Some of the issues with growing older.

Here are some of the issues with growing older.

The mental and physical burden of loneliness can have a big effect on a person especially for older adults. Usually defined as the perception of being isolated from significant others, whether friends or family, people feel lonely because of the gap between the kind of social relationships they would like to have and the ones they see themselves as having. Since nobody’s life is ever truly perfect, we all feel lonely from time to time, though the feeling is usually manageable and temporary.

Still, there are numerous studies showing the link between loneliness and the development of health problems, as well having a shorter lifespan. Along with depression and other psychological problems, chronic loneliness can also lead to sleep problems, hypertension, an impaired immune system, and the breakdown of the body’s endocrine system.

{ Senior Hug } Helps you find the best Nursing Homes in New York City

The problems associated with loneliness often grow worse with time due to the natural health problems that come with age. As a result, loneliness is frequently a chronic problem in older adults due to increasing health problems which can make it harder for them to stay socially active. Age-related medical issues can also lead to greater psychological distress, including depression, and this can lead to people feeling even lonelier. Medical problems such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, or cancer, can make many older adults feel more disabled and helpless.

Growing older can also lead to a reduction in social support networks, whether through the death or illness of friends and family members, or through major life changes such as divorce or retirement. Losing this kind of emotional support can have a devastating impact on the ability of older adults to cope with stress. In many life-span developmental theories, old age is often the time when older adults are especially vulnerable to loneliness which, along with the strain of coping with chronic illness, could cause them to sink into a downward spiral of depression and despair from which they may never recover.

Along with the challenges that come with age however, there are also effective coping strategies that can help protect older adults and keep them from sinking into this downward spiral. According to the motivational theory of lifespan development proposed by Jutta Heckhausen and her colleagues, people can cope with stress life changes by engaging in either goal engagement strategies or self-protective strategies to build up a sense of control over their lives.

Goal-engagement involves expending time and energy to accomplish specific goals, whether through learning new skills or learning to compensate for health problems that may keep them from familiar activities. Using goal-engagement strategies also means finding the motivation to overcome obstacles instead of sinking into apathy or feeling helpless.

This in turn leads into the need for self-protective strategies to cope with the stress that can come with life changes. By recognizing the difference between attainable and unattainable goals, older adults can mentally prepare themselves to handle emotional distress, whether by reassuring themselves about their ability to accomplish realistic goals or by “disengaging” themselves from goals which are no longer attainable. As people grow older, accepting physical limitations and learning to compensate for them can be an important part of living well, even with chronic illness.

As one example, older adults who develop serious heart problems may become afraid of engaging in any sort of physical exertion, including sex, for fear that what might happen. Learning to accept these limitations and finding ways to work around them, whether by starting new hobbies that are less physically exhausting or finding new ways to do enjoyable activities can be an important part of staying active. Along with learning to attain health-related goals, it is also essential to overcome the low self-esteem and feelings of depression that can lead to becoming more isolated.

10. Ways to pay for a Nursing Home in New York

April 27,August 8,Leave a comment

Ways to pay for a Nursing Home in New York City.

There are many various ways to pay for a Nursing Home.

Paying for Nursing Homes:

Paying for nursing home care is a major concern for most individuals. If persons enter a nursing home directly from a hospital, Medicare will often pay, but only for a limited time, and this can be a major hurdle..

The financial toll of a nursing home stay can affect the entire family, and sometimes in various circumstances everyone needs to chip in.
Medicaid is regulated by both federal and state laws and provides funding that will pay most nursing home costs for people with limited income and assets. Eligibility for Medicaid varies by state and is provided only to persons in Medicaid-certified facilities.

A Medicaid-certified nursing home must continue to provide care for a resident whose personal funds are spent while residing there.

A nursing home that does not participate in the Medicaid program can discharge the resident. Some nursing homes try to avoid admitting residents who are currently or will soon become Medicaid recipients as they can charge private paying residents a higher fee than they would receive under the Medicaid program. They will only do things that are usually benificial to their facility.

Things can sometimes get a little complicated.

And it can get a little tricky. It’s important to always make sure that you always do a diligent research to get as much information as you can get.

If you will be relying on Medicaid from the beginning, find out if the nursing homes you are considering accept Medicaid residents.

