
Ask Jennifer...
Jennifer Meagher RN is a Geriatric Care Manager and Registered Nurse. She had a 21 year nursing career at Genesee Hospital, she was the primary instructor for a local Home Health Aide training program and for the last 10 years, Jennifer has been a Geriatric Care Manager, and is owner of Senior Life, a Geriatric Care Manager firm. She is a member of Greater Rochester Area Partnership for the Elderly and is called upon by local attorneys as an expert in Geriatric cases.
Jennifer knows what you are going through. She was primary care giver for her own mother who suffered with Alzheimer’s for 12 long years.
|
Ask Jennifer your geriatric care questions and she will respond and possibly post your answer here on www.WHEC.com. |
Dear Jennifer,
My sister and I got our father to move to Assisted Living (community name withheld.) Before he moved in they promised us they could take care of him. Now that he’s there, they aren’t doing half of what they promised. We have been fighting with them every day. It doesn’t seem like anything is getting better. Now what do we do?
Thanks
Dave
Dear Dave,
Each “Assisted Living” community is different. “Assisted Living” is a loose term. There 4-5 different levels of “Assisted Living:” Adult Homes, Enriched Living, True Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Independent Living with Aide services available in the building. They mean well. They want to take care of your father. They want you and your father happy. But the bottom line is whether you feel they can accomplish these goals. Here’s what I suggest:
1. The first 3 – 6 months are almost always an adjustment period. It would be wise to have a care plan meeting with the entire team if you have not done so already. Be prepared to state clearly what you feel are problem areas and what specifically you would like done to fix it. Identify who will be the key person on staff to handle each of your concerns. Work directly with that individual to resolve any future issues. Schedule a second care plan meeting to discuss if your satisfaction level has improved.
2. If you’ve already done these things, then it may be time to relocate. I highly recommend you have an experienced Advocate help you through the next decision. We at Senior Life know the various communities and what they do well. We also know that when a community provides a list of let’s say 10 personal care offerings, they are not able to perform all, or nearly all of those items for one person; they just don’t have the staff to do it.
Give my office a call. We’ll help you through this. Senior Life LLC 585-424-2424 or visit us at SeniorLifeGCM.com
Warmly,
Jennifer
|
Our Two Cents: Dementia Memory Kits
Author: Jennifer Meagher
FOR THE PERSON WITH DEMENTIA |