Eshalon, Inc

Hospital Readmissions

Posted by Cheryl | Posted on 27-02-2011

Category : General

Tags: care transition coordinator, hospital readmissions, reduce hospital readmissions, senior care advocate, transition coordinator

I recently read an article that stated hospital readmissions within 90 days of discharge are at a staggering 34%. Even worse, is that 76% were most likely preventable, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee. The healthcare reform will change how doctors and hospitals are reimbursed for their services. The new program will provide incentives for doctors and hospitals to reduce readmissions.

This program puts a great importance on the transition from hospital, to the next level of care. It also creates an enormous need for someone to facilitate a seamless transition for the senior, whether they will recover in a rehabilitation center, assisted living, or at home. Statistics have shown that when someone advocates for the patient and develops a care plan for them, they have a great chance of recovery. Thus improving the patient’s health and reducing the financial burden on Medicare.

It’s a win win!! I’m just glad that hospitals now share in the responsibility of the recovering patient, after discharge. Learn more about how Eshalon can coordinate a transition here click here !!!

Should my senior parent(s) live with me?

Posted by Cheryl | Posted on 23-01-2011

Category : Caregiver Resources

Tags: aging parents, Alzheimers, caregiver resources, dementia, elder care, Long-term care, parenting your parents, senior caregiver, senior caregivers

One of the most common comments I hear, when an adult child becomes the caregiver to their senior parent is, I wish I would have known how hard it would be. If you are considering moving your mom or dad in to live with you, you’ll need to really explore why you’re doing it and whether you can keep the responsibility from becoming a burden. There are several questions you should consider before you agree to become a senior caregiver.

What type of resources do you have at home? You’ll want an extensive support network to help you through the trials of care giving. Also be sure you have the time to commit to your mom. If you work full time, attend school or are raising young children it’s unlikely you’ll be able to handle the responsibility long-term without hitting burnout. Becoming a senior caregiver will affect every aspect of your life, so be sure to assemble resources to help you. Those resources might be hiring a housekeeper, in home non-medical assistance, or finding a place for mom to go for respite care. And always schedule time away from the house, for your own mental reprieve.

Is everyone that lives in the home supportive and capable of assuming the responsibility of caretaking if you can’t be available? The dynamics of your immediate family and your relationship with them will change after your dad moves in. In an ideal situation your family will come together and share the responsibility, like helping to prepare dinners or reminding dad to take medications. However if someone in the house is hesitant or resentful for any additional duties it will make your ability to manage long-term, much more difficult. If you are sure about taking on the caregiver responsibilities for your dad, make sure that it’s not at the cost of your immediate relationships, especially those with your spouse and children.

Do their medical needs require more than you are equipped to deal with? If mom needs help with daily living activities like dressing, bathing, transferring into a wheel chair, or she is experiencing incontinence, it might be more than you can physically handle. Mom may require 24 hour care in the future, if you move her into your home, ask yourself if you capable of handling the schedule then ask how long you can handle it. With today’s medical advancements, seniors can often live for years needing 24 hour care. In addition, if your mom has advanced stages of Alzheimer’s or dementia, providing care at home may not be the safest option.

Why do I want mom or dad to live with me? Don’t move your dad in with the impression that it will be like having a roommate, because eventually you will have to assume the role of a senior caregiver. You’ll want to move your dad in for the right reasons. When you are trying to make your decision, consider the emotional, financial, and long-term ramifications of this move. You should never take on the responsibility out of guilt alone; you may end up spending the time you have left with your dad being resentful instead of creating lasting memories.

Are you emotionally ready to become a caregiver for your parent? Watching our parents age is emotional; being part of their every day caretaking is much harder to experience. Be prepared for your relationship with your mom to change, when living together you may fall into your old parent-child relationship. Feelings from your childhood, especially those unresolved, will resurface. In addition, you need to be prepared to parent your parent. You’ll be required to make and enforce decisions for your mom, especially if your mom suffers from Alzheimer’s or dementia. Being a senior caregiver can be emotionally and physically draining.

What is your long term plan if you find being a caregiver is more challenging than you anticipated? Every good plan requires an exit strategy. Before you agree to have dad live with you, make sure you discuss an alternative living arrangement if it is no longer handle the level of care necessary. Also know when enough is enough, if you start experiencing caregiver burnout, your relationships with family and friends are suffering, and your health has been negatively affected, it might be time to consider the next long-term care plan for dad. That plan may include hiring an in home assistant, adult daycare or even moving them into an assisted living home or a nursing home.