Medicare, which pays for a number of health care services including hospitalization and limited nursing home stays for episodic illness, will not pay for long-term care in a nursing home.

If the older person has long-term care insurance, this can, under certain circumstances, be used to pay nursing homes expenses.
If you are considering purchasing long-term care insurance for possible future use, be sure to check the costs carefully, read the small print, and review the background and track record of the company involved. All aways make sure to do a diligent research before signing anything.

It is currently recommended that people consider purchasing long-term care insurance as they approach the age of fifty. Premiums for long-term care insurance increase as one ages and vary in cost with the number of chronic conditions present and type of coverage desired.

7. Alternatives to Nursing Home Care in New York

April 27,August 8,Leave a comment

What are some of the alternatives for a Nursing Home in New York City

There are various alternatives to going into a Nursing Home

Among These alternatives includes:

Adult Day Care is used commonly for patients with dementia who need supervision and assistance with their activities of daily living (ADLs) such as toileting, bathing, eating etc., while primary caregivers work.
Assisted living facilities are residential facilities that provide individual rooms, two to three daily meals, and activities for senior citizens who can no longer live alone but do not require 24-hour nursing supervision.

These facilities are sometimes referred to as congregate care or congregate living facilities and have grown in number recently. Assisted living facilities provide 24-hour on-site support and assistance including help with medicines and personal hygiene. Many assisted living facilities offer a secured Alzheimer’s unit..

These facilities are prohibited from providing skilled nursing services and are regulated under a different set of state regulations than those governing a nursing home. If skilled nursing services are required, these services can be provided by a separate home health agency as directed by a doctor or his or her designee.

There is no doctor involvement in the plan of care for an individual residing in an assisted living facility nor are doctors required to visit, either by state or federal law. An older adult still should receive primary care from their community physician or from a physician who may have an office practice on site at an AL facility.

Board and care homes are generally smaller, more home-like residences for individuals who can no longer live independently. These facilities provide room, board, and assistance with some activities including managing medicines and help with personal hygiene.

Fees and services vary from one site to another. The size of the residence determines whether or not it is regulated by a state agency and this varies from state to state. Again make sure to do your diligent research before signing up for anything.

Sheltered Housing is subsidized through Housing and Urban Development. Programs may be supplemented by social work services and activities coordinators. Personal care assistance, housekeeping services and meals are sometimes offered. The rules and regulations for these housings can vary from shelter to shelter.

Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) usually have all levels of living arrangements, ranging from independent living to nursing home care. The financial requirements for a person to enter a CCRC will vary according to whether health care is included in the total cost or charged only if used. In general, CCRCs are reluctant to accept people directly into the assisted living or nursing home facilities.

These are just some of the few alternatives that your loved one can do instead of being in a nursing home, it is your job to do more research to find the perfect place for your loved ones. Make sure to visit seniorhug.com often to find the right Nursing Homes in New York City for your loved ones.

32. Paying for New York Nursing Home Care

April 27,May 15,Leave a comment

Paying for Nursing Home Care especially in New York can be quite expensive. It can definitely take a toll on a family`s finances.

Before you do anything, it is important to do some really good research. It’s important to check with Medicare, Medicaid, and any private insurance provider you have to find out their current rules about covering the costs of long-term care.

You can pay for nursing home care in several ways.

Here are a few examples, of course it can vary from person to person:

Medicare. For someone who needs special care, Medicare, a Federal program, will cover part of the cost in a skilled nursing home approved by Medicare. Check with Medicare for details.

Medicaid. Medicaid is a State/Federal program that provides health benefits to some people with low incomes. Contact your county family services department to see if you qualify.

Private pay. Some people pay for long-term care with their own savings for as long as possible. When that is no longer possible, they may apply for help from Medicaid.

If you think you may need to apply for Medicaid at some point, make sure the nursing home you’re interested in accepts Medicaid payments. Not all do. Knowing the right information is very essential, this can be the difference between saving a ton of money or having to pay an extra amount of dollar.

Understand that there are plenty of Nursing Homes around New York City that do offer some private pay.

Long-term care insurance. Some people buy private long-term care insurance. It can pay part of the costs for a nursing home or other long-term care for the length of time stated in your policy.

This type of insurance is sold by many different companies and benefits vary widely. Look carefully at several policies before making a choice.

