Triangle Archives - Senior Housing Options | Raleigh NC

5 Considerations When Selecting Parent Care

March 13, 2013 By Your Next Move NC

Sooner or later, a big decision takes place in every family. And when it does, a lot depends on it. Choosing the right residential care home for your elderly parents who no longer can live on their own is not easy. At Your Next Move we help ease this stressful decision-making process by asking questions you haven’t thought of, taking you to on-site visits and then using all of this information to find the best residential care home for your parents’ physical and mental well-being.

The typical residential care is a non-medical facility providing accommodations, meals, and supervision for persons over 60 years of age. The residents don’t need 24-hour nursing care, but do need help with daily activities. Since this is a non–medical facility, there is no requirement for RNs, LVNs or CNAs or any other medically–trained personnel, but many facilities have RN’s on-site.

The simple consideration of this type of change can often be overwhelming. Here are five “Must-Haves” to make your selection process easier:

The owner and the staff members of the facility should be knowledgeable, experienced and possess superior communication and customer service skills. When you visit these facilities, check to see how the staff interacts with the residents. If the interactions aren’t cordial, you’ve scratched one off of your list.

The staff to patient ratio is should be a low number. If the facility seems or is understaffed, then the residents won’t get the care they are paying for.

The facility should smell clean, and all rooms and common areas should sparkle as well. Look at the residents and see if they dressed and groomed for their respective conditions.

A RN should be available on-site at all times; or if not, is the RN on-site at set times? There should also be a clear plan for how medications are administered.
There should be a strong activity program to stimulate the residents’ minds and bodies.

We will always recommend five or so residential care homes for you to consider and visit. After our scheduled visits, you may want to do a few unannounced ones (during business hours) when you’ve narrowed your search to solidify your decision.

At Your Next Move we are the experts for compassionate and sound guidance when planning your parents’ future care. Do your homework with us at your side and we will work together to make the transition smooth and uneventful. Remember, we help you every step of the way.

Contact Your Next Move Today to Help You With Your Next Move. We are there at your side.

This blog post is brought to you by the team at Your Next Move. If you are interested in further information you may contact us below. LIKE us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the most current communication on the subject of senior relocation. Please join our mailing list.

Your Next Move, Easing Your Senior Transition

Julie Kopetsky, President

www.yournextmovenc.com
919-601-8203 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Julie.kopetsky@yournextmovenc.com

Photo: Bigstock

A Parent’s Future is Now!

February 27, 2013 By Your Next Move NC

If your parents are elderly, living in the Triangle or in your old hometown, but still in good to reasonably sound health, this is the critical time in their lives to start a future care plan with them. Schedule a family meeting so everyone is on the same page and is involved and supportive. You know you parents. You know their physical and mental condition. If they need help and guidance for their normal daily activities, the most important consideration is naming someone, possibly you or one of the siblings, the durable power of attorney and then putting together a solid plan for their health care directives.

Name someone responsible the Durable Power Of Attorney

This is the individual who will assist in financial matters and pay your elderly parents’ bills, collect and deposit their income and takes care of any other aspects of revenue. You’ll need to find all of your parents’ legal and financial documents and you must feel comfortable with you or someone assisting with their assets, income and expenses.

Here’s a list of documents to gather in one secure place:

Wills
Bank and brokerage accounts
Deeds, loans and ownership statements
Pension and retirement benefits
Social security information
Insurance policies

Advanced health care directives

These directives help ensure that your parents’ health care requests are communicated to health care providers so you act as the guardian on their behalf. Advanced health care directives also include a living will that gives preferences for life-prolonging treatments such as the use of a respirator, CPR, dialysis, surgery and antibiotic drugs.

After all of the papers have been signed and notarized, be sure to make plenty of copies and keep the originals in a safe.

At Your Next Move we are a leading expert in the Triangle NC for compassionate and sound guidance when you are planning for your parents’ future care plan. Handing the details for them is a lot of work, but you will be saving so much time and stress if the financial, legal and health care matters are well-planned before a parental move into an assisted living facility or if there is a need for home service care.

Remember, we will help you every step of the way. We are local and we care.

Contact Your Next Move Today to Help You With Your Next Move. We are there at your side.

