Making the decision to place a loved one into long-term care can be difficult for families. It wasn’t too long after Maria’s husband had fallen outside of their home did she realize it was time to discuss his long-term care plans with the family.
Maria’s family found it difficult to come to agreement on the details, and the children felt guilty about placing their father into an “institution,” causing them to prolong the decision. As an alternative, the children agreed to share the responsibility of caring for him. Yet, the demands of care giving were stressful on those who balanced a full-time job and their own families. The children felt burnt out and decided they could no longer accommodate the responsibilities of care giving.
So, when is the right time to place a loved one? Typically, a physician or facility will make a recommendation for placement if the individual has medical needs and requires 24-hour care.
One of the newest long-term care programs started by the Department of Human Services (DHS) is the Community Care Foster Family Home Program. Homes throughout our community are licensed by the DHS to operate as Adult Foster Homes that provide residents with 24-7 medical care and supervision by certified caregivers. Each home is required to work alongside a licensed case management agency that provides residents with care coordination and face-to-face contact by a registered nurse or licensed social worker. For more information about the Adult Foster Care Program, please visit http://humanservices.hawaii.gov/ssd/home/adult-services.
Nightingale Case Management, Inc. has been a part of the CCFFH Program for over 12 years. For a free assessment and consultation, please contact: (808) 484-2205, nightingalecmi@hotmail.com, or visit www.nightingalecmi.com
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