Showing posts with label companion care medford new jersey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label companion care medford new jersey. Show all posts
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Helpful hints for taking a vacation with your aging parents By peter mangiola Rn
Taking vacations aren’t always relaxing. In fact, many people take vacations to escape stress only to find out there’s even more waiting for them upon arrival. Make sure that this doesn’t happen for your next family vacation. To better ensure that you and your parent’s next vacation is a good one, try taking these tips.- Be on top of medication - Before you leave for vacation, be certain that your parents have more than enough medication for the duration of the trip. It’s better to be safe with how much you bring in case of flight delays or any other complications that cause everyone to stay longer than expected. Another thing to be aware of is alcohol consumption. You don’t want alcohol to interfere with the medications.
- Focus on relaxation - The most important thing for you to do on the trip is to focus on relaxation. And yes, it is achievable even with your parents there! So that means it’s not about how many activities you can schedule during the trip, but about enjoying the time you spend with the people you love. Chances are that your parents have a limit for how many activities they can physically stand, so schedule lightly. Lying out on the beach or going to shows or musical events are great, non-physical ways to spend your time.
- Traditions - By now, your family has dozens of traditions that you enjoy. Indulge on the traditions that please your parents, but also create new ones. That way, everyone has something familiar to look forward to and also has a chance to make new memories.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Facts about In Home Senior Care Services (Part II) by Peter Mangiola Rn Msn
Facts about In Home Senior Care Services (Part II)
Aside from ensuring that your senior loved one is properly cared for, in home senior care
services ensure that he maintains enough interaction with the outside world as he grows old. This
is important because many seniors who live very far from their family and friends who are not
able to maintain regular interactions with other people tend to be isolated and lonely, which can
sometimes lead to depression.
Both skilled and unskilled services are intended to provide care assistance to an elderly person
right at his own home and often this is better option than institutional care. You can either obtain
in home senior care services from a home care agency or hire a private caregiver directly, which
is often the less expensive option and allow more possibilities for your participation in the
decision making process. This can be the best choice provided that you exercise much
persistence and put in more effort in the hiring process.
Although you have to pay for most of the senior home care services, there are some types of
senior care and community services that are given for free or donated. If you’re a member of a
particular church, for instance, some of your members may voluntarily offer their time to provide
some amount of care to your senior parents. There are also government programs or health
insurance that can provide assistance in paying for some particular home care services.
In home senior care services can be the best bet not only for elderly people but also for their
loved ones. Senior home care is the less expensive choice than a full-time nursing facility.
Although every family is unique and should decide on the best type of senior care for their
elderly loved one, in home senior care services is usually the most affordable and effective
option for many families.
Post
The Importance of Home Health Care Agencies (Part I) By Peter Mangiola Rn Msn
The Importance of Home Health Care Agencies (Part I) By Peter Mangiola Rn Msn
If your senior parents require your full-time assistance and help, you should consider hiring
home health care agencies to care for them whenever you can’t be around for them. Although we
want to be there for our ageing or sick parents, this may not be possible because of our
demanding job schedules and other daily duties such as taking care of our own family, doing
household chores, among many others. Asking the help of a home health care agency may be the
best option for you and your parents who don’t need to be placed in a nursing home or other
facilities. Providing senior home care for them will allow them to enjoy their remaining days
with their family in a familiar and comfortable environment.
With home health care agencies, you can receive many benefits allowing you to live a much
easier and stress-free life. With someone providing care for your senior parents when you are not
around, you have nothing to worry about. This will ensure that you have more time to relax and
care for your own needs, which is almost impossible if you’re the only one in-charge of caring
for your parents. When you are overburdened with the responsibility of caring for your parents
and for your own family, you might become unhappy and irritated and this could lead to more
tensions and worries in your family. Home healthcare agencies can help by sending professionals
who are trained and suited to provide all kinds of help to your senior folks, ranging from
personal care services to medical services. Because they know and understand the real needs of
your elderly parents, they can help in maintaining a perfect balance in your home.
