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Nursing Homes Don’t Have to be the Answer

Rose Traub • November 12, 2020

Are You Waiting Too Long for Assisted Living?

How do you know if you’re waiting too long to go into assisted living?

A time comes when it is too late.

People are waiting until they are so ill, the only solution they have is a nursing home.

There is no reason to go to a nursing home unless you have a machine or mechanical device needed to keep you alive ( An oxygen machine is not in that category ).

It does not have to be that way. Assisted living communities are the new nursing homes.

Assisted living regulations are very clear, you must be able to stand and pivot (with/without) assistance from a seat to a chair in order to be accepted in an assisted living community.
Assisted livings have different levels of licensure.

  • Standard
  • LNS (Limited Nursing Service)
  • ECC (Extended Congregate Care)
  • LMH (Limited Mental Health)
    Some offer 24-hour nursing care and some specialize in Memory Care. Most offer to age in place.

So what do these license levels mean?

Standard licensure :

offers basic assistance from medication management to assistance with dressing, bathing, and toileting.

They offer meals, transportation, and activities. Most offer apartment life-style living with services.

They are not required to have a nurse on staff.

LNS licensure :

Offers all of the same as the standard licensure, but they do have a nurse on staff or on call.
ECC Licensure:

Allows additional nursing services and total assistance with personal care services.

Your loved one may have a higher impairment level, which requires more needed assistance. Nursing is on the premises 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

LMH Licensure :

The facility administrator and staff of the facility who are in direct contact with mental health residents must complete specific training to deal with mental health residents.

All licenses can order home health for residents with a doctor’s order. Home health offers physical therapy, occupational therapy, and skilled nursing, but it must be ordered by a doctor!!

Hospice :

All residents, if accepted by hospice, can age in place with hospice care within the community they live.

Hospice does not mean end-of-life like the stigma it has been given anymore. Hospice can provide the equipment, supplies, and any additional services the assisted living community is unable to furnish. They also offer palliative care.

Back to the question: How do you know if you’ve waited too long to go into assisted living?

You really don’t until it’s too late, but with proper guidance, you can find an assisted living that can provide quality care in a home-like environment that offers your loved one and your family peace of mind.

You need to make a plan and work with a qualified senior advisor to assist you in finding the right forever home for your loved one.

We all think that caring for our loved one means that we have to physically care for them.

Not true!

Giving them a place with qualified trained caregivers and socialization with people their age is caring for them and allowing you to be their family or friend again.

Don’t let guilt rule your decisions.

Allow smart advice and caring people to guide you to give your family member the best journey of their lives.

As we all know each and every part leads us to the next best part of our lives for the time left of our lives, or the “Time of our Lives”.

If you need help or encouragement as a Caregiver give us a call at  386-847-2322  or check out our  Caregiver Support Group. Our  Senior Advisors  are here to walk with you through this journey.

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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