HOW TO NEGOTIATE WITH ASSISTED LIVING FACILTIES

Change can be daunting at any age, but for seniors, adjusting to a new living environment can be particularly challenging. Whether moving into a retirement community, downsizing to a smaller home, or transitioning to an assisted living facility, the process can evoke a range of emotions and concerns. As caregivers, family members, or friends, it's important to recognize our responsibility to provide support and guidance during this transition period. Here are some valuable tips on how to help a senior adjust to a new living environment.Start with Open Communication: Before the move, engage in open and honest conversations with the senior about their feelings, fears, and expectations regarding the transition. Listen attentively to their concerns and validate their emotions. Reassure them that their feelings are normal and offer your support whenever possible.Familiarize Them with the New Environment: Visit the new living environment together before the move, if possible. Explore the surrounding neighborhood, and introduce them to staff members and fellow residents. Familiarizing them with their new surroundings can alleviate anxiety and make the transition feel less overwhelming.Personalize Their Space: Help personalize their new living space to make it feel more like home. Bring familiar items such as family photos, a favorite comforter, and cherished mementos to decorate their room or apartment. Creating a comfortable and familiar environment can provide a sense of security and belonging.Establish a Routine: Create a sense of normalcy by establishing a daily routine. Consistency and structure can help reduce feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. Set regular meal times, exercise sessions, and leisure activities to provide stability and promote a sense of control over their environment.Encourage Socialization: Gently urge participation in social activities and engagement with other residents or neighbors. Building connections and forming friendships within the community can combat feelings of loneliness and isolation. Attend group events, classes, or outings together to facilitate social interactions and foster a sense of belonging.Provide Emotional Support: Be patient and empathetic as your loved one navigates the challenges of adjusting to their new living environment. Offer emotional support and encouragement, and remind them that it's okay to feel unsettled or homesick initially. Validate their emotions; do not try to talk them out of their feelings.  Reassure them that they are not alone in this transition.Seek Professional Assistance: Professional assistance from a counselor, therapist, or support group specializing in senior transitions can be a helpful resource if coping with the transition becomes too much of a struggle. Professional guidance can often facilitate a smoother adjustment process in new surroundings.Senior Care Authoritys Peace of Mind Program: Our Peace of Mind program eases the stress of the move-in by providing extra support, verifying post-move-in needs and wants, and helps set realistic expectations between the resident, family, and staff. Our Peace of Mind program offers: Weekly visits to your loved one, an engaging activity, guided by family input, communication with care home, senior living community, medical providers, or others on your behalf,  Our experts can provide an extra set of eyes on your loved one. Simply put, we are able to be there when you cannot.Helping an older adult adjust to a new living environment requires compassion and understanding. Remember to be patient, stay involved, and practice self-care along the way. With support and guidance, you can help someone can embrace their new living environment and thrive in this next chapter of their journey. Senior Care Authority experts are here to help. You dont have to do this alone.

Naples, Fla. (Sept. 24, 2024) - Healthcare Network is in-network for Blue Cross/Blue Shields Florida Blue insurance plan, offering an option for care to residents who may be impacted by stalled negotiations between the insurer and NCH over insurance reimbursements. The lack of an agreement between NCH and the insurer by the end of September could cause patients to pay higher out-of-network prices for NCH services.Were concerned about the well-being of the community and want to make sure everyone is informed that there are places they can go for care, said Jamie Ulmer, CEO of Healthcare Network. Since 1977, we have worked to support the communitys primary care needs, striving for a community where every person has access to appropriate health care.Services offered at multiple locations in Collier County include primary care for all ages, behavioral health care, dental care, pharmacy and addiction treatment. Telehealth is also available to patients.Blue Cross/Blue Shield and most commercial health insurers are accepted by Healthcare Network. The nonprofit, Federally Qualified Healthcare Center also offers a sliding fee program based on income and family size. For information on services, locations and to make an appointment, visit healthcareswfl.org or call 239-658-3000.About Healthcare Network Since 1977, Healthcare Network has distinguished itself by providing primary health care to men, women and children of all ages, helping the disenfranchised, underinsured, and uninsured of our communities, as well as those with insurance and resources who recognize the quality and comprehensiveness of care available. The organization has grown from two small trailers in Immokalee to a network of providers located throughout Collier County. Primary health care services include family care, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, senior care, dental care and pharmacy as well as integrated and traditional behavioral health for both adults and children. Additionally, the organizations community health workers bring health and social services directly to underserved families. For more information, visit HealthcareSWFL.org, or to schedule an appointment, please call 239-658-3000.

