When hiring a caregiving service, many family caregivers remove themselves from the situation. They envision care as a two-part equation. Care recipient on one side - home care agency on the other. In truth, family caregivers are a crucial part of this equation. Caregiving is easier when family members and professional caregivers support one another. It allows you to split caregiving responsibilities effectively. It will enable you to focus on the care duties you’re most comfortable handling. Also, it helps you avoid caregiver burnout, which is common among family caregivers. Preventing caregiver burnout is equally crucial for your well-being. Caregiving improves or maintains quality of life for your loved one. However, that shouldn’t come at the cost of your self-care. Without support from professional caregivers, it is possible for your physical, mental, and emotional health to suffer. So when you are hiring home care services, it’s essential to keep your schedule, needs, and well-being in mind. Moreover, you’ll want to do the same for other family caregivers who provide care for your loved one. Coordinating with Home Care Agencies When you’re hiring a caregiving service, whether it is respite care, live-in care, dementia care, or other assistance, there are several areas where it helps to coordinate between family caregivers and home care professionals. Below are six areas where this can make a big difference in the quality of life for the care recipient and family caregivers.
Finding the Right Home Care Provider Choosing the right home care provider will make coordinating care between family caregivers and care professionals seamless. So, it’s crucial to keep this in mind during consultations with home care agencies. A comfortable rapport and feeling of confidence in your case manager are essential.
When you meet with home care agencies, you’ll want to focus primarily on your loved one’s needs and routines. However, you should find time to discuss your own needs as well as those of other family caregivers. Can care be scheduled in a way that makes your life more workable? Are there care tasks that you’d preferably have performed by a professional? Will you need respite visits to allow for self-care? At the same time, you’ll want to develop a good relationship with the agency and its home health aides. These are the people who you’ll be planning, coordinating, and working with throughout the duration of your loved one’s care. As such, it’s essential that you start with a foundation of comfort and trust. Visiting Angels Newton/Canton is an award-winning home care agency with an excellent track record with over fifteen years of experience in the home care industry. Our case managers and care providers understand the tremendous role family caregivers have in the care equation. Because of this, we go the extra mile to work with our clients’ family members to provide caregivers with the support they need. Our case managers and office staff make it a priority to communicate with you and your family about changes in schedules, medication needs, appointments, and the day-to-day needs of our clients and their family caregivers. About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton Visiting Angels Newton/Canton senior home care agency provides quality in-home care services to seniors and people with disabilities. Countless families have benefited from our dementia home care, Alzheimer’s care, companion care, respite support, transitional aid, and elder home care services in Wellesley, Natick, Newton, Needham, Brookline, Chestnut Hill, Canton, Westwood, Dedham, Watertown, Stoughton, Roslindale, Norwood, and nearby towns. The services provided by Visiting Angels Newton/Canton will be sure to make a positive impact on your loved one’s happiness and quality of life. Call us today at 617-795-2727 for more information.
