Rethinking CCRC living

[harllee]

While it is probably nor a universal situation, our CCRC contract basically included a "no harm, no foul period" that allowed you to cancel your contract and have all funds, but some administrative costs returned. I think it was six months. In the three plus years we lived hire, we seen it happen once. 3 months after fully moving in from their home in Alaska, they packed and returned to Alaska.
Another item to have on your screening list when doing your initial evaluation.

Our CCRC has similar provision--I think its a six month period where you can move out and get most of your money back.

 

[harllee]

Someone asked me about the cognitive test that the CCRC we are moving to uses. I don't know every detail but these are some of the questions:

You are told 3 words to remember and asked to repeat those 3 words after about 10 minutes.

You are asked to count by 7s or 8s backwards from 100

You are asked to name all the words that you can that start with a certain letter in one minute

You are asked to draw time on a clock face

You are asked to copy a geometric shape (I am bad at this and have practiced it)

You are asked about current events--who is the President, Governor of the State, former Presidents, etc

 

[RobbieB]

Me thinks these CCRC's are going to do the same price hikes that LTC insurance companies are fond of.

 

[nwsteve]

Me thinks these CCRC's are going to do the same price hikes that LTC insurance companies are fond of.

Less Likely IMHO, since CCRC can directly control their risks via admission standards (see admission testing). Also a fairly high proportion of Type A properties at least are non-profits so no shareholders to keep happy

 

[braumeister]

Someone asked me about the cognitive test that the CCRC we are moving to uses. I don't know every detail but these are some of the questions:

You are told 3 words to remember and asked to repeat those 3 words after about 10 minutes.

You are asked to count by 7s or 8s backwards from 100

You are asked to name all the words that you can that start with a certain letter in one minute

You are asked to draw time on a clock face

You are asked to copy a geometric shape (I am bad at this and have practiced it)

You are asked about current events--who is the President, Governor of the State, former Presidents, etc

Once I became a truly decrepit old fart I started to get a test like that during my annual physical, probably about 20 questions in all.
Came as a real surprise the first time, but no problem with one exception. "What's the name of the street this office is on?"
It's an extremely long street that changes its name about six times as it goes through different parts of the city, and I seldom use it so I had to really think about that one!

 

[steelyman]

Once I became a truly decrepit old fart I started to get a test like that during my annual physical, probably about 20 questions in all.

Came as a real surprise the first time, but no problem with one exception. "What's the name of the street this office is on?"

It's an extremely long street that changes its name about six times as it goes through different parts of the city, and I seldom use it so I had to really think about that one!

About a month after I moved from the midwest to NC I found myself unexpectedly in the hospital and was taking a similar test. I was failing miserably with no idea about things like “What city are you in?”. I did get one question right, though. “Who’s the President of the United States?”. Nailed that one (July 2015) and the doctors fixed me up.

 

[ncbill]

Being single with no children, I would be interested in thoughts on how to manage supervision of a continuing care situation. As was mentioned with age-in-place that it would be difficult without some sort of general contractor, it seems that if things got bad enough I would need someone supervising and paying the bills etc.

My cousin's wife told me that when her mother was in assisted living, she caught them billing for services that never happened.

Another thing I wonder about is whether the CCRC needs to be close to where I live now, which is a high tax and expense New England state, or if I am uprooting and moving into the community would it be feasible to move to a lower tax and warmer locale?

When my relative died in an ALF I later received a bill for daily charges for over a week after their death.

I phoned their billing person who assured me they would take care of it but it later got sent to collections.

I finally resolved the situation by sending a certified letter to the head of the facility, suggesting a simple clerical error had happened (died on the 8th versus billed through the 18th)

 

[athena53]

About a month after I moved from the midwest to NC I found myself unexpectedly in the hospital and was taking a similar test. I was failing miserably with no idea about things like “What city are you in?”. I did get one question right, though. “Who’s the President of the United States?”. Nailed that one (July 2015) and the doctors fixed me up.

My primary care doc gave me the "3 words" test each of the last 2 years- asked me to repeat them at the end of the visit. They used the same words both years!

 

[lucky penny]

Someone asked me about the cognitive test that the CCRC we are moving to uses. I don't know every detail but these are some of the questions:

You are told 3 words to remember and asked to repeat those 3 words after about 10 minutes.
You are asked to count by 7s or 8s backwards from 100.
You are asked to name all the words that you can that start with a certain letter in one minute.
You are asked to draw time on a clock face.
You are asked to copy a geometric shape (I am bad at this and have practiced it).
You are asked about current events--who is the President, Governor of the State, former Presidents, etc

Thanks for this, harlee. I've wondered about this & worry about test anxiety (like, omigod, how many words starting with F will be enough?). That's the one I'll start practicing!

 

[JoeWras]

My primary care doc gave me the "3 words" test each of the last 2 years- asked me to repeat them at the end of the visit. They used the same words both years!

Apparently I'm not old enough to get this test yet.

I have older friends who talk about their doctor visits. It always comes down to two things that they talk about: 1) Don't tell them you fell, 2) How do you remember the words?

My one friend was joking that he doesn't remember a thing the doctor discussed with him because he constantly had "rabbit-flood-bulb" on repeat in his head.

 

[misanman]

I've gotten really good at drawing the hands on a clock showing 11:50.

 

[harllee]

Thanks for this, harlee. I've wondered about this & worry about test anxiety (like, omigod, how many words starting with F will be enough?). That's the one I'll start practicing!

