Friday, April 21, 2017

Seniors And Veterans Looking For Comfort Can Enjoy Peace In Nursing Homes

By Mary Morgan


We go about our days doing all our routine activities of daily living such as brushing our teeth, showering, putting on deodorant, tying your shoes, dressing, preparing our meals, eating, doing laundry and cleaning our living spaces. When you are healthy, these activities are taken for granted as they are just part of every day. What happens when we break a leg, are in a car accident or slip on ice and fracture an arm? We soon learn that those everyday activities are not so ordinary or easy to do anymore. However, the seniors and veterans looking for comfort can still get it from professional care facilities.

If a family has a nurse that's available to administer medication or care when needed, they may want to choose to provide eldercare on their own. This form of elder care is a great choice when it comes to cost, but it comes with its downsides that come with this program as well. First off, providing elder care for another family member or friend can be stressful since it adds stretch on all the relationships. Regretfully if this scenario has to persist for a time, then it sure can lead to burn-out.

Aging can also play a part in our decreased ability to perform these activities without thinking about them. Diseases such as Arthritis, MS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and sometimes Diabetes can also add to our frustration in not being able to do those things for ourselves that we have done since our parents gave us the gift of independence and taught us self-care.

If either parent served during a war, they may be eligible for veteran's benefits. Be prepared to fill out multiple forms and show documentation of years served, discharge papers, birth certificates, marriage licenses, social security numbers, financial records and more. It is well worth the effort because it may ease the cost of care.

Some facilities allow overnight apartment visits for grandchildren, for example. But ultimately, when first leaving the hospital, discuss all options with the experts. And, if you are middle age, do plan for these future events with your family now, so that you can avoid the worst surprises later. Assisted living is not cheap. Discussing finances is not the easiest thing to do, but necessary. Do the folks have life insurance policies, savings bonds, a house that they are willing to sell, a safety deposit box that has treasures?

If your parents do not have longterm care in place, do you know what other financial resources are available if needed? Perhaps a visit with a lawyer to talk about Medicaid eligibility and spend down rules would be worthwhile.

With organization, a family can divide tasks. Imagine all the things necessary to do for a baby, add on the physical demands of extra height and weight and lessened mobility, and your family will be better prepared for even difficult days.

Someone should take over meal preparation, another feeding or eating with the patient, and then cleaning up afterwards. One person in the family should be in charge of medication doses, and these must be written down on a chart. Each shift must be told what the previous shift has done for safety.




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