For more information about how the caregivers at Senior Services Unlimited can help your family with senior care, call (888) 427-5285. We are a elder care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in Kirkwood MO, and the surrounding communities.

Knowing the variation between home care and home health care can be difficult at the start. When an elderly family member originally starts to really need services, it can be a scramble to work out which services are mandatory and when. If the senior requires an injected medication or nursing care while improving from an operation, then home healthcareis needed. If the elderly family member needs help in bathing, cooking or housekeeping, then home care can provide the service. 

 

Home care and home healthcare are different in two ways.

Home care offers non-medical services and is not paid for by by Medicare, but some home care companies and agencies may be licensed by the states. Home care services are private pay services, meaning the patient or the patient’s family will pay directly for home care. Once in a while long-term care insurance may handle home care as well. Home health care, however, is medical care that is contained by health insurance or Medicare. To attain home health care, a senior or a patient must be homebound and in need of assistance of medical care as identified by a doctor. Medicare may additionally include non-medical services done by a home health aide, but these services are only covered when alternative medical care at home is required. Generally these non-medical services transpire at the same time as medical care visits.

Home care offers non-medical services to seniors and patients getting better from operations. Assistance in bathing and dressing are common home care services. Other chores home care workers give include light housekeeping, meal preparation, running errands and transportation. Guidance in walking or exercise and other light aid to make life easier are provided by home care professionals. As the population gets older, home care agencies proliferated to meet the large needs of the elderly who prefer to continue in their homes, but who might require assistance to do so.

Home healthcare is doctor-prescribed, and is supplied by skilled medical personnel such as nurses who can provide medication. Physical and occupational therapists might also be needed in the health care routine. Home health aides may be designated to support with activities of daily living. These services can be covered by Medicare as long as other medical care is also needed.

Home care workers can present medication reminders, but cannot administer the medication. Home care workers also assist with daily living activities such as cooking meals, light housekeeping, helping with bathing, running errands and providing transportation to appointments. Home care services are privately funded by the patient, senior or their family. Long-term care insurance may also cover home care services.

For more information about how the caregivers at Senior Services Unlimited can help your family with home care services, call (888) 427-5285. We are a elder care agency providing quality and affordable home care services in Chesterfield, MO, and the surrounding communities.

We are lucky to live in a day where care at home is conceivable for our loved ones as they age. Once limited to nursing homes, care at home was often regarded as a final option when family members could no longer take care of the needs of their loved ones on their own. Home care makes taking care of our loved ones easy and relaxing. The practicality of professional, skilled nursing assistants who pay a visit to seniors in their, or their family’s, home, makes certain that the most desirable care is given in cases where health or physical issues limit one’s means to care for themselves.

 

In-home care agencies have appeared all over the country. The process of hiring an agency begins with proper investigation and taking the time to check out each agency in order to assess their level of excellence, and their nursing staff’s experience, in relation to each family’s individual needs. It’s crucial that each family take the time to make sure the home care agency they use are up to date in licensing requirements, and that their nursing staff are clear of criminal backgrounds. This is particularly true if elder care will be done when family members are not around to manage when skilled nursing staff comes to visit. A high sense of trust needs to be identified between both parties in order to ensure a long-term, affirmative, relationship.

The following 5 suggestions are offered to those who are initiating their research into finding care at home for their elderly family members.

1. Referral Sources
Ask friends, family and co-workers for references to local companies they are familiar with. Ask about their personal experiences, good and bad. Contact the elder’s long term care insurance company and ask for recommendations (if in-home care is covered by their plan.) You can even contact your family medical professional and ask for local references. Your last choice is to try the net, but if you choose this route, make sure to spend extra time looking into each company more thoroughly, as you won’t have unique experience to judge these companies by.

2. Background Checks
Once you’ve simplified a short list of companies you wish to think about further, make sure to ask what types of screening processes they put their nursing staff through prior to hiring them. Criminal background checks, credit checks, and checking individual references should be standard in all companies.

3. Staff Skills & Experience
Inquire as to what the minimum credentials each company usually requires when hiring their care providers. Do they only hire college educated nurses? Are their care providers certified nursing assistants? Or, do they simply have to have that their staff have a experience in helping care for the elderly? The more sophisticated their requirements, the better care will likely be offered.

