elder care

With age comes wisdom. Many who have the opportunity to see their senior years seem to often be forgotten. I currently work in a skilled nursing facility and everyday I am interacting with people who come to my facility for various reasons. Since working there I have come to learn a lot when it comes to caring for the elderly. There are a lot of things to consider when caring for the elderly like which care option is best long term vs short term, assisted living vs a nursing home, etc.

Objectives

- Different options of elder care

- The differences between, nursing homes, skilled facility and assisted living

- Methods to care for the ederly who suffer from Dementia

There are different options for elder care. Not all is permenant care. Sometimes people fall or have surgeries where they need extra assistance for a short time before they are fully able to take care of themselves. Here are some options and what to look for.

http://www.alfa.org/alfa/Senior_Living_Options.asp

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/health/13patient.html?ref=health

http://www.eldercare.gov/eldercare.net/public/Resources/Brochures/docs/Housing_Options_Booklet.pdf

http://www.lifecarefunding.com/blog/do-you-know-the-differences-between-homecare-assisted-living-and-nursing-homes/

https://www.agingcare.com/Articles/difference-between-short-and-long-term-home-care-154984.htm

Often when people think of elder care they think of some sort of facility geared towards caring for the elderly until their last days. There is a difference between skilled nursing facility, nursing home and assisted living. Many people tend to use all three interchangeably and often they can be but there are specific traits about each that seperate them from each other.

https://www.agingcare.com/Articles/difference-skilled-nursing-and-nursing-home-153035.htm

http://www.alfa.org/alfa/Assisted_Living_Information.asp

http://www.asyouage.com/Difference_Between_Nursing_Homes_And_Skilled_Nursing_Facilities.html

Usually when caring for the elderly you will come across some who is suffering from dementia. This is a very common disease  in the elderly that attacks the brain eventually leaving the person unable to care for themselves. The most common type of dementia is alzheimers. I deal with many who have dementia so I find this topic very near and dear.

https://www.caregiver.org/caregivers-guide-understanding-dementia-behaviors

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/Caring_for_someone_with_dementia/

http://www.helpguide.org/articles/alzheimers-dementia/understanding-dementia.htm

https://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-early-mild-stage-caregiving.asp  (early care)https://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-mid-moderate-stage-caregiving.asp (middle stage)https://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-late-end-stage-caregiving.asp (late stage)

• Music is a great way to retain memories and when caring for those with dementia sometimes music is used to help stimulate old memories that are otherwise forgotten. The facility I work with participates in music therapy for our dementia residents.

http://musicandmemory.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HLEr-zP3fc

- What are some options for elder care?

-What is the difference between nursing homes, skilled facility and assisted living?

- What was one method of caring for those who suffer from Dementia?

I hope those who have viewed this have more knowledge when it comes to caring for the elderly. There are many options out there and each should be taken to consideration for the individuals needs. Aging doesn't have to be frightneing but with many people who forget about the elderly it can be. Hopefully with the knowledge obtained maybe you can make someone's golden years even more golden.