Best Ways to Care for an Aging Loved One from a Distance

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It is a difficult time for parents when the children are no longer there. Especially, due to the progression of age, when elderly parents require special attention.

Distance is a troublesome factor when you have to care for an aging loved one. That is why it is important to prepare in advance to be able to deal with situations like this.

Fortunately, there are numerous solutions which overcome the barrier of distance and will help you maintain frequent contact with your loved ones.

Communication Is Key

We live in an age of continuously developing technology and advancements in communication are made as we speak.

Being far away from home is no longer a reason to break contact with relatives or have a distant relationship with the parents.

Smartphones are instrumental in helping us care for an aging loved one. They are devices elders can easily learn to use and offer the possibility to call whenever the situation needs or give the ability to access social media.

With the power to exchange photos and messages, numerous social media platforms offer the possibility to remain updated with your family member’s activity.

Technology as a Virtual Assistant

Keeping in tune with the ease-of-use of smartphones, many companies have developed a technology which is aimed at improving the quality of our livelihood.

Many of these devices are ideal for seniors who may experience increasing difficulties in dealing with daily chores. For example, smart home technology automates the climate, lighting and security around the house without the elder having to make considerable efforts.

Also, some other devices are created specifically to deal with emergency situations. Fall detectors offer the possibility for the elder to send a distress signal for help.

Also, unlike previous times, with advancements in transportation, distance becomes just a nuisance. While not often, you can still visit your family members even if they live across the state.

It goes without saying your presence at home makes it easier to care for an aging loved one.

care for an aging loved one

Let the Experts Care for an Aging Loved One

If the distance between you and your loved ones proves itself to be a great inconvenience, then it’s time to get a Aging Life Care Manager involved.

In this case, the best idea would be to employ the assistance of experts. These can range from a wide variety of services, which can consist of:

  • Education with a focus on prevention. To identify what risks the elder is exposed to.
  • Professional advice. Recommendations on how to keep safe and improve the elder’s quality of life.
  • Supervision offered by qualified personnel. Ranging from home nurses or caregivers who assist the elder.
  • High alert in the event of a crisis. Our aging life care managers are there for emergency intervention in case of accidents.
  • Financial and legal planning. Helping the family deal with the paperwork in an end of life scenario. This may involve the services of liquidators, attorneys or accountants.

Distance Is No Longer a Reason Not to Care

With so many ways to maintain contact and provide care, nowadays, you no longer have any reasons to feel guilty about not being permanently on your loved one’s side.

If you require further assistance, contact us or call 727-443-2273. Advanced Senior Solution’s team members are here to help!

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The Benefits of Hiring an Aging Life Care Professional

aging life care professional

An Aging Life Care Professional, sometimes referred to as a geriatric care manager, is someone who is trained and certified to provide guidance on a number of aspects of senior care.  He or she typically has a degree or certification in a field related to the care of the elderly, as well as experience working in positions to support them and their families.  Aging Life Care Professionals can provide options regarding medical, housing, and financial needs that the average person might not be aware of.  They also have experience coordinating between these different aspects of life to ensure the aging parent is cared for as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Dealing with the needs of elderly parents can be challenging.  In addition to being stressful and often emotionally difficult, tending to the various facets of their lives like finances, housing, and insurance can be complicated and frustrating.  Also, an adult child’s day-to-day life does not stop simply because a parent needs care.  Children, spouses, and jobs all continue to need attention, so the extra responsibility can easily become overwhelming.  To navigate this new and likely unfamiliar territory successfully, it can be very helpful to hire an Aging Life Care Professional.

Most of the time, taking over decision-making and being responsible for the care of a parent is not something an adult child has had to do before.   It can happen quickly, precipitated by a health emergency or other critical incident, which makes it obvious the parent can no longer manage on his or her own.  When this happens, the adult child may not know how to find the right resources to help the parent.  He or she might make quick decisions that are not in the parent’s best interests due to stress, fear, or just a lack of information.  The experience of an Aging Life Care Professional can make the transition much smoother and lead to a better outcome.

Taking on the role of caregiver to a parent is typically an emotional time for adult children.  The switch from being the child who was cared for by the parent to a reversed role can be sad and frustrating.  Coordinating care among multiple siblings can make this even more challenging, especially if the family dynamics are not positive.  Sometimes the parents are resistant to giving up control, even though it’s no longer possible for them to care for themselves.  In situations like these, tension and hostility can make it hard to make the right decisions for the parent.  In these cases, an Aging Life Care Professional can serve as an impartial third party to provide unbiased advice on the right course to choose.

