You are making a BIG decision. Be informed. Be empowered. Be able to make the best seniorDECISION. This section will give you the:
- FEATURED TOPIC OF THE WEEK
- Advocacy Partners of seniorDECISION.com
- Worthwhile Product and Service Partners of seniorDECISION.com
- Helpful Resources for Your Use
- Latest Senior Care News and Senior Living News
Top 10 Senior Care and Housing Thoughts for 2010 from seniorDECISION.com
A new decade, and new considerations for senior living. Here are 10 thoughts for 2010:
10) I can do that - family members because of economy, convenience or otherwise will take a more active role in providing care and senior lifestyles. 2009 was the start of families building on the retiree suite to their home, and now with unemployment jumping and mortgages still due, 2010 will be much more about family caregiving.
9) Avoidance - the doctor has told you it is time to get healthy or risk severely shortening your life. Now what? Follow or avoid? In 2010, the big deal will be beyond keeping the body in check with exercise and diet; it will be more about keeping the brain fit. Tango anyone?
8) Put the Cookie Cutter Away – we know you offer specific care plans, but really, are living up to treating me as an individual? Hard to manage, but more and more will be made of special small touches that make a person know they are more than a number.
7) Name Your Price – More choices, more price points, more made of cost versus other factors. So sure, you can ask for a price break on service, but remember your price break may be in direct conflict with what you are looking for – top notch service.
6) Government Please – What will Medicare look like? How much support will Medicaid receive? Is there any relief to the prescription drug debate (so far, not yet)? This year more than most the government will be one to watch.
5) Volunteerism is Cool – People want to stay connected. If they cannot find a paying job, expect more talented people to be looking to engage in a meaningful way. If you are a senior living provider, are you ready to harness this awesome outcome?
4) Experience is Next to Location – location is still the main reason people choose a senior care and housing provider one over another. However, experience (cost is becoming a common denominator) is becoming more and more important. How much experience exists with management? How about the staff? And what experiences will they offer to maintain as much independence as possible?
3) Will You Still Work – As the aging of America occurs, who will serve the food, clean the rooms, provide direct support or care to the millions who will request the services? 2010 will see strides in pay for those directly providing care.
2) Environment is Calling – Are you tired of being GREEN already? If so, 2010 will be another banner year for organizations that focus on sustainability.
1) Technology – If we can solve it with high tech, why not? With costs for service increasing; labor pool shrinking; and families wanting to be more involved, technology will be used in ways that at first may be intrusive, but ultimately show to be low-cost, high-results oriented.
Helpful Tools and Resources
ADVOCACY PARTNERS
Alliance for Aging Research is a private, non-profit organization that is the nation's leading citizen advocacy organization for improving the health and independence of Americans as they age.
American Health Assistance Foundation is a non-profit organization that funds research into cures for Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration and glaucoma, and provides the public with information about risk factors, preventative lifestyles, available treatments and coping strategies.
Career Nurse Assistants' Programs, also known as the National Network of Career Nursing Assistants, promotes recognition, education, research, advocacy and peer support development for nursing assistants in nursing homes and other long term care settings.
Children of Aging Parents is a nonprofit, charitable organization whose mission is to assist the nation's nearly 54 million caregivers of the elderly or chronically ill with reliable information, referrals and support, and to heighten public awareness that the health of the family caregivers is essential to ensure quality care of the nation's growing elderly population.
ElderLawAnswers supports seniors, their families and their attorneys in achieving their goals by providing information about crucial legal issues facing seniors; a network of highly qualified elder law attorneys nationwide; and online practice tools for elder law attorneys.
The Employee Assistance Professionals Association is the world's largest, oldest, and most respected membership organization for employee assistance professionals.
Faith in Action brings together volunteers from many faiths to work together to care for their neighbors who have long-term health needs.
Medicare Rights Center (MRC) is the largest independent source of health care information and assistance in the United States for people with Medicare. Founded in 1989, MRC helps older adults and people with disabilities get good, affordable health care.
National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers represents health and human services specialists who help families care for older relatives, while encouraging as much independence as possible.