Your Next Move, Easing Your Senior Transition

Julie Kopetsky, President

www.yournextmovenc.com
919-601-8203 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Julie.kopetsky@yournextmovenc.com

Photo: Ambro, freedigitalphotos.net

4 Good Reasons for Your Next Move!

January 23, 2013 By Your Next Move NC

We know how hard it must be to move you or your loved one out of the home they have been living in for 30, 40 or maybe even 50 years. Perhaps your parents are relatively healthy and don’t have too many issues with mobility yet, so they do not want to leave their home for an independent living facility. Over the years, they have been hardworking homeowners who have enjoyed a cozy living room, garden, and kitchen; but how much is that home costing them? After crunching the numbers, you may be surprised to learn “Home Sweet Home” is gobbling up all of their retirement savings. Their next move will be a good one to consider. Here are four good reasons:

Watch out for pesky monthly maintenance and homeowner fees. These include lawn and exterminator services. They can really add up.

Major repairs often affect older homes and involve a multitude of expenses such as roof repairs, exterior painting, wood rot repair, and window replacement. These repairs add up fast and can often involve thousands of dollars!

Be aware of your own involvement and high stress levels from repair bills. It takes you away from work and takes a good deal of your time. There are numerous calls with multiple contractors, as well as being constantly involved to supervise the contractor work and answer questions.

Stress will affect your rest and the body’s immunity to repair and restore cells. You may never get over that lingering cough or flu during the winter months because of stress and lack of sleep.

Your Next Move understands completely what you’re going through and we’re here to help. We know you value your privacy and your parent’s independence. We support that and we promise we can help locate a facility that meets your needs. At an independent living facility residents come and go as they please while enjoying weekly housecleaning, laundry services, activities, trips, and dining plans. There are no more lawns to mow and no more flights of stairs to climb!

We’ll also take charge of selling the home so they can transition easily into the independent living facility. Our expert real estate relocation team will coordinate the sale of the home, locally or anywhere in the country. We also provide a Broker Market Analysis and review these results to determine the best possible price to list the home.

Let us help you eliminate unnecessary housing costs so Mom and Dad and other loved ones can really enjoy their retirement years. Contact Your Next Move today! We truly want to help.

Contact Us Today to Help You with Your Next Move!

This blog post is brought to you by the team at Your Next Move. If you are interested in further information you may contact us below. LIKE us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the most current communication on the subject of senior relocation. Please join our mailing list.

Your Next Move, Easing Your Senior Transition

Julie Kopetsky, President

www.yournextmovenc.com

919-601-8203 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Julie.kopetsky@yournextmovenc.com

Photo: Your Next Move NC

4 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

January 3, 2013 By Your Next Move NC

You visited your parents over the Christmas Season and your Dad’s behavior has been troubling you ever since. How do you know for sure if your elderly parent may have Alzheimer’s?

Over 5.3 million people in the U.S. suffer from Alzheimer’s and it affects the lives of another 10.9 million people who are unpaid Alzheimer’s caregivers. Since Americans are living longer, this debilitating disease is also the 7^th leading cause of death in the U.S.

Here are some signs to be aware of when you visit elderly family:

Confusion with time or place: People with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.
Memory changes that disrupt daily life: One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s is forgetting recently learned information. Victims may forget important dates or events, ask for the same information over and over again, and rely on memory aids, note pads, or family members for things they used to handle on their own with little effort.
Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps: A person with Alzheimer’s Disease may place things in unusual places and lose familiar things. Sometimes, they may even accuse their spouse and other loved ones of stealing or hiding items.
New problems with words in speaking or writing: People with Alzheimer’s may have trouble following or contributing within a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a sentence and have no idea of how to continue or they may repeat themselves time and again. They may struggle with word usage; they might even have issues calling things by the correct name.

Sadly, even in 2013, there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. But there are treatments for symptoms, combined with the right services and support that can make life better for those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. Here at Your Next Move, we will assist you and find the best assisted living facility in the Triangle or within North Carolina for your family member with Alzheimer’s.

For more information on the warning signs to look for and other valuable information, visit the official Alzheimer’s Association website: http://www.alz.org/index.asp.

Contact Us Today to Help You with Your Next Move. We are there at your side.

Your Next Move, Easing Your Senior Transition

Julie Kopetsky, President

www.yournextmovenc.com
919-601-8203 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Julie.kopetsky@yournextmovenc.com

Photo: ambro, freedigitalphotos.net

The Holidays and the Elderly

December 18, 2012 By Your Next Move NC

Look for Any Changes

On your holiday visits this year, pay close attention to your parents and elderly family.

