Helping Seniors Live Their Best Lives

When you give in life, you receive; working in senior living is among the most rewarding careers. Those who choose to serve others in general and especially in senior living deserve mountains of gratitude!

Choosing Senior Living

Television shows, movies, and advertising place a high value on youth, and aging is portrayed as difficult and often unglamorous. Turn on any television channel or open any website, and you may find an ad for a magic potion to treat or delay the effects of aging, along with a heap of supplements promising to keep you feeling young.

Because aging isn’t celebrated as it should be, not everyone chooses to work in senior living. No matter how rewarding, this field isn’t appealing to everyone. Those who decide to work in senior living are here because they want to be. If you have prior experience and skills in caregiving, serving or cooking meals, cleaning or doing laundry, office-related work, or healthcare positions, you could work anywhere from resorts to spas where people come and go each day.

When someone remains in a job long-term in senior living, it has much to do with wanting the best for the residents. You get to know them and their families and develop connections.

 

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If days get tough, you get to be a listening ear and a source of comfort to residents. You get to be an advocate for their happiness. When you choose a career in senior living, you get to be part of the residents’ stories and help guide them through a new, sometimes difficult chapter of their lives.

Improving Life Satisfaction

If residents can’t do what they’d like due to health or abilities, it can impact their overall quality of life, including how they interact with one another and staff. It can cause feelings of depression and frustration. Offering the right healthcare support where residents call home, such as access to primary care services (Pioneer Family Medicine and Legacy Medical) or home health and hospice services (All Care, CaringEdge, and OneSource), can help residents feel better AND create a more friendly environment to live and work in.

From One of Our Own:

Edgewood Regional Sales and Public Relations Director, Cami Dohman, found a career at Edgewood after she explored the Spearfish community for her own father.

“After my mom passed away, it became clear to my family that my dad needed more help. He just wasn’t safe living at home on his own. I didn’t know anything about assisted living. I felt lost. We made several appointments for tours but fell in love with Edgewood Spearfish. It felt like home. Although my dad was hesitant to make this move, he trusted us and agreed to the move. He knew several of the residents and rekindled old friendships. I knew we had made the right choice when I discovered him playing cards with a group of ladies next to the fireplace one evening. I took pictures of them and sent them to all of my siblings. I cried on the way home because I was so happy that he was enjoying his life again.”

Cami added, “A few years later, the sales director position was posted for Edgewood Spearfish, and I decided to apply. I wanted to help other families navigate the world of assisted living and thought I could offer them guidance for their journeys with their loved ones. It was the best decision I ever made. I love helping seniors find their new homes.”

Every job comes with a list of benefits. However, nothing compares to the feeling of helping someone live a meaningful, healthy chapter of life that they enjoy. Are you ready to make a positive difference in the lives of seniors? Check out our open jobs by clicking here. If you’d like to tour an Edgewood community near you, please visit our website or email us at info@edgewoodhealthcare.com.

 

Spend Grandparents Day Making Happy Memories

The summer has gone faster than the blink of an eye, and Grandparents Day is almost here. If you haven’t made plans yet, now’s the time!

Connecting with the generations above us can teach us a lot. A great first step to making the most of any visit is offering your full attention without distractions.

If you have to use your phone while you’re together, bring it to show your loved ones all your latest pictures to bring them up to speed on everything you’ve been up to lately. Sharing your photos and stories could spark fun memories they’ll share with you, too!

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If you’d like to get to know a little more about your grandparents or older relatives, choose some items from the list of questions below.

Conversation Starters:

There are so many creative questions that could be added to this list. There’s even a game-like version available on Amazon: The Life Story Interview Kit comes in a convenient, easy-to-manage box that can be toted anywhere for visits, holidays, or to break the monotony of long car rides.

Celebrating Grandparents Day is all about family and togetherness. If you have small children, bring them to see their grandparents. Encourage older children to make the time to visit their grandparents as well to keep the holiday alive!

Celebration Ideas for Grandparents Day:

If your grandparents reside in a senior living community, visit them. Chances are there’s a celebration event planned. Call ahead and get the scoop before you visit. Most importantly, be sure to acknowledge Grandparents Day and make your loved ones feel special and honored that you took the time.

If you enjoy spending time with seniors and helping improve their days, consider a career at Edgewood! You’ll get to spend time with folks who feel just like your grandparents every day. You get to know them and their families and enjoy the best stories! Check out our open positions here.

The Right Diagnosis Means the World!

Sales and Public Relations Director at Edgewood in Minot, Shannon Conroy, has helped seniors and their families find peace of mind through senior living services for 25 years. Recently, Shannon faced an eye-opening experience with her own father, Don, which deepened her understanding of the importance of healthcare advocacy.