Always try to do plenty of research since every little bit can help with the overall costs of sending a loved one into a nursing home in new york city.

When thinking about nursing home costs, keep in mind that you can have extra out-of-pocket charges for some supplies or personal care, for instance, hair appointments, laundry, and services that are outside routine care. Everything can add up pretty quickly.

30. Picking the right Nursing Home in New York City

April 25,May 15,Leave a comment

Picking the right Nursing Home in New York City

Senior Hug helps you Pick the right Nursing Home for your loved ones. Senior Hug has a directory of the Nursing Homes that are within New York City. We try to help both the elders and their families find the right Nursing Home that fits their needs and the level of care that they want.

Your mom, dad or another close relative needs a nursing home. Finding the right facility, with a constant level of skilled care, is a serious undertaking. Bad nursing homes neglect, steal from and even abuse residents.

Good ones help them live happy, dignified lives despite being in poor health and may even help them improve enough to move to assisted living or return home. Here are some tips on how to pick the right place.

Check the Ratings

A good place to begin narrowing your nursing home options is with the feds – specifically, Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare feature. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, rates nursing homes based on comprehensive annual health inspections, 18 measures of residents’ quality of life and staffing levels.

The ratings are updated about once a year or whenever someone files a complaint against a nursing home with the state regulatory agency.

CMS gives each nursing home a rating from one to five stars. Avoid facilities with one or two stars, which indicate serious problems with residents’ care; look for ones with four or five stars. Then, review the detailed ratings for each facility. A home might have five stars overall, but just two stars for quality measures (which reflects treatment of specific conditions).

You can also use the nursing home search tool from ProPublica, an independent non-profit organization that conducts investigative journalism in the public interest, to search CMS reports on nursing home deficiencies. The site will help you uncover specific problems cited during nursing home inspections.

Once you have a preliminary list, call each facility to find out if it has beds available and to ask how much it charges for care, making sure to get detailed figures based on your loved one’s actual needs. If there is no availability or the cost does not fit your budget, there’s no use researching that home further.
Flaws in the Ratings

Ratings can give you a general idea of which facilities might be best and which to avoid, but they aren’t perfect. The New York Times in August 2014 reported on how nursing homes were able to game the star rating system, since they actually supplied the data for staff levels and quality measures; only the annual health inspection ratings were based on independent observations.

This means a facility could have a five-star rating, despite numerous complaints and even lawsuits over the quality of care. In January 2015, CMS introduced improvements to the two self-reported measures.

Digging Deeper

Families for Better Care, a Tallahassee, Fla.-based non-profit advocacy group, says your next step should be to contact your local long-term care ombudsman. Under this government-mandated program, ombudsmen regularly visit and advocate on behalf of nursing home residents. Ask your ombudsman for complaint data on the nursing homes on your list. You can even talk to the specific person who has visited each facility.

Other possible sources of recommendations include doctors, elder law attorneys, elder advocacy groups, members of religious organizations or clubs you or your loved one belongs to, friends and coworkers. Make sure their recommendations are based on recent experience, as nursing home conditions can change.

Hospital discharge planners, on the other hand, “may or may not be good sources, given their interest sometimes in just moving patients out of the hospital,” says Eric Carlson, directing attorney at Justice in Aging, a national organization that fights senior poverty.

Get Referrals

If the whole process of finding a reputable nursing home seems like more than you can manage, consider a placement service. These services can recommend facilities, take you on tours and help you negotiate a contract. “We review the care and violation histories of the communities we refer to, every single time, before we do a tour, as the violation histories can change dramatically in a short period of time,” says Haley Gray, owner of CarePatrol of the Triangle, in North Carolina.
Because of this potential conflict of interest, you should research the placement service’s reputation and independently verify any information the placement service gives you. Make your own, unannounced visits to the facilities you’re considering.

Also keep in mind that there may be excellent facilities available that the placement service will not refer you to because they are not contracted with that facility and therefore won’t earn any commission for sending you there.
Ask Questions

During your visit, ask about the staff-to-patient ratio and how that ratio changes throughout the day and over the weekend. Ask about – and try to observe – how long it takes staff to respond to patients’ requests for assistance. Visit during meal time to see if the food is appetizing and observe how staff interacts with patients of varying needs.

