Making Healthcare Choices
Making healthcare decisions.
Seven common health situations and ways to care for them.
If you or a loved one is facing a health issue and you find yourself wondering, “Which type of senior care is right for us?” Presbyterian SeniorCare Network would like to help put you on the path to better health and peace of mind.
Please note that the information here is meant as a guide, not as a recommendation of care. We suggest setting up a personal visit to discuss your specific needs. Please contact us by completing this online form. We will respond promptly.
Manchester Commons or Elmwood Gardens each feature an on-site therapy room and licensed therapists who encourage you to take an active role in tailoring treatment to accommodate your preferences. You can expect comfortable surroundings and full-service conveniences as you receive the personalized care you need to return to your highest level of function.
We look forward to serving you.
After surgery, such as hip or knee replacement, it’s common to need help to regain strength and range of motion for everyday living. Your doctor will prescribe a specific regimen of physical therapy, often as an outpatient at a rehabilitation center.
If you or your loved one qualifies as “home bound” after surgery, an option would be to consider Short-Term Rehabilitation accommodations at either of our Erie communities. Physical therapy sessions could be provided at home through a home health agency, but your home may require too many modifications to make it recuperation-friendly and accessible.
The severity of a stroke is what determines the type, level, and duration of rehabilitation care someone needs after they’re discharged from the hospital. Your loved one may now need physical, occupational and/or speech therapy at a skilled nursing care center.
Each of our Erie communities offers personalized Short-Term Rehabilitation with stroke care services that address each person’s unique condition. Regaining maximum function and independence are always the goal for returning home.
If the effects of the stroke are mild, outpatient rehabilitation therapy is usually sufficient.
You may want to try caring for a loved one in your home, especially if they are in the early stages of the disease. If that’s not an option, it’s best to discuss care options—such as a personal care and/or dementia care community—with your loved one, their doctor, and involved family members.
Manchester Commons has an excellent Alzheimer’s care program within their safe and secure Woodside Place dementia care neighborhood. Pioneering a residential care model that set the standard for memory care best-practices across the country and beyond, Presbyterian SeniorCare Network Woodside Place neighborhoods support each resident individually so they continue to enjoy moments of happiness, social engagement, and purposeful living.
If you decide your loved one can still live independently, but with assistance completing certain daily tasks, both of our Erie communities—Manchester Commons and Elmwood Gardens—offer comfortable Personal Care accommodations.
If you or a loved one need help with certain daily activities, but are still independent and do not need a nursing home, a senior living community that provides Personal Care provides the ideal supportive environment.
Presbyterian SeniorCare Network appreciates that, as people age, a little help can go a long way in making each day better. That’s why we tailor our Personal Care at Manchester Commons and Elmwood Gardens to your specific needs—from assistance with bathing and dressing to medication management and health monitoring. You and your family can rest assured that our compassionate professional staff is there to help in any way needed, 24 hours a day.
Should you or a loved one need Skilled Nursing care at some point, Manchester Commons and Elmwood Gardens can provide that as well.
When you or a loved one need daily health care assistance—whether short-term or long-term—Skilled Nursing at either Manchester Commons or Elmwood Gardens offers professionally supervised medical services.
Receive the support of an entire health care team: physicians, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and certified nurse assistants, as well as physical and occupational therapists and speech pathologists. We work closely with you, your family, and your health care team to ensure individualized attention and care.
If you have a loved one who can no longer live on their own, how do you begin to choose the right nursing home or residential care?
Focus on your loved one’s health care needs and personal desires, and research all the communities in your area. The hospital’s discharge planner or your loved one’s health insurance representative can also be resources of helpful information. Read each community’s inspection report, including their health, safety, and quality of life ratings. Visit each community—preferably with your loved one and/or other family decision-makers.
During your visit, keep an eye out for features that will make the place especially comfortable and enjoyable. It’s good to visit when the place is most likely to have maximum staff on duty (like lunchtime, the biggest meal of the day). This also gives you a chance to sample the quality and flavor of the food.
Both of our Erie communities—Manchester Commons and Elmwood Gardens—offer comfortable Skilled Nursing Care accommodations.
When is the appropriate time to begin discussing hospice care with a loved one?
There are several factors to consider. It might be time for hospice if your loved one has experienced:
- Frequent hospitalizations in the past six months
- Repeat or multiple infections
- Increased or uncontrollable pain
- Unplanned or continued weight loss
- Progressive decline in health despite undergoing treatments
- Life expectancy of six months or less
If you make the decision for hospice care, the hospice agency will manage all of the healthcare needs related to your loved one’s terminal diagnosis. This coordination of care can provide comfort and relief to your loved one and you.
Hospice services can be provided at home, or at either of our Erie communities—Manchester Commons or Elmwood Gardens.