By sharing her family’s journey, Shannon hopes to inspire others to become strong advocates for their loved ones’ healthcare, regardless of age. Her story highlights the importance of speaking up to ensure the best care and support for those we hold dear.

 

Shannon & Don’s Story

Shannon’s father, Don,  is age 86 and lives at Edgewood in Minot. Before that, he’d lived independently in Arizona. When his health declined, he opted to move closer to his family in North Dakota. By moving, he could have support to maintain his independence.

After a series of falls, significant cognitive changes, and a trip to the ER, Don was diagnosed with a concussion and dementia. However, his symptoms and their quick onset from October 2023 to April 2024 didn’t feel quite right based on Shannon’s previous experience working with those who have dementia.

Shannon felt like her dad’s symptoms came on very quickly. Just last year, he was living independently, and not long before that, he led a very active lifestyle, playing pickleball, golfing, and throwing horseshoes.

Continued Outreach & Advocacy

Shannon and her siblings asked healthcare providers for their dad to have further testing and see a neurologist to obtain an accurate diagnosis once his symptoms escalated. Thank goodness that they did! A CT scan revealed that Don had fluid around his brain. Shannon, her dad, and her siblings consulted with a helpful neurologist, who ordered an MRI to learn more, which led to a spinal tap to drain the fluid.

From there, Don ended up having a shunt placed to drain the fluid from his brain. His diagnosis went from what they thought could be irreversible dementia to Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus or NPH.

Since recovering from his procedure, Don has returned to his old self. He’s living independently at Edgewood Assisted Living in Minot. Shannon shared that he’s gone from being unable to respond in an almost catatonic-like state to socializing and managing his own financial affairs!

Don and his family are unbelievably grateful that he had the proper testing and that the treatment worked to give him his life back. They want more families to know about NPH and the importance of an accurate and timely diagnosis. Shannon explained that finding the root cause matters. Even if the result is a grim prognosis, knowing the cause directs families to find the proper support and treatment plan. She said, “No matter their age, they deserve a good quality of life.”

 

What is Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus/NPH?

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, NPH is a brain disorder that causes excess cerebrospinal fluid to build up inside the brain’s ventricles. The excess fluid presses on the brain’s tissues and causes symptoms like urinary incontinence, memory loss, and difficulty walking.

Unfortunately, those symptoms can be misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, which are irreversible forms of dementia. NPH can also occur along with these forms of dementia, further complicating diagnosis and treatment.

 

About NPH

Diagnosing NPH

 

Tips for Navigating the Doctor’s Office

Remembering what to share during a doctor’s visit can be difficult. Bring notes with you to help support conversations! They could be the missing link to learning the root cause of symptoms and the timeline.

It is important to see the doctor sooner rather than later. Because neurological conditions may have a slower onset, it can be difficult to pinpoint which symptoms started when.

Just like bringing notes, asking the doctor questions is also acceptable. A patient’s age should never prevent them from receiving quality medical care, testing, and an accurate diagnosis. Shannon advised, “Trust your gut and get a second opinion if you need one.”

Although cures may not be available for every disease, quality of life is still possible with the right plan of care. Shannon and her family are incredibly thankful for Don’s neurology team in what feels like a second chance at life for their dad. “I wake up every day feeling like a kid at Christmas,” Shannon remarked.

If you’re looking for services like memory care support or a senior living community with healthcare providers on-site, contact us at info@edgewoodhealthcare.com.

 

Honoring the Longest Day 2024

 

Summer sunshine brings us warmth, patio chairs, lake days, golf, picnics, and fond memories. One of the more memorable days is on the summer solstice, The Longest Day, which will be June 20th this year. It’s the day that provides the most sunlight of the entire year and also a day to raise awareness and funds in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

 

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Alzheimer’s Awareness

Across the globe, there are 55 million people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Many people do not know that Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia and that it’s the most common form. Other examples of dementias include Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Lewy Body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, dementia is an umbrella term that describes a group of symptoms. The most common symptom widely known is memory loss. Those with dementia can also suffer from increasing confusion, difficulty problem-solving or doing routine tasks, misplacing things, difficulty speaking, mood changes, and withdrawal from social settings.

Navigating Alzheimer’s disease is a different process for each person who is diagnosed. Even families with a solid amount of education about the disease can find themselves in denial that their loved one truly has the diagnosis.

Fully understanding the array of challenges that can arise is important so that you can support your loved one safely. An excellent resource for understanding this issue is the Alzheimer’s Association website: https://www.alz.org/. It contains a wide array of helpful information and a 24-hour helpline, 1-800.272.3900, to offer advice and resources to those in need.

