• Moving To Assisted Living Clark County, WA

    When it’s time to leave your old home and move to a new one, it can be a very emotional time. Seniors may find moving especially difficult. Their moves are often preceded by some kind of life change. It may be a health condition, loss of a family member, financial circumstances, or a need for more support. A move, even one that is by choice, is a huge change. And change can be stressful. The old house may have been home to the senior for a long time, and it holds many memories. It may be where they raised a family and created a community over many years. This transition will be a lot of work, both physical and emotional. However, the process can be eased with planning, organizing and plenty of help from family and friends. Organizing experts recommend sorting your belongings ahead to time into piles to “keep”- those things you will take with you into the new […]

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  • Assisted Living Clark County, WA: Nutrition Needs Of Seniors

    Senior nutrition is a very important factor in the decision to move to assisted living Clark County, WA. As one ages it becomes harder to shop for groceries and to prepare healthy meals. It is often difficult for a single person living alone to cook full, healthy meals. Most assisted living facilities offer three meals daily, and many have a variety of mealtime and menu choices available. When planning meals for seniors, there are some special considerations that must be taken into account. Seniors often have a decreased ability to taste and smell foods, they may take medications that have certain side effects, and their appetites can be variable. Many seniors require special diets to help manage their chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. There are also seniors who need to lose or to gain weight. These are all examples of special dietary requirements that can be found in assisted living facilities, and which are addressed by […]

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  • News For Assisted Living Clark County, WA

    There is an interesting program being implemented in senior care facilities throughout the United States. It’s called Music and Memory, and it’s based in New York. It developed from the theory that music triggers memory, and that music has therapeutic qualities. Music and memories are linked in the brain. Some songs have stronger attachments to memories than others. For everyone, there are songs that remind us of emotional moments in our lives. Certain songs remind us of events or people or feelings. We can hear a particular tune and we are transported back to that time in our life. This has relevance for people in assisted living Clark County, WA. The Music and Memory program gets donated iPods into senior care facilities where they are given to residents and programmed with a customized playlist of that resident’s own favorite songs, songs from the past, songs that trigger the individual’s personal memories. Memories that are associated with important events from their […]

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  • Media Exposes Why Getting The Right Help In Making Assisted Living Decisions Is So Important

    Choosing the correct facility for your loved one is the first step in making sure they receive the care that they need. The media has presented some examples of cases where residents were in the wrong environment for their needs. My sympathy goes out to the families who have had to endure the heart break of knowing that the quality of life for their Mom or Dad was physically and emotionally painful. I talk with families all the time about finding the best place for people to live. The physical and mental needs of residents change and often families should consider a move to an environment where the level of care is higher. No matter where an elderly loved one is living, family needs to be their advocate. This is really difficult when residents and family are in a relationship with caregivers and managers. This is an emotional business (remember that it is a business). Just remember that there are […]

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  • Senior Housing Assistance In Vancouver, WA

    Senior housing assistance in Vancouver, WA is available for free. Let us help you make some important decisions about senior housing options. Here are some things to consider when you’re wondering if it is time for you or a loved one to make the move to an assisted living facility. First, do you need more help with daily living activities than you can get from family members or friends? Are you unable to bridge the gap with help from family or with in-home care? Assisted living may be a solution. Are you feeling lonely or isolated on a regular basis? Having a social life is important to your health and well-being. Life in an assisted living home presents an array of opportunities for socialization and recreation. Are you or your family members concerned about your safety? If you live alone and your mobility is becoming limited, you may worry about falling, or making those transitions in and out bed, in […]

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  • Assisted Living Choices In SW Washington Can Be Overwhelming

    I can help you navigate through the sometimes confusing abundance of assisted living choices in SW Washington. After you make that all-important decision of where you or your loved one will live with the appropriate amount of support, you will need to think about how to make that big transition go as smoothly as possible. There are many other families that have gone through this same process. Here are some tips to ease the transition into an assisted living home. Help set up the room ahead of time. Use personal items such as pillows, books, photos, mementos and keepsakes to make the space feel familiar and homey. These familiar things will act as transitional objects that will help connect the new home with the one your senior is leaving. Discuss your loved one’s preferences with the assisted living choices in SW Washington you are considering. The more information you can give about his or her daily routines, food preferences, communication […]

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  • Assisted Living in Vancouver, WA – A Story of Hope

    Assisted living includes a pretty wide spectrum of senior living options from adult family homes to long term care facilities. Most often, we are helping people transition from fully independent living situations to environments where they get the help they need at the level they need it. Frequently a family will decide it’s time to move mom or dad to an assisted living environment because the parent has come to a point in life where they no longer care for themselves as well as they should. Often there is some resistance from Mom or Dad. Especially when they have lived in their home for many years, often raising their children and entertaining their grand children and great grand children there. Many families will first try in-home care. Having someone come in a few times a week to prepare meals and make sure that the elder person is keeping up with things like eating and taking their medications, helping with basic […]

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  • Persons Living In Assisted Living May Have Misdiagnosis

    It’s been estimated that 9 percent of persons living in assisted living facilities may have an often misdiagnosed condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus. The unfortunate thing is this condition is treatable. We wonder how many persons in assisted living in Vancouver Washington have this treatable condition. Because the symptoms are similar, the misdiagnoses include Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, and even “just getting old.” What is normal pressure hydrocephalus or NPH? NPH is a condition which occurs when the fluid surrounding the brain no longer reabsorbs correctly. This failure to reabsorb slowly leads to problems with memory, disturbed gait, and even bladder control. The person with NPH can experience problems with speech, walking, a loss of train of thought, disorganization, blanking on names or what to do in routine activities of daily living. The diagnosis can be identified through comparison of MRI’s of the brain. The Hydrocephalus Association estimates that at least 350,000 Americans, and 5 percent of people with dementia, have […]

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  • More Senior Housing Options Coming To The Vancouver, WA Area

    We are fortunate to have a variety of senior housing options available in the Vancouver and Clark County Washington area.  Those options include adult family homes, assisted living, independent living, retirement communities, memory care and Parkinson’s units, among others. Amenities and services at each differ. And many of these options have been combined for easy transitioning to a higher level of care if needed. But, currently these resources have a 90 percent occupancy rate. And, with Vancouver being a popular spot to retire and the population aging, it means we will soon need more senior housing which is just what is in the plans. There are over 187 units of assisted living, memory care and independent living apartments underway. Some will have pet-friendly parks and, just to name a few of the various amenities and services, others will have exercise rooms, gardening programs, and nursing services. There is recent news that on October 4, one of the senior living […]

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  • Help Prevent Elder Abuse In Assisted Living Or Any Other Setting

    You, your loved one, or an acquaintance may be residing alone or in an assisted living setting, but the setting doesn’t matter. The risk for abuse may be present. That abuse may be physical, mental or financial. There are resources available to prevent elder abuse. The Clark County Vulnerable Adult Task Force, a non-profit group, has expanded to represent the counties of Clark, Klickitat, Cowlitz, Skamania, and Wahkiakum. Along with the expansion, their name has been changed to Southwest Washington Elder Abuse Prevention Coalition, or SWEAP. A board member stated, “The idea is to sweep out elder abuse.” The task force’s goal is to combat physical, mental and financial abuse of vulnerable adults. According to The Columbian article, the task force was instrumental in establishing the Clark County Elder Justice Center, “which identifies and prosecutes cases of elder abuse.” “It’s mission is focused on prevention, education, and support of abuse victims.” For those of you who are interested, the coalition […]

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