by Joel Jones | 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 Joel Jones | 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 Joel Jones | 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 Joel Jones | Jun 30, 2022
Adult Day Care
Adult Day Care is a community-based program. There are more than 4,000 centers across the country with more than 78 percent operating on a non-profit basis. All medical model adult day health care programs are affiliated and licensed under nursing homes. If you are considering an adult day health care program, here are some tips to help you get started in choosing the one best suited for your loved one.
Select a daycare model:
Decide whether you want a medical or social model.
- Medical Model Adult Day Health Care Program: The medical model program offers adults who are chronically ill or in need of health monitoring access to nursing care, rehabilitation therapy, social work services, and assistance with personal care. Medical model programs have a registered nurse and rehabilitation therapists on site.
- Social Model Adult Day Health Care Program: This is the most common type of adult day center. The social model provides seniors with supervised care in a safe environment, as well as a place to socialize and stay physically and mentally active.
Round-Trip Transportation is Key
Some adult day health care programs provide door-to-door, round-trip transportation. The vans should be equipped with an electronic lift and other equipment to accommodate people in wheelchairs, walkers or canes.
Take note of everything!
- What’s your first impression you have after walking through the door?
- Are the staff and patients happily engaged in activities together?
- Are the recreation and dining areas clean?
- Are the walls brightly decorated with patients’ artwork?
- Are there people who speak my language or come from a similar background?
- Are the activities offered age appropriate for me?
Emergency and Safety Plans
Every adult day health care program must have a medical and safety emergency plan. Ask the person who takes you on a tour to show you the written plan.
- What is your procedure if someone falls?
- In an emergency, how are clients evacuated from the center?
- Do you have smoke detectors?
- Do you have fire extinguishers?
- Do you have a defibrillator?
Activities
Adult day health care programs should have a weekly or monthly calendar of activities posted. If not, ask for it when you’re on your tour. Offerings should range from group activities such as exercise programs, arts and crafts, games etc. Ask whether they provide trips. Do they bring in outside guests to entertain or educate?
Meals and Snacks
Adult day health care programs usually provide at least one meal and a snack during the day. Specialty diets, such as low sodium, low sugar and low cholesterol are accommodated at most programs. Ask the center for a copy of their weekly or monthly menu. Try during your tour to taste the food.
Personal Grooming
Your loved one may need some assistance with personal grooming. Does the program have adequate staff to handle those needs, such as toileting, showering and other personal care? For those folks who are incontinent, does the staff handle toileting?
After evaluating and experiencing a few adult day health care programs, seeing the range of activities and enthusiasm of the staff, taking a look at the menus and simply “get the feel” of the programs, you’ll be in a better position to select the program that you feel is the most appropriate for your loved one. It’s also a good idea to speak with participants about how they feel about the program while you are on your tour.
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 Joel Jones | Jun 30, 2022
Improving Cognitive Health
Cognitive performance is not fixed. There are small changes people can make in their daily lives that should sustain higher cognitive functioning in old age.
1. Keep the mind active through work, volunteering, hobbies or playing games. Learning new skills can be a real brain boost. Learning new skills or dance steps can be very beneficial. Using the opposite hand to do a task like brushing your teeth can also be helpful.
2. Engage in social activities, with family, friends, peers, etc.
3. Stay physically active with exercise, or household chores like gardening.
4. Seniors need to stay on top of their physical health because a healthy body is a good foundation for a healthy mind. It’s essential that one handles high blood pressure and other chronic conditions. It’s also important to manage stress, get adequate sleep, and maintain a healthy diet.
By doing a combination of all these things, seniors can expect tangible results. Some evidence suggests that by following healthy practices, seniors can build a cognitive reserve that makes their brain resistant to neuropathological damage. This reserve provides the ability to maximize critical thinking to the end of life, thus helping seniors compensate for natural changes in the brain that accrue with age.
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 Joel Jones | 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 Joel Jones | 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 Joel Jones | 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.
by Joel Jones | Jun 30, 2022
What is Elder Abuse?
