Senior Home Care Agencies: A Good Option in Caring for Mom or Dad

One of the hardest realizations you may have in life is recognizing the fact that your mother, father or both are unable to care for themselves as they age.  One of the toughest choices you may make is trying to decide who is going to provide the senior home care they may need. This decision is crucial as the levels of senior home care can span from something as easy as assistance with grocery shopping to responsibilities as personal as helping someone bathe. Even if you are able to provide some help for your parent(s), you may find you cannot do it alone.

It is important to understand the dynamics in this situation. You may realize your loved one needs senior home care help, but many seniors are unwilling to recognize this fact. Some even have a tendency to refuse assistance. However, most seniors also have a fierce desire to remain living independently in their own homes for as long as possible. Senior home care companies help make this possible by offering services tailored to meet each client’s needs in order to foster that independence.

As leaders in the senior home health care industry, Comfort Keepers® is familiar with the obstacles that can make the decision of who cares for your loved ones complicated and even a bit difficult for all concerned. Conversations may become emotional but are essential when living alone becomes a danger for the senior. Once you cross the threshold and begin the selection process in earnest, there are several key points for evaluating home health care agencies you should know and discuss with your loved one.

Comfort Keepers devised the following list of 20 key questions to ask potential health care providers to assist you in making your choice:

1. How many years has your agency been in business serving the community?
2. Does your agency carry liability coverage?
3. Do you conduct national and local criminal background checks and driving records of all employees? Are personal and professional references required?
4. Are caregivers employees of your company (not contractors) and protected by Workers’ Compensation?
5. Are caregivers bonded and insured for theft?
6. Do you have a systematic method for tracking caregiver arrival and departure times at the client’s home?
7. Do you provide 24/7 telephone service?
8. Do you provide backup coverage in the event a caregiver cannot make it to work?
9. Does your agency require a minimum number of hours per shift? If so, what is the minimum?
10. Do your services include Personal Care such as bathing, incontinence care, and mobility assistance?
11. Does your agency provide transportation services for clients?
12. Does your agency maintain a business office where I can meet you and the office staff?
13. Do you have an administrative staff I may contact for information?
14. Do you provide in writing the care services provided and clearly describe all rates and fees?
15. Does your agency make periodic supervisory visits to a client’s home?
16. Can you provide documentation explaining the client’s rights, your code of ethics, Workers’ Compensation coverage, and compliance with HIPAA (the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act]?
17. Can you provide emergency monitoring systems, medication solutions and other safety technology?
18. Will your agency provide a free in-home assessment prior to starting service?
19. How quickly can your agency initiate service?
20. Are you certified or licensed by any government agency to provide homecare?

Due diligence is critical in making this choice. You want your loved one to be comfortable with the hired assistance, but you also want to ensure the senior home care company is respectable, properly insured, and conducts business in a safe, healthy and lawful manner.

For more information regarding choosing a home care agency, please visit http://www.comfortkeepers.com. Here you will find useful information regarding warning signs that your loved one needs outside assistance along with what you should expect from the senior home care agency you choose to hire.

Comfort Keepers provides in-home care to seniors and the elderly living in Ocala, Gainesville, and The Villages, Florida. We provide superior in-home care to seniors and the elderly throughout Central Florida so they can live enriched independent lifestyles! Call us today at 855-592-0013.

Feeling Like Eating Fried? Think Again!

That is a good question.  It can also be misunderstood by younger generations who do not understand the challenges many seniors face.

The problem is not necessarily that seniors are not serious about their own good health, but rather, the malnutrition they experience can be caused by factors beyond their control.

Malnutrition in seniors is often caused by a combination of physical, social and psychological issues.  Many seniors experience lack of appetite due to the effects of illnesses or medications they take for those illnesses.

Some medications change the effectiveness of taste buds, making food less appealing.  Seniors who live on limited incomes may pay high out-of-pocket costs for medications and do not have funds left over to purchase healthy foods.