These questions weren’t meant persuade you from becoming a senior caregiver for your parents, rather they are meant to encourage extra considerations for the responsibility.

Happy New Year!!

Posted by Cheryl | Posted on 10-01-2011

Category : General, Senior Care Advocate

Tags: aging parents, assisted living, assisted living phoenix, caregiver resources, elder care, independent living, nursing home, senior advocate, senior care advocate, senior living, senior placement, senior placement phoenix, senior placement service, transition to assisted living

I have quite a bit to be thankful for as we start out 2011!! I’m most thankful for my supportive husband and our three energetic children. I’ve really enjoyed being a business owner, though I’ll admit it’s not always easy to find a balance between home life and work life, especially when they co-exist in the same 2000 sq ft. It definitely has not hindered progress for Eshalon though. We’ve only been in business 6 months so I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished so far.

I’ve learned a lot about the industry and the guidance that families need as their loved ones future residence is in question. I’ve often heard, “I don’t even know where to start” or “How do I know what type of care is right for mom (or dad)?” It’s a very difficult time for families. I recently had a client that proved my theory that constant and direct involvement by family or a hired advocate will unquestionably lead to better care, a higher rate of recovery, reasonable rates and smoother transition upon discharge.

So in addition to helping seniors find assisted living or nursing homes, I’ve decided to offer advocate services for families who need help getting their loved one home. I can guide seniors and their families through the process of discharge, setting up a care plan, and assembling all the resources they would need to live safely at home. I’m very excited about this!!!

On another positive note, in late 2010 I was accepted into the National Association for Women Business Owners’ (NAWBO) coveted mentorship program. The program helps you build a strong foundation for your business; it is inspirational and motivating to be surrounded by so many successful women. Through only two sessions I’ve been able to recreate my mission, here is the current rendition:

Our mission is to advocate for the needs of seniors and their families, whether they wish to transition into a long term care facility or remain in their home with a proper long term care plan.

The mentorship program ends in May, so I’ll likely change it 5 more times before its just right, but I’d love some feedback from my readers!!!!! What do you think of the mission?

Visiting your aging parents over holidays? Here’s what to look for.

Posted by Cheryl | Posted on 24-11-2010

Category : Caregiver Resources, General

Tags: aging parents, assisted living, home for the holidays, independent living, nursing homes, parenting your parents, senior caregivers, senior living, transition to assisted living

We all have warm memories of holidays past; laughter, food, but most of all family. This year will hopefully be no different. If you have aging parents that you don’t see often, you should use this visit to make sure they are still safe and able to care for themselves in their home. Here are a few things to look for during your visit:

1) The most obvious indicator is going to be their appearance. Are their clothes clean? Have they showered recently? Even something as simple as no longer brushing their hair could tell you that their ability to manage may be slipping.

2) Check medicine cabinets for expired or new prescriptions. Ask questions about how often they take them and what they were prescribed for. Quizzing your mom and dad about what they are taking will be an indicator of their ability to remember their daily dosage, it will also help you monitor their medications and hopefully prevent them from becoming overmedicated.

3) A simple search around the house should tell you if they are no longer capable of keeping it up. If your parents have always kept the house clean and tidy, and during this visit you notice excessive clutter, laundry and dishes undone, heavy layers of dust, and expired food in the refrigerator, it’s probably time to start speaking with them about finding a solution to make daily living activities easier to manage.

4) Check their calendar. Often an elderly person will withdraw from social interaction, especially if they feel conversations are more difficult than they used to be or if they are suffering from depression. Ask what activities they have coming up, who they may have chatted with recently. Are they attending church or other social functions regularly?

5) You also want to look for stacks of unpaid bills or excessive mail from catalogs and sweepstakes. This could be a difficult conversation with your parents, especially if they’ve not been open about their finances in the past. If you’re really concerned, try to get access to their transactions, look for unprecedented donations to charity and home shopping channel or catalog purchases for unnecessary items. These things by themselves aren’t necessarily a huge problem but can indicate that you’re parent(s) ability to rationalize their purchases and personal finances might be slipping.

As you head home to visit your parents this holiday season be sure your memories of yesteryear, don’t blind you to what may be happening now. Observe as much as you can this visit, but don’t bring it up during your holiday dinner. Instead set aside some time right before you leave to discuss their long term care solutions. The care solution you choose will be a very personal decision. It is infinitely better to plan for the time your parents are no longer able to care for themselves, than it is to react during an unplanned hospitalization. Above all remember to enjoy the time you do have with them.

