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Support for Families & Caregivers

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Successful Caregiving

As a caregiver or family member, you’re likely so devoted to senior living care for your loved one that you don’t have much time to care for yourself. It’s a natural impulse that’s as noble as it is self-defeating. A study by the Federal Department of Health and Human Services found that more than 30 percent of people caring for seniors aged 65 and older described their own health as “fair to poor.” Other researchers have found that caregivers use prescription drugs for depression, anxiety, and insomnia two to three times as often as the rest of the population. 

Caregiving Tips

Take short breaks as well as long breaks: Short breaks could be as simple as asking a friend or relative to take over your responsibilities for a few hours while you see a movie or go out to dinner. Longer breaks are also essential to restore your physical and mental equilibrium. For longer break options, please view our Respite Care page.

Assisted Living Options

Often, assisted living is necessary for seniors who can no longer manage on their own but do not need the intensive, 24-hour complex medical services of traditional long-term care. The average senior living resident is 83 years old and requires assistance with two activities of daily life. In general, assisted senior living provides a balance of residential living, health and recreational services ,and assistance in day-to-day living activities. It also offers residents many of the same benefits as independent senior living, while providing basic help in areas that may have become personally challenging.

Does assisted living sound like the right option for your loved one? For more information, please visit our Assisted Living Care page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I talk to my parents about assisted living? Have you noticed signs that your loved one may need assisted living? Decisions and discussions about senior care and living options can often be difficult. At Grand Oaks, we’ve helped many families make the transition smoothly—we recommend scheduling multiple visits, tours of our spacious apartments, comfortable and elegant furnishings, and introductions of your parents to our current residents. Let them experience assisted living for themselves to determine if it’s the right fit.

How is Grand Oaks different from other assisted living facilities in the Washington, D.C. area? Grand Oaks is unique for many reasons: Situated on the campus of Sibley Memorial Hospital, Grand Oaks residents and their families have the Sibley assurance of quality care. You and your loved ones will benefit from customized personal assistance and a nursing staff that is on duty 24 hours a day. You or your loved one will also enjoy an active, varied lifestyle, including trips to the Kennedy Center, stimulating lectures with lively discussion, and classes focused on creativity, exercise, and social interaction.

My dad insists he won’t leave home, but he’s forgetting things and doesn’t always eat right. I think he’s lonely since my mother died. What would his life be like if he lived at Grand Oaks? Daily life at Grand Oaks is active and varied. Residents enjoy cultural, intellectual, and social activities throughout the day. There are art and daily exercise classes, a chapel, beauty salon, and warm water pool. Freedom from everyday tasks enables seniors like your dad to enjoy life to its fullest potential. Grand Oaks has its own executive chef, and meals are both delicious and balanced. Your dad can come and go as he pleases to visit friends, dine, shop, and attend cultural events. Customized personal assistance is available on a regular or “as needed” basis and nurses are on duty 24-hours-a-day, so he will have all the care he requires. We also offer memory care for residents with Alzheimer’s and other memory-related problems, so you can rest easy knowing there’s always someone available to help your dad remember the basics like eating and bathing.

My parents’ situation is unusual: my mom is active and engaged but my father has early stage Alzheimer’s. They want to stay together but need assistance. Can you help? Grand Oaks may be the answer for your parents. In addition to assisted living, Grand Oaks offers private suites as part of its Oasis Neighborhood program. The Oasis Neighborhood is a renowned, pioneering approach that creates pleasant days and positive experiences for people with memory disorders. It includes structured daily routines of support and encouragement designed to meet the unique needs of individuals with early, middle, and late-stage memory loss. Specialized care includes compassionate assistance, a life skills program, all meals, medication services, and 24-hour nursing supervision. It’s the best of both worlds. The Oasis Neighborhood of Grand Oaks can offer your mom the active and stimulating lifestyle she needs and your dad the personalized care he needs for symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease—either now or in the future.

Easing the Transition for Residents and Families During COVID – Lori’s Story