Merrily’s Items of Interest

Time to talk home care if you are in the continuum

,

Finally…Home Care Has a Seat at the Table

It seems like just a blink of an eye ago, but 1981 – the year I officially stepped into the home care arena with my own in-home care agency – was truly, technologically speaking, a lifetime ago. Although it’s incredible to realize, since 1981, we’ve lived through the invention of IBM’s very first PC, soft bifocal contact lenses, Cabbage Patch Kids, DNA fingerprinting, disposable cameras, and Prozac. And that’s just in the 1980s alone.

And through all of that, I’ve watched, waited for and witnessed firsthand the emerging acceptance and appreciation for what many of us in this industry have realized all along:

  • Home care is of great value in the care continuum.
  • Care navigation/care management leads to better outcomes.

Most recently, at the 3-day Post Acute LINK conference, these points were reiterated again and again, from payors, physicians, and everyone in between. With over 400 attendees, mostly the largest providers of healthcare at home and associated industry services vendors, it was an incredibly well-executed event. If you missed it (and I hope you didn’t!), here are some of the main takeaways for savvy home health and home care agency owners to keep in mind:

  • Use creative partnering and collaboration to be able to provide both specialized and a broader range of services to consumers.
  • Offer a variety of payment options.
  • Ensure the highest quality of care, striving to be the top provider in your market.
  • Be open to changes inherent to cultural shifts.
  • Capture, track, and make adjustments based upon data.

Lincoln Healthcare’s President, David Ellis, who facilitates HomeCare 100 and LINK conferences, shared his prediction that, not surprisingly, the need for home care will continue to escalate, and that most health systems will under-compete in value-based care.

I heard, for the first time, physicians and payors discuss the role of ADLs and IADLs in determining risk and not just disease states. I actually heard the words “social model” used when discussing the best ways to follow up and follow through post-acute.

It’s heartening to know that the benefits of professional in-home care, allowing frail elders to safely age in place where they’re most comfortable, is finally beginning to get the recognition and understanding it so deserves. And I tip my hat to those of you who continue to sacrifice so much to make it a reality for the older adults you serve. The industry is on the brink of exponential growth. Are you ready?

 

Think of green as go, yellow as go in a minute and red as a challenge!

Chasing Success

How do you define success? When a group of 5- to 16-year-olds were asked that very question, their answers ranged from being good at karate to being Justin Bieber. Meanwhile, a poll of the elderly (with a mean age of 80) viewed self-acceptance and self-contentment as evidence of success.

And for those of us who fall somewhere in between, wrestling with defining (and achieving) success, there’s plenty of wisdom still to be gleaned from Sam Walton’s 10 Rules for Success:

Rule #1: Commit to your business. Believe in it more than anything else. If you love your work, you’ll be out there every day trying to do the best you can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you – like a fever.

Rule #2: Share your profits with all your associates, and treat them as partners. In turn, they will treat you as a partner, and together you will all perform beyond your wildest expectations.

Rule #3: Motivate your partners. Money and ownership aren’t enough. Set high goals, encourage competition and then keep score. Make bets with outrageous payoffs.

Rule #4: Communicate everything you possibly can to your partners. The more they know, the more they’ll understand. The more they understand, the more they’ll care. Once they care, there’s no stopping them. Information is power, and the gain you get from empowering your associates more than offsets the risk of informing your competitors.

Rule #5: Appreciate everything your associates do for the business. Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They’re absolutely free and worth a fortune.

And my personal favorite:

Rule #10 
Swim upstream. Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom. If everybody is doing it one way, there’s a good chance you can find your niche by going exactly in the opposite direction.

I encourage you to read through his full list, available here, and can tell you from personal experience, building others up to be successful, happy, and fulfilled – whether your employees, spouse, children, grandchildren, or any of the others who are part of your circle of influence – can’t help but pave the way towards your own success. Karate mastership is optional.

Life is a reflection of you

Learn Through Living and Loving

Try this: Succinctly describe (without Googling it!) the linear pair theorem. Or, to the nearest mile, list the circumference, radius, and volume of the moon. Stumped? And yet at one time, committing facts such as these to memory was of paramount importance, keeping us up into the wee hours of the morning as we studied and studied and studied some more for final exams.

