Senior Housing and Assisted Living

Patients, who have impaired functioning of some parts of the body after an illness or injury, receive rehabilitation therapy that includes physical, occupational and speech therapy. This physical therapy concentrates on specific parts of the body and uses specific exercises as well as tissue manipulation. The biggest advantage of this type of therapy is that, it relieves pain and strengthens weak muscles. Occupational therapy works on slightly different principles, it endeavors to bring the patients back to their normal working routine. This therapy carefully examines the physical strength, range of motion, as well as balance of patients.

If a person suffers from stroke or speaking disabilities, then he/she requires Speech therapy to aid their speaking capabilities. This therapy treats its patients with the help of advanced technical material and devices, which in turn helps them pronounce words and sentences. In order to get them relieved in minimum time, many serious cases require several types of therapies and nursing facilities at the same time. Several patients require different types of therapy at the same time, to recover quickly.

Serious conditions like a stroke, developmental disabilities, an accident, or other illnesses can result in the loss of different body parts or functions. When a patient is sent to rehabilitation clinics for various kinds of therapy, the first task is to assess the patients' disabilities and assign treatments targeted at restoring the lost faculties. Different kinds of tests may be done to evaluate the total damage. This includes a full physical and psychological assessment, including a full X-ray, CT Scan, or even a MRI.

Besides helping the disabled with their new artificial limbs, physical therapists also help patients suffering from osteoporosis, diabetes and walking disabilities. Using skilled facility, this therapy intends to provide independence and well-being to its patients, so that they are able to live on their own and get back to their normal lives. The medical supervisor quantifies the progress of the treatment at regular intervals and makes the necessary changes accordingly.

Many rehabilitation therapy schools teach the study of human development and growth, with special focus on restoring different cognitive skills in patients with illnesses or disabilities. These healthcare schools offer composite theoretical and practical courses for students, so they can have a rewarding career by helping those in need.

Students can also opt for courses at Bachelor and Master Levels. Besides a three year Bachelor's degree program, they offer full time as well as part time course for Masters Degree. Some schools also offer their students with options like Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in rehabilitation therapy.

Learn more about local health care providers in you market. Stop by Scott Black's site to find premier medical providers in your market.

A skilled nursing facility is available for retirement communities and senior citizens, who are unable to take care of themselves due to old age, injury or disability. Chronic medical conditions often make fit and working people, also require help in carrying out simple day to day activities.

The condition of each patient is different, and in each case, personalized attention and treatment needs to be given. In order to qualify for care in a skilled nursing facility, the patient must require more attention than what is usually provided at home. In some cases, a patient is directly transferred from the hospital to a skilled nursing facility or an assisted living center as recommended by the physician, so that they can recover from their injuries as soon as possible. The medical coverage for this kind of service depends on the type of insurance the patient has, and the duration of the illness.

A skilled nursing facility has repertoire of services like: medical care by a Registered Nurse (RN), or personal care which may or may not be accompanied by medical care. Skilled facility and continuous medical care is provided to the patients recovering from major accident, infection, illness or more serious conditions like stroke or paralysis, this facility may last for duration of a few weeks or months.

Medical personnel in a skilled nursing facility can provide the following services: wound dressing in case of injury, monitoring and administering antibiotics, and speech and physical therapy. These services are generally provided in the short term, till such time the patient gets stronger and healthier. Other personal care services in these facilities include bathing and eating assistance, getting in and out of bed, toileting, and walking.

A skilled nursing facility is better equipped to provide medical care unlike other nursing homes, which lack medical facilities for emergencies. These nursing facilities provide assistance living facilities with daily activities, and also allow more independent living than nursing homes. You can opt for short term or long term assisted living services, depending upon the condition of the patient or the time he/she is likely to take in getting well again. Being less expensive than a nursing home makes this facility more preferable by people approaching their retirement age.

Most people search the internet to look for skilled nursing facilities or assisted living centers. You should check the facilities and qualifications of the staff to choose a center that would address your requirements.

Learn more about local health care providers in you market. Stop by Scott Black's site to find premier medical providers in your market.

