21 minute read
Caregiver Guide
FOR THE CAREGIVER SHARING SOLUTIONS
Caregivers are always looking for solutions and new ways to improve the lives of their loved ones. Here are some suggestions shared by local experts that might help enhance someone’s day or life.
By Tiffany White
— Doris Lessing
HEARING DEVICES & HEALTH
Several hearing aid manufacturers are now including built-in sensors that sync with smartphone apps to track the wearer’s heart rate, quality of sleep, levels of physical activity, or other information. There are many different health and lifestyle indicators that can be obtained and measured through the ear, says Dr. Ingrid Edwards, clinical director and audiologist at Heuser Hearing Institute. An important safety feature available with some models is the ability to send out an alert to designated contacts when a fall is detected. — Yelena Sapin
A TREAT EVERY DAY
“For those living alone, be sure they have the essentials and a few treats to enjoy each day. You can deliver groceries, fresh flowers, their favorite magazines — whatever you know gives them comfort in their daily lives. A small gift like a framed photo of a family member or a small photo album they can flip through and smile at when they are feeling lonely would be a nice surprise to find among the groceries and laundry soap! If you can’t deliver in person, use one of the many delivery services available. Send them a surprise dinner one day from their favorite restaurant that is still delivering.” — Joanne Flatt, regional director, Bluebird Homecare
TO MAKE FRIENDS:
ASK OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS Becky Peak, senior companion coordinator at Elderserve, recommends faith-based organizations, senior centers, and congregate meal sites as starting places for older adults to seek activities that put them in contact with individuals with shared interests. Elderserve is another resource, which helps connect older adults with each other and strives to be a premier support for helping seniors thrive. As companion coordinator, she encourages her companions — independent older adults who volunteer to check on older home-bound clients or those who have other issues — to ask questions that go beyond just “How are you?” and “Do you need anything?” A question like, “Did you ever go kite-flying in the summer?” is open-ended and allows individuals to reminisce and find common experiences. — Carrie Vittitoe
VIRTUAL CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUPS
• University of Louisville Trager Institute Caregiver 101 Support Group
WHEN Meets Tuesdays from 12-1pm via BlueJeans video conferencing
CONTACT Tragerinstitute.org
• Visionary Caregivers Connect Time
WHEN Meets Thursdays @ 10am via Zoom; sessions last 30-45 minutes
CONTACT Visionarycaregivers.com
• Alzheimer’s Association 24-hour Helpline
The groups correspond by phone, and the association offers a support group for people who are unable to visit with a family member staying in a long-term care community because of social distancing.
CONTACT 800.272.3900
• Living with Lewy Facebook Support Group
CONTACT facebook.com/groups/
LBDALivingwithLewy/
WHEN Meets weekly on Zoom
If you have a support group that you think we should be aware of, please email Tiffany@ TodaysMediaNow.com.
MAKE A CALL
Joanne Flatt, regional director of Bluebird Homecare, says calling a loved one who lives in a longterm care community is essential during social distancing. “Chat for a while. Have the grandchildren call them. Have their old friends call them. Sometimes people need a little prodding to get them to make a phone call, but it’s worth the effort and they’ll be glad they did it.” w
SUMMER 2020
TODAY’S TRANSITIONS MAGAZINE Check out the latest issue of Today’s Transitions. Also, an updated list of caregiving options are available at TodaysTransitionsNow.com.
Alzheimer’s Care
Safe Caring Places
By Carrie Vittitoe Photos by Melissa Donald
Families whose loved ones have Alzheimer’s understand that this progressive disease is stressful. The individuals with the disease may no longer recognize once-familiar spaces and faces, which causes them tremendous anxiety. Family members may experience sadness over seeing changes in their loved one’s behavior and personality. Add in the COVID-19 pandemic, and the stress of Alzheimer’s is magnified to an overwhelming degree.
Local memory care communities Anthology of Louisville, Barton House Memory Care, and Heartsong Memory Care, have responded to the changes wrought by COVID-19 in ways that keep their residents physically safe as well as keep changes to their routines at a minimum. Through flexibility, team work, and communication with families, they are striving to ensure the best possible care under difficult circumstances.
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our experts
MOLLY GUNN Virtue Memory Care Director Anthology of Louisville ANTHOLOGY OF LOUISVILLE is located at 1105 Dorsey Lane in Louisville.
