An Easy Grooming and Hygiene Guide for Seniors

For those who have to care for a senior loved one at home, this hygiene guide can be very helpful. Good hygiene can help seniors to stay healthy both physically and mentally.

Whether you are a caregiver or you have a senior at home who you need to clean and groom, things are not always as easy as they appear to be. For an elderly loved one, you need to be very careful when it comes to maintaining their hygiene level.

To make your work easier, here are some expert tips to help guide you;

Keep An Open Conversation

Remember, cleaning and grooming their bodies by others can be humiliating for many seniors. It is better to discuss the process with them and make things clear in advance. Try to find out:

• Do they prefer a nurse or caregiver to come to the house to assist?
• Do they prefer someone of the same or opposite gender?
• Do they prefer a family member to assist?

Maintain Regular Routines

Many older adults do not like to change their routine regularly. It is helpful to assist them at the same time every day. For instance, if they bath early morning, try to follow their regular routine and not delay it. Similarly, if they have specific products, such as sponges or washcloths, use only their favorites.

Use A Plastic Apron

It will be helpful for you and the senior you care for. While it will help you stay dry, it also helps to reduce the chances of infection caused by germs.

Use Handrails And Support

Are your aging parents dealing with poor balance or they can’t stand for long period of time? To avoid any accidents, make sure the shower or tub is handicap accessible with bars, stools or door openings. Another thing you can use is a hand-held shower sprayer to make it easier for you to control and eliminate mess.

Maintain Other Hygiene

Bathing is not the only one thing that needs to be taken care of; in fact, there is a lot to do. From maintaining dental hygiene to shaving, you must pay attention to every aspect of their hygiene.

Hopefully, these tips will help you to fulfill the grooming and hygiene needs of your senior loved one.

6 Ways Technology Has Helped Caregivers

Nowadays technology seems to be taking over the entire world in one form or the other. Even when it comes to caring for seniors. We have listed some of the major ways that technology has bridge the gap between seniors and caregivers.

In the last decade technology has come a long way. While it has made it possible for man to land on the moon, it has also brought on numerous dramatic medical advances.

But have you ever thought about how technology can make your senior’s life safer? It can also help them to lead happier, healthier, and better lives. For caregivers it comes with endless benefits. If you have seniors at home who need greater attention, here are stated 6 amazing ways you can use technology to help care for them:

Wireless Home Monitoring: 

You might already be living in automated spaces, but did you know that these sensor-based home monitoring systems are highly useful in alerting the family caregiver of an emergency?

When something unusual happens, these systems inform you about it without any major delays.

Health Tracking Tools: 

When it comes to caring for a loved one, there is a lot stuff to do and remember. You need to keep track of their appointments, health records, insurance and much more. Thanks to tools like Health Vault and Mayo Health Manager, offering a single location for caregivers to store and organize health information. It helps you prepare for emergencies.

GPS Technology: 

You might have used this technology for finding your friends home or a nearby grocery store. But it can be used to track your seniors too. Just attach a GPS tracker to their clothing or they can wear in on the wrist, and this will tell the caregiver a senior’s exact location.

Alternatively, you can also set it to alert a family caregiver, via phone, text or email, whenever a loved one steps outside of a certain geographical area.

Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS):

Similar to the GPS system this is an alerting system, which makes it possible for the caregiver to reach seniors in times of need. The person wearing the PERS needs to press a button to contact a call center in the case of an emergency. While many of these devices are meant to be worn only inside the home, there are a few which allow the wearer to go mobile.

Medication Reminders: 

It is common among the seniors to forget about their medicines and diet plan. Not to worry, there are tools like TabSafe and MedMinder which can be used to set reminders for this purpose. Now you can remind them to take their medications or even to alert a caregiver about the prescription, without being present physically.

Software Applications:

The world is growing smarter and now there are sites that offer great support network for family caregivers. Here they can form connections with other caregivers and ask for help whenever it's required.

Have you used technology this way or you have encountered any better tools?

Let us know in the comment sections which tools you use the most!

What Should Be The Expected Cost of Assisted Living in Kansas City

Arranging senior living can be challenging and expensive. Staying under your budget is very important. We have listed some points to help you better understand the cost of Assisted Living in Kansas City.

Are you looking for assisted living in Kansas City, Missouri? If so, you are probably looking at prices along with the other factors like services and location.

The cost of assisted living varies based on services and care level. It’s also important to know how they charge and if state’s subsidy can help you paying expenses.

Here we have come up with some points to help you make a cost estimate of assisted living in Kansas.

