Respite Care San Diego

Manage Feelings of Guilt

Feelings of guilt are often associated with caring for persons who require constant care, however, the best thing you can do for yourself is manage those feelings as soon as you notice them. As a caregiver, you are only as good as you feel. This may sound a little strange but it’s true. If you are not at your best, it is impossible for you to deliver the best care possible to the person you are caring for. If you are experiencing feelings of anxiety and stress, the person you are caring for will feel the effects.

You must always remember, even though your loved one is in a state where it would appear they are completely unaware of what is going on around them, they still have the ability to feel and to sense danger, experience emotional hurt, and have a general sense of something being wrong with the person in charge of their care. This is one of the reasons why respite care is such an important element to add into your treatment plan. Respite Care San Diego affords you the freedom, and grants you the permission you need to be able to take a step back, and just take a much-needed break, so you can refresh and rejuvenate yourself.

You have to understand that it is impossible to be all things to all people, especially to those you are responsible for taking care of. You should also come to understand, you should never feel guilty about taking some time out for yourself, because the truth of the matter is, the time you spend taking care of yourself and doing something you enjoy only enhances your ability to give the person you are caring for the best care possible.

Keeping Everything in Balance

If you are the caregiver for someone who has Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia, sometimes it can be difficult to take care of all of the tasks you are responsible for in any given day. You may have noticed your loved one is more difficult to handle during certain times of the day. There is a reason for this, and the term associated with this phenomenon is sundowning. Sundowning occurs during the late afternoon to the early evening hours and is triggered when the sun begins to fade. As the evening hours move into nighttime hours, sundowning tends to get worse. Generally, by morning, people tend to be better, but if you are the one who had to provide the care and attention needed during those hours, you are more than likely going to be both emotionally and physically drained.

Respite care can be the answer to helping you find your sense of balance, and help you maintain your physical and mental health. Just knowing you have somewhere safe you can take your loved one can help put your mind at ease while you take a break and partake in activities you enjoy.

Not Just for the Elderly

Respite care is not only for those who are elderly. If you are the primary caregiver for someone who has a chronic or debilitating illness like Downs Syndrome or Multiple Sclerosis, for instance, respite care can benefit you. Often times when persons are being cared for in the home, they tend to feel a certain sense of isolation. If they are elderly, they may have experienced the deaths of several friends, or they may have fallen into a state of depression because they are not socializing at the levels they were accustomed to when they lived independently.

Everyone needs socialization, and everyone needs to feel like their life has a purpose. Respite care can help caregivers and those who care for them by giving those who may feel isolated a place they can go outside of the home. There they can communicate with others in similar situations. They also have the opportunity to socialize with others in their peer group. Sometimes just being around others in similar situations is enough to give those who have lost their sense of independence the will to move forward and make the adjustments needed to accept their current state of being.

Extended and Emergency Care

It is important to recognize, respite care is not only there to give you a break for a few hours, respite care is also available to help you when you need to go out of town for a weekend away, and also times when you need to be gone for a week or more due to an out of town work assignment. You should consider visiting facilities offering respite care in case of an emergency. If for some reason, you needed to place your loved one you, need the comfort of knowing you didn’t just place them somewhere because of desperation. You need to be able to trust the facility caring for your loved one, so visiting respite care facilities before an emergency arises will prevent you from experiencing undue stress at a time when you need it the least.

Remember, respite care is there to take some of the burden away from you, the caregiver. Respite services can be provided in the home, or outside of the home. Respite care services can include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• helping you organize a personalized care plan
• giving you an opportunity to take a break
• taking care of chores around the home like cooking, cleaning, and helping with basic hygiene
• Socialization
• connecting you with support groups 

You don’t have to handle everything on your own. There is help available, and caring people who are there to take care of your loved one and give you the peace of mind you need to live a life that is full and healthy. Give a Respite Care facility a call today to see how it can be of service to you.

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If you struggle with the decision of when to put your loved one into a dementia residential care home, you aren’t alone. More adults find themselves facing the fact that in-home care is more demanding on them than they ever imagined. Most adults have other responsibilities that prevent them from giving the round-the-clock care that dementia patients eventually need. Instead of taking on a burden that isn’t good for you or your loved one, focus on choosing the right home for their dementia care.

Dementia Residential Care Home

Do They Offer Specialized Dementia Care?

