Helpful Information Archives | Page 12 of 19

The Most Important Elements of Home Care for Seniors

Feb 10, 2020

As your parents and loved ones age, it’s difficult to imagine a day when they’ll need extra help at home. After all, your dad fixed every household issue without even a YouTube tutorial to help him! Your mom was also a wizard at making an entire week’s worth of nutritious meals with her encyclopedic knowledge of cooking and baking. Watching the pillars of knowledge and strength in your family need additional support may seem overwhelming, but there are steps that you can take to ensure quality home care for your loved ones. At Nye Health Services, we’re here to walk families through the process of senior home care including the most important elements to consider when choosing a home care agency for your senior loved one.

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Caring for Your Marriage While Caregiving: Tips for Finding Balance

Jan 28, 2020

Being a family caregiver for an aging relative is one of the most selfless acts of kindness you can offer. The ability to provide for a loved one during their time of need is extremely rewarding, but can also be extremely draining. Caregiver burnout can unintentionally creep into even the most patient and loving person’s life due to the intense emotional, physical, and mental demands of being a family caregiver. According to the American Psychological Association, caregivers experience a 23% higher level of stress hormones, which affects their health, as well as their close relationships. Who do we tend to take our extra stress out on? The ones closest to us, such as our spouses. Here, we’ll provide tips for how to continue to care for your spouse while simultaneously being a family caregiver.

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How Do Rising Medication Costs Affect Seniors?

Jan 16, 2020

During our working years, we dream about the languid, carefree days of retirement. Imagining leisurely days spending time with our spouses, pampering our grandchildren, and taking long lunches with friends keep us going during the long haul of our careers. One thing missing from this idyllic fantasy? The fact that as a retired person, you are now on a fixed income, so it is critical to monitor your finances closely. Even with careful financial planning, it can be difficult to anticipate the rising cost of everyday items, especially necessary ones such as medication. Senior medical care shouldn’t be placed in the “optional” column of your monthly budget due to rising costs. Here, we’ll examine rising medical costs for senior medical care, and how you can save money on medications.

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Questions Families Need to Ask About Financing Senior Care

Jan 7, 2020

More people are living longer lives due to improved healthcare options—this is good news, but it also means that many families are finding themselves in the position of having to figure out how to finance senior care. There is no easy answer to the question “How much does assisted living cost?” because everyone’s senior care needs are different.

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Caring for Our Heroes: How Community Care Helps Veterans

Dec 20, 2019

Gateway Vista, a Nye Health Services campus, is now a participating facility under the Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VA CCN) for all eligible Veterans who could benefit from short term rehabilitation services and outpatient therapy services. Both Optum and United Healthcare are collaborating to manage the VA CCN, a national VA initiative.

Gateway Vista’s Executive Director is a 25 year Active Duty and Reserve Officer and has worked in healthcare for over 20 years. Executive Director (Major) Mark Sroczynski knows what it means to serve. Mark states that, “As a 25 year Active and Reserve Duty Officer, I know what it means and how to relate to Veterans, especially during the healing process. One of several duties I was fortunate to complete, was a 12 month tour at Brook Army Medical Center, San Antonio. There I Commanded the first Warrior Transition Unit and averaged approximately 200 Soldiers, Airman, Navy and Marines who were there to recover from their injuries.”

“The VA Community Care Network allows Veterans who qualify to come to our organization outside of the VA to provide services. All people, including Veterans, should have this choice as to where they want their care to take place. Join us.”

Veterans Affairs provides healthcare for Veterans in your local community. If Veterans Affairs cannot provide the care needed, then the Veteran may be eligible to receive care from a community provider. This is provided on behalf of, and paid for, by Veterans Affairs. Before a Veteran can receive community care from a provider, the VA must first authorize the care. Gateway Vista, one of Nye Health Service’s campuses, is proud to service our nation’s veterans.

Types of Care Available

Veterans Affairs ensures that even after a soldier’s service has ended, the person behind the uniform has the care needed for their entire life. Veterans may be eligible for the following types of care:

General Community Care: If you require a specialty service or health care need that is not offered at a VA medical facility, then you may qualify for general community care. For example, maternity care is not offered at VA medical facilities, so a patient could be eligible for general community care. General community care needs to be pre-authorized by Veterans Affairs.
Emergency Care: If you’re suffering from a life threatening emergency, call 911 first and go to the nearest emergency room. For emergency care, a prior VA authorization is not necessary, as your immediate health and well-being is a priority. A claim for emergency care will never be denied based solely on VA not receiving notification prior to seeking care.However, you should contact the VA within 72 hours of admittance to help VA staff coordinate discharge or follow-up medical care.
Home Health Services and Hospice Care: The VA aims to keep chronically ill or disabled Veterans in their homes as long as possible. Skilled home health care, palliative care, homemaker services, and hospice care are all considered extended care services under the direction of a VA physician.
State Veterans Homes: A VA social worker can provide you with additional details about State Veterans Homes. These facilities provide services such as adult day care or nursing home services.

