Elder Care 101: What you NEED to Know
Mom loves living in her home where she raised her kids. But she doesn’t always remember to take her medicine … and sometimes the fridge doesn’t get filled. Grandpa was fine living alone until a fall made it harder to get around. As our loved ones age, sometimes they help to continue living happily on their own.
If you are considering elder care, here are some things you should know.
Does my loved one need extra help?
Watching our family members get older is a hard process for everyone. For them, age can bring unexpected changes to their mental and physical health that leaves them less able to care for themselves. And for you, there are difficult decisions to be made when this happens.
But how do you know if your loved one needs that extra help now? Take stock of their well-being.
Ask yourself:
- Do they have difficulty walking? Are they unsteady on their feet or falling?
- Are they neglecting their personal hygiene?
- Do they have trouble concentrating? Are you concerned about their decision making skills?
- Are they suffering from memory loss, confusion or a feeling of “fogginess”?
- Do they take the medications properly and per instructions?
- Are they not eating well?
- Is their energy level down? Do they suffer from fatigue?
- Are they moody?
- Is their driving questionable? Are you concerned they may be a danger to themselves or others behind the wheel?
- Are they paying their bills on time? Are they opening their mail?
- Do you have concerns about the safety and sanitary conditions of their home?
What help does my loved one need?
When it comes to elder care, there is no one-size-fits-all solution because every case is different. From home services like house cleaning to part- or full-time elder care, there are many services available to help your loved one continue living in their own happily – and safely.
Start by looking at the parts of your loved ones life that are in need of assistance. Do they need a little help and companionship to make the week run smoother? Is their house in need of more cleaning help them they can do themselves? Or do they need more frequent assistance to ensure that they are staying on top of all of life’s chores and duties?
What type of help is available?
- Part-Time Help – Part-time caregivers are great for providing companionship to your loved ones. They can help with personal care, medications and schedules, drive your loved one places and do light chores like laundry and cooking.
- Full-Time Help – Full-time caregivers do many of the same tasks as part-time ones, but they do so on a more frequent basis. If your loved one needs more time with someone to help with their day-to-day tasks, then full-time help can be perfect.
- Special Needs Care – When your loved one is impacted by Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, strokes, broken bones or surgery, they sometimes need specialized care. These type of elder care professionals can help with personal care, medications, scheduling and running errands. Special needs care can also help with companionship – both through overnight care and through activities.
- 24/7 Care – For those who need constant non-medical care, 24/7 care is available to ensure that your loved one lives comfortably (and safely) in their home.
What is a CNA? A HHA?
When selecting elder care, you will probably hear acronyms like CNA and HHA used to describe the people who are available. But what do these certifications mean? A CNA is a certified nursing assistant and a HHA is a home health aide. Both are have similar capabilities – they both can help with daily activities like bathing, light household duties, dressing and personal care. But a CNA – often found in care facilities – can also perform some medical tasks to under the supervision of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, which a HHA cannot.
Does my loved one have dementia?
You can tell when something is just … off with your loved one. But does that also mean that they are experiencing dementia? Dementia refers to symptoms that affect one’s social and thinking abilities and hinder that ability to perform once-easy daily functions.
According to the Mayo Clinic, signs of dementia include memory loss, difficulty communicating, difficulty with complex tasks, planning and organizing, difficulty with coordination and motor functions, disorientation, personality changes, inappropriate behavior, paranoia, agitation and hallucinations.
If your loved one experiences some of these symptoms, they should see their doctor.
Don’t forget about you
When your parents and loved ones age – and especially as their health declines and they need more help with everyday things – it can be stressful. You are losing the vibrant people who raised you as the roles reverse and you care for them. It’s sad, and it’s hard. Be sure as you deal with elder care that you remember to take care of yourself – eating well, exercising and taking breaks. Get help when you need it and find support – either through friends who are experiencing similar things or through support groups. These will help you cope with the changes and best prepare to help your loved ones with elder care.
What Sets LifeWorx Housekeepers Apart from Others?
