Thousands of senior adults across the nation depend on in-home caregivers to help them manage everyday tasks, such as bathing, dressing, grocery shopping, medication reminders, and preparing meals – especially during the unprecedented crisis of the coronavirus pandemic. As COVID-19 affects more and more individuals and communities across the U.S., home caregivers remain resolute in delivering safe and compassionate personal care that is essential to the health and well-being of older adults. Their efforts reassure families their elderly loved ones are doing well, emotionally, and physically, in their home. Whether it’s shielding older adults from the flu or a harmful virus, home care providers practice proper hygiene to reduce health risks for seniors. They exercise frequent handwashing and disinfecting inside a senior’s household to keep contagious illnesses and viruses at bay. They also take special precautionary measures to clean and sanitize frequently touched surfaces such as:
Home Caregivers on the Frontlines in the Fight Against COVID-19COVID-19 has caused significant public health and safety concerns for the elderly and those with underlying conditions. The virus has changed the way this most vulnerable population socializes, interacts, and communicates with family members, friends, and neighbors. As the nation tries to find answers, many elderly adults rely on HHA or CNA-certified home caregivers for physical and emotional guidance inside the comfort of their homes. Visiting Angels’ caregivers have stepped up their everyday workload by helping their clients comprehend and practice social distancing. They also plan and discover new ways to reduce distress, boredom, and isolation for seniors during the coronavirus pandemic. Some of the techniques they are employing include:
Providing Safe, High-Quality Care the Elderly DeserveVisiting Angels’ priority remains the health and safety of its caregivers and the elderly clients they serve every day. As an award-winning home care agency in Greater Boston, Visiting Angels Newton/Canton follows and adheres to the latest health and safety guidelines issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Despite the challenges associated with COVID-19, in-home caregivers are fulfilling Visiting Angels’ mission of partnering with families to provide essential home care services for older adults.
Visiting Angels’ in-home caregivers continue to be homecare heroes on the frontlines, taking necessary steps to protect elderly loved ones and themselves as well as doing whatever it takes to prevent the spread of COVID-19. About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton: Visiting Angels Newton/Canton MA is an award-winning local home care agency providing high caliber in-home care services to the elderly and people with disabilities. Countless families have benefited from our home Alzheimer's care, dementia care, 24 hour care, companion care, senior care, respite care, transitional aid, and home care services in Dedham, Needham, Westwood, Norwood, Brookline, Watertown, Canton, Stoughton, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Chestnut Hill, Roslindale, and nearby towns. While essential personal in nature, the care provided by Visiting Angels Newton/Canton can make a significant impact on your loved one's happiness and quality of life. Contact us today at 617-795-2727 for a free in-home consultation!
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging citizens to practice “social distancing” to slow the spread of COVID-19. To protect your senior loved ones from the coronavirus, the U.S. The CDC requests individuals keep at least a six-foot distance between people, avoiding crowds, canceling events, and staying away from sick people. Some states are even ordering residents to “shelter in place.” Although social distancing may reduce the risk elderly adults face from COVID-19, it can leave seniors vulnerable to social isolation. Feelings of loneliness and social isolation in seniors have been linked to depression, worsening physical health, and increased stress and cognitive changes. Conversely, seniors who are socially active receive many physical and emotional benefits. Although you may not be able to visit and spend quality time with your elderly loved ones, you can still stay in touch while protecting your loved one from COVID-19. There are plenty of creative ways for seniors to stay active and keep communicating while maintaining social distance, including: Phone and video callsCalling your elderly loved ones a few times a day can help reduce feelings of social isolation. Take time to share stories, tell jokes, solve riddles, play simple games, or read aloud with them. If possible, take advantage of video call apps like FaceTime or Skype and conference in multiple family members on the same call. Hearing loved one's voices and seeing their faces will help brighten your beloved senior’s day. Send lettersGive your elderly loved one a pleasant surprise by mailing letters. Let them know you are thinking of them and that they are dear to you. Remember not to limit yourself to just a written note. Receiving pressed flowers, burned CDs, printed photos, or even a grandchild’s art project can be a wonderful gift to open. Book and movie groupsPick a book or movie to read or watch, and then have a discussion about it