Veterans Affairs provides a wide variety of care options for Veterans throughout their lives.

Cost and Billing Options for Veterans

The VA provides several different billing options for Veterans such as paying online through a secure server, by phone, in person at a VA medical facility, or by mail. Veterans are charged a co-payment for care provided directly by VA,or through a community provider outside of VA. The co-payment amount is based on the type of health care service you receive and your financial situation. For Veterans struggling with co-payments due to loss of job, or a sudden decrease in income, contact the VA to see if you qualify for financial hardship assistance.

Join Mark and other Veterans to see how Gateway Vista provides state-of-the-art rehabilitation services and top-notch care for its senior residents. Contact us to learn how our impeccable senior living campuses maintain the pride fostered by our nation’s Veterans.

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The Heartbeat of Seniors’ Lives: How Assisted Living Keeps Seniors Active

Dec 17, 2019

Did you know that heart disease is currently the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States? A variety of factors including genetics, lifestyle, diet, and stress levels contribute to this, but a surprising trend is happening for senior citizens. The number of seniors dying from heart disease has actually decreased. What are some reasons for this change, and how are seniors defying nationwide trends related to heart disease? Assisted living and long-term care campuses are a large part of this encouraging statistic, with specialized campuses not only improving seniors’ social lives, but their heart health as well.

Heart Disease in the United States

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, heart disease is the #1 cause of mortality for adults in the United States. Approximately 12% of the population is diagnosed with heart disease, which accounts for almost 7% of all doctors office visits, and 6% of all emergency room visits. Along with clogged arteries, heart disease also clogs doctors’ waiting rooms.

Assisted living campuses are becoming more popular with seniors in the United States as older Americans look for support and community-based housing options. There are many reasons why seniors choose an assisted living campus as the next step for their living arrangement. People looking for help taking medications, bathing, and dressing find that an assisted living campus provides the level of care they need. A bonus? There’s a host of other (heart healthy!) benefits that might not be evident at first.

How a Community Contributes to a Heart-Healthy Future

A heart-healthy lifestyle is one of the factors that can lead to a decrease in developing heart disease. Assisted living campuses are structured to provide safe, secure, and communal living, which in turn lends itself to a happy, healthy heart! The following are guidelines used by many assisted living campuses, which are also beneficial heart health tips for all seniors:

1. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

A regular night’s sleep not only lets your mind rest and re-charge for the following day, it does the same for your heart. Getting good quality sleep lowers your risk for cardiovascular disease, as this is the body’s time to naturally lower heart rate and blood pressure. At assisted living campuses, bedtimes and morning wake-ups are at the same time every day, ensuring a consistent sleep routine. Additionally, the safe campus allows peace of mind at nighttime, knowing that all residents are carefully secured by staff members.

2. Community Fitness is Critical

A body that’s in motion likes to stay in motion! Fitness is important at every age, but especially critical for seniors. Staying active is one of the components of heart health, and at assisted living campuses, fitness is a community affair! Ability-appropriate exercises are completed in group settings that encourage all residents to join the fitness fun. We all know how hard it is to find the motivation to hit the gym alone, but knowing that your peers are doing the same activities is a great incentive to get moving.

3. Social Supports Form Strong Bonds

A recent article from Time Magazine suggests that 1 in 3 seniors identifies as lonely, which affects not only mental health, but also heart health. Depression and loneliness cause increased anxiety, which adds stress on the heart. One of the most critical benefits of assisted living is that it provides a natural community of people who are all at the same stage of their lives, and share many common experiences and interests. With all of the different activities offered, group exercises, and shared dining experiences, seniors have many opportunities to make strong connections with others on a daily basis.

4. Heart-Healthy Dining

If you live on your own, it’s easy to grab a quick, unhealthy snack to stave off hunger pains. At an assisted living campus, every meal is planned around providing well-rounded, heart-healthy meals that are not only delicious, but also highly nutritious.

Holding off heart disease as we age is manageable as long as there are the proper structures in place to boost cardiovascular health. If you’re interested in discussing the various programs and care options provided at assisted living campuses, contact the professionals at Nye Health Services to see how we can keep your heart, and your soul, healthy in your golden years.