Home Care Services vs. Visiting Nurse: Understanding the Difference in Phoenix, AZ

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There are many different types of senior care arrangements available, and it is important to understand the specifications of each different type in order to make the decision that is most appropriate for your aging loved one. If you have recognized that your aging loved one has increased needs in terms of meeting daily activities of life, managing health concerns or simply staying active; establishing a beneficial home care services arrangement can help your aging loved one remain independent in his own home while still staying safe and healthy for the long term. It is easy to become confused as to the details of each type of senior care because many of them sound extremely similar. Contacting the home health care services agency in your area and asking for further information can help to clarify the different senior care options that are available to you so you can select the one that is geared most specifically towards the needs of your loved one.

One source of senior care confusion is the difference between home care services companions and visiting nurses. While these may sound as though they are the same thing, they do not offer the same types of services and are appropriate for different seniors.

The main difference between a home care services companion in a visiting nurse is that a visiting nurse offers primarily medical services and is qualified to administer medications and other treatments. This nurse will visit the home and take care of medical needs such as redressing wounds, administering medications, taking vital signs and otherwise providing medical care for your aging loved one. This type of nurse is not responsible for activities of daily living or providing extensive companionship. While the nurse may spend time with your aging loved one and even help with some immediate needs such as tidying up the room or preparing a fast meal, these are not her central responsibilities and she will be more focused on taking care of physical or medical needs.

Home care services companions, on the other hand, do not administer medications or medical treatments, but rather encourage seniors to be responsible for their own medical care through offering medication reminders and treatment compliance encouragement. Home care service companions are also true companions, providing emotional support and friendship that boosts the emotional health and well-being of seniors. An in home care provider can take care of tasks of daily living such as running errands, light housekeeping, light meal preparation and basic pet care while also helping your aging loved one with mobility issues, bathing, dressing, hygiene and other similar needs.

When researching options for home care services in Phoenix, AZ call us at (480) 535-6800. Home care counselors at Endeavor Home Care are available to talk with you about your in home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing home care services in Phoenix, AZ.

Benefits of Memory Screening in Elder Care Fountain Hills, AZ

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Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are two of the most prevalent issues in elder care today. Elderly health care providers are charged not only with recognizing cognitive challenges in the seniors for him they provide care, but also in devising and implementing different ways to help prevent these cognitive challenges from developing and treat or at least manage them when they do develop. As an elder care provider, you may find yourself constantly worrying about whether your aging loved one will develop the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and become incredibly stressed at the prospect of how these diseases impact of life of a patient and his caregivers. It is important understand that early recognition of the cognitive and memory challenges is critical to the appropriate and effective management of these diseases, and that through  memory screening as a regular part of an elder care plan, the earliest signs of memory and cognitive challenges can be detected and the condition monitored and managed into the future.

Elder care memory screening helps elderly health care providers recognize early onset symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, but also helps to eliminate potential causes for these symptoms so that they can be eradicated and the disease managed better. Regular memory screening shows how well a senior can remember simple to complex concepts, process thought patterns and engage critical thinking. While some of the tests that are used during an elder care memory screening may seem confusing and even unrelated to the concept of memory care, each of the steps of such as screening is specifically designed to illustrate an individual thought pattern or process.

If you are providing elderly home care for an aging loved one and a memory screening indicates that the memory or cognitive challenges are beginning, it is important that you take immediate steps to manage these symptoms so that the condition does not deteriorate rapidly. Prompt and effective response to early onset symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is the best way to help keep seniors who suffer from these diseases healthy, productive and functional for as long as possible.

When researching options for elder care in Fountain Hills, AZ call us at (480) 535-6800. Home care counselors at Endeavor Home Care are available to talk with you about your in home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing home care in Fountain Hills, AZ.

Caregiver in Mesa, AZ: What is the “Sandwich Generation”?

