Elder Care Information


Assisted Living: Tips on How to Choose a Facility


It is easy to be fooled by fancy drapery or expensive furniture that may decorate a care facility. Even though a facility looks high class doesn't always mean the care provided is first class. The following are just a few simple guidelines to follow when selecting either a nursing home or an assisted living facility:

1. Talk with people in the community who are familiar with the facility you are looking at. Get their opinions and feedback.

2. In order to get the feel of the residents and their activity level, tour the facility during meals times, or right before or after a meal. Activity level is usually higher during these times. This will give you a general idea of the atmosphere and the quality of food being served. Great meals are one of the lasting enjoyments our seniors have.

3. Pay attention to the residents in the facility. Do they appear to be happy? Unhappy residents could indicate their needs are not being met properly. Do the caregivers know the residents by name? Is there adequate interaction between caregiver and resident?

4. If you have concerns about the facility, don't be afraid to ask the staff questions and voice any concerns you may have. Did you receive adequate answers? Was the staff professional? Ask the administrator about the staff turnover rate. If it's high, ask for the reasons why.

5. Examine all license and state or county inspection results for the facility. Each facility is required to display these items. A facility with little or no deficiencies is most likely a facility that wants to get the job done right the first time.

6. Research the facility using resources on the internet such as the Nursing Home Compare at www.medicare.gov or view license and enforcement action information with the appropriate state agency.

7. Trust your instinct. If you feel uncomfortable about a facility, there is a reason why. If a second unscheduled visit yields the same uneasy feeling, go with your gut feeling.

Overall, being familiar with a few simple guidelines will help make your selection process much easier. Selecting a care facility for a loved one is a very important decision. The care your loved one receives will ultimately affect their quality of life. In the end, if you cannot see yourself living in a certain facility you're visiting, then chances are you shouldn't place your loved one there either.

You have permission to use this article as long as the author's full bio is present as well as any hyperlinks to author's website.

Torey Farnsworth has over 12 years of experience working with seniors. Ms. Farnsworth's vast expertise encompasses a wide variety of senior issues ranging from adult care to elder law. Most recently, Torey served as Elder Law Director and Paralegal for a Phoenix based law firm where she provided assistance in a variety of areas including long term care planning, estate planning, ALTCS eligibility and Medicaid planning. Ms. Farnsworth is also a certified caregiver with the State of Arizona as well as a Certified Senior Advisor. Ms. Farnsworth has spent her career in senior care as her family owns and operates assisted living homes.

Ms. Farnsworth owns and operates a senior care placement business in Arizona called Horizon Senior Care Referral. Her placement services are free to seniors and their families. For information on placement services in Arizona, visit http://adultcarecentral.com/


MORE RESOURCES:

Dealing with eldercare causes relationship stress
Sacramento Bee
By JUDI LIGHT HOPSON, EMMA H. HOPSON AND TED HAGEN Are you worried about issues related to your aging parents? Maybe you're in the "sandwich generation," caring for both your children and your parents at the same time. If so, you need to create support ...

and more »


Guest column: Money's part of elder care
Cincinnati.com
Caring for my own mother, I can easily relate to the travails of Evelyn Volk, the subject of the Enquirer's front-page story (“Juggling care for kids, parents”) Jan. 4. From dawn to midnight, Mrs. Volk takes care of two teenagers as well as her ...



AsiaOne

9 in 10 residents oppose eldercare centre
AsiaOne
By Benson Ang Residents in a block in Woodlands are up in arms over the proposed construction of an eldercare day centre in the neighbourhood. Out of the 60 five-room units in Block 861 at Woodlands Street 83, 53 opposed the move and have sent a ...



Cherokee Elder Care to host legislature breakfast
Cherokee Phoenix
The tribe's Cherokee Elder Care will host the annual Tahlequah Chamber of Commerce legislative breakfast at 7:30 am on March 2. Cherokee Elder Care is committed to improving the physical, emotional and spiritual health of all individuals and ...

and more »


SAGE's Sweethearts of the Year in Time for Valentine's Day
Patch.com
Married couple Carmen and Edwin Hernandez were chosen by the eldercare facility for their volunteer spirit and work with Meals on Wheels. Edwin, a vice president for Banco Popular, has also helped SAGE secure grant funding over the years.

and more »


Eldercare centres do not affect flat prices, say some residents
Channel News Asia
By Evelyn Lam Li Ting | Posted: 03 February 2012 2042 hrs SINGAPORE : While residents in Woodlands are petitioning for a proposed eldercare centre in their neighbourhood to be moved elsewhere, others living near one in Ang Mo Kio feel differently.

and more »


Straits Times

Elder-care centres hurt resale flat prices: Agents
Straits Times
ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG Elderly residents may appreciate having an elder-care centre in the neighbourhood, but property agents say these senior-friendly amenities can turn off some potential buyers. Some property agents and consultants said the value of a ...



AsiaOne

Woodlands residents worry elder-care centres in estate may mean more deaths
AsiaOne
Residents of two Woodlands HDB blocks are worried that building an elder-care centre at their void decks may mean more deaths in the area. Their concern comes on the heels of the Ministry of Health's (MOH) plans to build an elder-care centre at the ...
Unease over elder-care centre in void decksStraits Times

all 2 news articles »


openPR (press release)

Elder Care Marketing Company Founder Offers College Students Advice In ...
openPR (press release)
(openPR) - GLENVIEW, IL -- Marla Levie, the founder of Focus on Aging, a consulting company that focuses on elder care marketing and other marketing to seniors, was recently interviewed by the University of Illinois School of Social Work's magazine, ...

and more »


abc7.com

Neighborhood Council System Misfires on Eldercare Facility Bill
City Watch
VOICES - With little fanfare, the Eldercare Facility Ordinance became effective In December of 2006. The City Council had responded to a concern over the future needs of the aging populace. It was easy to make the case for fast tracking elder care ...
residents try to block elder-care facilityabc7.com

all 2 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2007