Archive for year: 2020

It is important to note that a person suffering from memory loss can be exhibiting symptoms of Alzheimer’s or dementia. Part of this is the decline in memory, as well as thinking and reasoning skills. Indicating the time to start looking for facilities for Alzheimer’s can be difficult.

 

If you are keen to know the early symptoms of this disease, here are a few warning signs. These often serve as the first clues when evaluating for Alzheimer’s or related conditions.

 

Early Signs of Alzheimer’s

 

Short-term memory loss

 

When a person is suffering from Alzheimer’s, the area of the brain that stores memory of recent events can be affected. Occasional memory lapses are normal. But if you notice recent timelines becoming frequently harder for them to recall, it might be their short-term memory.

Difficulty to make decisions, planning, or solving problems

 

The person can have trouble with abstract thinking leading to the following reactions.

 

• Struggling to develop and follow plans
• Trouble in multitasking
• Feeling less motivated
• Looking less organized

 

Difficulty doing familiar tasks

 

One of the things that often show as an early symptom of Alzheimer’s is the difficulty of doing simple or everyday tasks. Eventually, people suffering from Alzheimer’s forget how to do basic activities of daily living, including taking a bath or getting dressed.

 

Difficulty in sleeping

 

A person with Alzheimer’s can have difficulty sleeping. They may wake up several times during the night or take excessive naps during the day. Changes in sleep patterns are not conclusive but worth noting when seen with other early signs.

 

Changes in personality

 

Mood changes should also be considered if you suspect a loved one is showing signs of Alzheimer’s. They may seem anxious, confused, depressed, or irritable at any time.

 

Getting easily upset in new or different situations is also a sign that a parent or loved one is experiencing symptoms of the disease. They may also lack the drive and motivation.

 

Dealing with patients who have Alzheimer’s

 

It can be devastating and overwhelming to deal with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Preparing for potential changes in the future can ease some of the stress. Learning more about the disease and getting support from others will create a more seamless transition.

 

This includes preparing for memory care facilities for Alzheimer’s. These are specialized care for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease, and other forms of memory loss like dementia.

 

Early detection is key

 

If you notice signs in yourself or another person, it will be hard to know exactly what to do. It might even be harder to discuss these changes with others. The best first step is to address significant health concerns with a doctor.

 

You simply can’t ignore warning signs of Alzheimer’s. Detecting them early means early treatment, which is almost always a good step.

 

Senior living facilities for Alzheimer’s offer specialized care for you or your elderly loved ones. If you are interested in seeing what we have to offer at Oxbow Living, click here

 

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Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead

The COVID-19 pandemic created enormous health and economic chaos across the globe. It has claimed millions of lives worldwide and almost a hundred thousand lives from nursing homes in the United States.

The impact of COVID-19 is felt in retirement homes and assisted care facilities where residents are most vulnerable. With the presence of the Coronavirus, this has exposed more problems and issues that have been around before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Possible Steps to be Taken Moving Forward:

 

Improving Family Involvement in Residents Care Plan

In most cases, nursing homes determine the care that the resident will receive. However, the resident and their family have the right to participate in developing the resident’s care plan.

A personalized care plan to address individual needs is necessary to assure each resident receives the best possible care. Every care plan must be written and prepared by a doctor, nursing home members, a registered nurse, and the resident’s family member or legal representative.

Spending extra time on each care plan and adding in key measures on what to do if an epidemic or pandemic takes place during the residents stay can ensure future success and ease some stress that comes with a public health crises such as COVID-19.

More 24-hour Caretakers Onsite

Understaffing can be caused by several inside and outside factors. It is crucial for nursing homes to make sure they’re able to provide the necessary number of caretakers so that scheduling conflicts and gaps of workers don’t create larger issues. The shortage of staff leads to poor quality of life for the residents. Not having enough staff means longer working hours for those on duty which contributes to work fatigue that can lead to higher risks of work errors.

Along with improving the quality of care that residents receive in retirement homes or nursing care facilities, they must implement strategies and changes to improve the working environment as well as their wages based on the basic labor standards.

Providing each staff member with Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and keeping these kinds of tools on site at all times will also help better prepare workers for any form of in the moment public health crises.

