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Avoid These Mistakes

Rose Traub • February 21, 2019

Are you in the process of searching for an assisted living for yourself or a loved one?

When families and seniors select an assisted living community, it is life-altering. Making the wrong decision can be devastating to the senior.

Our Guiding Light For Seniors guide outlines what to do and what steps to take when researching senior living, but it is alsohelpful to know what not to do.

Choosing a community to match your tastes instead of your parent’s.

Keep your loved one involved in the decision process. Even if they cannot tour with you, be sure you are considering their personality and interests when choosing their future home.

Doing it alone.

When making a decision this big, it’s usually wise to gather multiple perspectives on your senior living options. Get feedback from as many people as possible: family and friends who have gone through the process, your loved one’s care team, a geriatric care manager and a  professioal senior advocate from Assisted Living Made Simple.

Obtaining the services of a senior advocate or advisor to help you navigate this journey will make your search easier and much less stressful. This kind of professional can help save you hours of time and stress by narrowing your choices to the places that meet your specific needs. We help families evaluate issues such as amenity preferences, care requirements as well as finances.

Choosing a Community Based on Price.

Sometimes families assume a community is right for their parent or senior loved one because it has a high price or lots of fancy features, only to later realize that this is not an indicator of quality care.  Luxury senior living does not necessarily mean quality senior care. A beautiful, modern and upscale facility is just as prone to oversights and errors as a community that looks a little dated. Quality of care is not something you can discern just by driving past a community. The professional senior advocates at Assisted Living Made Simple know the communities in their area and can make the best recommendations for your situation.

Making a decision too quickly.

The choice of an assisted living facility is overwhelming. Some families are so overwhelmed with the choice, that they don’t make a decision at all. On the flip side some families do the opposite. They rush to resolve a difficult situation quickly and grab the first thing available.

We recommend that families visit at least multiple communities before making a decision so that you are aware of all the options that are available. Take note of how communities differ from one another and what makes each community unique. Iin order to make a good choice, you need options.

Not reading the fine print.

Assisted living contracts are pretty straightforward, at least compared to other legal documents, but they still can contain confusing legalese or involve fees that aren’t completely apparent. Some families are caught unprepared by price increases that they would have been aware of had they reviewed their contract. Assisted Living Made Simple can help you navigate these sometimes confusing documents.

Different assisted living communities have different pricing structures. Some communities charge one fee for room and board and a separate fee for care. A community may charge one fee per month for the apartment and the meals, and an additional fee per month for personal care. Other communities charge individually for each service or they may rank the level of care that a resident needs on a scale, with care costs based on the level of care the nursing staff determines is needed. Some communities don’t charge a care fee at all, but instead, provide an all-inclusive pricing model whereby resident’s fees are not dependent on the care needed. If there is anything about the contract that concerns you, review it with an elder attorney.

Don’t go it alone. The Senior Advocates of Assisted Living Made Simple are here to help. Call us or stop by our office for more information. Our services are always free to the senior and their family.

Make Valentine’s Day Special for Seniors

By Donna Nichols • February 5, 2025
Valentine’s Day tends to zero in on romantic love, but what about our seniors? They too often get forgotten. We have some ways to make Valentine’s Day special for them too. Spend the day with your loved one. Spending quality time with a loved one is more important to a senior than anything else. There is no greater gift than time and please make sure you have enough, so you are not rushed. Do your elderly loved one have a favorite meal? Perhaps you can prepare it for them, or if they are able, you can prepare it together. How fun would that be for you both? Be sure to discuss the enjoyment it brought you while you are sharing the meal together. How about a game of name that love song? You could prepare a playlist of love songs from the generation and play them to see how many they get correct. Or, if you can sing, you can sing some for them and see if they can recollect them. Take some time for reminiscing, go through old photo albums, or ask about old times. Ask them about when you were young and what trouble you caused; this will give you all something to laugh (or cry) about. Has your loved one been cooped up all winter? Take them out for a nice lunch, or weather permitting, a picnic in the park. Go for coffee and a donut, then head out to see a movie. Make a “date” of it. Maybe your senior is into crafts. You can design special Valentine’s Day cards for other family members. This way your senior can express their love for them and send it to them in their own unique way. You can create other greeting cards as well. Bake some special treats together. Does your senior have some favorite cookies or cake? You could bake it together, or you can bake it for them. Then you can enjoy it after you have the meal you prepared together. Yummy, delicious!! You can watch some romantic movies together if they prefer to stay in the house or the weather isn’t so good. If they like to color, you can buy them some of those large coloring books and you can color together. Don’t forget the decorations and the flowers! Make the house or apartment as festive as possible. Even if they live in as assisted living community, you can still decorate their room to the nines! Make it as festive as possible! If you live in another state or can’t be close to your senior for Valentine’s Day, how about sending them a specially crafted care package. You can hand make some gifts, add some photos of family and friends, and send a personally recorded message. You can bake some homemade treats and incorporate some things that are of personal interest to them. This will show how much you care for them and make their Valentine’s Day extra special even if you can’t be with them.  There are so many ways to make Valentine’s Day special for seniors. Let’s not forget about them; make sure to show them they are so loved too!

February is National Heart Month

By Donna Nichols • February 4, 2025
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Hydration Tips for the Winter

By Donna Nichols • January 8, 2025
I’ve written many blogs about the importance of staying hydrated in the summer, but did you know it’s just as important to stay hydrated in the winter months? I’ve shared some important tips on how to stay hydrated in the winter and why. Cold, dry air can dehydrate you easily and quickly. Even if you don’t feel thirsty. Proper hydration can help regulate your body temperature, maintain healthy organ function, and prevent fatigue, dry skin, and headaches. In the colder months, you do not feel thirsty, that’s why it’s so important to make sure you drink plenty of water. Why is winter hydration so important? Colder air tends to be drier causing moisture to evaporate through your breathing which can cause dehydration. In colder weather, you may not feel as thirsty, causing you to become dehydrated quickly. Also, wearing more clothing traps sweat inside your clothing causing more fluid loss. What are some of the benefits of staying hydrated in the winter? • Drinking enough water helps keep your skin hydrated and prevents dryness. This will help with that dry, itchy skin feeling we all get in the winter. • Water helps your body maintain a regular core temperature. Which is so important to maintain in the winter. • Drinking plenty of water supports your immune system, which helps fight off winter colds and the flu. We all want to fight those germs off! • When you are dehydrated, you become tired easily, so drinking plenty of water helps keep your energy levels up. How do you stay hydrated in the winter? • Make sure you drink plenty of water. Set reminders if you must; you probably won’t feel as thirsty in the winter, but you need to keep drinking that water! • You don’t have to drink cold water; room temperature water works. You can also drink tea or water with lemon, as long as you’re getting your water. • If you’re going out, carry a water bottle with you to ensure you have water to drink. • Eat fruits and vegetables that contain water. Tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, watermelon, cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumber, apples, and pineapple are just a few that contain high water contents. • If you think you’re dehydrated, check your urine; if it’s a darker color, that can suggest dehydration. Urine should be a pale, yellow color. As you can see, staying hydrated in the winter is just as important as staying hydrated in the summer, if not more. In the winter you don’t realize you are thirsty therefore you tend not to drink as much water as you should. This has the potential of wreaking havoc on your body. Please make sure you drink plenty of water in the wintertime as you do in the summertime. We have rebranded our company, we are now Assisted Senior Services! Call us for ANYTHING SENIOR!! 386-847-2322!
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