Good Things Come in Small Packages
Our mother, Patricia Jane, is 90 years old and lives in a senior residential care home. Before she moved there, she was living in an assisted living community. She is oxygen dependent and on two occasions she had gone to the bathroom and forgot to put her oxygen back on. When the caregivers did their rounds, they found her unresponsive. Needless to say, there were ambulance rides to a hospital emergency room, my sister running in with a DNR and a lot of prayers. Somehow through her will to live, oxygen, and a CPAP she came back. We decided that she needed a smaller setting with a better staff to resident ratio.
Tucked into neighborhoods there are private homes that are tending to seniors. Sometimes they are called elder care homes, personal care homes or group homes. They provide increased supervision, as well as assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) for elderly adults often run by doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. Just like every house on the block is different, no two residential care facilities are styled or managed the same way.
Generally, residential homes include a private or shared room, home cooked meals, assistance with toileting, bathing and dressing, custodial care with laundry and housekeeping, transportation, medication management and activities. Some of them also specialize in dementia care. Often the price tag is more affordable, sometimes half of assisted living. Care homes can range from 3 to 16 residents. When finding a personal care home, keep in mind that in the state of Texas, they are licensed according to size, type and building safety features so be sure to ask what type of license they have. Some personal care homes that host three or fewer residents do not require a license.
A care home’s family-like atmosphere is fostered by a high staff-to-patient ratio, which is typically higher than nursing homes or assisted living communities. The staff-to-resident ratio varies, ranging from 1-to-3 to 1-to-6. For a senior citizen who is active, a residential care home may not offer enough stimulation depending on their hobbies and interests. In my Moms care home, they watch movies together, play cards, do puzzles, do art projects and during non-Covid times had musicians visit.
Paul Markowitz, the founder of my company adds “Another plus for residential group homes is they look and feel more like home. Most are designed to resemble a private family home. This type of warm, homey environment may put older adults at ease.”
We want to thank the caregivers at our mom’s personal care home, At Home Luxury Living, in Dallas Texas. They are angels and have taken such good care of my mother. To learn more about residential care homes reach out to me at lori@seniorlivingspecialistshouston.com or 713.240.6302.
Emergency Room at Home
I want to introduce you to DispatchHealth in case you or your loved one gets sick or injured during this pandemic!
Now you can stay safe and comfortable and get medical care delivered to you. DispatchHealth’s medical teams treat everything an urgent care can, plus more, all from the comfort of home. Each team is equipped with large kits full of medical supplies. They offer services such as treating the common cold/flu or UTI, splinting minor fractures, administering IV fluids and medications, suturing lacerations/skin tears, on-site diagnostic lab testing (including COVID-19), and much more.
Following care, they call in your prescriptions, update your primary care physician, and handle billing with your insurance company. DispatchHealth is in-network with most insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid, and bill as an urgent care visit. They are available from 8 a.m. – 10 p.m., 7 days a week, including holidays.
To request care, simply call (713) 422-2920, download the mobile app, or visit dispatchhealth.com.
To learn more, visit dispatchhealth.com or contact Community Engagement Managers, Michelle Glasper at michelle.glasper@dispatchhealth.com or Maryanne Murphy at maryanne.murphy@dispatchhealth.com.
Click here for a peek at the service in action!
