Assisted Living Facilities

How Technology Benefits Seniors and Improves Senior Housing

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It’s hard to imagine a time when a cellphone wasn’t just an arm’s length away. However, this age of technology has paved the way for us to forge connections, learn new things, and work from anywhere. What’s interesting to note is that it isn’t just millennials who are benefitting from all this technological innovation.

The results of a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, nearly half of adults over 65 have a smartphone. It has also shown that 56% of adults over 50 use YouTube and Facebook regularly.

Technology is already set to benefit seniors, and senior home care is no exception. Older adults and their loved ones are using technology to keep connected, stay entertained, and remain safe.

Technology also gives the senior home care industry the opportunities to keep older adults safer and more comfortable while living in senior housing.

 

Internet of Medical Things

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is created by having medical professionals in different fields and from all over the world connected to each other through the web and technology.

The medical world has started to use the information gleaned from this knowledge exchange to help seniors with their medication schedules, vital signs, and implants to assist with their health.

Here are three examples of technology that have proved beneficial for senior housing residents.

 

GPS Services

In the last decade, the Global Positioning System (GPS) has greatly improved location accuracy. Primarily, GPS can help locate a resident in an assisted living facility who becomes lost.

For example. seniors with memory issues stemming from Alzheimer’s disease have a habit of wandering. This could leave them disoriented or lost even if they know the location well.

The Alzheimer’s Association notes that “more than 60 percent of those with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia will wander.” If they are not found and picked up within 24 hours, they could suffer serious injury or even death.

 

Cameras

The National Council of Aging (NCOA) says that about one in 10 adults over 60 faces some sort of abuse, whether it’s physical, emotional, sexual, neglect, or some other form. The NCOA added that only one in every 14 cases of abuse are usually reported to authorities.

Cameras allow seniors’ families to make sure seniors are being treated properly. Cameras are also useful to health professionals as it allows them to track the movements of elders with health and mental issues. Doctors can study their habits and tendencies even without being there physically.

A less invasive alternative for a camera is sensors. Installing these small, wireless pieces of technology, lets you keep track of how active a person is.

If the sensors pick up on changes in activity, they can send an automatic notification (via text, phone, or email) that something may be wrong. For example, if an elderly resident isn’t getting out of bed at a certain time, these sensors can let you know.

 

Richmont Senior Living is proud to serve Ashland, NE and the surrounding cities: Memphis, Springfield, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Waverly, Murdock, Ithaca, and Chalco

Assisted Living

A Guide to Finding the Right Facilities for Alzheimer’s

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The senior care industry has grown throughout the years. Part of this growth is the establishment of facilities that offer different levels of care — skilled nursing, assisted living, and independent living. Alongside them, the number of memory units and other facilities for Alzheimer’s have also grown in response to the increasing number of persons with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Memory care units exist as part of an assisted living facility or as a stand-alone unit. They are ideal when a person needs trained caregivers who understand the needs of someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Memory care facilities also have amenities that ensure the security of its residents. This prevents residents from wandering away unsupervised.

 

What to Look for in Facilities for Alzheimer’s

If you have a loved one or family member who’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, how do you go about looking for the right place for them? You can work with a professional specializing in the field of eldercare to help you find the right memory care facility.

However, if you’d like to save on the added expense, you can follow the tips below.

 

Conduct Online Research

When looking for facilities for Alzheimer’s, an online search is always a good place to start. Some specific resources to help you find licensed memory care facilities include:

  • Eldercare Locator
  • State Department of Social Services
  • Your local Department of Social Services and/or Aging Services
  • Your state’s general website (i.e. “name of state.gov”)

On the last resource, you can input search terms that fit your location. For example, if you live in Bellevue, Nebraska you can go log on to Nebraska.gov and type in “memory care in Bellevue” on the search bar. This should lead you to the state department that oversees the licensing of memory care and/or assisted care and to information about licensed facilities in the city of Bellevue that accepts residents suffering from dementia.

 

Narrowing your Search

Once you’ve obtained a list of licensed memory care units, the next step is to define the geographical area where you want to focus your search. You can narrow this down further by selecting three facilities to visit. After picking out your three options, get in touch with each of them to schedule tours.

 

See the Facility

Be thorough when touring the three memory care units options you’ve picked out. Walk the halls and look at the rooms. Stay for lunch and observe the activity of the unit. Most importantly, meet the caregivers and ask questions. Ask if they can refer you to another family of a resident to speak with someone who has experience with the facility.

 

Some Questions to Ask when Evaluating Memory Care Units

When evaluating the quality and cost of facilities for Alzheimer’s, here are a couple of questions that could serve as your guide.

  • What kind of training do caregivers have?
  • How many caregivers work during each shift?
  • What is the resident to staff ratio?
  • How does the staff handle difficult patient behavior?
  • What happens if my loved one is admitted and does not adapt to his/her new environment?
  • Is the facility able to care for residents for the rest of their life?
  • Can hospice come in?
  • What is the facility’s emergency plan for emergencies, such as a hurricane or fire?
  • How much is the basic monthly fee and how often does this change?
  • What are the levels of care and their rates?
  • Is there an e required deposit?
  • Does the facility work with long-term care policies?

 

Hopefully, these tips provide you with the confidence to go out there and find the best memory care facility for the needs of your elderly loved one.

 

Richmont Senior Living is proud to serve Ashland, NE and the surrounding cities: Memphis, Springfield, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Waverly, Murdock, Ithaca, and Chalco