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Susan B. Geffen
The Elder Care Guru's Monthly Newsletter
In this newsletter:
* Why are the states sending people to nursing homes?
* Alzheimer's Update
* My WatchDog Report
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Come to my next free elder care seminar, Saturday, May 21, at the West Los Angles Olympic Collection.
for more info. or to register. If you can't make it, tell a friend! It's FREE!
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Why are the states sending people to nursing homes?
Most people want to remain in their homes and not live out their days in an institution. Right?
Then why is it that over 250,000 working-age people are estimated to be needlessly living in nursing homes?
It's discrimination, and that's what's making it a target of a federal effort to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities and mental illnesses, outlined in a Supreme Court decision 17 years ago.
This is no small problem. The Obama administration has opened more than 50 such investigations and reached settlements with eight states, and has steadily made these cases part of its civil rights agenda. Those efforts have allowed more than 53,000 Americans with disabilities to leave institutions or avoid them altogether.
There are more than 1.7 million nursing beds in the United States, and many Americans require round-the-clock care and the protection of a nursing home. But the confines of a nursing home can be unnecessarily isolating, especially for those that don't require this setting. The problem is that states often steer patients seeking help with paying for long term care toward nursing homes, even though it may not be needed.
A 73-year-old man in a wheelchair told investigators that he was in a nursing home against his will. "Some of these places are warehouses," he said, according to the report.
If provided with adequate assistance, such people could live at home, and lead productive lives. Instead, they are confined and segregated from society. Many cannot leave the grounds of their institutions without supervision or perform tasks such as shopping for groceries or cooking meals.
One resident told investigators that when friends visited to take him for a car ride, "they have to sign me out, like a kid."
According to a 1999 Supreme Court Decision, unless a nursing home is medically necessary, people have a right under the Americans With Disabilities Act to receive care without being segregated from society.
Previously, the Justice Department focus its investigations on living conditions, but under Obama, the authorities are asking whether residents should be confined in the first place.
States have been trying for years to increase in-home care, which is often cheaper than putting someone in a nursing home. "What we're seeing now is the feds' involvement, and the courts'," said Debra Miller, director of health policy for the Council of State Governments. "States are all looking to move in this direction. It's just a question of how fast you can go."
States face a chicken-or-egg conundrum. Does money go to nursing homes because beds are often more readily available than in-home services? Or are there fewer in-home services because less Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) money is spent on them?
Stay tuned! |
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Alzheimer's Update
Tips on how to better communicate with a person who has Alzheimer's
Successful communication strategies should be attuned to the stage of dementia. As the illness progresses, verbal communication may become more difficult. Caregivers can communicate through body language, tone of voice, choice of words (concrete rather than symbolic) and appropriate touch. The behavior of the person with dementia is a form of communication that a person learns to understand with familiarity and patience.
How can others help someone with memory loss?
To make others more comfortable in engaging with someone with memory loss, let them know that the person has dementia, and share the strategies you have learned to improve communication. Depending on the stage of the illness, there are many ways that others can interact with a person with dementia. For example, if you are at a party, and the person no longer remembers your name, asking the person to dance could be an alternative to talking.
How should a caregiver respond if a loved one with Alzheimer's or dementia is showing signs of hallucinations, delusions or paranoia?
Those all can be symptoms of dementia. People with dementia may accuse others of taking misplaced belongings, because they are unaware that they cannot remember where they put them.
If the hallucinations and delusions do not cause distress, it may be best to go along with them, rather than to try to convince the person that they are not real. If they do cause distress, then caregivers may want to acknowledge the fear they are causing and take practical steps, like altering the lighting and the environment to avoid any triggers. For example, bunched-up clothes may look like a monster or a portrait may appear to be a real person. In some cases, a physician may recommend prudent use of medication when other responses fail.
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My Watch Dog
Alerting you to the latest SCAMS, Elder Abuse,
and things that are just plain WRONG!
Social Media Used In A New Form Of Elder Abuse
A form of elder abuse is becoming more popular with the rise of social media apps like Snapchat.
Putting a loved one in a nursing home is a difficult decision, and most people look for a trustworthy facility, but Channel 9 found out a growing number of nurses and staff are breaking that trust by using social media to post inappropriate or embarrassing pictures of the elderly when they're most vulnerable.
"It makes me sick. I mean, really, what if this was your mom? What if this was your grandma?" said Mindy Mench.
Mench said the decision to put her husband's grandmother in a nursing home was a last resort.
"She came to stay with us, and I cared for her as long as I could," said Mench.
But it was in the nursing home that a worker took embarrassing videos of their grandmother on the toilet and shared the videos on Snapchat.
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said it's abuse and has sent a letter to the Justice Department, demanding a nationwide investigation.
"It's just taking advantage of people in a way that is inhumane," said Mench.
A Snapchat spokesperson said the incidents violate the company's community guidelines and terms of services, and that the app has a tool for users to report violations.
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SOCIALIZATION FOR THE 60+ GROUP
There is finally an online local social resource for boomers, seniors, and caregivers. Things to do, places to go, and people to meet in the greater San Fernando Valley area for those looking to find out what's going on in their backyards. To join their mailing list go to www.suddenly65.com
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- Medi-Cal Planning and Asset Protection
- Living Trust
- Conservatorships
- Nursing home abuse litigation
- Probate
- Post Death Estate Administration
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Susan B. Geffen | Gerontologist, Attorney, Author | 1(888) 422-6070
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