Eliminate Discrimination

Then there’s the discrimination on a resident’s Medicaid eligibility because of Medicaid’s low pay rates. Many care facilities will give substandard care services to Medicaid beneficiaries. To fix this matter and provide equal quality medical care for every resident, Medicaid discrimination would have to be eradicated.

Another way to up the quality of the resident’s medical care access would be to bring physicians on site. Currently most facilities don’t have physicians on site which means residents need to be brought to hospitals or Emergency departments for treatment and medication. Trips to hospitals can agitate residents for they are not familiar with the people and the environment. Also, transferring elderly residents to hospitals increases the risk of various types of infections.

Although some physicians do drop-in visits, it is still beneficial to have a doctor or nurse practitioner on site 24/7 to provide assessments. This lessens the residents’ stress and exposure to diseases and infection, especially in times of crisis like COVID-19.

While these recent times have been trying for the entire world, nursing homes across the world, and especially within the US, have been working tirelessly to improve the quality of life and safety for residents and workers alike. Improvements in practices and procedures will inevitably continue to come to living facilities as COVI-19 continues to change the world we live in.

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Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead

Memory care is one of the most important areas of healthcare today, especially with the growing elderly population. As a memory care facilitator, it’s very important to understand the different needs of residents and how to address them properly to ensure the best quality of life for them. In the late 1980s, Professor Thomas Kitwood of the Unversity of Bradford in the United Kingdom developed the person-centered approach in healthcare. This method has the goal of offering care that’s specific to a person’s needs, uniqueness, and preferences instead of taking the more general approach of care based on a disease and its signs and symptoms.

With person-centered care, the memory care facilitator acknowledges the presence of the disease, but it doesn’t focus on that diagnosis alone. Rather, this approach sees a person beyond his medical condition.

 

The benefits of person-centered care

More than the physical effects of dementia, it is the emotional and psychological toll that takes up the most burden for the elderly with this medical condition.

But person-centered care ensures that an individual still gets to enjoy the best quality of life even when dealing with the devastating effects of dementia. This method guarantees that:

• An individual will be treated with the highest dignity and respect even with their medical condition.
• A memory care facilitator will take the time to understand an individual’s medical history, lifestyle, personal preferences, culture, beliefs, and even their hobbies and interests.
• The patient is offered the best opportunities to engage in meaningful conversations and build strong relationships with other people.
• The healthcare team will look at the situation from the patient’s point of view considering the things that they’re going through because of their condition.
• The individual is still able to explore new horizons and do the things that they love.
• The patient will be able to enjoy an excellent quality of life with the help of their carers, family members, and peers.

 

The most important aspects of person-centered care

Being diagnosed with dementia leaves a huge impact on a person’s life. Person-centered care focuses on the following points in caring for patients with dementia:

• A deep understanding of the challenging behaviors for patients with dementia to allow a memory care facilitator to communicate their needs effectively and to avoid any unmet needs.
• Empowering the caregiver with the information about a patient’s personal beliefs, current health status, relationships, and personal interests to make sure that they are given the best quality of care that’s specific to their needs.
• Giving the patient the opportunity to be as independent as possible while providing them with the assistance that they need when they need them.

Person-centered care offers a new and better approach to helping patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

By understanding the specific needs of a patient, they are not only offered the best quality of care possible, but they are also given the opportunity to still enjoy the things that they love and not letting their medical condition define the rest of their life.

 

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Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead

As you prepare to send your loved one to a senior living center, you can’t help but worry if they’re going to get the same quality of life that they’re enjoying in your own home. You are not alone in this because it’s a common sentiment among a lot of family members.

But one of the primary goals of any senior living center is to promote the well-being and safety of its residents through these five ways:

 

Consistent intellectual stimulation

The elderly should never stop learning and every senior living center makes sure that its residents are offered consistent opportunities for intellectual stimulation.

It could be online courses, reading sessions, games, and other ways for them to learn something new and keep their memories sharp for a longer time.

 

Social interaction

Residents of senior living centers are encouraged to socialize and interact with their peers. Since loneliness due to separation anxiety is a common problem among seniors, it’s very important for them to maintain social interaction, especially since it can lead to depression and even early death according to a study by the University of Chicago.

