CareAvailability site expands into Colorado to help families navigate an additional 1,740 care and senior housing options.

CareAvailability is proud to announce its expansion into Colorado, further establishing its real-time availability of senior housing options in the mountainous Southwest. CareAvailability provides the real time reporting of availability for senior care up to the minute at provider locations. This is a new industry standard, delivering an easy one stop option for families and caregivers to navigate all levels of senior care. The site first launched in Oregon during the COVID pandemic as an effort to help hospitals find care for patients needing to transition out of beds.  The site is expanding quickly across the country, and further bolstering its presence in the Southwest.

This is a free resource that lists every provider in the area on the site and allows them to report availability their availability for free. Families and caregivers can also use the site free of cost to find available levels of care at any time and with no need to provide personal details, championing Family and Patient Freedom of Choice like never before.

Senior advocates and health professionals rely on CareAvailability to manage comprehensive lists of care options that they can easily monitor and check for active options at their leisure. Families can self navigate through different levels of care and find available options that they can claim or call as they please. Rather than care providers needing to manage multiple sites at cost, CareAvailability is an extensive resource that does not charge hospitals, physicians, health clinics, social workers or any health team for their services. Medicare Ratings are also included to support Patient Freedom of Choice.

CareAvailability allows families to have a reliable resource in one place to easily find care in a troubling time. Determining the right level of care can be an exhausting process, as many states have different terminology and standards for certain levels of care. The team at CareAvailability has taken extra steps to provide educational articles as well as links to state agencies to help families better understand Long Term Care and aging.

“We wanted to create a comprehensive database for families and caregivers to easily connect with providers without endless phone calls and uncertainty of available rooms,” CareAvailability’s CEO, Amy Schmidt, says. Ms. Schmidt further explains, “We saw the need for this kind of resource during the heart of the pandemic as caregivers tried to discharge patients, and now moving forward this reliable database exists for effective efficiency.”

CareAvailability’s expansion to Colorado means an additional 1,740 providers are now listed in the database of resources. This includes more than: 660 assisted living communities, 220 skilled nursing facilities, and over 850 home care, home health, and hospice agencies.

Fun Facts about Colorado

Colorado is nicknamed The Centennial State, due to becoming a state 100 years after the signing of the nation’s Declaration of Independence. Colorado is also called “Colorful Colorado” because of the magnificent scenery.

Colorado’s state motto is “Nil Sine Numine”, meaning “ Nothing without Providence or Deity.”

About CareAvailability

Care Availability is a website dedicated to helping seniors, their families, and healthcare professional find care in real time. Specific questions can be directed to the Care Availability Team’s contact page or connect with them on Facebook.

CareAvailability site expands into Utah to help families navigate an additional 469 care and senior housing options.

CareAvailability is proud to announce its expansion into Utah, further expanding its real-time availability of senior housing and care options in the Southwest. CareAvailability presents a new industry standard, providing ease of use for families and caregivers to navigate all levels of care in one place up to the minute. The site first launched in Oregon during the COVID pandemic as an effort to help hospitals find care for patients needing to transition out of beds. The site’s reach is expanding across the country, as Utah joins Arizona, California, and Texas as the premier online resource for care in the Southwest.

The site lists every senior housing and care provider in the state and allows them to report their real- time availability at no cost. The site delivers a comprehensive list of all levels of senior care for families to search with no need to provide personal details, significantly increasing Family and Patient Freedom of Choice like never before.

Senior advocates and health professionals champion CareAvailability’s versatility to construct extensive lists of care options, as well as allowing people to self-navigate searching for care providers. Rather than care providers needing to manage multiple pay-to-play sites, CareAvailability is a one stop resource, as they do not charge hospitals, physicians, health clinics, social workers or any health team for their services. Medicare Ratings are also included to support Patient Freedom of Choice.

CareAvailability serves to assist families seeking care for loved ones by easing an overwhelming process in an already difficult time. It’s hard to know where to start in finding the right level of care, as many states have different terminology and assessments for certain levels of care. The team at CareAvailability has taken extra steps to provide educational articles as well as links to state agencies to help families better understand Long Term Care and aging.

“We want to provide a direct connection between providers, caregivers, and families searching for care. No more endless phone calls, no more wait lists – you can now find available housing and care options right when you need them,” says CareAvailability’s CEO, Amy Schmidt, says.

CareAvailability’s expansion to Utah means an additional 469 providers are now listed in the database of resources. This includes more than: 230 assisted living communities, 90 skilled nursing facilities, and over 140 home care, home health, and hospice agencies.

