Tag Archives: PACE

Signs your aging loved one needs support while maintaining independence

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Care Resources offers resources for families noticing concerns in aging loved ones during the upcoming holiday season (Courtesy, Adobe Stock)


By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org

Holiday gatherings can become more of a reality check than joyful reunions as relatives notice health and safety concerns in aging loved ones for the first time.

“People often rely on phone calls or texts to check on older loved ones throughout the year,” says Paula Lett, Social Services Manager for Care Resources, a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. “But without those regular in-person visits, signs that indicate a need for assistance can go unnoticed for months.”

Holiday wake-up calls

Spending time with loved ones on a regular basis can help family identify opportunities for support sooner (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

Throughout much of her career, Lett has been on the frontlines of the post-holiday influx of people seeking senior care. Her colleague, Eric Millar, can also attest to the surge in inquiries.

“It can be a shock to the system for family members who haven’t been around all year to notice their older loved one has been struggling,” Millar says, noting that these holiday wake-up calls underscore the importance of more regular check-ins.

“Don’t wait until the holidays to face these issues,” Millar advocates. “Get into the holiday spirit of visiting loved ones year-round by carving out a couple of hours each month to go into mom or dad’s home. You don’t have to cook or clean. Just spend time together. It will mean more to them than you realize and also help you identify opportunities for support sooner.”

Looking for clues

Whenever visiting an aging loved one, Lett and Millar encourage families to take note of the state of the home. Are there piles of mail or trash? An overflowing kitchen sink or laundry hamper?

Monitoring for changes in physical health, personal hygiene and mood is also important.

“You might notice they’ve lost weight, appear disheveled or are wearing dirty clothes,” Millar explains. “Maybe they’re increasingly forgetful, irritable or confused.”

After identifying such signs, Lett cautions against falling into the assumption that nursing home placement is the only solution, especially when “there is so much help available through programs such as PACE to keep seniors living safely in their own homes.”

Conversation tips

Focus conversation around resources that can give more independence rather than take it away (Courtesy, Adobe Stock)

However, broaching the subject with an aging loved one requires great care. Millar recommends having the person they trust most talk one-on-one, rather than a group intervention. Focus the conversation around resources that can give more independence rather than take it away.

“Seek to understand the specific areas where they could benefit from assistance so they can continue living the life they want to live,” he says. “You can be firm about the fact that you’re going to help, but encourage them to choose where they want the help.”

Lett adds it can help to explain that the goal is to maintain their ability to remain in their own home and in control as much as possible while enhancing their health and safety.

“No one wants to be a burden on anyone else, so it can be difficult to accept help,” Lett explains. “Be sure to treat them as a person, not an object that is a liability to themselves. Reassure them that getting support doesn’t mean they can’t still be self-reliant. There are options to help meet their needs while maintaining their dignity and autonomy.”

Learn more

Lett says families don’t have to “start from scratch” to find resources and build a care plan tailored to their loved one’s needs. For information about services that help older adults stay healthy and live independently in the community, call 800.610.6299 or visit CareResources.org.

Digital tools help seniors manage health at Care Resources

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Care Resources resident Alma interacts with her digital pet on care.coach (Courtesy, Care Resources)


By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org


The Care Resources team often hears, “Now I don’t have to be so lonely!” when introducing participants, ages 55 years and older, to their very own digital dog or cat.

The digital companion is a care.coach Avatar™ on an easy-to-use tablet that provides 24/7 companionship, video visits, health monitoring, medication reminders and more. Measurable benefits include reductions in emergency room visits, falls, loneliness and depression that lead to improved health outcomes in older adults.

Remote health coaching and monitoring capabilities are valuable, in addition to providing social-emotional outcomes (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

Garth Falkins helped Care Resources – a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE® – first deploy care.coach during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic to support participants when in-person programs were suspended. Falkins says the remote health coaching and monitoring capabilities continue to be valuable today, in addition to the social-emotional outcomes.

“The device conducts daytime check-ins every few hours, engaging the participant to see if they are doing well, in addition to silent checks during evening hours for any noise or movement that could be cause for concern,” said Falkins, Recreational Therapy Manager at Care Resources.

“There’s a real person behind the avatar, not an artificial intelligence bot, on standby to interact with participants through the device so we can quickly get eyes on them and evaluate the situation.”