- They Must be Trustworthy: Your Housekeeper will be working all day in your home, around your personal belongings, your prized possessions, and even your family/children. Knowing that this individual will be trustworthy enough around your home and family, maybe even to the point where they have a key to your home, is a big step to take. You don’t want just any random person taking that responsibility. That’s why LifeWorx is here. Every single one of our professional Housekeepers must pass a thorough background check. Included in this background check is a 50 State criminal background check, a DMV driving record check, a Credit Report, as well as a sex offender background check. Along with these safeguards, LifeWorx employs full-time, dedicated recruiters whose sole job is to find, vet, and hire the best of the best. There is no other agency that equals LifeWorx’s dedication in finding the most skilled and trustworthy Housekeepers. It’s why we’re here.
- They Must be Experienced: Although sometimes an individual excels at their first job, a family can’t reasonably expect this from a professional Housekeeper. It’s not secret that the best Housekeepers are those with the most experience on the job. That’s why at LifeWorx, our recruiters look for the most experienced Housekeepers available. The bare minimum experience that we accept is at least two years of experience in a private home, with the majority of our Housekeepers greatly exceeding that. Not only do we require extensive experience, but our recruiters also rely on references directly from the Housekeeper’s prior employers. Although letters of recommendation may be a great addition to one’s resume, we prefer to contact the reference directly. Because of this, we ensure that every single Housekeeper that we agree to represent has truly wowed the families they worked for.
- They Must be Skilled: No matter what job it is, skill is always important. It’s simple; higher skilled Housekeepers are more valuable than lesser skilled Housekeepers. Because of this, LifeWorx only agrees to represent the best of the best. If there are any red flags in a candidate’s history, references, or character, LifeWorx will not move forward. A rule of thumb for our recruiters and salespersons is: If I don’t want this individual working in my home, with my family, than I don’t want them working with our LifeWorx clients.
Our First Annual Candidate of the Year
LifeWorx has announced Luisa Flores as the first Candidate of the Year for her loyalty to LifeWorx, excellent skills, and strength during a tough time. We are happy to present her with a gift of $500 to use towards her growth and education.
Bal reflected on the idea of Thanksgiving and what it represents when he came up with this award. He said “The amazing service our workers provide clients is what keeps us going, so we need to recognize that and thank them.” Luisa has worked with LifeWorx as an independent contractor for 2 years and has always been trustworthy, skilled, and reliable.
Four months ago, Luisa fainted in her bathroom and when she went to the doctor she found out she had a brain aneurysm that requires two surgeries. When she gets better she will use her award of $500 towards an event planning class, as she loves to broaden her education in various fields.
There are many factors that go into keeping the LifeWorx mission alive and hundreds of people that the company could not survive without. The professionals we represent provide amazing service to our clients, and thus are the foundation of LifeWorx success.
LifeWorx would like to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving!!
Taking Time to Address Your Busy Household’s Needs
Should Your Elderly Parent Be Driving?
- Are they a good driver during the day but not at night?
- Do they have 20/20 vision with corrective lenses but have drastically reduced peripheral vision?
- Does your elderly parent do well driving locally but has a hard time at higher speeds or when directions are needed?
- Do they hit curbs, miss turns, or put pedestrians at risk on a regular basis?
- Have they been in a car accident that has been deemed their fault?
Hiring a Personal Assistant
- Make a list of all the duties and expectations you have for the job, especially the tasks that they will perform on a regular basis. Will they be planning events, researching exotic vacations, managing your insurances and bills, working with vendors? Make sure the job description includes these factors, and don’t just assume people applying for the job will know what it entails.
- Personality assessment. Do you want someone young and energetic? Or someone a little older and calmer, and has life experience? Determining this before the interview process will make the search much easier. All in all, you should look for someone who is a problem solver, and the education and professionalism will follow. Having the candidates take a personality assessment questionnaire will give you much insight into how they work with others, independently, and what their strengths and weaknesses are.
- Ask the right questions. During the interview process, it will be important to ask the right kinds of questions. Ask about situational events and behavior. Ask for recent examples of how they have dealt with emergency situations or tight deadlines. The people with proper experience and problem solving skills will have plenty of situations to speak of.
- Second Interview. Once you’ve narrowed down your top two choices, meet with them a second time and maybe even try a trial period to see which one fits the best. Never settle and keep searching until you find someone who compliments you and performs all your tasks exactly how you want them. We also suggest having a second person meet them- whether that be a spouse, friend, or someone else who works in your home. Rushing the search could end badly and then the search has to begin all over again, so the time is worth it to get it right.