As a septuagenarian, I’ve certainly learned my share of lessons, and I don’t need to tell you that the ones that stick are the experiential ones. How far different it is to study the effects of wasp serum to humans compared to stepping, barefooted, into a nest of them!

And in between those two extremes, I’m discovering the joy in providing anecdotal education to my grandchildren, who can’t imagine the Internet-less, microwave-less, smartphone-less world I somehow muddled through for so many years. How on earth did we ever survive without instant everything?

Along those lines, I thought I’d share some of the top life lessons learned according to Regina Brett, now in her 90s. See if you agree:

  1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
  2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
  3. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
  4. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
  5. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
  6. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
  7. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
  8. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
  9. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

And perhaps my favorite:

  1. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

You can find Regina’s whole list of 50 lessons here. Or think back on the life lessons that have most impacted you, and create your own list. It’s never too late to learn something new – and to pass it on.

Remember when?

Memory Test for Those Born Before 1955

 

How about some fun for this Friday? And, a memory test for those of you who were born before 1955.

Enjoy!

  1. What builds strong bodies 12 ways?

 

  1. Flintstones vitamins
  2. The Buttmaster
  3. Spaghetti
  4. Wonder Bread
  5. Orange Juice
  6. Milk
  7. Cod Liver Oil

 

  1. Before he was Muhammed Ali, he was…

 

  1. Sugar Ray Robinson
  2. Roy Orbison
  3. Gene Autry
  4. Rudolph Valentino
  5. Fabian
  6. Mickey Mantle
  7. Cassius Clay

 

  1. Pogo, the comic strip character said, ‘We have met the enemy and…

 

  1. It’s you
  2. He is us
  3. It’s the Grinch
  4. He wasn’t home
  5. He’s really me an
  6. We quit
  7. He surrendered

 

  1. Good night David.

 

  1. Good night Chet
  2. Sleep well
  3. Good night Irene
  4. Good night Gracie
  5. See you later alligator
  6. Until tomorrow
  7. Good night Steve

 

  1. You’ll wonder where the yellow went…

 

  1. When you use Tide
  2. When you lose your crayons
  3. When you clean your tub
  4. If you paint the room blue
  5. If you buy a soft water tank
  6. When you use Lady Clairol
  7. When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent

 

6.. Before he was the Skipper’s Little Buddy, Bob Denver was Dobie’s friend….

 

  1. Stuart Whitman
  2. Randolph Scott
  3. Steve Reeves
  4. Maynard G. Krebbs
  5. Corky B. Dork
  6. Dave the Whale
  7. Zippy Zoo

 

  1. Liar, liar…

 

  1. You’re a liar
  2. Your nose is growing
  3. Pants on fire
  4. Join the choir
  5. Jump up higher
  6. On the wire
  7. I’m telling Mom

 

  1. Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Superman fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and…

 

  1. Wheaties
  2. Lois Lane
  3. TV ratings
  4. World peace
  5. Red tights
  6. The American way
  7. News headlines

 

  1. Hey kids! What time is it?

 

  1. It’s time for Yogi Bear
  2. It’s time to do your homework
  3. It’s Howdy Doody Time
  4. It’s Time for Romper Room
  5. It’s bedtime
  6. The Mighty Mouse Hour
  7. Scoopy Doo Time

 

  1. Lions and tigers and bears…

 

  1. Yikes

B.. Oh no

  1. Gee whiz
  2. I’m scared
  3. Oh my
  4. Help! Help!
  5. Let’s run

 

  1. Bob Dylan advised us never to trust anyone…

 

  1. Over 40
  2. Wearing a uniform
  3. Carrying a briefcase
  4. Over 30
  5. You don’t know
  6. Who says, ‘Trust me’
  7. Who eats tofu

 

  1. NFL quarterback who appeared in a television commercial wearing women’s stockings…

 

  1. Troy Aikman
  2. Kenny Stabler
  3. Joe Namath
  4. Roger Staubach
  5. Joe Montana
  6. Steve Young
  7. John Elway

 

  1. Brylcream…
  2. Smear it on
  3. You’ll smell great
  4. Tame that cowlick
  5. Grease ball heaven
  6. It’s a dream
  7. We’re your team
  8. A little dab’ll do ya

 

  1. I found my thrill…

 