There are cases wherein seniors are weakened by their feelings of solitude and loneliness due to
their minimal interaction with other people. These feelings become more intense when they
become sick or are bedridden. Unfortunately, when this situation is not properly addressed it
might lead to severe depression and thereby lessen your parents’ quality of life. Home health
care agencies are aware of all these and they can send professionals who are equipped not only
with proper training but also with enough experience to effectively handle the situation. By
providing constant support and company to your parents, home health care professionals can
help them live a better life.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Home Health Care Agencies
Home Health Care Agencies
If your senior loved one
has medical or non-medical needs that make living independently too
difficult for him, then you know you need to seek help from health care
agencies. While you might think that you can solely provide care to your
loved one, you’ll also realize that in the long run it could drain you.
For some, their only option is to put their seniors in a nursing home
or a residential facility. However, research shows that most seniors
wish to stay at home as long as possible and granting their wish can
help improve the quality of their life. Good thing there are home health care agencies that know you and your senior loved one’s needs.
In general, these
agencies offer at least two main types of home health and home care
services, and these are custodial or skilled care and supportive or
unskilled care.
Supportive services
Non-medical home care
agencies provide this type of services. They provide help with personal
care, which includes bathing, dressing, grooming, meal preparation,
shopping, and housekeeping. Upon the request of the client or his family
member, the agency may also provide assistance with ambulation and
exercises, self-administered medications, and transportation to medical
appointments.
Skilled services
This type of service is
offered by medical home health agencies and it includes nursing care,
speech, respiratory, physical, and occupational therapies, social
services, and hospice care. A qualified home health aide provides
personal care by following a particular care plan under the supervision
of a health care professional such as a therapist or a nurse. Such
services are provided for a limited time and on an irregular basis,
under a treatment plan based on a physician’s order. Some of the
purposes for providing these services are to quicken hospital
discharges, avoid uncalled-for hospitalizations, and to make it possible
for a senior to remain in his own home even during critical illnesses
or while recovering.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Home Health Care May Be Just What the Doctor Ordered
: Home
Health Care May Be Just What the Doctor Ordered
For many decades, people have associated health care
with going to a doctor, hospital, or some other medical facility. However,
there was a time when health care was mostly administered in the home. Back in
the days when America was being settled and many families were living out on
the frontier, they had very few hospitals around. Most received home health
care from a town doctor who would make house calls to patients, doing
everything from delivering babies to caring for the elderly-all inside the home
of the patient.
In recent years, home health care is making a
comeback. Though the doctor making house calls is no longer commonplace, home
care agencies are becoming more and more popular. There is a good reason why in
home care is trending upward-it addresses 3 specific needs that hospitals and
other medical facilities have a difficult time with:
- Convenience:
Being able to stay at home is the wish of most people with some kind of
illness. But until recently, those who needed some kind of long term care
had little choice but to have it administered in a medical facility.
Today, they can simply hire a home health care agency and have it all done
without having to leave their house.
- Affordability:
This is a big one. Hospital bills are higher than ever, and there is
increasing pressure in busier hospitals that are overwhelmed with patients
to get them out of there as quickly as possible. Today, it’s not unheard
of for someone to stay in the hospital just a couple of weeks and rack up
several thousand dollars in bills. Conversely, there is no cost for the
patient to sleep at home in their own bed. This helps keep costs lower.
- Better Quality Care: As mentioned in point #2,
hospitals in many places are overly burdened these days, meaning the
quality of care suffers. With most home health care agencies, a nursing
professional is assigned to a specific patient, and administers 1 on 1
care for as long as needed. For this reason, the level of quality with in
home care is normally much higher.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Could Your Parent Have Dementia? The Top Rated In Home Health Care Company In Manahawkin Nj Talks About Dementia
Could Your Parent Have Dementia? The Top Rated In Home Health Care Company In Manahawkin Nj Talks About Dementia
As we age, it's perfectly normal for all of us to forget certain things from time to time. As many as 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease and it's the most common form of dementia. Dementia is defined as a state of serious emotional and mental deterioration. This is not to be confused with Alzheimer's. While Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, seniors can suffer from dementia and not have Alzheimer's.

