Elder Care in Los Angeles

If you're looking for elder care options in Los Angeles, you'll find a variety of possibilities. To find the best solution for your loved one, it is recommended that a professional assessment be conducted to determine the level of elder care required to meet their specific needs. Once you have a clear understanding of the reality of the needs and level of assistance needed, you can choose one of three types of elder care.

If your loved one is set on staying in their own home and the assessment shows it is a realistic option, then the next decision will be to figure out who will provide that in-home care. If family members plan to fulfill this role, it is a good idea to reach out for help and training to prepare you. For information and assistance on caregiving you can call the Los Angeles County Area Agency on Aging Information and Assistance at 800-510-2020. Along with training they can provide much needed support.

If family isn't available or capable of taking on the caregiving role, professionals do offer in-home services. Care programs can be designed to meet specific needs. For instance you may want someone to stop by to do light housekeeping and run errands or you may need someone 24 hours a day. When selecting a home-care provider be sure they are licensed.

Adult daycare programs offer elder care away from home during business hours. These programs work much like day care for pre-schoolers. Participants are picked up and dropped off and they have the opportunity to enjoy activities and socialization with peers. In Los Angeles County, The Alzheimer’s Day Care Resource Center offers quality daycare designed specifically for people who suffer from dementia or Alzheimers. For more information on the services they provide, California residents can call 800-510-2020.

When in-home care is not an option, it is still important to have elderly people assessed to determine exactly what level of care they need. Many seniors long to hold on to their independence and just need a little extra help getting around, making their meals, bathing or running errands. If that is the case, an assisted living scenario will work. However, there are many types to choose from A smaller board and care home with just a few residents will provide care within an intimate family-style atmosphere. Larger facilities may offer apartment style living with shared meals and staff scheduled to help residents as needed. However, assisted living does not include skilled nursing care. For this level of care, you'll need to contact a nursing home, or skilled nursing care facility. Some facilities provide both and are ideal for the resident who knows their health will deteriorate and that the level of care they need will change.

Here is a list of facilities in the Los Angeles area that offer both assisted living and skilled nursing care:

• Hollenbeck Palms: Offers residential living, assisted residential living and skilled nursing services.
• St. John of God Retirement and Care Center: Provides independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and Alzheimer's memory care.
• Sunrise Senior Living: Provides assisted living, skilled nursing, Alzheimer's and Memory Care and accepts short-term stays.
• Garden of Palms: Offers independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer's and Memory Care, and short-term for people recovering for an illness or surgery.
• Astoria for Seniors: Provides assisted living and skilled nursing and have a couple of dogs on staff to offer pet therapy as well.

Before you decide on a specific facility to care for your elderly loved one, be sure to visit the facility a couple of times. If one of those visits is unannounced, it will give you an opportunity to see how the staff responds, how they interact with residents, and offer a glimpse of real life in the day-to-day elder care provided.