  1. In Blueberry muffins
  2. With my man, Bill
  3. Down at the mill
  4. Over the windowsill
  5. With thyme and dill
  6. Too late to enjoy
  7. On Blueberry Hill

 

  1. Before Robin Williams, Peter Pan was played by…

 

  1. Clark Gable
  2. Mary Martin
  3. Doris Day
  4. Errol Flynn
  5. Sally Fields
  6. Jim Carey
  7. Jay Leno

 

  1. Name the Beatles…

 

  1. John, Steve, George, Ringo
  2. John, Paul, George, Roscoe
  3. John, Paul, Stacey, Ringo
  4. Jay, Paul, George, Ringo
  5. Lewis, Peter, George, Ringo
  6. Jason, Betty, Skipper, Hazel
  7. John, Paul, George, Ringo

 

  1. I wonder, wonder, who..

 

  1. Who ate the leftovers?
  2. Who did the laundry?
  3. Was it you?
  4. Who wrote the book of love?
  5. Who I am?
  6. Passed the test?
  7. Knocked on the door?

 

  1. I’m strong to the finish…

 

  1. Cause I eats my broccoli
  2. Cause I eats me spinach
  3. Cause I lift weights
  4. Cause I’m the hero
  5. And don’t you forget it
  6. Cause Olive Oyl loves me
  7. To outlast Bruto

 

  1. When it’s least expected, you’re elected, you’re the star today…

 

  1. Smile, you’re on Candid Camera
  2. Smile, you’re on Star Search
  3. Smile, you won the lottery
  4. Smile, we’re watching you
  5. Smile, the world sees you
  6. Smile, you’re a hit
  7. Smile, you’re on TV

 

  1. What do M & M’s do?

 

  1. Make your tummy happy
  2. Melt in your mouth, not in your pocket
  3. Make you fat
  4. Melt your heart
  5. Make you popular
  6. Melt in your mouth, not in your hand
  7. Come in colors

###################################################
Below are the right answers:

 

  1. D – Wonder Bread
  2. G – Cassius Clay
  3. B – He Is Us
  4. A – Good night, Chet
  5. G – When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
  6. D – Maynard G. Krebbs
  7. C – Pants On Fire
  8. F – The American Way
  9. C – It’s Howdy Doody Time
  10. E – Oh My
  11. D – Over 30
  12. C – Joe Namath
  13. G – A little dab’ll do ya
  14. G – On Blueberry Hill
  15. B – Mary Martin
  16. G – John, Paul, George, Ringo
  17. D – Who wrote the book of Love
  18. B – Cause I eats me spinach
  19. A – Smile, you’re on Candid Camera
  20. F – Melt In Your Mouth Not In Your Hand

 

Find a happy path for strolling along the avenue of aging.

Strolling (Not Alone) Down the Avenue of Aging

We all know that it takes a village to raise a child, and as it turns out, the village concept carries over really well into aging. We know that isolation has an enormous impact on the emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing of older adults, with the potential for such serious consequences as depression and an earlier demise. Conversely, remaining social into our elder years reaps rewards such as reduced levels of stress and anxiety, enhanced feelings of usefulness and purpose, and even improved cognitive ability.

And while home care affords a wonderful opportunity for frail seniors to stay somewhat social, what about those of us who are technically “over the hill” but not yet in need of help with ambulation, meals, and med reminders?

Enter villages – just one of a growing number of trends in connecting likeminded seniors with social resources and opportunities; an adult version of playdates, if you will. Seniors craving friendships are able to meet and enjoy activities with others – traveling, biking, wine tasting – the sky’s the limit, really. The village environment fills the gaping social void that’s often so painfully apparent once naturally-occurring social opportunities such as from work, church or school settings are no longer a part of everyday life.

One particular model, NextGen2.0, is especially interesting to me. The program requires its members to be active participants in thinking and planning for the social and recreational avenues they wish to pursue, and to make that a priority in life. And, as members age, a safety net is already in place to cover additional needs as they develop.

To find a village in your area, check out the Village to Village Network (vtvnetwork.org). Or, learn how to start your own! Whatever you do, maintain, strengthen, and treasure those precious connections to others.

“In nature we never see anything isolated, but everything in connection with something else which is before it, beside it, under it and over it.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

«‹ 3 4 5 6 7 ›»