4. Company Reputation
Check with your local Better Business Bureau to assess each company’s general rating. Do they have multiple complaints listed? Are there any outstanding criticisms? You can also try a typical search online by typing in the company’s name and the word “complaint” into any search engine to look at what comes up from the general public’s perception.

5. Licensing
Ensure that any company you contend with has the proper city, county and state licensing current and in good standing. Eliminate the worry of hiring any company that is not legitimate in practice.

Finally, don’t be shy about asking many in depth questions. All respected companies pride themselves in customer satisfaction and should be prepared to openly, and willingly, provide any and all information to prospective clients. Due diligence on your part will ensure a long-term, positive experience for yourself and your family members.

Are you or an aging loved one at the stage in your life where you are starting out to take a look at the existing alternatives for elder care or some form of home care services? Are you exploring your opportunities of how these varieties of home care services will be paid for? Whether you are interested in home care currently or in the near future, comprehending what all your possible choices are will help you or an aging loved one be more relaxed knowing how these home care services will be taken care of.

Home care services may include daily help with feeding, dressing and undressing, bathing, light housekeeping and medication reminders.

Social Security and Medicare

Social Security is a golden age fund and disability pension for disabled workers. The total amounteach person will receive is subject to the sum paid into the fund during his or her working years. If a husband/wife  passes , the surviving husband/wife is entitled to widows or widowers pension. For over 50% of Americans, Social Security benefits will be their primary means of money when they retire.

Medicare

Medicare is readily available to many people age 65 and older. Medicare covers home care services that belong to the category of “home healthcare” or “skilled care”. This means that the service must be provided by a professional, must be requested by a physician and the care receiver must be homebound in order to receive it. Medicare does not cover companion home care services. It won’t cover private duty home care services.

Private Income

For many men and women, income from different sources such as income off an available organization may have a secure margin in their bank account by which to afford home care services they may need now or down the road. Any CDs linked to these accounts are also an added benefit.

Retirement funds such as a 401(k), IRA, Keogh or other such categories are opportunities to consider also when figuring out how much and which level of care is needed for the senior loved one.

Pension plans available to employees of some companies have provided adequate money for the retirees to live on and complement other income they may have.

Stocks And Stock Mutual Funds

Some retirees are living off stocks or funds from the stock market. It is true that with the instability in the stock market of recent years, this is changing the way some individuals are looking at retirement income. There are still about 14 percent of retirees that have an income from this source.

Because of tax advantages for withholding stocks outside of retirement accounts and the income tax they must pay on withdrawals from the traditional 401(k)’s and IRA accounts, it is a good idea for seniors to have a good investment firm or certified financial planner helping them.

Home Equity

The equity earned on a home is another way of financing a retirement and any home care services needed in their advancing years. Sometimes the adult children are unable to provide all the care for their parents and must rely on some in-home care of their loved ones. This is just one more avenue that can be explored for possible means of financing home care for the family. There are more advertisements than ever about reverse mortgage as a way of having a retirement fund. Most financial planners will advice this as a last resort only.

Veterans Aid & Attendance Pension

This pension allows for veterans and the surviving spouses financial support that are in need of home care services this includes individuals who are in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Medicaid or Medi-Cal

Medicaid or Medi-Cal (in California) is a state funded program for individuals that require home care services (IHSS), are in a skilled nursing or intermediate care home and do not have any other income other than Social Security benefits.

With just a little groundwork and preparation , home care services for  seniors need not be a concern to the adult child. Whether the time is now or in the future, a seemingly daunting task is actually quite easy to navigate with proper planning.

Considering Home Care in Clayton MO?

If you are the child of aging parents, you might be having some troubles. It can be really hard to take care of your own family, go to your job each day, and take care of your elderly parents. The expectations can be overwhelming, especially when you want to do what is proper for your parents and make sure that your parents are taken care of even when you can’t be together with them all of the time.The terrific news is that there is a formula that can help. You and your parents should possibly consider home care. Home care is a great choice for getting supporting assistance for your aging loved ones. Home care is a type of care in which a healthcare professional or other skilled caregiver enters into your parents’ home to deliver different services and types of care. You and your parents can decide how many hours each day support is needed and which times of day your parents need the most aid.

