No one wants to leave their home, especially after years of creating a space to your liking, where memories spill out of the walls and into the hallways
As we age, we continue to hear about the possibility of moving into senior living or nursing homes to help with some of the tasks that you once thought was easy to handle but have now become difficult. Saying goodbye to a dining room where your family gathered, a living room that Santa visited, or a backyard where you watched your children run around can be difficult to say goodbye to, but what if you don’t have to say goodbye? Together, we are finding ways to make it easier to stay at home, while also having the option of help with some of those day-to-day tasks.
By 2030, it is estimated that there’s going to be 75 million Americans that are 65 years old or older. That means that 10,000 people a day are turning 65 years old. As some family members age, the family is the caregivers, which leads to worries about your loved ones. Caregivers are known to call their loved ones to check on them, but their loved ones almost always ensure that everything is fine, even if things are not alright. This can lead to more worries for the caregivers and guilt for not staying home from work to care for those we love.
How can we make sure that our loved ones are okay throughout the day and night? Many caregivers think to just send our loved ones into a senior living facility, but that may not be what our loved ones want. Caregivers are hesitant to use cameras because of the intrusiveness and their loved ones shutting the cameras off after they are found, which further leads to a black hole of information. A quarter of older adults will fall on their stairs and over 230,000 will have a situation in their home. These statistics have led to more concerns. Caregivers begin to think that the safest place for their loved ones is in a nursing home, while their loved ones believe that they are the safest in their home.
There is new technology that allows older adults to stay at home while giving the caregivers a sense of relief, knowing that they are okay. We have now come to a point where we can place small sensors into our loved ones’ homes, called Smart Hub. None of these devices have a camera attached to them, allowing for full privacy in their homes, but instead small sensors placed in various places within their homes. Sensors can be placed on doors, light switches, or in the center of the room to detect motion.
You may be asking, “What information can I gain if I know they opened a door or turned on a light switch?” The answer to this is that you actually gain an array of information. All this data is placed into an app the caregiver can access. Over time, the app will start recording habits that your loved one has adapted to. You start to learn a part of their routine, such as when they wake up in the morning, when they tend to run errands, when they go to bed, and so much more. A change in habit can then be a reason to be concerned. You may notice that they didn’t wake up when they usually do or that they never made it to the kitchen during the day, which allows you to ask them what is going on without intruding their space with cameras. But in the Cleveland area, there are even more options than just using home sensors.
McGregor Senior Living is the only provider of the PACE program in the State of Ohio, where older adults can be transported, or drive, to an adult day center in the area. PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) bring adults to one of four (soon to be five) adult day health centers where they can then socialize with one another, participate in activities and events, enjoy meals together, and have the privilege of having help with some of those tasks that they may have difficulty with. Transportation begins picking up participants at 8:00 a.m. and drops participants off at home no later than 5:00 p.m. This gives caregivers the relief of knowing that their loved ones are taken care of for the day, while also knowing that their loved ones have the freedom and control of their own day.
Participants can be picked up when they like, if they communicate with those that handle transportation. Participants also do not have to be at the adult day centers every day; they have the freedom of choosing when they would like to participate. If a participant has a hard time getting themselves ready for the day to enjoy the day center, there are staff to help with those tasks in the comfort of their own home. We take care of your loved ones like you would take care of them; everything that they value and need is exactly what we will deliver to them. When enrolled in PACE, Medicare is included, as well as physicians, therapists, pharmacists, dietitians, and much more. Our goal is to prioritize your life by providing everything that you may need.
Who is Eligible?
- 55 Years and Older
- Lives in Cuyahoga County or Lorain County
- Meets Level of Care
- Live Safely in the Community
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As our loved ones get older, it can be difficult to make decisions for them and keep them happy and safe. Caregivers don’t want to strip away freedom from their loved ones, and now they don’t need to. With the home sensors and PACE program, caregivers know that their loved ones are safe, healthy, and taken care of.
If loved ones decided to participate in the PACE program only a few days a week, then caregivers can view their habits at home, ensuring that they are healthy and safe. Together, we can create a safer and better environment for our loved ones.
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Written by: Kaitlyn Keenan, McGregor Marketing and Communication Intern