AMY CLARK Director Barton House Memory Care BARTON HOUSE MEMORY CARE is located at 6830 Overlook Drive in Louisville.
SHEILA CARTER President Heartsong Memory Care HEARTSONG MEMORY CARE is located at 9260 Stonestreet Road in Louisville.
Alzheimer’s Care Directory
Alzheimer’s care is provided at different levels, from assisted living to the skilled care of nursing/rehab. Some facilities accept Alzheimer’s patients into their general care, and others have separate units designed to meet the specific needs of patients with this disease.
The Aldersgate at Wesley Manor
5012 E Manslick Rd, Louisville, KY 40219 (502) 969-3277 • WesMan.org Number of beds: 28 Separate unit: yes Cost per month: $4755-$5170 all inclusive Special services: Personal Care, including full
medication management, licensed nurse on site 24/7, rehab and physician services, geriatric psychiatrist, secure memory garden, daily activities, chapel, beauty salon, satellite TV package, long-tenured staff. Priority placement for short-term rehab and skilled nursing. No long-term contracts, entrance fees or deposits. See Nursing/Rehab directory for advanced Alzheimer’s/dementia care.
Owner: Methodist Retirement Homes
of Kentucky
Payment Accepted: private, LTCi, VA
Anthology of Louisville
1105 Dorsey Ln, Louisville, KY 40223 (502) 966-7077 • anthologyseniorliving.com Number of beds: 38 Separate unit: yes Cost per day: starts at $167 Level of care: personal care Special services: Our Memory care program
gives residents and their families the support they need for living with memory loss. The supportive memory care at Anthology is delivered in a kind, compassionate way that is reflective of the resident’s lifestyles, routines and comfort levels. Our care is designed to draw on the resident’s strengths and allow them to maintain existing abilities while filling in the gaps in life skills with an appropriate level of assistance.
Owner: Anthology Senior Living Payment Accepted: private, private ins., LTCi, VA
THE BUILDING
There are various ways to structure the environment in which memory care patients live. And like each individual, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all community. Each has its own unique flavor and design.
Anthology of Louisville’s Virtue Memory Care is situated on the top floor of the complex, which allows great views and bright sunlight for residents. With a capacity for close to 40 residents, it offers a wide range of living options for those who move in, including couples. “Some of our rooms are pretty spacious, and we do have companion suites, which can be very successful for memory care,” says Virtue Director Molly Gunn. One bedroom apartments are also an option. While residents’ rooms have space for beds and a small seating area, Gunn stresses the importance of residents getting out and interacting with others. “You want them to be engaging most of the day,” Molly says.
Barton House is a 20-bed, home-like residence that exclusively offers memory care/ personal care and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer. “We are the longest [operating] free-standing memory care in Louisville,” Director Amy Clark says. All rooms are private, and residents are able to paint and design their rooms exactly as they like so that it is familiar to them. “Every room is the same size and layout,” says Amy, but each room is personalized to suit each resident. The building is a circle so residents can walk without meeting a dead-end with the nurses station in the center.
Heartsong is a licensed personal care home specializing in Alzheimer’s care in southwest Jefferson County. The 36-bed community has the feel of a big sprawling ranch home. “We aren’t formal in attitude or furnishings,” President Sheila Carter says. “We want residents to relax and feel at home. This is their home.” Each room is similar to a small studio apartment with a bedroom, closet, and private bath. Heartsong also features a communal dining room, great room, library, and several small tv parlors. With a secure perimeter, Heartsong provides an open environment that allows residents to move freely without feeling confined. A favorite area for residents is the
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Thriving At Anthology
Teresa Denley’s mother is a thriving resident at Anthology because of the personalized care and attention she receives. “My family [is] thankful every day that she is in the care of [their] great staff,” she says.
Anthology uses the iN2L software program to keep residents engaged.
courtyard and garden area, which includes raised beds containing squash, tomatoes, peas, and green beans. Both residents and guests can visit the five hens that live in the courtyard coop and provide eggs for snacks and side dishes.
THE CARE
Anthology utilizes a number of programs to help ensure memory care residents’ social, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs are met. Fit Minds is a cognitive stimulation program that helps encourage memory care residents to think but not to a point where they become frustrated. Group discussions on topics and various types of puzzles are just two of the activities that Anthology uses to help memory care residents.
