The following information has been provide courtesy of A Brand New Day, Full Spectrum Memory Care -
ELDER CARE OPTIONS I REDDING, CALIFORNIA
The Redding, California community offers a wide variety of care options for our
aging parents. This ranges from services provided in the home to long term care
communities where they receive assistance with all of their activities of daily living.
Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s): This term is frequently used by healthcare
professionals to measure the functional status of a person. Consequently, it is
important to understand this term when evaluating which option is best for your
parent.
Individuals may live safely in their home and maintain their independence when they
can manage their instrumental activities of daily living. This includes taking care of
the house, cooking, managing their money, taking medications as prescribed, using
the telephone, and driving or arranging for transportation for shopping, participating
in social activities, going to doctors’ appointments, etc. The person may have certain
physical or cognitive limitations which may require help, so they arrange for a
housekeeper and lawn service on a regular basis and family members step in to
provide transportation and helping with the checkbook to pay bills.
When maintaining a household becomes too difficult: Individuals may hire a
caregiver to come into their home on a part-time or full -time basis to provide
assistance with their ADL’s. This may include basic ADL’s such as personal hygiene
and grooming, cooking, cleaning, medication management, movement (walking,
getting in and out of a chair, shower, bathtub, etc.) Shasta County’s ‘In Home
Support Services’ is where caregivers can be found for low income residents. They
can be reached at (530) 225-5507. There are private agencies who will arrange for
caregiver services. Caregivers are screened with a criminal background check and to
make sure they are drug free. They are trained by the agency. The caregivers are
bonded and the agency takes care of payroll taxes and covers caregivers under the
agency’s worker’s compensation insurance. Unlike the county program, the cost is
considered “private pay” which means that the individual is personally responsible to
pay for the services.
MediCal and Medicare will not pay for a private caregiver. Long term insurance may
cover the cost and the Veteran’s Aid and Attendance Benefits may also be available
to help cover care giving costs. Contact our local Veteran’s office at (530) 225-5616
to find out about getting benefits. Private agencies in our community include Senior
Helpers (530) 223-5939, Home Helpers (530) 226-8530, and Medical Home
Care Professionals (530) 226-5577.
Living Alone at Home: Living alone at home isn’t all that it is cracked up to be
when the individual feels isolated and relies on a single caregiver for their social
support. Golden Umbrella offers day programs where seniors gather for meals and
social interaction. Golden Umbrella can be reached at (530) 223-6034.
Independent Living Communities: (aka Retirement Communities) These
communities offer a great alternative for seniors who can no longer (or prefer not to)
manage household duties. The individual rents an apartment within the community.
They can arrange for cleaning and laundry services and take meals in a common
dining room. Most communities have a full calendar of social events and activities to
choose from. Independent living communities in our area include Shasta Estates
(530) 243-4013, Hilltop Estates (530) 241-4444 and River Oaks Retirement
(530) 221-2121.
Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE): When an elderly individual
cannot take care of their basic activities of daily living due to physical frailties and/or
memory loss assisted living communities become the best option. Assisted living
communities may also be known as retirement homes and board and care homes. All
are Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE) and are licensed and monitored
by the State of California.
Smaller communities are subject to less stringent regulations than those housing 15
individuals or more. The size is usually referred to according to the number of beds
which can range from six (6) beds or less to over one hundred (100) beds and offer
varying levels of personal care and protective supervision.
Look closely at each facility: Because of a wide range of services offered by RCFEs
and the dependence of the elderly for care, it is important to look closely at each
facility to see if it is the right fit. There is a group of assisted living facilities in
Redding that belong to Redding Area Assisted Living Association. This group
provides a list of RCFEs that can find at RAALA.org.
Memory Care Communities: While most communities (facilities) will accept
individuals with dementia, it is best to select a memory care community to meet
their special needs. Memory care communities are a type of RCFE which offer a
specialized program to ensure the safety and the care of those suffering from
dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease. Their physical facilities are designed to be
safe and secure and their staff receives specialized training. A Brand New Day
provides pre-placement counseling and dementia support along with a full service
memory care community.
* *As the author of this comprehensive look at eldercare options, Mary Burger,
President of “A Brand New Day’, and her team are well qualified to advise families of
the resources in the Redding, CA community for every type of elder care need.
Please contact:
Mary Lascelles
Community Relations Director
779 Kerry Jen Court
Redding, CA. 96002
Ph. 530 515-6299 Fax 530 223-6238
Also find us here:
Website: http://abrandnewday-redding. com
Facebook: http://facebook. com/abrandnewdayreddinq
Twitter: http://twitter.com/abrandnewday