Elder abuse is defined as “an intentional act or failure to act by a caregiver or another person in a relationship involving an expectation of trust that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult.” It is a term under which five types of abuse are reflected:
- Caregiver Neglect: Family members who live with their elderly parents may leave their loved ones alone while they are at work. While they would not leave their children alone, a senior with dementia may be just as vulnerable.
- Financial Fraud and Exploitation
- Psychological Abuse
- Sexual Abuse
- Physical Abuse
At least 10% of adults age 65 and older will experience some form of elder abuse in a given year, with some older adults simultaneously experiencing more than one type of abuse.
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 Joel Jones | Jun 30, 2022
Summer for Someone with Alzheimer’s
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6 in 10 people with Alzheimer’s disease will wander. Wandering is best described as a tendency to roam or walk around without a clear destination or purpose. For those with Alzheimer’s disease, the destination or purpose of the walk is often forgotten, causing them to become confused or lost.
As a caregiver, you must be concerned about the safety of someone who wanders. There may be no harm in wandering a contained space, but for someone with dementia who gets lost outside, the risk of injury is high. You would not allow a child to roam. A senior with dementia may have equivalent judgment.
There are several reasons why a person who has dementia might wander, and understanding these will help you put some practical interventions in place:
- Stress, fear, and anxiety
- Searching for important people, such as old friends or family members
- Searching for the bathroom
- Searching for food
- Visual-spatial challenges
- Memory loss
- Boredom, especially at night (called sundowning) and restlessness
- Pain
- Poor sleep, restlessness
People with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia may have pain and can’t express it verbally, so they wander to find relief. Overstimulating environments can also cause anxiety and the urge to “get away.”
Home Adaptations to Support Safe Wandering:
- Keep spaces clutter-free to minimize fall risk
- Remove rugs to minimize risk of falls
- Eliminate the need to use stairs
- Lock the stovetop to prevent your loved one from trying to cook
- Keep windows and doors locked
- Install alarms on all exterior doors
- Camouflage doors–hang curtains over exterior doors to make them less visible
- Use a pressure-sensitive alarm mat to notify you when your loved one gets up at night
- Install gates to dissuade entry to unsafe areas of the house, including stairs
- Fence in the backyard to allow your loved one access without risk
- Install safety locks on kitchen cabinets
- Lock up all medications and cleaning products
Behavioral Strategies for Wandering Caused by Dementia
Knowing that part of the cause of wandering is boredom, anxiety, and fear, learning behavioral strategies to keep your loved one occupied can prevent unsafe wandering. The added benefit is reducing unwanted agitation and frustration.
Here are some ways to help a loved one with dementia:
- Redirect and distract with an activity or exercise
- Find out if your loved one is in pain, too hot or cold, thirsty, or hungry
- Minimize noise and overstimulation
- Turn on the music–music has been found to have a calming effect on people with dementia
- Listen to your loved one’s concerns with compassion, and to the extent you can, try and alleviate their fears and anxieties
- Provide lots of healthy snacks–wandering uses excess energy reserves and frequent snacks can help offset weight loss caused by dementia
While it may be impossible to prevent wandering completely, you will want to permit safe wandering and reduce the risk of falls. Most importantly, measures should be taken to prevent your loved one with Alzheimer’s from venturing outdoors, particularly in Florida, where summer heat can be life-threatening.
Technology for People with Dementia
Safety products that permit safe wandering have come a long way over the years. Today, there are a range of devices to manage and monitor your loved one’s activities and give yourself a break from constant supervision.
- An Emergency Response System (ERS) detects falls and has built-in GPS tracking
- In-home video monitors with continuous feeds can be monitored via smartphones
- Smart sensors collect data, detect unusual movement, and monitor for smoke and carbon dioxide
- Safety Alarms alert you to movement and can be installed on beds, chairs, wheelchairs, doors, and windows
Constant supervision and interaction with your loved one can be exhausting, expensive, and time-consuming. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses and symptoms and behaviors become more than you can manage at home, a memory care community can help. These communities are specifically designed for those with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and provide around-the-clock care to assure the safety and well-being of those with memory challenges and wandering symptoms.
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.
