Last Friday, March 18, 2016, was a special day for Elite Home Healthcare Services. Ms. Harriet Coffee (a longtime Elite Home Healthcare Services client) celebrated a milestone birthday.
Ms. Harriet Coffee celebrated her 100th Birthday.
Several years ago, Ms. Harriet Coffee used to worry about her age as a number. But that was decades ago; now she sees it as an honor.
Ms. Coffee celebrated her milestone birthday by visiting Cracker Barrel and ordering a lemon pepper trout with all the trimmings.
“In the 80s and all, I wouldn’t tell my age,” Coffee said. “But as it moved on, I’m proud to be 100. God has been good to me. I have followed his teachings, and so he has rewarded me.”
Dr. Timothy Ihrig explains the benefits of palliative care that prioritize a patient’s personal values and navigates a severe illness from diagnosis to death with dignity and compassion.
Palliative Care is a new buzzword swirling around the health care industry recently.
The conversation often begins with a pre-hospice situation because you need a chronic condition to qualify. You may still be treating your condition but struggling, or you may have been hospitalized several times recently, or managing multiple health issues and medications.
In a nutshell, palliative care is symptom management. It is a somewhat fuzzy concept because the protocol for care varies among companies who offer it. The ultimate goal is always the same – providing you a higher level of personalized care.
Many of the hospice agencies have incorporated therapeutic programs into their menu of services because it affords you the opportunity to see the value rich hospice can bring to your family.
Waiting for the last two weeks or two days of someone’s life to bring in hospice services doesn’t serve you justly. Hospice can provide so many valuable options when brought in early enough that 24 percent of people graduate off hospice service.
Palliative care is typically at no cost to you and provides a nurse visit to your home once a month. The nurse will assess your current health and your overall well-being.
The goal is to confirm you are managing OK with the current treatment plan outlined by your doctor, including checking on your medications, your vitals, your mental health and general safety.
A social worker twill also assists with resource options. Many companies also provide 24/7/365 telephone access to a nurse.
The palliative team can work in collaboration with your doctors and help you navigate your course of care. They also offer easier access to quick assistance when there is a sudden change in health, and you are dealing with a difficult or emergent situation.
Help with getting medication adjustments (especially pain meds) in a quicker, easier and more efficient manner than calling the doctor for an appointment, is another significant benefit of these programs.
What is Adult Day Care? Adult day care offers mental, social, and physical activities for adults who’ve lost some independence due to cognitive impairments or chronic health conditions.
Benefits of Adult Day Care
The benefits of adult day care: provides meals, activities, and social interaction in a facility where older adults are monitored by trained staff.
Services Offered in Adult Day Care
Adult day services are the perfect fit for families who wish to keep their aging loved ones at home, but need help during the day while they work.
Who uses Adult Day Care? Adult day care is an important care option for family caregivers who give unpaid in-home care for elderly relatives, disabled adults, friends, or neighbors.
Adult Day Care Staff
Adult day care staff requirements are not as stringent as medical facilities no nurses or certified nurse aides unless they provide day health.
Paying for Adult Day Care
Adult Day Care Costs. The adult day care costs for each state are listed according the cost of adult day care in the state. The list of adult day care cost allows you to see how costs vary across the country.
Does Medicare Pay for Adult Care? Medicare partners with Medicaid to sponsor the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. It pays for adult day care.
Does Medicaid Pay for Adult Care? Adult day health centers deliver programs for health, therapy, social services and activities to people needing care. Medicaid Waivers help individuals pay for care.
Adult Day Services
Older adult daily living centers are also known as adult day services centers. What is an older adult daily living center? Adult day services centers operate for part of a 24-hour day and offer an interactive, safe, supervised environment for older adults and adults with a dementia-related disease, Parkinson’s disease or other organic brain syndrome. Adult day services centers offer a community-based alternative to institutionalization and provide a reliable source of support and respite for caregivers. All adult day centers in Pennsylvania provide personal care, nursing services, social services, therapeutic activities, nutrition and therapeutic diets and emergency care. Some centers offer additional services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical services, podiatry, etc. to meet the range of client needs.
How do caregivers choose an older adult daily living center for their loved one? The Department’s Caregiver’s Guide to Selecting an Adult Day Services Center brochure offers tips for selecting the appropriate adult day services center. In addition, the National Adult Day Services Association offers consumers and caregivers a site visit checklist. More information: Contact your local Area Agency on Aging to determine whether you or a loved one qualifies for services.
Seniors today are not the seniors of yesteryear-most live full, active, and balanced lives. So deciding to move into assisted living, senior community, or another type of senior housing can be a confusing process for seniors and their families alike. The process of choosing assisted living communities can be daunting, but fortunately, there are resources that can help you.
We’ve compiled questions to ask and things to think about when considering assisted living communities. Choosing the right community requires serious consideration, so take your time when evaluating the services, features, and policies offered by those communities.
Atmosphere
As you arrive at the residence, do you like its location and outward appearance?
As you enter the lobby and tour the residence, is the decor attractive and homelike?
Do you receive a warm greeting from staff welcoming you to the residence?
Does the administrator/staff call residents by name and interact warmly with them as you tour the residence?
Do residents socialize with each other and appear happy and comfortable?
Are you able to talk with residents about how they like the residence and staff?
Do the residents seem to be appropriate housemates for you or your loved one?
Are staff members appropriately dressed, personable, and outgoing?
Do the staff members treat each other in a professional manner?
Are the staff members that you pass during your tour friendly to you?
Are visits with the resident welcome at any time?
Physical Features
Is the community well-designed for your needs?
Is the floor plan easy to follow?
Are doorways, hallways, and rooms accommodating to wheelchairs and walkers?
Are elevators available for those unable to use stairways?
Does a physician or nurse visit residents regularly to provide medical checkups?
To what extent are medical services available and how are these services provided?
Are handrails available to aid in walking?
Are cupboards and shelves easy to reach?
Are floors made of a non-skid material and carpets firm to ease walking?
Does the residence have good natural and artificial lighting?
Is the residence clean, free of odors, and appropriately heated/cooled?
Does the residence have sprinklers and clearly marked exits?
Does the residence have a means of security if a resident wanders?
Needs Assessments, Contracts, Costs & Finances
Is a contractual agreement available that discloses healthcare and supportive services, all fees, as well as admission and discharge provisions? What are the policies for refunds and transfers?
Is there a written plan for the care of each resident?
Does the residence have a process for assessing a potential resident’s need for services and are those needs addressed periodically?
Does this process include the resident, and his or her family and facility staff, along with the potential resident’s physician?
Are there any government, private, or corporate programs available to help cover the cost of services to the resident?
Services
Is staff available to meet scheduled and unscheduled needs?
Can the residence provide a list of services available?
Is staff available to provide 24-hour assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) if needed? ADLs include dressing, eating, mobility, hygiene and grooming, bathing, toileting, using the telephone, shopping, and laundry.
Does the residence provide housekeeping services in residents’ units?
Can residents arrange for transportation on fairly short notice?
Are pharmacy, barber/beautician, and/or physical therapy services offered on-site?
It’s important to be prepared when calling and touring assisted living centers. Each community is unique, if you’ve seen one assisted living facility; you’ve seen one assisted living facility. Review the checklist below to stay organized, compare communities and ask the right questions to help you decide on the community that’s right for your loved one.
Questions to Ask When you Call or Visit
What is your staff-to-resident ratio?
What kind of experience and training does your staff possess?
How many staffers are on duty overnight?
Can staff administer medications?
Do you have a nurse on staff 24/7?
Do you have any experience with (issues or diagnosis of your care recipient)?
Do you do an initial assessment prior to admission?
What types of apartments are available?
What is the monthly cost per apartment type?
If there is a wait list, how many are on it and what is the policy?
Tell me about some of the current residents.
Do you have any outdoor space?
What is your discharge policy?
What additional services are available if the needs of a resident change?
What are your billing and payment policies?
Are all services included in the monthly fee? If not, what and how much are additional services?
Caregiver Jobs – A caregiver is someone who provides much needed care to someone who can’t provide it for themselves. Most of the time those needing a caregiver are adults or the elderly. Sometimes they are people who have been diagnosed with a disease and are unable to take care of themselves.
Caregiver jobs typically depend on the demands of the employer or patient. This person can either work independently or service in an assisted living facility or medical center.
You or someone you may know may be considering a shift in career choice. Maybe you need a career where there are no age requirements. Or maybe it’s possible that you are looking for a career that will last beyond your retirement age. If this is you than you should definitely take care giving into deep consideration.
As you may know, caregiving entails a lot of responsibilities. Some people have a natural ease in caring for and dealing with the elderly. Most importantly, you must know all the possibilities and range of things that can happen while you’re on the job. You must be properly equipped to deal with problems that may arise when caregiving for the needy.
There are short courses that every caregiver must take. This may be a licensure requirement in your state. This will qualify you to become a certified caregiver. It’s also important to take these courses because clients may look for these credentials when picking you as their caregiver. By taking these courses you will be better educated and able to handle the pressures of caregiving.
When taking care of the elderly or needy, you will have to do more than just tend to their physical needs and demands. You will need to be in control of their medical requirements as well. That is why having a medical background or having some education in the field is essential.
It’s important to have a pleasant personality as well. You must have a good mental disposition. This is because you will have to watch over and care for another person. The client’s life is in your hands and their loved ones will need to know that you are in control and trustworthy. Not all older people or needy are the same when it comes to their temperament.
Some older people may be gentle and cooperative. Others may be difficult to handle. You must have a lot of patience and understanding. If you get depressed easily or are easily downtrodden yourself then this may not be the right job for you.
Caregiver jobs are not always simple or easy. Although, they can be financially rewarding and bring a sense of fulfillment to your life. If you are the type of person with compassion for yourself and others then you would love caregiving.
The compassion of a caregiver is second nature to them. They will likely have known all their life taking care of others is right for them. Whatever you choose, don’t forget there are special courses that must be taken before entering this profession.
Caregivers are also known as home health or personal care aides. They may help in areas such as bathing, feeding, taking patients for walks, and taking medications to name a few. They may help patients with making appointments, providing transportation, or just being a companion and support.
According to statistics, caregivers typically make $20,170 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics or BLS.) Caregivers must have great attention to detail and follow specific rules and schedules. They must be sensitive to the patient’s fragility. Caregivers make sure patients wake up on time and take their medication on schedule.
Some responsibilities even include light housekeeping. Some patients may not be able to move on their own but their homes need to be cleaned. Caregivers will tidy up the patient’s space and enhance their living situation.
Companionship is also a main factor in caregiving. You are there to be their friend and support through their difficult situation. You must have a can do attitude and bring a sense of order.
If you believe caregiving is for you then it’s best to take the appropriate courses and place your foot in the caregiving world!
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First consider the actual care needs and write out a list of items that need to be provided.
Be able to give an example of a typical day for the care recipient, from the moment they wake up until they go to bed and include a timeline of when they prefer meals, naps and other activities.
Hands-on
How much hands-on care is needed vs. companion care?
If more companion care is needed, make a list of possible activities.
Transportation
Do you need a Caregiver who can escort the client to doctor’s appointments and social activities?
If so, what mode of transportation will they use?
Will the Caregiver drive the client in the client’s car?
Keep in mind that you may need to research your car insurance coverage if this is the case.
Will the Caregiver drive the client in the Caregiver’s car?
If so, be
aware that it will be difficult to be 100% sure that the Caregiver’s insurance policy is up-to-date even if you verify this in the beginning.
If they have a late or missed payment the policy could be cancelled without your knowledge.
Will they take public transportation (bus or taxi cab)?
This is probably the safest method of transportation to prevent the risks of insurance issues.
(Some cities provide special transportation privileges for seniors and you may want to contact your local Department on Aging for information).
Memory Loss
Is there memory loss?
If so, have you had the type of Memory Loss diagnosed (Alzheimer’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Pick’s Disease, Frontal Lobe Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, Lewy Body Disease, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, Vascular Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease)?
Blood clots and brain tumors may also cause dementia.
A diagnosis of dementia type will help the agency to better understand the care needs and assign a Caregiver with the right type of training and qualifications.
Language
Do you need a Caregiver who speaks a certain language?
Hours
How many hours of care per day will you require?
Review the list of services you will need performed during the care visit and decide on the minimum number of hours per day which would work as a starting point.
The agency will need to know the hours of service to assign a Caregiver and will allow you to adjust the hours after the first week to accurately meet the care needs.
Dietary
Are there any special cooking requirements?
Communicate any food allergies or specific cooking requests and consider how groceries will be purchased or delivered if the care recipient is unable to shop for groceries on their own.
Additional Skills
Are there any “skilled” care requirements, such as taking blood pressure, blood sugar testing, wound care or a feeding tube?
Communicate if these specialized services will need to be performed or monitored.
Medication Management
What is the care recipients method for managing medications?
Do you know for sure if the medications are currently being taken correctly?
Be able to provide a list of medications and the method of monitoring so the Agency will be aware of possible side effects and other requirements such as taking pills with or without food, etc.
Care Management
Will Care Management be required?
As Caregivers are responsible for providing the “hands-on” care, they do not have time to manage the overall care issues.
A trained Care Manager can supervise all of the care needs, from organizing medications in a pillbox and obtaining refills (due to insurance purposes, this service usually must be provided by a Supervisor or R.N. depending on the state laws), to arranging doctor’s appointments and other necessary services.
A Geriatric Care Manager will work with family members and take on responsibilities which they are unable to perform and provide professional expertise in guiding the long-term care decisions.
Ambulation not only maintains muscle tone, muscle strength, and joint flexibility, however it likewise fortifies the respiratory, circulatory, and gastrointestinal frameworks to help everyone capacity appropriately.
At the point when patients are stable because of surgery, damage, or ailment, these frameworks are influenced, putting them at danger for creating difficulties, for example, diminished muscle strength, profound vein thrombosis, and incapacitated ileus.
It is imperative to remember this and begin the patient ambulating and practicing at an opportune time in the recuperation process.
Before helping senior patients walk, it is vital to focus the level of help every patient requires.
These changes with every persistent well-being status and the period of time the patient has been idle.
For patients who are sick or recuperating from surgery, give a basic “help.”
It can include simply strolling close by the patient or utilizing a step belt for extra security.
For patients who require more than that, offer an assertive gadget, for example, a stick, a walker, or props.
Patients who have been fixed or on bed rest regularly encounter vertigo and orthostatic hypotension the initial few times they sit up in bed or attempt to stand.
Accordingly, it is regularly valuable to break the walking procedure into stages to guarantee well-being.
Start the ambulation process by having patients sits up in bed for a couple of minutes.
If they endure sitting up, have them dangle their legs along the bed’s edge.
If they endure dangling, help them to a standing position along the bed’s edge.
If they endure standing, the following step is ambulation.
If a patient gets to be powerless or woozy amid ambulation and starts to fall, it is imperative to shield both yourself and her from damage.
Rather than attempting to hold the patient up or get her, facilitate her tenderly to the floor.
You can do this securely by setting your arms underneath the persistent axillae and after that putting one leg forward and permitting her to utilize it for backing as you facilitate her to the floor.
To anticipate harm to your lower back, twist at the knees as you help the patient to the floor.
Ambulation Products
Medco Technology Ambulation Shorts permit any guardian with any aptitude set to securely and just ambulate a patient while decreasing the potential for patient or parental figure harm from falls.
The Patent Pending Ambulation Shorts are built from Medco Tech Advanced Apex material including unparalleled body shaping solace.
Savvy Ambulation Shorts are effortlessly put on the prostrate patient and are frequently set in conjunction with the SMART Slide Sheet.
Ambulation Shorts are furnished with a strap stockpiling pocket intended to keep the strapping and webbing off the beaten path while shorts are being set and evacuated.
Once set, the Ambulation Shorts are effortlessly fixed and fitted to the patient with custom pressure clasps and straps.
Keen Ambulation Shorts are balanced at the understanding’s leg, hip flexor and waist.
When associated with the overhead or versatile lift gadget Ambulation Shorts take into account straightforward change while being used.
The strap and webbing control take likewise works as a pressure and bolster system for the understanding’s mid-section and back.
The Medco Technology Tension Slider climbs and down the webbing, effectively balanced by the parental figure or patient to guarantee most extreme solace and soundness.
Ambulation shorts secure patient protection and respect, bolster or hold indwelling folly catheters, highlight open sides for patients with numerous lines, channels or mid-section tubes and with Apex fabric innovation won’t ride up, tie, or group bringing on agonizing weight territories if the patient quits helping amid an ambulation errand.
Ambulation Shorts may be utilized with any lift highlighting a snare and circle connection point or may be utilized with other ambulation forte lifts with the best possible connections.
The Benefits of Ambulation
The Nursing Outcome Classification, an institutionalized system for restorative wording perceived by attendants and therapeutic experts all through the world, characterizes ambulation as the capacity to stroll from spot to put autonomously with or without assistive gadget.
Ambulation incorporates everything from remaining to strolling to situating and even exchanges to and from medicinal offices.
An advantages’ couple of ambulation as the accompanying:
• Strengthened muscles
• Increased joint flexibility
• Stimulated course
• Osteoporosis aversion
• Pressure alleviation for the body and skin
• Improved self-regard and sentiments of autonomy
• Additional social action
As an individual from the Nurse Core family, a couple of those advantages truly hop out.
Fitting straightforwardly in accordance with Nurse Core’s mantra of giving Awesome administration, ambulation ought to be seen as a priceless apparatus for homecare suppliers, helping in two key regions: 1) Increased Flexibility and Muscle Rehabilitation and 2) Additional Social Activity
Expanded Flexibility and Muscle Rehabilitation
Patients experiencing muscle shortcoming as an aftereffect of a surgery or a stroke ought to view ambulation as one of the most ideal approaches to manufacture back strength. The non-intrusive treatment that goes before ambulation can hugely help a patient in recovering lost muscle limit. Rehashed activity, similar to ambulation, is a simple approach to assemble muscle continuance and strength, especially in the mid-region and legs.
Extra Social Activity
“Maturing is the procedure – weariness is the peril,” peruses an article from www.elitehhcs.com on assisting elderly with love ding ones keep up a high caliber of life. Be that as it may, whether the patient is a senior subject, an individual hit with an ailment or a kid adapting to incapacity, fatigue is the foe of a life loaded with joy and bliss.
Here are only a couple of the intense subject matters fatigue can prompt: sentiments of uselessness, extraordinary eagerness and disliked or uncared about. Ambulation not only forms physical strength yet has various physiological advantages also – it empowers the mind and advances social collaboration.
In 2011, analysts even found that socially dynamic elderly individuals were two times more inclined to stay away from handicaps relating to day by day exercises when contrasted with individuals who not socially dynamic.
While the risk of a doomed fall will dependably exist, the advantages of ambulation, especially for patients experiencing joint pain or recouping from surgery, ought to never be reduced. You can concentrate on the positive advantages and lessen the likelihood of an awful fall by evacuating all things that may introduce themselves as snags and guarantee that the patient is wearing suitable, strong
