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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.
Share a few details and we will match you to trusted home care in your area:
This is what Occupational Therapists do. Can you get a referral from mom's doc for OT services at home?
If she is being released from the hospital or rehab, the discharge planning office should be sending an OT to your home to assess if it meets the requirements for a safe discharge.
Yes. I have been caring for her for the past 4 years. She is my mom and a blessing to our family. She is happy and loves it here. She has her own area of our home, family room, bedroom and bathroom. With her door that comes into our home. Kitchen is on our side of the house and so I do all the cooking and don’t have to worry about stoves being left on anymore. Alarms on all doors so I know where she is. I just need to know if there is a company that comes in and can point out things I’m missing as far as safety.
I applaud you for wanting to make sure that your home is a safe place for your mom to live.
It is an adjustment for everyone involved when a parent moves into our homes.
When my mom moved into our home, she was doing fairly well. As she declined she needed to have certain needs met.
Pay close attention to bathing areas. Falls in the shower are common. While we can’t prevent every fall, there are some things that you can do to help keep an elder safe.
If needed, add a shower chair, raised toilet seat, grab bars, etc.
Mom eventually needed a walker and a lift recliner in her bedroom.
When my mom participated in home health, the occupational therapist made suggestions that were helpful.
Does your mother have mobility issues or are you concerned about other factors?
We also installed a ramp for my mom to roll her walker on when entering and exiting our home.
As dementia increases, knobs on the stove can be removed. Sharp objects removed from drawers and countertops, etc.
I agree, an PT and OT therapist can tell you what you can do and also evaluate your Mom.
Your County Office of Aging can help evaluate your home. I put inva shower stall for my Mom. Made things easier for her and me.
I did have the occupational therapist suggest a sliding door that goes in the wall to make Moms bathroom door wider for her walker. I told him "good idea". I have learned not to be negative around PTs and SW. I smile and agree and then go home and take what I think will work. The door would not have worked. The wall had a cold air return vent in it. To have it removed an re-vented would have cause thousands of dollars to have it revented and fix the wall back the way it had been.
Ask a social worker involved in some way in care whether through hospitalizations or rehabs. You might stop at a rehab and ask. You can do a lot online as far as trying to assess all this. Consider a call to your local council on aging and asking. Be very careful of contractors just wanting a whole lot of money to put up a few grab bars. You might also look under "Organizers" in your computer yellow pages and ask if any are up to date on such things.
ALL of that said, do recognize that there WILL be falls and there WILL be accidents and these not due to anything you failed to do for safety, but having to do with the aging brain. Our balance goes. At 81 I can promise you that's a fact. Our brains slow and are slower to react and we get forgetful. So there WILL BE BLOOD as the movie title said.
Other things to consider doing: - bright (yellow) tape on steps, inside AND outside - consider (if/when needed) "STOP" signs on exit doors - make sure there is adequate lighting - have clear pathways in hallways/rooms - possibly install a camera if your mom's quarters are not close to your quarters
In Colorado (Denver metro area) where I live, the Volunteers of America have a handyman service that will install grab bars, assess your home for safety, and do minor service work (no electrical) for a donation fee. (Suggest $20.00 per job, but will waive for low income.) We purchased our own bars, but, as I understood it, they will assess your home for appropriate placement and then go and purchase them. We were lucky enough to be covered under a grant and they purchased a transfer shower bench and assembled it for us. They also noted a railing we had installed in our hallway. Since I (spouse caregiver) put it up, it was not very secure. They purchased new hardware, took it down and remounted it.
You will need to get on a waiting list and it may take a week or two for a volunteer in your area...but our experience was so positive.
An occupational therapist is the one to hire for a consultation in home. She or he can guide you as to what changes need to be made to keep your mom as safe as possible.
It also depends on what her behaviors are. You've done the most important thing with the door alarms and not providing kitchen facilities. When my mother went into a memory care facility they told us to remove all sharp objects (knives, scissors, etc.). If she is a curious, exploratory person, you may want to'baby'-proof the outlets, as well. Observe her behavior, and act accordingly. My mother at one stage of her dementia, started to do inappropriate things, like ripping up the pages of a precious family photo album with old photos in it. I removed it. She wasn't understanding it at that point. Remove breakable precious objects. Remove expensive jewelry. All the best to you and your family.
One thing I installed that you might not think of is a vertical grab bar on the wall next to the handles of doors (including sliding glass doors) that she uses. Entrance doors can be heavy and it helps to have something to hang onto while you fiddle with locks or pull a door open.
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.
If she is being released from the hospital or rehab, the discharge planning office should be sending an OT to your home to assess if it meets the requirements for a safe discharge.
Also, please read this:
https://www.agingcare.com/discussions/if-you-are-going-to-become-a-caregiver-480769.htm?orderby=oldest
It is an adjustment for everyone involved when a parent moves into our homes.
When my mom moved into our home, she was doing fairly well. As she declined she needed to have certain needs met.
Pay close attention to bathing areas. Falls in the shower are common. While we can’t prevent every fall, there are some things that you can do to help keep an elder safe.
If needed, add a shower chair, raised toilet seat, grab bars, etc.
Mom eventually needed a walker and a lift recliner in her bedroom.
When my mom participated in home health, the occupational therapist made suggestions that were helpful.
Does your mother have mobility issues or are you concerned about other factors?
We also installed a ramp for my mom to roll her walker on when entering and exiting our home.
As dementia increases, knobs on the stove can be removed. Sharp objects removed from drawers and countertops, etc.
Wishing you and your mother all the best.
Your County Office of Aging can help evaluate your home. I put inva shower stall for my Mom. Made things easier for her and me.
I did have the occupational therapist suggest a sliding door that goes in the wall to make Moms bathroom door wider for her walker. I told him "good idea". I have learned not to be negative around PTs and SW. I smile and agree and then go home and take what I think will work. The door would not have worked. The wall had a cold air return vent in it. To have it removed an re-vented would have cause thousands of dollars to have it revented and fix the wall back the way it had been.
ALL of that said, do recognize that there WILL be falls and there WILL be accidents and these not due to anything you failed to do for safety, but having to do with the aging brain. Our balance goes. At 81 I can promise you that's a fact. Our brains slow and are slower to react and we get forgetful. So there WILL BE BLOOD as the movie title said.
Good luck. Hope things work well for you all.
- bright (yellow) tape on steps, inside AND outside
- consider (if/when needed) "STOP" signs on exit doors
- make sure there is adequate lighting
- have clear pathways in hallways/rooms
- possibly install a camera if your mom's quarters are not close to your quarters
Good luck!
You will need to get on a waiting list and it may take a week or two for a volunteer in your area...but our experience was so positive.