Assisted Living Facility

What is the Cost of Assisted Living in Kansas City, Missouri?

Kansas City is one of the favorite retirement destinations in the USA. The city offers more than 65 communities to choose from. And the icing on the cake is that the average costs of an Assisted Living Facility in Missouri are remarkably low. According to MetLife Market Survey, the average cost of a senior living facility was $3,128 per month. However, the highest reported cost was $6,600 while the lowest was around $1,600. Comparatively, the rest of the state has an average of $2,873. According to Caring.com, the costs in Kansas City are around $1,680 per month.

What Does the Cost of Assisted Living Cover?

The cost of senior living in Kansas is set according to the facilities. According to Caring.com, the basic fee of around $1,681 can cover the services like room and board, meals and transportation in most of the facilities across the city. The prices can go up to nearly $4,200 if you opt for advanced levels of services or care, says caring.com. This means that most residents can choose the facility suitable to their budget and convenience.

How Prices are Set By Assisted Living Facilities?

Usually, a senior living community charges economically for the basic services. If you opted for additional services, they are likely to raise the prices. In other words, services set the prices of assisted living.

Can Medicaid Cover Your Expenses?

Although Medicaid doesn’t cover the costs of assisted living, many states have allowed their residents to use Medicaid grants to pay for assisted living. In Missouri, it is available as Aged and Disabled Waiver to pay for care in those locations “if it can be obtained at a lower cost than in a nursing home.”

In addition to Medicaid, there is Supplemental Nursing Care Assistance Program that helps seniors to pay for both assisted living and nursing home care. Then there are private insurance providers that can cover some costs.

It’s important to have a clear idea about the price structure of assisted living facilities in Kansas City. Know which services you may need, as this will help you find a facility that will work for you at a reasonable price. It is equally important to find the right one where your comfort and other needs are taken care of.

Understanding the Cost of Assisted Living in Kansas City

According to aboutassistedliving.org, there are many assisted living facilities near and around Kansas City. This means that you can easily find assisted care in Kansas City for your seniors.

With this many choices it's important to look for a facility that fits within your budget. It is estimated that the average cost of senior care communities in Kansas City is around $4,600 per month. Each assisted living has its own costs based on the facilities accommodation, care and other services.

Below are the major factors that affect the cost of assisted living facilities in Kansas City.

Major Factors that Affect The Cost of Assisted Living Facilities in Kansas City

Evaluate Assisted Living Cost

Size of Assisted Living Accommodations

While a single room is the basic accommodation, many assisted living facility offers semiprivate or private apartments complete with a bedroom, kitchen area and bathroom. Needless to say your charges are determined by the type of accommodation you choose.

 

Level of Care Required for Senior Living

Not all seniors are healthy and strong. Some of them have mobility issues or medical condition, requiring a different level of care.

National Center for Assisted Living has found that an assisted living resident needs assistance with 3 or more daily living activities like bathing, meal preparation, dressing and toileting. Using additional care services can increase monthly charges by $150. Some elders also require medical care for dementia and Alzheimer.

Talk to your care service provider to see if there is any plan or compensation regarding this level of care.

Medicaid Coverage for Assisted Senior Living 

The Medicaid program covers over 4.6 million low income seniors and 3.7 million seniors with disabilities. While Medicaid is not meant to cover assisted living costs, in some cases, it will. Many states allow their residents to use Medicaid grants to pay for assisted living or in-home care. However, each state has its own rules and eligibility requirements regarding Medicaid coverage for assisted living.

In Missouri, it is available as Aged and Disabled Waiver to pay for care in those locations “if it can be obtained at a lower cost than in a nursing home”. Besides, the Supplemental Nursing Care Assistance Program can be used to pay for both assisted living and nursing home care. Ask your care provider if the facility works with any of these programs.

 

Additional Cost in Assisted Living Facility

An assisted living facility may ask for a refundable deposit fee to secure a particular room within the community for particular period of time. According to Seniorhome.com, this “deposit usually applies toward the one-time community fee” once a seniors moves in, which is non-refundable and is used to pay for the admin expenses and apartment renovations.

Miscellaneous Costs:

The other senior living costs may include additional services, extra meals, guest meals and guest activities. Be sure to discuss all potential additional fees your senior may incur when consulting with your Assisted Living facility.

It's important to know all the costs that are going to be required by your senior so that the budget can be planned accordingly and that there are no surprises. Then you and your senior can enjoy a stress free, comfortable and exciting many years to come.