How do you say thank you to the caregivers in your life?

Posted by Cheryl | Posted on 09-11-2010

Category : Caregiver Resources, General

Tags: caregiver, caregiver resources, national family caregiver, online assisted living directory, senior caregiver, senior resources

President Barack Obama proclaimed November would be National Family Caregivers’ Month. This tradition started in 2004 and has been carried on by every President since. This month brings awareness for the vital role that caregivers provide in the family.

November is an entire month to acknowledge and honor your friends and family who are the primary caregivers to children, seniors or the disabled. You know what a great job they do and the sacrifices they make to provide selfless care to others, but how can you possibly say thank you? Well, here are a few easy ideas.

A really easy way… just say it!!! Tell them “You’re doing a great job, Thank You.” Simple, cheap and incredibly effective.
Take them to lunch… without their charges. Caregivers need to take time for themselves away from their responsibilities, and a lunch is generally easy to schedule.
Can’t get them away for an hour? Provide an easy to heat dinner for the family.
Arrange for an evening off. This one is a little harder to coordinate, but definitely provides the best bang for the buck. Doesn’t matter if the caregiver spends the time alone recharging or reconnecting with loved ones, every caregiver needs time away.

As a mother of three young children, I can vouch for the effectiveness of these tips. It’s great to feel appreciated for the work, love, and sacrifice you provide to others. The best tip I can provide to caregivers… You can’t be an effective caregiver unless you care for yourself first; mentally, physically and spiritually.

So what did I do to acknowledge National Family Caregiver Month???? I hired a babysitter took a nice long hike, a little shoe shopping, and a quiet lunch. By the end of my few hours, I was missing the chaos and the grubby smiles of my children.

Eshalon’s 10 tips for a Succesful Transition to Assisted Living

Posted by Cheryl | Posted on 02-11-2010

Category : Facility Search Topics, Press Releases

Tags: assisted living, assisted living house, elder care, nursing home, senior caregivers, senior placement, senior placement service, transition to assisted living

Contact Eshalon, Inc
Cheryl Mercure
877-215-0520 toll free
877-480-4802 fax
cheryl@eshalon.com
www.eshalon.com

Senior Placement Service, Eshalon Inc, Releases their Top 10 Tips for Transitioning to Assisted Living Facilities
Tips to help ease the Senior’s transition to assisted living facilities or nursing homes.

(PR-Inside.com) November 2, 2010 Eshalon, Inc., an exclusive senior placement service and online assisted living directory at www.transitiontoassistedliving.com, today announced their top 10 tips for making a successful transition to assisted living or nursing homes.

“Realizing that your loved one can no longer live independently is stressful and preparing them for a move of this magnitude can be traumatic. Eshalon’s tips are designed to help your transition to assisted living a more peaceful experience”, stated Cheryl Mercure, Senior Care Advocate for Eshalon, Inc.

Eshalon, Inc’s Top 10 Tips for a Successful Transition to Assisted Living
1. Involve the senior in the discussion
2. RESEARCH, find right facility, the first time
3. Take tours of many different long term care facilities
4. Tour the dining hall, and have a meal or two
5. Chose a location close to home or family

To read Eshalon’s complete list or to learn more about transitioning your Senior family member to assisted living facilities or nursing homes visit www.eshalon.com/resources-transition-tips.php. Implementing these senior placement tips will help you ease the senior into their new home; allowing the actual transition to be as harmonious as possible. The assisted living transition tips give the senior and caregivers tools to communicate and reminders of how to manage this life change more successfully.

About Eshalon, Inc
Eshalon, Inc provides senior placement services for families looking for guidance in finding the nursing home, assisted living, and memory care facility that best suits the Seniors needs. Services include independent reviews, testimonials, and background checks of facilities. Eshalon also assists the client with form completion, researching additional financial assistance and negotiating facility rates. The company also provides a free searchable directory of assisted living, nursing homes, Continuing Care Retirement Community, senior living retirement communities, and residential care homes, Alzheimer’s care facilities, and hospice care. No signup or commitment is required to use the site. For more information visit www.transitiontoassistedliving.com.

