Are you sure you want to exit? Your progress will be lost.
Who are you caring for?
Which best describes their mobility?
How well are they maintaining their hygiene?
How are they managing their medications?
Does their living environment pose any safety concerns?
Fall risks, spoiled food, or other threats to wellbeing
Are they experiencing any memory loss?
Which best describes your loved one's social life?
Acknowledgment of Disclosures and Authorization
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
✔
I acknowledge and authorize
✔
I consent to the collection of my consumer health data.*
✔
I consent to the sharing of my consumer health data with qualified home care agencies.*
*If I am consenting on behalf of someone else, I have the proper authorization to do so. By clicking Get My Results, you agree to our Privacy Policy. You also consent to receive calls and texts, which may be autodialed, from us and our customer communities. Your consent is not a condition to using our service. Please visit our Terms of Use. for information about our privacy practices.
Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
Remember, this assessment is not a substitute for professional advice.
Share a few details and we will match you to trusted home care in your area:
I'm still concerned about her safety should an emergency arise. And, she will decline more too, so you may begin to look at other living arrangements. I have not been prepared for each of Dad's big declines, and often find myself catching up with the latest problems.
Balance bars were costly but I did find the Superpole intriguing. I'm gonna search that out if I can get her to agree. So often I work at problem solving issues for her and she won't follow thru ie: for taking meds on time ...buying her an med alarm watch, set the watch, put it on her wrist and return to find she has taken it off and has gotten off her med schedule again :( She is a challenge. I prayed to the Lord for patience and He gave me my sister! LOL Thank you to all that gave suggestions!
We used a Superpole in the bathroom, it is a pole that is anchored between the floor and ceiling joists so you don't need to hire a carpenter and it can be moved if necessary. The pole can be used on it's own but we purchased one with an adjustable arm (which I think might be what you need), they also have one with a trapeze bar. Try google to find a supplier, or search for bed assist rails for more ideas.
Sister is 70, disability not available., financially does not qualify for help, you have to be in extreme poverty to qualify, lower-middle class can get no assistance. She is pretty independant in the house IF she could get out of her chair!
Is she on Disability? Would she qualify for Medicaid? It is disgraceful that in the US health care is determined by what you can afford. Healthcare for profit stinks. But as that is the way it is, she should take advantage of any financial help she may be eligible for.
And please do not feel guilty that you can't spend every day with her. You have a life, too.
I wonder if an adult day health program might be a good option for her some days. Medicaid covers that, and some programs have sliding scales or scholarsips for those not on Medicaid. It would provide interaction with other adults and a change of scenery. Plus safety for her mobility issues.
A lot of ideas and questions...thank you. she has PD so she has times "on" and "off". Times she can get up and times she can't She wants a day care worker but can not afford services, they are soooo expensive. A stationary anchored bar sounds interesting but it would have to be off to the side so the recliner would work. After she is up, she can walk. It's very frustrating. She wants me with her every day and it's not possible.
With my husband’s lift chair, we put a larger size bath rug, with rubber backing down and his walker in front of him. I always made sure he had shoes on and not stockinged feet. You might even want to ask someone from where you purchased it or have your doctor prescribe the services of a health Care aide twice a week to work with her to get her unafraid.
I think that at a certain point, a lift chair is just not enough. Then it's time for live in-person help. My dad (with PD) passed the point of using his lift chair earlier this year.
While my son was recovering from a serious accident he had a Hospital Bed Trapeze device to transfer himself out of bed, onto a sliding board, and into his wheelchair. I don't know if similar devices are available for chairs, but if Sister has enough arm strength that might be an option.
Have you contacted the local American Parkinson Disease Association chapter, and discussed this issue with them?
Once your sister is out of the chair, can she get around OK? Does she use assistive devices for walking? Does she have an alert system to report falls?
As several have mentioned, some solutions might be expensive. But she is going to have PD the rest of her life. An investment in her self-sufficiency may be well worthwhile.
If an emergency arose and she had to leave the house, would she try using the lift chair? Could she crawl to a door and pull herself up if necessary? It is kind of scary to think of her on her own all day, but it is equally dreadful to think about her giving up her independence.
Instead of sitting in this chair, what if she spent the time in a comfortable electronic wheelchair? If she could drive that into the bathroom, for example, and use installed grab bars to lift herself out, would that be a good option?
You are a thoughtful sister to be looking for solutions for her! If you come up with some that work well, come back and tell us about them -- we learn from each other!
Here is a link for a self hoyer lift https://www.rehabmart.com/product/independent-lifter-45361.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhMCY9O_h1wIVhYp-Ch1eRAUsEAYYCSABEgJjtvD_BwE
Not only can her feet slip, but if her leg strength is weak, her knees may give way. There are various types of DME called 'stand aids.' Most are for use by a caregiver, but some are not. None are inexpensive.
Sunny's post reminded me of another possible solution - bars, similar to balance bars, on either side of the chair. Again, they'd have to be solidly anchored, and the chair would have to be narrow enough that she could comfortably reach bars on both sides.
If it's only the height of the chair, I'd work on that. Like, can she rise up on her own, if the chair height is high? My LO had trouble and so her chairs were just up high. She had an adjustable recliner that was set high up and she never moved it. She had a booster on the toilet so it was high. Her bed was high too. So, she had no reason to be down low, HOWEVER, if she were to fall, she may not be able to get up. That happened with my LO a couple of times. When the mobility is very limited, it's just so risky to not have a person under the same roof.
My first thought as well was what might happen during an emergency.
