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Combat the Isolation of Caregiving
Caregiving

How to Prevent Caregiver Loneliness

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

Combat the Isolation of Caregiving

Caregiving can be incredibly isolating. Between managing two households and family obligations, there isn’t much time left for socializing. Unfortunately, social isolation can be just as detrimental to a caregiver’s health, as it is to your caree. Loneliness has been linked to both physical and emotional health problems. Combat the Isolation of Caregiving
Unfortunately, not all caregivers start their caregiving journey in good health. Even caregivers who start out healthy can experience health problems as a result of ignoring your own well-being for an extended period of time. The last thing caregivers need is to struggle from health challenges because they are lonely! Combat the Isolation of Caregiving
Even if you have the ability to get out and see friends, sometimes you just don’t want to. Maybe your friends don’t understand your situation. Maybe you feel so far out of the loop because you are so focused on your caree that you haven’t checked in with friends for a while. It can be a downward cycle. Too tired to see friends, sad that you don’t get to see your friends.

5 Tips for Improving Caregiver Socialization

If you are struggling to get back out in your social scene, here are tips to get out there and reconnect with friends, or make new friends.

  1. Squeeze in Self-Care: It can be hard to spend time with others when you feel like you barely have a second to breathe. If you focus on small bursts of self-care, you may feel less overwhelmed, making you more interested in spending time with others.
  1. Bring Gatherings To You: I know, I know, the house is a mess, there’s no time to clean, I don’t have time or energy to cook, etc. That being said, true friends won’t care about the mess. Trust me, I have never cared and am trying to remind myself of that when my own home is a mess. As for food, you can do a potluck or purchase pre-cooked food, order takeout or gather at a time when food isn’t necessary. Your real friends won’t care about your hosting abilities. They just care about spending time with you.
  1. Reach Out: If you don’t tell people how overwhelmed or lonely you are, they won’t know. We’re all selfish and busy, so sometimes, we don’t see that a friend is struggling unless they reach out. That doesn’t make us bad people, it just means that we all need to speak our needs more often. People who aren’t caring for an adult loved one don’t know how much time or energy goes into caring for another adult. They may just assume you do a few things here and there and are busy with life, not realizing you’re drowning. Tell your friends you are struggling. Good friends will rise, bad friends will sink.
  1. Find Alternatives: If you can’t find a meeting time or place to get together in person, can you do phone calls, text each other regularly or email each other for support? My preference is always in person because I hate talking on the phone, but for some people, in person isn’t always the way to go, especially if your closest friends don’t live near you. My best friend doesn’t live far, but we are both too busy to get together as often as we’d like. Our communication of choice lately is Instant Message/Texting during the week. We can keep up with each other’s lives and support each other even if we can’t get together. Distance doesn’t have to be a deterrent. You’ll just need to get creative.
  1. Find New Friends: Sometimes, in crisis, we realize that we don’t have as many true friends as we thought we had. If you’re feeling a little left out or down about a lack of friends, consider making new friends who know exactly what you’re going through. Check with your local medical provider or senior center to find support groups for caregivers or people with the same ailment as your caree. If getting to a support group is difficult, consider finding online support. There are many Facebook groups for caregivers as well as many people on Twitter who tweet about caregiving and several are actual caregivers themselves. Combat the Isolation of Caregiving

All of these suggestions require a bit of effort on your part, however, once you get out there, you’ll probably be happy you did. There are very few times when I’ve gone out with friends on a day where I wasn’t feeling well or was tired that I’ve actually regretted getting out. Even reaching out via text or email has always made me feel better.

Don’t assume that they are avoiding you or are bad friends. Assume that they are busy and don’t realize how challenging being a caregiver can be. Unfortunately, if you’re the first in your circle of friends to go through this challenge, you don’t have people ahead of you who understand the difficulty. Combat the Isolation of Caregiving

Combat the Isolation of Caregiving

Combat the Isolation of Caregiving

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How To Be a Caregiver for a Difficult Person
Caregiving

How To Be a Caregiver for a Difficult Person

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

Stay Sane When You Are Caring For A Challenging Caree

Ideally, the person you provide care for is thankful and happy to have you in their life, caring for their personal, physical and emotional needs. Unfortunately, in the real world, sometimes being a caregiver is hard. Your caree may be angry that they need care or struggle with pain or frustration over their new situation, making you their easiest target. Or, maybe they weren’t very pleasant to begin with and you are stepping up regardless of their disposition. How To Be a Caregiver for a Difficult Person

It can be extremely difficult if you are a caregiver to a loved one who is difficult. Whether they are kind to you and nasty to others around them or treat you with less kindness than you deserve, it can make caregiving challenging. How To Be a Caregiver for a Difficult Person

Caregiving takes an emotional toll on caregivers, particularly when the person they are caring for is difficult. It is hard enough taking the time to care for someone else’s needs and giving so much of your energy to others. When your caree is ungrateful, angry or emotionally abusive, it takes caregiving to a whole new level.

