Courtney Schwartz

Elder abuse is considered a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship, where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person.

Elder abuse can take various forms such as

• Physical
• Psychological
• Emotional,
• Sexual
• Financial abuse

Unfortunately, one in ten Americans aged 60 and older experiences abuse — and for every case of elder abuse that comes to the attention of authorities, it is estimated that 23 cases are never brought to light.

Older persons may also face age discrimination in decisions on medical care, triage, and life-saving therapies. The pandemic may also lead to a scaling back of critical services unrelated to COVID-19, further increasing risks to the lives of older persons.

Elder Abuse is Preventable

How can you help in the community?

• Watch for Signs of Elder Abuse
• Learn how to report and help to prevent it

How Can a Person help themselves?

• Stay in contact with family and friends
• Learn about your rights
• Use professional services for support
• Make sure you have your financial and legal affairs in order

How can Caregivers Help?

• Get breaks and watch for burnout
• Make sure you have a support system
• Ask for help when you need it

New Haven is here to help. Make sure that self-care and emotional support for family caregivers is part of your plan to prevent Elder Abuse. Look for support groups, respite care, and other proactive ways to reduce the emotional toll of caregiving. With skilled and loving care, a senior can still enjoy happy, fulfilled, and healthy years.

Contact us today with your questions or to discuss our wide range of care options. Schedule a tour at https://calendly.com/newhavenassistedliving and Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/newhavenassistedlivingandmemorycare

Why should you be prepared?

Being prepared can reduce fear, anxiety, and losses that can happen in any disaster. Communities, families, and individuals should know what to do in the event of a fire and where to seek shelter during a tornado or hurricane. You should be ready and have a plan in case you need to evacuate your home and take refuge in public shelters and know how to care for your basic medical needs.

What if your loved one is being supported in Assisted Living or Dementia Care, do you need to prepare?

The short answer is yes. The Community should be planning for disasters, and it is important that you know and understand their preparedness plan to ensure your loved one will be kept safe.

Planning: At New Haven, we understand that planning for natural disasters involves thoughtful year-round planning in order to be prepared to respond and support residents during a disaster. New Haven’s primary goal during any natural disaster is to ensure ongoing safety of our residents while striving to maintain a high quality of care and services.  New Haven has a multiple-day supply of prescription medications, medical supplies, food and drinking water to ensure continuity of care and residents can continue with little or no interruption. 

Communication: We understand during a natural disaster nothing could be worse than losing communication with a loved one.  New Haven Assisted Living and Dementia Care uses an automated message service to keep families updated on any information that may affect their loved one.  Our messaging service provides families a peace of mind by keeping them informed of important information and developments during a natural disaster. 

What are some ways you can prepare at home?

• Know your Risk
• Make an Emergency Plan
• Know your Evacuation Zone
• Recognize Warnings and Alerts ( Download the FEMA app and receive real-time alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations nationwide. Sign up for community alerts in your area and be aware of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA)- which requires no-sign up)
• Review and Secure Important Documents and Make sure they are up to date
• Stay Informed and follow recommendations for Evacuation

Basic Disaster Supplies Kit

• Water (one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation)
• Food (at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food)
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
• Flashlight
• First aid kit
• Extra batteries
• Whistle (to signal for help)
• Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air)
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation)
• Manual can opener (for food)
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery
•  Soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes to disinfect surfaces
• Prescription Medications
• Non-prescription medications such as pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication, antacids or laxatives
• Prescription eyeglasses and contact lens solution
• Pet food and extra water for your pet
• Cash or traveler’s checks
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person
• Complete change of clothing appropriate for your climate and sturdy shoes
• Fire extinguisher
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels and plastic utensils

New Haven continues to focus not just on safety but on maintaining community style living that is vibrant for our residents by providing daily opportunities for social engagement, exercise, and an enhanced dining program.  New Haven provides a wide range of benefits from 24/7 care to having the ability to interact with people daily and having a social life.  New Haven Dementia Care serves seniors with Dementia, offering specialized dementia care programs where we have seen significant benefits from our residents being able to engage and socialize versus the alternative; being at home alone, isolated and safety at risk during a natural disaster.

Learn more about New Haven Assisted Living and Dementia Care and our disaster preparedness plan visit:

https://newhavenassistedliving.com

Contact us today with your questions or to discuss our wide range of care options.

Schedule a tour at https://calendly.com/newhavenassistedliving and Follow us on

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/newhavenassistedlivingandmemorycare

Why is staying active so important for adults with Dementia?

As we get older, activity and engagement are decreasing. Keeping active not only physically but also mentally can keep us living a more purposefully engaged and full life. It is even more important that adults with dementia stay active with activities.

Why should we make engagement purposeful?

As people are experiencing dementia, they can often stop engaging with others and activities that they once enjoyed. At New Haven we offer specialized programs to help adults stay engaged, purposefully. 

Purposefully Engaged

From group exercise, hobbies, and social clubs to one-on-one opportunities to reminisce, there’s never a dull moment in our Purposefully Engages program. Each resident enjoys a daily schedule of research-backed enrichments proven to improve dementia symptoms.

Exercise: Group and individual classes include yoga, chair fitness, gardening and walking clubs, range of motion, and more.