Another challenge that adult children often face is geographical restriction.  While many tasks can be handled via phone or e-mail, some must be handled in person. However, elderly parents may not live close enough that their children can always be physically present to attend doctor’s visits or meetings with care facilities.  An Aging Life Care Professional can be a vital ally in cases like these, standing in for the adult children and advocating for the parent when needed.  

The prospect of coordinating care for an aging parent can be stressful, scary, and overwhelming.  For many adult children, handling every aspect of this change alone is not feasible. Hiring an Aging Life Care Professional to serve as a guide and advocate can lead to better results for everyone in the family.

To reach one of our Advanced Senior Solution’s team members, Contact Us Here  or call 727-443-2273. We’re here to help you.

Aiding Aging Parents

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Aging parents

Aiding Aging Parents

4 tips to help overcome new challenges

(Family Features) It’s not easy getting old, as the saying goes, and it can be even harder to watch your parents age. Helping parents transition into the later years of their lives can be a delicate matter, but there are ways to help them ease into an elderly stage and cope better with challenges.

Carol Lavin Bernick, former executive chairman of Alberto Culver, navigated this type of life transition with her parents. In her book, “Gather As You Go: Lessons Learned Along the Way,”Bernick offers tips to give and get joy while preserving your parents’ dignity in addition to wisdoms on business and leadership, philanthropy, dealing with tough times and being a working mom.

For example, consider these tips and ways to aid aging parents:

Provide Entertainment

Music can be a helpful gift – try loading a music player with a playlist of your parents’ favorite songs. Old movies can also spark conversation. Host a luncheon for some of their best friends and make their favorite treats. They may be housebound, but there are still ways for them to interact.

Adjust to Physical Changes

Reading materials could require larger-than-normal print, and a magnifying clip-on screen for a computer can be helpful as well. Serving foods that are easier to cut can make eating a simpler process. Keep an eye on weight and nutrition and try to find someone who will make a house call for haircuts.

Relive Memories

Encourage older relatives to write (or dictate) their thoughts on financial tips, military service, business success, valued life lessons and, of course, the stories of how they met their spouses. Make a family tree together and try creating a photobook with old and new pictures. Share news about family members’ relationships and accomplishments, which might bring back personal memories.

Consider the Little Things

Surprise your parents with a few new pieces of clothing for a thoughtful gift. Laminate a list of their medications and their doctors to keep with you in case of emergency and provide a copy to your parents and any other caregivers. Create a contact list on your parents’ mobile phone to help them easily reach family and friends without needing to search. If there are young children in the family, try bringing them by for a visit – their energy and smiles may help brighten the room.

Find more tips to assist aging relatives at gatherasyougo.com.

What is Aging Life Care Management?

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Aging Life Care Management , also known as “elder care management”, senior health care management” and “professional care management,” is the process of planning and coordinating care of the elderly and others with physical and/or mental impairments to meet their long term care needs, improve their quality of life, and maintain their independence for as long as possible.
It entails working with people of old age and their families in managing, rendering, and referring various types of health and social care services. Geriatric care managers accomplish this by combining a working knowledge of health and psychology, human development, family dynamics, public and private resources and funding sources, while advocating for their clients throughout
the continuum of care. For example, they may assist families of older adults and others with chronic needs such as those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia.
 
Overview
Aging Life Care Management integrates both health care and psychological care with other needed services such as housing, home care services, nutritional services, assistance with activities of daily living, socialization programs, as well as financial and legal planning (ex. banking, trusts). A care plan made for specific circumstances is prepared after an individual assessment, and is continuously monitored and modified as needed.
 
 
Aging life Care Managers
Aging Life care managers typically have prior training in nursing, social work, gerontology or other health service areas. They are expected to have extensive knowledge about the costs, quality, and availability of services in their communities. In some countries and jurisdictions, they may obtain certification from various professional associations, such as the National Association of Professional Aging Life Care Managers in the United States. Professional care managers help individuals, families and other caregivers adjust and cope with the challenges of aging or disability by.
1. Conducting care-planning assessments to identify needs, problems and eligibility for assistance.
2. Screening, arranging, and monitoring in-home help and other services.
3. Reviewing financial, legal, or medical issue
4. Offering referrals to specialists to avoid future problems and to conserve assets.
5. Providing crisis intervention.
6. Acting as a liaison to families at a distance.
7.  Making sure things are going well and alerting families of any issues.
8.  Assisting with moving their clients to or from a retirement complex, assisted living facility, rehabilitation facility or nursing home.
9.  Providing client and family education and advocacy.
10. Offering counseling and support.