There is no other time to remind yourself that “It’s not you, it’s them.” Their behavior is not indicative of the person you are. There are other issues coming in to play that are their issues, not yours. While you can’t change their behavior, you can change your reaction so that it doesn’t alter your mood. How To Be a Caregiver for a Difficult Person

Bad moods can be contagious and it can be easy to go to a dark place when someone you are close to is in a dark space. If you find yourself sinking into depression, consider seeking out a counselor or support group. You don’t have to allow your caree to destroy your emotional well-being. You can do your best to help them out of their negative space, but don’t go down that path together.

Tips to Deal with an Angry or Emotional Abusive Caree

  • Accept that it’s not you, it’s them.
  • Don’t take it personally.
  • Redirect: If you can, change the subject or distract your caree from what is angering them.
  • Acknowledge them: Sometimes your caree just wants to be heard. It can be hard going from managing your own life to having someone else step in because you are no longer able to do so. Just listening to them and letting them know that you hear them and understand may go a long way.
  • Get help: If the behavior change is new, consider speaking to their primary care physician. The change could be related to a new condition, a medical side effect, sleep issues, etc. If they have suffered from bouts of depression in the past, reach out to their therapist.
  • Get support: If you are the only person providing care for your loved one, reach out to your family and friends to get others on board. Don’t discount grandkids. A high school student can prepare a meal for their grandparent and keep them company while you go to a coffee shop with a magazine.
  • Find outlets for them: If your parent is angry or depressed due to loss of family or friends, consider helping them out of isolation. Just having things to look forward to can improve their mood.
  • Stand up for yourself: You are not a punching bag. No matter how much you love someone and want to provide them care, you need to take care of yourself first. Tell your loved one that you love them but you will not accept this type of behavior. If they are not willing to treat you better, you will be forced to leave and they will need to find another care source. This of course, is easier said than done, but ideally, the person you love is still in there and will realize that they are hurting you.

 

Caring for others is hard. Caring for someone who is angry or emotionally abusive takes it to a whole new level. Be kind to yourself. Don’t allow their negativity to bring you down. Find ways to care for yourself and give yourself much-needed breaks.

How To Be a Caregiver for a Difficult Person

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Why Long Distance Care Matters Now More Than Ever
Caregiving

Caring for Someone Who Doesn’t Want Help

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

Admitting you need help is hard. Especially when you used to be the one people went to for help. Suddenly, people are telling you what you should do or what you can’t do. Most seniors, regardless of what the outside looks like, still feel like their old selves, so when their adult children start treating them like a frail person who needs assistance, they can resist. Caring for Someone Who Doesn’t Want Help

So how can you respectfully help your independent mother or father accept help, whether from you or a hired caregiver, so that they can continue their independent lifestyle while remaining safe?

Transportation

If your elderly parent is no longer safe on the road, you’ll need to address transportation before it is addressed for you. Has your parent already had a few fender benders? That could be a sign that they may need to cut back on driving. If you are considering taking away the keys, you never want to go into this discussion empty handed.

Providing solutions for transportation so that a senior can see clearly that while they may no longer be driving, they can still enjoy all of their activities is critical in making the transition easier. Make sure you cover everything from trips to the grocery store to the hairdresser and lunch with friends. You don’t need to use one service to cover all of their needs. I find that the most successful seniors have a network of services they used so that they were never left stranded.

If cost is a concern for your senior parent, figure out the cost of operating their vehicle. It is probably very close to what they will pay for services and they will be much safer. The cost of a car accident is far higher than what they will spend on transportation. I had a client who sold her car and kept the cash from the sale to use for transportation so that she wasn’t dipping into her other funds for transportation. I’m not totally on board with keeping a big sum of cash at home, but it was an interesting way of managing her transportation costs.

Get Help at Home

It is extremely difficult to convince someone to allow a stranger into their home to perform tasks that they still want to do. My suggestion is to start slow and small. Perhaps your parent doesn’t need a daily caregiver, or actual caregiving tasks performed.

