Housing options for Seniors needing to move from their homes

EZ Transitions
www.EZTrans.com
503 639-7157
PO Box 23332
Tigard, OR 97281

Referral to housing alternatives for Seniors and their families (no cost to the clients).

CAREGIVER SERVICES 681-1710
Tuality Healthcare
335 SE 8th Ave.
Hillsboro, OR 97123

A program to help caregivers increase their effectiveness and provide information and resources to family caregivers, professionals and other persons interested in caring for a loved one, monitoring the care of someone in a professional care setting or helping an ill or elderly person in their daily activities. A list of caregivers is available on request.

1) Training for In-Home Caregivers

A two-session class provides skills training for those who seek employment as in-home care providers. Participants are eligible for inclusion in a listing service which provides referrals to families in need of a paid care provider. This class is helpful for family caregivers and it is also approved for 16 hours continuing education credit for adult foster care providers.

2) Caregiver Series

The Caregiver Series offers programs designed to address key coping and management issues facing caregivers. Sample topics include "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease," "Behavior Management" and "Foot and Skin Care." Programs are suitable for family caregivers, and are also approved for two hours continuing education credit for adult foster care providers and nursing home administrators.

Tuality Home Health is a Medicare certified, nonprofit agency, licensed by the state, bringing more than 20 years of caring and professional health care experience to your home. Services include, but are not limited to, home health aides, speech pathology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical social services, home infusion services, information and referral, medical equipment and supplies, making arrangements for hospice care. Tuality Home Health Registered Nurses will consult with physicians to coordinate a plan of treatment.

List of home health care workers and nurses available. Call for information.

This office coordinates services for older Americans. They provide information, brochures and services for those caring for adults. Call for information about adult foster homes, assisted living facilities, residential care facilities, nursing facilities, advocacy, resource and needs assessment, and elder abuse investigations.

Call for information regarding a caregivers listing, information about adult foster homes, assisted living facilities, resource and needs assessment, and Supplemental Security Income applications.

A national service locator to help seniors locate community services anywhere in the nation. Helps locate appropriate agencies or programs.

It helps to talk with people who understand and share your problems and concerns. Support groups can assist in finding solutions to very specialized questions. Such programs offer guidance, assistance and support to older adults and family members providing care. Topics may include:

• Coping with physical impairments/diseases
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• Bereavement
• Caregiving
• Financial crisis
• Alzheimer's

Below are some possible support groups and suggestions that may help find the type of support group that is needed.

STUHR ADULT LEISURE CENTER 643-9434

Call for information about support groups. The Stuhr Center has support groups on topics of Stroke, Parkinson's Support, and Diabetes Support.

Legacy Meridian Park Hospital has a variety of support groups to meet the needs of citizens. Call the Education Center at 692-2676 to find out about meeting times and availability of classes.

• Alzheimer's Support Group
• Better Breathers (Respiratory ailments)
• Learning to Live with Cancer
• Caregivers
• Diabetes

Providence St. Vincent Hospital has a variety of support groups to meet the needs of citizens. Call the Health Resource Center at 216-2655 to find out about meeting times and availability of classes.

• Anxiety Support
• Caregivers
• Bereavement Counseling
• Cancer related support groups
• Journey Through Grief
• Cancer Counseling

Unless otherwise indicated, these support groups meet at the Tuality Health Education Center. They are free and open to the public. Call for times and meeting dates.

• Adult Children Caring for Adults
• Alzheimer's Support Group
• Breast Cancer Support Group
• Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Hillsboro Stroke Club
• Wash. County Alliance for the Mentally Ill (AMI)
• Widow/Widowers

Geriatric medicine is the prevention, diagnosis, care, and treatment of illness and disability in an older person. This approach to promoting the health of the older patient takes into account the interaction of diseases, medications, environment, personal and social factors, and age. Geriatrics acknowledges the favorable and unfavorable elements of aging. It stresses that physical and mental deterioration are not inevitable consequences of the aging process and that there are positive aspects to growing older.

(From the Senior Law Handbook, Oregon State Bar, 1992 edition, pages 35-37)

There are a number of factors to consider in choosing facilities for older adults who need help with medical or social problems or with the usual activities of daily living. Help may be available in one's own home, or through a variety of day care, residential care facilities, or Adult Foster Care Homes.

CHOOSING A FACILITY

When considering a specific facility, be sure the facility and its administrator have current licenses as required by law. Consider whether you would get along with the people who live there. Inspect the home carefully. Make sure that the facilities will provide the maximum opportunity for independence and mobility. Talk to the current residents about their lives in the facility. For example, ask about the quality of food, recreation, exercise, clubs or organizations, entertainment, planned trips, and the freedom to have visitors and personal possessions, such as furniture, bedspreads and curtains, of your choice. Mealtime can be a good time to visit and see how people live.

