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How to Find the Right Senior Housing Community

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Guest Blog: How to Find the Right Senior Housing Community
By: Derek Hobson

First let’s tackle the basics. Many people are wary of senior care homes because there’s a stigma that surrounds them; people see them as gloomy, dreary, end-of-life communities. While certainly there was a time when this was the case (several decades ago), most communities have worked hard to battle this stereotype and they have succeeded.

Many communities have done away with “institution” or “hospital” –like settings. Even more have become increasingly lenient on policies regarding residents’ possessions; some facilities have been known to permit pets and even furniture to help it feel like home. So, when the time comes to transition into one of these senior care homes, the question becomes, “How do I find the right one?”

1. Find out About Affordability
This is usually at the top of everyone’s list and for good reason. Today, people are having children later in life. This isn’t a bad thing, but it means that around the same time their kids are going off to college, their parents are starting to need extra care. This can put a lot of stress on adult children, but some senior homes provide help.

Some Assisted Living Facilities will accept private pay for a period of time and then accept the rest through Medicaid. This way, your senior does not need to move and they won’t need to fear outliving their assets.

2. Visit the Community (Often)
If you think a community looks good for your loved one, then you should visit and revisit. You should tour the facility on different days of the week at different times. This way, you’ll get a much broader view of the day-to-day.

See if people are out and about, if engaging activities are going on, and if there’s a general feeling of community. If you show up to an elder care home that looks more like a ghost town, then it’s probably not the one for your loved one.

3. Talk to the Residents & Staff
This one is critical, as nothing quite beats a first-hand view into the establishment. Ask residents if they enjoy the community, what they do on a daily basis, and if they’re happy.

When asking the staff, of course they’re not going to disparage against the home, but one of the most important things to take notice of is how they interact with the residents. If they refer to them by name and have clearly established relationships with them, then this can be a huge indicator of the level of personal care your loved one will receive.

These are the three most important criteria to face when choosing an elder care community and they should give you a well-rounded idea of the facility you’ve chosen.

By |2024-10-30T12:55:18-05:00November 7th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off on How to Find the Right Senior Housing Community

Tips to make sure the seniors in your life receive the care they need

As people age, their need for support increases. Old age usually comes with mental function deterioration, increased risk of disease, and loneliness. Being there for an aging parent often comes with lots of responsibilities. The goal is to help improve the quality of their life. Here are some guidelines to help you care for your aging parents.

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Watch out for health concerns

Senior people are predisposed to a wealth of health concerns, both physical and mental. Some people creep up suddenly, whereas others may experience depression and severe anxiety. As their caregiver, it is important to keep an eye on their general wellbeing. Identify potential concerns ahead of time, and be there to help. Start researching more information on common health problems in seniors. Often, your aging parent may even tell you if there’s something wrong and if they experience any concerning symptoms. However, there are times when the aging parent doesn’t realize that something is wrong. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are progressive diseases that can be difficult to tackle. Spend as much as time as you can with your loved one, and this way you’ll be able to determine potential symptoms that are more harming than they look.

Professional help

In case your parent or relative experiences mental of physical decline that you can’t handle by yourself, it might be a good idea to look for professional help. There are lots of healthcare services you can consider. Don’t miss out on weekly appointments to the doctor and search for ways to make their lives easier; even that may mean looking into assisted living facilities and nursing homes. Many people ignore the symptoms their aging parents have. Stay alert and look for assistance in your local community. Thanks to advanced technology, there are solutions to be close to your parent even if you live miles apart.

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Make time to visit

The elderly are not just affected by medical problems. Studies have shown that many seniors living alone fight with depression, anxiety, loneliness, and severe fatigue. It might be a good idea to visit your parents at least once a week. Offer them emotional support, take the grandkids with you, and make them feel loved and cared for. Face to face visits are the best, although if that’s not possible you can stick to phone calls, or Skype chats.

