Month: September, 2010

How to Choose a Referral and Placement Agency

Blog Post by Amie Clark, Owner of The Senior Resource Network and TheSeniorList.com

The elder care industry has seen an explosion in Referral and Placement Services over the last decade.  Anywhere you have a plethora of housing options for seniors, you will find one or several referral agencies eager to assist you and your family to find the right fit.  That’s where the similarities end.

Some agencies will simply supply you a list of “recommended” facilities based on a short telephone interview or an on-line screening.  Others may want to visit with you and any involved family, and of course, the soon-to-be resident to discuss needs, wants, and preferences and then hand-hold you through the entire process of searching for mom or dad’s next home.  For some families, it depends on time-frame.  For others, it depends on personality or experience of the agent.  Following is a list of questions to consider when selecting a referral agent- after all, this is one of the most important decisions of all time.

1.*How much experience does the agent and/or agency have?  How long have they been in business?  What kinds of resources are available to them to make sure they are exploring only the best options for your loved one (office staff, database)?
2.*Is the agency paid by facilities?  If so, how many do they work with?  Will certain facilities be excluded from your search because they are not contracted with the referral agency?
3.*Does the referral agency check the public disclosure files of all the housing options in your area (complaints, survey results)?  If so, how often?  If not, can they provide you with the information to view the data yourself?
4.*Does the agency preview all homes and facilities that it recommends to you?
5.*What criteria does the agency use to make referrals to you?  Do they perform an assessment?  Who do they gather this information from?  Are physicians, social workers, home care agencies, therapists, or other caregivers involved in the information gathering process?
6.*Do they work with all budgets?  Do they work with Medicaid clients?
7.*Do they belong to any professional organizations?
8.*How quickly can they provide you with the information you need?
9.*Can they provide professional and past client references?
 

If you have only recently started your search for a referral agency, but don’t know where to turn, call your local Aging Services office, hospital, or rehab facility and ask for recommendations.  Social workers and case managers work with referral agents frequently, they will have the inside scoop and good recommendations.

No Comments by Mike Brunt on September 24, 2010
filed in Senior Housing Options

When Too Much Stuff Becomes a Household Hazard

Blog Post by Mike Brunt

Breaking Point – When Too Much Stuff Becomes a Household Hazard

Those of us who spend any amount of time with seniors in their private homes or apartments know that most seniors find comfort in their familiar surroundings and treasured possessions. Although there is generally a natural tendency to accumulate things over a long period of time, seniors who have an especially hard time parting with their “stuff” can put themselves and their homes at risk.

“A lifetime accumulation of belongings combined with an influx of daily junk mail, bills, newspapers and magazines can quickly overwhelm seniors who are struggling physically, mentally, or emotionally,” said Paul Hogan, CEO and Co-Founder of the Home Instead Senior Care network.

The risks of overcluttered homes are many including slipping on loose papers, the threat of fire, and health effects of mold and mildew. I have been in the home of a senior who collected free food items that were donated to her local senior center. Her cupboards, counters, and multiple refrigerators and freezers were at maximum capacity and she had actually started stacking food on the floors. This kind of hoarding is obviously not a part of normal aging, but sometimes, the line between normal accumulation and pathological hoarding is hard to define.

Home Instead Senior Care has developed a public information campaign to address the problem of clutter creep. I really like the information because it goes beyond the idea of “just needing to clean up” and addresses the emotional attachments to things and the inability to organize that many seniors experience. Many times seniors’ objects have multi-generational significance to them and even help to tell their life stories. They can feel a strong responsibility to carry on the tradition and bequeath their things to others.

The web site for this public information campaign is called Breaking Point: Decoding the Problem of Seniors and Hoarding. Here you will find relevant and useful resources including the following:

  • “10 Reasons Seniors Hang On To Stuff”
  • “If Your Senior Won’t Let Go…”
  • “A Caregiver’s Guide to Spot Clutter Creep”

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    Also, here is a link to a recent article in the New York Times about this topic.

    No Comments by Mike Brunt on September 20, 2010
    filed in Aging In Place, Communication and Relationships, Education for Senior Providers, Geriatric Psychiatry, Isolation and Depression, Senior Nutrition and Health

    Laughter is the Best Medicine Video – Over a Million Views

    Blog Post by Mike Brunt

    Laughter is the Best Medicine Video

    If laughter is the best medicine, then a whole lot of people were medicating themselves online with this video last week. With over a million views in just one week, this video has become a phenomenon that is striking a chord with seniors and their loved ones all over the world.

    At first glance, there’s no sign that this is going to be funny. Mary Maxwell, an older adult and friend of the couple who founded Home Instead Senior Care, was asked to give the invocation at the company’s 2009 Convention.

    Initially it seemed like a normal prayer, but it soon took a very funny turn. Her deadpan delivery and lines like …This is the first time I’ve ever been old… and it just sort of crept up on me … soon had the franchise owners rolling in the aisles. With the timing of a professional comedian, Mary shines a very funny light on the foibles of aging, to the delight of this audience of senior-care experts.

    If you enjoy this, please forward it to your friends. Maybe next week will be 2 million views!

     Laughter is the Best Medicine Video

    3 Comments by Mike Brunt on September 3, 2010
    filed in The Lighter Side of Aging
    At Home Instead Senior Care, we provide non-medical services to senior citizens in their own homes or apartments. Our services include companionship, light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders, escorting to appointments, personal care, and dementia care. We help seniors maintain their independence and help them stay safe, healthy, and happy at home, wherever home may be.