Sit down together and think about the types of things that would be nice to get help with. Is vacuuming challenging? Perhaps cleaning the toilets or shower and tub are becoming more difficult or dangerous. Working with your parent will help them feel like you’re not making decisions for them.
Does your parent need help with cleaning and food prep? Maybe just bring in a caregiver 2-3 times a week for a few hours to do housekeeping and help your parent prep food so that they can cook it when they are ready. I’ve even know families who hired a caregiver to do light cleaning and go for a walk with their parent so that they can get exercise outdoors safely.

If you start slowly and involve your parent, they will get used to having a bit of help around the house and the more help they need, the more willing they will be to accept it. Now, of course, this doesn’t work for everyone. I knew a woman who was so sweet to me and my drivers and it was shocking to see her interaction with her caregivers. She really hated having someone in her space, but sadly, she needed it. The best thing you can do in this situation is try to find the best fit for them. Maybe the first or second caregiver won’t be the right person for them, but the third might be just what they needed.

Outside Activities

Quite frankly, so long as your parent is physically and emotionally able to get out and be social, you should encourage it. I have noticed that my senior friends who had activities to look forward to were in much better emotional and physical health than those who only went out for medical visits. Social activity combats loneliness, which has been linked to mental and health problems.

Even if they have physical or cognitive limitations, finding ways to maintain their social activities is important to their overall well-being. You may need to enlist a companion or caregiver to participate in an activity with them, but whenever possible, they should stay active. I had a client with dementia who went to the gym multiple times per week because he truly enjoyed it. I also knew of a woman with dementia who played mah jong with a group of friends every week, with the help of her caregiver. We even took a woman in a wheelchair to the beach a few times a week to ride along the bike path. Find ways to make participation enjoyable, even if it isn’t the same as it was in the past.

Accepting a change in lifestyle is hard for anyone. Work together with your parents to find the best fit for them and show them that their opinions and decisions are valuable.Caring for Someone Who Doesn’t Want Help

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HealthHealth Products

GPS SmartSole® Is a Game Changer for Caregiving

by Kimberly Johnson
written by Kimberly Johnson

GPS SmartSole® is a discreet trackable smartphone hidden in a shoe insole. GPS SmartSole® is enormously helpful if you are worried your loved one may wander or get lost. This patented product is a game changer for caregivers of people with dementia, Alzheimer’s, autism or other developmental disabilities.

60% of them will become “lost” at least once.

70% of those will become “lost” 3 or more times.

46% of wanders not found within 24 hours may die.

GPS SmartSole® is water resistant and sealed in a trim-able shoe insole. It uses GPS and cellular technology, is charged about every day, and requires a service plan – all just like your phone. And, just like your phone, it works in areas with cellular coverage. The key advantage is GPS SmartSole® is discreet and your loved one won’t forget to bring it with them! GPS SmartSole® automatically logs its location, tracking your loved one. If you have a network of caregivers, you may share your app login name and password so multiple caregivers and track your loved one at the same time. The map will pin-point the address, whether it was stopped or in motion, the direction it was headed, as well as the time of the update.

Over 15 million people care for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia. People suffering from memory loss often will not comply with wearing a bracelet or other tracking device. However, they will wear their favorite shoes. GPS SmartSole® makes safety and independence affordable, which gives caregivers peace of mind.

Senior.com offers both child and adult sizes of the product and multiple options for the monitoring service. For more information please click here.

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Simple Strategies for Caregivers to Practice Self-Care
Caregiving

Simple Strategies for Caregivers to Practice Self-Care

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

Caregivers have a difficult time getting away from caregiving to take a vacation or even a spa day. However, it is critical to a caregiver’s well-being to take time for themselves and practice self-care. So, how can you work self-care into your life to preserve your well-being? I’ve rounded up 20 easy self-care activities you can do at home that take less than 20 minutes.

While you may think, I can’t even take 20 minutes for myself, remember, it is crucial to your health that you take time for self-care. It isn’t selfish to practice self-care, it is necessary.

When you don’t set aside time for self-care, it can adversely affect your health. Living with constant stress can cause a number of health issues from obesity to gastrointestinal problems and heart disease. So no matter how much you have on your plate, squeezing in time to care for yourself benefits you now and in the future.

Simple Self-Care for Caregivers

If you have been taking care of other people for so long that you don’t even know how to start practicing self-care, here are some simple things you can do at home. I promise, they don’t take a lot of time or cost a lot of money so anyone can fit them in to their busy lives.

