Karen Jeselun, RN, CCM returns on KXXT Radio Phoenix on 09/22/2011. Radio show “Your Long Term Care Show” with Ralph Norman and Michael Anastos to discuss some of the questions to ask when looking for a caregiver.

Click on the link below to play the audio clip:
Karen Jeselun returns on KXXT Radio Phoenix

How can you know that your elderly Mom is safe when she lives alone?

More than 3.3 million of us live an average of 480 miles from the loved one we care for.  This means that we come to visit for a few days, perhaps a week, and then get in our car or on a plane, and leave Mom alone once again.  Compounding that horrible feeling that we get in the pit of our stomach as we’re driving away or boarding our flight is the knowledge that

1) the potential for harm is great due to a fall or injury

2) there just is not enough money available to pay for caregiving assistance

3) Mom insists that she is fine and does not need help!

Does this sound familiar?

Mary Smith’s husband died 6 years ago, leaving her alone in her Sun City, Arizona home.  Their only child, Susan, lives in St. Louis, with her own family where she is a practicing attorney.  Susan and her husband flew in to visit her 86 year old Mom over the Thanksgiving holiday.  After spending six days together, it was time to leave.  It was especially hard for Susan this year as she knew that her Mom’s recovery from her hip fracture last spring had not gone very well. Compounding her physical limitations were noticeable memory lapses which were happening more and more frequently.

So back to St. Louis for Susan with a real heaviness in her heart.  What could she do when her Mom was so adamant that she be left alone?  How could she respect her Mom’s autonomy when she didn’t feel that her Mom was making the best decision?

The Care Manager specifically directed Susan toward sensors and monitors.  Susan felt that having a motion detector in her Mom’s living areas would be very helpful as Susan would be notified if events happened (or didn’t happen) outside of preset parameters.  In other words, if the motion detector did not detect any movement in the living room between 1-3pm when Mary typically watched her soap operas, Susan would be notified on her cell phone or via email.

Lastly, the Care Manager talked with Susan about getting an S911 bracelet for her Mom.  This technology provides several benefits for Susan and Mary:  if Mary falls, Susan is immediately notified;  if Mary is in distress, she can push one button to summon assistance; and, if Mary drives off past a preset boundary, Susan is notified of her exact location.

Susan is thrilled to learn of these options and feels that her Mom will be very receptive to all of these suggestions.  They meet all of the goals above – cost effective, unobtrusive, and give Susan the comfort knowing that her Mom is able to continue her independent lifestyle – safely.

Technology can help solve a myriad of concerns for older parents and their adult children, while keeping dignity, independence and financial resources intact.

To learn more about available options, please contact Karen Jeselun, RN, CCM, CSA at 1-888-880-6588 or kjeselun@villahomecare.com.

The face of home care is changing all around us.  Senior Home care has historically been very “people-intensive”, that is caregivers were the foundation of home care.  Having a caregiver come into the home meant that Mom or Dad could successfully stay there.  However times are very different today. 

We are finding that people are living a very long time.  It is not uncommon to see people living into the 100’s.  Who planned for that when they were looking at their retirement years?

We are also seeing that when folks did put money away into retirement savings, that money has since dwindled and now cannot support them as they age. 

The final trend now is older adults are financially supporting their children, assisting with mortgage payments, groceries or other expenses.

What is the answer?

As strange as it may seem, technology may be the answer!!!  It really can be a solution for those folks who are resistant to help in their home and are fairly independent.  Villa Home Care can offer a complimentary assessment to see if there are some sensors or monitors, or medication management systems that might be appropriate for the situation.  Technology is certainly less intrusive to an older person than a caregiver “hovering” over them – and provide the peace of mind to adult children knowing that their Mom or Dad is safe.

• Did you know that there is a pad that lies on the floor next to the bed?  When Mom gets up at night and steps on the pad, the hallway and bathroom lighting go on automatically?  When Mom doesn’t return to bed in a specified time, the daughter on the west coast will get a call alerting her to the fact that Mom may be having a problem or may have fallen?
• Did you know that there is a monitor that can be placed outside the front door, sending a picture of the person ringing the bell to that daughter?   She is then able to call Dad and let him know it is OK to let the person in – or not! 
• Did you know that there a medication dispensing systems that “lock” out a person so that only the medications due at that time are dispensed?  An audible reminder is given to the person to take their medications, and, if not, an email or phone call is made so that a Care Manager or family member can follow up with a phone call to the client to see if there is a problem.

And on and on.  The technology is incredible and increasing every day.  There are so many ways now to help an older adult stay in their home.  Caregivers may be the answer, or part of the answer.  But perhaps technology can help, too.  And preserve the dignity, independence and conserve financial resources of our loved ones!

Contact Villa Home Care to find out if technology can help your situation at 602-957-9300 or to schedule your complimentary assessment.

1. CHANGE IS HARD! Making recommendations to older adults who may have lived with safety hazards their whole life is not always well received. My parents are a perfect example. Recovering from hip surgery at age 89, my Mom’s Physical Therapist had suggested that the scatter rugs be removed from her pathways so that she could navigate safety with her walker. Of course, that could not be done because “those rugs have been there for 64 years”.

2. COMPROMISE MIGHT BE THE ANSWER! The rugs had to stay, but we were able to place double-sided sticky tape underneath to secure them to the floor. Think creatively!

3. SOMETIMES PEOPLE HAVE TO FAIL! OF course, we never want them to fail by getting injured. There really is a fine balance here. Allowing an older adult to make their own decisions, even those decisions we may not fully agree with, may be the only way to go. Time and time again, I have found that they will eventually arrive at that same conclusion we did– only this time it is their idea.

Recommendations:
Be patient.
Be innovative.
Be understanding.
Be there for them.