 

Encourage socialization

Many seniors don’t want to get out of the house. They’ve been used to watching TV all day, and that’s it. Sedentary activities increase the risk of depression, so it might be a good idea to take parents out. Do things together every week. Go grocery shopping together, spend time in the park, and have a good time. Qualitative family time makes seniors feel valued. If you can’t visit often, recommend them to join a book club. Or encourage socializing with their neighbors. Living in isolation leads to physical and emotional distress. In the long term, loneliness may lead to increased fears (e.g. fear to go out, fear to talk to people, fear to call a child to say hello).

 

Home care

There’s a lot of debate around the notion of “home care”. Many people don’t like the idea because they associate it with improper care. The truth is, there are excellent home care facilities spread around the country. Many provide excellent services, apart from caregiving. Senior people need to stay social. They need to be active – both physically and mentally – to enjoy the best of life. Some of today’s advanced assisted living facilities are more comfortable than an actual home. These places provide excellent accommodation, lots of activities, treatments, and therapies that compel a senior to enjoy their lifestyles.

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It is important for aging parents to appreciate life. The best care home in Maidstone provides exquisite services. However, for the system to work seniors must be open to change. It’s no shame in not being able to live on your own house. Rather than struggle performing daily duties, assisted living facilities are all about increasing the quality of your life. They can help you feel better, socialize with people the same age, try out lots of activities, and boost cognitive function. All these improve the quality of your life by 30%.

 

 

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By |2024-10-30T12:54:50-05:00November 3rd, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Post of the Day, News Posts|Comments Off on Tips to make sure the seniors in your life receive the care they need

Hypothyroidism Warning Signs and Treatment

 

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Background

Hypothyroidism results from lack of sufficient thyroid hormone being produced by the thyroid gland. Older adults may have subclinical hypothyroidism, in which the TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) is elevated and the T4 (thyroxine or thyroid hormone) is normal; 4.3–9.5% of the general population has this problem (Woolever & Beutler, 2007). In this condition, the body is trying to stimulate production of more thyroid hormone. Some older adults with this condition will progress to have primary or overt hypothyroidism. This is when the TSH is elevated and T4 is decreased. Hashimoto’s disease is the most common cause and represents 90% of all patients with hypothyroidism (American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists [AACE], 2005; Woolever & Beutler, 2007), though certain pituitary disorders, medications, and other hormonal imbalances may be causal factors.

Warning Signs

Older adults may present an atypical picture, but the most common presenting complaints are fatigue and weakness.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis should include a thorough history and physical. Bradycardia and heart failure are often associated factors. Lab tests should include thyroid and thyroid antibody levels (common to Hashimoto’s), and lipids, because hyperlipidemia is also associated with this disorder.

Treatment

Treatment centers on returning the thyroid ¬hormone level to normal. This is done through oral thyroid replacement medication, usually L-thyroxine. In older adults with coexisting cardiovascular disease, starting with the usual doses may exacerbate angina and worsen the underlying heart disease, so it is important to start low and go slow. Titration should be done cautiously, with close monitoring of the older adult’s response to the medication. The does should be adjusted on 6- week intervals until normal levels of thyroid hormone are achieved. Once the TSH is within normal limits, then checking the TSH should be done every 6 to 12 months to monitor effectiveness and blood levels, because hyperthyroidism is a side effect of this therapy and can have serious implications on the older person’s health.

Patients need to learn the importance of taking thyroid medication at the same time each day without missing doses. Sometimes older adults have other problems associated with hypothyroidism, such as bowel dysfunction and depression. Any signs of complicating factors should be reported to the physician, and doctors’ appointments for monitoring should be religiously kept. Strategies for managing fatigue and weakness should also be addressed, because some lifestyle modifications may need to be made as treatment is initiated.

Adapted from Mauk, K. L., Hanson, P., & Hain, D. (2014). Review of the management of common illnesses, diseases, or health conditions. In K. L.
Mauk’s (Ed.) Gerontological Nursing: Competencies for Care. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Used with permission.

For more information on Hypothyroidism, visit the NIH:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000353.htm

 

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By |2024-10-02T12:24:00-05:00October 28th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off on Hypothyroidism Warning Signs and Treatment
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