  1. Drink a hot cup of tea, alone, in silence.
  2. Keep a gratitude journal and write three things you are grateful for at the end of each day. (If you’re struggling to come up with things, here are some givens: You woke up today, your caree woke up today, someone in the world loves you).
  3. Create a music playlist of your 5 favorite songs and play it either in the morning to get pumped for the day or at the end of the day to relax. If that is too much work, download the (free) Pandora or Spotify app and find a relaxing station to listen to before bed. My favorite is the Spa station on Pandora.
  4. Look through old photos (either in an album or on your phone) to reminisce about happy times.
  5. Do some feel-good personal grooming – paint your fingernails, file your nails and put lotion on your arms, hands and feet or do a face mask or deep hair condition.
  6. Read a magazine, book or short story.
  7. Watch a YouTube video – pick a few funny videos, a TED talk or a meditative video.
  8. Pick up a coloring book, colored pencils and get to work on this soothing activity.
  9. Take a 20 minute nap.
  10. Do a crossword puzzle or play a game of Solitaire or an online game like Candy Crush or Chess.
  11. Write a letter to your caree or a friend.
  12. Read quotes by Rumi.
  13. Take a long, hot shower or bath.
  14. Sit in silence and just breathe for 5 minutes.
  15. Bake yourself an individual treat like a microwave mug cake (you can find recipes on Pinterest or through Google).
  16. Try progressive muscle relaxation.
  17. Have a private dance party.
  18. Clear out some clutter or make a clean space to feel less chaotic
  19. Make a list of books to read, movies to watch or places you want to visit.
  20. Get yourself organized – make a to do list or figure out how to accomplish a major project.

Taking just a few minutes for yourself at home will make a big impact on your health and well-being, so go ahead, be a little selfish a few times a week. Simple Strategies for Caregivers to Practice Self-Care

Simple Strategies for Caregivers to Practice Self-Care

Simple Strategies for Caregivers to Practice Self-Care Simple Strategies for Caregivers to Practice Self-Care Simple Strategies for Caregivers to Practice Self-Care Simple Strategies for Caregivers to Practice Self-Care Simple Strategies for Caregivers to Practice Self-Care Simple Strategies for Caregivers to Practice Self-Care Simple Strategies for Caregivers to Practice Self-Care

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5 Tips to Avoid Caregiver Burnout
Caregiving

5 Tips to Avoid Caregiver Burnout

by Silverado
written by Silverado

Though caregiving for a loved one can be rewarding, it can also involve various stressors that can lead to long-term health issues. An estimated 25-29% of caregivers provide assistance to someone with a form of a dementia or cognitive impairment. The long hours, financial pressures, changes in family and life dynamic can definitely add up, ultimately leading to caregiver burnout. In fact, in 2015, friends and family of people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementias provided an estimated 18.1 billion hours of unpaid care. 5 Tips to Avoid Caregiver Burnout
Caregiver burnout is a result of physical, emotional and mental variety, as the demands of caregiving can take a serious toll on someone’s health. Burnout will ultimately hurt both you and the loved one you’re caring for. This is why taking time to rest and recharge as a caregiver is a necessity to avoid physical and emotional issues that range from heart disease to depression. Here are tips be to manage your burnout: 5 Tips to Avoid Caregiver Burnout

  1. Have An Emotional Outlet

    The act of expressing your feelings and frustrations are extremely cathartic and necessary. Find a trustworthy friend, co-worker or neighbor to talk to. Talking to a therapist, social worker, or care giver support group can also be helpful since they are trained to give advice on complex physical and emotional issues. Withdrawal from family and friends can be a sign of burnout. Creating an emotional outlet will also build a circle of people you trust and confide in, which is crucial for your mental and emotional health.

  2. Prioritize Your Own Health Too

    We all know the practices–eat right, exercise often, and get sufficient sleep. Healthy foods give us sufficient energy and clear minds. Exercise is a powerful stress reliever. Sleep is an essential part of productivity. Stay on top of your emotional health by accepting your feelings and the inevitable frustrations. Don’t skip any medical check-ups. Meditate to boost spirits. Remember that if your health suffers, so will the care of your loved one. Therefore, maintain your health and strong immune system.

  3. Ask For Help

    Take advantage of respite care services when you need the break to avoid risk of pushing yourself too hard. Help can range from a few hours of in-home care, to a short stay at an assisted-living facility. Silverado Care in particular offers programs such as Silverado Flex Care and Overnight Care. Respite care programs provide a temporary relief to the family and also give your loved one a place to socialize, engage in activities, or even get any medical care needed.

  4. Set Aside Time For Yourself

    Taking time to decompress doesn’t always mean taking a week-long vacation. Even if it’s 30 minutes a day for yourself to do whatever you enjoy, it makes a key difference. In fact, one of the signs of caregiver exhaustion include loss in hobbies or interests. Spend time finishing reads on your book list, light candles and take a bath, boost your spirits by seeing a comedy show. These actions help compartmentalize yourself from your caregiving tasks.

