Homecare
Can Your Aging Parents Afford Long Term Care?
It’s important to discuss long term care with your aging parents.
Millions of Americans struggle with the question of whether their elderly parents can afford long term care. Financial matters can be a sensitive topic, and when it’s time to start thinking about long-term care needs, holding an open and honest discussion about how your parents will be able to afford long term care services is crucial.
To that end, our home care team has compiled the questions below to help you get started:
What are your parents’ assets? A good starting point is to determine approximately how much money your parents have available in cash, investments, and Social Security. This provides a basis for covering for long term care expenses.
Do your parents anticipate the need for financial assistance? People are living longer than ever before, meaning … Read More »
Incorporate These Safe Activities for Seniors During the COVID-19 Pandemic
There are some great activities for seniors that are safe throughout the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us to some extent, but for older adults, it’s been especially traumatic. With an increased risk of serious complications from the virus, combined with the need to isolate from family and friends, the lives of the seniors we love have been turned upside down practically overnight.
At Hired Hands Homecare, we remain committed to providing safe, reliable care for seniors that is focused on each person as a whole – meaning mental and emotional health are equally important to physical wellbeing. To that end, we take time to incorporate meaningful activities into each day, adjusted to the new social distancing recommendations while still bringing enjoyment and connection with others.
Our senior home care experts suggest the following … Read More »
Balancing Senior Safety with Freedom During the Pandemic
Senior safety is key to keep in mind while stay-at-home orders are lifted.
After months of quarantining, isolating, and distancing from loved ones, stay-at-home orders have been relaxed. But for seniors in particular, can it be safe to consider heading out?
Unfortunately, there is no cut-and-dry answer, and a number of criteria need to be considered to arrive at the best decision for every person, balancing senior safety with mental and emotional wellbeing. For example:
What health problems is the senior loved one encountering?
How challenging has it been for her or him to be isolated from loved ones?
Is the incidence rate of the virus subsiding or spiking within your town?
As a family caregiver, the best place to get started is sitting down and having a one-on-one conversation with the older adult. If your senior loved … Read More »
Hospice Care Brings Peace and Quality of Life to Patients
Hospice care provides comfort for a loved one and his/her family.
Determining when to shift focus from proactive cure attempts to hospice care can be difficult for the loved ones of someone diagnosed with a life-limiting condition. Understanding what hospice care is and the benefits it provides is a crucial first step. Hospice care offers supportive social, emotional, and spiritual services to the terminally ill and their families, primarily in the patient’s home.
Hospice is typically recommended when:
The senior’s physician does not believe there is a viable treatment option available.
The prognosis is six months or less to live.
The patient is enduring treatment that is neither life-prolonging nor enhancing quality of life just to avoid addressing the unpleasant facts with family and loved ones.
Family and loved ones are postponing a discussion about end of life because of a … Read More »
Support our Older Adult Community During Elder Abuse Awareness Day!
Join us as our community commemorates June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day! Supervisor Shirlee Zane leads a panel in shedding light on this critical issue.
Join the Zoom session: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xRYWtxbITA2cxu8hbMy4-A
Standing Together – Hopeful for Change.
Greetings,
All of us at Hired Hands Homecare are deeply saddened by the tragic events and violence that have swept through our communities and the country over the recent weeks. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been negatively affected by the tragedy of George Floyd. Unfortunately, our country has struggled with racial inequality for a very long time.
Hired Hands is extremely proud of the very diverse workforce we have had the honor of working with over the last 26 years. Hopefully, as a country, we can improve upon being a more inclusive and compassionate society. We can only hope for peaceful progress in breaking down racial barriers as our communities work through this difficult and sad time. May the best foot forward be with kindness and respect for all. Please know that you are important and appreciated, and together … Read More »
The 6 Best Coronavirus Resources for Seniors and Family Caregivers
Our team is here to provide the best resources for seniors and keep your family safe
Researching where to turn for the current, most dependable information about COVID-19, especially as it relates to older adults and people who take care of them, is extremely important – and can be difficult. Because of so many sources and differing opinions on this serious subject, we wanted to help make it more straightforward to locate what you need by building the following list of trusted Coronavirus resources for seniors and family caregivers.
COVID-19 Guidance for Seniors: The CDC’s COVID-19 Guidance for Older Adults web page includes a great deal of information, including help determining who is at higher risk, symptoms, how to protect yourself, a checklist for the household, stress and anxiety coping advice, and much more.
Coronavirus: What Seniors and People with … Read More »
Happy Mother’s Day
Greetings and Salutations!
First and foremost, we hope that this email finds you and your loved ones safe and well! These are very difficult times, and it seems so odd that many are starting to act like we beat this thing, and it is ok to go out and play like we used to! We know that we have made GREAT strides towards minimizing the spread, and that we will continue to do so only by maintaining and expanding upon safety precautions and healthy habits. Together we stand!
We would like to extend a huge, heartfelt THANK YOU to all the Mothers – past, present & future! With their wisdom, love & support… they are the glue for our families! HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY Moms! We love you!
Be well & stay strong!
The HIRED HANDS HOMECARE Family
The WORLD gives THANKS!
Today, the world unites through the language of music to celebrate and give thanks through the ONE WORLD: Together at Home show. Tune in, it’s on all the networks and all over the internet, and includes the biggest musicians and stars in the biz!
The THANKS most absolutely go out to
YOU, for being the healthcare professional you are! Your daily commitment, compassion and dedication make an enormous impact on the lives of the seniors and families that we serve. And when times get really tough… we go to work! We know folks are depending on us, and our work is saving lives by keeping people safe and well.
As the world joins together to celebrate and give thanks, the HIRED HANDS HOMECARE Family could not be more thankful and proud of the extraordinary people we are surrounded by.
You are a HERO! THANK … Read More »
4 Safer Alternatives to Sleep Medication for Seniors
Sleep medication for seniors can, in some cases, be dangerous.
What could be better than waking up well rested after a full night’s sleep, feeling energized and ready to face the day? For some seniors – as many as one in three – getting sufficient sleep is something that only happens in their dreams. And sadly, it’s a common assumption that lack of sleep is something we just need to accept in our later years – a misconception that Preeti Malani, M.D., chief health officer and professor of medicine at the University of Michigan wants to dispel. According to Dr. Malani, “If older adults believe that these changes are a normal, inevitable part of aging, they may not think of it as something to discuss with their doctor. And not discussing it can potentially lead to health issues not … Read More »