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If it were up to Leslie’s 85-year-old dad, he would be happy to sit at the computer and play games or watch TV most days. She saw that first-hand after her dad took a tumble last spring and broke a bone in his hip. The spill sent him first to the hospital and then to a rehabilitation center before he could go back to his summer home in Florida, with a care plan to continue his exercises. “The problem is, he didn’t do them,” says Tennyson. So, she hired a physical therapist to come to his home twice a week to work on exercises to keep him active. “It was helpful,’’ said Tennyson, who is now using this experience to guide her in selecting future home care services in Wellesley, where her dad lives the rest of year. “Once he got the push, he could drive himself to the grocery store and get back to cooking -- a hobby he enjoys,” she said. “He needed some motivation.” Staying Sedentary is UnhealthyStaying active is key to maintaining physical, emotional, and psychological health. While older adults may worry that becoming more active could result in injury, the National Institute of Health (NIH) says staying sedentary is what is harmful. “Studies show that ‘taking it easy is risky,’’ the NIH says. “For the most part, when older people lose their ability to do things on their own, it doesn’t happen just because they’ve aged. It’s usually because they have lived a sedentary lifestyle.” According to a U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health,inactive people are nearly twice as likely to develop heart disease as those who are active. Moreover, a lack of physical movement can lead to a higher number of visits to the doctor, hospitalizations, and added use of medications for a variety of illnesses. Leslie said her dad’s surgery and subsequent therapy was the “wake up call I needed” to start looking for senior home care services. The experience helped her recognize that a home health care provider will motivate her dad to continue an active lifestyle as well as incorporate his hobbies. The benefits of physical activity, according to that U.S. Surgeon General report, are numerous. Physical activity has been shown to:
Moreover, if that isn’t enough, consider the benefits of maintaining social activities. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) points to research and studies that show aging adults who continue hobbies and social interactions are:
Professional Caregiver Improves Senior’s Health and OutlookLike many family caregivers who struggle with bouts of caregiver guilt, Leslie is aware that she likely doesn’t push her dad enough or recognize how to get him to pursue his hobbies. However, it is now at the top of her list of questions to ask a professional caregiver because she saw first-hand how her dad's health and his outlook improved. She said she wants to hear a potential provider ask her dad what his hobbies are, what he enjoys doing around the house, and she will then ask for a care plan to continue those activities. Leslie is looking for professionals to empower her dad, not enable him. “I want him to be as independent as possible," says Leslie. “I don’t want him to give up physically or emotionally. The home health care company that appeals to me will not just do the function of following the care plan, but will produce a positive attitude and atmosphere.” How to Stay ActiveThere are four areas to concentrate on for your parent to remain or to become active. You can help Mom or Dad work on these a little each day. None of the exercises below require a gym membership, and many activities can be done at home with the help of a home health care professional. Remember to have your parent talk with a doctor before beginning any exercise program.
Endurance Endurance exercises get the heart pumping and increase breathing. Focusing on endurance helps with everyday activities like walking up stairs and shopping. Encourage your parent to:
Muscle conditioning exercises help your parent build strength and can help him or her with activities like keeping up with grandchildren and carrying groceries. Encourage your parent to:
Falling is a significant concern among aging adults, and for a good reason, one in four Americans, aged 65-plus falls each year. Focusing on balance exercises can help your parent become more stable and reduce falls. Encourage your parent to:
Flexibility exercises are stretches that will help your parent remain limber. Staying agile will help your parent get dressed, put on shoes, and take down or put away items on shelves. Encourage your loved one to:
You or your professional caregiver can also help Mom or Dad map their progress by keeping a daily log. The National Institute of Health’s Go4life has adownloadable one here. For more information on home care assistance services and how a professional caregiver can keep your parent active, contact Visiting Angels Newton/Canton by calling 617-795-2727. Sources:
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 care, dementia care, companion care, senior care, respite support, transitional aid, and elder home care services in Needham, Dedham, Brookline, Watertown, Canton, Stoughton, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Chestnut Hill, Roslindale, Westwood, Norwood 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. Call us at 617-795-2727 for information! Sources:
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 care, dementia care, companion care, senior care, respite support, transitional aid, and elder home care services in Needham, Dedham, Brookline, Watertown, Canton, Stoughton, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Chestnut Hill, Roslindale, Westwood, Norwood 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. Call us at 617-795-2727 for information or fill out the form below! Sources:
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 care, dementia care, companion care, senior care, respite support, transitional aid, and elder home care services in Needham, Dedham, Brookline, Watertown, Canton, Stoughton, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Chestnut Hill, Roslindale, Westwood, Norwood 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. Call us at 617-795-2727 for information or fill out the form below! they will always live.”Your Mom and Dad may be enjoying their golden years, but as time goes on, issues may naturally arise. Maybe Mom has a slow-progressing eye condition and is gradually losing her independence. Alternatively, Dad has begun to forget the names of you and your siblings randomly. Which may be a sign he is experiencing the early stages of dementia. It is natural to become anxious and concerned when you start to notice these changes. Your instinct may be to step in and care for your parent. However, you can't neglect balancing other needs: a full-time job, children, and family. Self-care can quickly become an occasional priority as you are trying to juggle your personal life simultaneously while helping your aging loved one. Too many pressures can cause you to burn out both emotionally and financially. It is essential to understand Mom or Dad’s conditions as their needs evolve. It is nearly impossible to gauge the level of care your loved one will need, even if you have become their primary caregiver. The natural aging process can expose your parent to a range of health issues, and certain conditions may remain undiagnosed until there is an injury or illness. Maybe you’ve thought about asking your parent to move in with you. However, most elderly would like to age in place and maintain their independence. Per a joint report by the Home Care Association of America and Global Coalition on Aging: “Nine out of ten Americans 65 and older want to stay at home for as long as possible, and 80 percent think their current home is where they will always live.” Technology is not EnoughYou may think using smart telehealth devices or installing a home-monitoring system is the answer. However, stand-alone technology can hardly replace the expertise of a trained professional such as an HHA or CNA who has cared for older adults just like your parents. Even if you’re seeing Mom and Dad on a regular basis, it doesn’t mean you can manage the care alone. For instance, severe mood swings may not manifest in an elderly until sundown, a time when you’re likely to feel drained from a long day. During moments of irritability and high-agitation, your parent can’t depend on a digital health device to restore a sense of calm; however, a trained, professional caregiver can be a calming presence, and be your eyes and ears for Mom and Dad when you can’t be there. Emotional Safety and Physical SecurityA quality home care provider can address safety before it's too late. For example, if your parent is losing balance, your mom’s professional caregiver has been trained to “fall-proof” the home. Further, this person can serve as a human firewall. Lonely seniors become easy prey for fraudsters. An unsuspecting elderly adult is a target for scam artists. Make sure your elderly loved one doesn’t end up a victim. Every day, scammers are trying to gather personal information and are banking on confused seniors to give it to them. Fraudsters may try to engage a lonely senior who is hungry for more interaction. It’s just another scenario where a caregiver can mitigate potential harm for your loved one. Professional Care after a Hospital VisitIf your mom or dad was recently discharged from the hospital, it is imperative to provide specific care to help prevent costly readmission. Quality in-home care services can dramatically reduce the chances of your loved one relapsing or getting re-injured. Around-the-clock care for the first month after hospital discharge is always recommended. Elderly adults have a much lower chance of recovery if they are re-hospitalized in this 30-day window, which is why reducing hospital readmissions is crucial. Will you be around to ensure your parent strictly adheres to a doctor’s discharge care plan? If not, you can rely on a professional caregiver to follow the medical directive and care plan, keeping your loved one safe and out of the hospital. What about if the doctor assigns Mom or Dad a meal plan? Will you be there to prepare the recommended foods for your parent? Professional caregivers will prepare nutritious meals for your loved one as part of their routine. It is no secret that early detection is the key to better health outcomes. While caregivers are not medical professionals, they do possess the education and experience necessary to recognize initial signs of dementia, Alzheimer's or symptoms of depression. They can be your eyes and ears while working extra hard to foster a positive attitude in your loved one. A home care provider is an objective third-party who takes