Fun Facts about Utah

Utah is nicknamed The Beehive State, to symbolize hard work and industry. A beehive can be found on Utah’s state flag and state seal, and the state insect of Utah is the honeybee.

The name “Utah” originates from the Native American “Ute” tribe which means people of the mountains.

About CareAvailability

Care Availability is a website dedicated to helping seniors, their families, and healthcare professional find care in real time. Specific questions can be directed to the Care Availability Team’s contact page or connect with them on Facebook.

August is Family Fun Month! This month focus on spending quality time with your family and those closest to you. Take that long awaited vacation, spend time outdoors, and connect with your people! Remember, family can be chosen as well. Make the time to have some Family Fun and surround yourself with those who you consider your family this month.

Other notable celebrations this month include…

• Back to School Month
• American Artists Appreciation Month
• Immunization Awareness Month
• Purple Heart Day
• The Perseid Meteor Shower

August was first called Sextillia – the Roman word for “sixth”, as it was the sixth month of the Roman year. It was later changed to August by the Emperor Augustus, named after himself.

Learn more about the history of previous months here.

CareAvailability site expands into New Jersey to help families navigate an additional 1,853 care and senior housing options

CareAvailability is proud to announce its expansion into New Jersey, officially providing its real-time availability of senior housing options in the Northeast. CareAvailability presents real-time reporting of availability for senior care. This is a new industry standard, championing ease of use for families and caregivers to navigate all levels of care in one place up to the minute. The site first launched in Oregon during the COVID pandemic as an effort to help hospitals find care for patients needing to transition out of beds. The site’s reach has quickly expanded across the country, now serving the senior population of New Jersey.

This is a free online resource that lists every provider in the area and allows them to report their real- time availability at their leisure. The site delivers a comprehensive list of all levels of senior care for families to search with no need to provide personal details, significantly increasing Family and Patient Freedom of Choice like never before.

Senior advocates and health professionals rely on CareAvailability to construct extensive lists of care options, as well as allowing people to self-navigate searching for care providers. Rather than care providers needing to update multiple paid sites, CareAvailability is an all-encompassing resource, as they do not charge hospitals, physicians, health clinics, social workers or any health team for their services. Medicare Ratings are also included to support Patient Freedom of Choice.

CareAvailability strives to support families seeking care for loved ones in an already trying time. Finding the right level of care can be overwhelming and confusing, as all states have different terminology and qualities that signify a certain level of care. The team at CareAvailability has taken extra steps to provide educational articles as well as links to state agencies to help families better understand Long Term Care and aging.

CareAvailability’s expansion to New Jersey means an additional 1,853 providers are now listed in the database of resources. This includes more than: 200 assisted living communities, 340 skilled nursing facilities, and over 1,280 home care, home health, and hospice agencies.

Fun Facts about New Jersey

New Jersey is nicknamed The Garden State. Abraham Browning, the Attorney General of New Jersey from 1845 to 1850, called New Jersey “The Garden State” while speaking at the Philadelphia Centennial exhibition on New Jersey Day in 1876. Browning said that “our Garden State is an immense barrel, filled with good things to eat and open at both ends, with Pennsylvanians grabbing from one end and New Yorkers from the other.” The name stuck ever since.

During the Revolutionary War, New Jersey was a significant state due to its location near the center of the thirteen colonies. Because of this, more battles were fought in New Jersey than in any other state.

About CareAvailability

Care Availability is a website dedicated to helping seniors, their families, and healthcare professional
find care in real time. Specific questions can be directed to the Care Availability Team’s contact page or
connect with them on Facebook.

CareAvailability site expands into South Carolina to help families navigate an additional 1,675 care and senior housing options

CareAvailability has continued its expansion into South Carolina, providing a new industry standard of real-time availability of senior housing options in the South. The site offers a new and improved method of searching for senior care as the first and only website that delivers real-time reporting of availability to the minute. The site first launched in Oregon during the COVID pandemic and is quickly expanding across the country, now providing new resources for South Carolina seniors and caregivers looking to connect with providers.

CareAvailability is the only online resource that lists every provider for free and allows them to update availability at no cost as often as possible. Seniors are able to search the site seamlessly without having to provide any personal details, significantly increasing Family and Patient Freedom of Choice.

