Half of all baby boomers are providing care for their aging parents. Many of them have made the perhaps ill-advised promise to “never put Mom in a nursing home.” I made this promise and, like you, I fully intended to keep my promise at the time I made it. But sometimes things get to a point where moving your Mom to an assisted living really is the best choice. Maybe Mom falls and breaks her hip and can no longer live alone. Perhaps Dad starts to exhibit some of the signs of Alzheimer’s disease, like leaving the house and getting lost.

Are you prepared to make an informed decision about what type of facility would be best for your parent? Don’t be like most people who stick their heads firmly in the sand (who wants to face mortality anyway?) and then panic and make the placement decision in crisis mode.

Here are some insider tips to help you out:

Make sure the shoe fits: One size does not fit all in assisted living. There are 6-bed facilities and there are 120-bed communities. If your...

Did you know hospital readmissions cost Medicare $710 million dollars each year? Additionally, what does that do to the morale of the senior who is being sent back?

This is Part 1 of a 2 part series on how your assisted living home can benefit from taking proactive steps toward reducing hospital readmissions. In essence, you want to bridge the gap between your business and the medical providers you interact with on a regular basis. By being proactive and changing your processes you can showcase your organization as innovative and forward-thinking. This will gain the attention of prospects, local physicians and hospitals. Think about what that can do for your bottom line!

If you hadn’t noticed by now, all organizations in the health care field are being heavily encouraged to do their part. In fact, it is the number one goal for the American Health Care Association‘s (AHCA) 2012 Quality Initiative Campaign. ...

94 year-old Dorothy C. has fallen three times in the past 18 months – in the kitchen, at the supermarket, and tripping over the cat at her new senior luxury apartment. Regardless of falling, Dorothy knew she needed to keep moving. So she started taking Gentle Tai Chi – Qi Gong classes at her senior community once each week.

 

Dorothy's biggest challenge before starting Tai Chi was her shaken confidence and the fear of not being able to re-gain her independence. Dorothy finds her life better now that she is able to relax her mind and her body, while keeping it moving with Tai Chi! She is quick to point out that her lungs have really benefitted from deep breathing, rather than the shallow, fast breathing she had been experiencing all day long. She also believes that slow movements are safe movements that life is not a race, and slow deliberate movements are very enlightening. Depending on the day and several other factors, she may do Tai Chi standing or sitting. Weighing in at 95 pounds, building and maintaining bone strength with Tai Chi is always on her mind. No matter what, she is there, and more and more each week, she believes Tai Chi is effortless!

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The holiday season can be rough for those living in assisted living situations. During the holidays, family members and friends are busy, and some live far away from their elderly loved ones. The holidays can also serve as a reminder of all of the loved ones that the elderly have lost, or how they can no longer participate in family holiday events. This leaves some residents feeling lonely, sad, and (medically worse) depressed. 

The foot is the window to your sole!  Many conditions show their first manifestations in the feet. Some of these include: arthritis, circulatory conditions, nerve disorders and diabetes. As patients age, it becomes more difficult for seniors to reach their feet, see their feet and have the strength to take care of their feet. 

This blog introduces real-life scenarios to facilitate conversation about how ethics can be a fun and positive way to increase both your value and your relationships.

Second only to oxygen, water is the nutrient most needed for life. A person can live for a month without food, but most people can survive only 3 to 4 days without water. Water makes up 85% of the blood, 70% of the muscles, and about 75% of the brain.

Welcome! We’re thrilled to share our first blog post and hope you’ll interact with us regularly by sharing questions, ideas, and helpful feedback.