Transitioning to a new senior living community can be difficult for everyone involved in caring for someone with dementia. Plans and arrangements take a lot of time and effort to make, so when it’s finally moving day, there can be quite a few emotions involved. While moving your loved one to a community can be the best decision for them, it can also be hard for them to leave their home environment. This article will explore some ways that you can make this transition go more smoothly and how you can make their new home be as comfortable as possible. The Orchard at Brookhaven staff is also here to help you and your loved one through this entire process.

Tips When Moving Into A Senior Living Community

1. Label your loved one’s items. Whether they are in the early or late stages of dementia, remembering things can be a struggle for seniors. It is best to label items so that a) they don’t go missing and b) they can be easily located if lost or misplaced. It can be difficult for employees at a care facility to keep up with residents’ items, so having a label makes things much easier on everyone.
2. Set up family photos. Make sure your loved one has plenty of reminders of family situated around their new home. These photos can help them to remember who people are and also make them feel comfortable when they might be lonely.
3. Create an activity box. Creating a box with meaningful activities can give residents something to do along with helping them to connect to something they care about. For example, if your loved one was a nurse, include items nurses frequently used (stethoscope, bandaids, gloves, etc.) so that they can have something purposeful to do.
4. Make it feel like home. Bring as many items from your loved ones house that you can. Blankets, pictures, books, and pillows are all small things that can really help warm their new environment. Try to arrange the items in a way that reminds your loved one of their prior home. Seniors with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia take comfort in what they recognize. Help them decorate a room that will be calming and comfortable.
5. Create a Reminiscence Board. Create a Reminiscence Board full of photos of the important people and events in your senior loved one’s life. Label each photo. It can provide conversation starters for staff when they are first getting to know your family member.
6. Decorate your loved one’s room to display her personality. Decorate your loved one’s room with items that define who this person is. You want staff to be able to know something about them the minute they walk in the room.  An example might be a person whose hobby was making quilts. You could put a beautiful quilt on the bed or on the wall, and bring her sewing box with fabric pieces, yarn, thread (no pins) patterns, measuring tape, etc.).
7. Decorate your loved one’s door. Decorating the door to your loved one’s room can be a great visual cue. They can more readily recognize which room is theirs. Also, decorating the door with your loved one could be a meaningful activity for you do to with them. Spending quality time with you or someone in their family is a great way to make new memories in a new place.
8. Recreate as much of the home environment as possible. People living with dementia benefit from familiar surroundings. Before moving day, work with the staff at your senior loved one’s new home to try to recreate as much of their home environment as possible. It can help to decrease their anxiety and agitation. Think about what some of their favorite things from home are and try to have them in place at the assisted living community before they arrive.

Moving to a new place can be scary. Fortunately, there are many actions you and your loved ones can take to make sure that this transition goes well. It’s important to collaborate with the staff to make sure that your loved one has the best experience possible. Orchard at Brookhaven’s staff prides ourselves on working with you and your family to make this transition as seamless and enjoyable as possible. Please contact us to learn more about our community.

Oftentimes, senior citizens who are suffering from dementia, need the assistance of another person to maintain a normal quality of life. Family caregiving is a noble pursuit, however, it can also cause significant social and economic tolls for family caregivers. If family care is no longer an option, you or someone you know may want to consider home care. Home care is intended to keep an elderly person home while still receiving the care they may need from someone who is not in the family.

What Is Home Care?

Home care is a way to care for the elderly while keeping your loved one home. Someone you don’t know would take on the responsibility, however there are many positives to this type of care.

• Professionals are there when you can’t be
• Support with daily living activities.
• Access to skilled nursing at home
• Diet and nutrition support
• Medication management
• Companionship
• Help with light household chores
• More affordable than out of home facilities
• One on one focus and support

Types Of Home Care

There are many different types of care that an individual can receive at home. Some are more inclusive than others.

• Doctor care
• Nursing care
• Physical, occupational, and/or speech therapy
• Medical social services
• Care from home health aides
• Homemaker or basic assistance care
• Companionship
• Volunteer care
• Nutritional support
• Laboratory and X-ray imaging
• Pharmaceutical services
• Transportation
• Home-delivered meals

As you can see, there are a variety of ways that you or your loved one can receive the help they may need while still staying home.

If home care is no longer suitable for you or your loved one, you might begin to look at care facilities. Orchard at Brookhaven is one of the top care facilities in the Atlanta area. We offer our residents a wide range of services and keep them involved with one another and the community. If you would like more information on how you can become a part of our community, please contact us today!