a measured approach. Should there be a problem, you won't lose precious time before addressing the issue. Hire a Caregiver from a Reputable Homecare AgencyNo doubt you wish to hire a caregiver that you can trust to care for your loved one. That means professional skills, experience, and an attitude of respect and compassion towards the elderly. Visiting Angels Newton/Canton has an outstanding team of caregivers who are CNA or HHA certified. Each has at least three years’ professional experience in the field of home care services. Caregivers must pass an extensive home care exam and are interviewed at length by two Case Managers. Our new Caregivers complete a full orientation training which includes a specialized dementia care program. We provide continuous support with events, training, and awards. We even take care to assign caregivers that fits the personality traits of our clients to ensure the best outcome. 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 elderly and people with disabilities. Countless families have benefited from our dementia home care, Alzheimer's care, companion care, respite support, transitional aid, and elder home care services in Needham, Dedham, Canton, Stoughton, Newton, Brookline, Chestnut Hill, Wellesley, Westwood, Watertown, Natick, Roslindale, Norwood, and nearby towns. While non-medical in nature, the care provided by Visiting Angels Newton/Canton can make a positive impact on your loved one's happiness and quality of life. Call us at 617-795-2727 for information or visit our website at https://visitingangels.com/newton. For many, the holidays are the best time of year filled with family get-togethers, feasts and fun traditions; but for seniors, this can be the most depressing of all seasons as they pine for lost loved ones. And in a lot of cases, with family miles away, seniors struggle to decorate, shop, and prepare a meal. They struggle with feeling sad that they can’t move around as easily as they did when they were younger. Visiting Angels, one of the largest in-home senior care companies in the nation, offers local families the vital service of hiring senior loved ones a holiday companion. Don’t know what to get Grandma or Grandpa for Christmas? How about a friend, or better yet, an angel - a Visiting Angel that is! A holiday companion is also a priceless gift that adult children can give themselves this year – Visiting Angels can provide them with a professional caregiver to tend to their senior loved ones’ every need as they prepare for a house full of guests or holiday event. Roughly one in four seniors (age 65 or older) suffers from depression. More than 70 percent of older Americans feel isolated and lonely*. And, nearly one-third of all non-institutionalized older Americans live alone** (more depression information included below). “The holidays can be tough on seniors because many have lost people they loved. Plus, they aren’t as mobile to visit friends and family or even decorate or shop,” says Larry Meigs, CEO of Visiting Angels. “Our caregivers socialize with seniors, take them visiting and keep them engaged instead of sitting at home feeling isolated and depressed. Plus, our caregivers give families the heads up about their senior’s state-of-mind, to differentiate between the holiday blues and full-blown depression.” The Holiday Blues vs. Senior DepressionThe holiday blues are often temporary and dissipate when the season ends. The holiday blues are also associated with the time change – as daylight hours become shorter. If the blues continue after the season, it could be a warning sign of depression. Senior depression is often mistaken for other age-related issues. In fact, stress-related events such as the holidays may trigger half of all depressive episodes, according to the U.C. Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Common signs of senior depression include***
How Angels Help Seniors Beat the Holiday BluesEncourage seniors to exercise – Various studies reveal that staying physically active not only makes people feel good, but it has the same effect on mood and brain chemistry as antidepressants. Keep alcohol use to a minimum – Alcohol is a known depressant. Visiting Angels caregivers can create some other festive drinks such as eggnog or a flavored hot chocolate to help seniors cheerfully toast to the season. Don’t feel obligated to buy lots of gifts – Giving certainly can make you feel good but in times of financial despair, giving gifts can create a lot of stress. Instead, Visiting Angels caregivers can help seniors write and send personalized cards to family and friends. Stay connected socially – Volunteer at a soup kitchen (or other organization) with a caregiver – giving back greatly improves people’s moods and increases their sense of self-worth. Caregivers can also teach seniors how to use computers or cell phones to stay socially connected with family and friends. They can take seniors to a local coffee shop or to look at Christmas lights for some holiday cheer outside the home. Be a good listener – Sometimes all it takes to help a senior with the holiday blues is to simply listen. Through conversation, caregivers can help seniors live in the present (instead of dwelling on “the good old days”) and keep their holiday expectations realistic. Caregivers also cook, clean, drive seniors to doctors and stores, and even help decorate! Get a professional caregiver for