over the phone or via video chat. Revisit a classic that both you and your loved one have enjoyed in the past or use this opportunity to try out a book or movie neither of you has read or seen before. Also, consider finding audiobooks or podcasts that you can both enjoy. Media is a great escape, and many seniors will relish the opportunity to exercise their minds by having an engaging conversation with their loved ones. Virtual group meetings, events, or classesIn recent weeks, many religious organizations, senior centers, exercise studios, and other businesses and community groups have converted to a virtual format. They are now hosting classes, events, and meetings using Google Hangouts, Zoom, FaceTime, YouTube, and other Internet-based platforms. Do some research and help your loved one connect virtually with his or her favorite activities or community groups — and consider participating together, if possible. In addition to providing some enrichment and entertainment, participating together will give you and your loved one something to discuss afterward. You may need to provide your loved one with verbal instructions over the phone to help them install software or apps, access websites, or get logged on. Although the technology may seem intimidating, it is essential to remind your loved one that keeping to regular routines as much as possible and having fun activities to look forward to will help to alleviate stress and promote a feeling of belonging despite not being able to participate in person. Have supplies deliveredWith many seniors staying home, running out of food or medications can be a real risk. Show your loved one that you are still thinking of them even if you are not able to be together right now by ordering groceries or meal deliveries to their home. Amazon Alexa and Constant CompanionVisiting Angels® offers Constant Companion, a proprietary system that uses Amazon Alexa to help seniors live a safe and independent life while staying connected to their communities. Constant Companion responds to voice-activated medical alerts and summons help ASAP. It does not require any wearable devices and can even be used to call or send voice messages to loved ones. Constant Companion also includes an optional video chat feature and can read audiobooks, play games, and give medication reminders to your loved one. Keeping seniors and other vulnerable populations safe through social distancing is vital as COVID-19 spreads. Although it can be tricky at times, there are plenty of ways to help older adults stay socially connected and not fall prey to feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Feel free to call Visiting Angels Newton/Canton at 617-795-2727 if you have any questions about caring for your senior loved one. About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton: Visiting Angels Newton/Canton MA is an award-winning local home care agency providing high caliber in-home care services to the elderly and people with disabilities. Countless families have benefited from our home Alzheimer's care, dementia care, companion care, senior care, respite support, transitional aid, and home care services in Westwood, Norwood, Brookline, Watertown, Needham, Dedham, Canton, Stoughton, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Chestnut Hill, Roslindale, and nearby towns. While essential personal in nature, the care provided by Visiting Angels Newton/Canton can make a significant impact on your loved one's happiness and quality of life. Contact us today for a free in-home consultation! We are Staying Diligent As the confirmed cases of COVID-19 continues to rise in our area, we are monitoring the situation and the advice from public health authorities. Visiting Angels remain committed to our responsibility as your home care provider during this time. We recognize that our Visiting Angels caregivers allow seniors to age safely and comfortably in their own homes, wherever that may be, and that some of our clients cannot get through the day or night without a caregiver. We want to assure you that we are communicating to our caregivers to follow best practices, including hand-washing, and staying home if they are feeling ill or have traveled to Level 3 CDC countries. A recent study, the National Poll on Healthy Aging, found that one in three seniors is lonely. “Living alone, in particular, was highly associated with feeling lonely. Among those living alone, 60% reported feeling a lack of companionship, and 41% felt isolated.” In the report, in-home care services were listed as one of the solutions to help alleviate this problem. The emotional impact aside, this research also showed that loneliness has significant repercussions on senior health. “Chronic loneliness can impact older adults’ memory, physical well-being, mental health, and life expectancy. Some research suggests that chronic loneliness may shorten life expectancy even more than being overweight or sedentary, and just as much as smoking.” Loneliness is a condition that can develop over time. It may start with increasing geographical distances between families as seniors are often left behind when adult children relocate for job opportunities. Then, one by one their contemporaries begins to pass away. Those seniors who survive their siblings tend to feel more isolated. Medical problems or the death