Always try to be vigilant in asking questions or in trying to get as much information as you want.

Drop by unannounced, and, if you make more than one visit, try going at different times of day. In a good, secure facility, you probably won’t get far, but it can be significant to see how long it takes a stranger’s presence to register. And a place should be ready to give you a tour any time; the more impromptu, the more of a real-life perspective you’ll get.

Ask how many hours of physical and occupational therapy residents receive daily, and ask staff how long they’ve worked there Also consider staff morale; if the workers seem unhappy to be there, that could indicate an underlying problem with the nursing home. Also ask staff what they’d like to see improved about the home.

27. How prevalent is Nursing Home Abuse

April 24,May 13,Leave a comment

Nursing Home Abuse

Placing our loved ones in a Nursing Home can be a hard thing to do, therefore it is always important to make sure that we are not placing our loved ones in the wrong Nursing Home that puts their well being in danger.

A congressional report showed that an examination of nursing home records conducted over a two-year period showed that nearly 1 in 3 nursing homes were cited for violations that had the potential to cause harm and almost 10 percent of all nursing homes have violations that caused actual harm, serious injury or placed them in jeopardy of death.

A survey of nursing home residents showed that up to 44 percent of nursing home residents reported that they had been abused at some time in residency and nearly all of those surveyed (95%) had seen another resident neglected.

This can be a quite a depressing statistic

Due to reports like these, legislatures in all 50 states have passed anti-elder-abuse laws but nursing home abuse continues to occur.

Nursing home abuse can involve:

Physical Abuse is a condition or event that causes physical harm. Physical abuse may be intentional such as hitting or pinching or it may be due to neglect including overuse of restraints and lack of physical care.

Sexual Abuse is unwanted sexual attention or exploitation. This includes sexual attention given to a patient who is unable to express his or her wishes or is cognitively compromised such as the patient with dementia.

Psychological Abuse is not easily identified but can include yelling, criticizing, humiliating or otherwise shaming the patient. Patients who are experiencing psychological abuse may exhibit behavioral changes.

Financial Exploitation occurs a caregiver takes advantage of access to a patients financial matters, steals or otherwise compromises the patient’s financial status. This could include direct theft, theft from banking accounts or applying for credit in the patient’s name.

Neglect is often unintentional and a result of inadequate staffing. Neglect occurs when a patient’s needs are not taken care of such as personal hygiene care or when the patient is not provided food, clothing or water.

Neglect can contribute to a number of medical conditions such as bed sores, skin infections, malnutrition and dehydration.

Resident to Resident Abuse occurs when one resident is allowed to abuse another. Resident to resident abuse may be physical, sexual or psychological. Nursing home patients should be protected from other residents.

Best Nursing Homes in New York City

March 27,August 30,Leave a comment

List of the Best Nursing Homes in New York City

Looking for the best Nursing Homes for you loved ones In New York City can be tedious and very difficult.

Here are some of the living costs that is involved in seniors staying in Nursing Homes in New York City, and within the five boroughs of New York.

Type of residence
Size of apartment (studio, one or two-bedroom apartment)
Types of services needed
Geographical location of the community

Typically, base rates only cover room and board and a service of daily meals, determined by the assisted living community. Sometimes there are entrance fees, deposits and laundry and housekeeping fees. But because these all vary by community, it’s important to ask each community about their individual costs and services.

According to Genworth.com, the average cost for a one-bedroom assisted living apartment in the U.S. in 2014 was $3,500 per month; an increase of 1.19% over 2013 with a five-year annual growth of 5.71%. Studio and two-bedroom assisted living apartments varied, accordingly. And these Nursing Home Statistics can only increase year after year.

Caregiving How Tos

Understanding the Problem

A nursing home becomes a valuable option when the amount of medical care and nursing attention the older person needs cannot be provided at home. Problems such as frequent incontinence, dangerous wandering, inability to sleep at night (a disrupted sleep – awake cycle), or agitation that is harmful can be very difficult to manage. If so, it may be time to consider placement in a nursing home so that the older person can have the care he or she needs. This blog is meant to help seniors and their family find the Best Nursing Homes in New York City for their loved ones.

It is very important to include the older person as much as possible in deciding whether to go to a nursing home or other care setting. If the older person is mentally alert, he or she should be involved in the process every step of the way.

