Denver 24 Hr Elder Care | Colorado Senior Citizen Home | Denver Elder Care Facilities

Comparisons with other Long-Term Care Alternatives

Long-term care is part of our health care system. This system includes many different types of facilities, such as hospitals, home health agencies, mental health centers, hospices, and alcohol/drug addiction facilities. Long-term care facilities are becoming an even more important part of the whole system because of the increasing elderly population in this country, a growing awareness of aging, and the need for different ways to provide care due to the growing costs of health care. The goal of long-term health care is to maintain or restore each resident’s level of optimal functioning and to help residents receive one or more of the following types of care: rehabilitation, high-level nursing care, continuous supportive care, respite care, and hospice care. Although all types of facilities provide long-term care, Golden Orchard does it in an intimate way that fosters the notion that life is worth living. Each individual person ages differently and has different ideas of what makes life worth living. Golden Orchard takes the time to know and understand what makes life worthwhile for each of its residents, and then promotes and supports those values for each resident.

Some residents choose to live in a long-term care facility because they want:

• Assistance: help with activities of daily living.
• Security: knowing someone is just a call away if they fall, get sick or just want to talk.
• Friendships: being around other people with similar interests, concerns and problems.
• Independence: not having to depend on their family.

1. Nursing

A nursing home is a facility which provides long-term care for both skilled and non-skilled nursing care of the residents. Only a few years ago, these institutions were considered hospitals for the old. Much of that original philosophy is still part of the nursing home culture. These facilities are institutions, and the care provided is done with rigid structure. Schedules are necessary to provide all the care needed for such a large population. The schedules are developed around the staff and services provided, not the residents. Many places still view these individuals as patients instead of residents. Many of the functions performed by the staff are what one would expect in a hospital, not in one’s home. It is much more difficult to receive individual attention from the staff. Because of time constraints, the staff is more likely to do the grooming of the resident instead of taking the time to let the resident do it. This takes away the resident’s sense of independence, and they lose the opportunities to be more mobile.

In contrast, all aspects of care provided by Golden Orchard’s assisted living homes are scheduled around the individual’s own routine that has been established for many years. Each resident is a special individual with a long and unique history. Golden Orchard takes the time to get to know the unique individual. All services are personalized to a resident’s individual needs. The staff is aware of each resident’s level of ability, and they work toward maintaining or improving that level.

Services provided or arranged for at Golden Orchard include: dietary services, physician services, specialized rehabilitative services, or assistance in dental services, pharmacy services, administrative services, social services and hospice. Golden Orchard monitors each resident and will inform family and physician of any concerns. The administrative staff will work with the family or the resident’s physician to meet the needs of the resident. One of the differences between the services at Golden Orchard and a nursing home is the nurturing way that Golden Orchard performs these services.

Another important difference is in the continuity of care given at Golden Orchard. The residents see the caregivers who have intimate knowledge of each of the residents. The residents see them when they wake up, and the caregivers are the last ones whom the residents see before going to sleep. This creates a family atmosphere and provides security for the residents because they know who will be there to assist them each day. At nursing homes, there are usually three shifts that staff the facility. Each shift could have different staff members each day. The facilities have a high call-in and turnover rate, so there are strange new faces continuously. Golden Orchard has created a more intimate setting that feels more personal because it is a small facility and it is the resident’s home

2. Living at Home with the Family
Many families choose to have their loved one at home. This provides the family with the security of knowing that their loved one is being monitored. However, the disadvantage is that if the loved one needs monitoring, someone has to be there all the time, or families have take the individual with them each time they leave the house. Finding reliable help is another concern. If the family is part of the sandwich generation, they could have children as well as parents at home. Having a confused loved one in the home may not be the best situation for the young children. The loved one may seem strange to the children and they could become frightened to be near the loved one, especially when left alone with him or her. If the family needs a rest from care giving or is going away on vacation, then the burden of finding a competent place for respite care becomes an issue. All aspects of caring for the loved one in the family home are costly in terms of time, money and emotions. Golden Orchard can be the family’s eyes and ears while providing 24-hour-a-day care in the home; that person may not have thought of assisted living as an option. But there are benefits which they may consider attractive. Among these are: cost effectiveness, security and peace of mind, fiscal responsibility, savings from unneeded maintenance of home and furnishings, and prompt medical attention.

3. Large Assisted Living Complexes

In comparison with large assisted living complexes, there are distinguishing benefits for smaller homes. One benefit is the quick and personal attention the family will receive in a smaller facility. Many of the larger facilities do not pay attention to the details that make quality service. The larger the facility, the care is less personalized and less suited for the dementia resident.

With this hotel-style living, the resident’s awareness level needs to be high in order to remember the floor, the wing, and then his or her room number. Another disadvantage of the larger facility is the high resident-to-staff ratio. It will be very difficult to provide personal attention to the residents. Most services are an extra charge to the monthly rate. If the level of care is increased, there is also an increase in monthly fees.

Corporate Information and Contact Information

P.O.Box 365
Castle Rock, CO 80104
(303) 795-0784
(303) 660-1456 Fax
www.goldenorchard.com

Assisted Living Home Locations

850 & 890 East Orchard Road
Littleton,CO 80121

3510 Holland Street
Wheatridge, CO 80033

Many new facilities planned in Colorado and other States.

*Note: some of the facilities may not offer all services listed in this informational packet.
We invite you to come by and visit our homes.Call us for more information or to set up a tour.