By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or
[email protected] to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
*If I am consenting on behalf of someone else, I have the proper authorization to do so. By clicking Get My Results, you agree to our
Privacy Policy. You also consent to receive calls and texts, which may be autodialed, from us and our customer communities. Your consent is not a condition to using our service. Please visit our
Terms of Use. for information about our privacy practices.
Use your own good judgment. For me, I will be taking NO life saving techniques if/when I am diagnosed with dementia. Who the heck wants to live like that?? Not me.
Lealonnie, I am sorry for your mom. I lost a sister at 52 to pneumonia.
One time all visitors were banned for a week because several patient/residents had the flu. Signs are posted facility-wide, year round to not bring children who are experiencing colds, flues, or other symptoms. When my husband first entered the facility and they noticed I visited a lot, a nurse asked me if I was up to date on my vaccines. I told her I went to Walgreens because it had a 2 for 1 offer - for each vaccine purchased/administered one vaccine is donated to a member of the community who can not afford the shot.
I understand not wanting to keep Mom alive with dementia and of course she would not want it either. It is heart wrenching to watch family members go through the mental/physical decline.
Your mom can not think things through the way she used to. You, as the DPOA are also working with a team of providers who also have to stay healthy. Of course you need to stay healthy so you can endure this whole sorry situation for everyone in your family. I hope Mom gets vaccinated.
I see nothing wrong with everyone getting vaccinated because it's not just all about you, me, my husband, your mom, or staff and visitors.
dying of complications from the flu is not pretty, and I'm not sure if you would want her on a mechanical ventilator or not, it's such a hard decision. DNR does not mean no care....these days, flu shot is standard care.
But yes, because she is now living among other vulnerable people in a community and is therefore a potential vector for infection if she is not immunised.
So in one way you can't win ethically! - but then again, neither can you be wrong. It depends whether you want to be a model DPOA or a model citizen, and you have good arguments on both sides.
Sigh. Sorry, I'm not really helping, am I... :/
My mother was always "good" about getting her flu shots, and I continued her practice (didn't disagree with it, either). Then, when she was offered the pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine, of course I snapped it up on her behalf. Hurrah! I thought; no dying from that kind of pneumonia for MY mother!
On sober reflection over more years, given the chance I think I'd think again about the pneumonia vaccine. As it happened it was never an issue, but I can't imagine that pneumonia would have been worse than what she did have to go through. I'm not sure it was a good use of resources or a rational decision.
It's as though we're barrelling down the road past "exit" signs, and avoiding them strenuously, only without looking ahead at what possibilities we might be left with.
Obviously, it isn't as though we get a clear-cut choice anyway - vaccination won't protect elderly immune systems 100%, not vaccinating doesn't mean you will get the disease, let alone that it will be fatal or cause lasting damage. But when we make such choices as we do have we are tinkering with the odds, and I just feel I could have thought through ours a bit more logically.
If the majority of people that come into the facility have had a Flu shot then she would be sort of protected by what is called "Herd Immunity". But if many people do not have a flu shot then her risk of getting the flu increases.
And she is in an environment that is loaded with bacteria of all types. So flu is just a minor player along with Norovirus and Shingles not to mention staph and MRSA.
As an older person her immune system is compromised to begin with and living in a community she is exposed to more.
I guess the answer would be how healthy is she at this point? and could she survive a nasty bout of flu?
I feel like I am on a see saw with this answer but you know her best and if you feel that she would decline the flu shot then decline it.
I had my Husband get the flu shot when he was going to Adult Day Care and I continued when I kept him at home because I did not want to have to deal with a person with dementia that was having all the nasty results of the flu.
other bit of advice...always make the best decision you can and don't regret that decision with 20/20 hindsight.
Guess who was pleased and proud to tell everyone who would listen that she had her flu shot and didn't get sick at all last winter!
That being said, she is at increased risk of getting flu AND passing it to others. My vote is to get her vaccinations. While at it, make sure her shingles and pneumonia vaccines are up to date for similar reasons.
See All Answers