The National Association of Senior Move Managers is a not-for-profit, professional association of individuals who assist older adults and families with the physical and emotional demands of relocating, downsizing, or modifying their homes.
National Association of Women Business Owners is the voice of America's 10.4 million women-owned businesses. Since 1975, NAWBO has helped women evolve their businesses by sharing resources and providing a single voice to shape economic and public policy.
National Capital Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is committed to providing comprehensive support services to help people with MS and their families better cope with the consequences of the disease.
The National Family Caregivers Association educates, supports, empowers and speaks up for the more than 50 million Americans who care for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability or the frailties of old age.
National Gerontological Nursing Association is dedicated to the clinical care of older adults across diverse care settings. Members include clinicians, educators, and researchers with vastly different educational preparation, clinical roles, and interest in practice issues.
NCCNHR: The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care is a non profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to quality long-term care. Consumer focused resources are available including a comprehensive guide to choosing a nursing home; Fact sheets on resident rights and how to get quality care; as well as a clickable map consumers can use to find resources in each state, such as long-term care ombudsmen who resolve grievances and promote systemic change, citizen advocacy groups who work for long-term care reform in their communities and states, and state inspection agencies.
www.QualityCareNow.org is an initiative of the National Partnership for Women and Families, a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy group dedicated to promoting fairness in the workplace, access to quality health care and policies that help women and men create a balance between work and family responsibilities.
The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving works to establish local, state and national partnerships committed to building more effective long-term care systems and providing greater recognition and support for America's unsung heroes - the millions of caregivers, both family and professional, who provide us all with models of selfless service and hope for the future.
SAGE (now known as Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders) is the world's oldest and largest non-profit agency dedicated to serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender senior citizens.
Society of Certified Senior Advisors educates professionals in the field of aging, awarding the CSA credential to those who successfully complete designation requirements.
The Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER) works to provide low and moderate income women (aged 18 to 65) with basic financial information aimed at helping them take financial control over their lives and to increase awareness of the structural barriers that prevent women's adequate participation in the nation's retirement systems
SERVICE AND PRODUCT PARTNERS
Aging with Grace™ is a leading national eldercare resource company that works with labor unions, health & welfare funds, employee benefits consultants and associations to address the impact of elder caregiver stress in the workplace. Founded in 2005 by Patricia Grace, CEO, Aging with Grace enjoys exclusive contracts with the Alliance for Retired Persons, AFLCIO UnionPlus program and the American Federation of Government Employees.
The CareGiver Partnership is a direct to consumer provider of approximately 1,800 of the most commonly used products for home healthcare including incontinence, nutritional, diabetic, wound care, daily living, personal care and arthritis.
Disposables Delivered provides professional guidance, superior products and discreet home delivery to those who must deal with incontinence on a personal level or in helping another.
Pope Institute is a national health care consulting firm specializing in helping families plan for elder care and disability needs.
SeniorDiscounts.com is the largest directory of business, with over 150,000 listings, that offer discounts to people 50 and older.
HELPFUL RESOURCES
AARP Senior Housing Help
The AARP has a section on senior housing choices.
AgingCare.com, is a website and online forum for people caring for their aging parents. Caregivers can communicate with each other, get answers from elder care experts and access news, information and products related to caregiving.
Caring.com created to help you care for your aging parents and other loved ones with valuable information.
Family Caregiving 101 is designed to provide caregivers with the basic tools, skills and information they need to protect their own physical and mental health while they provide high quality care for their loved one.
The National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center advocates for residents’ rights and quality care.
Nursing Home Compare - This tool on the Medicare website at displays quality measure data, deficiencies and other information about nursing homes. It is organized by state and county to help you search for facilities near you or anywhere in the country.
The U.S. Administration on Aging offers government-based
resources for senior living choices.
The Savvy Senior is devoted to providing information and resources for older Americans and their families
Strength for Caring lists of some of the more common housing solutions and explains the benefits, services, and the types of support (medical, daily needs, healthcare, etc.) you can expect.
The Veterans Administration's Aid and Attendance Program can provide veterans and surviving spouses financial resources towards home health care, nursing home stays, or assisted living options.