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Have you ever felt like a smear of peanut butter and jelly? No, not spread too thin, though that may be a valid feeling as well, but a part of a sandwich. If you have, it is likely that you are part of an age group that is booming in today’s society. This a true, referred to as the sandwich generation, is the adults that find themselves providing financial support both to their children and their aging parents at the same time. This group is generally in their 40s and 50s, though there are some members of the sandwich generation that are younger. Being a caregiver in sandwich generation can be extremely stressful as you are responsible for taking care of multiple people, but it also has its potential advantages.

Whether you are an in home care provider for your aging parents or simply provide financial support, statistics show that many adult children who are closely connected to the ongoing care of their parents feel more connected to the older generation than they did when they were younger. Likewise, members of the sandwich generation often report that they have a stronger emotional connection to the children who they help support than other people of a similar age to do not have this responsibility. For many people, providing financial support is a tangible way of demonstrating love and helps to facilitate a closer bond and more opportunity to spend quality time together.

As a member of the sandwich generation, however, it can also lead to you feeling overwhelmed and as though you have lost yourself along the way. It is important to remember that while you are taking care of your parents above you and your children below you that you are still an individual and need to take care of your relationship with your partner and your friends, your own hobbies and pastimes and yourself. As with any caregiver, you will always be able to offer greater support and encouragement to those who depend on you if you also take care of yourself.

When researching options for caregiver agencies in Mesa, AZ call us at (480) 535-6800. Home care counselors at Endeavor Home Care are available to talk with you about your in home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing caregivers in Mesa, AZ.

Elder Care in Mesa, AZ: When Can Your Parents No Longer Make Their Own Decisions?

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One of the most serious considerations in elder care is competence. It is a delicate topic to consider whether your aging loved ones are truly mentally competent to continue making their own decisions, or whether you need to step in and become legally responsible for making decisions regarding their financial situation and health care. As with many other elderly health care considerations, you may find that your aging loved one is extremely resistant to discussing the topic of competence, and may even become defensive and angry should you bring up any concerns that you may have. Even if your aging loved one is not offended by your discussion of his competence, you may find that your siblings or other people in your family feel that you are making a rash or even selfish decision. If you’ve been providing ongoing elder care for your aging loved one, however, it is your responsibility to stand up for the health and well-being of this senior by recognizing when his mental faculties have reached a point at which they are no longer sharp enough to make beneficial decisions, and take the steps to protect him through your legal guardianship.

If you’ve been pondering the competence of your aging loved one in the course of your elder care, there are certain warning signs that you may wish to look out for.

These include:

  • Your aging loved one has not changed his clothes in a few days, or has put on dirty clothes
  • The clothing that your aging loved one is wearing is disheveled or stained
  • Your aging loved one has not been attending to his hygiene, including bathing, washing his hands, brushing his hair or brushing his teeth
  • The home has become disorganized, messy or even dirty
  • You find items placed or stored in a logical places such as canned goods in the refrigerator or clothing in the oven
  • You notice excessive expenditures on bank accounts or credit card statements
  • Your aging loved one begins receiving a tremendous number of packages from mail-order services or televised sales services
  • Your aging loved one no longer seems capable of following the progression of a conversation, or is not expressing emotion in a way that is appropriate for the situation.

If you have concerns that your aging loved one is no longer competent, contact the elder care services in your area for help finding legal resources that can help you protect his interests.

When researching options for elder care agencies in Mesa, AZ call us at (480) 535-6800. Home care counselors at Endeavor Home Care are available to talk with you about your in home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing home care in Mesa, AZ.

Elder Care in Scottsdale, AZ: Post-Rehab Care in the Home

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Extended hospitalizations are a common aspect of elder care. Seniors are more susceptible to serious illness and injury and require more comprehensive care in order to recover properly. After hospitalization, however, many seniors will require a time of rehabilitation in order to recover functionality and achieve full recovery.

