Downsize – yes… But Don’t Touch My Books! Okay, I’m gonna blame this on my husband because husbands are good for that sort of thing. But the truth? I should have known better. When Bob and I decided to downsize from a three-story house to a two bedroom cottage on a retirement estate, there were […]
A Watershed Change at Abelia Road! Kloof Rest Home Association and Peace Cottages are delighted to announce an exciting new care development in Abelia Road The concept of care in the Upper Highway region was first established in 1904, when the Guild of Loyal Women, established a care centre for convalescing […]
The Mayfly’s short honeymoon! So you think that you have it tough! … You’re worried about how long you will live? Reading about the lifespan of the Mayfly should cheer you up considerably.Insects tend to live far shorter lives than other species. And female Dolania Americana Mayflies take the cake: They typically go through […]
Questions to ask care homes Retirement choices – a one way street! Today there are a growing number of private, unregistered residential care homes that do not comply with legal requirements; such as for example, registering with the Department of Social Development. As they are not playing on a level playing field, they are […]
We’re not stupid! – Stop patronizing us! Marketing to SeniorsThere is a myth perpetrated about some seniors which holds that they are simply difficult old people… whereas in reality there is no such thing. We are simply difficult young persons who have grown older. So in the event that you may wish to market […]
Is retirement bad for your health? “Come grow old with me, the best is yet to come”William Wordsworth There is an extraordinary concept in the retirement industry called “Dying too late”, which refers to those who live too long after retirement and run out of funds (and sometimes even friends). I believe this is […]
Check Your Risk for Falling (A self-assessment for fall risk) This checklist was developed by the Greater Los Angeles VA Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center and affiliates, and is a validated fall risk self-assessment tool (Rubenstein et al. J Safety Res; 2011: 42(6)493-499). Adapted with permission of the authors.
Control of medication in care centres (The danger of allowing multiple medication sources) Recently in Nodding Hills Retirement Village, I was approached by a fellow resident who asked me the following question. He explained that a mutual friend of ours, who has sadly died, used to collect medications from a pharmacy in town, for […]
Care facility terminology During my career in the field of caring for elderly people, I have noticed an exponential expansion in terminology used to describe accommodation and care services. Yesteryear’s names were quite simple. Generally, dependant on the level of care needed, it was referred to either as retirement villages, or frail care facilities. […]
Frail care management can be a minefield Those of us who are involved in the management of frail care facilities tread through a minefield… and very often wearing size thirteen boots! I recently watched a programme produced by Carte Blanche in which a frail care home was castigated for poor practice – practices which […]