People with dementia require very specific types of care. They need to have activities available that will stimulate their brains and extend their memories for as long as possible. A facility that specializes in dementia care does more than provide shelter and a safe environment. They also provide activities and therapy to help their residents enjoy a better quality of life.

Music therapy increases the release of chemicals in the brain that improve mood and reduce stress and agitation. The response to music continues to provide benefits even after the music stops. Most impressive of all is that listening to music can evoke old memories. Providing activities such as crafts also helps. Look for a dementia residential care home that spends time with their residents doing the things that will prolong their memories.

Where Are They Located?

For many adults, it is better to find a care home close to them and not close to the loved one’s former home. Once your loved one leaves home, their condition will only grow worse over time. You and your family must face the reality that they will not return to their home.

What is most important to your loved one is to have family members around them. The support family members provide is vital to the patient’s physical and mental health. They also need support outside of the home, such as taking care of financial needs or managing their property. Having your loved one close to you will also reduce demands on your time if they should become ill and need to go to the hospital.

What Is Their Approach to Dementia Care?

There are different types of dementia and the symptoms vary among different people. Taking the same approach to dementia care will leave some people shortchanged of the personalized care they need. Make sure a care home offers individualized care instead of implementing the same types of treatment for everyone.

What Is Their Policy for Going Outdoors?

There’s a lot of difference between keeping residents safe and keeping them locked away. Dementia patients benefit a great deal from being outdoors. Working in a garden provides even greater benefits as long as the staff monitors gardening activities to ensure safety. Find out if the dementia residential care home you talk with encourages residents to spend time outdoors. Also, ask if they have interactions with their community and/or what types of outdoor activities they provide.

What Is Their Visitor’s Policy?

 Ask who you will need to communicate with to get updates about your loved one’s care. Do they have limited visiting hours and, if so, when are they? Keeping track of who comes and goes is an important step in keeping all residents safe and secure. You don’t want your loved one to be “off limits” but you do want a home with a reasonable policy that makes it convenient to visit your loved one.

What Do They Do to Keep Your Loved One Safe?

How is the home set up and what types of security do they have in place? Is there supervision around the clock? How far can your loved one go without getting out of the range of view? An estimated six in ten dementia patients wander. Dementia is a progressive disease and your loved one will continue to decline in their ability to find things and places that they know. You need to know they are protected in case they suddenly try to go somewhere.

Request a Tour

Calling a home on the phone is a good start to having your questions answered and getting some of the information you need to help you make a decision. For example, what kind of living quarters will the home provide to your loved one? Does it have a cozy, at-home feel or more of a clinical one? Ask the home if they provide tours. If not, it isn’t the right place for your loved one. If they are confident in the services they provide, they should agree to show you what it is they do.

If they do offer tours, take along any questions you have about the care they offer for dementia patients. Pay attention to the setting, the workers, and the patients. This is your chance to see firsthand the environment the home provides to dementia patients.

Read Reviews

You aren’t the first adult who has struggled with the decision of which dementia care facility to choose, and you won’t be the last. Reviews offer a window into the care the home provides and can enlighten you about some of the issues you hadn’t thought about before.

Choosing a dementia residential care home for your loved one is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. Knowing what to ask and what to look for will give you the confidence that you made the right choice. Contact Lakeside Manor today to schedule a tour at a time that’s convenient for you. We specialize in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care in San Diego.

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It can be difficult to create a dementia-proof living situation at home. The cost, time and knowledge required to incorporate necessary safety precautions in the face of Alzheimer’s are overwhelming. Most homes, as well as homes’ surroundings, simply have too many pitfalls. Even the biggest budgets, hired design experts and best of intentions can fall short. In many cases, dementia’s safety requirements can best be met by the attention of a dedicated, alert, full-time, around the clock staff, along with a tenet of tried and true procedures based on years of experience.

Most Alzheimer’s dementia patients will be safest and best attended to in a professional, well-designed, high-quality dementia care facility. But where this is concerned, not all dementia care facilities are the utmost in professionalism, design or quality.

When touring and interviewing dementia care facilities, there are dozens of things you can look for (and ask) that will indicate a facility’s safety and care standards. Below are five important safety precaution areas to consider. These are the basics, in no particular order. They’re of equal importance. If these areas don’t pass muster, don’t waste your time. Do take a few moments to let someone know. Below this article are links to California Assisted Living facility resources.