This rehabilitation is a critical element of elderly health care as it addresses common problems associated with extended hospitalization. One of these problems is referred to as deconditioning. Deconditioning is when an elderly person’s body experiences functional losses that make it difficult for him to fulfill daily tasks and achieve the same level of mobility and independence that he had prior to going into the hospital. Deconditioning is a common result of spending a considerable amount of time in bed, but it does not have to mean that your aging loved one can no longer enjoy the same level of independence and activity that he did prior to having to be hospitalized.

Rehabilitation after hospitalization is a common elder care recommendation. Physicians will want to ensure that an elderly person continues to receive support for regaining his abilities after hospitalization so that when he returns home his far along the path of full recovery. After this realization, however, it is critical that you provide continued elderly health care to support your loved one’s recovery efforts.

Home care for the elderly is a fantastic resource for post-rehab care that can encourage your aging loved one to regain his physical strength, mental sharpness and independence. Elderly home care is about having a provider in the home to help address daily needs, as well as to encourage compliance with medication and other treatment recommendations. Consider introducing an elderly home care provider to your aging loved one while he is still involved in rehabilitation so that the transition from this rehab center into home care is as smooth and hassle-free as possible. Helping your aging loved one to feel comfortable with the person who will be providing post-rehab care in his home will encourage compliance with this care, and therefore hasten his total recovery.

When researching options for elder care in Scottsdale, AZ call us at (480) 535-6800. Home care counselors at Endeavor Home Care are available to talk with you about your in home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing home care in Scottsdale, AZ.

Caregiver in Scottsdale, AZ: Showing Your Mother You Still Need Her

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Being a mother is one of the most important roles that any woman can have. Most women treasure their children and the relationship that they have with them as one of the most valuable relationships that they have in their entire lives. As their children get older, however, it is easy for mothers to feel as though they are no longer important. This is especially true if there adult child is also acting as their caregiver.

Transitioning from being the one providing the care to the one receiving the care can be extremely difficult for seniors, but there are ways that you can continuously reaffirm the importance of your mother in your life while also providing home care for her.

Being a caregiver for a senior is about much more than making sure that her physical and medical needs are addressed. While providing home care for an aging parent you must also take careful consideration to support her mental and emotional health, which includes acknowledging her feelings and recognizing when she is having difficulty accepting changes that are occurring in her capabilities as well as her relationships. It is important that you balance your role as a caregiver with your role as your mother’s adult child in order to maintain the loving and bonded relationship, while also addressing all of her needs.

There are many ways that you can show your mother that you still need her. Asking her to help you with simple tasks around the house as she is capable such as putting groceries away, folding laundry or watching a sleeping baby for a few minutes will give her a considerable validation while also affirming to her that you trust her. Other ways that you can remind her of her value as your mother is to bring up memories of when you’re a child and connect them to her home care. Request a recipe that you particularly love to when you are a child, or ask her how she made your sheets smell so good. This will remind her how much you appreciate her caring for you, and show her that you are providing the same care because you love her.

When researching options for caregivers in Scottsdale, AZ call us at (480) 535-6800. Home care counselors at Endeavor Home Care are available to talk with you about your in home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing home care in Scottsdale, AZ.

Senior Care in Phoenix, AZ: Coping with Caregiver Guilt

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When you are the primary caregiver for an aging loved one it is easy to become overwhelmed and burned out. Just because you are providing care for a senior loved one does not mean that you don’t have your own life separate from this caregiving relationship to manage. You may have your own children, a marriage, a career and valued past times that you find yourself often neglecting because of your compulsion to be constantly available for your aging loved one. One of the main senior care issues that impacts family caregivers is referred to as “caregiver guilt”, and is the feeling of guilt that occurs when you aren’t spending every moment caring for an aging loved one.

