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April is Stress Awareness Month, and it arrives with impeccable timing. For many, the “year of COVID” has been the most stressful in living memory. Few have been more affected than professional (and family) caregivers for older adults. Working remotely — a godsend for millions — just isn’t an option if your job involves changing dressings, prepping meals or helping with activities of daily living. 

As a Social Engagement Specialist for Capital City Nurses, I am in a unique and privileged position to experience, the deep connection between our dear clients and our incredible caregivers first-hand! While my job has enabled me to provide encouragement, social connection, and joyful moments to our clients over many years, I’ve also had the opportunity to meet, train and work with many of our highly-skilled and devoted, caregivers. The difficult work they do and outstanding care they provide to individuals living with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s disease is both admirable and inspiring! 

If you’re a senior worried about home safety, or an adult child concerned about a parent, take some advice from Ben Franklin: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The time and effort spent on a home safety plan is minimal compared to the distress and time that may come with recovering from an accident.

Finding a home health care provider for yourself or a loved one isn’t a casual decision. And why should it be? You could be inviting someone into your home for four to 24 hours a day. You need to trust that person — and their employer — as if they were members of your own family. At Care Advantage, we’ve spent over 30 years listening to the hopes, needs and anxieties of our clients and their loved ones in order to earn that level of trust. 

If you believe you have few choices for safe memory care, hope may be on the way. An enduring myth around dementia is that patients and their loved ones must inevitably choose between an increasingly risky life at home, and the security of a nursing facility. That’s an oversimplification; many times, middle ground can be found.

I happen to be a high-energy, compassionate, and creative individual, who believes in taking every opportunity I get to help those in need. As a Social Engagement Specialist for Capital City Nurses, I’ve been enabled to do just that for the last 17 years! Through our “Daughter-Down-the-Street” program, I provide cheerful companionship and cognitive activity through customized social visits to seniors living with dementia, and other age-related disease. 

An agency like Care Advantage can quickly answer most of the common questions about in-home care services, like: Is there home health care near me? What’s included in this kind of care? Is it worth the cost? Should I ask for companion care or personal care? But you may still be left with one nagging doubt: Will home care assistance really help preserve my independence?

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the worst of times, but one that’s brought out the best in human ingenuity. Isolated due to social distancing rules, seniors have invented or adopted ever more creative ways to bond, interact and share precious experiences with friends and family. Looking for new things to do during coronavirus? Here are seven ideas for COVID-safe activities.

There are countless benefits to seniors having pets. A pet can have a very positive impact on the social, physical and emotional well-being of seniors. Did you know that just petting an animal can result in reduced levels of cortisol, the primary stress hormone, and increased levels of oxytocin, the anti-stress calming hormone?

There is no question, 2020 is a year unlike any other. As expected, our caregiving family remained brave and resilient throughout.

As Virginia pursues the laudable goal of raising the minimum wage, it creates a dollar-for-dollar impact on home care. If this shortfall is not addressed, Medicaid patients might lose access to the high-quality home health care services provided by home care agencies.

Our team is made up of caring professionals who go above and beyond to take care of our community. Our success is due to our close-knit and passionate group of professionals. Our team members see our patients as part of our own family and care for them that way!

This season is about recognizing and focusing on those things that stand out to us as special and meaningful. Of course this year has forced us all to really re-evaluate what is important in our lives. As we continue to remember best practices for keeping us all safe, here are some thoughts around creative measures to consider this holiday season.

I love when I get to speak to someone that was former military, or their spouse, so I can discuss potential benefits through the VA or Veterans Care Coordination they may be eligible for. As a veteran, I encourage anyone I know to look into Care Advantage because their name says it all; they truly care about everyone connected to them!

November is designated as Home Care & Hospice Month a time to celebrate the nurses, therapists, aides, and other home care and hospice workers in an effort to highlight the remarkable work they perform while caring for their charges. Playing a definitive role in our healthcare system, home care and hospice workers have become the unsung heroes that provide our loved ones with the care and love they need when they are at their most vulnerable.

I love the skilled home health setting because we really get to see the results of our hard work almost on a daily basis. Forming a strong bond and a mutual understanding with a patient in the early stages of a care plan is key.

September is National Falls Prevention Month. Hear from our own Jamie Vela, a seasoned Physical Therapist and Home Care Specialist working with the elderly population. This topic is near and dear to her heart.

