Care Management • Eldercare Advocacy • Dementia Care

Restoring Health, Dignity, + Peace of Mind

Our Services Include

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Why Preferred Lifestyle Services

The Preferred Lifestyle Services Comprehensive Assessment provides the information you need to make informed decisions about your loved one’s care.

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What to Expect as the Disease Progresses

The course of Alzheimer’s disease can vary significantly with each individual. However, some changes are more typical and so you can reasonably expect to experience them. Educating yourself to the flow of Alzheimer’s can help you communicate better with your loved one, your family and friends, and your loved one’s physician.

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Basic Safety Measures

Act now. Don’t wait for an accident before you take simple safety measures. Intervene at the first sign of impairment.

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Meet Our Founder

Judie has been helping adult children care for their aging parents and educating professionals on the needs of elders with Alzheimer’s and related dementias for over three decades. She is the co-author of the well-received books, Eldercare 911: The Caregivers Complete Handbook for Making Decisions and The Eldercare 911 Question and Answer Book. Judie also wrote Eldercare 911, a weekly column answering readers’ caregiving questions. The successful column ran for over 7 years in Florida’s Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers.

Eldercare 911 Blog

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Employing a Care Manager to Oversee Your Parent's Care

By Judie Rappaport • September 11, 2014
Primary Rule: If your parent cannot manage and supervise the caregiver, the caregiver is in control of your parent's life and home. Home Health Aide Employed by home health provider, hospital, congregate community, insurance company, etc. Client's primary advocate and resource is high school graduate or GED Limited training/education mandates narrow approach to client's needs Education may vary, usually high school diploma or equivalent Geriatric Care Manager Objective professional advocate without financial or other obligation to anyone except client. Client's primary advocate and resource is professional nurse Total lifestyle approach with equal consideration for quality of life and healthcare needs. No variation. Preferred Lifestyle Services Care Managers are experienced geriatric professional nurses who have surpassed the State of Florida's highest requirements for dementia training and education. Find out how Preferred Lifestyle Services sets the standard for keeping your parent safe at home. 
elderly man wearing a striped shirt talking to a woman with blonde hair wearing a purple shirt

The Many Truths of Alzheimer's Disease

By Judie Rappaport • April 28, 2014
When my kids and I picked up my early-stage Alzheimer’s Dad for our weekly Sunday dinner, we got his usual comment, “What a surprise!” We also got the shock of our lives when he stood up in front of the entire restaurant and scratched his private parts while loudly proclaiming, “Wow, that feels good!” When we told him it wasn’t polite to scratch certain areas in public, he said, ‘Why?’ and did it again a few minutes later. I made it worse by yelling, ‘Dad, why are you embarrassing us?’ He almost cried when he answered, ‘I don’t know.’
Elderly woman in yellow shirt talking on the phone

Long Distance Caregiving: Care Options

By Judie Rappaport • March 11, 2014
The first voice mail was Mom’s doctor saying ‘Your Mother needs 24-hour supervision.’ Next up was my legally blind and deaf Uncle John shouting, ‘Ignore the doctor when he calls. I see her every day, she’s fine.’ Finally, Dad took the phone from Uncle John and added, ‘Don’t worry, Frannie, I’ve got everything under control.’ If the conflicting descriptions of Mom’s health weren’t bad enough, the part about my very demented Dad who could not find his way to the store and back again having everything ‘under control’ was enough for me to buy plane ticket. OK, long distance caregivers, all together now: “OMG, I went through the same torture so many times.” Good news: You are not alone; at least 200 caregivers have told me they were afraid not to go see their parents because of the potential danger. Bad news: Most caregivers spent a fortune on plane travel, accomplished nothing, and repeated their actions on the next call (FYI: Einstein’s definition of insanity is repeating the same action multiple times, in the exact same way, and expecting different outcome.) Most of us are accomplished users of support systems: computer tutorials, car/home service contracts, child care, health insurance, etc. We pay these services because we instinctively recognize the benefits of retaining experts for help in certain areas. We derive peace of mind knowing help is only a phone call, GPS entry, or Google query away. All you need to create a minimal support system for yourself and your parents is one dependable person where they live: Best Option: Retain a Certified Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) to visit your parent if you call with a problem. The GCM will report accurately and cost a great deal less than a plane ticket. (Bonus: you can return to using your vacation days for actual vacations instead of caregiving issues). Alternative: Ask your parent's clergy or friend for the same backup. This may save money; however, it's unlikely anyone but a healthcare professional will have the knowledge to report accurately, accompany mom to the hospital, read the charts, and let you know whether you need to buy that airplane ticket. Trust Yourself. You Have the Knowledge, Insight & Power to make the right decisions for you and your parent. ©
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