While the Alzheimer’s Association is an excellent source of information, it relies on fundraising to help others. It educates families on Alzheimer’s, symptom management, and services available to offer comfort and safety. The association also funds research in the hope that there will be a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

Celebrating the Longest Day

Staying active and healthy may help prevent a number of health issues, including Alzheimer’s disease. On the Longest Day, you may see many physical events. Consider joining an event such as a walk, golf tournament, pickleball game, or tennis match.

The Longest Day events are a great way to raise awareness and funds and meet others impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. Visit the Alzheimer’s website to find events near you, or consider hosting your own.

In previous years, Edgewood has hosted outdoor yoga classes, music, car washes, raffles, bake sales, car shows, and card games. If you’ve lost a loved one to the disease, consider doing their favorite activity to honor their memory with something they enjoyed.

If you’re a golfer, there’s still time to RSVP to join Edgewood Healthcare in Grand Forks at the King’s Walk Golf Course on Tuesday, June 18, as we hold our annual golf tournament to support the Alzheimer’s Association. Registration begins at 10:30 with an 11:30 am start. You can expect prizes, raffles, and a light lunch on the course, and be sure to join us for awards, dinner, and live music as we enjoy every bit of daylight!

To learn how Edgewood Healthcare can support those with Alzheimer’s disease, please visit our website or email us at info@edgewoodhealthcare.com

8 Ways to Celebrate Mom

Mother’s Day is fast approaching. Have you made plans yet? If not, here’s your reminder to make those reservations right now for her favorite restaurant or arrange to cook her favorite meal!

Perhaps you are late to the party to get a Mother’s Day gift? Have you decided what to buy?

If your mom is like most, she already has almost everything she needs. In that case, get her what she wants! Don’t have any idea what that is? Don’t sweat it—we’ve got a few ideas to keep you covered.

 

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The Earth laughs in flowers. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

1. Visit Your Local Greenhouse:

Buy Mom a basket of her favorite flowers. With the temperatures acting like a fool this year, buying these too early is not always ideal anyway. Picking up flowers as late as possible is better unless they run out! If that’s the case, or she’d rather choose them herself, grab a gift card and take Mom there.

 

2. Get Some Grub:

A reservation at mom’s favorite restaurant can be a great way to celebrate her day. If she prefers something more casual or circumstances aren’t the best for enjoying a restaurant, offer to make her favorite meal at your home and come over to enjoy the day.

Holidays and occasions like Mother’s Day are always tricky for those who have moms or family members at memory care. Don’t be afraid to call the memory care community and ask if there’s space to celebrate with your loved ones as a family. This can reduce anxiety for all involved and still make the occasion memorable.

 

3. Go to the Movies:

Find a screening of a matinee that Mom will love, and bring your wallet to enjoy everything when you get there! If she prefers a more comfortable space than a movie theater, or she would enjoy a more private setting, make a movie date at your home. Invite family, visit, and enjoy goodies while you pop on Mom’s favorite movie.

 

4. Buy a Gift Card for an Activity or Experience:

Aim for an activity you can do together, like visiting a local botanical garden, museum, zoo (bring those grandbabies, too), or boutique. By offering to take Mom to where you purchased the card later, you’re giving her another occasion to celebrate!

Not everyone can make the celebration happen on Mother’s Day with work schedules and family obligations. Sometimes honoring her ahead of time if you know you can’t celebrate on the day works better. There may even be fewer crowds, too. If you had plans to take her to her favorite restaurant, and it was booked out, pick up a gift card to visit it on another day when it’s not packed to the gills with families.

 

5. Blood, Sweat, & Tears:

Probably not the concert unless that’s her thing… In seriousness, bake her favorite dessert, cook her favorite meal, or offer to help her with something she needs to do.

Consider crafting a neatly decorated coupon (or asking your creative friends to make you one) that gives her one full day of her choice with some help in whatever chore she chooses.

 

6. Music:

Buy Mom tickets to a concert. Summer is coming, and there will be outdoor music galore. If she’s not one to cut a rug in a crowd, that’s okay, too. Bring the music to her.

There are a number of great soundtracks available by whichever means mom will use them the most, be it a CD or listening app. Go old-school, create a playlist of all her favorite songs, and get her some comfy earbuds to enjoy the experience.

 

7. The Gift of Time:

The most important thing you can do is take the time for Mom. Whether she’s living independently or in a senior living community, it will be a blessing for her to see you and your family. Visits are truly meaningful gifts, even if you bring nothing but a hug!

 

8. Celebrate with a combination of ALL of the ideas above!

Nothing is over the top when it comes to honoring our moms! No matter how you celebrate Mom this Mother’s Day, just be sure you do. Make memories and enjoy the time you have. To all the moms out there, Happy Mother’s Day!!