Summer Camp
Its summer time, and that means your kids may be starting a new camp. Summer camp is many children’s first taste of independence. For many, it will also be their first experience with homesickness. How do parents help them?
- Involve your child in the process of choosing a camp- this will increase their comfort level once there.
- Discuss what camp will be like before your child leaves so he/she knows what to expect.
- Reach an agreement ahead of time on calling each other.
- Send a note or care package ahead of time to arrive the first day of camp.
- Pack a personal item from home, such as a stuffed animal.
- If they call you in a panic, offer calm reassurance and put the time frame into perspective. Avoid your initial temptation to take the child home early!
- Don’t feel guilty about encouraging your child to stay at camp. Once they adjust, it will be the time of their life- something they will look forward to every year!
These tips will ensure not only your child’s enjoyment, but will help them become more confident and independent!
Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare
We’ve all heard about the dramatic rescue of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight in Cleveland. After being trapped and abused for 10 years, these women are finally free. The story will probably fade away in the news now that they are safe and back with their families- but this is just the beginning for them. They lost 10 years of the lives and now they need to learn how to heal and resume their “new” life.
Kidnapping is a parent’s worst nightmare. The parents of these women have lamented for a decade and they now finally have their children back- although much more broken then when they last saw them. They didn’t get to experience their teenage daughters growing up into women and this is something they have to bear. A story like this can be heartwarming- knowing that they are finally reunited. But it is also terrifying because it reminds parents how easily their children can be in danger. There are however steps we can take to keep our children safe.
- Children should be taught they should not go with a stranger because the stranger needs help. Make sure they know that it is acceptable to tell an adult “no” if the adult wants them to do something they do not feel is right. Instruct the child to go immediately to someone they trust and tell them what happened.
- Teach your child that if stranger tries to take them somewhere, they should kick, hit and scream for help.
- Children should be taught not to leave their yard when playing outside.
- When answering the phone, a child should never tell someone he or she is alone and should not be allowed to answer the door if he or she is home alone.
- Show your child where safe places are. Safe places can include homes, businesses, and other public areas.
- Map out the safest routes your child should take if he or she has to walk to and from school.
- Teach your child self defense techniques and make sure they know the kinds of circumstances to use them
Tips for Transitioning a New Nanny
Finding the perfect nanny can be nerve-wracking and even a little scary. After all, she will be caring for the most precious things in your life: your children. Once you’ve found a nanny you’re comfortable with, it’s still a big adjustment for everyone in the family. However, there are ways to make it easier, and most of them come down to good communication.
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Tips for Transitioning a New Nanny
Here are some tips for successfully integrating your new nanny into your home, your lifestyle, and your way of doing things:
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Start out with a training day for how the house runs. Don’t expect her to read your mind. What’s more, if you have kids who are old enough to communicate and you haven’t given her the low-down, you’d better believe they’ll tell her how the house should run.
emergency. Keep all important phone numbers on the refrigerator, as well as insurance information. Give her complete authorization to dial 911 if she feels the situation warrants it, even before calling you.International Women’s Day
Today is International Women’s Day. A day when we can step back and realize all the accomplishments of women.
Today, more and more woman continue to graduate from top schools and become figureheads in the area’s most reputable companies. While aggressively climbing the “corporate ladder”, these women are also moms raising families and running households. It’s a huge challenge many women face and we are seeing these “super women” start to reach out for assistance. Who are they reaching out to? They are reaching out to women like Jamie, an accomplished real estate sales person in Manhattan who was in a field that may have been the first to say “times are tough”. After experiencing the harsh conditions of the economy, Jamie is now meaningfully filling her time and pocketbook by helping these moms with school aged children focus on their career by providing the assurance that their children are in great hands. Even in her own times of struggle, Jamie was able to reach out and lend a helping hand. Women can relate to each other, and know the challenges of balancing family and work. It is NOT an easy task, and it only shows the true strength women are capable of. So today, LifeWorx would like to say thank you to all the strong women out there who are working and raising a family- we admire your balance and superwoman qualities!