The word pharmacy is derived from the Greek word for 'drug'. This field of health sciences was developed to ensure safe dispensing and use of drugs for and by the general population. Earlier, the concept of a pharmacy included traditional roles such as dispensing medicines and compounding; however, pharmacies have assumed more elaborate and modern roles that include clinical roles such as counseling patients on drug information, and making sure that the right medicines are dispensed keeping in mind the history of the patient.

Pharmacists are healthcare professionals who have to enroll themselves in a four-year degree program to manage a pharmacy. They are equipped with the knowledge of chemical drugs and the human body, and thus ensure that patients receive the correct medication. Many pharmacists also own the pharmacies in which they practice.

Pharmacies can be of different types depending on the location, and can specialize in certain areas. Community pharmacies are retail stores that sell drugs and food items, and are commonplace in Australia, America and the UK. They are also referred to as chemist or drug stores. These pharmacies usually require an on-duty pharmacist and trained pharmacy technicians who help with the dispensing of the drug and counsel patients on the same.

Hospital pharmacies are found inside hospitals. To practice in a hospital pharmacy, pharmacists have to gain additional training and often specialize in clinical areas like critical care, HIV/AIDs, infectious diseases etc. Hospital pharmacies are different from community pharmacies, as they specialize in other products such as sterile equipments for patients undergoing surgeries.

Pharmacies concerned with clinical trial settings and patient's well-being come under the category of Clinical pharmacies. These pharmacies provide needful assistance and works in alliance with doctors, nurses and other medical practitioners involved in clinical study.

There's another type pharmacy that compounds drugs in such a way that they obtain a desired form and strength of the required medicine. Such pharmacies are called compounding pharmacies and they are generally found in hospitals, nursing home, nursing center and retirement communities.

Other less popular pharmacies include military, veterinary, nuclear, consulting and internet pharmacies. Online pharmacy is another innovative and cheap way of counseling drugs. This involves the concept of tele-pharmacy and is slowly gaining reputation. This type of pharmacy caters to those living in remote areas.

Locate a pharmacy near you today, contact us!

Learn more about local health care providers in you market. Stop by Scott Black's site to find premier medical providers in your market.

J.H. Floyd Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a 101 bed not-for-profit skilled nursing facility in Sarasota, FL recently selected Traditions Management to provide professional management and consulting services. The new management agreement started on February 1, 2010.  J.H. Floyd Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is part of the The J.H. Floyd Sunshine Manor Campus of Superior Care, a cornerstone in the Sarasota Community. The campus also includes an apartment complex known as J.H. Floyd Sunshine Village Inc, Sunshine Meadows Assisted Living Facility and Meadow Park Independent Living.  Traditions works with organizations in recovering assets which face clinical and financial challenges and has experience with a wide variety of communities.

“We have run a quality health care facility for years and are thrilled that Traditions has already been able to make a good thing even better,” stated board chairman George Bumbray, “Traditions brings a wealth of experience in all areas of nursing home operations, we are very pleased with the selection we have made and look forward to a long relationship.”

The Hebrew Home at Riverdale announced that it has joined the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System as an affiliate member which reinforces and builds on the long term relationship between The Hebrew Home and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.  Located on 19 acres along the Hudson River in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, The Hebrew Home encompasses a comprehensive array of continuing care services including a skilled nursing facility with 870 beds and 134 indepdent senior living apartments on the main campus.  Besides its onsite services, Hebrew Home’s ElderServe Homecare, providing traditional and long-term home healthcare programs for residents of Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and lower Westchester counties.

"The Hebrew Home is very excited about establishing a partnership with NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System," says Daniel Reingold, President and CEO of The Hebrew Home at Riverdale. "This relationship will help further create a seamless, efficient and superb continuum of care for New York’s senior population."

Additionally, a 40-unit assisted living program now being created within the existing infrastructure of The Hebrew Home at Riverdale, adding another level of care to its continuum at an affordable cost to those in need, including benefit Medicaid eligible seniors and victims of elder abuse residing in the community. The assisted living program has been made possible by an $8.27 million grant from the New York State Department of Health, the largest grant in Hebrew Home history. The grant comes under the HEAL (Healthcare Efficiency and Affordability Law) 12 Program, which seeks "right-sizing" by long-term care facilities.