Is Dad watching too much TV?
Is Mom not baking her traditional sweet potato pie?
Have they recently lost weight due to uncooked or forgotten meals?

If the normally neat and tidy home is becoming a messy and disorganized, there might be a problem. If you notice memory problems or physical unsteadiness, these are also areas of concern. Finding out that your parents need some extra help for their own safety can indeed be a very tough conversation to have with them.

But you need to have the courage to do it. Coming up with a game plan will make any new transitions easier makes every one more focused.

4 Senior Care Preparation Tips

Assess your parents’ needs first. Find out through information from their doctors’ visits how challenging any mental and physical limitations might be. Living in their current home may not be an option in 2013. At Your Next Move we can help you navigate the process of finding maintenance-free senior care housing.
Do a check at www.BenefitsCheckUp.org to discover what benefits, discounts and programs your parents might be eligible for based on their age and background. You might be surprised to find out your mom can access a discount drug program or a senior nutrition program.
Check to see if your parents’ long-term care is covered under Medicare and if not, are they covered under Medicaid? Your parents may not be eligible if they have made a cash gift or issued an asset transfer within five years of applying for Medicaid. It is important to check and find out.
At Your Next Move we can also check to see if your parents’ new assisted-living facility or residential car home works with hospice—not all places do so.

We know you have been charged with the responsibility to make some critical changes for your parents. It seems like it is always on your shoulders. We also know that you ove your parents and want the best care for them in their golden years. If you see visible changes in their habits, take action quickly so the start of your New Year will begin with less stress, better health and peace of mind for you both.

Contact us today to help you With Your Next Move. We provide stability, opportunity, and accountability and we are always there to serve.

This blog post about Senior Transitions is brought to you by the team at Your Next Move. If you are interested in further information you may contact us below. LIKE us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the most current communication on the subject of senior relocation. Please join our mailing list.

Your Next Move, Easing Your Senior Transition
Julie Kopetsky, President
www.yournextmovenc.com
919-601-8203

Julie.kopetsky@yournextmovenc.com

8 Strategies to Help Manage your Holiday Stress

December 4, 2012 By Your Next Move NC

Every one of us feels additional stress during the holidays—even children of all ages! Will Santa Claus really come down the chimney? And you may be feeling new levels of stress this year if you’re helping your elderly parents move into a new phase of their lives after the Holiday Season.

Here are 8 ways to not let holiday stress get you down!

Hold on to every day rituals. If you read a book 10 minutes before you go to bed or if take a nightly bath, don’t skip these activities to write a card or wrap a gift.

Make food you’ve made before—are you the Mom of mashed potatoes or the Baker of Bundt cakes? Then don’t make those roll-up cookies for the first time because you saw the recipe in a magazine. Go with your tried and true traditions.

When shopping, always ask if the store offers gift wrapping. Many stores offer this time saving opportunity and some even offer it free if you’re a preferred customer or as a way to beat their competition. You should also take advantage of non-profit gift wrapping centers.

Shop online and ship online to out-of-town relatives. Many retailers offer online shipping and wrapping services—a few clicks and a few dollars extra can save you a ton of gas money and time.

Keep “all occasion” gifts on hand. Create a box in your closet full of “universal” gifts. You never know when you will need a gift at the last minute. These gifts can include candles, scented soaps, ornaments, and thank you notes/stationery,

Schedule some personal time. Pencil in a walk, gym workout and even personal reading time into your calendar.

Don’t over-schedule the season. Don’t go out to parties three nights in a row. Pick and choose the events that have the most meaning to you and be sure to pace yourself.

Get enough sleep! If you don’t sleep your 7-8 hours a night, you’ll be more susceptible to colds and the flu, plus you’ll be more likely to eat more unhealthy food. Keep up your energy and maintain your good spirits by getting to bed at the same time every night!

And finally, don’t fool yourself that the holidays don’t happen the same time every year. Instead of running around December every year trying to get everything done, why not plan ahead for Holiday 2013 by stocking up on wrapping paper, decorations and Christmas cards? A little extra planning will save your sanity next year!

We wish you the warmest of Holiday Seasons!

Photo: Luigi Diamanti, courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Your Next Move, Easing Your Senior Transition

Julie Kopetsky, President (Certified Relocation Professional)

www.yournextmovenc.com
919-601-8203 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Julie.kopetsky@yournextmovenc.com