1. THE BASICS – SECURITY, CALL SYSTEMS AND GENERAL EMERGENCIES

Emergency and nurse call systems should be plentiful and working in all public and private areas. In resident suites, call systems should be accessible from multiple points, including bedsides, kitchenettes, bathrooms (toilet and shower) and living room areas. It is also recommended that you provide a wearable safety monitoring system for your loved one, along with an identification bracelet. Though good facilities are aware of and equipped to prevent wandering, there have been residents who’ve gotten out of even the most secure facilities.

Security cameras should be present throughout hallways and common areas. Outside doors should be properly locked and attended (unless they lead to safe areas such as gardens that residents might come and go from independently). Windows should have safety locks. There should be ample emergency exits with alarms. Check for locks and peepholes on resident doors.

Check for smoke, fire and carbon monoxide alarms as well as sprinklers. Find out how often they’re tested. Ask about emergency drills and procedures. Are there emergency plans in writing in the event of fires, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and so on? Are there emergency supply kits? Power generators? Where do residents evacuate to and how will families be notified? How will medication and care be handled in the event of an evacuation?

Security measures should be in place, including a visitor check-in desk requiring photo identification.

All health and safety inspection certificates should be up to date. Licenses should be available to view upon request.

The facility should be open and welcoming to visitors, even when they make unannounced visits.

2. FACILITY DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE

Public spaces should be easy to navigate. Pathways are clear of wires and objects. Flooring materials are non-slip, non-chipped, well maintained and wide enough to accommodate at least two-way wheelchair traffic. Any carpeting should be very flat, wall to wall and shouldn’t have any loose edges, pulls or rips. Wherever possible, handrails should be present in all areas. Lighting should be plentiful, pleasant and devoid of harsh bright spots and shadows.

All common and private bathrooms should be fully handicapped accessible. Showers should be walk-in accessible and include a bench or safe shower chair, along with a non-slip flooring surface.

Furnishings, particularly beds and chairs, should be at a height that makes them easy for elderly patients to get in and out of. Chairs should have armrests. Furniture should be stable, clean and in good repair, without sharp corners, splinters or edges. Residents’ cupboards and shelving should be reachable.

A facility should look and smell clean. It should have procedures in place to pre-empt the spread of common illnesses and infections. Hand washing and sanitizing stations should be accessible.

A facility should look well-maintained, from the grounds and outer building on in. Look for signs of oversight or neglect.

Reflective tape or lighting should be present to indicate stairwells. Bottom and top steps should be clearly demarcated. Handicapped accessible elevators should be easily accessible.

Ask about cooling and heating. Can residents control the temperature of their rooms? Are there central systems or individual units?

3. MEDICATION MANAGEMENT AND BASIC NURSING/MEDICAL

Ask about a dedicated staff and system for administering resident medications. Find out about backup if it becomes necessary.

Find out if first aid and nursing services are provided. Are any additional medical services provided? What procedures are in place for emergency care? What procedures are in place for annual medical checkups or dental care?

Are there doctors, physical therapists or other medical personnel that visit on site? What is the procedure for arranging appointments? Is transportation provided for seeing doctors and therapists off site?

4. STAFF

Does staff appear to be plentiful, present and approachable? Are they interested in and involved with residents? Are they interested in meeting your loved one? Do you feel welcome? Look for signs of over-stressed, over-hurried staff members. Ask about staff to resident ratio, staff member specializations and training, staff turnover rates and staff/management relationships.

5. Alzheimer’s Dementia Care RESIDENTS

Residents should appear clean and freshly dressed. They should look, at least, content and comfortable. At most, they should look engaged and involved.

Residents should have easy access to snacks and water between meals.

Ask a director or manager about how residents are interviewed and accepted to the facility. Are residents permitted who have contagious illnesses? Are residents accepted that have a history of harming themselves or others?

Take time in viewing facilities, getting informed and choosing a facility that meets your standards. We keep an active blog, and provide many articles about caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s dementia, along with information about the disease itself. Also, below are additional resources that can be helpful:

California Assisted Living Association (Information on Assisted Living Laws and Regulations):

http://caassistedliving.org/provider-resources/laws-regulations/

California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform:

http://www.canhr.org/factsheets/rcfe_fs/html/rcfe_needtoknow_fs.htm

OSHA Requirements for Assisted Living Facilities:

https://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/osha-requirements-assisted-living-facilities-16183.html

The Joint Commission and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality:

https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/talkingquality/resources/initiatives/joint.html

Resources for Alzheimer’s dementia caregivers:

https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-resources-in-helping-elderly-parents-with-dementia

The post Alzheimer’s Dementia Care | 5 important Safety Precautions appeared first on Lakeside Manor.

