My mother recently (August 30th) had a stroke at the relatively young age (for stroke patients) of 63. She's paralyzed on the right side and she is aphasic and aproxic. This is an incredibly stressful / painful time for my sister and I, the two primary caregivers (mom was divorced and lived alone...).
We're at a stage where we need to think about her long-term care options, and are interested in getting perspective from others on the choice between Board and Care versus Nursing facilities. She requires max assist, meaning she needs to be transferred out of bed to be toileted, etc. She has functioning of her left side, and can feed herself and she has decent motor control.
Anyway, please share any thoughts that you might have on the topic. We are hopeful that she will recover, but we are preparing for the potential of a long-term max assist living situation.
Thank you.
2007-12-04 18:15:17 · 7 answers · asked by Brian M 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Family
In the state of Washington there is also Adult Family Homes. They are residential homes licensed by that state to take care of elderly and disabled people. They can only have 6 residents so there is better one on one care. Look for something similar in your state I am sure they have them. In PA. they are called Personal Care Homes. My wife and I own two adult family homes here in Washington and I would advise looking into something like this but be careful to visit and inspect any place. Ask for their annual inspection record cause at least here if you ask we have to show you. Then you can see if thay have had any bad violations.
2007-12-04 19:16:00 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Board and care homes (in California, we call them Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly, and the larger ones are often Assisted Living Facilities) are licensed by the state for the residential care of elderly persons. My wife and I operate a number of RCFE's. RCFE's can provide a higher level of services in general than can most assisted living facilities, although there is a wide range of services available at AL's as well. RCFE's cost about half what a nursing home costs, and the caregiver to patient ratio is higher than in a nursing home, since there are two caregivers for a maximum of 6 residents per facility. All of our facilities are certified for non-ambulatory residents as well as for residents with dementia, and they all have hospice waivers, so that they can care for patients at the end of life. The only reasons for putting someone in a skilled nursing facility are that they truly require the services of a licensed nurse periodically throughout the day, such as for intravenous fluids or tube feeding or wound care. If your relative has no wounds, does not have a feeding tube, and is not on intravenous fluids, then a RCFE should be all that is required.
2007-12-04 18:57:08 · answer #2 · answered by rkeech 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Adult day care for when you are at work? Home caregivers to help with the day to day therapy and activities of daily living?
If she has function on the left side- is she semi-weight bearing on that side? How cognizant is she? Can she tell you if the nursing home or Board and Care is treating her well?
How much or your time and attention are you willing to give to your mom? What is the financial situation and can you or she afford to pay for home care?
I have been caregiver to my dad and had to answer these tough questions. And now I work for a company that provides caregivers to the "elderly". Nursing homes are usually understaffed with one nurse assitant to 6-15 patients. Hiring a bonded, certified home caregiver gives your mom one on one care. And gives you some peace of mind that you are not alone and have people to call on to help when needed.
2007-12-04 20:25:01 · answer #3 · answered by dizzkat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you can avoid it at all, do not put your mother in a nursing home. There is no "good" one. Some look nice but it's all the same. They are run for profit and not the ultimate well being of the patients. I say this after my mother being tranferred around to 4 different nursing homes at the young age of 58. Being that your mother is younger also (most residents are in their 70s or 80s - it will also be very depressing for her to be in an atmosphere of people waiting to die and mostly not mentally there.
Hang in there and God bless.
2007-12-04 18:42:57 · answer #4 · answered by WutheringHeights73 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
2 options - both hard to make. If you have a job - its hard to be home 24/7 to take care of her. If you have the money, you can put her in a nursing home (please find a good one!) and be assured that she's getting the decent care she needs to recover. If you can really afford it, you can have both at home by hiring a home-nurse or a caregiver who can live with you and you can have both your career and direct supervision of her care. Good luck.
2007-12-04 18:21:26 · answer #5 · answered by Equinox 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a home care provider and I believe the only way she will and want to recover is in her own home. Care giving for a relative is very stressful find someone who loves caring for the elderly and consider hiring them to take care of your mom. Don't feel you are letting her down because you can't care for her like you feel you could. This is what being a parent and teaching children to have their own families consist of. Nursing homes is not home HOME IS HOME find someone to care for her @ home. What state are you in?
2007-12-04 18:46:52 · answer #6 · answered by ljjmjd3 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think Nanny's for Granny's is the best option for you.
You can visit them at : http://nannysforgrannys.com/
2014-07-07 22:25:03 · answer #7 · answered by Simon 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