You may squander a lot of time worrying about your parents when you can’t be with them. Your parents may not want to go out of their home to go into a nursing home or assisted living facility. The solution to this concern is in-home care, which will allow your parents to stay in their own home where they are most secure and will minimize some of your concern and stress about the scenario.

When you choose in-home care, the healthcare professional can relieve you of some of your jobs. The caregiver can guide your parents with basic skills such as bathing and getting dressed each morning. The caregiver can even enable your parents if they need help using the toilet.

As the child of aging parents, you might be concerned that your parents don’t have the ability to make meals anymore, or you might be worried that your parents aren’t dining as well as they should be. A caregiver can help ease these worries by organizing meals and making sure they eat each day. You and your parents can even speak with the caregiver to go over your concerns and put together a dietary plan that makes everyone feel better about your parents’ nutritional goals.

If you choose to get in-home care for your aging parents, you can get further support in the area of home tasks. Most likely that you have been trying to keep your residence clean as well as your parents’ home. This can be extremely arduous if you work a full time job on top of everything else. When you select a professional in the field of elder care, that person can help with light cleaning duties, which include doing the laundry washing.

Perhaps one of the best qualities of elder care is that your parents will have some camaraderie during the day when you can’t be there. Your aging parents may be feeling lonely, and you may be feeling worried because you can’t spend the amount of time with your parents that you dream you could. You can stop feeling remorseful that you aren’t with your parents and start feeling excellent about being aware of the fact that someone is with your parents who takes care. In reality, a caregiver can even take your parents out of the house to doctor’s visits, the store, the pharmacy, or just about anywhere your parents wants to visit.

Elder care may be the service you and your parents need. Your parents can live independently, and you can get the supplemental help you might need to make sure your parents’ needs are being met. Just knowing that a person is there with your parents can ease some of the stress from you.

For more information about how the caregivers at Senior Services Unlimited can help your family with your home care needs, call (888) 427-5285. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable home care in Clayton MO, and the surrounding communities.

Caring for an aging parent who presently lives in their house is complex. That is never more true than when the parent has serious health issues that need continuous care. No matter what age a person is, it is not easy to give up autonomy. That is why it is hard for children to talk to their aging parents about home care services. It is vital to find ways to analyze care services with parents in a soft tone that does not feel threatening to them.

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Feelings of guilt- Children find it rather tough to come to parents about caregiver stress they have been beginning to feel since taking on the challenge. Children often feel ashamed over considering care for their parents because their parents raised them and the children feel as though they are letting their parents down if they need to initiate home care. The strategy for these issues may be to engage respite care to come to the home and help for a short period of time. This will help test the waters to see how the parent does respond to having in-home care. The parent may voluntarily accept the offer of respite care to assist in daily elder care. This can instantly rid the children of a guilty feeling that is not necessary in the first place.

Dealing with it Head-On- Beating around the bush when aiming to talk to an elderly parent about elder care will end in not talking about about it at all. Have all the facts necessary to explain to the parent what is necessary and all the points that it is a good option to hire elder care. The information and facts gathered should include cost as well as possible ideas to cover the costs if insurance does not cover it. Several elderly people are on a fixed income and that is an issue that children should consider before meeting with their parents about respite care. Be relaxed but blunt when pursuing the subject.

Authenticity- The Reality of a parent that needs an in-home caregiver is significant to stress in the course of the discussion. Parents should be reminded that the children work full-time professions, have young people to care for or everything else that raises caregiver stress levels. Stress brings about bad communication skills and ultimately annoyance and bitterness over having to tackle the extra duty of caring for an elderly parent. When children take on the responsibility of caring for an ill parent, the relationship often suffers greatly because of the stress related problems.

Concerns- Be open and true with the elderly parent when he or she has issues. The concerns might seem like complaints or excuses, but they are real fears that the parent is feeling and should be addressed rapidly. Two of the main worries the parent might have are cost and having someone in the home who is a new person. Do not make pledges that cannot be maintained, but give suggestions gained by talking to a specialist about it.

Adult children who are care taking of their elderly parents learn early on that it is a daunting process at best. There are duties involved in caring for an elderly parent that are hard to handle. Children and parents shouldguide each other when they can. There is a time to realize that an in-home caregiver is the best remedy. Be willing to take on the extra cost if the elderly parent cannot deal with the cost themselves. Some insurance companies will cover the cost in certain circumstances. Otherwise, arrangements have to be made financially if an in-home caregiver is the only remedy.

 

    Senior Living is written by Dr. Arlen Burger, Mary Burger and Dave Besana, management team of A Brand New Day Assisted Living.

Oral hygiene is not just about a nice smile or avoiding bad breath.

    Much has been learned in dental practices and hygiene over the years. The good news is that seniors are more likely to keep their teeth for a lifetime than they were a decade ago. However, the bad news is that studies show seniors have the highest rates of periodontal disease and need to do more to maintain good oral health. Risk factors that may make seniors more susceptible to periodontal disease include receding gum tissue, weakened immune system, medication side effects and diminished salivary flow.

   We’ve heard from some of our residents at A Brand New Day, “Why spend all that effort to maintain my teeth when I’m so old?” The answer is clear: Good oral health is essential to quality of life. Your teeth play an important role in speaking and chewing. Eating fresh fruit and vegetables can be painful with sore or missing teeth. Not only do you miss out on the pleasure of biting into an apple, you miss out on proper nutrition.

   Poor oral hygiene often results in chronic inflammation of gums and mouth tissue. Did you know that a major cause of failure in joint replacements is infection? Infection from periodontal disease can travel from the mouth to the site of the joint replacement. Research has found that periodontal disease is linked to a number of major health concerns such as heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, bacterial pneumonia, osteoporosis and diabetes.

   In addition to feeling good, it is natural for people at any age to want to look good. A study by the American Dental Association and Oral-B found that nearly half of survey respondents age 65 and older selected a smile as the first thing they notice about people. Almost 80 percent in this age group also reported that a smile is very important to a person’s appearance.

   Brushing is a critical component of oral hygiene, yet may become more difficult as we grow older. Those suffering from arthritis or other medical conditions may have difficulty in gripping a toothbrush. Here is a tip: Insert the end of a toothbrush into a small rubber ball such as a racquetball or even a tennis ball to help grab and maneuver while brushing.

   Flossing and using mouthwash can also help kill germs but keep in mind that mouthwash alone is not good enough. It’s best to brush at least twice daily and floss to help prevent gum disease and keep your teeth. Have you ever heard of the saying, “You only need to floss the teeth you want to keep”?

   Know the warning signs that may put your mouth, teeth and gums at risk. Your gums should be pink, not red, and they should not bleed during brushing and flossing. Tooth sensitivity and pain, bumps or mouth sores and swelling or loose teeth are warning signs you need to see a dentist.

Does your jaw pop or click or do you have difficulty quenching your thirst, swallowing or chewing? These are additional signs that you need a dentist’s attention.

   Dry mouth is a warning sign that something is wrong. This condition can be caused by reduced saliva flow resulting from certain diseases and medication side effects. Antihistamines, diuretics, painkillers, high blood pressure medications and antidepressants have been shown to cause dry mouth. Aside from producing an uncomfortable sensation, dry mouth leaves the mouth without enough saliva to wash away food and neutralize plaque. This makes you more susceptible to tooth decay and periodontal disease. In addition, dry mouth can cause sore throat, problems with speaking, difficulty swallowing and hoarseness. Your dentist or periodontist can recommend various methods to restore moisture, including sugarless gum, oral rinses or artificial saliva products.

   Don’t wait until you experience the warning signs to see a dentist. Regular dental exams and professional cleaning at least twice a year are necessary to maintain oral health.

 

If you or someone you know needs help with senior care in Creve Coeur or the surrounding area, contact the caregivers at Senior Services Unlimited. We provide quality and affordable in-home carefor many disabled and elderly loved ones in our community. Call us at (888) 427-5285 for more information.