Molly says iN2L, a software program that Anthology uses at all times, has been especially helpful during the COVID-19 quarantine. “iN2L supports a Family Portal allowing you to create a specific engagement There are various profile for your loved one. You could upload ways to structure the environment in which memory care patients family albums and send messages straight to your resident,” she says. Molly says iN2L is an engagement software that can be utilized for almost everything: leading exercise, trivia, travel live. And like each club, music, relaxation. This tool will support us, individual, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all community. Each has Molly says, in leading both group and one-on-one engagement opportunities. The content is varied to support different levels of cognitive abilities so the system can be effectively utilized. its own unique flavor and design. Barton House staff is trained in de-escalating techniques and behavior modifications and uses research-based techniques, including those from Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care, to guide everything they do. Residents have five meals a day and activities seven days a week in an effort to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease while also improving residents’ quality of life.
Heartsong utilizes the Best Friends Approach to helping their memory care residents. “The cornerstone [of this approach] is the Life Story, a detailed history provided by the family, which allows staff to really get to know each individual and relate to them as their friend,” Sheila says. This friendship-focused care helps staff be both proactive, because they know their patients’ temperaments and behaviors, as well as react appropriately. “Most situations are to be taken in stride, gently redirecting individuals as needed or giving the person their space,” Sheila says.
While activities are planned for all seven days of the week, Sheila says individual encounters between staff and residents occur all throughout the day. “At Heartsong, employees are encouraged to spend time in meaningful interaction with residents,” she says. “Tasks and relationship-building don’t have to be mutually exclusive.” When staff reminisce with residents using what they know from their life stories, Sheila says it stimulates residents’ brains, builds trust, and makes the task easier for staff and residents.
CHALLENGES OF QUARANTINE
COVID-19 has been a challenge for all memory care communities. The connection and socialization that is so much a part of the treatment for managing Alzheimer’s disease was what the pandemic impacted.
It has been difficult for families to not be able to visit their loved ones during these months. Anthology staff has used FaceTime and telephone calls between families and loved ones, as well as increased communication and texting between families and staff. “I feel for families, especially memory care families. This can’t be easy. You can’t fully get a good picture of what is going on from your loved one [via phone calls or FaceTime]. They’ve really got to put a lot of trust in us, and I appreciate the trust that they’ve given us, but I understand that it’s hard,” Molly says. PAGE 62>>
Alzheimer’s Care Directory
Barton House Memory Care
6830 Overlook Dr, Louisville, KY 40241 (502) 423-7177 • bartonlouisville.com Number of beds: 20 Separate unit: yes (freestanding) Cost per month: $5950 Level of care: personal care Special services: Designed for Alzheimer’s
& memory impairments. Dignified & individualized care, from meals to the activities they participate in, and how their room is decorated. Provides pets to love & care for, frequent meals promoting socialization, tree-filled backyard with a patio and walking path. Staff trained in dementia. Medical care by our nurses, therapists, psychiatrist & doctor.
Owner: Goodworks Payment Accepted: private, LTCi
Dominion Senior Living of Louisville
6000 Hunting Rd, Louisville, KY 40222 (502) 812-1556 • dominionseniorliving.com/louisville Number of beds: 20 Separate unit: yes Cost per month: $4950 Level of care: personal care Special services: All-inclusive pricing with
no additional levels of care charges. Three homestyle meals served in our beautiful dining room, full-service salon, including manicures/pedicures, housekeeping and laundry, wifi and cable, transportation assistance, secured outdoor courtyard, wellness services which includes activities of daily living, bathing, dressing, grooming, incontinence management, medication administration and dementia geared activities.
Owner: Dominion Senior Living, LLC Payment Accepted: private, private ins., VA
Enclave of East Louisville
100 Shelby Station Dr, Louisville, KY 40245 (502) 632-5500 • symphonyofoaklawn.com Number of beds: 34 Separate unit: yes Cost per day: $147-$233 Level of care: personal care Special services: Intimate secured memory
care neighborhood with private apartments and bathrooms, beautiful landscaped courtyard, enclosed sunroom, and activities rooms. Nurses and caregivers 24 hours/day, medication management.
