Assisted Living not affected by economic downturn

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Despite the severe economic downturn, assisted living remains enormously popular among seniors and their families according to key benchmarks in a new national survey.

The 2009 Overview of Assisted Living, a comprehensive measure of the state of the industry conducted by the leading senior living associations, shows occupancy rates in 2009 are nearly 95 percent, only a slight decrease from the 2006 survey when the economy was stronger. Communities which provide specialized care for those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia report even higher occupancy rates.

“The high standards and commitment to quality embraced by the assisted living industry have made assisted living a trusted option for America’s seniors,” said Richard Grimes, the President and CEO of the Assisted Living Federation of America (www.alfa.org). “Our members have led the way on a philosophy of care which allows seniors to age with dignity, grace and independence.”

The 2009 Overview shows that nearly all assisted living communities provide a wide array of services and safety measures which include wellness, social and recreational activities. But most also adhere to high standards and practices and conduct formal assessments of each resident prior to move in, draft written care plans for each resident, install smoke detectors and sprinklers in residents’ rooms and common areas and conduct criminal background checks on every employee before hiring.

The survey also showed that the average age of residents continues to rise. Female residents outnumber male by a three to one margin. The median age is now 86.9 years and median income is $18,972, a slight increase from the 2006 survey. More than one third of all assisted living residents suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia.

Assisted living is the fastest growing long term care option in the United States. Assisted living communities provide assistance in the activities of daily life, such as bathing and dressing, in a residential setting for seniors.

The 2009 Overview of Assisted Living is a joint project of ALFA, the American Association of Housing and Services for the Aging (AAHSA), the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA), the National Investment Centers for the Seniors Housing and Care Industry (NIC) and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). The survey was conducted by Acclaro Growth Partners with assistance from REDMARK Economics.

Source: Assisted Living Federation of America

Written By:  Chris Black of ALFA

Agree?  Disagree?  Share your thoughts below or Take our Poll on www.SeniorsGuideOnline.com

Social Security’s new online retirement application

The Cousins are Back and They’re Filing Online:

Patty Duke Reprises Patty and Cathy Lane for new Retire Online Campaign

 

Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, and Patty Duke,

Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy winning actress, today unveiled

Social Security’s new online retirement application and launched the

agency’s Retire Online campaign.  Featuring cousins Patty and Cathy Lane

from the hit 1960’s sitcom, “The Patty Duke Show,” the campaign will let

Americans know that it’s now easier than ever to retire online at

www.socialsecurity.gov.

 

Read More

Alzheimers – CareFinder – Finding the care that’s right for you!

It’s not always obvious when to ask for help, or when to make changes to the care that the person with dementia is getting. Providing good care means meeting the needs of the person receiving care, using one service or a combination of several. Depending on preferences, needs and abilities, it may be appropriate to look for different or more assistance.

Alzheimers – CareFinder – Finding the care that’s right for you! – Read More

Alzheimer’s – 10 Tips for Keeping Your Independence

Alzheimer’s disease is always changing you. One day you may be able to do something, and the next day you may not. However, you can continue to live independently during the early stages of the disease by making simple adjustments, taking safety precautions and having the support of others.

Alzheimer’s - 10 Tips for Keeping Your Independence – Read More

What’s better – Scooter or Powerchair?

By Matt Abrahams

If you are a senior, you are constantly bombarded by advertisers eager to sell you a scooter or powerchair. Many of these late night TV commercials are keen to point how you can get one at no cost but never discuss what the differences are between a scooter and powerchair. Both can be partially paid by Medicare – let’s find out which is the best fit for you.

