Are you seeking home care for an aging relative in Dallas? Call Home Instead Senior Care in Dallas at 972-239-3934.

Today we are presenting some more information that came out of the largest study that was conducted on the state of senior caregiving in America.  These results just came out recently and if you would like a full copy of the report contact us to receive an electronic version.

The Importance of Home was another factor they looked at and the study found that an overwhelming majority (86 percent) of elderly want to be cared for at home for as long as possible. This is consistent with several other studies, including an AARP survey that found 89 percent of elderly would prefer in home care as opposed to assisted living or nursing homes.

The Home Instead survey also examined the views of family decision-makers about the desirability of their relatives continuing to age in place. The study found a strong correlation: 76 percent of decision-makers believe it is important for their loved one to be able to stay at home and to have in home care when the time comes that they need extra help.

So why are so many elderly people moving from their homes or being advised to move from their homes into Assisted Living Communities?  We would love to hear your thoughts on this question - please leave us a comment.

Source:  When the Age Wave Hits: The State of Senior Caregiving in America by Home Instead Senior Care, January 2009.

Are you seeking home care for an aging relative in Dallas? Call Home Instead Senior Care in Dallas at 972-239-3934.

Home Instead Senior Care recently compiled the results of the largest survey ever conducted on the state of senior caregiving in the United States. Some interesting findings were determined and are summarized in posts on Carebuzz this week.

At Home Instead Senior Care we often receive calls and are questioned about “who pays for in home senior care?” - “Does medicare or an insurance policy cover these types of services?” 

When a patient is discharged from a hospital, the doctor can request that a home health attendant come to the patients home for 2 hours at a time for up to 3 visits/week. Usually this is available for 6 weeks and medicare will pay for it.  The home health attendant can help prepare a meal, assist with bathing and perform some light housekeeping in the patient’s room. While these services may be helpful, patients usually can not specify the time of day or possibly can not choose the person that they would prefer to come into their home and assist them with very personal matters.

For a patient who would like a schedule that is a better fit for their routine, this type of service may not be ideal.  We also find that although having these medicare funded services are helpful they may not be enough for someone who needs more assistance throughout the day or night. There may be some overlap between the tasks that home health aides and home care workers or CAREGivers perform so it is important for a family member to be clear about what they expect each person to do if Medicare funded home health aides are coming into the home.

Many people are surprised to find out how affordable CAREGiving services can be. Each Home Instead Senior Care office is independently owned, so prices will vary, but the average across the US is $18/hour.

Who Actually Pays?:

 - 25% Of seniors pay for their own care

 - 19% Is paid for by The primary decision-maker – the person responsible for making key health-care decisions when it is not the senior

- 17% percent of seniors make use of long-term care insurance

- 10% Is funded by State and volunteer/community contributions

Source: When The Age Wave Hits: Home Instead Senior Care Annual Report

Are you seeking home care for an aging relative in Dallas? Call Home Instead Senior Care in Dallas at 972-239-3934.

Heart of a CAREGiver
Heartofacaregiver.com was developed by Home Instead Senior Care to raise industry awareness of the growing need for CAREGivers across the healthcare industry. A majority of families will experience a CAREGiving opportunity at least once with aging parents or spouses and children with disabilities. A crisis in health or accident will leave even the most cohesive family at a sudden loss as the dynamic and roles change. Respite care is a valuable and underutilized service available in nearly every community. After families go through crisis, often years after a loved one has passed, family caregivers often reminisce about their experiences with a new perspective and desire to give back to others in their communities.

Take a moment and watch this video about the joys that CAREGiving can bring to your life.

Are you seeking home care for an aging relative in Dallas? Call Home Instead Senior Care in Dallas at 972-239-3934.

Another element of Home Instead Senior Care’s Heart of a CAREGiver campaign is to educate and inform listeners of well known radio programs about aging issues. Nationally Syndicated, John Tesh, of the John Tesh Radio Show, has had personal experience with Home Instead Senior Care and his own aging mother. John will be talking about his experience and his Selleca-Tesh Foundation whose mission is to “change the face of aging” frequently during his nightly broadcast. The Tesh show features “purpose-driven radio… with intelligence for your life”. He and his wife have made it their mission to bring joy, happiness and cognitive stimulation to the aging population through the power of music.

