by Chase Dost | Dec 13, 2022
When You Need to Stay in the Hospital Longer to Get Stronger
Sometimes, your loved one is going to be discharged from the hospital, and you feel that person is not ready to come home. You can refuse discharge. Every state has a quality innovation network Improvement Organization. These government agencies help people with Medicare and Medicaid.
KEPRO handles Florida, Georgia, etc. It is a beneficiary and family-centered, quality improvement organization that can help you.
Quite simply, this is how it works and I tried it with my mother a few years ago. The hospital gives a discharge order. You refuse the order. You call KEPRO for an appeal. A KEPRO physician reviews your loved ones record. The beneficiary and facility are notified of their decision.
Here is the cool part. You almost cannot lose. Reviewing the case takes 1-2 days, sometimes longer if a weekend is involved. Your loved one receives two days of care in the hospital. You are not charged anything for the extra days, because they cannot charge you during an ongoing appeal.
While most seniors face major adjustments when transitioning to an elder-care community, Jewish seniors face additional challenges. Not only do they lose their homes, and many of their friends, but they also lose ties to their cultural heritage. This is where the Jewish Pavilion, a 501c3 non-profit, steps in. The Pavilion serves as a resource that provides room visits, festive holiday celebrations, and more to 450 Jewish residents across 50 senior facilities. The Jewish Pavilion promotes inclusion, and thousands of seniors of all faiths are welcomed into our programs.
The Orlando Senior Help Desk (407-678-9363) helps thousands of callers navigate their way through the daunting senior maze, alleviating caregiver stress while giving advice on all types of elder issues.
by Chase Dost | Dec 13, 2022
Representative Payee
Some of the millions of people who get monthly Social Security or Supplemental Security Income benefits need help managing this money. A person assigned to help you manage your monthly benefits is called a representative payee. The Social Security office may decide you need a representative payee if they receive information that indicates you need help to manage your money. They try to select someone who knows you and wants to help you. Your representative payee should be someone who you trust, who sees you often, and who clearly understands your needs.
A representative payee receives your monthly benefits on your behalf and must use the money to pay for your current needs. Eligible costs include:
- housing and utilities;
- food;
- medical and dental expenses;
- personal care items;
- clothing; and
- rehabilitation expenses (if you’re disabled).
If there is someone you want to be your representative payee, tell a Social Security representative, and they will consider your request. Social service agencies, nursing homes, or other organizations are also qualified to be your representative payee. Ask them to contact the Social Security office.
If you receive a decision that you are appointed a representative payee and don’t agree that you need one, or if you want a different representative payee, write to the Social Security office within 60 days to appeal that decision.
If you can’t manage your finances, someone else can help. If you have a trusted friend or family member who can be your representative payee, their publication: A Guide for Representative Payees will provide more information on our representative payee rules.
While most seniors face major adjustments when transitioning to an elder-care community, Jewish seniors face additional challenges. Not only do they lose their homes, and many of their friends, but they also lose ties to their cultural heritage. This is where the Jewish Pavilion, a 501c3 non-profit, steps in. The Pavilion serves as a resource that provides room visits, festive holiday celebrations, and more to 450 Jewish residents across 50 senior facilities. The Jewish Pavilion promotes inclusion, and thousands of seniors of all faiths are welcomed into our programs.
The Orlando Senior Help Desk (407-678-9363) helps thousands of callers navigate their way through the daunting senior maze, alleviating caregiver stress while giving advice on all types of elder issues.
by Chase Dost | Dec 13, 2022
Medical Alert Systems
Medical alert systems should provide reliable, 24/7 monitoring by trained monitoring agents, allowing seniors and their caregivers to live with less worry, at home or on the go.
An alert system should provide the following:
- If there is an emergency, you should be able to push the button on your pendant or wristband. Systems with Fall Detection will automatically send an emergency alert to the company if a fall occurs.
- A monitoring center should receive the alert, and a trained monitoring agent should respond to over the base unit’s voice communicator. If there is no response, the agent should send help.
- The medical alert system monitor should notify emergency responders and/or family as needed. Professionally monitored medical alert systems should help make life simpler and safer for seniors and their caregivers. Having safety measures in place can help seniors continue to live their lives independently and provide immense peace of mind to caregivers.
While most seniors face major adjustments when transitioning to an elder-care community, Jewish seniors face additional challenges. Not only do they lose their homes, and many of their friends, but they also lose ties to their cultural heritage. This is where the Jewish Pavilion, a 501c3 non-profit, steps in. The Pavilion serves as a resource that provides room visits, festive holiday celebrations, and more to 450 Jewish residents across 50 senior facilities. The Jewish Pavilion promotes inclusion, and thousands of seniors of all faiths are welcomed into our programs.
The Orlando Senior Help Desk (407-678-9363) helps thousands of callers navigate their way through the daunting senior maze, alleviating caregiver stress while giving advice on all types of elder issues.
by Chase Dost | Jun 30, 2022
Managing Medication
According to the American Geriatrics Society, more than 80% of older adults are living with multiple health conditions. With each new health problem, things may become exponentially more complicated! A senior may see multiple doctors. There are many appointments to coordinate, and a confusing array of recommendations to follow.