"For more than a decade, NewYork-Presbyterian has had a close clinical and programmatic relationship with The Hebrew Home at Riverdale," says Herbert Pardes, MD, President and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Healthcare System. "

National HealthCare Corporation (NYSE-Amex: NHC); (NYSE-Amex: NHC.PRA) announced the recent opening of The Palmettos of Mauldin, a 45 unit assisted living community in Mauldin, South Carolina near Greenville.  The Palmettos will have 27 apartments in the assisted living wing and another 18 in the memory care wing that is adjacent to NHC Mauldin, a 180 bed skilled care facility, and expands NHC’s residential care in South Carolina to over 2,100 beds in 15 locations, along with 4 homecare offices and 7 hospice locations.

“The Palmetto’s location alongside the therapy and rehabilitation programs of NHC Mauldin will allow residents the freedom to remain in their apartments while receiving temporary care next door,” according to NHC President Steve Flatt. “This is also a strategic location because it can serve the Fountain Inn, Simpsonville and Greenville, South Carolina markets.”

As the mainstream press drones on and on about for foreclosures, a well written article in the New York Times talks about foreclosures of senior living projects, entitled “Elder-Care Home Foreclosures, Without Warning”.  The article highlights the need for financial due diligence that should be done on senior housing/living providers prior to moving into those facilities for consumers.  One of the more interesting tidbits are the comments about the “dirty side” of the business associated with the sale of distressed senior housing that the author wrote about as adjunct piece to the article in her blog.  The blog states that:

“The commercial real estate website loopnet.com advertises a six-bed board and care facility for elderly in “the heart of San Francisco,” whose owner “needs to sell.” The ad calls the asking price of $155,000 “a steal,” citing a $14,000 monthly income from its six residents and a five-year term of “interest-only payments.” However, the ad warns, “Do Not Approach Care Home as Staff are unaware of the sale.”

Both the story and blog entries are worth a read.

The numbers tell the story: By the year 2030, there will be over 72 million people over the age of 65 living in the United States. This group is being labeled the "Sandwich Generation" because they are sandwiched between their careers, caring for their kids as well as managing their elderly parents.

Starting the process of trying to line up help for an elderly parent is overwhelming task so many people understandably put it off. All you have to do is go to an online directory or open up the Yellow Pages under the categories of Nursing Home facilities or Home Health Care. Where do you even begin?

There are seemingly countless questions to ask. What are "assisted living" and "skilled nursing care"? How are they similar? How are they different? What is an "adult day care" facility? Of all the different care type choices, who qualifies for what? Which option is the best one for your situation? What do all these options cost? Does insurance cover any of it?

While it is beyond the scope of this article to delve into each type of care, some general advice follows.

1. By far the most important advice is to research your options sooner rather than later. Do not wait until a crisis occurs! If you wait until an emergency and don't start your research until the day your dad is schedule for release from the hospital, there is no way you can make rational, informed decisions. And from my experience running a senior home care agency, I can tell you there is nothing more stressful (for both parties!) than a panicked call at the end of the day from someone who needs to set up 24 hour care starting the next morning. You'll make things less stressful and make much better decisions if you start researching agencies and options before an emergency occurs.

2. Have a dedicated folder or notebook that you use to keep all your notes in as you research the various senior care options. There are some basic categories of care that you should become familiar with. They are Adult Day Care centers, Assisted Living Facilities, Non-Medical Home Care, Skilled Home Health Care and Skilled Nursing Facilities. Get a basic understanding of each of them and what types of situations each is best suited for. Once you have that understanding, then you can start looking into the various local options available.

3. By all means, use the Internet to help you with your research - it can be a wonderful timesaver. However, online research does not replace visiting a senior care facility. In my experience, what's been particularly helpful is after the "official" guided tour, see if you can walk around for a little while and talk with those visiting their loved ones about the experience that they've had with the facility. Most will be more than willing to answer any questions you have. Doing this will be much more revealing than the formal tour. Plus, they probably did their research and visited other facilities so you can get some ideas of other options that may be available.

4. While you may not be ready to hire a caregiver for you mom yet, it's a good idea to have a senior home care agency come to the home and do an initial assessment. This service is usually offered at no cost to you. This will give you the opportunity to evaluate various agencies and form a relationship with one or two that you like and trust. By doing this you can call on someone that you know (and is familiar with your situation) to call in case an emergency arises.

