Assisted Living Directory Blog

I believe that the future of the internet is video - with the popularity of youtube and other video services, and the ease in which people can show their videos online, video clips will become one of the most effective ways to get a point across.

I have a dream for Assisted Living Directory - a dream that I am able to include a video clip/tour of each and every facility on the site.   I don’t think this is a realistic goal, but I’ll be happy to get a few good clips for each page.  Unfortunately, there aren’t many out there as of yet.   If I were more mobile, and had unlimited time and resources, I would visit each facility with my own camera in-hand, and shoot an award-winining commercial spot for each facility.  I unfortunately, don’t have that kind of time at the moment.

What this means is that people will have to do the work themselves, and send me their clips!   If you can get a video of your facility, and upload it to Youtube, or send me the clip, I can do the rest from there.  This is an open invitation for any facility to post their facility video on my site!

I found a really good video of an assisted living facility in Florida - Southern Lifestyle Assisted Living in Lake Placid, Florida.   This is an example of a great video promotion for an assisted living facility:

A group from Chronnam National University Medical School did a study of 518 men and women who had an average age of 74 for almost 2 1/2 years.   They found that dementia occurred more often in those who had a folate deficiency, and that low levels of vitamin B12 was also associated with the risk of dementia.

Making the move to an assisted living facility can be an emotional decision. Not unlike purchasing a home, entering college, or even buying a car, moving into an assisted living or care facility is one that requires thorough planning from the get-go. Of course, a lot of us like to procrastonate when life’s unpleasant or complicated decisions come about. However, when it comes to choosing a care home, start planning as early as you can. If you do take a proactive approach and address the complicated issues early in the game, you can prevent them from becoming or starting off as emergencies. Poor planning rarely turns out well. What does this mean? First and foremost, don’t go at it alone. Get advice from friends or colleagues who have been through the process to get advice. They can forewarn you of any pitfalls or red tape that you are likely to go through. If you don’t have anyone to turn to in your personal circle, it is advised that you hire a professional consultant.

Get your finances organized and in order. Do you have a will set up? Do you have enough money to afford assisted living? Do you have a savings account? Are there any legal issues that are unresolved in your life? If this all seems too overwhelming to keep track of, it may be in your best interests to hire a Certified Financial Planner to help you. The most important advice is to do this earlier than later.

We also recommend that you go and look at different facilities well before you think you’ll need one. Have a plan, and a general idea of what type of environment you might be comfortable in. Does the size of the facility matter? How about the physical location? Do you like warmer climates, or somewhere that is a bit cooler? Doing the advance legwork may not help you find the perfect place before you need one, however, it will get you used to the process, and will educate you on what is available, and how you might be treated by the different facilities.

Assisted-living home evicting 99-year-old - that’s the headline from The Daily News Online today.  “An assisted living home in Sumner (Washington) is trying to evict a 99-year-old resident who has exhausted her life savings and now depends on Medicaid.”  Apparently, she owes nearly 20 grand, and since Medicaid pays less, they are trying to give this woman the boot.

From what I have been reading, this happens frequently, and I can imagine that the longer people live, the more likely their savings will get wiped out.

From a principle standpoint, if you are going to evict a 99 year old, I think you (the facility) had better make sure the person has an acceptable living arrangement to go to, and help with every aspect of the move, and make sure the transfer is seamless.

Still, there seems to be something not quite right about giving the boot to someone who was alive when the horse was a more widely used means of transportation than the automobile.

Manatee River Assisted Living has reopened its doors at 820 Fifth St. W.
This is a 110-bed assisted living facility that just reopened in Bradenton, Florida after a remodel, brand-new carpet, window treatments and new paint.  This facility is centered around dementia care.  The facility is 31 years old, and is operated by Jim and Shirley Biggins.
Congratulations on the re-opening!
For more information, call (941) 721-0426.

I was at a bus stop yesterday, and on the side of the bus was a banner that said “Notes Don’t Always Work” (I honestly don’t know exactly what that means) and then it said “Check 41 on your tax returns…Become A Champion.” It was sponsored by the Alzheimer’s association, I believe.

At any rate, after looking into it, apparently if you live in Colorado, you can donate part of your tax returns to the Alzheimer’s association. Look for checkbox or #41 on your returns, and you should be able to give something to this great organization.

I came across a site recently that is a great “facility search” site for long-term care facilities called Long Term Care Resources.  It is also a great informational site as well.   In addition to a facility search section, there are several other sections that I think are very relevent and helpful.   There is a “Your Rights” page that discusses your constitutional and legal rights if you are in a nursing home.  “No resident may be deprived of any rights,  benefits,  or privileges guaranteed by law, the Constitution of a State,  or the Constitution of the United States solely on account of his status as a resident of a facility.”  There are also links explaining Medicare and Medicaid.

The site is going through a redesign, so we look forward to seeing how it turns out with the new look!

Jacqueline Marcell wrote “Elder Rage” which is featured in several places on my site. We have ’spoken’ by email once or twice and she is really an engaging woman.

I just got an email saying that she was featured in AARP Online.

“I barely survived the most wrenching year of my life as the sole caregiver to my aggressive elderly father and sweet but ailing mother, both with early Alzheimer’s not properly suspected nor diagnosed for over a year. But after the heartbreak of having my once-adoring father taken away by force several times to a psychiatric hospital for violence (where he’d promptly be released), and burning through my parents’ life savings and most of mine–with sheer determination I finally solved the endless crisis medically and behaviorally. “

Her Book, Elder Rage is available at Amazon.

This seems like a silly question to ask, but it is actually asked a lot. It is also a question people ask when trying to compare what assisted living is, as compared to independent living, or long-term care.

I found a really nicely done video that talks about what assisted living is. Enjoy!

I have added a search feature to the site now, so you can search for assisted living, or facilities  with specific features!   I think it is a nice add to the site.   You can see this search function here.

I may put a search box within the pages somewhere, but that takes up a lot of room, so for now I will just have it as it’s own page.