Check on policies about visiting hours, phone calls, room assignments and access to your bank accounts. Also, make sure that your personal doctor can care for you at the facility. Ask the facility for a copy of its policies and procedures. An attractive exterior could be hiding a place that provides inadequate care. Make sure the place you choose will meet your needs.

Because visits from friends and relatives are very important, you should choose a facility near them. To help you choose, you can ask family, friends and doctors to participate in the decision process.

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
This residential facility provides a certain amount of care for longer than one year. The facility charges an entrance fee as well as monthly fees. The entrance fee is 12 or more times the monthly charge. The facility must provide you with a description of the services provided and the fees required if you want to sign a contract to live there. As a prospective resident you must be given the terms under which the contract can be cancelled and the facility's last audited financial statement.

Ask the following questions if you want to find out more about this type of community:

1. Are the entrance fees refundable?
2. How does the facility handle transfers to a nursing home?
3. Is a transfer decision made by the staff only, or do I and my physician and family have a say in it?
4. How many nursing home beds are available?
5. What happens if no bed is available when I need it?
6. Can the fees change?
7. Am I required to have health insurance, and if so, would I be paying double?

ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY
This type of residential setting is licensed by the state, and offers:

1. room and board in private apartments,
2. small kitchen facilities,
3. intermittent nursing services,
4. medication and behavior management,
5. 24-hour supervision and protection,
6. organized activities, and
7. help with dressing and personal hygiene.

RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY
This type of facility is often called a retirement home. It offers:

1. room and board,
2. organized activities,
3. security, and
4. limited housekeeping and personal care, such as help with dressing and bathing.

This type of state-licensed facility is larger than the adult foster home.

ADULT FOSTER CARE HOME
This facility has a smaller, homelike setting, often with a family, for five or less residents. It offers:

1. medication management
2. help with dressing, bathing and personal hygiene
3. nursing care, and
4. organized activities

This type of facility is licensed under state law and offers 24 hour supervision and service.

This type of facility is licensed under state law and offers only daytime care for adults needing assistance. It offers:

1. organized activities
2. medication management during the day
3. personal care - help with dressing, toileting and ambulation
4. assessment and care plans

For information about each type of care facility in Oregon please contact the Department of Aging Services , one of the senior centers or consult the yellow pages of the telephone directory under Retirement & Life Care Communities & Homes.

LAMBERT HOUSE WEST 598-9321
15785 SW 116th
King City, OR 97224

Call for information on adult day care by the day, and for rates and qualifications.

Day care for persons with dementia, Alzheimer's, frail, elderly and related mental illness. Call for information on services.

Adult Day Services provide a day program designed to maintain independence for impaired adults- preventing or delaying institutionalization. The Oregon Association of Adult Day Services (a group of Adult Day Care Providers) has provided this guide to selecting Adult Day Services.

Below are some suggested questions for use in interviewing potential caregivers for senior or disabled citizens. Hiring a person to care for a loved one is a sensitive and serious responsibility. These questions are only suggestions. Some individuals may not feel comfortable asking each question or may wish to add other questions depending upon the type of care needed. The interviewer should be comfortable with the questions being asked.

1. Education and training: where, when and what level of training has been completed. Are they a Certified Nurses Assistant (CNA), a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), a Registered Nurse (RN) or none of the above? Ask to see their current license, or ask them where you can call to verify the information and to see if it's current.

• Do they participate in any ongoing continuing education programs?
• Do they know cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)?
• Do they know First Aid?
• Do they have current cards for these?

2. Previous employment: have the person tell you about their last 5 years of employment history. What did they like and dislike about their various jobs? What were their reasons for leaving positions of previous employment?

3. Why are they interested in this type of work?

4. Do they have any specialty areas of training or interest?

5. What would they do if? Recite a possible scenario which requires the person to demonstrate good judgement and knowledge of basic resources. For instance, the scene could involve having to call the police, an ambulance, doctor, local hospital, or another health care provider. Evaluate the person's response.

6. If the patient is able, what kind of activity program would they develop for the patient to participate in on a regular basis? Do they have any special talents, interests or skills in this area?

7. Clarify expectations and duties. Be honest about level of care needed and what your expectations are. Clearly explain hours needed, back up system, what to do in an emergency, who is responsible for paying the caregiver, what the pay will be, and how much decision making responsibility the caregiver will have regarding patient care. Get information from caregiver how they will handle notice to you of illness or absence for a period of time. What friends or relatives will notify you of caregiver's absence? Whom should you call to find out reason for absence, or notify in case caregiver has a medical emergency?

8. Check references:

1. Check more than one.
2. Make sure the reference is not a relative of the caregiver.
3. Ask about reliability, attendance and cooperation.
4. Ask about competency.
5. Ask about supervisory ability and capacity.
6. Ask about health.
7. Ask about overall appearance.
8. Ask about any positive or negative characteristics influencing the assignment.
9. Ask if the reference would rehire the caregiver. Why or why not?

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