Brain Fit: Residents enjoy mental puzzles and thinking games designed to strengthen cognitive processing and memory

Therapeutic Activities: Music, aromatherapy, pet therapy and nutritious meals make for rich experiences that stimulate the senses.

Social Activities: Isolation is never a worry for our seniors. Laughter, conversation, fun, and games are always part of our daily life.

As Dementia progresses, some portions of the Purposefully Engaged program may become challenging and understand the need to modify activities based on residents’ level of involvement. Essential Connections provides therapeutic and sensory based activities that honor the uniqueness of every resident based off their level of care.

Adapted Group Activities: Residents will enjoy ongoing access to therapeutic enrichment with friends, from art to puzzles, games, and gentle exercise. Smaller groups and quieter spaces help reduce overstimulation and anxiety.

Individual Activities: In addition to adapted group activities, Essential Connections provides individual therapy to residents in the peace and quiet of their own apartment. In the comfort of a private space filled with personal mementos, residents receive one-on-one touch therapy, aromatherapy, music therapy, and memory therapy.

About New Haven Assisted Living and Dementia Care– Our mission at New Haven is to provide friendly, family-oriented care focused on you or your loved ones. Our goal is to exceed your expectations and continue to offer the world-class care we are known for. Accordingly, we are confident in Sandra to continue to raise the leadership, quality of care and hospitality that your loved ones expect and deserve.

https://newhavenassistedliving.com

Contact us today with your questions or to discuss our wide range of care options. Schedule a tour at https://calendly.com/newhavenassistedliving and Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/newhavenassistedlivingandmemorycare

Understanding a dementia diagnosis can help us to support our loved one or help us to educate our loved ones in our own journey through dementia. Education of the stages of dementia can help us to plan and to take out some of the unknown. 

Stages

EARLY STAGE :  Early dementia is usually mild. Expect growing forgetfulness, confusion, and difficulty with complex tasks. Use this time to help independence last as long as possible and to plan ahead together for the future.

MID-STAGE : In mid-stage dementia, previously manageable tasks become more difficult. Be proactive and maintain a safe environment. Accidents, injuries, and infections are serious threats to a dementia patient; you can avoid these with attention and care.

LATE STAGE : While we think of dementia mainly as a memory problem, late-stage dementia also affects the body. Advanced dementia patients and families find great support in our around-the-clock personalized care. The smaller community size and home-like environment at New Haven greatly benefits those in need of additional protection and attention.

Does everyone go through the stages the same?

The simple answer is no. It is important to know the typical behaviors and symptoms we usually see with dementia and to work with your health care professional through the stages. Each person will go through a unique journey as with any diagnosis. It is important to have a great team to support you through the process. 

New Haven is here to help. A dementia diagnosis affects the whole family. Make sure that self-care and emotional support for family caregivers is part of your dementia treatment plan. Look for support groups, respite care, and other proactive ways to reduce the emotional toll of caregiving. With skilled and loving care, a senior can still enjoy happy, fulfilled, and healthy years after a diagnosis of dementia.

Contact us today with your questions or to discuss our wide range of care options. Schedule a tour at https://calendly.com/newhavenassistedliving and Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/newhavenassistedlivingandmemorycare

Music can bring back some of our fondest memories. Those memories can take us to another time and place where we can experience a wide range of emotions, first dances and first losses. For people who may have memory concerns; connecting with things that are meaningful can improve overall satisfaction with their lives.

Personally Meaningful Music: The Utah University of Health Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease article discussed that personally meaningful music is an alternative route for communicating with patients who have Alzheimer’s disease. It helps people find renewed meaning and connection in their lives through music that they personally identify with.

How Does Personalized Music Make a Difference?

• Beloved music helps to reduce depression and anxiety and can also moderate pain.
• Musical favorites tap deep memories and can improve quality of life.
• Participants are happier, more social, and receptive to care and family visits.
• Personalized music can help to reduce reliance on anti-psychotic, anti-depressant, and pain medications.

What is Music & Memory?

Grounded in extensive research, Music & Memory helps people living with a wide range of cognitive and physical challenges to find renewed joy in life through musical favorites. Our team is trained to develop personalized playlists, delivered through iPods, a key element in the individual’s plan of care.

Does Every Assisted Living and Dementia Care offer this program?

Specialized : Not everyone offers this type of program but at New Haven we have several locations that offer music and memory. As a Music & Memory Certified Care Organization, we are proud to offer the powerful benefits of personalized music as part of our continuing effort to provide the highest quality care.

The Music and Memory program has been shown to have many positive effects such as:

• Happier and more social seniors.
• Better relationships between seniors, staff, and families.
• Calmer and more supportive social interactions.
• Fewer behavior management issues.
• And, for some, the possibility of using fewer anti-psychotic medications.

Who Can Participate?

Anyone can benefit from the power of listening to musical favorites. As we build our program, we will be able to offer it to all who are interested. Often effective for a variety of impairments and disorders:

• People with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia
• Individuals who are bed-bound, on dialysis or ventilators
• People with chronic pain
• Those receiving hospice care

New Haven offers many services to help your loved one have meaning in their lives, check out our link, https://newhavenassistedliving.com/music-and-memory  and. schedule a tour with us at https://calendly.com/newhavenassistedliving and Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/newhavenassistedlivingandmemorycare

• https://musicandmemory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Utah-Univ-of-Health-Journal-of-Prevention-of-Alzheimers-Disease.pdf