LIVE WELL AT HOME AWARE SENIOR CARE

VETERAN OWNED

Gina Murray RN, BSN and Tim Murray Founders Aware Senior Care 3/8/2018

Who said this?

“In the end, it’s not the years in you life that count. It’s the life in your years”

Abraham Lincoln

Definition of thrive

To progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances, to flourish

Growing older is not an option, how we live is!

How people choose to live and/or thrive is highly individual

Determine how you want to spend your days

Assess your home and your preferences

Assess your ability to care for self (ADLs and iADLs)

IF you needed help, who is already on your ‘team’? Who else may be needed? Where to look for help?

Consider

How do you want to spend your time?

1. People in your life- family, friends, social network

2. Activities – volunteering, work, church, recreation, hobbies

3. What brings you joy

4. Goals/Bucket list – avoid the “I wish I had…”

Consider

Where do you want to live? 1. Plan to stay in your current home?

You can maintain it physically and financially?

Is it suitable if you have mobility issue in the future?

Would renovations be easy/prohibitive?

2. Plan to move?

Stay in current area or choose a new location? Why, where?

What type- house, condo, apartment, in a senior community?

What housing options are available in that area?

How you handle the logistics of moving

Consider

Will I be able to continue to care for myself?

1. Can I currently manage my personal care and my household without help?

2. Am I too tired from my routine ‘tasks’ to do what I really enjoy?

3. Do I have a known medical conditions that will likely cause disability in future?

4. If I could no longer drive, what changes would I need to make?

5. Are there changes I can make now to improve my physical health?

6. Have I had a thorough physical within the past year including vision and hearing tests?

ADLs - Red Flags

Mobility- is help needed to move while in bed, to get out of bed or chair?

Dressing - are the clothes in need of repair/washing, misbuttoned, appropriate for the season, is help needed to remove clothes?

Bathing/Grooming - are showers/baths refused, hair uncombed/dirty, unshaven, bad breath?

Toileting – is help needed to use the toilet, are there soiled clothes/bed linens?

Walking – history of falls, forgetting to use a cane/walker, unsteady while walking?

Eating – unable to use knife to cut meat, eating soft foods only, stopped using utensils, needs to be fed?

iADLs - Red Flags

Finances - Are there overdue bills, even though there are sufficient funds?

Transportation - Have there been car accidents (even minor ones), are you uncomfortable as a passenger, do they get flustered with traffic?

Meals/nutrition - is there spoiled food, making poor choices for meals, are their clothes looking baggy, have you found burned pots on the stove?

Telephones - do they refuse to answer the phone or return voicemail messages, do the mechanics of the phone cause frustration ?

Household maintenance - is the house dangerously dirty/cluttered, yard overgrown, essential items missing or in excessive amounts?

Building your team - Questions

Determine duration and type of help needed

Duration

▫ Short term - Ex: Acute illness/injury or planned surgery

▫ Long term –Ex: Chronic neurological conditions, Stroke, Dementia

Type of Help

▫ Physical care- ADLs

▫ Household services - iADLs

▫ Transportation

▫ Ongoing supervision (safety reasons)

Build Your Team - Resources

1. Start with your MD for advice

2. Use resources your medical insurance will pay for- Home Health, Palliative Care, out patient therapies

3. Family and friends- what tasks are they willing/able to do, for how long?

4. Resources in the community –Go Raleigh transportation, TAP Unlimited, pharmacies that deliver, Personal finance assistant, Meal delivery services, Adult Day programs

5. Hire private caregivers- ask friends, clergy for recommendations

6. Hire a home care agency

Build Your Team - Community Resources

HOME CARE

Home Care

Build Your Team - The Circle of Support

Identify professional services you may need

Geriatric care advocates and managers – help manage the overall care plan

It takes a village!

www.awareseniorcare.com/what-is-the-circle-of-support

Action!

1. You have determined help is needed.

2. Document your top 3 top goals and discuss with your team.

3. Make sure everyone understands the goals and will work to achieve them

4. Designate one family member as the “go to” person- the communicator and final decision maker

5. Assure each team member needs to know their roles and how to communicate information. (Note: Aware has a web-portal for communication with families and providers to collaborate care and review their care plan)

6. Evaluate the plan and make adjustments if it’s not working. Never settle.

7. Achieve the life you envisioned

What is Home Care? Personal Care assistance

Household task assistance

Prepare list of meals, create a grocery list, grocery shop and meal preparation

Shopping, running errands, transportation

Light housekeeping and laundry/linen changes

Companionship with respect

Home Care Home Health

Client chooses when to start and stop services

Visits based on client’s needs

No requirement to be housebound

Payment: private pay, Long Term Care insurance, VA Aid and Attendance

Service providers- RN supervisor, CNAs, PCAs, companions

Physician’s order needed for service

Visits based on skilled need, usually an hour or less

Must be housebound

Payment: medical insurance including Medicare and Medicaid

Service providers- RN, PT, OT, ST, Social Worker, CNA

Partnership

How can we help? Call us (919) 436-1871

I think I need help. How can I know for sure? www.awareseniorcare.com/living-well-at-home-assessment

I want Home Care Services. How do I choose the best provider? www.awareseniorcare.com/blog-posts/questions-to-ask-choosing-a-home-care-agency

Education (Preparing for a Doctor’s Visit, Medication Management, Falls Prevention, Scam protection)

Help from our circle of support www.awareseniorcare.com/what-is-the-circle-of-support

Final thoughts

Take an honest look at your life

Be proactive with support - help avoid a crisis

Practice healthy habits and stay active

Identify what is important to you

Build a team

Don’t just survive - Thrive!

Thank You From Aware Senior Care!

Small Business of the Year 2017

Thank You!

What we do? Aware Senior Care provides award-

winning, in-home companion care, personal care and nursing services to seniors and those who are disabled or chronically ill. We are a veteran-owned business serving Wake County, and we believe in taking a holistic approach with every client by considering the whole person, not just the services we can provide.

▪ We are dedicated to educating the public about the resources available in the community. Our Circle of Support.

Licensed Home Care Private hire Home Care Licensed and regulated by State

and carries liability insurance

Background checks, drug testing

RN with client/family creates the plan of care, reassesses at least every 90 days

RN supervises staff, assures competent care

RN supervisor available whenever caregiver is in a home

Provides coverage – when caregiver unable to make the visit

Costs is usually less

Client/family to determine services- create plan of care

No oversight to assure competent care

Liability risk if client or caregiver is injured in your home

www.NCOffender.com – provides public records

Who will care for client if caregiver doesn’t show up?

Caregivers