Whats ok and whats not ok when you are a caregiver

What’s OK and What’s Not OK When You Are a Caregiver

By Cindy Laverty 

Everywhere I travel and meet caregivers, I see a common theme: Most family caregivers are afraid to ask for help. Somehow people think that they should just miraculously know how to care for an aging loved one.

Why would you know this? You did not receive PhD in Caregiving and your loved one poses challenges that you don't have the answers to. As I'm listening to their challenges, frustrations, fears, sorrows, stress-induced situations and overall feelings of being overwhelmed, I find that many caregivers seem to need permission from a professional to ask for help. So very simply, I reach out and take the person's hand, and give permission. Usually there is an instant look of relief in the person's face. It's incredible that giving someone permission to not be perfect helps relieve the pressure and the stress.

Caregivers frequently suffer from severelystressful emotions that can control and even ruin their lives. Sadly, these are the caregivers who, for whatever reason, have refused to ask for help or seek professional advice either from a medical doctor or a therapist. In order to manage the caregiving journey, you simply must step out of your comfort zone and find alternative methods for dealing with your personal situation.

The only way that family caregivers can sustain all that needs to be done to care for a loved one is to delegate responsibility and ask for help. It's really simple and it changes lives.

Here are some things that I think are okay for caregivers:

It's okay to be scared.It's okay to be angry, lost, sad and evendepressed.It's okay to lose your patience.It's okay that you don't want to sacrifice your whole life for someone else. And you shouldn't.It's okay that your self-esteem feels damaged.It's okay that you make mistakes.It's okay that you don't know how to do everything.It's okay that you don't have the answers.It's okay that you don't have a cure.It's okay that you're not there all the time.It's okay that you sometimes have extreme feelings towards the person for whom you are caring.It's okay that you lost your temper.It's okay that you had to apologize.It's okay that you're afraid.It's okay that you can't get everything done in a day.It's okay that you have guilt. All caregivers have guilt.It's okay that you have compassion fatigue.It's okay you feel trapped.It's okay that you took a few days for yourself.It's okay that you vented to your spouse or friend.

All of these things are absolutely okay. How you manage them is going to make the difference between becoming an Empowered Caregiver or staying in a hopeless situation.

Here are some things that are NOT okay.

It's not okay that you feel like you have to do everything yourself.It's not okay that you feel like an indentured servant.It's not okay that you are ignoring your personal needs.It's not okay that you are ignoring friends and social activities.It's not okay that asking for help paralyzes you.It's not okay that you don't have a plan in place.It's not okay to feel helpless and hopeless for days on end.It's not okay that you have stopped doing activities you once loved.It's not okay that you are afraid to say "no" or "not now."It's not okay that your siblings don't help you.It's not okay that you don't have boundaries in place.It's not okay that you feel unappreciated by your family.It's not okay that you have lost pride in what you are doing for another human being.It's not okay to sacrifice your financial security.It's not okay that you do everything your loved one wants, especially when the demands can be outrageous.It's not okay that you don't sleep or eat properly.It's not okay that you are constantly exhausted when help is available, if you would only seek it.It's not okay that you are sacrificing your personal health for another.It's not okay that you are constantly trying to fix everything that is wrong.It's not okay that you are living your life in crisis.

If any of the above rings true for you, then decide right now that you will get the help you need. Decide that you will live your life in a better way. Decide that you will take the necessary steps to ask for and get answers to the challenges that you are facing. Decide today that you are worth the time, energy and financial investment to survive, thrive and become an Empowered Caregiver

Jamie's Home Care Services

3049 Cleveland Ave Suite 276

Fort Myers, FL 33901

239-333-9517

www.jamieshomecare.com

Vascular Dementia

What is vascular dementia?

Vascular dementia (VaD), also called multi-infarct dementia, occurs when the cells in the brain are deprived of oxygen. A network of blood vessels called the vascular system supplies the brain with oxygen. If there is a blockage in the vascular system, or if it is diseased, blood is prevented from reaching the brain. As a result, cells in the brain die, leading to the symptoms of dementia. After Alzheimer's disease, VaD is the second leading form of dementia, accounting for up to 20% of all cases.