Likewise, another well known radio voice, Delilah endorses Home Instead Senior Care as well. Complimenting her mission to “help those who cannot help themselves,” Home Instead Senior Care is proud to serve aging parents, seniors, and families through respite care, home care, senior companion services, home helpers and elder care around the nation.

www.heartofacaregiver.com
www.delilah.com
www.tesh.com

Are you seeking home care for an aging relative in Dallas? Call Home Instead Senior Care in Dallas at 972-239-3934.

As the economy suffers and a number of jobs are lost daily, the need for senior CAREGivers continues to rise. What is a CAREGiver? Simply defined it is someone who gives assistance to another person who is no longer able to perform their critical tasks of personal or household care necessary for everyday survival. Anyone who helps someone maintain their independence. Of course a CAREGiver is much more than just this. A CAREGiver often becomes a companion, a best friend, a confidant, a support system and a client/family liaison. Finding the appropriate CAREGiver to match every need of their client can be a challenge but because so many people these days are turning to CAREGiving as a second career and to give back to their community the selection is much more broad and makes it easier for a nearly perfect match.

Of course not everybody is a quality CAREGiver. A quality CAREGiver is someone who is a professional and usually has a history of CAREGiving whether it be for a loved one or professionally but they must be someone who has compassion for those in need. CAREGivers who receive ongoing training and have a support system of people who listen and understand tend to be happier and have less burnout.

The economy may be bad but the opportunity for a great career as a CAREGiver is out there. The impact a CAREGiver can make on the life of a client is immense, but the client can also make a similar impact on the CAREGiver.

Are you seeking home care for an aging relative in Dallas? Call Home Instead Senior Care in Dallas at 972-239-3934.

As the first wave of Baby Boomers begin to enter their 60’s the prospect of needing care in the future for such a large number of people has become a heavily debated subject. This need inspired Heart of a Caregiver,a new campaign that Home Instead Senior Care is launching as a resource for the aging population and their potential CAREGivers to unite and lead the industry in quality care giving. By educating the public of this issue Home Instead Senior Care hopes to spark the interest and recruit a diverse group of CAREGivers to eliminate the “one-size-fits-all” approach and provide care that is adaptable to the changing needs of the aging.

The goal of the program is to find the highest quality of CAREGivers by going into the community and attending job fairs and expos as well as radio broadcasting. Retention will be achieved through continuous training as well as the necessary tools and networks for CAREGivers that will eliminate stress, show appreciation and understanding for the role of a CAREGiver. The result is to create extraordinary relationships between the CAREGiver and the families they work for.

Are you seeking home care for an aging relative in Dallas? Call Home Instead Senior Care in Dallas at 972-239-3934.

A lot of people begin to panic when they hear their loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimers. Images of nursing homes with people nodding off and barely able to remember their kids’ names come to mind.
The question that we are always asked is “how long can my mom stay home alone?” The answer really is it depends on how well the family has prepared for this. Planning, when it comes to handling vital issues about when to move mom or dad, is the most important thing. We have seen many families that have either been in denial or not considering that some decisions will need to be made and it is better to make them in advance.

One of the ladies we took care of, Jean, was a 78 year old lovely lady with a sharp sense of humour. All of her CAREGivers loved working with her and looked forward to the times they would spend bopping around town for daily outings. She complained though that every time her children got together the inevitable conversation of “what to do with mom” would come up. She loved her home and really didn’t want to move even but eventually she did start repeating the same story over and over again.

Her CAREGivers came over twice a day. Once in the morning to help walk her dogs, fix her breakfast, help her take her medications, tidy her home and take her out to run errands or do something fun. In the evening a different CAREGiver would come by to make sure she had dinner and take her evening medications. They would visit for awhile to make sure she was feeling good before going to bed. One of her CAREGivers enjoyed the symphony and took her to enjoy it together - to that Jean replied “that was the most fun she had since her husband had passed”.

Even though Jean was forgetting things her CAREGivers kept her on track and kept her safely at home for several years beyond what her family believed was possible.

Written by: Denise Thomas

Owner Home Instead Senior Care

Are you seeking home care for an aging relative in Dallas? Call Home Instead Senior Care in Dallas at 972-239-3934.