Owner: Bridge Senior Living Payment Accepted: LTCi, VA
Alzheimer’s Care Directory
The Grand Senior Living
9300 Civic Way, Prospect, KY 40059 (502) 310-1542 • thegrand-sl.com Number of beds: 24 Separate unit: yes Cost per day: $161-$226 Level of care: personal care Special services: Housekeeping, laundry
services, 24/7 nursing staff trained in Dementia care, activity program, secured outdoor courtyard, menu items to delight a variety of taste, assistance with dining, medications and incontinence management. All-inclusive pricing. Short term stays available. Signature Passion Program with family care services and support groups
Owner: Management, Civitas Senior Living Payment Accepted: private, LTCi, VA
Heartsong Memory Care
9260 Stonestreet Rd, Louisville, KY 40272 (502) 935-3300 • heartsong-mc.com Number of beds: 36 Separate unit: yes (freestanding) Cost per month: $4950-$5250 Level of care: personal care Special services: Private rooms w/private
showers; secure courtyards; meals & snacks; activities 7 days/wk; therapies, geriatric psych specialist & primary MD/NP visits on site; meds managed & administered by Licensed Nurses 24 hours/day. SHORT TERM STAYS available.
Owner: Heartsong Memory Care, LLC Payment Accepted: private, LTCi, VA Aid &
Attendance
Although Virtue is located on the third floor, under normal circumstances, staff would utilize the entire building to assist memory care residents. However, COVID-19 has changed the way staff is able to use common spaces. Anthology’s movie theater and exercise rooms were closed, for example. Anthology’s staff has worked to follow health directives from the state while also recognizing the limitations of what memory care residents will tolerate. Memory care residents who like to wander could experience heightened levels of anxiety or agitation if they are forced to stay in their rooms. It can be a challenge to manage the health concerns associated with the virus while also managing residents’ emotional and mental needs.
Despite changes that COVID-19 has brought to how Anthology staff manage space and where residents are able to be, Molly says staff has tried as much as possible to keep routines the same because of the sense of security they provide. Keeping staff consistent in the midst of the pandemic is also critical to the well-being of the residents.
Barton House staff changed the way they did activities, too. Rather than having all residents together, staff separated residents in the activities room and the dining room to increase physical distancing. “We changed our entire protocol,” Amy says. Residents use hand sanitizer prior to each meal and afterwards receive a warm, disinfected washcloth. Barton House increased its janitorial staff to ensure that thorough disinfection can happen to all surfaces, including walkers and shoes. The foyer is disinfected both before and after an individual family member visits while sitting on one side of a big window with a phone while their loved one sits on the
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Thriving At Barton House Memory Care
Families of Barton House residents see their loved ones thriving because of the close familynature of the community. “Let me tell you, this place has the most loving and caring families that I have ever seen. If you have a loved one with a memory care issue, rest assured, that shared support is key to continuing moving forward,” says Jimmie Sue, whose father is a thriving Barton House resident. Not only do residents thrive, but so do their families.
Staff at Barton House Memory Care are following health and safety guidelines. Pictured are staff members Stephanie Twum, Martha McMahel, Tracy Lattis, Amy Clark, and Allison Cavanah.
other side with a phone. Residents continue to have temperature checks three times at shift changes.
Amy and her colleagues utilized a unique approach to keeping residents connected to their families during COVID. A YouTube channel was created on which Barton House staff can (with signed releases on file) post videos of residents in activities so families can see what they are doing. Families are able to upload videos of themselves and their activities as a way to keep in contact. Amy says a resident who said he missed his wife’s spaghetti was able to watch a video of her making spaghetti. Another residents’ family got a new dog so the resident was able to see a video of the new pet.
At Heartsong, “daily programming is designed to prevent isolation,” Sheila says, which means COVID put a kink into the usual routine for both residents and staff. Heartsong management worked alongside the inspector general and state epidemiologists to ensure they were following infection-control measures while minimizing the disruption to their residents’ lives since that can cause anxiety and agitation. “I am so grateful for the direct accessibility to these leaders as we began preparing and implementing adaptations,” she says.
Sheila says residents adjusted to seeing staff in masks and distancing in the dining room during meals. The hardest challenge was refraining from hugs, but staff continued to find non-physical ways to ensure residents felt loved and reassured.
While Heartsong staff has tried to make phone and video calls between families and residents, this has sometimes been a challenge, especially since residents with advanced Alzheimer’s disease are often unable to operate phones or maintain attention without staff assistance. Window visits have become the norm for residents and families for the time being. Because Heartsong staff had the trust of families prior to the pandemic, Sheila says it helped everyone have patience and accept the new limitations.
Jim Grundy’s family appreciates the staff at Heartsong Memory Care.