When Alzheimer's disease and VaD occur at the same time, the condition is called "mixed dementia".

How does vascular dementia affect the person?

Stroke and vascular dementia

Stroke is a common cause of VaD. A stroke occurs when blood flow in the brain is blocked or a blood vessel bleeds, preventing the blood from flowing properly through the vessel. When this happens, the brain cells cannot get oxygen and they die. Strokes can be large or small, and can have a cumulative effect, which means each stroke adds more to the problem. Strokes can affect how a person can walk, and cause weakness in an arm or leg, slurred speech or emotional outbursts. The difficulties the person has depend on the part of the brain that did not get the oxygen.

Vascular dementia usually comes on suddenly. Difficulties may happen in steps. Sometimes, the person’s abilities may deteriorate for a while and then stand still for a time. Then, they may deteriorate again. The cognitive symptoms, the ability to think, may change, affecting some areas of the brain more or less than others (e.g., the areas that control language, vision or memory). Urinary difficulties (difficulty going to the bathroom) are common in people who have VaD.

Binswanger's disease

Binswanger's disease is a rare form of VaD that is caused by damage to blood vessels deep in the brain's "white matter." High blood pressure plays an important role in Binswanger's disease.

How is vascular dementia assessed?

If VaD is suspected, the doctor will often order scans of the brain in order to check for blockages or narrowing of blood vessels in the brain.

What are the risk factors for vascular dementia?

Both men and women can be affected by vascular dementia. Risk factors include:

Being older than 65Having high blood pressure (hypertension)Having heart diseaseHaving diabetes

Smoking, being overweight, having high cholesterol levels and having a family history of heart problems may also increase the risk of having stroke, which increases the risk of vascular dementia. Mini-strokes (sometimes called transient ischemic attacks or TIAs) are warning signs that a stroke may come. Losing vision, speech or strength temporarily, or having short episodes of numbness may mean someone is having a TIA.

Routine brain scans in a group of middle-aged people showed that 10 per cent of them had had a stroke but did not know about it. Having the stroke, even if they did not know, raised their risk for more strokes and memory loss. These silent cerebral infarctions (SCIs, or silent strokes) are caused by a blood clot that blocks the blood flow to the brain. Many times, silent strokes are considered to make up a risk factor for vascular dementia. People with atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heart beat in people over 65, have more than twice the normal rate of these silent strokes.

Knowing the risk factors for vascular dementia is important because often they may be treated, to reduce the risk of having a stroke. Risk factors can be reduced by adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity, eating well, avoiding smoking and reducing stress. Medications can control high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.

Is there treatment?

After a person has a stroke, medication may be prescribed to improve blood flow to the brain and reduce the risk of further stroke. A person may also benefit from different therapies to help with movement and speech, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy. Aside from the treatment of the underlying causes of vascular dementia such as hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes, some physicians routinely recommend the use of medications called cholinesterase inhibitors.

For more information:

Call your local Alzheimer Society or visit the We Can Help section of our website.Visit the Heart and Stroke Foundation website Mayo clinic Alzheimer's Society (UK); "Understanding Vascular Dementia"Webinar on vascular dementia presented by the Canadian Dementia Resource and Knowledge Exchange (CDRAKE)

[The contents of this document are provided for information purposes only, and do not represent advice, an endorsement or a recommendation, with respect to any product, serve or enterprise, and/or the claims and properties thereof, by the Alzheimer Society of Canada. The Information Sheet is not intended to replace clinical diagnosis by a health professional.]

Jamie's Home Care Service, LLC
3049 Cleveland Avenue Suite #276
Fort Myers Florida 33901
802-526-4397
239-333-9517
www.Jamieshomecare.com

Which Home Care Services will Long term Care Insurance cover?

Which Home Care Services Will Long-Term Care Insurance Cover?

With advancements in medical technologies, people are increasingly living longer lives. This longer life, though allowing us to have greater life experiences, also increases the chances that we will experience long-term illnesses that require help in order to continue living safely in our homes. Activities of daily living (ADL's) is a term you might hear that refers to the things we do on a daily basis to take care of ourselves, including bathing, dressing, and using the bathroom. Individuals with many chronic, or long-term, diseases often have trouble performing some of these ADL's, and the need for assistance with these activities is a measure used to assess when an individual is eligible to use Long-term care insurance benefits.

Depending on your policy, you might have a waiting period before you can access your funds. Does your policy allow you to start collecting benefits on the day you begin receiving assistance, or are you subject to a waiting period of anywhere from 30 to 120 days? It is important to ask these questions and get advice from your broker when deciding which policy is best for you.

Likewise, you will want to seriously consider when is the right time to initiate your claim. The waiting period often corresponds to the benefit period, or the maximum amount of time that the insurance company will pay benefits. Often, the longer the waiting period before benefits begin, the longer the company will pay for your care. Benefit periods are typically three to five years, and correspond to the lifetime benefit cap, or the maximum dollars that will be paid by the insurance company on the policy; these figures are related in terms of the maximum daily benefit over the number of years in the benefit period.

You should discuss and weigh your options carefully with your broker and consider what your needs may be if you experience a stroke, are diagnosed with cancer or other situations where you have the potential to live a long time needing just a little bit of help to stay in your home. Long-term care insurance can help you pay for the home care you need as you age if you anticipate your needs and choose your policy accordingly.

It is important to know that the cost of long-term care is expected to grow significantly over the next few decades. In the next thirty years, the annual cost of long-term care is expected to increase over 330% to over $300,000 a year for a home care aide and even more for a nursing home or assisted living facility. For most of us, that means that the care we need as we age will be more than we are able to save through investments or other private sources, making Long-term care insurance a smart investment in our future independence and safety.

Today, home care services through an agency cost roughly $14 to $28 per hour. On average, individuals from the general population use twenty hours of home care each week for about six months. Those with Long-term care insurance use thirteen months of care, on average, at about twenty hours per week. Consider these averages as you and your broker design your policy.

Jamie's Home Care Services

3049 Cleveland Ave Suite 276

Fort Myers, FL 33901

239-333-9517

www.jamieshomecare.com

Who provides homecare

Who Provides Home Care

Not all home care services offer the same peace of mind, and there are some important, but often unrecognized, issues to consider when hiring a caregiver. Home care services are best when provided through an agency that employs, trains, bonds and insures, and background checks its caregivers. This allows to you have peace of mind knowing that you are bringing someone into your home that you can trust. In addition, the agency will take care of any legal issues that occur should the caregiver or client be injured on the job.

On the other hand, a home care registry is an organization that helps you locate a caregiver and places one in your home on an independent contractor basis. Registries do not employ caregivers, nor do they take responsibility for their training and supervision. A private caregiver or an independent contractor with a home care registry may be highly compassionate, lower in cost, and an overall good fit with the client, but remember you will be liable for the payroll taxes and possible work related injuries of the caregiver.

Hiring a caregiver that is not background checked on a yearly basis and continuously trained by an agency that employs him or her creates a situation where you don't know if the caregiver has the skills to perform the needed tasks, and potentially exposes you to the risks of using a caregiver with an unknown background. So, it is vital to check a private caregiver's criminal and sexual abuse records at least annually.

"The first and most important thing consumers need to know is if they are dealing with an agency that employs its own caregivers," says Leann Reynolds, President of Homewatch CareGivers, a home care company with over 170 locations worldwide. "And find out if the agency or provider performs unannounced quality assurance visits to the client's home. These are two of the most important activities that home care agencies should be performing."

According to Kim Stoneking, President of the National Private Duty Association, "Employment of the caregiver is extremely important. As the voice of the private pay home care industry, the National Private Duty Association has removed the guesswork for the consumer. Every member agency of the National Private Duty Association must have evidence of employing at least 90% of its workers. We also know that NPDA members take care of all insurance and taxes for their caregivers and that training and background checks are completed."

Long-term care insurance will reimburse you for whatever home care you choose, and of course you want your benefits to last as long as possible; just keep in mind the hidden costs of a private caregiver or an independent contractor and remember the benefits of using a trusted, professional caregiver from an agency to keep you safe and independent in your home, who can provide long-term home care, and a continued trustworthy relationship.

At Jamie home care services, our mission is to provide satisfaction, dignity, respect, and 24 hour services to seniors and other individuals needing a CNA, PCA or HHA  companion.
We are here to provide around-the-clock services to any individual needing
Toileting,
Grooming,
Denture Care,
Ambulation,
Meal preparations,
Showers,
Dressings, 
Medication reminders,
Etc.
We also provide top quality care from our trained and skilled caregivers who are available 24 hours a day 7 days per week. email, text, or phone call we will never keep you waiting to receive the top quality care that you're entitled to.
we have 15 minute response service where we will have a professional care coordinator on stand by waiting to answer any questions and solve any problem that you may have. We believe in our caregivers and will continuously ensure the most accurate care available we will help ease the worry and concerns that you may have about the care of your loved ones.
we want to provide you with peace of mind and you can rest assured that your loved one is in good hands with a JHCS, LLC "If you want quality care let us do our share" give us a call and let us know about your needs 802-526-4387

Jamie's Home Care Services, LLC
3049 Cleveland avenue suite #276
Ft.Myers Florida,33901
802-526-4387
239-333-9517
Http://Jamieshomecare.com

Senior Care Made Easy Blog

Home care Defined

Home Care Defined

The majority of people are most comfortable in their own environment where they feel safe and close to the things they love, and home care is the long-term care option that promotes the individual's independence and ability to continue with the normal, daily routine as long as possible. The goal of home care is to provide in-home care for those who need it, and to allow an individual to remain living at home as long as possible, regardless of age or disability.

Home care services cover a wide range of needs, from homemaking and companionship to meal preparation and medication reminders. They may also include personal care services, or those that help with the activities of daily living, including home care services like bathing, dressing, and grooming. To promote a safe and functional lifestyle, a caregiver can help you brush your teeth, secure the buttons on your shirt, or stand-by while you bathe to make sure you do not fall.

Often, skilled services that utilize the expertise of a nurse may also be grouped within the home care category. Services include checking vital signs, coordinating with doctors and other healthcare professionals working with the individual, and performing comprehensive evaluations of health and community needs to keep individuals safe at home.

As a rule, skilled nursing services are provided by home health agencies; often your home care agency will be associated with home health agencies in your area that can provide a higher level of care through nursing in the home when those services become necessary. However, home care can be a highly effective interim solution for individuals who are not sick enough to need nursing services but just need a little help to stay safe and independent in their homes.

Jamie's Home Care Services

3049 Cleveland Ave Suite 276

Fort Myers, FL 33901

239-333-9517

www.jamieshomecare.com

Companion Care Services

Companion Care Services

Non-Medical Home Care
Defining Non-Medical Home Care: Understanding Your Options
Personal Care Services
Homemaker Care Services
Companion Care Services
Live-In & Overnight Care Services
Hospice Care and Palliative Care
Common Caregiver Services
Benefits of In Home Care
Home Health Care Compare
Senior Housing Compare

A Trusted, Reliable Friend is Here

When we age, life slows down a bit. There is suddenly more time to socialize, yet it’s not always easy to plan social activities around everything else we have going on. Whether you live across the country or across the street from your aging family members, it helps to know they have someone nearby who can be there for senior companion care purposes. Because sometimes finding the right home care for your loved one is about just knowing they have a friendly, compassionate companion who visits regularly.

Companion care is one of our most frequently requested services. When a referred non-medical caregiver provides in home companionship care, a trusted companion can keep your loved one socially engaged at home, and also accompany them to visit friends, family, and other social events.

The following are just a few of the companion care services that Jamie's Home Care Services LLC referred caregivers offer:

Social events and
friend visits
Shopping and errands
Personal correspondence and
memoirs
Prompts and reminders
Scrapbooking
Gardening
Home projects
Safety and security
And much more........

Jamie's Home Care Services

3049 Cleveland Ave Suite 276

Fort Myers, FL 33901

239-333-9517

www.jamieshomecare.com

Homecare: the End of Referral Salespeople and 5 Other Key Role Changes

Homecare: the End of Referral Salespeople and 5 Other Key Role Changes

Homecare business

Felipe de la Fuente

Homecare is changing and, in most aspects, for the good (see our article "We need Homecare 3.0 after Homecare 2.0"). Although there will be obstacles, we like painting the future of care for Seniors in a bright colour. Ageing and dependency will never be easy but we believe in the power of innovation and knowledge to improve the way we care for our Seniors.

An area where change is already happening is in the roles and responsibilities of the staff of Homecare companies. As Seniors’ and Families’ demands in terms of interactions and care coordination evolve, as technology transforms Homecare processes, organizations are adapting to improve resource allocation and chase new opportunities.

Here are some changes in roles and responsibilities that we are already seeing or are likely to see happening in the Homecare industry .

1. Digital Marketeers vs. Referral Salespeople

This is happening in most of the networks I know. The weight that used to be on building strong local referral networks with doctors or hospitals has been shifting to Digital Lead Generation. Why do you need local referral sales persons when you can invest in developing your digital marketing capabilities and get a better lead flow? As this article, “The New Era of Homecare” points out digital marketing is quickly making referral sales obsolete, expensive, less strategic.

Additionally, the way organizations source their services (including government agencies, hospitals, and all businesses) is changing: most now use the internet to find suppliers and partners. How about investing in local B2B Digital Marketing?

2. Community Managers vs. Schedulers

Given the scarcity of good caregivers and the generational shifts within the caregiver community, the rules of engagement between Homecare companies and caregivers are changing. Schedulers’ responsibilities are shifting from the more technical to the more human aspects of their jobs. 

Automation and scheduling platforms simplify the purely mechanical elements of scheduling (including slot assignment, record keeping, matchmaking and caregiver selection) but keeping the caregiver community engaged, motivated, and ready to serve is harder than ever. Although in many ways, the caregiver community is increasingly individualistic, there is a strong need of belonging and of sharing within a community (this individualistic-community conflict is embodied in the huge success of Facebook). Creating and animating the community of caregivers of a Homecare agency will be capital in the future.

3. Community Managers and Digital Marketeers vs. Recruiters

Because the rules of engagement with caregivers are evolving and because competition from other agencies and marketplaces for the best caregivers is increasing, recruiting is changing dramatically. It’s clearly become a sellers game these days and loyalty needs to be earned by the agencies.

Recruitment of caregivers necessitates now a different skill set and tools. From digital and guerrilla campaigns to network cultivation, and community building, the work agencies need to (a) identify, (b) attract, and (c) hire talented caregivers looks more and more like Marketing and Community Management. 

4. Development Managers vs. HR Managers 

This is probably the most profound of the changes and the one with the biggest impact on the profession and the Seniors. As the industry gets polarized between Marketplaces and High Touch, High Quality agencies (see our article "How Senior Care Marketplaces Are Going To Disrupt Homecare"), Homecare agencies will have no choice but to offer a service of the highest quality and this require improving the capabilities of their caregivers.

Homecare organizations will have no choice but to engage actively in the professionalization of the caregiver role. This will require for many agencies a quantum leap in terms of training and development competences and a change in attitude towards caregiver retention and career planning.  The current HR Management function as it is today structured in most Homecare independent agencies and networks will need to be rethought entirely.

5. Care coordinator 3.0 vs Care coordinator 2.0

As Homecare becomes increasingly personalised, patient-centered, and outcome-focused (see our article "The New Era of Homecare"), the role of the care coordinator will become increasingly important, sophisticated, and difficult.

Although evaluation, scheduling, and caregiver matching will be simplified by automation and technology, the coordination process will become more complex and demanding. Care planning will be more agile and dynamic, interactions with the family and the Senior more frequent. Assessments will be more regular. As Homecare is progressively integrated into the healthcare continuum, coordinators will be asked to interact with very tough partners more frequently.

Also, care (non-medical and medical) will become increasingly data-driven and care coordination is where the rubber meets the road: where data suggestions, predictions, and analysis are transformed into real care plans and actions.

The new era of Homecare will bring the dawn of a new species of care coordinator

Jamie's Home Care Services

3049 Cleveland Ave Suite 276

Fort Myers, FL 33901

239-333-9517

www.jamieshomecare.com