The only suggestion I have is a more complex one, similar to arrangements I've seen in rehab and in some hospital rooms. It's a trapeze device, anchored in the ceiling studs, and can be pulled down to hold onto, but retracts when released.
It's been quite a while since I've seen one, but I also vaguely recall using it for arm exercises. I also saw patients holding it while easing toward the edge of the bed and getting out. What I don't recall was whether or not someone needed to be present to guide the bar to the individual in bed.
It would have to be positioned low enough for her to grab when she's sitting, so that might be an issue b/c it probably wouldn't retract much higher and could be in her way when she gets up again.
And it would have to be installed by a carpenter to ensure it's properly anchored in the studs.
I suspect it would be more costly as well.
Recently I wanted to contact companies that did retrofitting for assistive devices. The Alzheimer's Assn. was kind enough to send me a list of companies. The Area Agency on Aging might have some as well.
While not necessarily providing assistance only for a lift bar, they may have other suggestions.
I've seen the poles as well (like stripper poles), anchored both in the ceiling and the floor, but there's really not as much stability in grabbing onto a pole and pulling oneself up.
I agree. With such a struggle with getting up, what would she do in case of fire? I think her fear of standing unaided is valid. I'd take heed. It may be that she needs assistance around the clock. I'd hate to see her get a fall and injury.
So if you can't run over to help your sister at the drop of a hat, what happens? How does she get around during the day? I am hoping she has some kind of in home care, she shouldn't be left alone at all!
Those lift chairs are great for some people, and the idea of placing the walker in front is great--but that will not work for everyone and the fear of falling for PD patients is overwhelming....she needs to work with an OT to figure out how to work this out.
thank you for those replies. my sister is alone all day. I live 4 miles away. she calls me to come over and help her stand and I can't always go then. the walker in front of the chair sounds good but she needs to be "pulled up" to stand. the life chair fits her well, it is the third one she's had. she is afraid of sliding out of the chair and yes she has slid out before.
I've got to say that mom's old home care aide had a lot of stories about falls and near falls from lift chairs, they're not always the solution for everyone. Has she had any PT to help her stand unaided?
Gain, my Dad had a lift chair, the best thing since sliced bread in his opinion. What Dad did was put his walker in front of the chair so he had something to grab onto while the chair was lifting. That seemed to work for him.
Lift chairs come in different sizes, so having the correct size is better. My Dad was short, so he had a shorter lift chair, which he rented... kinda like a test drive before purchasing.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
She is a challenge. I prayed to the Lord for patience and He gave me my sister! LOL
Thank you to all that gave suggestions!
And please do not feel guilty that you can't spend every day with her. You have a life, too.
I wonder if an adult day health program might be a good option for her some days. Medicaid covers that, and some programs have sliding scales or scholarsips for those not on Medicaid. It would provide interaction with other adults and a change of scenery. Plus safety for her mobility issues.
Have you contacted the local American Parkinson Disease Association chapter, and discussed this issue with them?
Once your sister is out of the chair, can she get around OK? Does she use assistive devices for walking? Does she have an alert system to report falls?
As several have mentioned, some solutions might be expensive. But she is going to have PD the rest of her life. An investment in her self-sufficiency may be well worthwhile.
If an emergency arose and she had to leave the house, would she try using the lift chair? Could she crawl to a door and pull herself up if necessary? It is kind of scary to think of her on her own all day, but it is equally dreadful to think about her giving up her independence.
Instead of sitting in this chair, what if she spent the time in a comfortable electronic wheelchair? If she could drive that into the bathroom, for example, and use installed grab bars to lift herself out, would that be a good option?
You are a thoughtful sister to be looking for solutions for her! If you come up with some that work well, come back and tell us about them -- we learn from each other!
https://www.rehabmart.com/product/independent-lifter-45361.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhMCY9O_h1wIVhYp-Ch1eRAUsEAYYCSABEgJjtvD_BwE
The only suggestion I have is a more complex one, similar to arrangements I've seen in rehab and in some hospital rooms. It's a trapeze device, anchored in the ceiling studs, and can be pulled down to hold onto, but retracts when released.
It's been quite a while since I've seen one, but I also vaguely recall using it for arm exercises. I also saw patients holding it while easing toward the edge of the bed and getting out. What I don't recall was whether or not someone needed to be present to guide the bar to the individual in bed.
It would have to be positioned low enough for her to grab when she's sitting, so that might be an issue b/c it probably wouldn't retract much higher and could be in her way when she gets up again.
And it would have to be installed by a carpenter to ensure it's properly anchored in the studs.
I suspect it would be more costly as well.
Recently I wanted to contact companies that did retrofitting for assistive devices. The Alzheimer's Assn. was kind enough to send me a list of companies. The Area Agency on Aging might have some as well.
While not necessarily providing assistance only for a lift bar, they may have other suggestions.
I've seen the poles as well (like stripper poles), anchored both in the ceiling and the floor, but there's really not as much stability in grabbing onto a pole and pulling oneself up.
So if you can't run over to help your sister at the drop of a hat, what happens? How does she get around during the day? I am hoping she has some kind of in home care, she shouldn't be left alone at all!
Those lift chairs are great for some people, and the idea of placing the walker in front is great--but that will not work for everyone and the fear of falling for PD patients is overwhelming....she needs to work with an OT to figure out how to work this out.
I'm really hoping she doesn't live alone....
Has she had any PT to help her stand unaided?
Lift chairs come in different sizes, so having the correct size is better. My Dad was short, so he had a shorter lift chair, which he rented... kinda like a test drive before purchasing.