Senior advocates and health professionals utilize CareAvailability to construct comprehensive lists of care options, while allowing seniors and loved ones to easily navigate all necessary levels of care. Providers can easily monitor this single resource, allowing them to post real-time availability in one place to avoid the costs of multiple pay to play sites. CareAvailability is an easy one-stop resource, as it does not charge hospitals, physicians, health clinics, social workers or any health team for their services. Medicare Ratings are also included to support Patient Freedom of Choice.

CareAvailability serves to relieve the trying time of finding care for a loved one. With all locations and levels of care listed, users can easily self-navigate without making multiple phone calls. The site also provides educational articles to determine the necessary service for the user, as distinguishing between types of care can be overwhelming.

CareAvailability’s expansion to South Carolina means an additional additional 1,675 providers are now listed in our database of resources. This includes more than: 475 assisted living communities, 190 skilled nursing facilities, and over 1,030 home care, home health, and hospice agencies.

Fun Facts about South Carolina

South Carolina is nicknamed The Palmetto State, after the state tree, the Sabal Palmetto tree. During the Revolutionary War, Palmetto trees were utilized by the South Carolina militia to absorb and negate the force of the British cannonballs. A Palmetto tree can be found on the state flag for South Carolina as well.

The state motto of South Carolina is “Dum Spiro Spero” meaning “While I breathe, I hope.”

About CareAvailability

CareAvailability is a website dedicated to helping seniors, their families, and healthcare professional find care in real time. Specific questions can be directed to the CareAvailability Team’s contact page or connect with them on Facebook.

July is Social Wellness month, and after over two years of living through a worldwide pandemic, let’s take advantage of opportunities for socializing! Now that vaccines are more widely available and businesses are opening back up again, it’s time to recognize the need for Social Wellness, especially for Older Americans who experienced so much isolation during the Covide pandemic. Studies have found that people who stay social tend to live longer, have healthier cardiovascular systems, and respond better to stress, along with so many other benefits that we seemed to have taken for granted during the pandemic. Ways to practice social wellness can include planting in your neighborhood garden, joining a gym or exercise group, or going out for coffee with a friend.

Other notable celebrations in the month of July include…

• Minority Mental Health Awareness Month – Observed each July to bring awareness to the unique struggles that racial and ethnic minority communities face regarding mental illness in the United States. Learn more here.
• Independence Day
• Park and Recreation Month
• Culinary Arts Month

“July is named in honor of Julius Caesar.”

Learn more about the history of previous months here.

CareAvailability site expands, adding an additional 230 care and senior housing options for the state of Rhode Island

CareAvailability is proud to announce its expansion into Rhode Island, officially providing its real-time
availability of care and senior housing options on the east coast. CareAvailability remains a NEW industry standard as the first and only website that delivers real-time reporting of availability for senior care to the minute. The site first launched in Oregon during the COVID pandemic as an effort to help hospitals find care for patients needing to transition out of beds. Expansion followed into Washington, California, Florida, Arizona, Texas, North Carolina, and now Rhode Island.

Unlike other sites, this online resource lists every provider for free, and each can update their current availability at no cost; this significantly increases Family and Patient Freedom of Choice like never before. Until now, there has not been a site that delivers a comprehensive list for families to search without having to give any personal details.

Senior advocates and health professionals rely on CareAvailability to put together comprehensive lists of care options, as well as allowing people to self-navigate searching for care providers. Instead of care providers needing to update multiple paid sites, CareAvailability is an easy one-stop resource, as they do not charge hospitals, physicians, health clinics, social workers or any health team for their services. Medicare Ratings are also included to support Patient Freedom of Choice.

CareAvailability continues to alleviate the search for senior care in an already trying time. Options can be overwhelming, especially when families don’t know where to start. The team at CareAvailability has taken extra steps to provide educational articles to help families better navigate the maze of Long Term Care and aging, by providing links to state agencies, as well as explaining local terminology and regulations.

CareAvailability’s expansion to North Carolina means an additional additional 230 providers are now listed in our database of resources. This includes more than: 90 assisted living communities, 70 skilled nursing facilities, and over 60 home care, home health, and hospice agencies.

Fun Facts about Rhode Island

Rhode Island is nicknamed The Ocean State, because even though it is the smallest state in the union (just 1,045 square miles), it has direct access to the Atlantic Ocean. Rhode Island was the last of the original thirteen colonies to become a state.

The name Rhode Island comes from the Dutch phrase “Roodt Eylandt”, meaning “Red Island”.