Hiring a Aging Life Care Expert

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Aging life care expert

Caring for an elderly loved one can be quite a daunting task, particularly if you live far away or have other competing responsibilities, like work or a young family. There are thousands of people in this situation. The media refers to some as the Sandwich Generation, caught between two generations of family that need them. If you are in this predicament, there are professionals available to help you make the important decisions and arrange for the care of your loved one. There are doctors, social workers and a relatively new breed of professionals, Aging Life Care Expert. Selecting the best solution for your loved one is critical and selecting the right Care Manager can help achieve that goal.

What is a Aging Life Care Professional? 

An Aging Life Care Professional is an individual who specializes in helping families who are caring for older relatives. These professionals are often trained in other fields like nursing, gerontology, social work, psychology or a more business oriented field, like finances. They apply this background knowledge to issues related to aging and caring for the elderly.

Most professionals have been working in the field for several years. They often have knowledge of and access to services that most individuals don’t know exist. Additionally, they may know of financial benefits, government funds or low-cost services that your loved one qualifies for.
 
What services do they offer?
  • Aging Life Care Management usually includes the following:
  •  Assessment of the individual.
  •  Developing a personalized care plan.
  •  Arranging for services.
  •  Monitoring care. Life Care Managers can be hired for a single task, such as arranging a particular service, or they can take on a long term responsibility. For example, an Aging Life Care Manager can oversee the care-giving process for a long-distance caregiver and, since the Aging Life Care Manager is local to the loved one, be available in the event of an emergency. Many professionals also offer customers a financial assessment with regard to care-giving, including finding potential money wasters such as duplication of services.
 
Why hire a Aging Life Care Manager?
 
Identified below are some benefits that may help you determine if you need to hire a Aging Life Care Manager:
  • You are new to elder care and need advice and guidance.
  • You are a long distance caregiver and would like someone close to your loved one that you can count on 24/7.
  • Your other responsibilities make it too difficult to provide the desired level of care and attention to your loved one’s needs.
  • The issues that you or your loved ones are facing are becoming larger and more complex than you can comfortably manage.
  • You have trouble dealing with a family member (whether it is the patient or another relative) and need an unbiased intermediary.
  •  
How do you find an Aging Life Care Professional in your area?
 
There are a few ways to find a reliable manager:
  • Referral: Absolutely the best way to find a good professional. Seek out the advice of others that are in similar circumstances, ask a trusted local health professional or consult an elder law attorney.
  • Government resources or organization websites: 
  • Local agencies or hospitals may also provide a list of local professionals.

Trying to make the best decisions can be difficult for you and your aging loved one. Asking for help is a big step. There are many organizations and professionals that can help you. A Aging Life Care Professional is just one of your options.

To reach one of our Advanced Senior Solution’s team members, Contact Us Here  or call 727-443-2273. We’re here to help you.

aging life care florida

Independent Living and Assisted Living What’s the difference?

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What exactly is “Independent Living”? What is the difference between that and “Assisted Living”? What sounds like a simple question to those of us who work in the industry, may seem like a mass of confusion to those of you that are exploring these options for yourself or a loved one.

While there is plenty of support in most Independent Retirement Communities such as housekeep-ing, meals, transportation, and maintenance assistance, the minute the need increases to the point where “hands on” care is needed such as physical assistance with showers, dressing, grooming, or transferring, then Assisted Living would likely be needed.

Each Community provides a different “package” of services, even if their licenses are the same. Some offer Levels of Care where certain services are included within each level and that level comes with an additional fee above and beyond room and board (base fee). Other communities offer services associated with time involved, such as 1-5 hours a week is this much, 6-10 hours a week is that much and so on. With each increase in increment of time, additional fees are added above base fee.

Ask for any additional costs such as transportation fees, utilities, laundry service or other services that may not be included in base fee. Do they have a physician that makes rounds in the building? Do they offer other mobile services such as eye doctor, podiatry, home care services, and more.

As you search for the right fit, comparing apples to apples can be a challenge. Just remember to keep it simple. Start with the basics then compare and contrast. Most importantly trust your instincts. How does each community “feel”? Talk to residents as you pass in the halls and ask how they like living there.

Remember, this information is more important than the bricks and mortar. A beautiful building does not always make a good home! Also remember, if you’re touring on behalf of a loved one, keep in mind their likes and dislikes, not what you would like if it were you moving in.

When should we hire a Aging Life Care Manager?

