Leslie Newlife

Reminiscence Neighborhoods: Memory Care vs. Assisted Living

Memory Lane

Memory care is a specific form of long-term assistance tailored to meet the needs of people with Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementia diagnoses.

Similar to assisted living facilities, Memory Care Communities offer a wide range of services, such as personal attendance, medication management and help with activities and facets of daily life. What makes memory neighborhoods so unique: they offer person-centered attention by skilled memory care staff!

Reminiscence Neighborhoods

Some assisted living communities and nursing homes provide care in a separate, secure wing or on Special Memory Care Units (SCU) however, other long-term care communities provide Memory Care!

This is an important distinction to make because it can affect monthly costs and determine insurance coverage. Typically, Assisted Living Facilities are a bit less expensive than dedicated Memory Care Communities, but with the presence of an SCU in regards to memory care or a long-term residence, you may begin to encounter additional co-pays or fees. Assisted Living and Memory Care are usually private pay, meaning they are not covered by health insurance or Medicare/Medicaid. You can use long term care insurance & VA money to cover the cost.

Community Features

SCU’s are pleasant and easy to navigate! By using specific colors and simple layouts, those with Alzheimer’s or other dementia afflictions are able to walk around their neighborhood more easily, increasing their sense of independence! Friendly and inviting living environments also help to minimize wandering behaviors!

A key focus of memory care helps residents struggling with memory loss by providing routine and structured activities! Nursing staff learn methods to effectively communicate and connect with Alzheimer’s individuals. If caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease, remember these safe mindful skills to use at home!

  1. Practice patience… Patiently! Remember: everyone has good days and bad days!
  2. Address your loved ones by their first name or familiar nickname when speaking with them! 
  3. Let delusions pass on by! Unless they pose an immediate threat or danger, don’t engage them and don’t argue!
  4. Speak calmly and warmly! Also, refrain from baby talk! Infantilizing someone can trigger a disagreement, as its often seen as a threat to independence and evokes the fear of losing control. 
  5. Connect through shared hobbies and passions! They say, “An elephant never forgets!” Likewise, the mind may lose event details, but often times remembers how to paint or draw! Think of ways to routinely stretch out your mental muscles! 
  6. Create a memory bag full of personal tokens tied to meaningful memories! Try using souvenirs to redirect and help your loved one to feel safe, when experiencing forgetful moments, fear or agitation. 
  7. Try music to soothe anxiety! Sit down together and make a long list of meaningful songs to engage memory! Emotion and memory are intrinsically tied to one another; relaxing music sets off a biochemical reaction, releasing hormones which calm the nervous system!  

Mindful Assistance

Both Memory Care Communities, Assisted Living Facilities, & SCUs offer residential solutions to geriatric patients who require routine and supervised care. If you need help finding memory care services for your loved ones, search online for senior care and order a free directory!

Top 3 Content Marketer Take-Aways from Twitter’s 280-Character Test Report

twitterb

In September 2017, Twitter took one small step toward a giant leap forward.The micro-blogging platform, best known for its 140 character-limit on”tweeted” messages, began testing a doubled post length of 280 characters. The update was officially launched on November 7, 2017. The content marketing industry is buzzing with both excitement and concern as this longer character-leash allows us to adventure into unknown territories.

At the update-launch, Twitter posted a test-report to its blog,allowing content marketers to glimpse at the audience response to the extended character limit. Here are the top three take-aways from this report.

Space = Freedom

The Twitter character count update intends to address what has been dubbed the “cramming issue,” for languages struggling to cram meaningful messages into 140 characters. According to Twitter,”Historically, 9% of Tweets in English hit the character limit.” Intesting, the randomly-selected accounts demonstrated only 1% cramming agains tthe extended 280 character limit. This means content marketers can take a breath, and speak more naturally with audiences, rather than fighting the character counter.

Emerging AudienceTrends

When testing began, selected tweeters stretched their wings in the new character breadth. However, this behavior was short-lived, and Twitter test reports demonstrated a quickly emerging pattern. “Only 5% ofTweets sent were longer than 140 characters and only 2% were over 190 characters.” So, while the space is available, the audience seems still inclined toward message brevity.