What We Dont Know We Dont Know in Health Care: September 24, 2024 -Oral Care, Monitored Meals, and Aspiration PneumoniaProper oral care is crucial for maintaining optimal health. Keeping the mouth clean not only helps maintain the protective properties of saliva but also reduces bacteria in the mouth which can be a source of infection in aspiration pneumonia. In addition, monitoring meals and assisting with feeding for those at high risk for aspiration is also a necessity. The process of swallowing involves dozens of muscles that start in the mouth and include the pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. These muscles can become weakened with age and from various, often age-related diseases.  The aging population is especially at risk for aspiration pneumonia due to comorbidities, frailty, and conditions that can impair swallowing.  As a result, aspiration pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death from infection in individuals over the age of 65. One study shows that 1 in 10 deaths from pneumonia in elderly nursing home residents may be prevented by improving oral hygiene (Sjogren et al., 2008). Unfortunately, proper oral care and monitoring of meals is often overlooked in the health care setting.  Perhaps the greatest reason for this is the challenge that almost every health facility faces today: adequate staffing. When I started working in acute care as an RN over 20 years ago, nursing assistants (these are the staff generally responsible for proving oral care in an acute care setting) were typically responsible for 5-7 patients. Nurses had 3-5 patients (this was on a step down cardiac unit). Between the nurse and the assistant, we were able to provide oral care at every meal and offer one-on-one assistance to any patient that was at risk for aspiration. This is no longer the case.  RNs oftentimes look after upwards of 8 patients, and there is generally either no nursing assistant on the floor or only 1 for a patient load that can exceed 20.  Consequently, proper oral care is neglected.  I have often seen patients that are aspirating during meals, but do not have adequate staffing on hand to provide them with the supervision and monitoring that they need. This presents a hazardous catch-22: the aging individual needs to eat to maintain nutritional needs yet he/she needs assistance with eating to prevent aspirating pneumonia.   How can this be remedied? If the family is present, they can provide oral care and meal monitoring. If meal monitoring is required for an at-risk individual, its recommended to touch base with the health care team to inquire as to what the specific aspiration precautions are (every individual may have a different need and/or recommendation). A care companion can also be hired to provide the needed care. I hired a companion for my father when he was in a skilled nursing facility. He was not getting his teeth brushed or flossed regularly, and I was seeing a decline in his dentition. Having this extra support provided him with much needed assistance and the care companion had the added benefit of encouraging him to eat more at every meal, something that was a bonus as he was not meeting his nutrient needs. Touching base with staff to request that oral care and meal monitoring be done can also be helpful. Having an advocate to ensure necessary care is getting done can also be very effective in the health care setting.  What is proper oral care and effective meal monitoring?  Proper oral care includes brushing the teeth for at least 1 minute after every meal. It also includes using a soft bristle brush, fluoride toothpaste, flossing daily. A final component of oral care that is often not discussed is denture care. Dentures should be cleaned at least once per day and removed at bedtime. Removing them prior to sleeping can greatly reduce the risk of pneumonia (Iinuma et al. 2014). Effective meal monitoring includes adequate supervision during mealtime for those at risk of aspiration. Such supervision includes ensuring the individual is properly positioned for a meal (head of bed as high as can be tolerated and supine position), takes small bites, eats slowly, swallows a couple times in between each bite, and intermittently takes a sip of liquid to clear the mouth of food particles. The use of straws is generally not recommended for an individual at risk for aspiration as it propels the food to the back of the throat and hence can increase risk. I recall when I was working as a Registered Nurse (RN) in acute care that I was constantly removing straws from the bedside of at risk individuals and often reminding them to eat slowly and swallow at least twice between each bite to ensure food clearance. Individuals at risk for aspiration often require a modified texture diet as it can further prevent the aspiration of food and liquids.   This is a brief summary of the attention to detail needed in addressing oral hygiene and meal monitoring amongst the aging population. Both measures can play a significant role in reducing aspiration pneumonia.  If you would like more information on understanding proper oral care or any other questions that you may have regarding aging life care, please feel free to reach out to me.    Sources:1.      Sjogren P, Nilsson E, Forsell M, Johansson O, Hoogstraate J. 2008. A systematic review of the preventive effect of oral hygiene on pneumonia and respiratory tract infection in elderly people in hospitals and nursing homes: effect estimates and methodological quality of randomized controlled trials. J Am Geriatr Soc. 56:21242130. 2.      Iinuma T, Arai Y, Abe Y, Takayama M, Fukumoto M, Fukui Y, et al. 2014. Denture wearing during sleep doubles the risk of pneumonia in the very elderly. J Dent Res. doi: 10.1177/0022034514552493 3.      F Muller, 2015. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4541086/#