Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana Assisted Living, Retirement
Communities & Senior Apartments
in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, La Fayette, Lake Charles,
Kenner, Bossier City, Monroe, Alexandria and New Iberia.

Louisiana Seniors and Senior Housing

Aging Parents and Elder Care (Senior Care)

Caring for an aging parent, elderly spouse, domestic partner or close friend presents difficult challenges – especially when a crisis hits and you are suddenly faced with the responsibilities of elder care. Perhaps your aging mother fell, is hospitalized with a broken hip and needs to go to a rehab facility or nursing home to recover.

Caregiving can also begin as a result of unsettling mishaps and warning signs that indicate a need for long term elder care. Perhaps your elderly spouse has wandered off and gotten lost several times. Or a long-time friend has lost a lot of weight and rarely leaves home.

You may be the only person to step in and become the caregiver. Or, you may be the linchpin of a network of family members and friends willing to help care for your elderly senior. Whatever the situation, you are not sure of the next step, or even the first step.

What kind of help does your loved one need ... long term elder care? Or, help for only a short time to recover after a hospital stay? Are problems undiagnosed but correctable? For example, prescription drugs interactions and side effects, Vitamin B12 deficiency, dehydration and other treatable causes are often mistaken, even by doctors, for Alzheimers and other forms of dementia. According to Consumer Reports on Health, "Any new health problem in an older person should be considered drug induced until proven otherwise." (To help determine if prescription drugs might be a source of your loved one's problems, click on Prescription Drugs Interactions.)

If their problems are not correctable, what elder care living arrangements are available for your loved one? What nursing care plans are most appropriate? If they are able to remain in their own home, what kind of elder care services do you arrange? Is assisted living preferred over a nursing home? What challenges does your loved one's condition pose? What is the best way to access community elder care resources? How will you manage it all – and still maintain a life of your own?

This article will walk you through the first steps of elder care – whether your loved one has Alzheimers Disease or another form of dementia, is recovering from a broken hip, or you are trying to figure out Medicare benefits. It is a primer - a source of both information and comfort. Each elder care situation is unique, of course. Your loved one's medical history, financial resources, personality, relationships with potential caregivers, proximity to services and other factors all determine the best approach to take.

To help you find the right local eldercare services for your loved one, ElderCarelink has established a nationwide network of carefully screened eldercare providers for both in-home and community-based care as well as facility-based care. This referral service is free of charge. Depending on your loved one's needs,

In-home care can include a wide range of medical and non-medical services such as:

Adult Day Care / Respite Care
Bill Payment / Household Financial Management
Companion Services
Financial Planning
Geriatric Assessment / Evaluation/ Care Management
Home / Safety Monitoring
Home Healthcare (Medical)
Home Renovation / Maintenance
Homecare (Non-Medical)
Homemaker / House Cleaning
Hospice Service
Insurance Services
Live-In Home Care
Meal Preparation
Personal Care (e.g. Bathing, Toileting or Grooming)
Rehabilitation Services (e.g. Physical Therapy)
Transition Services ( e.g. home sale, relocation, downsizing or asset liquidation)
Transportation (Non-Medical, e.g. errands, shopping)
Transportation (Non-Emergency)
Visiting / Private Duty Nursing
Visiting Physician / House Calls

Other Resources for Louisiana Seniors

Louisiana Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs

Elder Law Answers is a site that answers general questions and person can search Louisiana

American Association of Retired Persons general information regarding aging and general information on aging

Social Security Administration contains on line information regarding benefits for Social Security, supplemental security income, and Medicare

www.la-legal.com - Information regarding Louisiana laws and legal research material

Louisiana Senior Rx- Louisiana site regarding assistance on prescription medication for seniors on limited income

Roberts Rules Of Order

Administration on Aging web site Contains information for consumers and researchers on aging data on a national or state level

Benefits Check Up - sponsored by the National Council On Aging A web site to check a data base regarding services that a senior citizen may qualify in the area where he resides. Note: not all services are represented on this site.

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A) - Good site for Area Agency on Aging and families dealing with aging health care or financial issues. This organization operates Eldercare Locater 1-800-677-1116 a nationwide director of service assistance to help seniors and their caregivers.

Louisiana Geriatrics Society - Promotes health care information also provides leadership to health care professionals, policy makers and the general public. Gives useful links on aging, geriatrics, long term care, and institutions which seniors and families may find useful.

Healthy People - Contains health related issues for all age groups
www.medicareed.org - Center for Medicare Education site helps professionals assist seniors with information regarding Medicare services.

National Institute of Health Part of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Supplies information regarding health, funding opportunities, scientific resources and organizations that make the NIH.

Louisiana Attorney General Web page containing information regarding seniors, Medicare fraud, and Consumer information 1-800351-4889

Aging Parents and Elder Care - Helpful information for families, caregivers and others with articles, comprehensive checklists and other key resources.

MedicareSolutions - Helpful information about Medicare Solutions and Resources.