Moving from one’s home to a nursing home is a big life change. Adjusting to the move and becoming comfortable will take time. Both the family care giver and the older person will need patience during the adjustment period.

This post will also mention some of the Best Nursing Homes in New York City.

Consider the first month in the nursing home as a trial period when you can help ease the transition for the older person. Visiting frequently for short time periods can be more helpful during the adjustment phase than staying for hours at a time.

You can play an important role in assuring that the older person receives good care by being involved during this transition by visiting often, speaking with the staff, and participating in both the care planning sessions and nursing home’s family council. If there is no family council, consider starting one. Talk with the activities director and see if you can help in some of the activities and outings for the residents.

Finding suitable alternative living arrangements is becoming more complex since there are a number of community resources that provide various levels of care. The resources vary from community to community and, with the exception of nursing homes, standard definitions based on services provided are generally lacking. Moreover, terminology and regulation varies from state to state. Funding sources for the different care facilities vary also.

Nursing homes are residential care facilities that provide a range of services. Both federal and state regulations require that a doctor or his or her designee will routinely visit an individual living in a nursing home, assess the resident’s health status, and monitor the plan of care.

Licensed nursing staff are in the facility 24 hours a day. Some nursing homes provide secure units specifically for persons with dementia. There are several types of nursing home care that you might want to consider, depending on the person’s needs.

Skilled nursing care provides 24-hour licensed nurse coverage and rehabilitation services. These facilities provide care for both short term and long-term stays. An example of a short-term stay would be one following hospitalization to repair a fractured hip which would require a stay of two to four weeks for physical therapy. An example of a long-term stay would be care for someone for whom care could no longer be safely provided in the home or for someone who is not expected to recover the ability to care for himself or herself.

Subacute nursing units provide services that require more intense therapy or monitoring than is normally provided in a nursing home. An example would be intense rehabilitation services and/or 24-hour licensed registered nurse coverage capable of managing more acute problems such as complex intravenous therapy or ventilator-dependent persons. These services are generally provided within a skilled nursing facility and are considered short-term needs.

In summary, your goals are to:

Understand the different kinds of nursing home care that are available.
Review the older person’s needs, your ability to provide care, and your own health care needs and stamina.
Learn about the nursing homes in your area and the services they provide.
Discuss the situation with the older person, family, friends, and health professionals.
Choose the nursing home that best meets the older person’s needs, realizing that no place, even one’s own home, is perfect.

Best Nursing Homes in New York City

Bronx
Queens
Brooklyn
Manhattan

1. What is an Assisted Living Home

March 27,August 17,Leave a comment

We all know how hard it can be to look for the perfect Nursing Home for our loved ones especially in a big and densely populated area like the New York City area.

Having your parents or significant other and sending them into a Nursing Home is a big endeavor for anyone, and cause plenty of anxiety and overwhelm.

This can be really hard and scary for plenty of people and their families,

Here are a few facts in regard with Nursing Homes in America:

Number of U.S. assisted living communities: 31,100

That seems like a big number but considering the number of seniors in our country that needed good care, that is quite understandable.

Here are some more statistics:

Number of apartments: 475,500
Number of residents: 735,000
Average length of stay: 36 months
Percentage of residents that receive help with three or more ADLs: 40%

Nursing Homes in New York City

Some useful statistics:

There are plenty of Nursing Homes that are great for your loved ones but it is important to really do research. The main purpose of this website is to help you find the right Nursing Home for your loved ones.

Here are some of the living costs that is involved in seniors staying in Nursing Homes in New York City:

Type of residence
Size of apartment (studio, one or two-bedroom apartment)
Types of services needed
Geographical location of the community

Many communities charge a basic rate that covers all services, with an additional fee for special services. Most assisted living communities charge a month-to-month rate, but there are also long-term options available.

Like racism and sexism, Ageism is based on stereotyping. It is simply the discrimination of individuals or groups, based on their age. However, unlike racism and sexism, Ageist comments are not yet off-limits or taboo. In fact, in most cases, age is used to crack jokes for comic relief.

Have you been bombarded by cosmetic sales-reps at your local retail store? Is the cosmetic department relatively larger than all the others? In our current youth-focused society, the anti-aging movement has a strong foothold.