Medication management is quite a challenge. Many seniors take 10 or more medications. This is super complicated, because a drug prescribed for one health problem could worsen another.
Friends and loved ones are often called upon to help these elders. For many families, professional in-home care is the key to helping loved ones juggle multiple conditions.
Professional in home care givers support health management for seniors in the following ways:
- Help coordinate healthcare appointments
- Drive and accompany clients to medical appointments
- Pick up prescriptions and provide medical reminders
- Supervise exercise and other recommended activities
- Grocery ship and prepare healthy meals to accommodate special diets
- Provide housekeeping and laundry services
- Remove fall hazards
- Assist with bathing, dressing, grooming, and toileting
Professional home caregivers allow families to have greater peace of mind and can provide memory care supervision.
While most seniors face major adjustments when transitioning to an elder-care community, Jewish seniors face additional challenges. Not only do they lose their homes, and many of their friends, but they also lose ties to their cultural heritage. This is where the Jewish Pavilion, a 501c3 non-profit, steps in. The Pavilion serves as a resource that provides room visits, festive holiday celebrations, and more to 450 Jewish residents across 50 senior facilities. The Jewish Pavilion promotes inclusion, and thousands of seniors of all faiths are welcomed into our programs.
The Orlando Senior Help Desk (407-678-9363) helps thousands of callers navigate their way through the daunting senior maze, alleviating caregiver stress while giving advice on all types of elder issues.
by Chase Dost | Jun 30, 2022
When to Give Up the Car Keys?
There are certain signals that might mean it is time to give up the car keys. Unfortunately, very few seniors pay attention to these signs:
- You are nervous behind the wheel.
- Your reactions are too slow due to your vision.
- You have trouble reading street signs.
- You’ve had a near mishap because you didn’t see a pedestrian, an object or another vehicle.
- You get lost easily.
- Your hearing has decreased.
- Your legs no longer work perfectly.
We suggest you start talking about these issues with your parents as early as possible. You may want to make a deal with them such as this is the last car we will purchase, and when the car dies, we agree that your driving days are over.
In the optimum situation, an adult child can ask the parent’s physician to discuss driving with their loved one. This generation of older adults has tremendous respect for doctors and often listen to doctors more than their own children. The doctor may suggest that a senior retake the driving test. He or she may be better able to explain the risks and provide alternatives.
There are less optimal ways to stop your parents from driving such as having a relative “borrow the car,” hide or “lose” the car keys, take the car for repair and not bring it back, disable the car or anonymously report your parent to the DNV. While these may work, I cannot ethically recommend them.
While most seniors face major adjustments when transitioning to an elder-care community, Jewish seniors face additional challenges. Not only do they lose their homes, and many of their friends, but they also lose ties to their cultural heritage. This is where the Jewish Pavilion, a 501c3 non-profit, steps in. The Pavilion serves as a resource that provides room visits, festive holiday celebrations, and more to 450 Jewish residents across 50 senior facilities. The Jewish Pavilion promotes inclusion, and thousands of seniors of all faiths are welcomed into our programs.
The Orlando Senior Help Desk (407-678-9363) helps thousands of callers navigate their way through the daunting senior maze, alleviating caregiver stress while giving advice on all types of elder issues.
by Chase Dost | Jun 30, 2022
Hydration Tips for Seniors
As we age, the amount of fluid in our bodies begins to decrease. This means there are fewer water reserves available for your body to use as you get older. There is a lowered thirst response. The natural aging process weakens the body’s ability to signal it does not have enough fluid. This means older adults don’t feel as thirsty as younger people do, and they may not realize they need to drink water.
Experts generally recommend that older adults consume at least 1.7 liters of fluid per 24 hours. This corresponds to 57.5 fluid ounces, or 7.1 cups. Causes of refusal to eat and drink may include physiologic changes associated with aging, mental disorders including dementia and depression, medical, social, and environmental factors. What do you do when someone refuses to drink water?
Tips for getting seniors to drink fluids:
1. Add some sparkle. Try seltzer or other bubbly water-based drinks.
2. Flavor it up with lemons, limes, cucumbers, etc.
3. Try a splash of 100% juice.
4. Eat fruits and veggies.
5. Have soup.
6. Drink tea or coffee.
7. Drink dairy and milk-alternatives.
While most seniors face major adjustments when transitioning to an elder-care community, Jewish seniors face additional challenges. Not only do they lose their homes, and many of their friends, but they also lose ties to their cultural heritage. This is where the Jewish Pavilion, a 501c3 non-profit, steps in. The Pavilion serves as a resource that provides room visits, festive holiday celebrations, and more to 450 Jewish residents across 50 senior facilities. The Jewish Pavilion promotes inclusion, and thousands of seniors of all faiths are welcomed into our programs.
The Orlando Senior Help Desk (407-678-9363) helps thousands of callers navigate their way through the daunting senior maze, alleviating caregiver stress while giving advice on all types of elder issues.
