help reduce trips to the ER?
Jamie in Saline, Michigan
Dear Jamie:
Your situation is one that is common among for the sandwich generation. It is a tough spot to be in! To answer your question, “yes” assisted living can help support the activities of daily living and provide a safer, more secure environment.
In your mother’s case, the two things you mentioned were a history of falls and problems managing her medications. Those are two areas an assisted living partner can help you better manage.
First, let’s talk about medication management. It is one of the number one reasons adult children explore senior living for an aging parent. At home, it is easy to miss a dosage or to accidentally take double doses of a medication. Assisted living communities have medication management programs in place. They will ensure your mother takes the right dose at the right time.
Next we move on to the issue of falls. Seniors can experience a fall for many reasons or for a combination of reasons. Mismanaging and forgetting to take important medications like blood pressure is one. Poor nutrition that leads to decreased muscle mass and weakness is another. The physical layout of older homes isn’t always a good fit for seniors. Poorly lit hallways, too many stairs, uneven floors, and bathrooms without grab bars are just a few of the problems that can contribute to falls. Residents in an assisted living community benefit from having well-balanced meals, in-house, age-appropriate exercise programs, and an environment designed to support safety.
I hope this information helps, Jamie! Please call the Heritage Senior Community closest to you or your mother if you have any more questions!
Donna
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Jul 10, 2014 | Caregiving, Dear Donna, Uncategorized
Dear Donna:
My mom just turned 80 years old. While she has always been active and independent, she was recently diagnosed with Macular Degeneration. Her physician explained to us that she will slowly lose her vision. We have talked about it and she knows she needs to change her living environment now. Her house is old and has a lot of stairs including to the basement where her laundry area is. She lives in Gaylord, Michigan and I am a few hours away in Holland. We’d like to move her to an assisted living community near me this summer so she has time to learn her way around while she still has some of her vision remaining. I’m wondering if assisted living communities can accommodate visually impaired residents?
Alan in Holland, Michigan
Dear Alan:
I’m sorry to hear about your mom’s diagnosis. I’m sure that has been difficult for her and for you. It is wise to be proactive in moving her closer to you and to a more supportive environment while she is still somewhat independent. The answer to your question is “Yes” we can accommodate visually impaired residents in our assisted living communities. A number of the older adults that call our communities home have vision problems ranging from Glaucoma to Macular Degeneration. Assisted living supports their independence in a variety of ways.
First, our safety features make it easier for residents with vision problems to find their way around. From handrails in the hallways to grab bars in the bathrooms the environment is designed to support older adults. Our caregivers can also provide assistance as necessary with bathing, grooming, dressing and escorting your mom around the community. Finally, the life enrichment activities each of our communities’ offer are designed to allow people with impairments of all types to participate. All of this support can help residents with Macular Degeneration enjoy a higher quality of life.
I hope this answers your question, Alan! Please let us know if you need help finding assisted living in the Holland, Michigan area. We have a variety of senior living options in western Michigan that might be a perfect fit for her needs including some new ones that are opening this year!
Donna
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Jun 18, 2014 | Caregiving, Dear Donna, Uncategorized
Dear Donna:
My 91-year old father lives just outside Holland, Michigan. He lives alone in a home he and my mother bought when they were first married. Since her death three years ago, his health has really declined. In the last six months, he has fallen four times. My family and I leave in Kalamazoo so it isn’t easy to get to him quickly. He has had to use his medical alert pendant to call for help each time. His house is old and not very senior-friendly. Despite the home improvements we’ve tried to make to keep him safe, he just isn’t. I’ve tried to convince him that moving to assisted living would help him and me, but he is very stubborn. He thinks he will have to give up his privacy and that he will be forced to play games. I am worn out and stressed out from trying to juggle my family’s needs and his while also working full-time. Do you have any advice?
Alice in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Dear Alice:
We hear stories similar to yours almost every day. Giving up the home he has lived in for decades is surely hard for your father. Doubly so given the memories he no doubt has of your mother there. It obviously doesn’t help that he has some big misconceptions about what a Michigan assisted living community is really like for residents.
