07.28.08
Posted in Assisted Living, Assisted Living Facilities, Assisted Living Safety, Caregiver, Elder Care, Elderly Care, Nursing home, Nursing home alternative, Senior Citizen, Taking Care of a Loved One, Texas Elderly Care Services at 1:01 pm by admin
So you put your parent in an assisted living facility. You purchase a care package that provides the amount of care that your parent needs. You see your parent quickly declining and you wonder if the facility is providing the care they say they are. You can be sure of it with a hidden camera. You can purchase a nanny camera then set it up at the far wall of your parents room facing the door. You can watch the tapes and see how often a care taker enters the room and how long they stay.
If you can’t afford a nanny camera, you can show up unannounced to visit your parent and look around the room for dirty clothes, see if the bed is fixed, check the soap in the shower and depends to make sure they are being used up. Keep the assisted living facility in check. You purchased a care package and they must provide it, no excuses.
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06.23.08
Posted in Assisted Living, Assisted Living Facilities, Assisted Living Safety, Caregiver, Elder Care, Elderly Care, Nursing home alternative, Senior Citizen, Senior Citizen Fathers, Taking Care of a Loved One, Texas Elderly Care Services at 11:20 am by admin
Work is getting overwhelming and you are looking forward to a vacation. You start surfing the web for great vacation spots. But wait don’t forget about mom! Your parents could very well need a vacation too. Your parent’s needs might have changed over this past year making it seem impossible for them to go on a vacation. Plus it may not be a very relaxing time for you if it’s a full time job to care for your parents. But think about this, many people hire a nanny when they go on a vacation to help with their kids. Hiring someone to care for your parent on a vacation is not much different and may be a good option. Also there are assited living facilities that can accommodate your parent for short periods of time such as a vacation. Say for instance you are going to San Antonio. You could book a room at an assisted living facility for the week for your parents nearby where you are staying (there are many assisted living facilities in San Antonio) and pick them up when you are going site seeing, out to eat, or boating on the river. They would certainly enjoy that.
Make Sure Your Parents Needs are Met
If you are hiring a care taker for the trip remember to stay at places that are handicap accessible to make it easier for your parent. If you are booking a room at an assisted living facility be sure that they know your parent’s needs.
Have a good and safe vacation!
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05.29.08
Posted in Alzheimer's Disease, Assisted Living, Assisted Living Facilities, Assisted Living Referral Service, Assisted Living Safety, Caregiver, Depression, Dimentia, Elder Care, Elderly Care, Home Health Care, Nursing home, Nursing home alternative, Senior Citizen, Taking Care of a Loved One, Texas Elderly Care Services, care at home, dementia, forgetting to take medication at 6:05 pm by admin
Do your mother and/or father need to be moved from home to an assisted living? Do they need to be moved from an assisted living to a nursing home? Or are they at a facility that you are not happy with? Moving your parents can be the best thing that you can do for them, but it can also be the worst thing.
Moving is a dramatic change for an elderly person, especially one with Alzheimer’s disease. A move from home to a nursing home may be the best option but look into getting care at home. Moving can confuse and depress an elderly person. If your mother or father is able to, let him or her be a part of the decision.
When an elderly person is familiar with a facility or the staff at one assisted living or nursing home it’s usually best to keep him there. An elderly person is more likely to willingly receive care and feel comfortable with care attendants and nurses that he or she knows as opposed to a stranger. Also when elderly people are familiar with a facility, such as knowing where the dining room, medicine, activities, and their apartment is, they are usually emotionally stable longer than if they are moved from facility to facility and getting disoriented and confused.
However, when you see your loved one needing more care than what the facility gives, you need to act quickly. There are nurses that come to where your parent is and give care to him. Some facilities have care packages that start at minimal care (such as reminders to come to meals and take medicine) and maximum care packages (such as bathing, transferring from bed to wheelchair and feeding). If the facility that your loved one is does not offer more care and getting a nurse to come and care for him or her is not an option you should not leave him or her there, moving would be a must in that situation.
