What personal items should I bring?
Residents enjoy personalizing their room to help make their living space feel more comfortable, more familiar, and more like home. Suggested items include the following:
- Recliner or favorite chair
- End table, bureau or small furniture
- Pictures
- Personal memorabilia
- Television and stand
- Radio
- Clock
- Clothing appropriate for the season
- Sturdy shoes
- Slippers and pajamas
- Hearing aids batteries and back-up aids
- Electric shaver
- Curtains (mini-blinds provided)
- Cane, walker, wheelchair or assistive device currently in use
Can I keep my doctor?
When a new resident moves to Willow Creek Health Care, the resident’s Primary Care Physician may or may not choose to follow the patient’s care at the long-term care facility. Physician responsibilities for the new resident’s medical needs may be assumed by the resident’s choice of local physician or by Willow Creek’s facility Medical Director.
Can I bring my pet?
Willow Creek is a pet-friendly community. With adherence to facility guidelines, pets in residence are subject to the consent of management.
When are visiting hours?
Willow Creek Health Care is accessible to family members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As a general courtesy to the residents, visiting hours are suggested from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Does Medicare pay for skilled nursing care?
Skilled nursing services are appropriate for individuals recovering from stroke, surgery, fractures, acute injury, wound care or other illnesses. Skilled nursing is typically required for a short duration following a hospitalization. Medicare may cover care in a skilled nursing facility under certain conditions for a limited time. A physician must certify that it is medically necessary for the patient to have skilled nursing care. Medicare-covered services include, but are not limited to:
- Semi-private room
- Meals
- Skilled nursing care
- Physical therapy (to meet your health goal)
- Occupational therapy (to meet your health goal)
- Speech-language pathology services (to meet your health goal)
- Medical social services
- Medications
- Medical supplies and equipment used in the facility
- Dietary counseling
Eligibility guidelines and Medicare coverage benefits are determined by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Deductibles, coinsurance and copayments may affect Medicare coverage benefits. Please refer to www.medicare.gov for further information.
Does Medicare pay for long-term care?
Medicare does not pay for custodial care / long-term care residency if that is the only care needed. Long-term care, also referred to as nursing home care or custodial care, includes medical and non-medical care for individuals who need support services such as activities of daily living (i.e. dressing, bathing, grooming, toileting). These individuals may have a chronic illness or disability, or may have conditions requiring daily medical attention, that prevent them from living independently.
Individuals who reside in Oklahoma nursing homes may apply for Medicaid assistance. Oklahoma Department of Human Services provides guidelines to determine eligibility. Local inquiries can be made to OKDHS Logan County Office at 1414 South Division Street in Guthrie.
Residents may also privately pay for all room, board, and fees. For residents who satisfy the eligibility requirements of their long-term care insurance, the facility can assist with a resident’s insurance reimbursements by filing monthly claims to the insurance agency.
How can veteran benefits help with my living expenses?
The Department of Veterans Affairs Aid and Attendance pension benefit may be available to wartime veterans and surviving spouses who have in-home care or who live in long-term care facilities. The Department of Veterans Affairs determines eligibility for the Aid and Attendance benefit. You can contact your local VA representative or the Department of Veterans Affairs www.va.gov to apply for this benefit.
What are the benefits of living in a long-term care facility?
Upon moving to a long-term care facility, every resident will benefit a little differently. Residents will be safer and have people around, activities to keep them busy, and assistance with managing their healthcare needs and daily life. The real benefits will become more apparent to residents and their families after they have lived in the community for a period of time, developing a sense of belonging and contentment with their new home and lifestyle. If you are considering the possibility of a move, it is likely that a move may be past due, as the majority of people tend to wait longer than they should to make a move.
Healthcare: All long-term care facilities have a licensed or registered nurse on staff 24 hours a day. This nurse oversees the healthcare needs of the residents. A partnership between the nurse, the resident and the resident’s physician will be a great benefit to the resident and family members. The nurse can supervise medication, coordinate doctor visits, monitor treatment and resident care. The nurse will also assess the resident’s needs due to changes in health or abilities and can implement prompt changes to the resident’s plan of care accordingly.