Our care family is growing and we need more people like you.

Quarantine is not fun for anyone, but being stuck inside all day doesn't have to be a drag! When you're looking for something to do, whether it be while waiting for a grocery delivery, your caregiver preparing your meal or washing laundry - relax by catching up on the latest travel series and indulge in some nostalgia with a Cary Grant film. 

Spend a few moments with our awesome Home Care Specialist, Elizabeth Mako. Based out of our Ready Hands office in Alexandria, VA, Elizabeth delivers some great insight on providing services during COVID-19 and why providing exceptional in-home care to clients is a team effort. 

This article explains how the services of in-home caregivers can help and provide valuable support to improve the life of an elderly loved one or family member.

“Being a nurse has been the foundation of my career, no matter the role or responsibility, I have always placed the patient at the center of everything I do. Ensuring our patients have a great experience and achieving the best possible outcome is job number one for our skilled team. Focusing on patient centered goals and getting the patients and caregivers involved in the care is where the magic happens. When patients establish goals that they want to achieve, they work harder to achieve those goals so they can quickly get back to their prior level of function and regain their independence.”

Enjoy a few moments with our CEO, Tim Hanold, as he gives an update on the Care Advantage Inc Family.

All About Care and Paradise Home Care, (part of the Care Advantage, Inc. family of brands), and represent the skilled division of the company, offering Medicare-certified home health services, programs and resources, has announced the appointment of a new Medical Director, Dr. Gohar Abbasi.

Tina Bell, Vice President of Sales for Care Advantage in-home care services, says, “I look forward to coming to work every day and feel so fortunate to be able to say that. Tina’s background is international; born in London, raised in New Zealand and having lived in Australia, she has had multiple life and career experiences. “I have had the opportunity to live in many beautiful places.

"Bio-psycho-social, what ???" Thank you to Wicker in the Morning with Jeff Wicker and Rebecca Wilde for hosting your "Front Line Friend" our, CEO Tim Hanold on your radio show! Listen to find out how you can get started in a career in healthcare and how the Care Advantage Family of companies can support you in your personal career goals! Also, find out the definition of "Biopsychosocial!"

Our caregiving communities are fully aware of what we are doing to ensure we can continue to provide exceptional care services to our clients in the home.

Our goal is to keep in mind that our role in the community is to provide high quality, compassionate care – in a client’s OWN HOME environment, wherever that may be.

Care Advantage strengthens presence in Northern Virginia Richmond, VA – January 8, 2020 – Care Advantage, a leading provider of home healthcare services in the Mid-Atlantic and a BelHealth Investment Partners (“BelHealth”) portfolio company, announced the acquisition of Amaisa Home Care (“Amaisa”). This will be the 11th acquisition for Care Advantage within three years which continues to grow their personal in-home care presence that now covers approximately 90% of the Commonwealth of Virgi...

Richmond, VA – December 18, 2019 – Care Advantage, a leading provider of home healthcare services in the Mid-Atlantic and a BelHealth Investment Partners (“BelHealth”) portfolio company, announced the acquisition of Team Nurse Inc. and its affiliated entities (“Team Nurse”).Headquartered in South Boston, Virginia, Team Nurse was founded in 2000 and currently operates 17 locations throughout Virginia. The Company provides both in-home personal care and skilled home health services and maintains a...

Finding the perfect solution for caring for a loved one in the home is a challenging scenario for most of us. It requires finding a team of reliable, compassionate and trustworthy people you can count on to be there on an ongoing basis.Many people who are facing this prospect often weigh whether to hire an agency to manage this, hire caregivers directly or provide care themselves. The cost of home care is considerable commitment and often, in an effort to save money or have more control over car...

The term Continuum of Care is frequently heard in healthcare settings. It refers to the varying levels of care a person might need all the way from living independently to in-hospital care, a rehabilitation center, long term care or long-term memory care with all of the stages of recovery or maintenance included. The continuum can be seen as a ladder with each of these settings seen as a step on the ladder.The person living independently who wants to stay in their own home is the first rung of t...

Often, patients, eager to come home from the hospital, don’t realize they may need help with the simplest of daily tasks. Day-to-day activities, like bathing, dressing, eating, standing, walking and even toileting, things we take for granted, can become impossible on our own after illness, injury or just from the aging process. Surgeries or a hospital stay can result in mobility and driving issues.