Monday, November 26, 2007

What is home care?

Home care is something that keeps families together, helps them adjust to a new lifestyle, and affords greater dignity. Home care allows for continued medical treatment in a comfortable, familiar environment

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Aging at Home

For seniors faced with the prospect of leaving their home for a retirement community or assisted living facility there's a new kind of elder care program/concept that can help them stay put.
It's called "villages," and they can work like a hotel concierge where seniors are one phone call away from a wide variety of services that helps them remain living in their own home. (While there are currently only a dozen or so of these programs in the United States, the village concept is growing rapidly as more people learn about it and because these programs can be started by individual community members and neighborhood groups as well as businesses and municipalities.) The services offered come from local businesses, community resources and volunteers and typically include: transportation; errand running; grocery shopping; home delivered meals; house-hold chores; home repairs; home-health services; and a variety of social and cultural activities at local churches, schools or community centers.
To receive these services seniors become a village member and pay yearly dues. The membership fees cover the concierge service and connections to reliable, pre-screened services, along with some basic services such as information assistance, rides from volunteers, and group activities like exercise classes and lectures.
To find out if your community offers a program similar to this, call your area agency on aging, or call (800) 677-1116 to get your local number. If there's not one, encourage them to get one started.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Help for Caregivers

How Can We Help Our Nation's Caregivers?
The job of caring for ailing loved ones is often daunting,
Now. Many are asking about:
An unpaid army of 44.5 million is caring for our ailing adults.
Are you prepared to be a caregiver?

"Boomers are shocked when they find our Medicare won't pay for any long-term care for chronic illness. At most Medicare may provide a skilled home health aide for a few hours a day for a limited period of time.

There are signs of progress. As baby boomers age, However, so much more needs to be done. We must design the system we want to grow old in.

Private Ore, has pioneered the first education program for family members
Caring for older adults STROKE, ALZHEIMERS, PARKINSON'S OR SIMILIAR LONG TERM CONDITIONS

Powerful Tools for Caregivers
6 weeks course teaches caregivers how to be effective in using community resources and managing their stress.

The Portland Program
Relicated in 20 States
Collaborations with community based organizations like AARP chapters and Area Agencies on aging.
Reached 15,000 family caregivers.
No one is allowed to make a financial profit from this service.

More states are looking for new ways to provide support.
Dozens of states introduced a total of 78 caregiving bills only 16 suvived the legislative process
The most popular proposals involved tax incentives.
This year (2007) have been considering bills to expand family and medical leave benefits.

California has created paid family leave insurance.
(The first such program in the Nation)
Most employees in the state can take up to six weeks' leave to take care of a seriously ill family member and receive 55% of wages.
The Federal Family Leave Act lets emloyyees take time off without fear of losing their jobs- but without pay.



Friday, November 9, 2007

Home care Provider

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Home Care Provider:
1.Can you please share your company's performance standards for their employees? 2.How long has your company been in business? 3.What qualifications, certifications, experience and training do you require of your workers? 4.Are your employees insured and bonded? 5.How do you supervise your workers to make sure the proper care is given? 6.Will the same caregiver oversee my case consistently? 7.Do you conduct a home visit before starting the home care service? 8.Do you work with my doctor in developing a plan of care? 9.Can you provide me some references from doctors, hospital personnel and social workers? 10. Has your company been involved in any lawsuits involving customer satisfaction?