The stress of an illness is enough for any family to handle. When the care of a loved one seems complex, Qualicare will help investigate and evaluate options and then provide or coordinate a specialized solution. Qualicare can provide valuable support in parallel to these memory clinics.
Live-in-care can be scary for a loved-one as having a stranger in one’s home can be overwhelming. It may help to interview several caregivers and have a trial period before hiring. To ensure the comfort of a loved one during this process, a family member should stay with him or her during a trail. Many elderly patients may not want to have a caregiver because it is too expensive. It is extremely important that family members are educated about the resources that are available to ensure that what is available from the government is being utilized. If a loved one suffers from a certain disease, family members should be aware of the stages of this disease in order to be proactive in providing the correct care. They should remain in touch with the family doctor and attend appointments if possible.
The CCAC are a great resource for elderly patients and can assess further deterioration and deal with it. They can be contacted through many of the senior centers have social workers and intake. Seniors centers, family Docs, and social workers can assist in who to call and can assist with determining core needs.
There are many challenges when faced with illness. Daily activities or complex care issues can be frustrating. Unless family members have medical and social care experience, there is no one to turn to on a consistent basis. Qualicare fills that void. Qualicare will assign a Personal Care Manager, (PCM) who is committed to ensuring that you receive the highest level of care. Your PCM is an experienced, compassionate professional who is always there for you.
Doorways to Care is another helpful resource that connects seniors to community care. By calling the toll free number (1-866-626-0222) a patient or family member can get assistance by talking to a real person as apposed to a machine in a variety of languages. The service is manned twelve hours a day, seven days a week, from 8:30-8:30 and if you leave a message they will call you back. This hotline can at least point you to the service you might need if you have a problem.
August 15th, 2009
The role of social workers and discharge planner is central to this process. A social worker will facilitate the bridge from hospital to home. He/she will help patients and their families deal with this difficult transition and help create a roadmap of what will be possible in the future. Their experience, skills, and sensitivity can help pinpoint the parameters of what will work best for a specific client from a holistic perspective.
During the process, social workers use their expertise to look at important questions in terms of a patient’s well being and the complexity of his or her situation. For example, a social worker may ask; Is live-in care required? How safe is the person to be home alone? Does he/she know how to call for help? Does he/she need help with medications? If home alone is the absolute plan, what are some services that can be put into place to ensure the safety of a patient? What if a patient falls? What if he/she can’t reach the phone? What if he/she can’t get help? What if he/she is not awake after a fall? Some people live with their family members and they’re home alone during the day. How many hours is that? If for example a relative leaves for work at 7:30 and he/she gets back at 4:30. Can home-care be arranged to come during those hours? Can the patient let home-care in? What equipment is needed to be put into place?
Specific components of a Discharge Plan can include:
- Spaces available at nearby facilities
- Appropriate tasks for family care givers
- An assessment of the need for a fulltime, live-in care giver
- Management of that full-time, live-in caregiver
- Appropriate tasks for family members
- Budgets
- Emergency alert technologies
- Government resources
- Equipment to make the home accessible for a patient
April 2nd, 2009
Sometimes when an elderly patient is discharged from a hospital, he or she may not be able to continue living without extra care. To make the transition home with live-in-care, to a rehabilitation hospital, or to a long-term care facility, patients and their families must go through a detailed planning process called Discharge Planning.
Discharge Planning involves the exploration of sensitive issues that are centered around a patient’s mental and physical capacity. The purpose of this process is to establish realistic expectations in terms of a patient’s full or partial recovery, financial resources, the availability of family caregivers, live-in-care options, and legal issues like powers of attorney. This assessment will include an analysis of the physical barriers a patient may face at home and resources that are available to a patient in terms of community and commercial support.
It can be hard for family members to accept change in a loved one. Even if the best results are obtained, an older patient can still decline after a hospital stay. It may be hard for family members to agree on the level of care needed and for the patient to go along with the decision. Patients may refuse much needed live-in care help. Occasional assistance provided by family members may not be a sufficient solution for long term care. A thoughtful and realistic “Discharge Plan” can ensure a well-organized and secure transition for a patient who requires a change in lifestyle.
April 1st, 2009
