Three local businesses that care for the aging offer insights.
With more adults living beyond age 70, lots of questions arise about how to best care for aging parents. There are physical, emotional and financial challenges to consider, and the options can sometimes be overwhelming. Three local business, each offering different levels and types of elderly care, share information about their services. The business featured include: Bee At Home, Golden Living Center and Valley Park Retirement Center.
Bee At Home
In-home Assistance
WHAT SIGNS SHOULD FAMILY MEMBERS LOOK FOR WHEN ASKING FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE?
When you see that a parent is not taking care of themselves or their surroundings, this is a very important sign. You notice they are not eating and the house is not being cleaned. They may be surviving, but they aren’t thriving.
ARE THERE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT CLIENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS CAN DO TO MAKE YOUR ASSISTANCE MORE PRODUCTIVE?
It’s important to love them and always respect their dignity. Encourage them to stay active and involved as much as possible.
DO YOU REFER CLIENTS TO PERMANENT,FACILITIES AND FOR WHAT REASONS?
Yes, it often involves incidents where they have fallen and broken a bone and rehab therapy is necessary. We want them to have as many tools as possible to get well. We also work closely with hospice, so we can do all it takes to stay at home at any stage.
WHAT IS AN AVERAGE AGE RANGE FOR YOUR CLIENTS?
Our clients range in age from 75 to 100. The youngest we’ve had was in their 30s and had cerebral palsy.
CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF A TYPICAL DAY FOR ONE OF YOUR ASSISTANTS?
Caregivers arrive at 7:00 a.m. and are often there before clients awake. We can help them with getting dressed, brushing teeth and washing their face. We make coffee and try to help them keep a normal schedule. We drive them to reading and bridge clubs and help them carry on a life they are used to living. We stress that you’re never too old to make a new friend or to learn something new. Just as in a hospital, we keep a three-ring binder to record activities so that loved ones have a record, and it’s also the way one shift briefs the other.
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR EACH OF YOUR CLIENTS?
We want them to be comfortable and have the best medical care possible. We want them to live the life that they previously enjoyed. Some clients don’t have family, and we try to be that for them.
DO YOU ACCEPT INSURANCE?
Yes, we take many different forms of insurance including Medicare and other long-term nursing home insurance. We make sure the insurance is approved and then file and take care of the entire process.
Our agents tell us that the most cost-efficient time to take out long-term nursing care insurance is between the ages of 57 and 69. We encourage people to check with their agent.