As the number of seniors in the U.S. continues to grow?indeed, the first ?Baby Boomers? will turn 65 in 2011?so does the market for non-medical senior homecare.
How to Choose a Senior Home Care Agency
Choosing a nursing home is an important decision, and it is vital to ensure that the facility you select will provide the highest quality of care for your loved one. There are three main steps you can take to find the nursing home that offers the services, environment, and lifestyle options that best suit your loved one’s needs and preferences. Planning ahead, taking the time to analyze your options, and carefully researching several facilities before making a decision will help to ensure that the nursing home you choose will help your loved one maintain their health, happiness, and dignity. Review the steps listed below as you begin this critical decision making process.
Step 1: Find nursing home facilities in your area.
Ask people you trust, like your doctor, family members, friends, neighbors, and clergy if they have had positive experience with a particular nursing home. Keep a list of the names of these facilities and look up contact information for each using the phone book or internet. Call your Area Agency on Aging (AoA). This telephone number should be listed in your local telephone directory or you can find it online by visiting www.aoa.gov. The local AoA can provide information about nursing homes in your area. Call the Medicare Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 for information about nursing homes in your area.
Step 2: Find out how nursing homes compare in quality.
Nursing homes are certified to make sure they meet certain Federal health and safety requirements. To find out how nursing homes compare in quality in your area, look at www.medicare.gov on the web. Select “Nursing Home Compare.? You can compare the State inspection reports of the nursing homes in your area and look at other information, like resident characteristics and staffing levels. Ask friends and other trusted community members if they are or were satisfied with the quality of care. Call the local office of consumer affairs for your state. Ask if they have information on the quality of nursing homes. Look in the blue pages of your telephone book for their telephone number. Call your state’s health department. Ask if they have information on the quality of nursing homes. This phone number will also be listed in the blue pages of your phone book.
Step 3: Visit the nursing homes you are interested in.
Before you make a decision, visit the nursing homes you are interested in. This will give you the chance to see the residents, staff, and facility. It also allows you to talk with nursing home staff, with the people who live and get care at the nursing home and their family members. Be sure to call the nursing home office and make an appointment to tour the nursing home before you visit. Ask about the types of services and activities the nursing home provides for residents. Ask about the cost and fees for care. Find out if there is an extra charge for any special medical needs your loved one may have. Ask to see a copy of the most recent inspection report for the facility. Ask if the deficiencies noted have been corrected. Revisit the nursing home a second time, on a different day and at a different time of the day than when you first visited. Staffing can be different at different times of the day, and on weekends. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Find out if the nursing home is Medicare/Medicaid certified, if there is a waiting list, and what their visiting policies are.
Potential nursing home residents should be involved in the decision-making process if possible. However, cognitive ability, emotional issues, current state of mind, and physical status may limit a senior’s ability be an active part of the nursing home selection process. It is important to be honest, forthright and supportive with your loved one during this time. Don’t forget to keep visiting once your loved one has been admitted in order to ensure that he or she is handling the transition smoothly and that the care is of the quality that you expected.
Liz Ryan is a Writing and Content Specialist for IQ Nursing Homes. Visit IQ Nursing Home’s Nursing Home Resources and review our national nursing home directory to find local nursing homes in your area.
What to consider when the time comes to choose a medical alert system.
There are several types of medical alert systems. Each company seems to give you a different price, service, and explanation of how they work. So how do you choose a Personal Emergency Response System (medical alert system) when the time finally comes? When choosing a medical alarm you must first look at the company and the services they provide. How reliable is their emergency medical alert equipment? Do they offer 24 hr eldercare assistance? How fast is their response? These are just a few of the questions you have to ask yourself before determining which medical alarm service to go with.
Most medical alert systems are connected to your existing phone line. They connect using standard telephone wires (similar to an answering machine). Once the unit is hooked up, you’ll want to test the system to ensure proper connectivity. When the unit is activated (as you test), you will be able understand the volume at which the speaker operates. Most consoles use a very loud speaker and sensitive microphone so you will be able to communicate with an emergency operator throughout your entire home. Most medical alarms feature a wireless, water-proof transmitter (normally you have a choice between a medical alert necklace and medical alert bracelet) that interacts with the personal emergency console when help is needed. The console, located near the telephone, will immediately call or notify a trained professional (when the emergency call button is pressed) who will communicate with you over the console.
The trained professional will then dispatch the appropriate help (ambulance, police, or fire departments). If there is no answer, help will be dispatched automatically. The operator will also inform any friends or family members that you would like to be notified (this information is collected ahead of time). Medical alarms are great for expecting mothers, the elderly, handicapped, or diabetic patients and those who want to enjoy independent living.
Cost
Most companies will rent the medial alert equipment to you for as long as you need it – at no cost. The fees that you incur are usually for the installation of the equipment, and the monitoring of that equipment. To clarify, there is a monthly fee you pay to have that medical alert equipment monitored 24-hours a day by a team of response operators. The installation fee ranges from $0 – $100 and monthly monitoring fees range from $30 – $75. One company that I am aware of that charges no installation fee for their medical alert system is MedScope America Corporation (www.medscope.org).
Questions to ask when purchasing a medical alert system:
How fast is the response?
Does the console have a rechargeable battery?
Is the console attached to your existing phone line?
What if the phone is busy during an emergency?
Is the wireless transmitter waterproof?
Is there a guarantee on parts, labor, and services?
How far can the transmitter communicate with the console?
What is the monthly fee?
Any other charges. Setup, Activation, or Termination Fees?
Does it assist in independent living?
Safety Tips
Keep emergency numbers in large print near each phone.
Put a phone near the floor in case you fall and cannot get up.
Think about wearing a Medical Alarm that will bring help in case you fall and can’t get up.
For more information about the benefits of MedScope’s services, call 1-800-645-2060, or log online at www.medscope.org
Greg Smith is the founder of Medscope America Corporation
Choosing a facility for your aging parent, friend or family member can be a vast responsibly. The longer and elderly person can stay independent the better, but there comes a time in their lives that they will need special care and attention that can only be provided by a caregiver or an assisted living facility.
Caregivers are normally a first option as this will allow the person to stay in his or her own home or that of a family member or friend. Unfortunately caregivers are an expensive option and it is not affordable for many older people or their families.
The next option is to look at a care facility that will be able to meet the needs of the person.
Assisted care is less intensive than nursing home care, where licensed nurses are required staff.
In assisted care the elderly person will have an own room, studio or apartment.
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