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·      When there’s no local support system in place or family lives too far away to assist regularly.
·      Family members are unable to determine needs, agree on options, arrange for or oversee care.
·      If the burden of providing care is threatening the health of the spouse or primary caregiver.
·      When placement in a facility is necessary and your not sure what fits both care needs and budget.
·      Your loved one displays inappropriate behavior, uses poor judgment or may be easily victimized.
If you’re experiencing any of these or other concerns, call Advanced Senior Solutions. 727-443-2273 www.advsrs.com

Not All Aging Life Care Managers Are Created Equal

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Aging Life Care Management is a rapidly developing, newly recognized profession which helps families adjust and cope with the challenges of an aging loved one.

Aging Life  Care Manager’s  are health advocates for seniors and disabled adults. Managers  provide needs assessments, screening, arranging, and monitoring in-home help, counseling and support including family conflict mediation and crisis intervention. They assess the ability to remain safely in the home or whether the person may need to be relocated to an alternative residence. Determining appropriate living arrangements and necessary supportive assistance are among the many services they offer. Additionally, managers’s help to facilitate legal, financial, medical and end of life services.

Aging Life Care Managers become liaisons to families who are separated by long distances from their elderly loved ones making sure they are managing well,
and alerting them to any concerns or problems that may arise. Managers’s have extensive knowledge about the services and resources in their communities.

Aging Life  Care Managers hold Bachelor Degrees, Masters Degrees, or Doctorates in a human service related field such as Gerontology, Social Work, Psychology, or Nursing. As the aging
population continues to grow, the need for strict Aging Life Care standards is increasingly critical.

The National Association of Aging Life Care Managers recognizes the following credentials as exceeding the standard of expertise in being a Aging Life Care Manager;
CMC, CCM, A-CSW & C-SWCM. The certification exam to be a CMC is facilitated by the National Association of Certified Care Managers (NACCM). These certifications re-quire testing, ongoing continuing education and peer review in order to re-certify.

Because there are some individuals working either independently or for a different professional and who refer to themselves as “Care Managers”, it is important for the wise consumer to ask questions when considering hiring a PCM. Some of these questions include:

How much experience does Aging Life CareManager have in healthcare?

  • What are the credentials and education of the Aging Life Care Manager?
  • Are they Licensed, Bonded and Insured? Ask to see it
  • Are they a member of the National and State Associations of Aging Life C are Care Managers?
  • What types of services do they offer?
  • Can they provide references from clients/families?
  • What are the fees and costs for services? Do they offer a complimentary consultation?

When selecting either a Professional Care Management Agency or an Individual, the process should be comprehensive and cautious. The answers to your questions will assist you in
determining whether that particular Agency or Sole Proprietor has the qualifications important to you for a successful relationship.

Expectations of Aging Life Care Managers

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Assessment
A Aging Life Care Manager  must first evaluate and assess ones needs, including medical psychosocial, functional, living environment, legal and financial. All of these indicators are important to the welfare of the older or disabled person. The manager gains an understanding of their client with respect to their values, family dynamics, and expectations without bias.
Plan of Care
The manager develops an individualized plan of care which focuses on the areas of concern that is recognized during the assessment process.  A plan of action is agreed upon by both client and life care manager and then implemented.
Services are prioritized and arranged according to the action plan taking into consideration the client’s health, emotional and safety risk factors. Oversight of care can be set in place to continually monitor the plan of care for appropriateness and to make any necessary changes. A manager can get as little or as much involved as the client or family needs them to be. Some only prefer the initial assessment and care plan to be completed which offers them with enough direction while others prefer ongoing Care Management to stay proactively involved in the client’s care.
When is it time to call a Aging Life Care Manager?
A manager is called when the situation can no longer be taken care of by others involved. It could be that the family lives at a distance or the burden of care giving becomes too great for the spouse or loved one. Most of the time, the call comes from other professionals already involved with the client such as physicians, home care, bankers, or attorneys.
Flexibility and Cost Control
Aging Life Care Manager services are flexible as to where, when and the length of involvement. Clients are cared for at home, in retirement centers, assisted living or nursing homes. Managers also are asked to review charts and oversee ones care while in the hospital or skilled rehab. When there’s no local family willing or able to manage their loved ones care, the manager is usually involved on an ongoing basis. Aging Life Care Managers help manage the costs associated with health care by accurately matching services to needs, reduce overuse or duplication of services and work proactively to help avoid a costly crisis.
Trust

There can be different expectations from those involved pertaining to Care Management. It is the responsibility of the one hiring a care manager to verbalize their expectations and have an understanding with the care manager so a trusting relationship can be built. This relationship is vital for the Aging Life Care Manager to produce positive outcomes.