If your parents are at a facility and you are not happy with the care that they are receiving, talk to the management about your complaints. They may not be aware that your parent is being neglected. Also talk with the care staff and let them know that you care about your parents and want the best care for them. Politely tell the care staff your complaints (i.e. moms hair needs to be brushed, I noticed dad lost his dentures). Visit your parents often. Keep the care staff accountable by making visits at different times of the day or maybe spend a night there if possible. If the quality of care still does not improve make a complaint to DADS (Department of Aging and Disabilities Services) and move your parents to a more quality facility.
Most importantly make sure your parent is taken good care of and is happy.
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03.02.08
Posted in Assisted Living, Assisted Living Facilities, Assisted Living Safety, Caregiver, Elder Care, Elderly Care, Nursing home, Senior Citizen, Senior Citizen Fathers, Taking Care of a Loved One, Texas Elderly Care Services, elderly and education at 12:23 am by admin
East Texas Primary Voting By Senior Citizens
The Texas primary voting ends on March 4th at 7pm. Unfortunately there are many people taking advantage of the elderly in nursing homes or assisted living communities and stealing their votes. The Senior News in Arlington report “Nursing homes, notorious places for voter fraud, need greater guidance on how to help residents vote…About one in five votes in the 2004 presidential election was cast by someone 65 years or older. By 2040, it is anticipated about 40 percent of voters will be 65 or older. …John Karlawish, a professor of medicine and medical ethics at the University of Pennsylvania,…said much of the voting at the long term care facilities studied was done by absentee ballot, which is well recognized as a mechanism for voter fraud. ‘First, people decided whether they can vote, and second, people steal their votes.’”
Assist But Do Not Manipulate Your Senior Loved One
Make sure your loved one has the opportunity to vote if he or she desires. Educate mom and dad on what’s going on in politics now. They educated you when you were young. Bring them up to date on what’s going on in the news now and discuss how important it is to vote in the Texas primaries. If your parent is filling out an absentee ballot be sure you or someone you trust is helping them and not someone you don’t know even if the person seems like a sweet care giver. You can’t be too careful with voting.
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02.23.08
Posted in Assisted Living, Assisted Living Facilities, Assisted Living Safety, Caregiver, Depression, Elder Care, Elderly Care, Home Health Care, Nursing home, Nursing home alternative, Taking Care of a Loved One, Texas Elderly Care Services, Uncategorized, medication at 4:05 pm by admin
Staff members, even when there is a good ratio of staff and residents, can get overwhelmed with their jobs. If you are a care worker communicate with your coworkers and employer any concerns you might have with your job. Also encourage other care workers that work along side of you. It’s not a one man show. Communication doesn’t just mean complaints or demands. Comunicate with your coworkers when there is a shift change. When you come in to work ask if there are any new duties (i.e. Mr. Williams doctor prescribed him some new medication that he needs to be reminded of before he goes to bed, or Ms. Johnson had a fall and needs her dinner brought to her room). When leaving your shift make sure you don’t leave a job half done and make the next shift aware of any changes. Always look into someone’s eyes when he/she is speaking and repeat back what has been communicated so that it is understood. If we would communicate, work together and everyone do their part there would be a lower turn over in care staff.
If a fellow care worker calls in sick do not become angry and wonder if he/she is faking but at the same time voice to your employer that you can’t always “pick up the slack”. There should be a call-in care worker for such cases. There is no reason that you should have to continue to work double shifts. There may be emergency cases that you will have to work a double shift. On the other hand if you are sick you should give as much notice as possible to your employer. Do not come to work as a care attendant/CNA sick. You cannot be caring for the elderly that have low immune systems when you are contageous.
Be honest and encouraging to your co-workers.
“his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.”
