Critter Corner: What Is Included in a Care Plan?

Dear Angel,I read somewhere that federal law requires every nursing home to create a care plan. What is included in a care plan, and shouldn’t it be something that is created before a loved one enters a nursing home? Thanks … [Read more...]

Is Your Loved One Ready for a Nursing Home?

Q. We have been caring for my mother in our home for the past five years. We think she needs more help than we can provide. How do you know when a loved one is ready for a nursing home? Thanks for your help!A. Caregivers and … [Read more...]

What is the Difference Between a Nursing Home and Assisted Living?

Sheila lives with her son, his wife, and her grandchildren in their home, and has been there for 3 years since her Parkinson’s started getting worse. They enjoy having her with them, but as her needs are becoming greater, they … [Read more...]

These Non-Traditional Senior Living Facilities Have Almost No Coronavirus Cases

On a recent afternoon, Ruth Deardorff, 97, sat by the orchids and other potted flowers that she had chosen to line the windowsill of her room. After decades of gardening and growing flowers in the yard of her suburban home, she … [Read more...]

Choosing a Nursing Home for a Loved One During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Q. My mother has dementia and seems to be declining rapidly. Her needs are becoming more than my father and I, and a nurse’s aide, can handle at home. We’ve decided the time has come to consider nursing home care. All of the news … [Read more...]

Critter Corner: Virginia’s Nursing Homes Prepare for New Testing Requirement

Dear Angel,My father is in a nursing home in Spotsylvania County. I am concerned about his safety during the coronavirus pandemic. One concern is staff coming to work sick or asymptomatic, which happened in a nursing home … [Read more...]

Critter Corner: Futuristic Post-Pandemic Changes Coming to Senior Living?

Dear Angel,With the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and the danger it poses to residents, some things need to change now and for the future. What changes are being implemented and/or … [Read more...]

What’s the Difference Between Assisted Living and Nursing Home Care, and which is Less Expensive?

Q. We are currently caring for my mother-in-law, Margaret, in our home. We enjoy having her with us, but as her needs keep becoming greater, we find that she may need more support than we can provide.I have read that when a … [Read more...]

Is Driving Cessation a Risk Factor for Long-Term Care?

Olivia has always enjoyed driving. She loves the wind in her hair as she drives on Main Street with the top down on her convertible, a retirement present she bought for herself. She enjoys the independence she feels when she gets … [Read more...]

When Your Loved One is in a Nursing Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Q. My husband, Bill, is currently in a nursing home with frontotemporal dementia. We are not able to visit him at this time, which is especially difficult for him and for us. He is declining quickly, so I was trying to visit at … [Read more...]

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