Mandatory Consultation – 4 months later, how’s it going?

Roman Bloemke, Director of Operations at Welcome Home was quoted in a story recently published on the Assisted Living Federation of America’s news releases.

The story takes a look at Minnesota’s new requirement regarding mandatory consultation since it was implemented October 2011.

While we are for education and information, we believe that this requirement is at the wrong stage in life.

Consumers should have this knowledge when they are in the early 40′s and 50′s. If done at that time, something similar to the “55 Alive” program where drivers get a discounted insurance rates after taking a class, would seem to be more of an appropriate time.

As we age, we all want to know what our options are. If we learn information early enough in our lives, we can begin planning for our future.

What are your thoughts?

Online Dementia and Driving Resource Center helps families tackle a difficult topic

Due to the progressive nature of Alzheimer’s, every person with the disease will eventually become unable to drive. Some people are able to continue driving in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, but it requires ongoing evaluation to ensure safety.

As hard as it is for people living with Alzheimer’s to give up driving, addressing the topic is often just as hard on caregivers. In response to this delicate topic and lack of resources to address it, the Alzheimer’s Association, with support from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, created a new Dementia and Driving Resource Center (DDRC) located online at alz.org/driving.

The DDRC was designed to inform and support the needs of both caregivers and people living with dementia in a compassionate manner. The site features four short videos depicting different scenarios for approaching driving and dementia. In addition, the DDRC has tips and strategies for planning ahead and handling resistance, common signs of unsafe driving, resources for alternative methods of transportation and additional information on driving and safety.

Adding to our social network

For the past three years, we have been looking at the best outlets for our message and ways for families to see what Mom and Dad or Grandpa and Grandma are doing on a daily basis.

We first dipped our toes in the social media landscape by developing our Facebook page.  You can also find our communities Facebook pages from our website.

Shortly thereafter, we started this blog.

In the past year, we’ve moved towards building our space on YouTube.

For those of you who are on Google+, we are have just opened our page there as well.

In the next year, look for all of our social media channels to increase activity.  Our goal is to give you relevant information that affect our residents and their families.  We also want to show you pictures and stories about our communities and what is help shape them in to such great places.  We also want to share with you video of events and of our residents and what they are involved in.

We think of these places as our daily newsletters to you, our friends and family.

Come along on our journey as we move forward this year.  It’s already looking to be a great one!

Roman Bloemke, Director of Operations

Klobuchar’s bill aims to protect seniors, vulnerable people

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, is introducing a new bill aimed at protecting seniors and vulnerable people.

She was recently in Duluth, Minnesota to hold a town hall meeting on the proposal.  According to the Duluth News Tribune, “Klobuchar’s bill, the Guardian Accountability and Senior Protection Act (S.F. 1744), would provide money to help state courts improve procedures dealing with adult guardianship and conservatorship. It also would authorize a pilot program for conducting background checks on people wanting to be appointed as guardians or conservators.”

We applaud Senator Klobuchar on her efforts on this issue.

Read the full story on her legislation at the Duluth News Tribune.

Obesity May Influence Older Adults’ Risk of Falls

Article from the Assisted Living Federation of America.

A new study indicates that obese seniors are more likely to fall than their recommended weight counterparts. When these falls resulted in injury, researchers found obese individuals less likely to recover.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, followed 10,755 individuals, aged 65 and up, between 1998 and 2006. Researchers found that obese participants were 12 to 50 percent more likely than the recommended weight participants to have fallen during this time.  This range depended on the level of obesity, with a 50 percent higher risk seen among participants with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher. Researchers factored in obesity related health conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, and stroke, but still found obesity itself to be linked to a higher fall risk.

Being severely obese offered some protection against injury. Those with a BMI of 40 or higher were one-third less likely to be injured by a fall than normal weight individuals. The obese individuals with a BMI lower than 40 however had a higher risk of long term disability after a fall. When they were injured, all obese seniors were less likely to recover than their recommended weight peers.

Read more about the findings out of Syracuse University in the Chicago Tribune’s article:Obesity Linked to Older Adults’ Risk of Falls at www.chicagotribune.com

 

Comment Period Opens for U.S. Alzheimer’s Plan

From the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association (WALA) via ALFA.  Welcome Home is a member of WALA.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released an initial framework for a national plan addressing Alzheimer’s disease. The framework tackles the problem from different angles and is open for comment through February 8, 2012.

The draft framework was created based on input from the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services, which is comprised of over 20 representatives from federal agencies and organizations outside the Federal Government. The framework seeks to address five goals:

• Prevent and Effectively Treat Alzheimer’s Disease by 2025.
• Optimize Care Quality and Efficiency.
• Expand Patient and Family Support.
• Enhance Public Awareness and Engagement.
• Track Progress and Drive Improvement.

The plan takes a multi-faceted approach to each goal. For example, in order to enhance care quality and efficiency, the agency outlines a plan to build a larger workforce of long term care providers and others who care for those with Alzheimer’s as well as implement policies that allow for easy transitions between hospitals and long term care settings. The plan asserts a commitment to advancing research but also to maintaining dignity, safety, and other rights for those with Alzheimer’s disease. Many other departments, agencies, and organizations will be collaborating with HHS in the coming years to implement the plan, when finalized.

