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Who are you caring for?
Which best describes their mobility?
How well are they maintaining their hygiene?
How are they managing their medications?
Does their living environment pose any safety concerns?
Fall risks, spoiled food, or other threats to wellbeing
Are they experiencing any memory loss?
Which best describes your loved one's social life?
Acknowledgment of Disclosures and Authorization
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
Remember, this assessment is not a substitute for professional advice.
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Go back to “......between a sound mind and dementia.....”.
Were you TOLD that by someone who is caring for her or were you basing the comment on your own observations of her behavior?
“Sound mind” doesn’t describe anything specific about what your mil is doing that requires medicine as an intervention tool.
If there is a geriatric behavioral specialist on the staff at your mil’s residence, ask that she be evaluated by that person.
Don’t assume (yet) that the staff is out to drug her, but find out EXACTLY what they are seeing that they find concerning about her day to day actions and responses.
A medical doctor can prescribe for her, but her behavior needs to be observed by someone who can pinpoint specific problems resulting from her mental/psychological status.
Before any "meds" are allowed to be given to your MIL by the facility, insist that they first give you a detailed description of why her care has become difficult for them. Also insist that they give you a detailed. written record of documentation of when her incidents of difficult behavior occur. Trust that care facilities will pretty much medicate any residents when it it not necessary to. If an elderly patient is ornery, or uncooperative that's good enough reason for them. If They're stubborn and don't want to do things on their schedule is another reason. If your MIL's difficult because of anxiety or panic attacks then suggest to them that they start giving her a low dose of (lorazepam) as needed only. This is a good medication that works wonders and won't turn her into a zombie, which is normally what a care facility wants.
Your mom's "facility" is NOT allowed to give her ANY medication for any reason. That is up to her doctor to prescribe and write orders for, only if he sees a need for it. Then the facility can administer the meds as ordered by the doctor specifically. Calming meds such as Xanax or Valium can be very dangerous for elders because it can add to confusion and increase falls. My mother lives in a Memory Care Assisted Living and her doctor will NEVER prescribe such meds for her.
Call a meeting with the Director of Nursing at your mom's SNF and find out what is meant by them wanting "easier care"? What is the problem? Then meet with her doctor to discuss a care plan moving forward.
The doctor may have to order it, but the facility workers ask for and get the meds they need by giving doctor information about the patient. Quite often the doctor who is seeing patient in facility is not the regular doctor used prior to placement. I do believe medications and other short cuts are more commonly used to make the job easier than many people are aware. Family needs to stay on top of things and question things just as you mentioned.
Medicate her for what? What behavior is causing the NH concerns? What do they mean “between sound mind and dementia”? Have they screened her for dementia? Some facilities will use medication as a cop out when the staff isn't trained enough to handle any problems, or just to make it easier for the staff. Neither is a reason for meds. Meds are meant for the patient's comfort, not the staffs. As mentioned below, meet with the director to find out what the problem is, why any meds are needed, what meds are they suggesting, how do they think the meds will help, what are the side effects.
Does she really need calming for her own peace? Or do they want to calm her to make their jobs easier? What specifically is she doing that they want to calm her?
Sometimes people get medicated only because others around them don't want to exert any energy in to dealing with the problem, spending a little time talking with them, or redirecting them. Short staffing creates all kinds of issues for people in facilities - medicate and diapering are the top two in my opinion. If you can keep someone sedated, not much time has to be spent with them. A diaper means there is no urgency to answer a call button because a patient needs to go to the bathroom. Messier to clean up, but it can be done later instead of now.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
Were you TOLD that by someone who is caring for her or were you basing the comment on your own observations of her behavior?
“Sound mind” doesn’t describe anything specific about what your mil is doing that requires medicine as an intervention tool.
If there is a geriatric behavioral specialist on the staff at your mil’s residence, ask that she be evaluated by that person.
Don’t assume (yet) that the staff is out to drug her, but find out EXACTLY what they are seeing that they find concerning about her day to day actions and responses.
A medical doctor can prescribe for her, but her behavior needs to be observed by someone who can pinpoint specific problems resulting from her mental/psychological status.
If your MIL's difficult because of anxiety or panic attacks then suggest to them that they start giving her a low dose of (lorazepam) as needed only. This is a good medication that works wonders and won't turn her into a zombie, which is normally what a care facility wants.
Call a meeting with the Director of Nursing at your mom's SNF and find out what is meant by them wanting "easier care"? What is the problem? Then meet with her doctor to discuss a care plan moving forward.
Good luck!
Sometimes people get medicated only because others around them don't want to exert any energy in to dealing with the problem, spending a little time talking with them, or redirecting them. Short staffing creates all kinds of issues for people in facilities - medicate and diapering are the top two in my opinion. If you can keep someone sedated, not much time has to be spent with them. A diaper means there is no urgency to answer a call button because a patient needs to go to the bathroom. Messier to clean up, but it can be done later instead of now.