World Alzheimer’s Day – Our Story

Posted by Cheryl | Posted on 21-09-2010

Category : Alzheimer's Resources, General

Tags: Alzheimers, assisted living, dementia, early warning signs, memory care, nursing home, senior placement service

September 21, 2010 is World Alzheimer’s Day, on this day organizations and people raise awareness for the disease and its impact on families. The Alzheimer’s disease is progressive and its effects far reaching. It’s agonizing to care for a loved one suffering from the symptoms. Eshalon has partnered with the Alzheimer’s Early Detection Association, to promote the education of early warning signs of Alzheimer’s. This is both a personal and professional matter to us.
We understand, all too well, the struggle that families face when caring for a Senior affected by Alzheimer’s. Two of our grandparents suffered the devastating effects of the disease, it is through their story and their distinctly different experiences that we have developed a passion for the education of the early warning signs and the importance of finding the right memory care facility to help improve their end of life experience.

William Jackson Thompson, my grandfather, suffered through the early stages of Alzheimer’s without diagnosis. When he was diagnosed and told he could never go home again, his health steadily declined. For 2 years he lived in an unfortunate behavior health facility, away from his loving wife and his home of 20 years. He was so far away from family, that seldom could anyone visit. Doris, his wife, would visit as often as possible; convincing anyone she could to take her the hour drive to care facility. I could not imagine how hard it must have been to leave him there every night; they’d spent their entire adult life together. The facility he was placed in offered little “memory care”, he was in a locked facility with people suffering from severe mental and behavioral issues. With his mind weak and body frail he passed and now finally rests in peace. I’ll always remember my grandfather as the family strength, who filled our childhood days with direction and laughter. I only wish he could have had more of his unique character at the end.

Rita Anne Farrell, my husband’s grandmother, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s after suffering a mild stroke. She and her family learned together about her progressive disease, they educated themselves to what her future might look like. She was always surrounded by her supportive husband, Pat and their loving children. When a stroke took Pat, she insisted on staying in a long term care facility. She lived blissfully in a memory care facility for four years, visited often with her children and grandchildren. She struggled with her short term memory, but always seemed serene. She passed peacefully with family at her side. Her children took comfort in knowing they took time to understand the disease and its effects, the family knew they had made the right decisions for her long term care.

It’s the experiences of these two remarkable people, which gave us the idea for Eshalon, Inc. It’s our goal to make sure that the final years of our clients are spent in a facility that will be a peaceful and safe environment. I was directly involved in the long term care placement of my grandfather, and I was a resource for my husband’s grandmother, I learned two important lessons from my involvement. The first being, everyone should be educated of the early warning signs of Alzheimer’s. Had we known what to look for, we may have been able to delay his entering a memory care unit, or at very least have been given more warning of his decline.

The second lesson, it has been our experience that finding the right memory care or nursing home has verifiable long term benefits to the senior and their loved ones. The right memory care facility can provide a safe and peaceful environment. Because of this personal lesson, Eshalon offers its Senior Premium Placement Service, it’s our goal to find the assisted living or nursing home facility that will best meet the needs of the senior, with long-term feasibility in mind.

Eshalon, and our families would like to encourage you to learn the early warning signs of Alzheimer’s, you can read them at our site. http://www.eshalon.com/resources-alzheimer-resources.php. You can also learn more about Alzheimer’s at www.alz.org. Eshalon wholeheartedly supports the mission of The Alzheimer’s Association, so in honor and memory, of our grandparents we pledge that a portion of our sales for one year starting September 21, 2010, will be donated to their worthy cause.

Senior Placement Service, Eshalon Inc, Pledges Donation to the Alzheimer’s Association

Posted by Cheryl | Posted on 20-09-2010

Category : Alzheimer's Resources, Press Releases

Tags: Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimers, assisted living, memory care, nursing home, senior placement service

Contact Eshalon, Inc
Cheryl Mercure
877-215-0520 toll free
877-480-4802 fax
cheryl@eshalon.com
www.eshalon.com

Senior Placement Service, Eshalon Inc, Pledges Donation to the Alzheimer’s Association
Eshalon Inc., a senior placement service company, pledges a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association to strengthen their commitment of educating Seniors and their families of the early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

(i-newswire.com) September 20, 2010 Eshalon, Inc., provider of an exclusive senior placement service and online assisted living directory at www.eshalon.com, a partner of Alzheimer’s Early Detection Association, has pledged to donate a portion of its sales, for one year starting September 21, 2010, to The Alzheimer’s Association. Eshalon Inc.’s donation commemorates World Alzheimer’s Day on September 21, 2010.