your senior loved one today! *University of Michigan study, 2005 **Administration on Aging (2010 data). ***Gottlieb Memorial Hospital and Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton Visiting Angels Newton/Canton senior home care agency provides high quality in-home care services to seniors and people with disabilities. Countless families have benefited from our dementia home care, Alzheimer’s care, companion care, respite support, transitional aid, and elder home care services in Brookline, Watertown, Westwood, Wellesley, Natick, Newton, Needham, Chestnut Hill, Canton, Dedham, Stoughton, Roslindale, Norwood and nearby towns . The services provided by Visiting Angels Newton/Canton will be sure to make a big impact on your loved one’s happiness and quality of life. Call us today at 617-795-2727 for more information. There’s nothing like a mother’s love. Whether she was making your school lunch, giving you a pep talk after a disappointment, acting as your biggest cheerleader, or spoiling your kids, Mom was always there for you. Perhaps that’s why it is so difficult for grown children to accept the fact that they are not always able to take care of an aging mother themselves. In a perfect world, you would be able to take care of your aging parent in your home or theirs, relying only on family to help you. But the reality is that caring for an aging or ill parent is a full-time job that can take a toll on the caregiver; add to that the demands of raising a family, working, and other responsibilities, and chances are you’ll need a little assistance along the way. That’s where Visiting Angels come in. A national network of franchised non-medical senior homecare agencies, the company provides senior homecare to help elderly and older adults continue to live in their homes. These caring, experienced home caregiversprovide up to 24-hour care in the comfort of the client’s own home. Unlike most elderly care service agencies that assign staff and schedule appointments with little input from their clients, Visiting Angels representatives begin by meeting with potential clients in order to get to know them. They also talk with involved family members, and when necessary, a person’s physician or social worker in order to develop an individualized program to manage the particular daily needs of each care recipient. Clients participate in selecting their own caregivers, and the client and her family have the final say in the selection process, ensuring that the match will be a good one. You can be confident that your caregiver is qualified and has excellent references. “Character counts,” says Richard Bitner, of Visiting Angels. “We build relationships with families and hire only experienced caregivers who pass a rigorous screening process.” “The families schedule is our schedule”. The company also emphasizes the intangible traits of the caregiver, such as a caring personality. Many of the company’s caregivers are former hospital staff who have grown tired of budget cuts taking over healthcare and who appreciate the opportunity to do one-on-one personal care. “We want our clients to look forward to a visit by their caregiver,” says Bitner. “That’s why the client is in complete control from start to finish.” After the caregiver has been placed in your home, the company continues its personalized contact through telephone check-in and home visits to make sure you and your caregiver are a good match. Although Visiting Angels are non-medical caregivers, they can provide a vital link in patient care. In cases where seniors are coming home from the hospital or a nursing home, the agency will consult with doctors, nursing home staff, social workers, physical therapists, and of course, the family, to establish each client’s personalized needs. In addition, although Visiting Angels do not dispense drugs, they can help monitor whether the patient is taking their medication. Because caregivers have access to a great deal of health information about their clients, Visiting Angels is one of very few national non-medical senior homecare providers to be compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). “Such information is very sensitive, and all of our clients deserve the protection that HIPAA compliancy can provide,” says Bitner. Many families request we take their Mother’s to their Doctor for scheduled appointments, so we can keep the family in the loop. In addition to offering joyful companionship, Visiting Angels will also do light housekeeping, run errands, prepare meals or do shopping — other ways they can provide a respite for families dealing with the care of a loved one. Visiting Angels Newton/Canton senior homecare agency provides high quality in-home care services to seniors and people with disabilities. Countless families have benefited from our dementia home care service, Alzheimer’s care, companion care, elderly care, respite support, transitional aid, and elder home care services in Wellesley, Newton, Needham, Brookline, Chestnut Hill, Canton, Westwood, Dedham, Watertown, Natick, Stoughton, Roslindale, Norwood and nearby towns . While non-medical in nature, the care provided by Visiting Angels Newton/Canton can make a big impact on your loved one’s happiness and quality of life. Call us today at 617-795-2727 for more information! |
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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