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Which best describes their mobility?
How well are they maintaining their hygiene?
How are they managing their medications?
Does their living environment pose any safety concerns?
Fall risks, spoiled food, or other threats to wellbeing
Are they experiencing any memory loss?
Which best describes your loved one's social life?
Acknowledgment of Disclosures and Authorization
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
Remember, this assessment is not a substitute for professional advice.
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Ask the doctor who treated her for the stroke to write a script for speech therapy. A speech therapist or speech pathologist can offer clues on swallowing, such as taking tiny portions, chewing thoroughly and swallowing before putting anything else in her mouth.
You might raise the issue with a speech therapist (or speech pathologist) about soft foods, avoiding harder to chew foods such as meats. If you do, ask for recommendations as well on how to get protein and iron rich foods, as cutting out or cutting back on the meat without substituting some good protein foods could cause her to become weaker.
Some of my organic gardening friends make smoothies, with a blend of fruits as well as high iron foods such as spinach.
Pureed foods are another option, but be careful what you puree. Some foods become inedible when pureed. When I broke my jaw after an encounter with a tree, I was on soft foods for several weeks. I had a real craving for potato salad, made it and pureed it. Yuck. It was inedible.
Soups are a good option though.
A speech therapist can also arrange for a videoscopic swallow test to determine if she's aspirating food into her lungs.
Smoothies are a great idea! Personally I think it's better to go with foods that are as close to "normal" as possible rather than pureeing everything in sight. Applesauce is fine as applesauce, but fish or steak with the texture of applesauce...um..maybe not so great. Better to go with lentil soup, bean soup (run in the blender)soft meatloaf or refried beans, chili, etc. - things that could normally be expected to have a smoother texture (if losing weight is an issue, Ice cream or milk-shakes with a bit of protein powder) Some NH do great things with mashed potatoes (add cottage cheese, etc), while others add "thickener" to everything giving it a a weird sticky texture. (yuck!). "Thickened water" is also popular with NH & therapists...just not so popular with patients (IMHO tiny sips of real water that get into the patient are better than all the thickened water in the world that stays in the glass)
horserider, if a videoscopic swallow test reveals a problem with the little flap that covers the airway not closing quickly enough, then something that goes down quickly, like a sip of water, risks that quick substance getting into the lungs. Not good. Thickening the substance isn't 100% effective, but it does reduce the risk. The thickener has no impact on taste. Really. But it is a weird texture. I thickened water and juice and tea and wine and beer for my husband. Depends on how seriously you take the risk, and how offensive you think the thickened beverage is. I think at the very least a patient with a "slow flap" should at least try the thickener for a bit. If drinking thickened beverages is a fate worse than having aspirational pneumonia, then go back to the riskier regular beverages.
GardenArtist you are so right that a speech therapist will have some suggestions about the mechanics of eating that can be helpful without regard to what is being eaten. I highly recommend consulting that specialist.
I used to get my mom Ensure PUDDING, not the drink, online to get some actual nutrition in her. Metromedical site, plus i could crush her meds in them too. Just a thought.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
You might raise the issue with a speech therapist (or speech pathologist) about soft foods, avoiding harder to chew foods such as meats. If you do, ask for recommendations as well on how to get protein and iron rich foods, as cutting out or cutting back on the meat without substituting some good protein foods could cause her to become weaker.
Some of my organic gardening friends make smoothies, with a blend of fruits as well as high iron foods such as spinach.
Pureed foods are another option, but be careful what you puree. Some foods become inedible when pureed. When I broke my jaw after an encounter with a tree, I was on soft foods for several weeks. I had a real craving for potato salad, made it and pureed it. Yuck. It was inedible.
Soups are a good option though.
A speech therapist can also arrange for a videoscopic swallow test to determine if she's aspirating food into her lungs.
Some NH do great things with mashed potatoes (add cottage cheese, etc), while others add "thickener" to everything giving it a a weird sticky texture. (yuck!).
"Thickened water" is also popular with NH & therapists...just not so popular with patients (IMHO tiny sips of real water that get into the patient are better than all the thickened water in the world that stays in the glass)
GardenArtist you are so right that a speech therapist will have some suggestions about the mechanics of eating that can be helpful without regard to what is being eaten. I highly recommend consulting that specialist.