“This financial and educational commitment was made by Eshalon, Inc. to raise awareness and to emphasize the importance of learning about the Alzheimer’s warning signs.” stated Cheryl Mercure, Senior Care Advocate for Eshalon, Inc. “Finding the right care for an Alzheimer’s patient requires a unique understanding and extensive knowledge of facilities that provide care to those with the disease. Our exclusive Senior Placement Service helps families of seniors find the appropriate Alzheimer’s care facilities. Seniors can learn more about our Placement Service at www.eshalon.com/placement.php.”

Alzheimer’s is a disease that gets progressively worse and there may come a time when additional care whether in home or in a care facility will become necessary to keep the Senior safe. Eshalon, Inc. takes the burden of the search off of the family and provides assistance throughout the entire long-term care selection process. The company will research and locate a facility within your budget and will recommend a memory care facility or assisted living home that best suits the needs of the Senior.

About Eshalon, Inc
Eshalon, Inc provides senior placement services for families looking for guidance in finding the nursing home, assisted living, and memory care facility that best suits the Seniors needs. Services include independent reviews, testimonials, and background checks of facilities. Eshalon also assists the client with form completion, researching additional financial assistance and negotiating facility rates. The company also provides a free searchable directory of assisted living, nursing homes, Continuing Care Retirement Community, senior living retirement communities, and residential care homes, Alzheimer’s care facilities, and hospice care. No signup or commitment is required to use the site. For more information visit www.eshalon.com.

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Welcome to Eshalon

Posted by Cheryl | Posted on 17-09-2010

Category : Assisted Living Directory

Tags: assisted living, Long-term care, nursing homes, placement service, senior living

Craig & Cheryl Mercure

Welcome to Eshalon, the exclusive search solution for longterm Senior care. Eshalon provides exclusive and personal placement services for seniors and their families looking for guidance in finding the care that best meets their needs. We handle every aspect of the transition to assisted living. From understanding exactly what our clients need, to saving you money on the negotiation of the agreement. We understand how stressful and time consuming the search can be. When searching for care for our own loved ones, we quickly realized that the available search options were accountable to the facility (because that’s how they were paid) and were not representative of all the available care options. Because we do not take any payments from care providers, we guarantee the best results. Please call us as you begin your search, we can help bear the responsibility, and find a care solution, at the best possible price. We look forward to working with you.

My name is Cheryl, I’m the owner and sole employee of Eshalon, Inc. My professional experience has been geared mostly toward sales and marketing in several different industries. Its my personal experience with long-term care that led me to open this business. I am really good at research, excellent at relationship building, and am motivated to help shoulder the burden of searching for longterm care! I look forward to communicating through this blog, either by sharing what I’ve learned or by learning from those I have come in contact with.

Blog Introduction

Posted by Cheryl | Posted on 17-09-2010

Category : Assisted Living Directory, General

Tags: assisted living directory, small business ownership

I’m attempting my fate and testing my editorial skills at a blog. I will be providing both updates of how the business is progressing with my own unrefined view of it. I’m also going to be providing tips, expert advice, and articles all relating to long term care for Seniors. It’s my hope that patrons will find the information I’m offering to be informative and relatable. Discussions and questions regarding each post will be warmly received, in addition when I’ve posted an expert article the questions will be answered by my “expert”. If you have suggestions on a topic you’d like to see discussed please email me at admin@eshalon.com.

Well we’ve been officially in business about a 2 months now, and there is still so much to do that is considered “startup”. So far I feel the only progress I’ve made is getting our free assisted living directory live and working to improve our web page and its ranking on search engines. Not exactly the glorious vision I had about owning my own business. It’s been difficult to navigate the technical aspect, especially when I only know enough to be dangerous, meaning there is every potential for me to crash my website, when I was just trying to correct simple text. Live and learn, right!?!

Fortunately I’ve also been able to get to a couple of Networking luncheon’s and meetings. What I’ve found to be most surprising is people’s willingness to help. I’ve already met some amazing and super helpful women business owners. They have all been more than helpful in providing tons of industry, personal, and professional tips on opening a senior service business. I’m also amazed at the resources available to small business owners, you only have to know where to look and who to ask!! It’s empowering to know that groups and people like this exist. I know not every networking group or professional I meet will be so accommodating, but I can certainly dream.