Caregiver guilt is difficult for anyone who provides senior care for an aging loved one. Whether your aging loved one lives in your home or you go to their home to provide care, it is easy to feel as though you are not doing enough or that asking for help would be assigned that you don’t love your aging loved one enough. When you begin feeling these things, it is critical the remind yourself that you are only one person and that you must continue to take care of yourself while you’re also taking care of your aging loved one. This means asking for help when you need it. Senior home services can offer you an incredible amount of help when you need time to take care of yourself.

Hiring a senior care provider does not mean that this person needs to be in the home all day or even every day. You can hire senior home services that will come to the home as little as a few hours every week to give you a break and take care of some of the senior care responsibilities so you are able to take care of yourself and other responsibilities. While this may increase your caregiver guilt, it is important that you consistently remind yourself that you are doing what is best for your aging loved one not just by ensuring that he is well taken care of when you are not available, but also by taking care of yourselves that you can be the best caregiver you possibly can.

Another way to cope with caregiver guilt is by participating in a senior care support group. Senior care referral services can connect you with the support group in your area so you can create a network of encouragement with those that understand what you are going through. This support group will help you to confront your caregiver guilt and rationalize your feelings so that you are able to honestly express your frustration, depression and even anger that is sometimes related to providing ongoing care for a senior, and receive support and encouragement from people who will not judge you and will help you to feel more confident in your role as a caregiver, but also as a person.

When researching options for senior care agencies in Phoenix AZ, call us at (480) 535-6800. Home care counselors at Endeavor Home Care are available to talk with you about your in home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing senior care in Phoenix AZ.

Recognizing Important Days with a Caregiver in Phoenix, AZ

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As a caregiver it is important that you acknowledge not just the physical needs of your aging loved one, but also his emotional needs. Part of this is helping him to recognize the important days throughout the year and what they mean to him. For many seniors, holidays and days of significance gain even more importance in late adulthood. Acknowledging these days and helping your aging loved one to recognize them in a meaningful way will be valuable to his emotional health.

While many people immediately think of recognize holidays such as Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving as the important days throughout the year that seniors need support and acknowledgment, there are actually several other days that may be even more importance, yet are easily forgotten. For many seniors, birthdays often slip by without acknowledgments. It is not necessarily their own birthday that they care about, but these seniors may feel left out of the celebrations of family birthdays or the birthdays of family members that have passed. Inviting an aging loved one to a birthday celebration is an important way of keeping him connected to the family and creating valuable family memories. Likewise, taking the time to acknowledge the birthday of a family member that has passed will help to validate the memories and emotions of your aging loved one related to that person and keep the memory alive.

Another important day that home care providers can help seniors acknowledge is anniversaries. While young couples often have elaborate celebrations for their anniversaries, senior couples may not have the means or the mobility to enjoy such a celebration. Consider planning something small but joyful for your aging loved ones to acknowledge their time together and honor their love. If your aging loved one is mourning the loss of his partner on his anniversary, help him to memorialize his partner in a meaningful way such as visiting the cemetery or a special place that they shared together.

Making sure that important days throughout the year do not go unacknowledged is a valuable way to keep your aging loved one feeling important and heard. These acknowledgments do not have to be elaborate; simply recognition of the importance of the day and time to talk about the meaning of this day to give your aging loved one the opportunity to enjoy making memories and reminiscing on old ones.

When researching options for in home care agencies in Phoenix AZ, call us at (480) 535-6800. Home care counselors at Endeavor Home Care are available to talk with you about your in home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing caregivers in Phoenix AZ.

Elder Care Phoenix: Dealing with Senior Weight Loss

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Weight loss is a serious concern for many seniors. Various medical conditions can lead to a loss in appetite, and cognitive concerns such as Alzheimer’s disease can make it difficult for your senior to understand hunger and the need to eat. A reduced compulsion to eat can quickly lead to malnutrition and serious weight loss. This is something that needs to be addressed promptly in order to protect the ongoing health and well-being of your loved one. If you are noticing that your senior loved one has been losing weight rapidly, discuss your concerns with his physician. If your loved one was seriously overweight prior to this weight loss, the physician may they that this weight loss is fine as long as the senior continues to feel healthy and is behaving in ways that you would describe as being consistent with his personality and character. If your senior has lost extreme amount of weight, however, didn’t need to lose weight in the first place, or is lethargic or doesn’t seem like “him”, this weight loss can be cause for concern.