A complement to in-person services

At Care Resources, various technology-based devices are used to complement the wide array of in-person services the nonprofit provides to enable older adults to stay safe while living independently in their own homes. Falkins says the digital tools help staff better manage participants’ overall health, while providing caregivers greater reassurance about their loved one living independently.

“Technology is a valuable tool in our toolbox for older adults to promote healthy and independent living,” said Falkins. “At Care Resources, technology such as care.coach has served as an extension of our team, allowing us to continually assess needs and be more proactive, which is showing definite benefits.”

Those benefits include enhanced safety and peace of mind for both participants and their loved ones. With care.coach alone, Care Resources has achieved a nearly 80% reduction in ER visits and a 50% reduction in falls among participants.

Care Resources participant Helene interacts with the interactive game projection system called Tovertafel (Courtesy, Care Resources)

Care Resources also utilizes It’s Never 2 Late, or iN2L, by LifeLoop, which delivers wellness-focused digital content intended to engage older adults. This includes games, travel videos, worship content, music and more.

Care Resources uses iN2L to enhance social activity programming and therapy sessions to help participants have fun while reaching therapeutic goals at one of its two West Michigan day centers.

Yet another technology used by Care Resources is Tovertafel by Tover, an interactive game projection system that uses purposeful play to provide social, physical and cognitive stimulation for seniors living with dementia. Games can be played individually or in a larger group at the day center to promote movement, social interaction and happiness.

“iN2L and Tovertafel enhance our programming and can be utilized for various therapies and educational purposes,” Falkins said. “We’ve seen the technology help participants improve their mobility and hand-eye coordination, among other benefits.”

Additional digital resources

For those not in a program such as Care Resources, Falkins says cell phones, phone apps and smart watches are a few common tools he sees used by older adults and their loved ones for health and safety monitoring and social connection.

Cell phones can also be used to help aging adults (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

One popular product is the GrandPad, a tablet designed to help aging adults enjoy calls, photos, music and games. Falkins has also seen families equip virtual assistants such as Alexa and home monitoring systems to check on loved ones.

A word of caution

While technology can be a great tool for health care professionals and loved ones of older adults, Falkins cautions against entirely relying on it.

“Technology cannot replace the need for human connection and physical touch,” he said. “In-person visits, hugs and meaningful interactions will always be super important.”

Find out more!

For more information about Care Resources, call 800-610-6299 or visit CareResources.org.

“Letting Loose”: Seniors celebrate PACE Month with homecoming dance at Care Resources

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A Care Resources staff member (left) with a homecoming dance participant (Courtesy, Care Resources)


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


For many West Michigan seniors, Care Resources is truly “home away from home” – and this month, they celebrated with a special homecoming dance.

“Dances create an exciting ‘out of the ordinary’ environment where participants can let loose and have fun,” said Care Resources Recreation Therapist Nicole Steed, adding that dances are highly requested by residents.

Recreation Therapist Nicole Steed welcomes dance participants (Courtesy, Care Resources)

“We try to do a dance on a quarterly basis,” Steed continued, naming luaus, discos and seasonal dances as previous day center dance themes. Decorations and costumes make each dance unique. “We typically do a homecoming dance and prom each year to spark nostalgia for school dances.

“It also proves that there is no age limit on the ability to have a good time and have fun.”

A one-stop shop

As a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, also known as PACE, the nonprofit serves as a single resource to keep seniors healthy, independent and at home.

“We are that one-stop shop helping participants not only take care of medical needs but also their social and emotional needs,” said Steed. “It’s a place they can fully feel taken care of, and they have a lot of pride in the program.”

To bolster that pride and celebrate National PACE Month in September, Care Resources hosted a special homecoming dance on Sept. 9 at its Grand Rapids day center.

“Our day center is a place designed to make all participants feel welcome,” said Steed. “We are a community here. By making it a ‘homecoming dance,’ we’re emphasizing to participants that this is their home.”

The Care Resources recreational therapy team had as much fun as the day center visitors (Courtesy, Care Resources)

While having fun, participants also received a host of health benefits from the event.

“This dance is designed to bring our participants a sense of purpose and promote that community feeling here,” Steed added. “It’ll be a great way to move their bodies and get some fitness in while socializing with others. It really encompasses all areas of health and wellness.”

Taking ownership and having fun

To further celebrate PACE Month, the Care Resources recreational therapy team wanted to allow participants to showcase their thoughts and feelings about the day center, as well as take part in the decorating aspect.