Thriving At Heartsong Memory Care
Pam Grundy’s husband, Jim, is a thriving resident at Heartsong Memory Care whether he is celebrating a special day or it is just an average Tuesday. “We are very pleased with the care Jim is getting at Heartsong. [The staff] always tells us how well he is doing or how he has improved. We applaud them for their care,” she says.
Alzheimer’s Care Directory
The Legacy at English Station
13700 English Villa Dr, Louisville, KY 40245 (502) 254-2361 • legacyatenglishstation.com Number of beds: 60 Separate unit: yes (freestanding) Cost per month: $5200 Level of care: personal care Special services: Alzheimer’s and dementia
care provided by compassionate, highly trained caregivers; programs and amenities designed to honor unique life stories. Gated courtyards; family style dining; gorgeous surroundings.
Owner: Trilogy Health Services, LLC Payment Accepted: private
Symphony at Valley Farms
10201 Valley Farms Blvd. Way, Louisville, KY 40272 (502) 937-3028 • symphonyatvalleyfarms.com Number of beds: 34 Separate unit: yes Cost per day: $129-$152 Level of care: assisted living Special services: Our Memory Care offers a
unique program called In The Moment, this focuses on the individual person instead of pre-determined activities, this approach engages your loved one in the moment they are experiencing right now and provides a compassionate and meaningful interaction.
Owner: Milestone Retirement Payment Accepted: LTCi, VA
The Springs at Stony Brook
2200 Stony Brook Dr, Louisville, KY 40220 (502) 491-4692 • springsatstonybrook.com Number of beds: 18 Separate unit: yes Cost per day: starting at $154 Level of care: personal care Special services: Alzheimer’s and dementia
care provided by compassionate, highly trained caregivers; programs and amenities designed to honor unique life stories. Gated courtyards; family style dining; gorgeous surroundings.
Owner: Trilogy Health Services, LLC Payment Accepted: private
Call 502.327.8855 to discover more about this opportunity. Today’s Woman / July 2020 63
DO YOU NEED A BREAK?
By Bob Mueller
Do we think it’s weak to need a break? Do we ignore the need to recharge our batteries? Responsibility for our own lives requires us to recognize the need to restore our energy.
A good way to check our energy level is to observe our breathing and our movement. Many of us breathe in our own exhaust fumes. Is your breathing more a panting where there is never enough time to do all the things you think you must do? Or is your breathing a sighing where you are filled with feelings of regret or grief or yearning or mourning? Or do you whimper with a lack of excitement and always complain or protest your circumstances? Renewal can come from deep breaths that reach to the soul for complete restoration of spirit. We often think that the opposite of work is play. It’s not. It’s rest. It’s so important to breathe deeply in and then deeply out.
Another way to check yourself is to observe your movement. So many people approach life with the thought of seeing how little they can do, rather than how much. The grunt worker goes along the narrow groove of immediate responsibility, giving no more than paid for, taking no interest in anything beyond basic obligation. This person never turns an intelligent and inquiring thought toward what might be a better relationship of the thing he is doing to the larger works of which that thing is a part.
Study the successful people in life. You will find that they never lived on the minimum plan. They are responding to life seeing whatever they are doing as an art and not just a science. They live in movement with the noise, the litter, the clutter of life. They can handle the untidiness of humanity. And along with that they can loiter and linger in their movements to celebrate the ecstasy of everyday living.
I find that I renew myself best by living insanely every day. Here are some things that help me: 1) Learn to live with chaos. Life is constantly changing. We must embrace change and enjoy the chaos. 2) Take a stand. Don’t be a wimp. Believe in something and someone else besides yourself. 3) Do something dramatic. Write a book. Do something you normally wouldn’t. Stretch yourself. 4) Shut up once in a while. This is especially true if you are aggressive. There is such power in listening. 5) Make space for imagination. Let your imagination run wild. When we decide to be less controlling, we begin to believe in possibilities we didn’t allow before.
6) Create images of abundance.
It’s the positive way to look at life. I often think of weeds, dandelions, and insects. All three are forever abundant.
7) Read the comics first and look
for the best jokes you can find. Every day I take great delight in looking for the lighter side of life to balance the seriousness of everyday living.
Today, be aware of your need to renew your energy. As long as we live, we are in need of being renewed.
Bob Mueller is the mission and stewardship officer at Hosparus Health, bobmueller.org.
