Moving a loved one into a nursing home is never easy but often becomes necessary when dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease. Nursing homes provide around-the-clock care and supervision, which is difficult—sometimes even impossible—for family members to do.
If faced with the dilemma of moving your loved one to a Kentucky nursing home, there are some important things you should know and consider. Use the information and links provided on this and the “Informative Links” pages to aid in your decision-making process. Topics Discussed: Alternatives to Nursing Home Placement and Advice on Nursing Home Placement
Alternatives to Nursing Home Placement
Rotating Caregivers
Caring for someone afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease can quickly become overwhelming for one person. Much of that is due to the demands of constant assistance and supervision. When these responsibilities can be shared by several people, stress is reduced for the caregivers, which benefits the patient as well.
It is ideal for an Alzheimer’s patient to remain in their own home for as long as possible to provide them a sense of safety and security. It also allows a place for their needs to be met without interrupting the routines of other households. If there are several relatives and/or friends who are willing to participate, then a schedule can be devised in which each member stays in the patient’s home. The schedule may rotate weekly or however best suits the caregivers’ needs.
If staying in the patient’s home is not feasible, then members may rotate days in which the patient comes to stay in their home. This option is more stressful for the Alzheimer’s patient because of the changing environments; however, it can prove a better solution than nursing home placement.
Private Sitters
Another option that allows an Alzheimer’s patient to remain at home is hiring someone from the community to come in and sit with them. The patient may already have the financial means to pay a private sitter or relatives can pool their resources jointly.
In addition to supervision, various tasks can be negotiated between the family and sitter. The family might provide food for the hired assistant if he or she is willing to prepare meals and help the patient with eating. Perhaps the sitter is willing to wash and fold laundry and perform light housekeeping duties.
Regardless of how many duties are negotiated with a private sitter, the most important thing is that the person be reliable and trustworthy. The sitter’s background and temperament should be checked by the family before hiring. The person should also be screened for their current understanding about Alzheimer’s Disease and provided information peculiar to Alzheimer’s and the particular patient.
Adult Day Centers
Facilities providing daytime services to adult patients have become readily available in recent years in more communities. This creates another positive alternative for families caring for an Alzheimer’s patient.
Day care facilities have skilled employees on hand to supervise and tend the needs of adults with various limited capacities. They provide a safe, stable environment where a loved one can stay throughout the day. Meals are served and special activities performed. This benefits participants by replacing boredom with physical exercise and social stimulation.
Day care services can be afforded privately or through insurance and Medicaid/Medicare. Transportation to and from a facility is also often available in the form of a facility van. This provides added benefit to the family by saving them time and expense.
- For more information about Adult Day Center services in Kentucky contact your local Department for Community Based Services located in the State Offices section of your local phone book. You can also call the Department for Aging and Independent Living at (888) 642-1137 or visit http://chfs.ky.gov/dail/adultday.htm.
Home and Community Based Waiver
Many families are unaware of Kentucky’s Home and Community Based (HCB) Waiver Program. This program aims at helping elderly persons and those with disabilities avoid or transition out of nursing home placement. HCB provides funds for various services to be carried out in the home.
- To learn more about Home and Community Based Waiver services in Kentucky contact your local Department for Community Based Services located in the State Offices section of your local phone book. You can also call the Department for Aging and Independent Living at (888) 642-1137 or visit http://chfs.ky.gov/dms/hcb.htm.
Nursing Home Placement
Read the Paperwork
Sometimes there is advanced preparation in the admittance of a loved one to a facility and sometimes there is no time to prepare. In either case, know what paperwork you are signing. Don’t feel pressured by the facility’s administrative staff to sign the paperwork quickly. Take time to read each document. If you don’t understand a particular form, its purpose or phrasing, ask for clarification. Also, don’t feel obligated to take their word for it. Take or fax the forms to someone you trust to interpret them for you. Do not sign an Arbitration Agreement as this would limit your abilities to seek legal action against the facility following possible maltreatment.
Know Your Rights
Federal law exists to protect all nursing home residents from being mistreated and to ensure their dignity is maintained. Each nursing home must list and give all new residents a copy of their rights. Keep a copy of these rights handy and review them periodically to ensure you and your loved one are receiving fair treatment.
Keep a Calendar
From day one, keep a calendar and/or journal of any and all events pertaining to your loved one’s residency at the nursing home. This is the best thing you can do to ensure safety and justice for your relative. You do not know how long your loved one will remain at the facility and your memory will be unreliable for specific dates, names, and various other specifics over time. A calendar will serve to show any patterns of concern over time and can prove invaluable in the event of any future issues. Keep the information you document simple, but be sure to include who, what, when, where, and how.
Carry a Camera
If you don’t already own a small, digital camera, purchase one and keep it with you whenever you visit the nursing home. Take routine photographs of your loved one and their living quarters to document their stay. Photographs are the best way to illustrate any weight loss, injuries, uncleanliness, etc. The camera need not be fancy or expensive but should take clear pictures. Most cell phone cameras are ill equipped for this purpose. Be sure to set the camera with the correct date and time to appear on each picture.
Visit Often
You can only keep a personal record of the things you encounter. Visit the facility often and at unpredictable times. Do not trust staff to give accurate accounts of your relative’s care. They often fill out various charts and daily paperwork to show that all care needs are being met; however, what is written may be fiction.
Report Concerns
Do not fear retaliation from nursing home staff for voicing your concerns and do not dismiss your concerns as unwarranted. Notify a member of the administrative staff as soon as you suspect a problem. Document the notification. If they do not correct the issue contact your ombudsman and the state. Document those notifications, as well.
- Keep important phone numbers with you at all times so that you may immediately contact someone in the event of a crisis situation.
- Ask for business cards from the facility’s Executive Director, Director of Nursing, and Social Worker and keep that information with you.
- Locate your local Ombudsman’s name and contact information posted at the facility, write it down and keep it with you.
- Keep the phone numbers of the local hospital and your loved one’s physician with you.
- Keep the following phone numbers with you and report ALL suspected abuse or neglect of ANY elderly person:
- KY Adult Protective Services 1-800-752-6200
- National Center on Elder Abuse 1-800-677-1116