Pennant banners created by participants show what Care Resources means to them (Courtesy, Care Resources)

This included pennant banners quoting individual participants’ thoughts on what Care Resources PACE means to them.

“One of my favorites,” said Steed, “stated, ‘I wake up every day to be able to come into the center.’ That really shows how special Care Resources is.”

Completed Care Resources pennant banners (Courtesy, Care Resources)

Participants also created and hung signs around the center, arranged flower displays for the tables and made a streamer wall, which was the main backdrop for our dance.

“This demonstrates how the dance was designed for and by them to celebrate our love for the day center and Care Resources in general,” said Steed.

“All in all, we had an absolute blast! Happy PACE Month!”

Learn more

For more information about Care Resources and the resources they offer, visit CareResources.org.

Care Resources explores benefits to elderly residents with a tai chi class

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Maria Goosen, CTRS leads seniors in a Tai Chi class at Care Resources (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

By Deborah Reed

deborah@wktv.org

Care Resources in Grand Rapids recently offered a tai chi class to Day Center visitors ages 55 and older as a way to promote healthy living.

“Tai chi is a form of exercise that originated in China and has become extremely popular throughout the world,” said Maria Goosen, a certified therapeutic recreational specialist (CTRS) who led the tai chi class. “It incorporates slow, simple, repetitive and low-impact movements that can be easily modified so that anyone can participate.”

A tranquil environment

Maria Goosen, CTRS, leads a Tai Chi class (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

The small exercise class took place in a room that featured a screen portraying peaceful nature scenes, low lighting, and soft music.

“Tai chi is often referred to as ‘meditation in motion’ because it focuses on your breath as well which helps to clear your mind,” said Goosen. “This allows for a multitude of emotional benefits such as decreased stress, anxiety and depression and enhanced well-being.”

Slow stretches gradually progressed into a sequence of tai chi movements that participants were able to complete sitting or standing, whichever was most comfortable to them.

Goosen says the benefits of tai chi are lengthy: improved balance, improved strength, improved hand-eye coordination, improved sleep quality, increased blood circulation and decreased risk of high blood pressure.

“It is a research-based intervention that has the capability to improve health in older adults,” said Goosen.

That is critically important to Care Resources, a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE®, which is funded by Medicare and Medicaid. The innovative community-based program for people 55 years and older promotes healthy and independent living while working to prevent nursing home placement.

The tai chi class is one of dozens of programs offered each month to participants.

Seniors warm up their muscles before a Tai Chi class at Care Resources (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Goosen helped physically guide participants’ movements if asked, but urged them not to do any tai chi moves that would cause pain. “Listen to what your body is telling you,” said Goosen.

The tranquil atmosphere of the class was sporadically broken by soft laughter over participants’ self-proclaimed “creaking bones” and lack of coordination.

“Your bodies appreciate when you move them,” Goosen told the participants. “Be thankful and grateful for all that your body does.”

Bingo…and good friends

Pamela Miller, a tai chi class participant, has been coming to Care Resources five days a week for the past four years.

“I’ve got a lot of pluses about this place,” said Miller with a firm nod when asked if she enjoyed coming to the Day Center.

Playing Bingo, singing with “Diane the Shower Lady,” shopping in the Bingo Room, spending time with friends, and singing karaoke are only a few things Miller enjoys while at the Day Center.

Pamela Miller, a regular at the Care Resources day center, has made close friends during her visits (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

And Miller’s definition of enjoyment is simple: “All I want is a good card to play Bingo.”

Miller has also forged lasting relationships and good friends at the Day Center, one being a gentleman who recently passed away.

Miller and her friend sat beside each other for years, looked out for each other, and went to events together before he died. Miller was thankful that her friend’s wife contacted Miller so she could go to his room and say goodbye before he passed.

“I know I’m not the only one who misses him,” said Miller.

Another good friend loves to paint, and Miller enjoys watching her create works of art.

Comfort and encouragement

Also very important to Miller is talking to the military veterans who come to the Day Center and offering comfort when she can.

“I’m there for them,” said Miller. “I see how they suffer. And they have suffered a lot.”

When asked what Miller’s favorite thing to do is at the Day Center, she answered without hesitation: “Encourage other people.”

Care Resources offers a day center, clinic and pharmacy in its 36,000-square-foot building at 4150 Kalamazoo Ave SE that provide a wide range of health care services as well as opportunities that promote socialization, build community and offer respite to caregivers.