However, this does not mean that you cannot enjoy your time together, or that their life need be unfulfilled. There are some strategies you can use to provide proper treatment to the dementia patient you love, with dignity and respect.

Try Not to Parent

Because you may have to provide extensive help with activities like bathing, eating, and dressing, it can be hard to remember that you are not caring for a child. Try to avoid the tone of voice and expressions you would use if you were talking to a child. You may have to encourage your loved one to eat, or help them put on their socks, just as you would with a toddler, but use the tone of voice and language you would use with an adult. Don’t be condescending.

Don’t Scold

It can be very frustrating to care for someone with memory issues, and it may be difficult to have to repeat the same thing over and over. Try to maintain your patience, and remember that the patient is doing the best they can. The disease is what is frustrating you, not your loved one, but it can sometimes be difficult to remember that.

Anyone who has ever cared for someone with memory issues has found themselves saying something like, “Don’t you remember?” or “I just told you that!” Compounding the frustration is the guilt you feel because you know it’s not your loved one’s fault. Try not to scold, but forgive yourself if you do.

Help Fill in the Missing Information

People with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia will often search for a word that doesn’t seem to come to them. While you don’t want to finish every sentence, a prompt from you may help, particularly if the person is talking to someone else they don’t see often.

Rather than asking a question outright, give the patient a little bit of help. Instead of saying, “When was the last time Mary came to see you?” you might say, “I heard your daughter Mary was here last week. Did you have a nice visit?” The patient may remember the last visit, but not the time period. By asking this leading question, you can get them talking about the visit without pressuring them to remember when it was.

A Little White Lie isn’t Always a Bad Thing

There may be times when you have to bend the truth in order to keep your loved one safe. Many people with Alzheimer’s disease think they can still do things that they can’t, like going for a walk unassisted, using household appliances, or even driving. If you find your loved one trying to figure out how to use the washing machine, it’s okay to tell them that you’ve already done all the laundry, even if it’s piling up in the laundry room.

It may also be possible to phrase your answer to a question in such a way that you’re telling some of the truth but not all of it. For example, if your 90-year-old mother asks you if you’ve seen her father lately, you don’t need to tell her that he’s been dead for 40 years if you think it will upset her. You can simply say, “No, I haven’t seen him in a long while.”

Use the Distractor Factor

Those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia may become fixated on a single subject or request, and may get upset if they feel they are not being heard. In this case, it doesn’t pay to get involved in the circular reasoning that may be a symptom of the disease. It’s often best to answer the question in a straightforward way, and then immediately change the subject to something else. For example. If your spouse is insisting on going to the beach even though it is raining, you can say, “No, we cannot go to the beach today, it’s raining. Now, what would you like for lunch? We can have soup or a sandwich.”

Try to Get Out

The weather in San Diego is so beautiful that people are used to going outside whenever they want. If you’re caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, outings can be challenging, and you may find yourself staying home much more. This can be isolating for both you and the patient, so it may help to go on an outing when you can. Some advance planning can help.

Take note of the time of day when the patient is most calm and cooperative. This is often in the morning, since confusion and anxiety may occur later in the day, which can lead to behavioral issues known as ‘sundowning.’ Plan your outing accordingly.

Try to go to a familiar place. It may stir some memories that have been dormant, which can lead to more conversation and more enjoyment of the outing.

Have a plan B. Try not to go too far from home, and have a way to make a graceful exit if it doesn’t go well. Places where you have to sit quietly for any length of time may not be the best choice, but an outdoor excursion where you can leave any time you want may be ideal.

Seek Help When You Need It | Time To Contact a San Diego Memory Facility?

Alzheimer’s disease is degenerative, and your loved one will continue to decline. There will likely come a time when they need to go into assisted living. It’s important to recognize that this day may come, and to be prepared for it so that you’re not forced into an emergency situation. Look for assisted living facilities near your home so you’ll know whom to call when the time comes.

Fortunately, Lakeside Manor is a premier San Diego Memory Care Facility. We are a renowned San Diego Dementia Assisted Living facility and we are available to help you and your loved one. Contact us for more information and schedule a tour of our charming and very welcoming facility located in Lakeside, CA. 

The post How to Properly Care for Dementia and Alzheimer’s Patients appeared first on Lakeside Manor.