More Engagement

Those random-tweeters in the test group demonstrated some of the tangible benefits garnered from the extended character-limit. Twitter observed test accounts tweeted more and subsequently received higher engagement metrics (likes, retweets, @mentions) on their messages. Content marketers should watch for these potential advantages in analytical reporting.

Extended tweet length is arguably the biggest update ever to grace Twitter accounts; however, platform evolution is nothing new to the world of social media marketing. Content curators should watch carefully as audiences adjust tothe update, aligning communications and campaigns accordingly. Social listening will be imperative as new best practices develop.

Let us help you drive more people to your Twitter account by adding social links to your senior community or provider listing.

6 Group Activity Ideas for Your Senior Community

Senior Activities

Group activities are a great way for seniors to enjoy themselves and keep busy and social. Do you offer these options at your senior community:

Book and Movie Clubs

Book clubs, where everyone reads a book together and discusses it, are a great way to spend time. If your residents have difficulty reading, play an audio book for them. You can also read poetry aloud. Another option is watching an interesting movie together, then discussing it.

Game Clubs

Getting together to play games has long been a favorite of pass time of this generation! From bridge to gin rummy and dominoes, you probably have some card sharks in your midst, so be careful betting! The games can be decided based on interest, capacity and ability.

Exercise Groups

Exercise is a great group activity. Plan something that everyone can partake in. Even small things make a difference. You can do easy yoga that can be done in a seated position. Dancing is also a great exercise activity that is also fun. What about a nature walk?

Group Projects

Completing a project always bring people together, especially if it’s for a good cause.  Your group can donate items for the needy, quilt, sew of knit for someone. They can do arts and crafts or scrap booking. Don’t hesitate to ask for help, you might be surprised at the participation you get in everything from stuffing envelopes to chopping onions.

Relaxation & Socialization Time

You can also get together just to relax. Neighbors can just sit and chit-chat over drinks and good food. You can listen to music together or just meditate. Do you offer a happy hour? It might be nice for everyone.

Sporting Events

Do your residents have a favorite team or a bitter rivalry? Cheering on a favorite team or player can bring back fun memories.

For more ideas on group activities, ask your residents what they like to do. What do they miss doing? From pet therapy sessions to museum visits, there is an endless list of group activities for your residents. And the more fun everyone has, the happier they are!

Suggestions for a Creative Retirement

Copy of retirement-ahead

An unknown wise person once said, “The key to a happy retirement is to have enough money to live on, but not enough to worry about.”

Are you as terrified as I am of financial advisors who preach doom for retirees who do not have a sizeable nest egg or the means to replace 105% of their income? No one mentions that a “happy” retirement may be about much more than adequate financial resources, and that those who enjoy comfortable nest eggs, live in lavish homes, and play golf every day are not always the “happiest” retirees. The finance gurus emphasize higher earnings instead of lower spending and creative lifestyle. What if the formula for a successful retirement is not a one size fits all equation?

As cited in Retire For Less Than You Think by Fred Brock, a Harris Poll Survey concluded that “The happiness of people . . . was not necessarily linked to how much money they had made or had. Rather, happiness was more about feeling financially prepared for whatever retirement lifestyle they wanted.”Lifestyle is rarely the main topic in most writings about retirement.   In his book How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free, Ernie Zelinski relates some stories of unconventional retirees who found ways to survive and live the lives they always wanted to live. “Ian” left a lucrative job as a chemist at a large company to bike and camp around the globe, living on less than $10,000 a year. Robert, Barbara and their 16-year old twins live in a remote area of British Columbia in a log home. None of them have “regular” jobs.They survive on some small pensions (perhaps equal to social security) that Robert accumulated over his career. They make a little extra money pursuing things they love. These lifestyle choices may not be your cup of tea, but the point is that there are creative options for those who think outside the box.

