Articles of Interest in Senior Care.

Click on a link for the complete article...

1.) Caring for a Loved one at Home Can Be Challenging

Caregivers face many challenges providing care at home. A wife caring for her husband may risk injury trying to move him or help him bathe or use the toilet. The financial impact is another challenge. The financial burden depends on who the informal caregiver is. For a spouse there is typically no financial cost since income and assets will be the same with or without a need for care. However, if a spouse offering informal care is employed and has to quit his or her job to provide care there is a significant impact on that family's finances.

click above link for more on this topic

2.) Understanding the Services of Professionals

Home Health Agencies

Home Health Agencies (Medical home care services) Home health agencies offer professional nursing and therapy services in the home. These services, provided by Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, therapists and social workers include:

·       Health assessments

·       Patient education

·       Caregiver counseling

·       Physical and occupational therapy

·       Taking samples for lab tests

·       Wound dressing

·       Medication training and compliance

·       Hospice care

·       Management of IVs and more

They also provide aides, who incidental to medical care, help patients with activities of daily living. Home health agencies rely heavily on Medicare for reimbursement for their services.

Non-Medical home care companies (Known in some states as personal care providers.)

These providers represent a rapidly growing trend to allow people needing help to remain in their home or in the community. The services offered may include:

·       Companionship

·       Grooming and dressing

·       Recreational activities

·       Incontinent care

·       Handyman services

·       Teeth brushing

·       Medication reminders

·       Bathing or showering

·       Light housekeeping

·       Meal preparation

·       Respite for family caregivers

·       Errands and shopping

·       Reading email or letters

·       Overseeing home deliveries

·       Dealing with vendors

·       Transportation services

·       Changing linens

·       Laundry and ironing

·       24-hour emergency response

·       Family counseling

These providers receive reimbursement directly from families, from other care providers whom they subcontract for or from long term care insurance. Some traditional home health agencies -- those who offer medical care at home -- may have a division that offers non-medical home care as well. Also many non-medical home care providers will contract their services to a traditional home health agency, to Medicaid or to hospice.

3.) Recognizing the Need fo outside Help

Caregivers often don’t recognize when they are in over their heads, and often get to a breaking point. After a prolonged period of time, caregiving can become too difficult to endure any longer. Short-term the caregiver can handle it. Long-term, help is needed. Outside help at this point is needed.

click above link for more on this topic

4.) Aging and the Attitude of Health Care

In many cultures in the world, elderly people are revered and their advice is sought and respected. In our culture, the wisdom, the knowledge and the social skills of the elderly are often overlooked and instead we focus on the mental and physical deficits of our older generation.

Because of this prevailing attitude, older people are generally regarded as less valuable than younger people. The younger person has responsibilities of raising a family, maintaining a career and supporting the economy. The older person generally has no responsibilities and in addition is a drag on the economy since a great part of the tax base must go towards the support of older Americans.

click above link for more on this topic

5.) Problems with Poorly Prepared Family Care

Some family caregivers, willingly or unwillingly, fail to provide the level of care necessary to nurture loved ones at home. Here are some of the problems that derive from unprepared or overloaded caregivers.

click above link for more on this topic

6.) Attitudes towards Aging often Affect Healing

Among all of the suggestions available to caregivers for coping with the care of a loved one, some simple strategies that influence the attitude of care recipients are often neglected. Simply put, a more positive attitude towards aging can have a profound effect on the health of a care recipient.

click above link for more on this topic