In addition, those who have restricted diets because of medical conditions may not find their required bland meals appealing.  Some seniors do not have easy access to grocery stores, or the means to get there to shop. Seniors who live more isolated lives may find cooking for one and eating alone a challenge.  Alcoholism and depression may also be key factors in the lives of some seniors, further inhibiting consumption of necessary amounts of nutritious food.

Whether you are a family member, friend or caregiver of a senior, Comfort Keepers^® believes there are ways to recognize whether or not the senior you care for is eating properly and steps you can take to fix the problem and avoid malnutrition.

It may not always be easy to determine whether or not your senior loved one is at risk for malnutrition.  An easy, step-by-step quiz is available at www.InteractiveCaregiving.com ,which provides a nutritional score that can be printed and taken to a doctor to discuss the senior’s nutritional needs.   You can also easily contact a Comfort Keepers office to help seniors who may need assistance from a caregiver.

Here are additional steps you can take to help seniors avoid malnutrition:

• Visit often and monitor what the senior eats.  If possible, help cook meals and dine together to ensure healthy meals are prepared and consumed.  Doing so also makes mealtime more enjoyable for lonely seniors.
• Offer to take the senior shopping.  Help choose nutritious and easy-to-prepare items that the senior likes.  Foods packed with nutrients such as peanut butter, fresh fruits and vegetables are good choices.  Add cheese to dishes, such as rice, pasta and sandwiches, to make tasty meals.  Top yogurt with wheat germ and add extra egg whites to scrambled eggs.
• Help the senior choose healthy snacks such as peanuts, nutrition-boosting shakes, health food bars, and other nutrient-packed items designed for immediate consumption with no preparation needed.
• Introduce the senior to seasonings, such as lemon juice and herbs, that can make bland meals taste better.
• Monitor alcohol intake and be on the alert for signs of depression that may affect appetites.
• Consult the senior’s doctor regarding changing medications that might suppress the appetite.

The dynamics of a senior living alone pose unique challenges as opposed to those who have other family members living in the household and more interaction on a daily basis.  Good nutrition for seniors is a key factor in maintaining good health necessary to leading active, healthy and independent lives.  Keeping an eye on seniors who live alone is critical to helping them maintain their safety, well-being, and ability to live independently.

Comfort Keepers provides in-home care to seniors and the elderly living in Ocala, Gainesville, and The Villages, Florida. We provide superior in-home care to seniors and the elderly throughout Central Florida so they can live enriched independent lifestyles! Call us today at 855-592-0013.

photo credit: Andrew.Beebe

References:

Mayo Clinic (2009).How to detect and prevent malnutrition. Retrieved on July 21, 2011 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/senior-health/HA00066.

What Should You Do About Senior Alcohol Abuse

It may be quite surprising to you to realize that your elderly mother or another senior in your life has come to abuse alcohol.  After all, none of us plan to become alcoholics when we grow up and many of us take great pains to avoid the devastation of this disease.

However, if you find yourself wondering if Mom or Dad is drinking too much, know that you are not alone.  Research shows that alcoholism among seniors is a silent epidemic on the rise, one study reporting that 17% of those over 65 abuse alcohol.[1]

The reasons the elderly may abuse alcohol vary but often include depression and the loneliness many seniors face at an age when they may have outlived their spouses and close friends.

Retirement can also have an impact, increasing a senior’s sense of isolation and lack of purpose in life.  Often, seniors who abuse alcohol are unable to adjust to changes in their lives due to aging and turn to alcohol to combat feelings of sadness and grief.

It is important to talk to the senior in your life regarding the dangers of drinking too much alcohol.  An honest, open line of communication regarding their happiness and mental state is key.  If you suspect your elderly loved one is battling loneliness and isolation, talk to them about things they can do that interest them.