Senior Mobility Comparison Continues Here

“Fried Chicken” By Barry Bortz

        What is a Nursing Home? A group of people sharing space, each on a different journey. Some quietly focused on the comfort of a routine which makes each day strangely reassuring. A timeless process bringing them closer to peace. Others getting through each day with the goal of healing and going back home to their individual life and the hope of tomorrow. Both surrounded by others that I will call “partners”, family, friends and the caregivers who share in this journey. Each partner with their own focus and personal perceptions and many times different than the patients. Caregivers strive to serve making every effort to assist each patient challenged by the unknown events of the day. Families and friends unsure of their role and choosing between protector or participant. Helpless or unable to know what to do or just angry about the disruption of their routine. Routine plays such a role in everyone’s life and becomes so important in our attempts to comfort ourselves and those in pain. How do we balance the needs of so many? The driving forces surrounding each patient and their partners. We all feel the power of change whether it originates from outside or inside. Forces try to define, analyze and balance an equation that has a variable summation. In writing this short story about two patients, fictional but based on real experiences, I hope the reader will for a short time get a glimpse of real life in a Nursing Home and not the stereotypical view we see through the eyes of those with their own agenda. Although one might say that this short story is in itself “my own agenda”, it is with 35 plus years of being a caregiver in a Nursing Home that I submit this story with hopes of presenting a real story with an open agenda.

Nursing Home Story Continued – Click Here

The Ten Biggest Mistakes People Make When Hiring a Caregiver

By Shirley Cohen

1. They don’t check references. It is very common for people to believe that they are a good judge of character and fail to perform reference checks. Failure to perform these vital checks can result in the hiring of someone who is unreliable and undesirable.

2. Failure to expect a caregiver to dress professionally for an interview and a care giving job. Tight-fitting clothes, jeans, tank tops, high heels, long, painted fingernails, facial jewelry are all forms of inappropriate attire for a caregiver. Failure to set a standard will result in a caregiver who will be led to think that anything she wears or does will be acceptable.

3. They don’t run a background check. Running a background check is very important these days. There are tons of sweet-looking, sweet-talking people out there with felony records. You don’t want to make a mistake by not taking this step and installing such a person into your home with your frail or confused parent.

To Read More visit The Library at www.SeniorsGuideOnline.com

Senior Home Remodeling Tips

Home modifications allow seniors to remain comfortably in their homes enjoying their typical day to day activities despite the lifestyle changes that come with aging.   Listed below are home modification ideas from   Seniors Guide – Your comprehensive guide to all things senior.

Prevent trips and falls by:  • Removing or securing all carpets and area rugs with double-sided tape     • Placing reflective, nonskid tape on uncarpeted stairs • Rearranging all extension cords and phone cords so that they are out of the walkway • Installing handrails along both sides of all stairs • Placing non-skid strips or decals in the tub or shower • Installing a shower seat • Placing a “comfort height” toilet seat to simplify the raising and lowering of themselves • Creating floor level entries to tubs and toilets  Accommodate decreased hand dexterity and strength by: • Replacing doorknobs and plumbing fixtures with lever handles • Replacing faucets with single-lever faucets • Installing easy-to-grasp handles on drawers & cabinet doors Accommodate decreased eyesight by: • Installing night lights (night vision tends to diminish) • Using light colors when decorating (contrasting light colors help compensate for decreased depth perception) • Install task lighting for hobbies and activities ∗ Studies have found that staying engaged in hobbies helps to reduce the progression of aging in seniors Accommodate loss of balance and flexibility by minimizing bending and stretching in the following ways: • Place a bench or table near outside doors for placing packages while opening the door • Eliminate changes in floor heights • Create floor level entries to tubs and toilets • Install hand-held showerheads and grab bars • Make other higher levels and basements accessible with elevators or stair lifts • Lower light switches • Raise electrical outlets • Modify cupboards to have slide in, slide out drawer features • Modify kitchen appliances • Modify countertops and sinks When stairs become an obstacle, the main floor should accommodate most daily needs: • Move the washer & dryer downstairs • Have a room on the main floor as a designated sleeping area Accommodate wheelchairs by: • Widening Doorways • Installing Ramps • Using hard surfaces for flooring (Carpeting can be more difficult to wheel through) • Eliminating changes in floor heights • Creating floor level entries to tubs and toilets • Installing hand-held showerheads and grab bars • Making other higher levels and basements accessible with elevators or stair lifts • Lowering light switches • Raising electrical outlets

For an expert on modifying your home, please see our “Locate an Expert” section of our www.SeniorsGuideOnline.com

Seniors Guide, Seniors Guide At-A-Glance, Senior Industry News, Senior Informer, Senior Advocate and www.SeniorsGuideOnline.com are all published by Ross Publishing.

www.SeniorsGuideOnline.com to include Southern California!!!

Ross Publishing is pleased to announce the expansion of www.SeniorsGuideOnline.com to include Southern California.