I am really good at the test naming words that start with a certain letter, I can usually get over 30 words in a minute. I am not so good counting backwards by 7s and I am awful at drawing the geometric shapes so I practice those.

 

[Jerry1]

I don’t know how anyone gets through counting backwards. I’ve certainly lost some of my thinking abilities over the years, but I couldn’t have done that in my 40’s, let alone now. Same with the alphabet backwards. I don’t drink but I always get a kick out of those cop shows where they ask the clearly drunk person the say the alphabet backwards. Sober or not, I’d just have to tall them to take me away, because I can’t do the alphabet backwards. Not even on a good day.

 

[harllee]

This is how I do counting backwards by 7: 100 minus 10 is 90 and add 3 is 93. 93 minus 10 is 83 and add 3 is 86. 86 minus 10 is 76 and add 3 is 79. Etc, etc. My method is not very fast but it is accurate.

 

[JoeWras]

This is how I do counting backwards by 7: 100 minus 10 is 90 and add 3 is 93. 93 minus 10 is 83 and add 3 is 86. 86 minus 10 is 76 and add 3 is 79. Etc, etc. My method is not very fast but it is accurate.

And for the alphabet, same thing!

Z-Y=X
Y-X=W
X-W=V

And so on. Piece of cake!

(It took me 5 minutes to type that. Can't imagine doing alphabet backwards on the fly.)

 

[Aerides]

Someone asked me about the cognitive test that the CCRC we are moving to uses. I don't know every detail but these are some of the questions:

You are told 3 words to remember and asked to repeat those 3 words after about 10 minutes.

You are asked to count by 7s or 8s backwards from 100

You are asked to name all the words that you can that start with a certain letter in one minute

You are asked to draw time on a clock face

You are asked to copy a geometric shape (I am bad at this and have practiced it)

You are asked about current events--who is the President, Governor of the State, former Presidents, etc

I mean...half of the country can't all do that at any age!

 

[bmcgonig]

Someone asked me about the cognitive test that the CCRC we are moving to uses. I don't know every detail but these are some of the questions:

You are told 3 words to remember and asked to repeat those 3 words after about 10 minutes.

You are asked to count by 7s or 8s backwards from 100

You are asked to name all the words that you can that start with a certain letter in one minute

You are asked to draw time on a clock face

You are asked to copy a geometric shape (I am bad at this and have practiced it)

You are asked about current events--who is the President, Governor of the State, former Presidents, etc

Here’s a bunch of tests.

The one above I think is the Montreal Cognitive Test. One similar is the Mini Mental Test.

I practiced these quite often with my mom when she initially showed signs of dementia. It was interesting to see what she passed on or failed on. She never had a problem with subtracting by 7, or drawing the clock/time, but couldn’t remember what road she had lived on for 40 years, nor who I was.


https://www.dementiacarecentral.com/alzheimers-online-test/

 

[harllee]

I mean...half of the country can't all do that at any age!

Well those people would not get in my Life Care CCRC, they are really picky. Any sign of dementia and you don't get in. That is why we are moving in at age 71/72 before we go downhill.

 

[Teacher Terry]

When my friend moved into independent living there wasn’t a cognitive test. When he went to assisted living there was and I was worried about him passing it because of his Parkinson’s and he has good and bad days. He passed but it couldn’t have been too hard and they have empty apartments which might have helped).

I never do the Medicare wellness visit because it’s stupid and if anyone tried to give me a cognitive test they would get a ear full. They asked me once about if I was sexually active and I told them to write down never to ask me again as it’s none of their business. I was never asked again.

 

[athena53]

They asked me once about if I was sexually active and I told them to write down never to ask me again as it’s none of their business. I was never asked again.

Well, they can offer STD testing (my gyno did when I mentioned being in a relationship) and they can address menopause-related issues that can make sexual relations painful. They're just doing their job.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I am well aware why they ask and if I have any concerns in those areas I will ask. This is also what I told them. If they had always asked these questions that would be fine but don’t start because I am older and the government has decided that older people need to be treated differently.

 

[Walt34]

At one visit the Dr. asked FIL what hospital he was in, and he told them.

Doc asked "How do you know that?"

"It's written on your shirt."

 

[lucky penny]

I am really good at the test naming words that start with a certain letter, I can usually get over 30 words in a minute. I am not so good counting backwards by 7s and I am awful at drawing the geometric shapes so I practice those.

If 30 is a good score, then whew! I was thinking more might be needed for a passing score.

I have no problem counting back by 7, but harllee's method is too complicated for me. And JoeW's explanation of reciting the alphabet backwards makes my head spin; easier for me just to memorize it. (Guess everyone's mind works in ways that are well-entrenched.) Many decades ago I memorized the US presidents & I can still recite the list pretty fast; I don't slow down till I get to JFK because that's where my memory-list ends, & I can only finish by actually recalling each one from my lifetime.

 

[braumeister]

For the part about remembering the three words, it's easiest to use this old memory trick:

Picture in your mind a graphic representation of the words. The more ridiculous the image, the easier it will be to recall them later.

So, for the "rabbit-flood-bulb" series mentioned above, you might picture Bugs Bunny holding a light bulb in his teeth and surfing down the flood from a dam breaking open.

Trust me, this method works.

 

[JoeWras]

And JoeW's explanation of reciting the alphabet backwards makes my head spin; easier for me just to memorize it.

I was totally joking! My "method" was utter nonsense.