Addressing senior weight loss can be as easy as modifying the senior’s diet. One side effect of aging is loss of the ability to smell and taste, which can greatly reduce the compulsion to eat. By introducing foods with very strong sense and flavors, you can make the experience of eating more satisfying, therefore making your senior more willing to eat regularly. If a specific medical concern, medication or other problem is causing your senior to not be able to maintain his body weight, you may need to find creative ways to introduce more calories into his diet. Many doctors recommend using meal replacement shakes and boosting their nutritional content by adding extra protein powder. These shakes cannot only replace meals for seniors who have difficulty eating solid food, but can also act as supplements to a regular diet. The liquid nature of the shakes is easier for many seniors to consume, and the sweet flavors tend to be very appealing.

Make sure that you discuss with your senior your concerns over his weight loss. Ask him what types of foods she would like to eat, and if there is anything else you could do to help stimulate his appetite. Make sure that you are not sacrificing a well-balanced diet simply for bulk, because as much more important that he gets the nutrition that he needs then it is that he eats a large amount.

When researching options for elder care Phoenix, AZ call us at (480) 535-6800. Home care counselors at Endeavor Home Care are available to talk with you about your in home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing elder care Phoenix, AZ.

Better Senior Care in Phoenix, AZ: Easy Bathroom Safety Ideas

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When it comes to providing the best senior care for your aging parents, it is important that you keep in mind all areas of the home. It is easy to recognize challenges in areas such as the living room or kitchen, but one of the most dangerous areas of the home for a senior is actually the bathroom. One of the most important parts of senior care is making sure that your parents are in a safe and secure environment, but also that they can continue to maintain their daily activities with as high a level of independence as possible.

Bathroom safety can be accomplished through making simple changes to the design and function of the room. Whether you are willing to do some major renovations to the home or would rather implement simpler changes that can be done more easily and less expensively, you can greatly improve your parents’ physical security and ability to take care of themselves with these ideas:

Shower

• Getting into the shower is often the most difficult part of bathing for seniors. Consider replacing the bathtub with one specifically designed for use by seniors or with a shower stall that doesn’t require a large step to get in.

• Make sure that there are secure handrails installed on the walls of the shower. These bars should be firmly installed in place so that a senior can rely on the bar to help them steady themselves without worrying that it will come off of the wall.

• Place non-slip pads or stickers on the bottom of the tub to keep your aging parents safe from slipping when bathing.

• Benches can make it much easier for your parents to bathe, allowing them to sit comfortably and securely on the bench rather than trying to bathe while standing.

• By installing a handheld shower head you can make it easier for your parent to bathe himself, or easier for a caregiver to bathe him because the shower head can be moved around his body rather than requiring that he move himself.

Toilet

• An elevated toilet seat makes it easier for your parent to sit down and stand back up.

• A padded toilet seat cover is more comfortable, and also cuts down on slipping.

• Make sure that the toilet paper is close enough to the toilet that your parents don’t have to lean far to get it.

Other

• Choose a sink that is at an easy height to use but also doesn’t pose a risk for your parent hitting his knees.

• Eliminate uneven flooring such as small tiles that can pose a tripping or traction hazard.

• Make sure that there are handrails positioned around the room so that if your parent loses his balance he doesn’t reach for a towel rod or something else that could break and cause a serious fall.

When researching options for in home care agencies in Phoenix AZ, call us at (480) 535-6800. Home care counselors at Endeavor Home Care are available to talk with you about your in home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing home care in Phoenix AZ.