Read the full document: “Draft Framework for the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease” and submit your comments about the plan to HHS at NAPA@hhs.gov.

Noticing signs of Alzheimer’s in friends or family at the holidays

 

The holidays offer busy and remote families an opportunity to gather and spend time with loved ones who they see only occasionally during the year.  While visiting, you may notice changes in a relative that raise questions about their health. 

It’s often difficult to know the difference between typical age-related changes and the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Some people may recognize these changes in themselves before anyone else notices. Other times, friends and family will be the first to observe changes in the person’s memory, behavior or abilities. They may be easier to notice in a person who you don’t see very frequently.

Know the 10 Signs: Early Detection Matters, the Alzheimer’s Association’s national early detection campaign, can help you to recognize the warning signs of Alzheimer’s in a loved one.

The signs are a key tool in increasing recognition of changes that indicate Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Early detection, diagnosis and intervention are critical because they provide the best opportunities for treatment, support and planning for the future.

The 10 signs include:

•  Memory changes that disrupt daily life
• Challenges in planning or solving problems
• Difficulty completing familiar tasks
• Confusion with time or place
• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
• New problems with words in speaking or writing
• Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
• Decreased or poor judgment
• Withdrawal from work or social activities
• Changes in mood and personality

If you or someone you care about is experiencing any of the 10 warning signs, please see a doctor to find the cause. For more information about the signs, early detection and diagnosis, contact the Alzheimer’s Association at 877.IS.IT.ALZ (877.474.8259) or visit www.alz.org/10signs.

Know the 10 Signs Info Graphic

For more information about the Alzheimer’s Association, visit them at www.alz.org.

 

Calendar Girls and Guys

Every day, right before lunch, there are about 10 to 15 people that wait in the hallway right outside the dining room doors for seating to begin. This is an excellent time for socializing with each other because sometimes, this is the only time some of the residents get to see each other.

Shirley, who has lived at Potter Ridge for 3 years, always makes sure the conversations flow and offers suggestions for ways that residents can interact more with each other. About two weeks ago, Shirley commented on how nice it would be to have a calendar printed with everyone’s photo on it, but she quickly added that “I know it’s too late and impossible to do this, so just forget it.”

When someone says that, Mickie usually tries to prove them wrong, and this time was one of those times. She started asking who would like to be a “calendar girl or boy” and immediately a show of hands from the other residents excitedly told her they wanted to pose in the calendar on the month they were born.

The Sheldon Theater in Red Wing has a huge costume shop that rented out costumes for special occasions and knew right away that it would be perfect for what they were looking for.  Before long, all the calendar spots were taken and most of the models knew what they wanted to dress up as.

Within a week we had costumes for everyone. Mickie’s daughter, Elyce Jaeger, an amateur photographer, agreed to take the photos, and Design Ink, a local print shop, agreed to get the calendars printed before Christmas. On picture day, everyone gathered around to put on their costumes and makeup. It was just like playing dress-up. Everyone was “oohing and aahing”, and giggling and laughing with each other – it was a sight to see. The photos turned out great and the proofs were already completed by the printer.

On December 21, from 3:00 to 4:00, the models will be having a “meet and greet” event at the Best of Times Book store in Red Wing where you can purchase your own copy of the calendar.

The entire process in planning and developing the calendars has been amazing. The residents are still commenting about the fun they had and how excited they are to be able to see the final calendars. The socialization and camaraderie has kept the residents buzzing with excitement, what a great way to end the year!

Calendars are available for $18, plus shipping and handling (estimated at $5.00).  Proceeds go to the resident’s activity fund.  The fund helps defray costs for events and special community life programs at Potter Ridge.

If you would like to purchase a calendar or would like more information, please contact Mickie Schutz, Community Life Coordinator at (651) 388-1546.

Potter Ridge Assisted Living Community is located in Red Wing, Minnesota and is managed by Welcome Home Management, Inc. of Hutchinson, Minnesota.

Update:  The Red Wing Republican Eagle recently published a story on our Calendar Guys and Gals.

Thanks and Gratitude

The years seem to fly by so quickly sometimes.  It seems like we just wrote our annual Thanksgiving post here on the blog.

Roman Bloemke, Welcome Home Management

This post for me comes really easy every year, because we have so much to be thankful for.  When you work with caring and compassionate people, it just makes coming to work that much more enjoyable.  As many of our residents will tell you, they are all just wonderful – and I agree!

I’m thankful for the care providers who take the best care of our residents.  I’m thankful for the dining services people who prepare the wonderful food we get to eat.  I’m thankful for the Community Life Coordinators who make the community fun and exciting.  I’m thankful for the Maintenance staff who work to keep things looking nice and operating well.  I’m thankful for the marketing people who are there to help families work through what can be a difficult transition.  I’m thankful for the Nurses who are the most compassionate people I know.  I am thankful for the Memory Care Coordinators who hold a special place in so many people’s hearts.  I’m thankful for the Director’s of Resident Services who do such an amazing job.  And I’m thankful for our office team who work behind the scenes to support the communities.

All of you are just like a family to us.

Finally, I’m thankful for my wife and my two boys who have always been supportive in both my career and my personal life.

As you’ll read below, our team members contributed to our annual post.  Thank you for considering Welcome Home and our properties for your loved ones.  From all of our family to yours, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving.