Category: Care Advantage

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?
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It’s natural to be skeptical. But once you fully appreciate the possibilities of in-home care, your caution may well turn to excitement. Here are five ways care at home can boost your independence.‍

You can stick to your routine, or mix it up for fun‍

Independence is about making your own life choices.  Are you a stickler for routine? Perhaps, rain or shine, you visit the farmer’s market on Tuesday and bake a cake on Thursday. Your home, your habits, your regular excursions and visits—help at home can make this possible.

Or, maybe your independent streak is more impulsive: you might call an old friend out of the blue or sign up to learn a new language  course on a whim. Maybe trying a brand-new restaurant or coffee shop is one of your favorite things to do. An in-home caregiver provides the logistical support and encouragement we all need as we forge our own paths.‍

You can stay active, healthy and energized

‍Throughout our lives, our sense of independence is integrally connected to how we feel in mind, body and spirit. Whole-self wellness is empowering, even for those with underlying health conditions. Many of these can be alleviated by a nutritious diet, regular exercise and a low-stress lifestyle.

With home care assistance, you’ll have someone to help with menu planning, physical fitness and medication schedules— someone who also understands that the occasional chocolate fudge brownie or movie binge night can be medicine for the soul.‍

You can make time for things that matter‍

No one ever wished they had more time to clean behind the refrigerator. Those dull household chores, after all, eat into the precious hours you have for activities you enjoy, whether pruning the roses or playing with your pets.

That’s why in-home care services like Care Advantage take a holistic approach, crafting a unique care plan that encompasses tasks such as housekeeping, basic personal needs and meal preparation. The more time you spend doing the things that bring you pleasure, the more independent you will feel. ‍

You can enjoy “me time” again‍

When the solitary life stretches on without boundaries or interruptions, it can bring on loneliness. People of all generations have faced this fact in the age of social distancing.

Depending on your care plan, you may have a companion for just a short time per day—but that could be all you need to add some balance and variety to your routine. With that a few hours  of bustle and conversation just around the corner, you’ll rediscover the gifts of relative solitude.‍

You can stay in your community‍

Much of our sense of identity rests on the pleasure of being seen. Who doesn’t get a lift from walking into the local shop and being greeted by name? The clerks probably know what brands you prefer and how you like your bags packed, too.

It’s unsurprising, then, that a 2018 AARP poll found that 77 percent of people aged 50 and up wanted to stay in their communities. Some of the most rewarding experiences of in-home care happen outside the home, and a caregiver or companion can help you continue to play an active role in your community.

When an elderly family member reaches a point where they need the help of a caregiver to provide care and support on a regular basis, can also signal a time when their loved ones must make some difficult decisions. Families frequently have to decide whether to place them in a facility setting or elect for in-home care services. In-home care services in many instances are becoming the preferred choice for a number of reasons, but mainly because they can be customized to meet the specific needs and wants of the client. But what exactly can you expect from an in-home care program, and how can your loved one benefit from it?

Detailed below is a rundown of some of the most critical duties and responsibilities of professional in-home caregivers.

Preparing a Care Plan

While the issues that necessitate in-home care services may be broadly similar, the truth is that every case is unique in some way. In other words, a care plan that is working for one person may not necessarily work for your loved one. This is why Care Advantage companies conduct a detailed in-home care assessment by a RN before starting any client services to ensure the needs and wants of the client are met.

Assess Medical Needs

Most, if not all seniors, have some special medical needs. A lot of them live with chronic conditions that require close monitoring, multiple medications, and regular hospital visits. In-home caregivers understand this, and when you hire them, they will help monitor your loved one’s medical needs and help him or her with keeping track of medical appointments, assessing pain levels, and provide medication reminders when needed. However, it will still be necessary for you to continue discussing your loved one’s health with their doctor and other relevant health professionals on a regular basis.

Basic Personal Needs

Many seniors will to some extent, require assistance with basic personal items, such as bathing toileting, transferring in and out of bed, and grooming.  Although in many cases seniors may still be healthy, issues such as loss of sight and reduced range of movement mean that they will, at some point, need to be assisted with these basic and personal tasks. If your loved one is in such a situation, you can count on professional in-home care services providers to help them, and consequently, make their lives more comfortable.

Meal Preparation

In addition to basic personal tasks mentioned above, meal preparation is another task that seniors may need help with. Even if your loved one is relatively healthy, and he or she can perform more basic tasks, without any help, meal preparation can be quite exhausting and even risky for them. A professional caregiver will help with going grocery shopping, preparing meals, and ensuring that your loved one is staying nourished. In other words, hiring an in-home caregiver will ensure that your loved one is receiving the sustenance and hydration they need in order to stay healthy.

Housekeeping

As your loved one ages, taking care of his or her house can become very difficult or even impossible task. As such, they might need help with housekeeping tasks, such as washing the dishes, vacuuming, and taking out the trash. Professional in-home care service providers help with these tasks and therefore, hiring one will ensure that your loved one is living in a clean and organized environment.

Transportation

Another important duty of a caregiver has to do with providing transportation. As people age, their hearing, sight, and reaction time deteriorates, and this makes it significantly risky for them to drive. Unfortunately, convincing some seniors to stop driving can be quite an uphill task. The good news is that in-home care service providers will help your loved one with transportation. Hiring a professional caregiver to take care of your loved one will go a long way in persuading them to quit driving without necessarily preventing them from going out.

Companionship

‍In addition to the physical needs mentioned above, seniors also need emotional support. One of the most common challenges that seniors struggle with has to do with loneliness. Unfortunately, loneliness can contribute to mental health issues such as stress and even depression. By seeking the services of a professional in-home care services provider, you can rest assured that your loved one will have someone to interact with regularly, which will help promote their emotional wellbeing, and in turn, help to avoid social isolation which can lead to a decline in overall health, which will go a long way in boosting their overall quality of life.

The Bottom Line

As you can see, the importance of in-home care service providers cannot be overemphasized. These kind, compassionate professionals play an important role in helping seniors and other incapacitated persons to live more comfortably. They help with physical needs and offer emotional support as well. If you have an elderly loved one, it may be wise for you to seek the services of professional in-home caregivers. If you are looking for a reliable in-home care services provider in Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, or Delaware, the Care Advantage, Inc. family of companies is your best choice. Feel free to contact us today for more information about our organization and the range and quality of services that you can expect from us.

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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 care, the family will try to assemble a network of individuals they find on their own. Looking at the big picture early in the process it is vital in making that decision. There are aspects to home care you may have never considered.

Locating the right people is the first task. While many people may agree to perform caretaking, they may change their minds after actually doing the work, especially if it is their first time. They may lack confidence in their own ability to deal with a person who has medical issues, or find the work not to their liking. It takes a special kind of person to do this amazing work, one with a mixture of compassion, positive attitude, education and experience.

Also, some untrained individuals are may not have the skills and experience necessary to assist with personal care of a patient such as toileting, bathing or helping a patient transfer from bed to wheel chair especially if the patient has complex medical issues. In addition, you will need several caregivers with somewhat flexible schedules. Part of managing caregivers directly would be creating weekly schedules and filling in the gaps when caretakers get ill or cancel dates. An agency can handle all the scheduling and draw from a pool of employees to cover extra hours or days needed.

Experience and training make a big difference in the quality of care your loved one will experience. When utilizing the services of an agency such as Care Advantage, you get employees who are trained and certified as Patient Care Assistants or Certified Nursing Assistants. CNAs and PCAs usually complete a 75 to 150-hour training program and receive classroom and field-based continuing education with their agency.

CNAs and PCAs are ready and able to handle the varying degrees of need of home bound individuals. They know how to deal with the day-to-day needs of a client or patient as well the correct process in the case of emergencies. They are experienced in bathing, toileting, feeding, dressing and grooming patients. They can remind clients about taking medications, take vital signs including temperature, blood pressure and pulse and report to a medical professional. They can also assist with the tasks of preparing simple meals, laundry and maintaining a clean, orderly bedroom, bathroom and kitchen environment.

Beyond these core care related issues, there are less obvious concerns that many people are unaware of.

First, there are taxes. if you pay someone more than $1,500 a year for services performed for you, you may be considered their employer and be required to pay employment taxes. If you have ever been an employer you know this is a complex, expensive and time-consuming task. Other guidelines for employer status include whether or not you provide equipment and supplies (gloves, cleaning and other miscellaneous items) needed for home care and if you provide instruction on how and when to provide the service, including a schedule and the job details. If a home health care agency is providing you with workers, then payroll taxes, worker’s compensation and any other benefits are their responsibility.

A second concern is liability. If a visitor or occasional worker is accidentally injured in your home, then homeowner’s insurance may provide coverage. But, if you employ people to perform certain duties on a regular basis, they can be considered employees, as is mentioned above. If they are injured while lifting, walking or bathing a patient or in some other way, like tripping on steps, homeowner’s insurance may not cover that. If you are hiring direct and a caretaker has an accident or injury while in your loved one’s home, you could be held liable for that. You might contact your insurance company and determine your risk and the cost of specific coverage for that type of occurrence. Home health care agencies, on the other hand, provide insurance that covers their employees while in your home.

To learn more, check out our Home Healthcare Services    

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