Be prepared
An important doctrine in caregiving is to be prepared and develop a readiness for what lies ahead. Identifying the resources and services available to help make your caregiving duties more manageable is paramount. According the 2017 AP-NORC’s Long Term Care Survey, over half of the potential caregivers surveyed feel ill-prepared to take care of their aging parents.
Most older adults are not terribly prepared either – the majority say they have done very little or no planning at all for their long-term care needs. Having the resources and a supportive network available can help you provide the best care possible without sacrificing your own self-care.
UK Elder Care can help! We are hosting a Senior Caregiving Conference in collaboration with several other community agencies and UK colleges. The conference will be held Friday, November 30 at the Bill Gatton Student Center. The Senior Caregiving Conference is made up of two great events:
- A full-day dementia care workshop featuring Teepa Snow, a nationally recognized dementia care educator
- A senior resource fair (our 3rd annual) featuring 45 exhibitors representing a variety of senior care services available in the Bluegrass area.
Senior Caregiving Conference Agenda:
7:45-8:15 a.m. - Registration, Continental Breakfast
8:30-10 a.m. – Workshop – The ABC’s of Dementia & Caregiving
10:15 a.m. - Senior Resource Fair Opens
11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. - Lunch
12:45-2:15 p.m. - Workshop –Teaching the Importance of Humor in Caregiving
2:30-4 p.m. - Workshop – Techniques for Enjoying the Holidays When Dementia is Part of the Picture
4 p.m. - Workshop Concludes
4:30 p.m. – Senior Resource Fair Concludes
Come prepared with questions and meet with the exhibitors who can provide information and assistance with the services you need. See the list below of the exhibitors who are participating.
Tips for Visiting the Senior Resource Fair:
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Look for the Early Signs of Dementia in Your Loved One
The early signs of Alzheimer’s or other dementia can be very subtle and not immediately obvious. And although these early signs can vary, there are some common symptoms. Do you know what these are? Here is a link to help you identify the early warning signs: 10 Early Signs & Symptoms of Alzheimer's.
Do you know what resources are in the community to help? Teepa will be presenting more information on these early warning signs during her workshop.
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Talk About the Future
What are your loved one’s preferences and desires as they age? Don’t assume you know what type of care they may or may not want. Ask! Family conversations - no matter how difficult - are an important part of care planning. You and your loved one need to discuss the options available, what they would most like and what is most realistic for everyone.
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Money Matters
There are very real costs to caregiving that need to be addressed. What funding do they have and where is it? Who has access to the money? What are the costs for your loved one to stay in their home with community agency help? What are the costs of an assisted care, personal care, memory care or long-term skilled care facility? Are there other means of paying for care – long-term care insurance, reverse mortgages, government programs or military benefits?
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Legal Issues
Make sure certain legal protections are in place to help both you and your loved one if a crisis occurs. Review your loved one’s legal documents: Do they have an Advanced Health Care Directive/Living Will, a durable POA (Power of Attorney), a Medical Power of Attorney/Health Care Surrogate and a will? When someone becomes unable to speak for themselves, these documents assure their wishes regarding finances, health care, long-term care and end-of-life care will be known.
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Look Around
Has their normally well-kept home become neglected and unkempt? Has their personal hygiene become questionable? Would a few hours of assistance each week help your loved one stay independent and safe? Or is a more constant presence needed to assist with personal care and medication reminders? These are the questions you need to ask yourself before visiting the event.
The Senior Caregiving Conference will have the experts on hand to answer your questions and lead you in the right direction.
See you at the Conference.
Best Regards,
Terri Weber
A special thank you to our sponsors!
Partner
Margaret T Stoeckinger Foundation
Platinum Sponsors
Meadowthorpe Assisted Living & Memory Care
Senior Helpers of the Bluegrass
UK Family Consumer Sciences Extension
UK Federal Credit Union
Gold Sponsors
Elder Care Law of Central Kentucky
Highgrove Senior Living
Legacy Reserve at Fritz Farm
UK Sanders Brown Center on Aging
Silver Sponsors
Christian Care Communities - Bridgepointe at Ashgrove Woods and The Homeplace at Midway
Caretenders
Comfort Keepers
Lifeline Home Health
Morning Pointe
Sayre Christian Village
The Terrace Nursing and Rehabilitation and Berea Health & Rehabilitation
Wheeler Pharmacy Home Connection
Bronze Sponsors
Accessible Home Care of Lexington
Active Day
Aging Life Care Solutions LLC
Alzheimer’s Association
Best Friends Adult Day Center
Bluegrass Area Agency on Aging & Independent Living (BGAAAIL)
Bluegrass Care Navigators
Bluegrass Elder Law, PLLC
Bluegrass Moving Concierge, LLC
Brookdale Richmond Place
Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital
Diversified Nurse Consultants
ElderLawLexington/McClelland & Associates, PLLC
Fidelity Investments
Guardian Medical Monitoring
Home Instead Senior Care
Independent Assistance
Lexington Senior Center
Liberty Ridge Senior Living Community
Lifeline Homecare
Magnolia Springs Assisted Living
Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass, Inc.
Pleasant Meadow Assisted Living
Provision Living at Beaumont Centre
Radio Eye
Taylor Manor Nursing Home
The Breckinridge, an Alzheimer’s Residence
The Lafayette / Lexington Country Place – they are splitting a table
The Ridge Behavioral Health
TIAA Financial Services