When it becomes apparent that a loved one is no longer capable of managing all of their day-to-day needs, how do you determine how much and what kind of help is appropriate? Would it be possible for your parents to stay in their home a little longer if they just had someone come in once in awhile and help? Should they consider moving into a retirement community? If they need help with activities of daily living, would they be better off in an assisted living community? What’s the difference between assisted living and nursing care? And what if you do all of your homework, visit a variety of facilities, and make an informed decision based on research and interviews, only to find out your loved one isn’t getting the type of care you expected or were promised. Who do you call when something goes wrong?

Join us today as we visit with two guests from White Plains, New York – Brenda Moynahan, Director of Community Outreach at The Kensington, and Joann Parliament, Director of Admissions for Visiting Nurse Services Westchester. We will discuss living options for older people that range from aging-in-place communities to skilled nursing care.

We also talk with Nicole Howell, Director of Operations for Ombudsman Services of San Mateo County, California. She will tell us how problems ranging from cold coffee to financial fraud get resolved through the services of long-term care ombudsman offices.
If you are having a problem with a long-term care community and need help getting it resolved, visit The National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center. Click on your state. You will see the contact information for your Ombudsman Office along with a comprehensive list of other resources that could be tremendously helpful.

If you live in the New York area and would like to meet Elaine in person and attend her presentation, “Caregiver Survival Training – Managing Your Emotional Stress”, you’ll want to mark your calendar for September 19. She will be talking about recognizing and coping with Caregiver Anger, Guilt, Depression, and Grief. The presentation is free and open to the public. To register, go to The Kensington, and click on “Upcoming Events”. While you’re there, you can also register for the October 24, event which will be presented by Brenda and Joann, “Helping Your Aged Loved One: Everything You Need to Know but Didn’t Know to Ask”.

And finally, if you are struggling with the emotional stress of caregiving, be sure to visit CaregiverHelp.com, our video-based caregiver support program where you’ll find help coping with your anger, guilt depression and grief. We also provide information on understanding and managing dementia-related challenges behaviors, along with a framework for developing your own personal self-care plan. You can sample the entire guilt module, and if you like what you see, you can sign up for a free one-week trial membership. And, as always, if you have a question you’d like to ask, a story you’d like to share, or a rant you’d like to get off your chest, connect with me on Facebook or send me email. I’ll do my best to respond.