A person with dementia struggles with memory loss and other mental abilities that are severe enough tointerfere with everyday activities. It's caused by changes in the brain and generally doesn't start until around age 65 and older, although it can start in any stage of adulthood. There are other illnesses that mimic dementia-like symptoms such as depression, drug interactions, thyroid problems, excess use of alcohol or some vitamin deficiencies. Be sure to address any of these possible illnesses with your parent's doctor if you suspect they may be an issue.

A person with dementia struggles with memory loss and other mental abilities that are severe enough tointerfere with everyday activities. It's caused by changes in the brain and generally doesn't start until around age 65 and older, although it can start in any stage of adulthood. There are other illnesses that mimic dementia-like symptoms such as depression, drug interactions, thyroid problems, excess use of alcohol or some vitamin deficiencies. Be sure to address any of these possible illnesses with your parent's doctor if you suspect they may be an issue.
According to the Alzheimer's Association the 10 most common signs of Alzheimer's:
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life
- Challenges in planning or solving problems
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure
- Confusion with time or place
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
- New problems with words in speaking or writing
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
- Decreased or poor judgment
- Withdrawal from work or social activities
- Changes in mood and personality
Memory loss that disrupts daily life is not a typical part of aging. It may be a symptom of Alzheimer's, a fatal brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. Every individual may experience one or more of these signs in different degrees. If you notice any of them, please see a doctor.
If your loved one is suffering from Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, it can also take a tremendous toll on your own physical and emotional well-being. There's no need to go it alone. Senior Helpers can create a customized care plan that changes as your loved one's needs change. We'll help your loved one cope better with a cueing program that stimulates their ability to remember and we'll carefully monitor everything from medication to daily activities. As experts in Alzheimer's and dementia care, you can trust Senior Helpers to make your loved one's life-and yours-much easier and more enjoyable!
Senior Helpers can help your loved one live independently at home for many wonderful years to come! Please visit our website to learn how we can help you.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more helpful information.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more helpful information.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Different Types of Bathing Assistance
Bathing assistance is
an essential component of caregiving, given especially to clients who
are not able to do it independently. The caregiver makes it a point to
provide the hygiene needs of the client whether he performs the bath or
the client himself does it. In general, there are two types of bath,
namely cleansing and therapeutic; and the type of bath performed depends
on the self-care abilities of the client.
This type of bath refers to routine care given to
clients for their personal hygiene. There are 5 kinds of cleansing
baths, and these are shower, self-help bath, partial bath, tub bath, bed
bath, and complete bed bath.
1. Shower bath is
mainly for ambulatory clients who are still capable of taking a bath
independently. Those with some physical limitations are recommended to
use a water-resistant chair while taking a shower. The caregiver may
provide some bathing assistance with this type of bath.
2. Self-help bath is
for clients who are confined to a bed. With this type of bath, all that
the caregiver needs to do is prepare the bath equipment and provides
assistance in cleansing hard to reach areas such as the feet, legs, back
and external genitalia.
3. With partial bath,
the caregiver gives assistance in washing only those areas that might
cause irritation or odor such as the hands, face, and genitals.
4. With tub baths, the caregiver provides
bathing assistance to clients with physical limitations while going
into and out of the tub. It is also the responsibility of the caregiver
to ensure that the water temperature is safe enough for his client.
5. When administering a complete bed bath, the caregiver assists clients by washing his entire body.
In order to administer a therapeutic bath to a client, caregivers
are required to have a physician’s order or care plan. This order will
indicate the type of bath to administer, the body surface that needs
treatment, water temperature, and the kind of medication solution
needed. Therapeutic baths often last from 20-30 minutes inside a tub and
can be categorized as hot or warm bath, cool bath, soak bath, and Sitz
bath.
1. The hot or warm bath, which is done inside the tub aims at reducing soreness, muscle spasms and tension.
2. The purpose of the cool bath, which is also performed in the tub is to relieve tension and reduce body temperature in order to avoid chilling.
3. Soak bath is administered
using medicated or plain water to relieve pain, swelling and irritation
or get rid of dead skin tissues.
