GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING LONG-TERM HOUSING OPTIONS FOR THE ELDERLY
- Ask questions. Can my mother get up when she wants to? What kind of choices does my father have for meals and activities?
- Observe the staff. Are they allowed to sit down and engage in conversations with residents, or take the time to read them a book or participate in their activities?
- Observe the other residents. Are they vibrant and happy? Do they seem at home?
- How do they treat residents with dementia? Do they medicate their behaviors, or do they invest in staff training to work with dementia patients and seek to understand that their behavior is how they communicate.
Source: Walter Coffey, president/CEO LeadingAge Georgia
LEARN MORE ABOUT SENIOR HOUSING AND OTHER AGING SERVICES/ISSUES
Aging by Design Summit
Monday, April 28
8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Cobb Galleria Centre
2 Galleria Parkway, SE, Atlanta, 30339
Question and answer sessions include:
- "Views on Aging" with Kathryn Lawler
- "Housing & Transportation Options" with Scott Ball
- "Elder Abuse" with Ricker Hamilton
- "Dementia and Caregiving" with Carol Howell
Sponsored by Cobb County Senior Services
Admission is free. Registration required at http://cobbseniors.eventbrite.com?s=21456105
Family caregivers trying to pick their way through a maze of long-term housing options and services for elderly parents will get more than a few empathetic head shakes from Kim McRae of Atlanta.
Fourteen years ago she found herself in similar circumstances. After caring for and losing her father and her husband’s parents within a five-year span, McRae became sole caregiver for her mom, Barbara, who at the time had undiagnosed Lewy Body Dementia.
The condition, which is characteristic of both dementia and Parkinson’s disease, wasn’t commonly known then, so finding care that offered her mom dignity and quality of life proved to be more than frustrating.
“Going through the consumer experience was just awful,” McRae remembers. “I’ve been trying to help change the system ever since.”
She became a self-described FCTA: Family Caregiver Turned Advocate, a vigilant proponent for humanizing dementia care and promoting person-centered living and better quality of life for the elderly and their families.
In addition to serving on numerous state and national coalitions and panels, McRae co-founded Culture of Change Network of Georgia to foster a more individualized approach in the delivery of aging services.
While improvements have been made — “There are wonderful things going on,” she says — the long-term care industry has not caught up to what consumers need.
“They’ve got a long, long, long way to go, especially in terms of dementia care,” McRae said. She recently served on a state task force for Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
Walter Coffey, president and CEO of LeadingAge Georgia and co-founder of Culture of Change, encourages family caregivers to look beyond beautiful, expensive buildings and accreditation acronyms when seeking long-term care or senior housing.
Consumers need to observe, ask questions and not settle for an institutional environment. It doesn’t have to take several lengthy visits, either. You’ll know right away in most cases, Coffey said.
Long-term housing should be more than quality of care; residents should be treated as persons, not patients.
“If you wouldn’t want to live there yourself you shouldn’t leave your mother there,” he said.
LeadingAge is a statewide association representing nonprofits and other mission-driven organizations providing aging services and promoting person-centered care.
Coffey cites an AARP national survey where a focus group of seniors said their No. 1 expectation for senior living was to have meaningful relationships. They also wanted to have choices and to feel at home.
“Wherever they’re living they want to feel at home and be respected,” Coffey said. “They don’t live where we work. We work in their home.”
Finding the right services can be just as frustrating a process now as what McRae encountered more than a decade ago. In metro Atlanta and elsewhere, there are long waiting lists for nursing homes, senior subsidized housing and aging services.
Coffey said there’s a dearth of clear information for caregivers to find what they need. LeadingAge has launched a pilot program using Aging Service Guides to help consumers make informed choices. Coffey anticipates expanding the project in the fall.
In short, being a family caregiver is the biggest job in the world, McRae said.
“It can be totally overwhelming.”
About the Author