Designing a retirement involves much more than accumulating wealth. There are questions to ask yourself about what kind of a lifestyle you aspire to when you are done with the rat race. Once these questions are answered, then it’s time to figure out how to implement the plan. Some questions to ask yourself about retirement:

  • Do I want to live in a house, apartment, condo, boat, RV, retirement community, cabin in the woods, campground, cruise ship, hostel?
  • Where do I want to live? Do I want to move to another place, or even out of the country where the cost of living may be cheaper?
  • Who are the people I most want to live near? Could I live with someone?
  • Should I split my time between places?
  • Will I have to work?  Should I work part time, start my own business, provide a service, turn a hobby into a business?
  • What hobbies and activities do I want to pursue – where is the best place to find them?
  • How will I stay healthy and fit?
  • How will I keep my mind healthy and fit?
  • What brings me peace and satisfaction? Do I need a church, mountains, the ocean?
  • Do I need material possessions? Who do I need to impress?
  • How much will it take to satisfy these desires? Do I have enough? Can I earn enough either before I retire or while I’m retired?
  • What about further down the line? Did you parents need care in their final years? Will you need assisted living or memory care? Do you have someone to care for you? Do you have long-term care insurance to pay for this care?

Retirement planning starts with deciding which lifestyle, within your budget, suits you. Once you decide on the retirement lifestyle for you, there are endless creative options to get there.

How Facebook Updates are Supporting Authentic Content

Facebook

Facebook is an ever-changing beast. The popular social platform is always reviewing user trends and feedback to create a stronger, more relevant network and news feeds. For content marketers, staying abreast of these updates and considering them within an editorial calendar can be a challenge. But many Facebook algorithm updates can benefit businesses, as the platform tends to focus on what is important to user groups. Thus, successful content after updates often reaches more relevant audiences.

At the beginning of 2017, Facebook announced the signals updates to further authenticate content presented in user news feeds. These updates were more recently followed with additional changes to continue enhancing user experience.

Here are some of the major points to consider as you tame the megalithic social media monster and craft authentic content for your brand.

Signal Information

To evaluate and rank post authenticity within user news feeds, Facebook looks at both personal and universal signals. A user’s personal signals demonstrate how close the user is to a page. Universal signals take overall post engagement into account. Facebook has added additional universal signals to assess content authenticity including engagement trends such as post-hiding.

Minimizing Low-Quality Experiences

Facebook believes its users desire an entertaining, informative experience.New Facebook updates, including the use of artificial intelligence will appraise the substance and ad content within current and new websites shared on the platform. Among other factors, this update, beginning in May 2017, will focus on reducing financially-motivated spam links containing low-quality content and aggressive or malicious advertisements.

Reducing Clickbait Headlines

Clickbait headlines are exaggerated or withholding content, designed to draw attention and lure users into clicking misleading or spammy links. In an effort to reduce this sort of content, Facebook will begin scrutinizing headlines at the post level, examining withholding or sensationalized headlines separately, and testing the effort in additional languages.

So, what do these updates mean for your business? The focus remains on the audience. Facebook wants to provide a strong user experience. As long as you are crafting genuine, relevant content for your target groups, you should not see any negative consequences from these updates. In fact, Facebook suggests that some pages could see slight referral and outbound click increases. If you remain focused on your audience and quality content, Facebook remains a strong communication tool and perhaps a friendly giant rather than a fiendish brute.

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Does Your Senior Community Allow Pets?

Pet Therapy Dog

Norbert is a tiny fellow, but 3 1/2 pounds of adorable goes a long way! When his owner, Julie Steines, first learned about therapy dogs, Norbert was still a puppy. She had witnessed the joy that her tiny puppy brought to the people they encountered throughout their day. Every day. She knew, without a doubt, that Norbert’s destiny included becoming a therapy dog.

After researching the subject, she trained Norbert, herself. He became a certified therapy dog by age one. He’s eight years old now and brings joy to people world-wide! He currently volunteers at Children’s Hospital Las Angeles or by special request. But he has, also, gone viral! His website and social media pages inspire smiles around the world. A very worthy quest, indeed. Good boy, Norbert! Good boy.

Pet therapy has become a popular form of mild therapy for seniors. Therapy dogs are invaluable in the lives of those they touch. Or, perhaps, that’s better stated in the lives of those who touch them. Research shows petting an animal is known to lower blood pressure, relieve anxiety, and cause one to feel connected. And the benefits reach beyond physical. Pet therapy is proven emotionally and mentally beneficial, as well. Interacting with animals can increase the body’s levels of oxytocin, the hormone that makes us feel happy.

Here are some facts regarding seniors with pets. Senior pet owners:
• Are less likely to feel lonely
• Visit the doctor less often
• Use less medication
• Recover more quickly from surgery or illness
• Have lower blood pressure and cholesterol
• Deal better with stress

Seniors living in communities with a pet therapy program in place benefit from their visits. At a time when they are transitioning to a different phase of life, many are feeling vulnerable. A visit from a therapy dog is sure to brighten any day and leave your residents looking forward to the next!

Is It Delirium or Dementia? Both can be Scary – Know the Difference

Delirium and Dementia appear very similar on the surface. They are often confused. Even for medical professionals and caregivers, it can be easy to misinterpret the signals. It is possible for a person to have dementia and delirium, which further complicates the diagnosis.

Delirium can often be reversed.

Delirium causes confusion, disrupted behaviors, and disruptions in thinking; there can also be mood changes, perceptional changes, and changes in attention happens over days or weeks. There is disorganization in thinking patterns and the person may not be able to maintain focus. The person suffering from delirium may not be able to have a coherent conversation. They may be either “hyper-alert” or very lethargic. The symptoms can fluctuate throughout the day, and there may be times of the day that they are symptom-free. Some more obvious symptoms are alarming.

  • Hallucinations
  • Disorientation
  • Nonsense speech
  • Difficulty understanding speech

Many causes of delirium can be treated or prevented. Unfortunately, delirium is missed half of the time. Knowing the potential causes can be the first step towards finding the solution.

  • Illness-such as a urinary tract infection or influenza
  • Brain injuries-such as a stroke or unrecognized head injury
  • Withdrawal-from alcohol, nicotine, or stopping a medication
  • Medication-adverse reaction, mixing medications or taking with alcohol
  • Brain aging
  • Dementia
  • Electrolyte imbalance
  • Multiple medications
  • Dehydration
  • Malnutrition

With the changes in memory and intellect happen gradually. Notable changes appear over months and even years. For a diagnosis of dementia, there needs to be a decline in memory and at least one other cognitive area. The causes of dementia are related specifically to the brain.

  • Gradual dysfunction of the brain
  • Loss of brain cells

Many of the risk factors associated with dementia are genetic. Dementia can also be influenced by general health and lifestyle choices. The connections are still not fully understood.

  • Age – 30% risk if over 85 years, rare under 50 years
  • Female – may be due to hormonal changes as women age
  • Genetics – early or late chromosomal mutations
  • Brain Damage – from Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, AID’s, alcoholism and others
  • Damage to blood vessels – heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure

A person with dementia can be prone to bouts of delirium. A person with unresolved delirium can develop dementia.

If you notice sudden behavioral or cognitive changes that occur over a few days or weeks, it may be a good idea to investigate the some of the multiple causes of delirium. Investigate any recent changes in medication or an undiagnosed infection.

Knowing the differences between the two conditions can keep delirium from becoming dementia or improve the symptoms of the individual who shows signs of both. If you need help, reach out to a local behavioral health provider, a Memory Care Community, or your physician.

Senior Caregiving – Geriatric Psychiatric Admissions

frustrated senior

One of the less talked about topics of senior caregiving is geriatric psychiatry and Geri-psych admissions. People who are suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia may experience a voluntary or involuntary geriatric psychiatric admission at some point. A psychiatric admission is typically required when a patient in an assisted living or nursing home experiences some sort of problematic issue that the staff can’t manage. These issues include events such as fighting, yelling and outbursts, or self-harm like hitting themselves. The inherent stigmas and shame surrounding mental health problems sometimes keep families from discussing these types of problems freely.

A voluntary admission is when a patient determines that they need additional help and voluntarily agrees to seek treatment. An involuntary admission is more common for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients as they are often not capable of making that determination. Both traditional hospitals and behavioral healthcare facilities take care of geriatric psych admissions.

Psychiatric problems can arise in patients for a variety of reasons. One of the ways that dementia is expressed in some people is through aggression.This occurs even in people who were never aggressive or combative prior to a dementia diagnosis. It is important to remember that any behavior you observe as a caregiver is a result of the disease and not the fault of your loved one.You may hear and see things that are uncomfortable and out of the ordinary such as cursing, punching, or rage.