 

Physical activities

A research study conducted by Johns Hopkins University revealed that seniors who are physically active tend to live longer than those who are not.

This is why exercise is one of the primary activities for senior living centers where residents can attend tai-chi or Zumba classes or work with a personal trainer in keeping themselves fit and active while making sure that they don’t incur any injuries.

 

Adequate nutrition

Of course, proper nutrition is very important for seniors, especially those with existing medical conditions. At a senior living center, residents are served their meals so they don’t need to cook.

Nutritionists also take into account the special dietary needs or food restrictions of residents to make sure that they get adequate nutrition every day.

 

Stress-free lifestyle

Most family members choose to send their loved one to a senior living center to give him a more relaxed lifestyle where he never needs to worry about cooking his meals, cleaning the house and thinking about utility bills.

Senior living communities offer residents these conveniences so they can fully enjoy the rest of their lives without any stress or worries.

Finally, there’s always the matter of safety where seniors are more prone to accidents and are more vulnerable for break-ins, all of which are eliminated when they live in a senior living center.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fall is the leading cause of injury in seniors, but this can be prevented with the right precautions implemented in a senior home. Residents are also prepared in case of a disaster and there is on-call staff to make sure that any medical emergencies are attended to right away.

If you’re still on the fence about sending your loved one to a senior living center, you can put your worries to rest because he will surely be given the best care possible.

 

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Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead

Getting old has its moments, but has its downfalls too. For as you look forward to grandkids and comfortable retirement, you also have to deal with a host of physical impediments.

Blurry vision, shortness of breath, and aching joints are just some physical old-age symptoms that materialize in your 60s. It becomes much more pronounced as you enter the era of the octogenarian. And then the need for specialized care becomes more apparent.

This is true even if you were once fit, independent, and on-the-go. Age will catch up with you at some point and the body will start to deteriorate.

Choosing to spend the rest of your days in an assisted living facility ensures that you get the medical attention you need while maintaining a satisfying quality of life.

 

Assisted Living vs a Nursing Home

Some seniors and their families are concerned about the idea of a senior living facility because they think that it’s synonymous with a nursing home. But with a little education, they can learn all about the wonderful senior living communities and options available.

The services and amenities available in these senior living facilities do vary. But here are some features you can expect to find across the board.

 

Nutritious Meals

Eating healthy meals is important in keeping seniors energetic throughout the day. So you can expect any assisted living facility to have both delicious and nutritious meals.

These are often prepared by trained chefs and cater to specific conditions and needs. Residents are served three meals a day according to their changing health needs.

 

Daily Living Assistance

Residents at senior living facilities have staff that is responsible for assisting older adults with activities of daily living (ADL). These include bathing, dressing, and eating. This gives family members peace of mind that parents and grandparents will still be cared for in the best way possible.

 

Housekeeping and Transportation

In addition to ADL assistants, senior living facilities also have housekeeping staff that maintains residents’ rooms and apartments. There’s also transportation to take these elderly occupants to and from appointments.

 

Hobbies and Classes

Intellectual stimulation is important for seniors to stay alert and engaged. This is why assisted living communities run book clubs, computer classes, gardening, and more. Communities located near colleges might enable residents to have access to courses and cultural offerings on campus.

 

Venues for Exercise

A lot of assisted living communities have in-house gyms equipped with all sorts of exercise equipment to encourage seniors to stay active. Some even have its own therapy room.

 

Safe Living Environment

The apartments and rooms for senior residents are designed for accessibility and mobility. This allows them to retain independence while having easy access to expert care and medical attention if needed.

 

Events and Outings

A lot of seniors find it difficult to maintain social relationships. This is why assisted living facilities have a long list of activities for residents throughout the year. Attending cultural events or going on field trips are great ways for residents to bond and enjoy being outside together.

 

Conclusion

Assisted living facilities provide a “home away from home” for seniors who want to receive excellent care, yet still maintain that sense of independence. With highly-qualified staff and trained medical professionals on call, these places give families the peace of mind knowing that their elderly loved ones are being looked after.

 

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Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead