Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil

Sometimes it’s easier just not to think about it

Ok. So, you spent an incredible number of hours doing research – reading reviews, counting stars, and typing your fingers raw on Google. You narrowed it down to five potential senior care communities.

You dedicated a full Saturday day off going from place to place. Meeting the perky community director who showed you the “model apartment,” provided the great cup of executive coffee, and walked you through the tour route where they know every body’s name. They waxed eloquently about the activities especially designed to encourage memory and social development (should you senior be the outgoing type), the delightful outings (when the bus runs), and, of course, the meals that would make your mouth water.

Days of packing, emotional reactions to the inevitable move, and stressed moving days came and went. You really made yourself and your loved-one believe that this was actually a good thing. That they would love it here, and that you’d be able to relax and get part of your life back.

But really, do you know how they are doing? Do you ignore the statistics? Fifty percent of senior care community caregivers admit to abusing those in their care. Ninety-five percent of residents state that they have been abused, or they have seen another abused.

Who has the time to go through all of this again?

“We know what  some our clients have been through, and going through,” says Rhonda Harper, CEO of Penrose Senior Care Auditors. “It’s difficult no matter how you cut it. That’s why I founded Penrose Senior Care Auditors. Our clients have done their best to find the right place for their loved-ones. Now it’s our turn to ensure that the senior, and the family, receive the care they have paid for and that they deserve.”

No Fair! Out of Sight, Out of Mind – But Not For Me!

He travels and has fun – I stress and worry about our Dad

My brother posted more amazing pictures from Thailand today. He and his family are touring, eating amazing meals, and look like they are having so much fun! I doubt our dad’s loneliness, depression, dementia or whether the caregivers were doing their jobs have entered his mind at all these past couple weeks.

Even when he’s not on vacation, he lives states away and counts on me to take care of everything with dad. Sure, he visits a couple times a year for a couple days at a time. Big whoop – maybe six hours a year.

Ok. I’m whining. I volunteered to bring dad to my home town. To find him an assisted living community and to get him settled. What I know now, that I didn’t know then is how draining it is mentally. I’ve tried visiting every day. I’ve tried visiting once every two or three weeks. It doesn’t matter. He’s in my mind constantly.

Sometimes I long for the days when he lived near my brother and I used to travel, eat amazing meals, and look like I was having so much fun! Dad’s loneliness, depression, dementia, or whether the caregivers were doing their jobs hardly ever entered my mind. I’d visit a few times a year and I felt good about it.

“We find that our PenroseCertified Senior Care Auditors really make a difference to our clients, generally the adult child(ren) of the senior,” says Rhonda Harper, CEO, Penrose Senior Care Auditors. “By visiting, on a weekly or biweekly basis, their loved-one and taking an audit of them and their living conditions, we provide these family members respite that they need and want.”

Senior care auditors generally range between $40 and $100 a visit. You can learn more by going to http://www.penroseseniorcareauditors.com.

It’s Not Too Late to Make It Right

Maybe you haven’t been the best daughter or son of an aging parent, but it’s a new year for a new start

You have a career, a family, and perhaps not a great relationship with your aging parent – even though you love them. You have checked on them when you could and want to trust their caregivers. You’re tired. You’re stressed. And, you don’t want to spend your little amount of time off in a depressing situation.

You have an overriding sense of guilt, but you should let it go. You’re doing the best you can. Or, are you?

There is a new service called senior care auditing that can help. Senior care auditors visit your aging parent weekly or biweekly and conduct an environmental audit:  cleanliness, clutter, supplies, and maintenance. They observe your parent for mood and clothing – and ask if there is anything they want you to know. And, they observe the caregivers for friendliness, professionalism, and politeness. Then, they report back to you.

“Our clients tell us that they feel closer and more connected to their aging parents,” says Rhonda Harper, CEO, Penrose Senior Care Auditors. “The detailed 150-item weekly reports provide them with an account of their parent and their living conditions. And, the parent knows they care.”

A Mean Senior Care Aide Gets Reported & Issue is Resolved

When the senior care auditor walked in the door, he said, “Get me the hell out of here.”

Mr. G. was in a real nasty mood. “You have to get me the hell out of here. I can’t take it any more.”

Now, Mr. G. was notorious for having his “moods”. But this time, as the senior care auditor went about conducting the audit on him and his apartment in the assisted living community, something was different. There was a resignation in his voice. He said, “I’m not eating until I get out of here!”

The senior care auditor completed the 7-Factor Audit™ (on things like cleanliness, clutter, odor, supplies, etc.) and then asked Mr. G. if he’d like her to let his family know that he wants to move. Or, if there something that was bothering him? She’d enter it into the online system as part of the report.

He said, “You can do that? I don’t like one of the people here. She is mean and she screams at me. I don’t like it.” About that time a couple aides came in to the room. After they left he said “that’s her.” Anyone else bothering you? “No.” Does she hit you or anything? “No.”

Within five minutes the senior care audit report — containing the aide’s name “Miss N.” and issue — was automatically generated and emailed to Mr. G.’s family. Mr. G.’s family took care of the problem.

The next week the senior care auditor arrived as usual. Mr. G. was all smiles. I don’t see Miss N. anymore! “I don’t want to move,” he said. “Thank you!”

Senior Care Auditing is a new and growing service that helps improve the lives of the elderly, and those that love them. For more information go to Penrose Senior Care Auditors.

Is Your Mom Stoned Out of Her Mind?

If your mom is in a nursing home, chances are that she is stoned out of her mind

A recent study by NPR 300,000 nursing home residents are still getting antipsychotic drugs, even though the NPA has given these drugs a black box warning – saying they increase risk of heart failure, infections and death.

“ There are many near misses, whether it’s hospitals or nursing homes, where medication might be given that’s not needed and doesn’t cause permanent harm. We view that as a learning opportunity. – Dr. Patrick Conway, chief medical officer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Data shows that the government rarely penalizes nursing homes when they don’t get with the program. Take Texas for example. More than 25% of nursing home residents there still get antipsychotic drugs. One nurse says, “I saw my fair share  of seeing the drugs used as a form of control [and] restraint.” Further, even though Texas nursing homes have the highest rate of antipsychotic drug use in the nation, they are less likely to be censured for it than nursing homes in most other states.

Federal penalties for giving residents unnecessary medication can range from a “plan of correction,” to civil fines, to being kicked out of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. “We try to use the full array of enforcement,” Conway says, “including harsh penalties.” But again, NPR’s analysis of CMS data found that harsh penalties are almost never used when nursing home residents get unnecessary drugs of any kind.

“Hiring a senior care auditor can help this abuse,” says Rhonda Harper, CEO of Penrose Senior Care Auditors. “Once nursing homes know the seniors are being watched on a weekly basis and reporting back to their families, they will be less likely to unnecessarily drug the patient.”

Millions Suffer Abuse in Nursing Homes

If you have a parent or loved-one in a nursing home, you should be concerned about their welfare. Nearly 70% of all Adult Protective Service cases involve elderly abuse – about 2.1 million per year. More than 90% of nursing homes lack the adequate staff to properly care for patients. As a result, nearly 40% of nursing homes are in violation of elderly abuse laws. Most of these victims are white (66%) females (67%). source: National Center on Elder Abuse 2014

Indeed – Your mom may not be doing well. The outlook for elderly abuse in nursing homes is only getting worse. The fastest growing demographic in the United States is those over 85 years old: those most commonly in nursing homes.

The fact is that nursing homes can’t keep talent. Turnover rates in nursing homes were 63% for registered nurses (RNs), 43% for licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and 55% for certified nursing assistants (CNAs) according to the Journal of Nursing Administration. If about half of the staff leaves every year, how can the facility provide good service?

You may want to conduct your own survey of nursing homes before selecting one for your loved one. A good checklist can be found at http://www.medicare.gov/files/skilled-nursing-facility-checklist.pdf.

You may also want to Visit your loved-ones on a regular and frequent basis. Insist that they get the services and care they deserve. If you can’t do this, then consider hiring senior care auditors to do it for you. Beginning at $40 per audit/visit, it is a small price to pay for peace of mind. “Our PenroseCertified® senior care auditors are certified to be the best. They undergo significant education and training and use state-of-the-art systems to complete their audits,” continues Harper.

Pack Your Bags – Cheyenne WY New Retirement Hot Spot

Remember when St. Petersburg, Florida and Phoenix, Arizona were the hot spots for retirement?

Well, those days might be gone.

According to the Milken Institute’s report regarding the “Best Cities for Successful Aging” you might just find more and more seniors retiring to Cheyenne Wyoming!

The report examines how cities meet the needs of seniors and rates and ranks their capacity to enable people to age independently and productively, with security and good health.

Some of the winners?

• Madison, Wisconsin (ranked #1 for ages 65-79 and #3 for ages 80+)
• Iowa City, Iowa
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• Syracuse, New York
• Bismark, North Decota
• Cheyenne, Wyoming

The report’s overall rankings are based on eight factors, each with about 10 indicators:

• general indicators
• health care
• wellness
• living arrangements
• transportation/convenience
• financial well-being
• employment/education
• community engagement

So, if smaller cities with four seasons are more your style, you may want to consider investing in one of these cold-weather cities now!

Moms in Austin, TX Have A New Senior Care Auditor

Senior Care Auditing continues to expand nationally

And, it isn’t surprising. With so many seniors living alone or in senior care communities, it is hard for those that love them to know if they are doing okay.

Penrose Senior Care Auditors has announced that Debbie Northrup, PenroseCertified® Senior Care Auditor, launched Peace of Mind Texas Senior Care Auditing in Austin, TX.

To change careers, Debbie enrolled in the Penrose Senior Care Auditors® Certification Program. “Our certification program sets the standards for the industry.” says Rhonda Harper, Founder and CEO, “We established the service category and the certification exam in February 2014 – and since then we’ve seen tremendous growth.”

Says Debbie,

“The whole certification program was professionally presented. Thank you for creating this concept and making the services available.”

To become PenroseCertified®, Debbie had to pass an extensive Gold Standard Background Check, take 10+ hours of online coursework, take quizzes, and pass the Certification Exam.

If it appears that Debbie’s service will compete with Rhonda’s Penrose Senior Care Auditors, it’s because Rhonda wants it that way – she says she wants the category to grow as quickly as possible. “When we get a new client, we first look to our part-time employees to determine if they are available in that area. If not, we pass the lead to an independent auditor in that area. If neither exist, then we recruit either an employee or an independent senior care auditor. Regardless, all of our auditors need to become PenroseCertified®.”

To contact Debbie Northrup, email her at peaceofmindtexas@gmail.com.

Cold Weather Presents Threat to Seniors

Hypothermia is a Serious Concern

Cold weather kills 500% more people ages 85+ and 100% more seniors ages 75-84 than adults ages 18-74, according to the Center for Disease Control. “Our senior care auditors are trained to look for symptoms of hypothermia and know what to do,” says Rhonda Harper, Founder and CEO, Penrose Senior Care Auditors® and PenroseCertified®.

Why are seniors more susceptible to cold?

• Lower Tolerance to Cold – Many seniors can suffer from low body temperature when exposed to environments where younger people have little or no change.
• Medications – Many prescription medications such as anti-depressants, sedatives, tranquilizers and cardiovascular drugs prevent the body from regulating temperature normally.
• Elderly who are Frail – These patients or loved ones have a combined disadvantage to the frigid winter weather. Those who are ill may be on some of the medication mentioned previously and they are also in more compromised physical state.
• Financially Disadvantaged – In housing that is not properly winterized, exposure to cold temperatures increase the concern of hypothermia. The poor who can not afford adequate heat and do not have well ventilated and heated homes are at risk.
• Seniors Who Live Alone – Elderly patients or loved ones who live alone or live in rural areas are also more susceptible to hypothermia.

Here are 10 top symptoms associated with hypothermia to look for in seniors:

1. Shivering – Shivering is a sign that the body can not get warm. Seniors sometimes do not illicit shiver responses however so if the patent is not shivering it does not guarantee they are not cold.
2. Slowed Breathing and Heart Rate – both are symptoms of low body temperatures
3. Skin – Skin may be cold to the touch especially lower body. arms, hands and feet. Skin appearance may be pale or show purplish blue or pink, ruddy splotches.
4. Face – If you notice the elderly patients face is puffy or swollen this can be an important sign especially if there are other symptoms combined.
5. Muscles – Stiff muscles especially the neck, arms, and legs, limited use of appendages or trampling are a concern.
6. Consciousness – Patients can still maintain consciousness when the body registers 80 degree. However an elderly patient may be experiencing hypothermia even if their body temperature seems to be within the normal levels.
7. Confusion – Confusion will steadily progress as the body temperature lowers. The senior could become disoriented and unfamiliar with their environment and memory can be affected.
8. Balance – The senior may demonstrate a lack of coordination and be off balance and have jerky movements when walking or holding items.
9. Apathy – A senior with hypothermia may act as if they do not care what happens to them. Because of this psychological symptom and because it is silent and they are not aware hypothermia has occurred.
10. Hostility – A patient may not behave normally. An otherwise easy-going patient may respond irritably and with hostility when the caretaker tries to bring the senior to safety.

If you believe a senior has hypothermia:

• Call an ambulance right away
• Be careful handling the patient – the heart is weak when the biddy is cold, sudden movements can cause injury and even death.
• Keep them warm with layers of blankets and clothing
• Do not try an warm them up with devices or hot baths
• Do not give them food or drinks
• Do not raise the patients feet if they have lost consciousness. Doing so brings blood back to the mid section of the body and set the temperature regulation back even further.

4,400 Harm Causing Resident Complaints Go Unresolved

If Your Mom is in California, You Should Worry

California’s Department of Public Health has failed to effectively investigate nursing home complaints across 2,500 homes, according to a state audit. This same audit claims 11,000 unresolved complaints with 40% having caused or being likely to cause resident harm.  The incidents and complaints languish an average number of days ranging from 14 to 1,042 days.

And, these unresolved nursing home complaints don’t stop in California. “Unfortunately, the long-term care system is fraught with issues,” says Rhonda Harper, Founder & CEO, Penrose Senior Care Auditors. “Disorganized government institutions, overwhelmed and under-trained nursing home staff, and misguided management leaves our seniors in harms’ way. We can’t rely on traditional licensing boards and state audits to make sure our loved-ones are okay.”

Until late 2013, when it established a tracking log of open complaints, Public Health did not have a standardized method for monitoring the status of open complaints at the district offices and for assessing whether these complaints were being addressed promptly. Evidently, it still isn’t working.

Every day 10,000 more baby boomers turn age 65. Before long, the long-term care system will be flooded with more and more aging seniors. If it can’t handle it now, and it doesn’t take drastic changes to improved, all of our mom’s may be looking at a meager future.

So, what can you do? Visit your loved-ones on a regular and frequent basis. Insist that they get the services and care they deserve. If you can’t do this, then consider hiring senior care auditors to do it for you. Beginning at $40 per audit/visit, it is a small price to pay for peace of mind. “Our PenroseCertified® senior care auditors are certified to be the best. They undergo significant education and training and use state-of-the-art systems to complete their audits,” continues Harper.