Tuesdays with Tom
Join Tom each Tuesday for insights and information related to residential care. He might even answer your questions about Title 22 regulations and licensing.
About Me
- Tuesdays with Tom
- Chico, CA, United States
- Tom Cullen is the owner of Community Care Options, a California State approved vendor operated by a team of caring professionals with more than 30 years of experience in the field. Community Care Options is dedicated to providing continuing education to administrators of both Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly and Adult Residential Facilities and assist in keeping those facilities compliant with state regulations.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Oral Health in the Elderly
In the year 2000 our 16th Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher announced, "One
of the more dramatic discoveries in biomedical science in the twentieth
century has been the realization that tooth loss is not an inevitable
consequence of aging, but the result of disease or injury."
According to the Center for Disease Control, 1/3 of Californians over
the age of 65 report having lost 6 or more teeth. In 2008 the American
Dental Association launched an initiative for geriatric dental care
called OralLongevity.
It has developed into an online resource for both dentists and
consumers which focuses on the unique dental needs of the elderly.
Please explore the website and search out the Videos
for easy sharing with your staff, residents and families. Dental care
takes extra time, but it is a part of the daily assistance many of our
residents require.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Top 10 Scams that Prey on Seniors
It's
easy to assume that seniors in residential care facilities are
protected from what goes on outside the perimeter of the building. For
the most part it's true. However, residents often can have their own
phones in their rooms and many have cell phones and computers these
days. It is important that administrators and staff know how to
recognize when one of their residents is being hunted by phone, mail,
and email solicitors. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) says "over
90% of all reported elder abuse is committed by an older person’s own
family members, most often their adult children." To add to the
frustration of this type of elder abuse is that it is rarely reported.
The FBI says that "older Americans are less likely to report a fraud
because they don’t know who to report it to, are too ashamed at having
been scammed, or don’t know they have been scammed." They also fear
that their family will view them as unable to manage their own affairs.
Naturally, seniors living on their own are most at risk but in a
residential care or independent community we can educate our
population. Consider having a workshop that teaches about these scams.
Encourage discussion about it so your residents can look out for one
another. Please use the following links for more information.
Article:
Resources:
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Inclusive Services for LGBT Older Adults
As residential care providers it is our responsibility to provide
safe and inclusive living environments. Safety is truly a vital part of
what we do daily but sometimes it's easy to forget how to be welcoming
and inclusive.
Recently I was called by a program analyst from CCLD who asked me
if Community Care Options offered any training related to aging Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual or Transgender adults. Honestly, I was left speechless
for a moment. I answered, "no, but we do address some topics related to
homosexuality in our HIV/AIDS training", and then I wondered why I'd
never developed a course for LGBT. I was then informed that it is a
topic that CCLD would like to see addressed. I called some friends and
one of them turned me to this website, LBGTAgingCenter.org.
After reviewing this site and some of the related resources I realized
that training on how to best welcome and include LGBT adults into our
care homes is vital to our success as care providers. Please review the
information on this site and download the Inclusive Services for LGBT Older Adults guide.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Walk to End Alzheimer's
As many of you know we are big supporters of the Alzheimer's
Association and The Walk to End Alzheimer's. We've had teams in the
past and it's a great time for great cause. I want to encourage you to
have your own team this year if you're not already planning to. This
event happens in communities all over the nation and the world. Please
consider forming a team as a tribute to someone you know or have known
with this disease. You can find a Walk near you and register a team HERE or just Google "Walk to End Alzheimer's 2013".
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Donating Unused Medications Follow Up on SB-1329
As
of January 1, 2013 the billed called SB-1329 allows RCFEs of 16 beds or
more to participate in the donating of certain unused medications.
Naturally there are very specific guidelines and documentation that must
be adhered to. Information on this bill can be found on page 15 of the
newest change to the Evaluator's Manual. Please download the change to learn more.
So, you want to participate in SB-1329? If so, a non-profit group called SIRUM.org offers a good way to do so. They make it very easy to donate unused medications and will teach you what you need to know. We have invited them to attend the RENO 2013 conference in May as well.
So, you want to participate in SB-1329? If so, a non-profit group called SIRUM.org offers a good way to do so. They make it very easy to donate unused medications and will teach you what you need to know. We have invited them to attend the RENO 2013 conference in May as well.
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