Winter News

Welcome to the 3rd edition of our newsletter!

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The Next Best Thing to Independent Living

You probably heard us talking about independent living and the benefits of staying in your own home, for as long as possible. But what happens if indeed, the time comes where sporadic home care is no longer sufficient, when we see the need for a more longer-term, specialized care? Well, here are some options:

Adult Day Care: Structured programs for the elderly who are physically or emotionally disabled and need a protective environment. The participant is usually brought to the care facility in the morning and leaves in the evening. Daily snacks and activities are included.

Adult Family Home: A regular family house in which a person or persons provide room and board, personal care and/or special care to more than one but not more than five adults who are not related by blood or marriage to the person(s) providing the services.

Assisted Living: A special combination of congregate housing, personalized supportive services and health care designed to meet the needs -- both scheduled and unscheduled -- of those who need help with activities of daily living.

Nursing Home: Provides 24-hour skilled care for the more acute patients. Patients generally rely on assistance for most or all daily living activities. Regular medical supervision and rehabilitation therapy are mandated to be available.

So what is the next best thing to independent living if you or your loved one needs more care? We think that the Adult Family Home is the one setting that most closely resembles a regular family life in a non-congregate, loving  environment. We are dedicating the article below to explaining why we think this is the best option and why À la Carte CARE decided that it needs to expand and offer this service as part of its Continuum of Care.  

 Adult Family Homes

While the Adult Family Homes are a little known concept in Ohio, there are more than 2,400 homes and 14,000 residents living in them in Seattle, Washington. We found through our research that this state has the most developed concept of Adult Family Homes.

So how does it work? Each Adult Family Home is a regular, residential home that houses up to 5 residents, not related to the person(s) providing the care services. All residents live in the home in a family-like setting, with care services provided by staff, on a 24 hour basis. The care services include personal care, room and board, all at a very personalized level. Residents are allowed to do all activities that they are able to do and the staff is there to help supplement where needed.  Activities are provided as well, at the level that each resident is able and wiling to participate.

À la Carte CARE sees the Adult Family Homes as a natural choice for those that need personal attention and care but do not want to move to a congregate living setting that lacks the personal care and attention that a smaller and more intimate setting is able to provide. 

The State of Ohio has very strict regulations for the Adult Family Homes that ensure the best care possible for the residents of the home.

À la Carte CARE decided, as a natural continuation of its home care services for seniors and older adults to offer this option of care as well. The Adult Family Home is situated in a picturesque, farm area of Pickerington, allowing residents to enjoy the peaceful and relaxing environment. We now have residential openings available for the home and are welcoming your inquiries and questions. Please give us a call so we can give you more details about this exciting opportunity.

Seniors need to Exercise

Aging naturally causes a decrease in athletic skills and healing ability, while increasing the vulnerability to injury. Our seniors are more active as a generation, their bodies will show more wear and tear, so they’ll have more aches and pains. As they age they still think they can do the same things they used to do but often they can’t without negative consequences.

Aging is not a green light to abandon exercising, though.  “It’s good for all ages. Exercise increases cardiovascular health, bone health, and even mental health. It also can help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure levels,“ says Barry Malinowski, MD, Anthem’s medical director.

Exercise smart, at least 30 minutes each day following the tips below:

· Stretch— the biggest mistake an elderly person can make is not stretching. With age, the body needs more time to warm up.

· Vary the workout— to avoid using the same muscles repeatedly, vary the exercise routine. Biking, swimming and walking are all good options that aren’t hard on aging joints. 

· Ease into activity—slowly work into getting your body more active. Consistency is the key. Increase activity by 10 percent at a time, rather than by big leaps in duration or weight.

· Visit your primary care physician—before undertaking strenuous activity, talk to your doctor and ask for suggestions and his advice.

· Wear appropriate safety gear.

· Listen to your body—if it hurts, stop. If it swells or is otherwise hurt, see your doctor. Don’t ignore it, the longer you have a problem or injury the harder it is to fix it.

· If you are suffering from arthritis remember that “motion is lotion”. Joints need to move, but if they are stiff it hurts more and you will move less. Acupuncture, injections, medication and massage therapy can all help.

Link to our previous editions:

Winter News

Fall News

Summer News

 Adult Family Homes

While the Adult Family Homes are a little known concept in Ohio, there are more than 2,000 homes and 14,000 residents living in them in Seattle, Washington. We found through our research that this state has the most developed concept of Adult Family Homes.

So how does it work? Each Adult Family Home is a regular, residential home that houses up to 5 residents, not related to the person(s) providing the care services. All residents live in the home in a family-like setting, with care services provided by staff, on a 24 hour basis. The care services include personal care, room and board, all at a very personalized level. Residents are allowed to do all activities that they are able to do and the staff is there to help supplement where needed.  Activities are provided as well, at the level that each resident is able and wiling to participate.

À la Carte CARE sees the Adult Family Homes as a natural choice for those that need personal attention and care but do not want to move to a congregate living setting that lacks the personal care and attention that a smaller and more intimate setting is able to provide. 

The State of Ohio has very strict regulations for the Adult Family Homes that ensure the best care possible for the residents of the home.

À la Carte CARE decided, as a natural continuation of its home care services for seniors and older adults to offer this option of care as well. The Adult Family Home is situated in a picturesque, farm area of Pickerington, allowing residents to enjoy the peaceful and relaxing environment. We now have residential openings available for the home and are welcoming your inquiries and questions. Please give us a call so we can give you more details about this exciting opportunity.