General Safety: For some, the greatest benefit is general oversight for safety. Long-term care is for older adults who need around-the-clock nursing care. These residents need help not only with basic activities of daily living, but also need the supervision of staff to maintain their well-being. If the older adult is frail, cognitively or visually impaired, or unsteady on their feet, living with others can serve as a safety net. There will be caregivers around to provide general oversight and help them with their daily routine. There is an emergency call system in each unit and throughout the facility which alerts nursing staff of the resident’s need for assistance.
Friends: As we begin to reach our later years our friends may begin to pass away. If we are unable to drive, it may be harder to visit friends. If we have lost a spouse, we may have lost our best friend. Isolation can be devastating for a senior with depression, health issues or memory loss. Long-term care living provides a constant source of friendship. Even those who claim to be loners will benefit from the mere presence of other people. Conversation, social activity and the opportunity to enjoy festive occasions all bring quality of life to residents.
Nutrition: As we age it may become harder to shop for groceries and prepare nutritious meals. If we live alone, the idea of cooking for one can be challenging. Willow Creek offers three meals daily with varied complete meal options as well as alternative a la carte choices. Being well nourished and hydrated will improve health. Social activity at meals aids digestion and well-being. Mealtimes often become the most important event of the day.
Housekeeping: Seniors living at home alone may find housekeeping tasks, maintenance and yard work too difficult to do well. The actual maintenance of their home may cease due to their disability, lack of energy, failing eyesight or poor health. Safety becomes an increasing issue in a home that is cluttered or unsanitary. In a long-term care facility, these tasks will be performed by trained staff, which leads to an easier and safer life for residents.
Family Roles Restored: A very powerful, yet real benefit of long-term care living is the restoration of family roles. For example, a spouse who has been serving as a caregiver or nurse to her husband, can get back to being a wife. A daughter who has perhaps abandoned the needs of her own children to care for her failing parents will be able to resume the role of mother and her role as daughter once again. Many families are divided with stressful scheduling and shifting of plans in order to provide care for their aging parents. A priceless value of a long-term care community is that it allows us to advocate for our parents while letting the trained staff do the professional work it takes to improve their lives.
How do I talk to my parents about moving?
- Have the discussion over a longer period of time. The sooner you open the discussion, the easier it will be when the time comes to move. Many families tend to overlook the need for arranging care support until such time as an emergency arises. Making a move after a crisis arises can add undue stress on an older adult and on the entire family.
- Have an open and honest conversation about what your parents want. Ask open-ended questions such as:
If you are having difficulty walking and experiencing frequent falls, what would you want to see happen?
If you weren’t able to prepare a meal any longer, what would you like me to do?
If you weren’t safe being alone, what would you like me to do?
- Share your own concerns and your own willingness or lack of willingness to help.
- Reassure them that they will not be solely responsible for the entire process.
- Communicate your concerns for their safety and well-being.
- Explain that they are affecting other people other than just themselves.
- Constantly confirm that you understand that this is a difficult transition.
- Always remember that your parents are in charge of their own decisions and they may choose to live in a different way than you would like them to live.
Relinquishing any part of independence will not be an easy process for a person considering a move away from their own home. Keeping your loved ones as involved as they can be in the decisions that need to be made will go a long way in helping them accept and adjust to their changing world. It’s important to reassure your loved one that they will not be solely responsible for the entire moving process. There are also agencies available to seniors to help with the entire process.
What are the warning signs that it may be time to move?
If you’re thinking about moving your loved one to a senior community, chances are the move is already past due. There are specific signs to look for to determine if a move to a senior community may be necessary now or in the near future:
- Have they brought up the subject of the possibility of moving?
- Has there been a loss of a spouse?
- Have they voiced their concerns about feeling lonely?
- Have they brought up the subject of the possibility of moving?
- Do they become overly anxious about maintaining the home? Do they seem overly stressed when making decisions about home repairs?
- Is there an accumulation of unopened mail? Lack of food in the home or spoiled food?
- Have they been having medication errors? Have they been skipping medications?
- Are they beginning to experience memory loss? Lose mobility, eyesight, or hearing?
- Are they having difficulty walking or unsteady on their feet?
- Have they had a change of appetite or weight loss?
- Are they having extreme personality changes?
- Has there been a change in grooming or hygiene habits?