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Finding the right long term care option for you or your loved one can be overwhelming. It is emotional and can often become a jumble of information, paperwork, processes and procedures.
Looking for long term care options raises many questions- Can I stay in my home? Am I appropriate for an assisted living facility? What are my needs? What can I afford?
It also introduces a number of terms that the average person probably isn't familiar with: board and care home, home health v. homecare, palliative care, licensed v. unlicensed, and CNA (Certified Nurse's Aid), just to name a few.
Luckily, many professionals in the senior healthcare industry recognize the difficult nature of the process of finding the right long term care option. As a result there are an increasing number of tools available to help make the decision easier. Here is a short list of resources to get you started:
Placement Specialists:
It is the job of a placement specialist to be the expert on long term care options in a given community. They keep up-to-date on the status of facilities by conducting a regular rotation of visits- some scheduled, some impromptu- to check up on the places they recommend to their clients.
During their visits, placement specialists not only look into the care and licensing in each facility but at the intangibles that are important to families and future residents. What is the ambiance? Do the residents seem active and engaged? Is the facility clean and the staff attentive?
For a list of recommended placement specialists in your area contact your loal Visiting Angels office.
Online Tools:
Websites for finding long term care resources are popping up right and left. Some are simply online directories, others are a little more involved and help walk you through your needs and identify your options.
CalQualityCare.org is a great place to start. You can search for resources and take a quiz to identify what type of care you're looking for. Note: this site does not list non-medical options like Visiting Angels. The resources are provided by the State of California and only include licensed care options.
Non-profit Organizations:
Most communities are fortunate to have non-profit organizations that help connect seniors and their families with long term care resources. Some of these organizations are affiliated with hospitals and others are independent.
We refer many of our clients in the East Bay to John Muir Senior Services. This comprehensive organization is a one-stop shop for senior-related information in Contra Costa County. Anyone can call and speak with a social worker who can assess the caller's needs and recommend appropriate long term care options.
Ask your doctor, senior center or friends if they know of a similar organization in your area.
To learn more about Visiting Angels and find out how we fit into your long term care plan, or to receive further information about the long term care resources listed above, please call one of our Bay Area offices:
Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano Counties: (925) 552-6500
Marin and San Francisco Counties: (415) 499-1200
San Joaquin Valley: (209) 952-3585 |
| 2/8/2010 1:14:34 PM |
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The month of November is designated to draw attention to a few causes that are near and dear to our hearts here at Visiting Angels. Follow the links below to learn more about these causes as well as ways you can recognize some very important people and organizations during the month of November.
National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month
National Family Caregivers' Month
National Hospice/Palliative Care Month
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| 11/2/2009 3:53:26 PM |
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When a loved one is nearing the end of life, the last things anyone wants to be distracted by are legal issues. Unfortunately, along with the emotional and psychological components of the dying process come many important legal and medical questions. Who is responsible for making health care decisions on the patient's behalf if the patient is unable to? Should the patient be given CPR if the need arises? Should the patient's organs be donated?
There are many tools available to avoid confusion around these issues that arise at the end of a person's life. The Mayo Clinic has put together a helpful tip sheet that describes these tools and outlines their purpose. The information in the Mayo Clini's tip sheet can help you or your loved one prepare for both unexpected and expected end of life situations.
To view the tip sheet click here.
For more information about how Visiting Angels can help care for your loved one at the end of life, please feel free to contact one of our Bay Area offices:
Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano Counties: (925) 552-6500
Marin and San Francisco Counties: (415) 499-1200
San Joaquin Valley: (209) 952-3585
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| 7/27/2009 4:54:48 PM |
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November is National Homecare and Hospice month, a time set aside to recognize the men and women who have dedicated their lives to caring for others through providing homecare and hospice services.
Our caregivers often provide supplemental assistance to clients who are receiving hospice care. In these special circumstances, Visiting Angels works closely with various hospice organizations to help ensure that clients are comfortable at the end of their lives, and that families can focus on their loved one rather than worry about meals, housework or errands.
Hospice care is a valuable resource to many in our community, but it is a service that is often misunderstood. In honor of this month's dedication to homecare and hospice workers, please enjoy the following article written by one of our local hospice organizations, Hospice of the East Bay:
Hospice isn’t a place. It’s a type of care that focuses on living; living as fully as possible, up until the end of life.
Talking with Bonnie Safine, Vice President, Clinical Services of Hospice of the East Bay, about hospice care, one soon understands that a significant component of the great work of hospice is bringing comfort during what can be the loneliest of experiences -- dying. "We make the journey less solitary," says Safine. "When a cure is no longer possible, hospice is with you every step of the way."
Since 1977, Hospice of the East Bay has worked to ease physical and psychological pain for terminally ill patients and their families by offering in-home medical care, practical assistance, emotional support, and bereavement services. “Until the 1950’s, most Americans were born and died at home, surrounded by those they loved. Death was seen as a natural part of life’s journey,” remarked Safine, “In today’s high-tech world, most people die in hospitals, isolated, and challenged to find meaning at the end of their lives.”
Surveys show that 8 out of 10 Americans wish to die at home, cared for by family, and in control of their medical and personal choices. They understand that death is as much an emotional and spiritual passage as a physical one. When they choose hospice care, terminally ill patients become part of a new tradition: death in the comfort of home, supported by a team of professionals who offer compassionate, practical, medical, emotional and spiritual care.
Hospice of the East Bay offers specialized programs that include: Anna’s Program (for women with recurrent breast cancer), Comfort for Kids (pediatric hospice and palliative care) and Skye’s Angels (perinatal hospice care). In addition, in 2004, hospice opened Bruns House acute care hospice facility in Alamo. Bruns House accommodates six terminally ill patients in comfortable, attractive, medically appropriate private rooms. Patients experience privacy and quiet that cannot be achieved in a hospital, and intensive around-the-clock care that cannot be achieved at home. Family members enjoy unrestricted access to the House.
During the 31 years that Hospice of the East Bay has been serving terminally ill patients, public awareness of the value of hospice care in general, and of the excellent quality of our services in particular, has increased dramatically. As a result, hospice’s patient load has grown from one patient in 1977 to more than 1500 in 2007.
“Hospice of the East Bay helps our patients and their loved ones meet one of the most difficult times in life with grace, dignity, comfort, and compassion,” says Safine, “We empower them to take control when they feel most powerless. Our focus is on quality of life, not the length of time left to live.”
To find out more about how Visiting Angels can help you, a loved one, or someone you know who is receiving hospice care, please contact one of our offices:
Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano Counties: (925) 552-6500
Marin and San Francisco Counties: (415) 499-1200
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| 11/14/2008 12:43:57 PM |
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