From reversing aging to reducing its effects through facial creams, cosmetic surgery, and Botox injections, there are constantly new products for consumers. But why does our society see aging so negatively? Is wisdom and life experience still treasured?

Finding the right Nursing Home within New York City for your loved ones can become a tedious and hard process. With all the Nursing Homes around, it can be quite difficult to really find the right for your loved ones. It can be time consuming, but we all know that we will do no matter what for somone that we love.

If you need to go to a nursing home after a hospital stay, the hospital staff can help you find one that will provide the kind of care that’s best for you. Most hospitals have social workers who can help you with these decisions.

Things to Keep in mind:

Consider. What is important to you—nursing care, meals, physical therapy, a religious connection, hospice care, patients? Do you want a place close to family and friends so they can easily visit?

Ask. Talk with friends, relatives, social workers, and religious groups to find out what places they suggest. Check with healthcare providers about which nursing homes they feel provide good care. Use their suggestions to make a list of homes that offer the types of services you want.

your cherished one is no longer ready to securely live on his or her own — whether it’s your mom, your dad or your companion — believing his care to outsiders isn’t simple. How might you make certain that his needs are being met and that he is protected?

It is imperative for relatives to remain required to guarantee their adored one gets the best nursing home care.

The appropriate response, says specialists, is basic: You should remain cautious to ensure that he is getting the sort of care you need him to get.

“Each individual in a nursing home needs a supporter,” says Maryglenn Boals, a previous nursing home director in Arizona. “When you are serving that many individuals, there will be oversights. There is continually going to be seemingly insignificant details that happen. So every occupant needs his own ‘squeaky wheel.’ ”

These are a few things to ask to recognize indications of dishonorable care.

How does the nourishment look and taste?

Feasting with your parent in the nursing home cafeteria is an extraordinary way to reinforce your parent’s spirits, as well as to give you a thought of how well he or she is eating. “At the point when individuals are maturing and losing a considerable measure of tangible affectability, nourishment is a colossal issue,” says Boals. “The supper may meet the dietary necessities, yet is it tasteful? Is it outwardly promising, particularly to somebody who doesn’t have much enthusiasm for eating?”

Standard convention is to record how much nourishment an occupant eats at every dinner, Boals says. In the event that you see that your parent is not eating a significant part of the home’s nourishment but rather will generously eat sustenance you get for him or her, say that to the staff.

Remember that if your parent is on an extraordinary eating regimen, for example, low-salt or pureed nourishments just, you won’t not have much say over taste and appearance. Be that as it may, on the off chance that somebody can’t eat in light of the fact that the nourishment is unpalatable, it’s not really worth keeping up an extraordinary eating regimen.

What sounds do you listen?

Inhabitants groaning or hollering “help” may unsettle, however they are once in a while indications of poor treatment, says Boals. More probable it’s a piece of the dementia winding. Rather, tune in for how staff individuals address their occupants.

Staff ought to address inhabitants by their names, rather than “Mom” or “Grandpa,” says Marion Somers, a senior care supporter and previous nursing home chairman. “You’re discussing an era that is accustomed to being called Mrs. So-thus,” Somers says. “Staff ought to ask an inhabitant how they need to be tended to. In the event that they’re not mulling over what the inhabitant needs to feel regarded, then they are reducing that customer and they will have issues with that customer.”

What does it possess an aroma similar to?

Nursing homes can encourage some crazy scents, says Boals. There are unavoidable purposes behind this: specific drugs and weight control plans make occupants more gassy. Furthermore, as individuals age, will probably lose control of their bladder and insides. So a black out whiff of something disagreeable isn’t something to grumble about.

Is the staff exhausted?

Ask the nursing colleagues and other staff in the event that they work a considerable measure of additional time and twofold moves. Assuming this is the case, that is an indication of short staffing that can influence not so good care.

“On the off chance that the staff are exhausted, then they are overemphasized,” says Boals. “It’s a great deal of giving, and they’re working in a troublesome circumstance.”

Approach the executive of nursing for the home’s staffing proportions or check their staff proportion rating on the Nursing Home Compare device at Medicare.gov. In the event that you trust your adored one is being dismissed as a result of poor staffing proportions, record a grievance with your state organization that manages nursing homes.