Connecticut - Southern

For those individuals who will need home care services and are in the process of a Medicaid spend down, consider an agency that you are able to transition to once you meet your income limit?To maintain continuity, one may consider a non-medical home care agency that provides services for both private pay and Medicaid home care clients. When you contract with an agency consider the issues that may arise once the spend down is complete. If your agency has not been credentialed by the Department of Social Services, you will be required to move to a home care agency that participates in the Medicaid waiver funded home care program (Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE).This transition can prove to be very disruptive to your loved one receiving care. For example, a key problem is lack of continuity. The care that has been provided is disrupted and the care will now be delivered from a range of unfamiliar caregivers. From the perspective of an elderly who may have short-term memory impairment and fears change, this can be very confusing. Your loved one typically develops an emotional bond with the caregiver that has been providing services. A bond is developed and a communication style is created fostering a sense of calmness. In addition, a daily routine is developed. The routine may include anywhere from eating breakfast and getting dressed in the morning, to assisting your loved one with their evening schedule.As the elderly population continues to grow, and life expectancy increases, these decisions should factor into heavily to assure a seamless home care transition for your loved one.Editors Note: This article was written by Mary Ellen Leviness (Care Manager) and Joe Campano, Care (Managing Partner) of Compassionate Care at Home. They can be reached at 203-433-4325.

Nothing challenges the family dynamic quite as much as a terminal illness and the prospective loss of a loved one. For families considering in-patient versus home end-of-life care, there are many considerations and dynamics to consider. The following situations are a few that are often cited as reasons to favor anin-patient hospice choice. Elderly patients living alone may choose hospice in-patient care if they lack the help of family members who can take on the responsibility as caregivers. Utilizing hospice care at home requires someone to take the lead role to follow the care plan of the hospice team for the absolute comfort and safety of the patient. Single middle-aged patients who live in cities far from family may want to be back in their hometowns near their aging parents, family and old friends. The patients elderly parents need the convenience of having their child nearby and understand that caring for them at home would be overwhelming and a difficult transition for their adult child. Any adult patient with a spouse who is unable to care for them at home because of their own physical or mental health issues. Both young and older couples often come to realize that caring for their loved one at home is simply too stressful and unsafe. Parents of pediatric patients often opt for in-patient care to ensure their memories of their child at home are good ones. A family-focused in-patient hospice care center should have pediatric and hospicecertified nursing and social work staff who understand how to support them. Patients with acute medical situations may choose a hospice facility that is designated as a specialty hospital so symptoms will be appropriately managed as in a hospital, but in a comfortable, home-like setting. This situation is considered general in-patient care and is 100% covered by Medicare. Patients may graduate out of the hospice facility, but many often opt to stay.So many personal, environmental, economic and lifestyle factors go into a patients or a familys choice of care. Regional Hospice and Home Care has been providing hospice care to the area for over 30 years, and now offers an in-patient option with their recently opened Center for Comfort Care and Healing in Danbury. To explore your choices or schedule a visit, find us at regionalhospicect.org or call: (203) 702-7400.

People often say, If you dont use it, you lose it This phrase certainly pertains to brain function. As with any part of the body, the brain can atrophy if it isnt exercised. The best cognitive workout is hearing, which may seem simple enough but actually involves various portions of the brain that influence our memories, perception, and communication.At Better Hearing at Home, Dr. Anne Reap is trained to treat all types of hearing issues including the connection between hearing loss and dementia. Her intensive training coupled with her in depth study of how the brain processes sound has helped serve her patients well for more than 28 years.When hearing loss becomes a reality, the connection between our brains and our ears is often forgotten. Unfortunately, those patients with undiagnosed or untreated hearing loss increase their risk of physical complications or mental and emotional struggles. According to the Better Hearing Institute, numerous studies link unmanaged hearing loss to a wide range of physical and emotional conditions, including depression, impaired memory, compromised ability to learn new tasks, and the increased risk of personal safety.Hearing loss can impact the lifestyles and relationships of those individuals with dementia, negatively impacting their well-being and leaving loved ones and care-givers to wonder, whether communication and memory issues are due to dementia OR hearing loss??? Confusion surrounding dementia can worsen over time, but it is possible to break the cycle with the appropriate hearing care by a trained doctor of Audiology.Dr. Reap understands that individual needs are unique and treatment plans must be personalized in order to be effective. At Better Hearing at Home, we will work with you to insure that you and your loved ones can reach hearing and lifestyle goals. Remember, early intervention and treatment provides the best possible outcome. Dont wait, better hearing can make all the difference.Editors Note: This article was submitted byBetter Hearing at Home - Dr. Anne Reap500 West Putnam Avenue, Suite 300Greenwich, CT 06830www.betterhearingathome.com203 542-7323

Exploring options for an assisted living facility can be daunting. Potential residents and families often become overwhelmed with all the options that are becoming available. One may wonder what the differences are between a retirement community, an assisted living community, enriched housing, a memory care community and a skilled nursing facility. What do they all mean?A Continuum of Care community is one that partners with levels of care on their campus as people age or become more compromised. It often begins, but not exclusively, with a retirement community. Within the community will be an Assisted Living component and a skilled nursing component. As the resident needs more help, they are moving within the community with the support of a comprehensive healthcare team that knows them well. This has become the trend in long term health care.The advantage to living in such a community is the promise of caring for your loved one through their elder years. The care team is always available to provide help and support not only to the family and the resident, but to one another, so as to offer the best possible person centered care. Another advantage is that the residents care community remains the same. This is convenient for them as well as their family members.Many assisted living facilities that are not a part of a continuum or campus of care refer to particular skilled nursing facilities. Be sure to ask what their policies are in terms of criteria for discharge and support during the process. Do not be afraid to ask these questions as they pertain to the care and well being of your loved one. Most facilities arevery helpful and have staff that specifically help with transitioning.A Campus of Care or a Continuum of Care Community is the most convenient and often the best option when looking for a residence for your loved one. As people are living longer and healthier into their elder years, this safety net may be just what most offers the security families need.This article was submitted by Maria Scaros-Mercado, Executive Director at The Greens at Greenwich, 203-531-5500 and Ship Hajdari, Community Outreach Nurse Liaison at Greenwich Woods Rehabilitation & Health Center, 203-531-1335.