Undiagnosed infections can sometimes result in outbursts. For this reason,one of the first things a physician or psychiatrist will do is to rule out any infections such as a kidney infection. Other culprits may be a new medication,an incorrect dose, or a missed dose. A geriatric psychiatric admission allows the physicians the time, usually 72 hours up to two weeks, to determine the correct course of treatment and correct the problem.

When you are considering an assisted living, memory care or nursing care facility for senior care giving, you should ask what their procedures are for dealing with mental health problems that they can’t manage. Find out where they send patients, how long they are typically there, and whether patients are allowed back after. Some facilities have strict rules to protect the safety of other patients. Other locations may be better equipped to manage patients who experience problematic behaviors.

Geriatric psychiatric admissions can be traumatic for both patients and caregivers. The more information you have before issues come up will help you to navigate the process to a successful outcome. Learn what you can from available resources so that you can effectively advocate on behalf of your loved one when and if the time arises.

Customer Service Careers Best Suited for the Family Caregiver

Working Caregiver

Being a caregiver can be difficult, but if you also have to work outside of the home to help with finances, it becomes even more difficult! a full-time caregiver must be available 24/7 unless they have help from time to time thru respite care like home care, adult day care, etc.. With the influx of jobs via the internet, there are more careers available that can work for caregivers. In fact, one of the areas that offers several possible careers that can be accomplished over the phone and the internet are in the customer service industry.

Using Phone and Internet for Customer Service

Customer service is primarily done on the phone, although some customer service is moving to internet chat and social media. For someone who needs to work from home, customer service is an ideal niche. Many companies prefer to have their customer service reps work from home because it lowers the company overhead. Since you don’t need an office, their only costs are your time and training.

Finding a Job

Depending if you want to work as a freelancer customer service rep or for a company directly, there are several ways to find a job. Here are some suggestions to inspire you:

  • Search local newspaper and online classifieds
  • Visit job-search websites and look for “customer service” jobs
  • Search Google for “online customer service” jobs
  • Call local temporary employee companies
  • Look for websites online with online customer service and write them directly
  • Network with friends and family to see if they know anyone who uses part-time customer service staff
  • Search freelance websites for jobs
  • Look at medical-related companies for medical billing jobs

How to Search

As you search online through various databases for jobs in this niche, some good keywords to use in your queries are:

  • customer service jobs
  • online customer service
  • phone customer service
  • help desk jobs
  • online billing jobs
  • internet customer service jobs
  • part-time online jobs
  • live chat jobs
  • technical customer service
  • appointment setting jobs
  • customer support jobs
  • call center jobs

See our many other blogs for tips on being a family caregiver.

Adding Touches of Luxury to your Assisted Living Home

premium seal

Luxurious assisted living communities have features that can be adopted by less expensive facilities with some creative thinking. Features that might just give your home the edge to win out over the competition:

  • Special entertainment:  Local choirs and Scout troops are free. To find a “big name” entertainer who will provide a free performance, contact nearby theaters, comedy clubs, opera and music houses. Many performers consider entertaining seniors a worthy use of their time. Request free tickets to performances for residents who are able to travel.
  • Pet-friendly:  Luxury centers are more likely to allow owners to live with their pets. If this is not feasible, contact area animal shelters and organizations and request visits and/or names of people who own therapy dogs.
  • Natural beauty: If your home is not located on the beautiful grounds typical of luxury assisted living, ask local professionals to help you bring nature inside. A gardening club may donate and help arrange attractive plants – or find a piece of land they can beautify. Consider a roof garden.
  • Concierge Service: Assisted living centers not in the luxurious category do not have the budget for a full-time concierge to make travel arrangements, suggest and arrange for tickets to local events, reserve a table at a restaurant, make medical and salon appointments, and other services a hotel concierge provides. You could create a concierge position that would interest and challenge a volunteer.  You would need to provide a desk, phone, and computer in an attractive nook. Encourage the volunteer or concierge team to have regular hours that residents can count on.
  • Gourmet meals: A major selling point for luxury properties is the food. While you may not be able to persuade a local restaurant to provide a delicious meal for all residents, do not forget that many local women and men take pride in their cooking. Contact food category winners at local fairs. Would they be willing to let the residents sample their award-winning pie? Church groups are known for their potlucks. Would they share a dish with your residents?

If your home does not fall into the “luxury” category, a touch of luxury, like a touch of mink, can set you apart from others in its price range.