One suggestion might be to try to get him to consider a trial assisted living stay, officially known as respite. Some families have found that telling an aging loved one they will be out-of-state for an event makes it easier to convince their senior loved one to agree to a respite stay. It can be a non-threatening way to try assisted living. Your father may be willing to try this if you tell him, for example, you will take him on Thursday and pick him up the following Wednesday. By giving him a definite date to return home, he may not feel abandoned or at risk of being “forced” to stay.
Once he agrees you can work closely with the staff at the assisted living community to make sure the experience is a positive one. You can plan his trial stay around events or activities at the assisted living community that may be of special interest to him, match him up with other residents that he has things in common with, and help him review dining options and menu items ahead of time. While respite suites are usually furnished, you might want to bring just a few family photos and treasures to make him feel more at home. Not too many though. You don’t want him to be suspicious! Once he sees how much easier life can be in an assisted living community and that he won’t be forced to join in any activities he isn’t interested in, you might find him to be more open to the idea of moving. It might take him a few respite stays to be convinced, but it will be worth it knowing he is safe.
I hope this idea works for you, Alice! Please contact us if you need help setting up a respite stay for your Dad.
Donna
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | May 22, 2014 | Dear Donna, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Dear Donna:
My mother will be undergoing hip replacement surgery at a hospital in Saginaw, Michigan in late June. Her surgeon has advised us that she will likely need to go to a rehab center for a few weeks of therapy after she leaves the hospital. We are trying to figure out if Medicare will pay for that and how to choose the best one for her recovery. Can you help us understand what this means?
Diane in Adrian, Michigan
Diane:
It is a definitely a good idea to tackle all of this before your mother’s surgery. That will help her make a smooth transition to the skilled nursing and rehab center and then, eventually, back home.
Here is how the Medicare Skilled Nursing & Rehab Benefit works:
- Your mother will qualify for the benefit if she spends three nights at an inpatient level of care in the hospital.
- Once she transitions to the skilled rehab center, Medicare will pay for the first 20 days in full.
- Beginning on the 21st day, she will be liable for a co-payment amount. In 2014, that is $152 per day. If she has a secondary insurance, it may cover this amount.
- If she still isn’t back on her feet after day 100, she will be liable for the entire cost of the stay. But don’t worry. Most seniors are back on their feet and home long before this!
As far as finding the best provider, Medicare has a few tools that can help. One is the Nursing Home Compare rating system on Medicare.gov. It allows you to review each provider’s state survey results and (if applicable) complaint surveys from residents and their family members. Medicare also has a Skilled Nursing Facility Checklist you can download to help you compare one community with another.
Finally, our best piece of advice is to tour every community you are considering for your mother. It would probably be a good idea to have a list of 2 or 3 options. That way if one or two of them are full, you still have another option that your family has already visited and approved of to turn to for rehab.
I hope this helps, Diane! Best of luck to your mother in her surgery and rehab.
Donna
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Mar 30, 2014 | Caregiving, Dear Donna, Uncategorized
Dear Donna:
My sister and I are going to have “the talk” with our mom this weekend about moving to assisted living. We will both be in town to celebrate her 85th birthday. We think one of her objections will be that she doesn’t want to leave her treasures behind. She was an antiques dealer who had stores in several small resort towns in Michigan. If she moves to an assisted living community, will she be allowed to bring her own furniture?
David in Saline, Michigan
Dear David:
Good news! In the majority of instances, your mother will be able to bring some of her treasured antiques with her to assisted living. In fact, being surrounded by some of her favorite things will probably make her new assisted living apartment feel more like home. That can help her make a smooth transition.
We typically recommend families obtain a copy of the floor plan for her style of apartment from the community’s administrator. If dimensions aren’t already labeled on the floor plan, measure them yourself or ask the community staff to do it before you start making plans. Knowing how much wall space you have in each area of the apartment will make it easier to determine which piece of furniture will fit there. A word of caution, however, is to not fill the apartment so full that it creates a fall risk for her. Be sure to leave uncluttered, open spaces and pathways in the areas she will most often use, such as from the bed to the bathroom or her favorite loveseat or chair to the kitchenette.
We hope this helps, David! If you have any questions about assisted living in Michigan, we invite you to call the Heritage Senior Community closest to your mother for help.
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