Seniors Guide Online is dedicated to providing seniors and their families the information they need to assess the many options available in retirement living, senior care, home health care, and senior services.  This online magazine currently highlights information and senior options in Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and now Southern California which will cover San Diego County, Orange County and Inland Empire.

 “Southern California lacks a complete online senior resource where seniors and their families can find the support they need.” John Ross, President of Ross Publishing, goes on to explain his vision behind the expansion “www.SeniorsGuideOnline.com will empower seniors and their families of Southern California with information so that they can make the best decisions possible when it comes to senior needs.”

SeniorsGuideOnline.com strives to make the process of selecting senior housing, senior care and senior experts as easy as possible by providing a wealth of information all in one place.  The Resource Library includes frequently asked questions regarding Social Security, Medicare and Alzheimer’s; Comprehensive checklists; Guides on choosing retirement communities and home care agencies; up to date articles on senior life; and links to key senior resources. The Senior Events section keeps seniors up to date on activities in their area.    

The website is also built as a resource to all members of the seniors industry, from social workers and case managers to marketing directors and geriatric doctor’s alike.  The Professional’s Corner has all of the resources they need, including Job Listings, Professional Events, Networking Information and access to our online industry newsletters. 

As interest in retirement and senior issues grow, SeniorsGuideOnline is growing to meet the demand of this ever changing industry which allows senior citizens to make retirement living the best I can be. 

For more information concerning Seniors Guide Online, visit www.SeniorsGuideOnline.com.

Contact:
Debi Stranahan, West Coast Marketing and Sales

Debi@SeniorsGuideOnline.com

WHAT TO ASK…When Interviewing a Home Healthcare Agency

AGENCY INTERVIEWED: _______________________________________ Date: _______________
What types of care level do you offer?
Medical Home Health Care	Companion Care
Non-Medical Home Health Care	Adult Day Care
Physical Therapy / Rehab	Hospice
Costs:
What are your hourly prices for:
Days? ____________________________________________________________
Nights? ____________________________________________________________
Weekends? ____________________________________________________________
Holidays? ____________________________________________________________
How does the agency handle billing?
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Is there a sliding fee schedule based on ability to pay?________________________________________________
Is financial assistance available to pay for services?__________________________________________________
AGENCY:
Does the agency have any printed brochures describing the services it offers and how much they cost? If so, get one.
How long has the agency been serving this community?
Is the agency an approved Medicare provider?
Are the activities posted?
Is the quality of care certified by a national accrediting body?
Does the agency have a current license to practice (if required in the state where you live)?
Does the agency offer seniors a “Patients’ Bill of Rights” that describes the rights and responsibilities of both the agency and the senior being cared for?
Does the agency write a plan of care for the patient, with input from the patient, his or her doctor and family, and update the plan as necessary?
Does the care plan outline the patient’s course of treatment, describing the specific tasks to be performed by each caregiver?
Does your agency have Professional Liability insurance?
What is your agency’s minimum care level requirement?
Hours per visit?
Visits per week?
STAFF:
How are agency caregivers hired and trained?
What type of employee screening is done?
Will the agency provide a list of references for its caregivers?
How closely do supervisors oversee care to ensure quality?
Will agency caregivers keep family members informed about the kind of care their loved one is getting?
Are agency staff members available around the clock, seven days a week, if necessary?
Does the agency have a nursing supervisor available to provide on-call assistance 24 hours a day?
How does the agency ensure patient confidentiality?
Who does the agency call if the home health care worker cannot come when scheduled?
What is the procedure for resolving problems when they occur, and who can I call with questions or complaints?
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT HOME HEALTH CARE?
There are several national organizations that can provide additional consumer information about home health care services. These include the following:           The National Association for Home Care, which can be reached at 202-547-7424 or by visiting its website at www.nahc.org. The postal address is: 228 7th St., SE; Washington, DC 20003 The Visiting Nurse Associations of America, which can be reached at 617-737-3200 or by visiting its website at www.vnaa.org. Thepostal address is: 99 Summer St., Suite 1700; Boston, MA 02110. US Dept of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging, Washington, DC 20201 phone (202) 619-0724 fax (202) 357-3523 Email: aoainfo@aoa.gov Our website at www.aoa.gov