The Search for a Care Facility: What You Need to Know About Placement Agents

Introduction:

Finding the right care facility for a loved one can be a daunting task. With so many options and considerations, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Fortunately, there's a helpful resource available – placement agents. In this blog, we'll dive into what placement agents are, how they can assist you, and how they get paid. Let's get started!

What is a Placement Agent?

A placement agent is someone who works on your behalf to find a care facility that aligns with your budget and meets the needs and preferences of your loved one. They can assist in finding options for memory care facilities, long-term care facilities, skilled rehab centers, private caregivers for home care, and even group home settings. Essentially, when you're exploring different care levels for your loved one, a placement agent can provide invaluable guidance.

How Can a Placement Agent Help You?

A placement...

Hey there, Careblazers! Today, I want to share a personal experience highlighting a critical issue in the healthcare system. As someone who has worked in the healthcare field for over 13 years, I recently found myself on the other side as a caregiver for my parents. The experiences I had during this challenging time have prompted me to address an important aspect that healthcare professionals need to keep in mind, and it can also help you, the Careblazer, in your caregiving journey.

Let me set the stage for you. My dad had a severe fall, which landed him in the hospital for a month, including some time in the ICU. From there, he was transferred to a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation. It was during this transition that I encountered a series of disheartening experiences that shed light on the state of care facilities today.

Upon arriving at the skilled nursing facility, nobody greeted me. The worker at the front desk was busy with her phone, failed to acknowledge my...

Welcome back, Careblazers! I want to talk about a lesser-known but valuable living facility option for older adults, especially those with or without dementia, who require assistance with their daily activities. While many seniors prefer aging at home and receiving care there, it may not always be feasible for everyone. Traditional options like assisted living facilities, memory care facilities, and nursing homes are well-known, but another alternative, called "group homes," deserves attention. Let's discuss the pros and cons of group homes to help you make an informed decision for your loved one's care.

Group homes are residential facilities that resemble ordinary homes and are licensed by the state to provide specialized care for their residents. You may find them nestled within residential neighborhoods, blending in with regular houses. These homes cater to older adults who need support with their daily activities but want a more home-like environment.

*The Benefits of Group...

Hey there, Careblazers! Today, I want to share a valuable tip that can make a big difference in how your loved one with dementia feels. You might think you already know it, but let me ask you this: Are you actually doing it?

If you're new here, welcome! I'm Dr. Natali, and on this channel, we talk about all things related to dementia caregiving. Before we dive into today's tip, let me quickly ask for your support. If these blog posts have helped you on your caregiving journey, please let other caregivers know about them. By spreading the word, we can reach more caregivers who need information and support.

Alright, let's get to the good stuff! So, what's the one thing you can do to avoid upsetting your loved one? It's pretty simple, really—just avoid saying "no." No one likes hearing or saying that word, right? But here's the thing: when we say "no" to our loved ones with dementia, it often makes them frustrated and angry. And when they're not doing well, it makes our lives...

As a caregiver, there are so many decisions you're going to have to make, and some of those decisions can feel really heavy. They can feel really big. These are decisions like whether or not to put your loved one in a care facility, maybe put your loved one in respite, or even taking your loved one on vacation with you.

How do you make the right decision?

In today's video, I want to walk you through a simple three step process you can go through whenever you are faced with making any decision. And the best news possible is that no matter what the outcome is of that decision, you don't have to feel bad or guilty about it at all, and you never, ever again have to think to yourself, "I made the wrong decision."

Are you ready? Let's get started.

If you would rather watch a video on this topic, click here. 

One of the reasons people struggle with making a decision is because they have in their mind that there is a right decision or there is a wrong decision....

Careblazer, I don't know if you can hear it right now, but there is a major storm happening right outside of my window, but I am not gonna let that stop me from recording another video for you. So if you hear like some wind helling or blowing, that's because there is a major storm happening right now in Phoenix, Arizona.

Okay, So in this post today, I wanna talk about something that is blocking the behavior change you want to see in your loved one with dementia, the number one. Reason That stops a lot of caregivers from being able to figure out what is going to change the behavior, what is actually going to get the person with dementia to change is you labeling the behavior.

If you would rather watch a video on this topic, click here.

You interpreting the behavior. This is what I mean. But let's take one of the big examples. So many people struggle with the person with dementia, might not want to shower or bathe. When I work with some of my clients...

In this short post, I wanna explain the difference between Alzheimer's disease and dementia so that you never confuse the two of them. Again, there's a lot of confusion about these two terms, and it's no wonder because a lot of the times nobody is really taking the time to explain the difference. So that's what I wanna do here today.

If you would rather watch a video on this topic, click here.

And in order to do that, I want to use the example of cancer. So when you hear that somebody has cancer, you immediately know that person is sick, but you're not quite sure. What type of cancer it is. Could it be lung cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer, or brain cancer, or any of the other cancers? The same thing is true.

When you hear the words dementia, it means that you would know somebody is having problems with their thinking and their functioning, but it doesn't tell you what type is it. Alzheimer's, Lewy body, vascular, frontal temporal, or any of the other dementias out...

Hello there, Careblazer. Today I want to talk about a topic I recently discussed in one of my question and answer sessions. This came from a member of my care course who is caring for her mom with Alzheimer’s disease. 

If you would rather watch the video on this topic, click here. 

She asked :

“I don't know how much to "push" her to do things that I think she's still able to do.  I want to keep her mind and body engaged, with activity and exercise.  She's lost so much strength lately and has such a hard time standing up - but she gets very resistant to doing things that are good for her cuz they are "hard" or not easy.”

This is such a good question and I want to share some of my response to her with all of you because I suspect there are many of you in a situation where you think your loved one is capable of doing more and want to keep them as active as possible to keep their strength. 

Before I dive into that, I just want to say...

Welcome back to the place where we talk about everything about dementia. Today I want to share some ideas for how you can have a good conversation with your loved one with dementia.

How are your conversations with your loved one with dementia?

When’s the last time you had a fun, good conversation with your loved one that didn’t involve questions about what to do or eat for the day? 

If you would rather watch the video on this topic, click here.

Many times in dementia, conversations can seem difficult. Your loved one may repeat the same things over and over. They may not do well at keeping a conversation going. You may not have much different to say to them day after day. Good conversations aren’t something that many people tell me they have with their loved one. Now, in the past, I did a video on tips for talking to someone with dementia, but today, I want to share some conversation starters for you to try with your loved one. I’m going...

Welcome back Careblazer. Today I want to answer a question I recently received- how long does someone with dementia live? 

If you would like to watch my video on this topic, click here. 

Seems like a straightforward question, but as you probably expect there isn’t really a straightforward answer. I’m going to share with you the range that someone with dementia typically lives and the different factors that can make that time shorter or longer. 

The reason this is an important question is that when someone you love is diagnosed with dementia, you will need to start planning for care, future plans, how you will pay for care, and so on. It can make a difference whether someone will be living for 2 years or 20 years when it comes to planning. 

So while there is no definite way to determine the length of time, I’ll do my best to share what the research shows at this time. 

Let’s first talk briefly about why this...