Monarch Senior Care Blog

Five Reasons it’s Not Time for a Nursing Home

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:38:13 -0600

To Move or Not to Move…
To be clear, this article is not addressing a short-term stay in a nursing home for rehabilitation, but of becoming a permanent nursing home resident. The latter is a decision that changes many things irrevocably, so if you’re grappling with this possibility right now, the following five considerations may help your decision-making.

Reason #1 Your aging parent can walk well
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of your mom or dad falling in a nursing home is twice that of falling in the community. Are you surprised by that? Let’s be honest—this is not exactly a selling point for nursing homes. Think you can guess how the fall risk is reduced inside these facilities? If you’ve ever been to a nursing home and seen residents in wheelchairs rather than on their feet, then you know the answer. So what happens when your 89-year-old mother enters a nursing home able to walk, but is encouraged to roll? Over time her leg strength diminishes and along with it her mobility and sense of autonomy.

Reason #2 Good health is on your aging parent’s side
Nursing homes were created for people who require some sort of treatment, management, observation and/or evaluation by skilled staff. Skilled staff (as defined by Medicare) include nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, audiologists and speech pathologists. Examples of care that only a skilled staff member can provide would include wound care, physical therapy and/or intravenous injections.

Needs that fall outside of those described above (think bathing and grocery shopping) would be considered unskilled. If your aging parent has unskilled needs alone, moving him or her into a nursing home is likely to be overkill.

Reason #3 Your parent is safest at home and prefers to live there
One of the toughest things for an adult daughter or son to do is to recognize what’s working “well enough” and then leave it alone. So your aging parent lives happily at home but your top concern is safety? Join the club! Then quit the talk about a nursing home. Now’s the time to prevent a fall by:
• Making sure all rooms in your parent’s house are well lit and free of clutter, etc.;
• Broaching the topic of some adaptive equipment for the bathroom and maybe even a personal emergency response system

Reason #4 You can hire enough help at home to meet your aging parent’s needs
Now we’ve arrived at the tricky place. If you can’t (or your parent can’t) afford to hire help at home, then ask yourself this: Can one of you afford the cost of a nursing home?

That’s right, Medicare does not pay for nursing homes after the first 20 days, and even then, your aging parent must have a skilled need. So if you were thinking that a nursing home would be the most cost-effective long term care option for your parent, think again.

Nursing homes cost $10,000–$13,000 per month depending upon where your aging parent lives. Yes, you read that right— $10,000–$13,000 per MONTH if he/she doesn’t have Medicaid. Even at a cost of $20 per hour, home care would still cost less.

Reason #5 Your aging parent is connected to a physician whom they trust
It’s hard to overstate the value of your aging parent being known to a physician in the community who will take his/her calls and even more importantly, take interest in helping your parent to manage his/her health over time. It’s an important relationship and a move to a nursing home could sever it.
Finally, your parent wants to live at home as long as possible. Make sure that if you make the decision for a nursing home, it was the choice of last resort.
http://www.geriatriccaremanagement.com/2011/01/five-reasons-its-not-time-for-a-nursing-home/

Avoiding Elder Financial Abuse

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:33:39 -0500

Actor Mickey Rooney recently testified in Washington that he has been a victim of elder abuse, putting him among some 2.1 million aging Americans who each year suffer some form of financial, physical, psychological or other abuse, according to the American Psychological Association. Mickey Rooney’s experience highlights a rising problem in a graying nation—and it shows that elder abuse is not limited by location, status or wealth.

The elderly should take these precautionary steps:
• Subscribe to national and state DO NOT CALL lists.
• Keep social security cards in a safe place.
• Avoid giving personal information over the phone.
• Delete unsolicited emails that request personal information or money.
• Do not open doors to strangers.
• Remove mail promptly from the mailbox.
• Review bills and bank statements promptly for accuracy.
• Shred all confidential and financial information prior to discarding.
• Make a copy of all items in their wallets and keep it in a safe place.

Families of the elderly should take these precautionary steps:
• Beware of a new trusted friend. Do Mom and Dad have a neighbor, caregiver, sibling or other outsider who is suddenly their best friend running errands, going to the bank or generally being around when they were not in your parents' past at all? This can be a warning sign that someone is taking advantage.
• Watch for unusual account activity. Review your parents' bank and investment statements for excess activity at the ATM, excessive trading in the brokerage account, many cash withdrawals or other suspicious activity. To prevent elder financial abuse, also watch out for someone becoming a joint account holder for your parents’ “convenience.”
• Look through mail and email. Correspondence with people you don't know or solicitations from questionable charities should be investigated. The lderly often are concerned about taking care of people who are less fortunate and are vulnerable to requests from charities that are not legitimate.
• Keep aware of the will. Victims of elderly abuse often want to change their will to take care of someone who has been kind to them in their later years.
• Visit. One of the best prevention techniques is to visit with your parents often. This advice holds for avoiding financial, physical and verbal abuse. Abuse can come from a caregiver, nursing home personnel, and even a sibling. Regular and unscheduled visits can be a powerful tool for fighting abuse.
• Be careful with a POA. The elderly should give power of attorney only to
someone they trust without question. There are alternatives. One is a springing Power of attorney, which
only applies upon a certain event. Another is a revocable trust to hold assets with a corporate entity as a trustee. Corporate trustees often have detailed knowledge about issues affecting the elderly and are bonded.
• Get advice you can trust. CPA financial planners have extensive experience helping the elderly plan and protect their estates and are available nationwide to offer advice on avoiding financial abuse. To talk with a CPA personal financial specialist about elder planning in your market, visit www.findapfs.com

Personal Emergency Response Systems for Seniors

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:43:29 -0500

An emergency response system offers an easy and effective way to get medical attention quickly, even when using the phone is not an option. The basic components of almost all systems are:
• A small button that the user wears, typically on a pendant or wrist band. If help is needed, he or she squeezes the button, which sends a signal to:
• An intercom, usually about the size of an answering machine, that is installed between any phone in the user's home and the wall jack. This device then places a call for help that is answered by someone in an office or call center.