5. Find out whether your parents have a Long Term Care insurance policy and what it covers. And if they have a policy, make sure you know where it is.

Theanna Zika founded Saint Louis senior home care company, Heavenly Helpers, in 2004. She shares tips, strategies and advice about caring for seniors that she has learned over the years on the blog at her company's website. The site also features a helpful list of Saint Louis senior resources for seniors and their families in the Saint Louis Metro area.

A cat with a sixth sense…about those who are about to depart?  Sounds unbelievable, right?  The book "Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat", written by Dr. David Dosa, chronicles the interactions of Oscar and the residents of a Rhode Island nursing Home.  Oscar has accurately predicted almost 50 deaths over a five year period causing nursing home staff to pay attention to Oscar’s visits.  The stories outline some patient stories but more often than not, Oscar leaps into bed with the patient and purrs, giving companionship in the patient’s last moments before they depart.

Dr. David Dosa is the author and geriatrician that cares for patients suffering late stage dementia and began observing Oscar with the skeptical eye.  Over the course of time, Dr. Dosa observed that Oscar’s ability was always right.  The book provides some anecdotal scientific explanation as to the possibilities that give

The book is touching and engaging both for cat lovers and those in the senior care industry.  The book is well-written, compassionate and an easy read; keep an handkerchief handy as its a tear jerker.  Good gift idea for those who like to read and have loved ones or those who care for those with dementia.

1. Not having a discussions about alternative living arrangements for your parents.

It is critical to be proactive about this! If you start this process early on, it will be a lot easier and much less confrontational. When you start these discussions about options and choices early on, you are able to be much more relaxed and calm about it.

Waiting until after Mom has fallen and broken her hip, there is no time to be relaxed or low key. At that point emotions are running high and you are under the gun to find a solution for Mom's care quickly.

2. Being in the dark when it comes to your parent's finances.

Know whether or not they have a long term care policy. If so, you should know where it is and make sure it's easily accessible. Also, take some time to read through it so you know what it does and does not cover.

If they do not have insurance, what other financial resources do they have? Perhaps it would make sense for you and your parents to talk with an attorney about Medicaid eligibility and spend down rules. Also, if you have a parent who is a Veteran, it's possible they're eligible to receive coverage for some services.

3. When your parents' health starts to fail, thinking that a nursing home is the only option.

These days there are a myriad of choices and options. If one is adamant about staying in his or her own home, there is a good chance they can have care there until they pass.

There are also ways to be very creative about combining several modalities of care. For instance, a family might have their father go to adult day care several times a week during the day, then have a caregiver stay over nights and family members supplement the other times if needed. The possibilities are endless to customize a plan that is just right for your situation.

4. Waiting until the last minute to get help.

When Mom is scheduled to come home from the hospital tomorrow, there are few things more stressful than having to start coming up with a plan of care. In situations like that when there is so much stress, it's nearly impossible to make a good, rational decision in such a short period of time.

You'll want to do your research as early as possible. Identify some facilities or agencies and contact them. See which ones you get a good vibe from and build a relationship with them. Arrange for you and/or your parent(s) to visit or have someone come to the home for an assessment. By starting the process sooner rather than later, you can call on people who are familiar with your situation if an emergency occurs.

5. Only looking at cost when deciding between care options.

This can be a tricky one. If you are looking at nursing homes, understand that there are very expensive ones that have poor track records when it comes to care. Fancy brochures, videos or tours don't count for much. Try your best to talk with residents and their loved ones to get a better feeling about the quality of care the nursing home offers.

When it comes to in-home care, the lowest hourly rate may not be your best option. Keep in mind that good, quality caregivers require a higher salary. The good home care agencies simply can't offer the lowest rates yet provide the best senior caregivers. And be sure that you meet, and approve of, any caregiver BEFORE they start providing care for your loved one.

Theanna Zika started St. Louis senior home care company, Heavenly Helpers, in 2004. She shares tips, strategies and advice about caring for seniors that she has learned over the years on the blog at her company's website. The site also features a helpful list of St. Louis senior resources for seniors and their loved ones in the St. Louis Metro area.