Moving a loved one into an assisted living community can be overwhelming. There are many things to learn and consider. So when the transition to their new home has been accomplished, everyone involved deserves to take a deep breath and feel grateful they are now safe and well taken care of. This time is well deserved. However, it is equally as important to think about next steps in ensuring your loved one receives the highest quality of care in their new home. They will need an advocate to ensure effective communication and coordination in their health plan. This became reality for me when my dad moved to an assisted living facility. Also, having worked in the health care field for more than 25 years, I know that frequent and clear communication with caregivers and the management team is key. I was lucky enough to review my dad’s advance directives long before he required additional care. This provided a foundation for communication with his primary care physician and his assisted living caregiving team.
That being said, many assisted living facilities have policies in place that may contradict what your parent wants as far as treating medical emergencies. I would recommend having a conversation with the facility’s director of nursing to learn more about their policies when it comes to falls, what they define as medical emergencies and notifying you in a medical emergency.
Prior to finalizing your loved one’s assisted living move, I would suggest you explore the facility’s policies for arranging medical appointments, transportation and medication management. Understanding these policies ahead of time will help you and your parent adapt to their new surroundings.
In addition, many assisted living facilities recommend you sign up for their in-house physician care. This can be helpful when your loved one needs medical evaluation or assessments from a physician or advanced practitioner, but would prefer not to have to leave the facility. Make sure you ask questions about how this schedule is arranged, as well as when immediate care needs arise. You don’t want to find yourself bouncing back and forth between physicians. In my situation, I chose to keep my dad’s primary care physician due to his complex medical history and medication needs. I was afraid that switching physicians would cause unnecessary stress for my dad, as well as for myself. However, I did learn about the facility’s primary care physician process, and what would happen when my father could no longer travel to and from the physician appointments with ease. If you find that your loved one needs a change in physicians, you will want to make sure a plan is in place so care is not disrupted.
There are many resources to help you have decision-making conversations about health care. It doesn’t always have to be difficult. Many local home health agencies now have palliative care programs that can help you honor advance directives, even when your parent does not qualify for hospice care. I found them very helpful, as they will come visit my dad in certain situations prior to the assisted living facility having to call 911. I love the fact they will have a nurse assess my dad’s health and potentially avoid an expensive trip to the hospital.
Yes, being an adult caregiver comes with its own set of challenges. Even so, effective communication with all parties involved in your loved one’s care can help provide peace and comfort. FBN
By Leah Veschio