About CareAvailability

Care Availability is a website dedicated to helping seniors, their families, and healthcare professional find care in real time. Specific questions can be directed to the Care Availability Team’s contact page or connect with them on Facebook.

CareAvailability site expands into North Carolina to help families navigate additional care and senior housing options.

CareAvailability is proud to announce its expansion into North Carolina, officially providing its real-time availability of senior housing options on the east coast. CareAvailability remains a NEW industry standard as the first and only website that delivers real-time reporting of availability for senior care to the minute. The site first launched in Oregon during the COVID pandemic as an effort to help hospitals find care for patients needing to transition out of beds. Expansion followed into Washington, California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and now North Carolina. Our research has highlighted a significant amount of older Americans in North Carolina looking for senior care.

Unlike other sites, this online resource lists every provider for free, and each can update their current availability at no cost; this significantly increases Family and Patient Freedom of Choice like never before. Until now, there has not been a site that delivers a comprehensive list for families to search without having to give any personal details.

Senior advocates and health professionals rely on CareAvailability to put together comprehensive lists of care options, as well as allowing people to self-navigate searching for care providers. Instead of care providers needing to update multiple paid sites, CareAvailability is an easy one-stop resource, as they do not charge hospitals, physicians, health clinics, social workers or any health team for their services. Medicare Ratings are also included to support Patient Freedom of Choice.

CareAvailability continues to alleviate the search for senior care in an already trying time. Options can be overwhelming, especially when families don’t know where to start. The team at CareAvailability has taken extra steps to provide educational articles to help families better navigate the maze of Long Term Care and aging, by providing links to state agencies, as well as explaining local terminology and regulations.

CareAvailability’s expansion to North Carolina means an additional additional 3,696 providers are now listed in our database of resources. This includes more than: 580 assisted living communities, 400 skilled nursing facilities, and over 2,000 home care, home health, and hospice agencies.

Fun Facts about North Carolina

North Carolina is nicknamed The Tar Heel State, due to the state’s long history as a producer of naval stores – tar, pitch, rosin, and turpentine – all of which were derived from North Carolina’s expansive pine forests. The Outer Banks of North Carolina are home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the U.S., and the state itself boasts 1,500 lakes of 10 acres or more in size.

The state motto of North Carolina is “Esse Quam Videri” meaning “To be rather than to seem.”

About CareAvailability

CareAvailability is a website dedicated to helping seniors, their families, and healthcare professional find care in real time. Specific questions can be directed to the CareAvailability Team’s contact page or connect with them on Facebook.

Memories in the Making Art Auction & Gala 2022

The Annual Memories in the Making Art Auction and Gala was back in person for 2022 and it was amazing! Together attendees raised over $228,000 and enjoyed a phenomenal evening at The Hilton Downtown Portland. The fantastic success of this beloved event reflects the ever-increasing dedication and enthusiasm of donors, volunteers, and families.  Thank you for supporting the Oregon and Southwest Washington Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association by donating to this great cause.

Memories in the Making is a unique fine-arts program for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.  The program’s creative process provides a safe and validating environment for artistic expression, resulting in a creative and nonverbal way to communicate and capture precious moments through art.

COVID definitely changed so much of what we do and we know that during this time we had to completely halt this program.  We are now focused on regrowth of this great program and we invite interested facilitators to an upcoming training to get the program up and running in your community:

Thursday, June 16, 2022, 11 am to 12:30 pm (Register Here)

Thursday, July 21, 2022, 1 pm to 2:30 pm (Register Here)

Mark your calendars for the 2023 Memories in the Making Art Auction for March 10, 2023 again at The Hilton.

Happy Pride Month!

The month of June is celebrated as LGBTQ Pride Month to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, an event that became essential to the Gay Liberation Movement in the U.S. Initially, the last Sunday in June was celebrated as “Gay Pride Day”, but the one day quickly grew into a month-long series of celebrations including parades, festivals, concerts, workshops, and other events that attract millions from around the world. The purpose of these events are to honor the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have had on history.

Other notable celebrations in the month of June include…

• Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month – June 21st is known as The Longest Day, as the day with the most light people from across the world will come together to fight the darkness known as Alzheimer’s disease through various fundraising activities.
• Juneteenth – Celebrated on June 19th, Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans. Juneteenth celebrates African-American freedom, education, and achievement.
• National Student Safety Month
• Professional Wellness Month

“June is named after the Greek goddess Juno, a goddess of marriage, childbirth, and fertility.”

Learn more about the history of previous months here.