ElderAuthority.com

RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES MEET INDIVIDUAL NEEDS

Retirement communities are for retirement age people who cannot or no longer wish to live in a single family residence.  Most communities are expensive. Some are more affordable than others.  Look for non-profit facilities or communities that offer rental housing if your budget is tight.
Communities differ in the amount of on-site assistance and care provided.  Three types of retirement communities are:

Active (on site medical care not required)
Active and Supportive… More

“GREEN HOUSE” ELDER CARE HOME? YES, PLEASE!

 
RETHINKING ELDER CARE HOMES
Nursing homes often fell like hospitals, with a central nurses’ station, tile floors, institutional food, and long hallways to shared patients’ rooms.  The processes of a nursing home are designed around staff efficiency.
The Green Houses look and feel nothing like that.  They are designed around comfort and concern for the residents.  The homes were developed by Dr. William Thomas, an upstate New York geriatrician. … More

COMPARE RATINGS FOR SKILLED NURSING

NURSING HOME OVERSIGHT
When you look for a nursing home make sure you read the State and Federal Government Reports.  All nursing homes in the United States that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding are subject to federal regulations.  Surveyors may inspect for compliance with State regulations and/or Medicare and Medicaid regulations.
Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) are subject to federal regulations as well as strict state regulations. The nursing home industry… More

CHOOSING A SKILLED NURSING FACILITY

A skilled nursing facility provides around-the-clock registered nurses for people who cannot take care of  themselves due to physical, emotional, or mental problems.
This video is an unbiased tutorial on how to select a skilled nursing facility.  A check list of steps to take when choosing a nursing home is provided:

Visit, Observe, and Ask Questions
Check Ratio of Nurses to Residents
What is Staff Tenure and Turnover?
Are Physicians Full Time or Part Time?
Where is the Nearest… More

NURSING HOME COMPARE: FOR-PROFIT VS NON-PROFIT

I like Anthony Song’s video blogs.  They are thoughtful, unbiased, and always invite discussion and the development of better ideas.
In this video he compares not-for profit nursing homes with for-profit nursing homes.  While he does not come up with a definitive answer, he does provide solid research findings.  He also raises issues such as “mission vs margin”, staffing, and salaries.
Mr. Song says, “The industry needs to create a culture… More

NURSING HOMES: MAKING DECISIONS

There is a lot of useful, unbiased information in this video interview with Dr. Robert Weech-Maldonado, professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Health Services Administration.  He focuses on decision-making when it is time for a person to move to an assisted living facility and or a nursing home.
Editor’s Note: I disagree with “placing” a loved one in a nursing home.  It makes a human being sound like a vase or a sofa.  We need… More

WHEN A CONTINUUM OF CARE CONTRACT BREAKS

This week, I was shocked to hear that the assisted living facility at Buckner Retirement Village in Dallas, TX, would be closing on December 1, 2011.  I have no relatives living there, but having shepherded both parents through assisted living, I understand how this announcement shakes the world of residents, their families, and staff.
WHY A CONTINUUM OF CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY?
An older person enters the continuum of care as the physical limitations of aging demand additional… More

Senior Housing: When One Spouse Must Move

Reading Time: 4-5 minutes
I just finished reading an interesting discussion about CCRC’s (continuing care retirement communities), on my favorite other blog, The New Old Age .  I did comment on that blog, but think I need to write an entire post on the subject.
CCRC’s allow people to move from independent living to assisted living, to skilled nursing within the same complex.  In my experience there are two big advantages to CCRC’s.
1. You will know… More