4. Sitz bath is done to reduce inflammation and cleanse the extra genital and anal areas.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
How Far Should a Caregiver Go in Helping an Elderly Person with His Daily Routine?By Peter Mangiola Rn Bsn
How Far Should a Caregiver Go in Helping an Elderly Person with His Daily Routine?By Peter Mangiola Rn Bsn
— Senior Helper
The level of intervention that a caregiver should give in helping an elderly person with his daily routine depends on his needs. A bed-bound elderly person obviously requires more personal senior care- like someone to give him a bed bath, while a more active elderly person might just need some amount of assistance in doing his personal hygiene routine. If you are not experienced in the elder care industry, getting advice from professional caregiverscould help establish a necessary level of intervention. This could be a nurse or a doctor, who is able to provide both aid and training in managing personal hygiene routines.
In general, most professional caregivers advise that elderly people be given the freedom to perform their personal hygiene routines by themselves. An elderly person, for instance, who can still move his arms, should be allowed to wash his own face or brush his teeth. Even if it might take forever for him to finish these basic routines, it is still important that you allow him that freedom. This will not only save him from being completely dependent on you, his caregiver, but this will also help him maintain his mobility as well as reduces your senior care workload.
How frequently should an elderly person shower?Not all senior persons need a full bath each day. However, all of them need to have their face, underarms, and private parts washed daily.
Bathing and Shower Tips for Mobile SeniorsHere are some tips to remember when helping a mobile senior have a bath or shower.
In general, most professional caregivers advise that elderly people be given the freedom to perform their personal hygiene routines by themselves. An elderly person, for instance, who can still move his arms, should be allowed to wash his own face or brush his teeth. Even if it might take forever for him to finish these basic routines, it is still important that you allow him that freedom. This will not only save him from being completely dependent on you, his caregiver, but this will also help him maintain his mobility as well as reduces your senior care workload.
How frequently should an elderly person shower?Not all senior persons need a full bath each day. However, all of them need to have their face, underarms, and private parts washed daily.
Bathing and Shower Tips for Mobile SeniorsHere are some tips to remember when helping a mobile senior have a bath or shower.
- Place a non-slip mat at the bottom of the bath or shower.
- Put a non-skid bathmat that has a rubber base in front of the bath or shower.
- Install steady grab rails at the senior’s bath that can support him anytime he gets in and out of the bath.
- Put a stable shower seat inside the shower so that the senior can use it in case he needs to sit down while bathing.
- Always ensure that the water temperature in the bath or shower is neither too hot nor too cold.
- If the senior in your care would rather bath or shower on his own, ensure that he always leaves the bathroom door unlocked.
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Assisted Living for Your Senior Parents
For children of senior parents, it
might be a tough decision to sign up their parents for assisted living.
However, pretty soon they’ll realize that it is for the better. In fact, the most challenging part is on
recognizing the signs that your parent is already in need of these services. As
soon as you notice some of the things I’ll discuss below, then it is high time
to think through your options. You and your parents will have a much better life
if they have someone staying with them who can help them go through their daily
lives properly and safely.
1. Depression. This is a common and
strong sign that a senior is in need of assisted living. While depression may
be a normal phenomenon after the death of a spouse, it should not continue many
years after. And while you may not be clear how to identify depression, you can
look around and see if menial things such as keeping the house clean or the
refrigerator full are being neglected. When they fail to do these things, it
not only means that the elder is physically incapable of doing the work, but
also that they are no longer aware or care about these things.
2. When seniors start wearing the same
clothes every day then it’s a clear indicator that they are in need of assisted
living. Often, these seniors also stop brushing their teeth or taking a bath.
As soon as you notice this, you’ll have to ask for help quickly because their
health is at risk.
3. If you notice that your senior
parent is getting cuts or bruises frequently you should act immediately for
them to receive proper care as soon as possible. This is because as a person
gets older, his skin becomes more fragile and cannot heal fast.
While some of the signs above are
obvious, others require your careful observation. But the bottom line is that
when you notice any of these signs in your aging parent, then it’s time to
consider getting an assisted living service for him. By far, this is the best
thing you can do for him so that they will have the care that they desperately
need. At the end of the day, they will live a happier and healthier life and
you can have the peace of mind knowing that they are always being taken care
of.
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