When living in Dallas, Texas, seniors can never be too prepared when it comes to winter weather. As they say in Texas, if you don’t like the weather here, just wait 5 minutes! In the winter months, we can get hard cold fronts blowing in over night. Ice and snow are hazards to everyone driving on Dallas roads, but especially difficult for older citizens. The risk of falling increases in the winter time.

Stock up on supplies before snow or ice accumulates on Dallas streets. Start with salt. Believe it or not, there are a variety of salts to choose from. Traditional rock salt effectively melts snow and ice, but it isn’t the most environmentally-friendly option. Some eco-friendly choices that melt snow and help combat re-icing include magnesium acetate and calcium chloride. Magnesium acetate is probably the least destructive to vegetation, but it’s costly and not quite as effective. Calcium chloride is a little more expensive than rock salt, but you don’t need to distribute as much. Only need a handful for every three square yards is needed.

Other Tips to help prepare for snowfall and ice:

During Snowfall
Once the snow starts, tune in to the weather reports. If you need a shovel, get one with an ergonomic design or choose a rolling snow shovel. Proper snow shoveling techniques start with your legs. Make sure to bend your knees when lifting and moving piles. Aoid twisting your torso with a heavy load - shift your whole body, including your stance. A snow blower is another great option when it comes to snow removal.

After the Snowfall
It’s also important to lay a little extra salt to keep your concrete from re-icing. As always, make sure to replenish salt supplies and properly store equipment.

Read the full article.

When visiting an older adult over the holidays, or in the New Year, families need to be prepared to appropriately handle any signs that the senior is struggling. According to Dr. Harwood, there are a number of ways to do it right; complete the following checklist to learn if you can productively handle your holiday visit.

• You know that their home might signify negative changes – unopened bills, clutter, or an under stocked fridge may indicate that they’re struggling to keep up with the responsibilities at home.
• You are prepared for no change or positive changes within their homes – they might have assistive devices, which can indicate that they are accepting and coping well with the aging process.
• You will do your best not to overact and will not try to do too much too soon, no matter what you witness.
• You know that the aging process is not always responsible for changes in a senior, so you take the chance to talk and learn what’s really been happening in their life. This helps you learn if they’ve recently lost a friend, experienced a health change, or begun taking new medications.
• You consider how you would like to be treated if you were in a similar situation.
• After learning why the senior is experiencing these changes, you help them find simple solutions.

Jake Harwood, Professor Department of Communication, University of Arizona

Home Instead Senior Care providing the most trusted elder home care in America! Helps family caregivers cope with senior care in Dallas. Call us today at 972-239-3934.

Caregiving Decisions

Q1 – Why might family caregivers choose not to involve seniors in decisions that impact their own lives?
A1 – Sometimes it can be challenging for seniors to make decisions or gain access to needed resources based on the physical, mental and emotional limitations. In these cases, sometimes a caregiver might find it easier to make the decision themselves.

Q2 – Should seniors be involved in making decisions?
A2 – Absolutely, while they may not be able to make them single-handedly dependent upon their abilities, caregivers can assist them with the decision-making process and setup situations where they’ll be successful.

Q3 – How can caregivers involve seniors in effective decision making?
A3 – If making big decisions are too overwhelming for seniors, caregivers can complete the necessary research and use resources in order to present seniors with the top suitable options. By preventing a senior with the best choices regarding a professional caregiver, community living facility or investment opportunity; families can ensure that their senior makes a good choice no matter what, while allowing the senior to be involved with the process.

Q4 – Can this decision-making structure be used for minor day-to-day decisions as well?
A4 – For seniors who find it overwhelming to decide what to wear or what to have for dinner, a caregiver can provide them with two or three options to choose from.

Q5 – Are there any legal ways seniors can ensure their voices are heard?
A5 – It’s important for older adults to draft up Living Wills and appoint a Power of Attorney while they are still able to make their wishes with regards to healthcare, asset management and more. This will ensure that their families, doctors and legal professionals follow the senior’s requirements, even if they can’t speak for themselves.

Source: http://assisted-living.aplaceformom.com/articles/eldercare-decision-and-guilt/