It’s part of dealing with an aging parent. At some point, they may stop bathing.

We’ve created a short infographic to help you with what to do when your parent is not bathing.

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“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit us today..”

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This month, Omaha.com published a story about a missing 84-year-old man from Lancaster County. The man has Alzheimers disease and dementia. After being reported missing, he was found a day later in Lyons, Kansas. At Encompass, we hear stories like this all the time from families with loved ones suffering from Alzheimers. It is not uncommon for families to seek help after a terrifying experience like a loved one going missing. We know every patient and family have different desires or wishes“ some want to keep their wandering parent in their own home for as long as possible, others might want to find the safest facility for their loved one now. Encompass can guide you in the best direction, whatever the particular situation with your wandering loved one is. In the mean time, here are five instant things you can do to feel better about your wandering parent.

  • Notify your neighbors.
  • House alarms can alert you if you’re living with a wanderer.
  • Medical ID jewelry “like a bracelet or pendant“ is a good idea.
  • There are also GPS bracelets/necklace that can track a vulnerable person that I usually recommend purchasing through the Alzheimer’s Association.
  • Make sure someone has access to an online bank account. In this opinion article from the Washington Post, the writer points out that some online banking accounts can give instant transaction information that can help locate your missing loved one faster.

There are other tricks that can be used depending on why they wander“such as putting a black rubber mat that might trick them into thinking there is a hole by the door and then they are less likely to try and exit through that door.”

For more information or a more personalized consultation, contact Encompass Omaha.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit us today..”

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The Huffington Post recently published an in-depth expose into the hospice world. Just scrolling through their key findings provides disturbing glimmers into this giant industry.

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Moving elderly parents to assisted living is a major transition. To help, we’ve created this “roadmap” to help with your journey.

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“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit us today..”

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Leaving their Home

Transitioning to a new home can be an emotional experience, especially if there is an attachment to the old home. Jeanette Franks, PhD, from A Place for Mom, shares an experience with a friend that found leaving her home emotional. Franks explains to make the transition easier the friend, held a dinner party in her house with family and a few close friends, and then they visited each room by candlelight, remembering special events, commenting on the changes over time, and saying goodbye.

Packing up tends to go more smoothly when children of elderly parents physically help them pack their possessions rather than instructing what can stay and what needs to go from afar.

Packing or Parting with Possessions 

When packing up possessions it can be better to err on the side of holding on to things. Sometimes people need more time with some possessions before they let them go. It is ok to have their new room a bit packed and that often makes it easier to discard things later. Old possessions also help make a new place feel more familiar which eases the transition.

Get to Know Important Staff

Often, what’s your job, what’s their job, and what’s somewhere in between is unclear. You and your parent may have carefully reviewed a lengthy contractual document full of legalese, yet are uncertain as to the difference between a nurse, an aide, and a resident assistant, for example. “ Jeanette Franks, PhD

To simplify matters, it is important to figure out whom your main point of contact will be when there are issues or information that needs to be passed along. Often this is a general manager or other top administrator. It is also important that that contact knows whom the main advocate for your elderly parent is. Keeping these roles clear will make communication stronger and easier.

What is Your Role in Assisted Living?

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit us today..”

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Moving elderly parents to assisted living is a major and often difficult transition. Most children of elderly parents do not have serious conversations with their parents about the transition until a crisis happens to make the need for a move apparent. During a crisis, for example a parent falling and breaking their hip, gathering all the necessary information, making financial preparations, and getting the family to agree on what to do next creates a stressful mess.

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House Calls Make a Comeback

We like to think of ourselves as a group that focuses on our client’s quality of life at Encompass. We aim to make individuals more comfortable and live the way they wish to, whatever that might mean to them. Generally we find that what people want is to live in their own home. This trend is noticeable nation-wide in an increased demand for palliative care at home. A recent article from the New York Times, House Calls Are Making a Comeback, details the movement. Read more

Elder Financial AbuseHere at Encompass, we work to prevent elder abuse. Elder abuse can take several forms, but its most common form is financial abuse. In a 2011 survey, seniors stated that financial exploitation was the most frequent type of abuse they experienced. Financial elder abuse is broadly defined as illegal or improper use of a 60+ individuals funds, property, or assets. It is common for seniors to be scammed by strangers, silently robbed by caretakers, or finically abused by their own family. Sometimes the victim is aware of the abuse, but feels threatened or trapped. Other times, the abuse goes undetected and is only caught after hundreds of thousands of dollars have been taken. Read more

Photo by dougbelshaw via FlickrHere are Encompass, we witness the good and the bad in aging. Today we want to share four undeniably positive parts of aging.

1. Science now shows that age does, in fact, bring wisdom. Studies comparing brain scans of young and old adults show that as we age, we learn to distribute our efforts when thinking more efficiently. The study proved that older adult react more calmly to their own mistakes, allowing them refocus and fix certain problems as efficiently as the faster more hot-headed young adult participants. Read more