-I Corinthians 3:13
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01.08.08
Posted in Assisted Living, Assisted Living Facilities, Dialysis Assisted Living at 7:04 pm by admin
Waterford Dialysis Center and Assisted Living
Waterford, a new assisted living facility is opening up in Tyler. It advertises to have a high staff to resident ratio. The staff at Waterford’s goal is to provide “care and guidance that is mandatory to enhancing the quality of life for each resident and their continued independence. Our staff addresses the individual restorative and rehabilitation needs of each resident. A complete range of physical, occupational, and speech therapy service are offered to bring out each person’s full potential.” It is said that it is a one of a kind for East Texas because it has an on-site 20 unit dialysis center. The facility will have different levels of care. All care packages will include:
Cable Television
24-Hour Nursing Staff
Scheduled Transportation
Beauty/Barber Shop Services
Complementary Internet Service
Housekeeping/Laundry Services
Voice-to-Voice Emergency Call System
Exciting Recreational, Social and Planned Activities
Selective Menus under the direction of a Registered Dietitian
The enhanced assisted living package will include:
Medication Administration
Light or Early Alzheimer’s patient care
Assistance with incontinence difficulties
Individual restorative and rehabilitation needs
Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy Services
Assistance with Long or Short-Term memory impairment
Assistance in Daily Activities such as bathing, dressing, hygiene, hair care and makeup
The Skilled Nursing Services package(which offers the maximum level of care for those requiring extensive treatment, observation, and/or rehabilitation) includes:
Long Term Care Residence
24-Hour Skilled Nursing Services
In-Room Therapeutic Recreation
Special Diets as prescribed by resident’s physicians
In house REHAB EXPRESS unit offering Physical, Speech, Occupational and respiratory Therapies
“Awakenings” Program: Assist in long-term memory recognition/recall
Care Provided under the direction of Physicians and Registered Nurses
The respite care package (short term) includes:
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Scheduled Transportation
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Three Homemade Meals Daily
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Fully Furnished Private Suite
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Medication Reminders as needed
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Beauty/Barber Shop Services
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Housekeeping and Laundry Services
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Exciting Recreational, Social and Planned Activities
- Personal Assistance with Bathing, Dressing and Hygiene
Some special services that Waterford will provide include:
The Waterford in Tyler is being built at a fast pace. It is located off of Shiloh Road. Plans are that the facility will be opened this Spring of 2008.
Here are a few pictures of the Waterford in Texarkana:
Here are a few pictures of the one being built in Tyler:
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08.22.07
Posted in Assisted Living, Assisted Living Facilities, Assisted Living Referral Service, Atria Willow Park at 3:36 am by admin
Nationwide ad campaign exposing Atria
A nationwide ad campaign has been published and is now in several states throughout the nation. The problem with Atria has to do with their corporate policies to save money. Sure they add needed profit to the bottom line as does every business but they take from the elderly needs rather then luxuries.
Here are a number of Atria Willow Parks failings
Here are a few of the problems brought down to each and every Atria to lower level management from the top:
Insufficient staffing
Dangerous medication errors
Residents who have wandered away (one has died because of this in another Atria facility)
Bad food and inadequate food choices
Inadequate response to emergencies
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08.20.07
Posted in Assisted Living Facilities, Atria Willow Park, Azalea Trails, Texas Elderly Care Services at 12:19 pm by admin
These are type B Assisted Living Facilities in the Tyler Texas area.
You may click on a link below to read about each facilities complaints and substantiated complaints as well as the details on these complaints.
This is the only type A Assisted Living facility in Tyler Texas at this time
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08.17.07
Posted in Assisted Living, Assisted Living Facilities, Assisted Living Referral Service, Azalea Trails, Elder Care, Elderly Care at 4:29 pm by admin
Timber Springs Retirement Community
Timber Springs Retirement Community in Nacogdoches Texas is ending their pre-construction pricing October 1st 2007. The retirement community is a very large facility and offers a large pond, plenty of parking and spacious rooms. Having apartments with others your same age is a nice thing when your entering retirement. Activities and other similar hobbies will be planned on a regular basis to keep the retirement community active and alive.
Nacogdoches Retirement Community
If you have family in Nacogdoches you will find this retirement community to be well suited for you. For those who need additional care that an assisted living community can provide I would recommend moving into Azalea Trails in Tyler Texas. They concentrate on a large resident to care fiver ratio with a smaller facility in order to concentrate on true quality elder care. The facility has just been built and is very spacious and beautiful. Several residents moved out of other assisted living facilities to come to this one as it offers the most quality care available for an assisted living in Texas.
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