of a spouse can make seniors even less likely to engage, compounding their feelings of loneliness. The study goes on to say that “encouraging and supporting meaningful social connections and more frequent interactions — through activities such as volunteerism, participation in community or religious groups, or home visiting programs — may help mitigate loneliness and its associated health challenges.” This is one of the many reasons why adding professional home care providers to your loved one’s life can have such a positive impact. Has Your Family Considered Homecare Assistance?Many people are balancing children, a career, and managing a household. It can feel like there are not enough hours in the day when you don’t have an opportunity to stop by and visit your loved one. You start to wonder: Did they eat a nutritious meal for breakfast, wearing their medical alert pendant? Did they remember to lock the front door and take their evening pills? Being a family caregiver is a lonely road. Many people don’t understand the challenges until they have experienced it themselves. If you’re on this road, now may be the time to explore home care assistance. Stephanie Cacioppo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Chicago, is also director of the university’s National Institute on Aging-supported Brain Dynamics Laboratory. She states, “The misery and suffering caused by chronic loneliness are very real and warrant attention. As a social species, we are accountable to help our lonely children, parents, neighbors, and even strangers, in the same way, we would treat ourselves. Treating loneliness is our collective responsibility.” That’s where Visiting Angels Newton/Canton can be of assistance to you and your loved one. The responsibility you feel can be shared with our compassionate home care aides and your family. We are here to ease the stress you are feeling while also providing your loved one with friendly, joyful companionship. Our home care assistance can include help with a wide range of tasks and activities. We can provide reminders to take medications, transportation to appointments or therapies, provide assistance with household chores, and help with personal care and hygiene needs. We’ll be there to ease your burden while helping to combat the loneliness your loved one may be feeling. At Visiting Angels Newton/Canton of Massachusetts, we understand the power of a team when it’s focused on the same objectives. To request a free in-home consultation, and find out more about our home care assistance services, contact us today at 617-795-2727. About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton:
Visiting Angels Newton/Canton MA is an award-winning local home care agency providing high caliber in-home care services to the elderly and people with disabilities. Countless families have benefited from our Alzheimer’s and dementia care, respite support, companion care, transitional aid, and senior home care services in Norwood, Westwood, Natick, Wellesley, Needham, Dedham, Brookline, Watertown, Canton, Stoughton, Newton, Chestnut Hill, Roslindale and nearby towns. While non-medical in nature, the care provided by Visiting Angels Newton/Canton can make a significant impact on your loved one’s happiness and quality of life. Our caregivers are all CNA or HHA certified. They complete a full orientation training that includes a dementia care program that utilizes cognitive impairment simulation scenarios. We also offer specialized training opportunities for our office staff and caregivers throughout the year. We have received the Best of Home Care – Leader in Excellence, Trusted Provider, Best of Home Care Provider, and Best of Home Care Employer by Home Care Pulse for six consecutive years. We have also earned Top Places to Work by the Boston Globe for five years, and are proudly accredited by the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts. One of the most significant benefits of senior home care services is an increased sense of safety. When you hire a caregiver for an elderly loved one, they can safeguard your loved one’s physical well-being, helping them stay healthy and avoid injury. At the same time, a caregiver can provide peace of mind about your loved one’s security, helping them steer clear of scammers, fraudsters, and other criminals. The rise of medical fraud has underscored the need to protect seniors from scammers. Cases of medical identity theft have increased in recent years, with seniors among the most targeted demographics. This year, scammers have been using the new style of Medicare cards as a way to trick seniors into giving up sensitive personal information. If you’re worried that your loved one could A caregiver’s presence may thwart attempts at medical identity theft by one of these scams, senior home care services can offer peace of mind. Seniors are most vulnerable to scammers when they’re alone. A caregiver from a reputable senior homecare agency will give your loved one someone they can turn to when they get a strange call, receive a suspicious email, or find someone on their doorstep asking odd questions. |
AuthorVisiting Angels Newton/Canton is an award-winning in-home care agency that provides high quality home care to seniors and disabled adults in Greater Boston, MA. Archives
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