Most providers will provide the equipment for free, but charge a monthly fee of about $30 - $45 per month.
Beyond these similarities, however, there can be significant differences the level of service provided, so it is important to carefully compare systems before selecting one.

Here are some questions to keep in mind:

Hardware
• Is the button waterproof? (Many falls occur in the bathtub or shower.)
• Is the hardware compatible with internet-based phone services?
• How far away from the intercom can the signal from the button be picked up?
• What kind of backup battery is available in case of power failure?
• Is the condition of the battery in the button monitored regularly and replaced as necessary?
• Will the system work if the phone is off the hook?
• Is there a way for the user to get medical assistance away from home?

Handling the Calls
• Is the company's primary focus on responding to medical emergencies?
• Who is responsible for actually answering the calls for help? Are they employees? Or is this responsibility subcontracted elsewhere?
• Where are they located - in the United States or overseas?
• What type of training do they receive, and for how long?
• Are they trained to be able to assess the severity of the situation?
• What is the ratio of emergency dispatchers to members?

Protocol
• Does the company get the client’s full medical history (including medications), doctor's name and number etc.?
• Does the company representative stay on the line with the user until help arrives, no matter how long that might take?
• Are paramedics automatically contacted, regardless of the nature of the situation?
• In an emergency, does the company go through 911, or do they call directly to the closest paramedics to the person's home?

Other Types of Service
• Does the company work with local police departments in case of home invasion?
• Is 24/7 monitored fire protection offered, so that the fire department is contacted in case of fire?
• Is help available for non-emergency situations?
• Is the service portable, allowing the user to take it on vacations?

Cost
• Is the user required to purchase the system, or is it provided on a rental basis?
• Is there a usage fee or a charge for false alarms?
• If the user were to move, is there an additional charge for transferring the service?
• Does the user receive a written agreement outlining all of the terms of the service?

If either you or someone you love lives alone at home—or if there are times when no one else is in the house to provide assistance—you should seriously consider the protection offered by a personal emergency response system.
http://www.seniorsresourceguide.com/

2011 Monarch Customer Satisfaction Survey Results are In!

Tue, 8 Feb 2011 14:42:37 -0600

We’re excited... but not surprised!
The results are in and they’re great! I won’t keep you guessing. Here are the results:

Overall Satisfaction: 100%
All respondents indicated “Very Satisfied” or Extremely Satisfied”.

Caregiver Satisfaction: 100%
Again, all respondents indicated “Very Satisfied” or Extremely Satisfied”.

Office Staff Satisfaction: 100%
All respondents indicated “Very Satisfied” or Extremely Satisfied”.

For the question “How likely would you be to recommend Monarch to a friend or family member if they should need our services?” 100% gave the top response (“Certain”) !!!

Some quotes from our customers!

We feel that the caregivers are very responsive, attentive, safety conscious, and nurturing.
- Name Withheld

I've had some experience with other caregiving agencies, so I can say unequivocally that Monarch does the best job of caregiver selection, training, matching to the client, and service from the office. Thank you for all of that.
- Name Withheld

A great big “Thanks” to the best caregivers and staff in the world! Thank you for making this possible and thank you for living the “Golden Rule Plus One” vision.

- Joe and Karen Tirio

2010 Monarch Senior Care Award Winners Announced

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:30:49 -0600

Dear Clients and Colleagues,

It is our profound pleasure to announce the 2010 Monarch Senior Care "Brownie Points" Winners.

For the benefit of our Clients, The Brownie Points program is a Monarch exclusive program that rewards our employees for demonstrating commitment to service excellence, adaptability and flexibility and/or community service to those in need. Brownie Points can be awarded by management or transferred from one employee to another, allowing peers to recognize each other for acts that support the Monarch mission or help them directly.

Without further adieu, here are our winners:

This year's winner is Caregiver Jim P! Jim (one of our more senior Caregivers) has demonstrated time and again remarkable flexibility, a genuine concern for those he cares for and numerous accolades from his primary client. That client had been with another care provider in the past and was very unhappy with their service. After working with Jim they have nothing but great things to say about him and the ways he helps them. Bravo Jim!

Jim will receive a signed certificate, a Monarch embroidered attaché case and a gift card valued at $300.oo!

We also have an honorable mention for Caregiver Helena M! While Helena is a more recent addition to our team, we felt her efforts were more than due a mention. Helena started with us as a come-and-go Caregiver. Shortly after starting with us, one of her clients needed live-in attention. WIth hardly a question, Helena put her personal life on hold and eagerly volunteered for the work. Due to her dedication, our client continues to live in the comfort of home with a familiar face and the service she's come to expect and enjoy.

For Helena's efforts, she will receive dinner at her favorite restaurant and a portable GPS unit valued at approximately $100.00!

From the management at Monarch, we want to thank them and the rest of the team for a great year as we look forward to more and better in 2011.

Kindest Regards,
Joe and Karen Tirio