Many seniors lead happy active lifestyles after retirement, and even after the loss of a beloved spouse.  Some travel, others volunteer, join garden and book clubs or participate in other activities.  For those who cannot be that active, having a Comfort Keeper® spend time with your senior may help combat some of the loneliness that can lead to alcohol abuse.

Also, discuss the dangers that alcohol consumption may pose for the elderly. During the normal aging process, liver and kidney function may decline, metabolic rates can change, and blood flow may slow – all of which can cause negative effects on the body’s ability to process alcohol.

Sometimes, just a drink or two can cause seniors to become lightheaded or even drunk, causing falls and other accidents. In fact, some early warning signs your elderly loved one may be  consuming too much alcohol are frequent falls and injuries.

Alcohol use may intensify illnesses that seniors have, such as low blood pressure, diabetes and depression.  Some medicine is weakened when combined with alcohol, which can cause dire complications regarding life-sustaining medications.  Mixing any amount of alcohol with some medications, both prescribed and over-the-counter, can cause adverse effects, furthering the risk of additional illness or injury.

Knowing these facts may help seniors decide to limit their intake of alcoholic beverages or not drink them at all. During your talks, share the statistics of seniors who abuse alcohol.  Let them know they are not alone and there are help groups designed for their ages that offer support as well as a successful road to recovery and the happiness they deserve in their golden years.

Comfort Keepers provides in-home care to seniors and the elderly living in Ocala, Gainesville, and The Villages, Florida. We provide superior in-home care to seniors and the elderly throughout Central Florida so they can live enriched independent lifestyles! Call us today at 855-592-0013.

Do You Need 24-Hour Care?

By and large, seniors prefer to live in their own homes for as long as possible, but when care needs change and the senior requires round-the-clock care, there is often confusion or concern about having caregivers in the home.

A senior’s care needs can run the gamut of ensuring the senior takes his/her medication, or, transportation to scheduled appointments to personal care such as assistance with dressing and toileting. But which option is best for the senior, live-in care or 24/7 care? What are the differences and what factors need to be considered?

Live-in Care is when one caregiver is at the residence of the client for 24 hours and sleeps for eight hours per day. The caregiver has their own private area of the client’s residence to sleep uninterrupted during the night.

Live-in care greatly reduces the number of caregivers that are in contact with the client compared to 24/7 care and can be more cost-efficient. Typically two caregivers rotate working three or four days a week.

Clients who can perform activities of daily living independently or with limited assistance and who usually sleep through the night are appropriate for live-in care. Clients who wake frequently during the night, need to be monitored continuously, or who have dementia are not appropriate for live-in care.

24/7 Care is when continuous care is needed. Clients who need extensive care, require continuous monitoring, wake often, have dementia, or who wander are more appropriate for 24/7 care. Usually there are three or more caregivers who work rotating eight or twelve hour shifts to ensure the client’s needs are met at all times.

More caregivers can result in increased compatibility issues between the client and caregiver and the costs are generally higher because the caregivers are working 24 hours and not taking a sleep break.

With both options…

• It is important for the client, family members, caregivers, and service provider to have an open flow of communication.

• The client needs to be evaluated by the service provider to ensure the client meets the qualifications of the desired program.

• The service provider should be up-front about staffing.

In some cases the appropriate staff will not be available for live-in care, but there will be staffing available for 24/7 care because of the difference in shifts.

• Charges should be discussed before service begins.

If a client prefers live-in care, but is unable to sleep through the night, a compromise instead of 24/7 care is to have a relief caregiver cover the eight hour shift the live-in caregiver sleeps. This situation allows the live-in caregiver to sleep uninterrupted and allows the client to receive the preferred method of care.

Comfort Keepers provides in-home care to seniors and the elderly living in Ocala, Gainesville, and The Villages, Florida. We provide superior in-home care to seniors and the elderly throughout Central Florida so they can live enriched independent lifestyles! Call us today at 855-592-0013.

photo credit: timothy rex