Frequently Asked Questions

Answer is simple, our practice past 20 years taught us that most of the conditions worsen due the lack of adequate preventive care. Adopting appropriate preventive protocols, one can prevent many untoward incidents there by avoiding hospitalisation. Thus , Falls, Urinary Tract Infections, Aspiration, Bed sores, and malnutrition can be contained to a certain extent.

Yes. You agree that you are getting old and there is chance that you may cross 80’s. It is natural that we want to gloss over the fact that one day there is a possibility of some sort of disability or chronic diseases afflicting you. Remember the life is riddled with uncertainties. It is better to be prepared for such an eventuality. All your life you planned and executed your life; your career, your house, your finance, then why not plan your old age. It makes the life easier for your children and spouse. We will help you navigate the rough patch if there is any in the fag end of your life. It is better to have clarity, than to leave it to fate.

It is a relatively new term used in long term care of the elders. “Culture change” is the common name given to the national movement for the transformation of older adult services, based on person-directed values and practices where the voices of elders and those working with them are considered and respected. Core person-directed values are choice, dignity, respect, self-determination and purposeful living. Culture change in long-term care is about meaningful relationships and service, where caregivers and staff really know the people they care for, so that individuals can continue to live a meaningful life and feel “at home” wherever they are. Part of feeling at home is creating living spaces that are more private, comfortable, and personalised. We adopted culture change in our practice.

Yes. As a person, you have your own likes and dislikes. A discussion with the immediate family about your intentions and wishes will give clarity to your golden years. This will avoid conflict of interest and easier for the immediate family as you have already made things clear. No ambiguities or you never left any space for guessing. In our country, in the absence of advance directives as a legal document, a discussion of your likes and dislikes is a must. Read along with the previous question.

Polypharmacy, is very common in the elderly. Periodic review of medications are a must for the elderly. This is because the elders have chronic conditions for which they are medicating from a long time. Also few have the habit of changing the physicians very often. In between, you may have prescribed for a acute phase. Unknowingly, few elders continue to take these medications for a long time. Unless you are educated properly about medications you end up taking pills for no reason which is dangerous too.

Your infirm elderly parents definitely need your physical, emotional and financial support. Though they may not openly demand anything from you, you are obligated to dole out love and care. Many of the elders, insist that they don’t want to burden you with their needs, but you cannot close eyes to their needs. When you are the primary care giver of your elderly parents, the onus of ensuring the best care lies on you. In many cases, children dodge best options citing various reasons, like “we hate institutionalisation of our parents” “the care home is far from home” “my parents may not be comfortable to keep a full time care giver at home”, instead the elderly parents are kept at home with compromised care. When selecting the care plan or care setting, keep your elderly parents best interest as first priority. Another trend we noticed is the ‘money crunch’, when it comes to parents care. Remember these parents never compromised your well being, though they have limited income and you were the priority. 

Transitional care management is our forte. Upon discharge from hospitals, our transitional care team visit the hospital to understand the condition, medications and the post discharge care. We then co-ordinate with the existing acute care treatment team and family members or community care settings where patient is going to get shifted to and draw a transitional care plan before discharge. Transitional care will help regain the health and also in reducing the readmissions.

Our team can help you select the right care service provider by evaluating the level of competency. It is very important to find out the caregivers knowledge about diseases and it’s management. We also find how well versed they are about the geriatric syndromes. We also find out the agencies policies regarding preventive care protocols, emergency protocols, complain redressal policies, and continuum of care policies etc. As this is an unorganised sector with no government regulation, lot of agencies started operating just as any other business. Elder care or long term care is a passion and it is not a ‘business’ in the strict sense. Majority of the agencies, have no policies or basic knowledge about elder care. Before we recommend any agency, we find out the qualifications of the people who run it and the training imparted to their caregivers. A thorough evaluation is done because these agencies can fleece you and take advantage of your helpless situations. 

You can contact ECE team, when you feel your elderly parents ‘care needs’ are changing. When ever you feel there is a change in the mental, emotional and physical health, change in dependency for ADLS, or when the current care plan is inadequate in order to achieve optimum care. A regular evaluation once a month can be adopted as a part of Preventive care plan. We are available for any number of consultations.

It will cost around INR 5000/- for a social gerontologist onsite visit. Through this visit, he/she will study the disease progression, evaluate the physical and psychosocial parameters, study the geriatric syndromes, conduct a medication review and enlighten the preventive care aspects. After this visit, a detailed care plan is drawn and shared with the family.

We have CCM program for older adults who has fewer filial support systems. We visit once in fortnightly and monitor the care given to the older adults, bodily changes, overall health assessment, checking the medication orders, assessment of progression of disease, nutrition intakes, etc. This will include a fortnightly visit and SOS visits, it will cost an annual retainer fee of INR 12,000/- and each fortnightly visit will costs INR 2000/- SOS visits will costs around 2500/-. A report will be generated for each visit and shared.

Family dysfunction or sibling rivalry may affect elderly parents care. Difference of opinion regarding care of older parents may result in mismanaged care of older parents. We act as mediators between the family members and help them achieve a win-win situation.

Yes. Many a time families find it difficult to take a client to a doctor’s office for consultation for want of time as you have hectic work schedules. Thus regular health check-up is getting postponed. We can coordinate and help you plan a consultation with a consultant at the hospital, also help coordinate an admission into a hospital, both planned hospitalisation and emergency hospitalisation. This service is extended to older adults who sign in for Foster Care with us. The facilitation charge will be Rs. 3500/- per half day and if it extends beyond it will be 5000/-. Both will attract actual taxi fare.