If you are a caregiver, you know how stressful and time consuming caring for someone with dementia can be. It easy very easy to put your own needs and wants to the side in order to make room for all the other things that need to be done. One thing to remember is that taking care of ourselves still need to be a priority. It’s like a car. A car cannot function properly if it is not taken care of. We cannot function properly if we do not take care of ourselves first!

Signs of Caregiver Burnout

Caregiver burnout is something to be aware of. This is complete exhaustion: mentally, physically, and emotionally. Some signs of burnout include.

1. Withdrawal from friends and family.
2. Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed.
3. Feeling blue, irritable, hopeless, and helpless.
4. Changes in appetite, weight, or both.
5. Changes in sleep patterns.
6. Getting sick more often.
7. Feelings of wanting to hurt yourself or the person for whom you are caring.

If you or someone you know is experiencing these signs and symptoms, it may be time for a change.

Avoiding the Burnout

There are several ways to avoid getting burned out. Many of them involve setting aside specific time that is designated for yourself. While this may seem impossible, if you plan strategically, it can be done! Here are some ways to avoid caregiver burnout.

1. Maintain a healthy mindset- make sure you are staying positive, setting goals, and meditating or reflecting often. Simple changes such as keeping a goal list can really change the course of a day!
2. Get plenty of sleep- It is not secret that our bodies need sleep to function well. Make sure you are setting yourself up to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep every night.
3. Eat Well- Nutrition can play a huge role in how we function throughout the day. Without the proper nutrients, our bodies won’t operate at optimum energy. Eat healthy foods so that you can be at your best when someone else needs you.
4. Move Your Body- Physical activity and exercise is a great way to start your day releasing natural endorphins. Many people find that when they exercise at the beginning of the day, they actually are less tired as the day goes on. Make time for a walk or run so that you can get your blood flowing and body moving!

As you can see, there are many ways to avoid getting burn out when you feel like you are always giving 110%. Making some small changes to your daily routine can really help with not feeling total exhaustion.

When someone we love needs more support in their life, it can become a big and challenging job. If you are taking on this job alone, you are bound to become tired. Orchard at Brookhaven is a senior living community in Atlanta that understands this and is here to help. Contact us for more information about the programs we offer.

As a person ages, it is likely that they will need help making certain decisions. Many of these decisions can be tricky or complex, especially if multiple family members are involved. One way to ensure that your loved one is receiving the best care possible, is to protect their rights as an individual. One way you and your family can do this, is by ensuring that a power of attorney is in place before they are moved to a care facility.

Power of Attorney For Seniors

If you’ve never heard of this before, you might be unfamiliar with what a power of attorney accomplishes. It is a legal document that is crafted to help protect an aging individual. The document not only protects their independence and decision-making capabilities, but it also helps with the transition to a care facility. A durable power of attorney (DPOA) also serves as a safety net in the event of possible physical or mental incapacitation, ensuring that a trusted appointee has the legal right to make important decisions on behalf of another individual. If someone does not have a power of attorney, it could lead to not having their wishes carried out or ugly legal battles down the road.

Durable vs General Power Of Attorney

There are two major types of power of attorney: durable and general. A general power of attorney ends the moment you become incapacitated. It’s an effective legal tool in any number of circumstances, including helping shoulder the legal responsibilities of a loved one. But it isn’t suitable for a variety of important end-of-life decisions because of its lack of durability under duress. When a power of attorney is durable, that means there’s language within the document which states an agent’s authority continues to apply if you become incapacitated. There is no automatic deadline by which these powers expire. A durable power of attorney stays effective until the principle dies or until they act to revoke the power they’ve granted to their agent.

How Power Of Attorney Works

Like a trust or other similar document, a durable POA can be written to begin immediately, or to start only after a certain trigger event, such as when an elderly parent is legally declared incapacitated. For the latter case, your elderly parent would be in full control of his or her own medical, financial and other legal decisions, until declared either physically or mentally incapacitated. Powers of attorney are common legal documents, and at most require a visit to your family attorney’s office; cost will depend on your lawyer’s hourly rate. Likewise, you can also establish your POAs through readily available legal websites, which cost in the $20-$150 range, depending on inclusions (e.g., do you need just a DPOA, or also a living trust, living will, and other related documents?).

While a power of attorney may not be for everyone, it is certainly something worth exploring before ruling it out. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you’re waiting weeks for the courts to help. You don’t want to have to hope the judgement works in your favor or that it works in time to help your loved one.

Orchard at Brookhaven is here to offer our support through these types of difficult decisions related to care for loved ones. Contact us if you are interested in learning more about our senior living community in Atlanta.