  5. Educate Yourself 5 Tips to Avoid Caregiver Burnout

    You can give better care the more you know about your loved one’s condition. Use your resources like assisted living centers and support groups to stay educated. 5 Tips to Avoid Caregiver Burnout
    Click here for 10 Tips to Reduce Caregiving Stress 5 Tips to Avoid Caregiver Burnout

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Caregiving

Making The Most of Visits With Aging Parents

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

Do These Simple Things to Ensure Your Aging Parents are Safe in their Home

Whether you visit your aging parents weekly or a few times a year, there are certain safety issues you should walk for during your visits. Many times, during visits with family, we spend the entire visit in their living room and don’t see some of the safety hazards in the rest of their home. Making The Most of Visits With Aging Parents
While your aging parent may seem safe in his or her home, their mobility or balance can change quickly. Staying on top of their home safety is critical to helping them age in place for as long as possible. Here are some ways to maximize your visits with you aging parents so that you get quality time but also stay on top of their ability to safely live independently. Making The Most of Visits With Aging Parents

Leave the House

This may sound like an odd suggestion, but I worked with many families who visited their aging parent regularly and had no idea that their parent had a hard time getting out of the house. Whether your aging parent has front steps that don’t have a railing or use a walker that can’t be maneuvered down the steps, there are many hazards that make it difficult for a person with mobility challenges to safely exit their home.
Even if your parent is homebound, being able to exit the home is critical to their safety. What if there is a fire? What if they forget about their limitation and try to go out for a walk or get the mail. Are they able to exit and enter the house from all exits? You never know what situation could arise, so plan ahead to keep your aging parent safe.
While you are checking their ability to safely enter and exit their home, you should also take the opportunity to evaluate your parent’s driving. Perhaps you ask them to drive you to the grocery store or bakery for a treat. Riding in the car with them will give you a better perspective of their driving ability.

Cook Together

You won’t just get to learn your mother’s special pasta sauce recipe, you’ll also be able to see if she is safely able to maneuver her kitchen. Does she have the heavy pots on a high shelf? Help her find a new, easier location to store them. Are the knobs on the stove difficult to turn on/off due to arthritis? Look into new knobs or a hack to help make it easier to use.
While you’re in the kitchen, check the refrigerator for old or expired food and the food supply, in general. Is the refrigerator bare? Why? Does your parent have a hard time getting out to shop or is he/she becoming forgetful about stocking necessities. I once worked with a woman who had dementia who bought soda every time we went to the store, but she never actually drank soda. She had six packs stacked in her pantry. Do you see any oddities that were never an issue before?
Do a little digging to find out why. It may be that your parent struggles with carrying groceries into the house, so isn’t able to buy much. You may want to consider setting up online grocery delivery, or at minimum, delivery of heavier pantry items.

Allow Them to Host You

Sometimes, when we see our parents looking more frail, our instinct is to jump in and do everything. It is a wonderful gesture, but the problem is, you can’t be sure of their capabilities if you don’t watch them operate independently in their own home. Let your parent set the table, turn off the stove, clear the table (with your help of course!).
Watch to see if they are struggling with any tasks. You may be able to come up with solutions together on how to simplify tasks or you may need to consider bringing help into their home.

Get One Step Ahead

While you’re there, look for safety risks or fall risks and work with your parent to address them. You can also take a look at the following household tasks that they may need help with:

  1. Are there any burned out light bulbs? Change them while you are visiting so that your parent won’t attempt to do it on his/her own.
  2. Is the season changing? If so, ask your parent if they have blankets or clothing that is stored up high that they may need help bringing down.
  3. Are tall bookshelves strapped to the wall? You may want to consider using earthquake furniture straps so that they are secure. If your parent trips and grabs a bookshelf to stop their fall, you want to be sure they are nicely secured to the wall and don’t come down on top of them.
  4. If they are reaching for books or items on high shelves, make sure they have a sturdy step ladder with a handrail – and that they actually use it!

What other things can you think of to make a pre-emptive “strike” to ensure your parent is making dangerous decisions?
Making The Most of Visits With Aging Parents Making The Most of Visits With Aging Parents Making The Most of Visits With Aging Parents

Making The Most of Visits With Aging Parents

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Providing Senior Care for a Friend or Neighbor
Caregiving

Providing Senior Care for a Friend or Neighbor

by Richard Bitner
written by Richard Bitner

As the general population grows older, more and more seniors require at-home care. For the majority of seniors, that care comes from family members — their spouses, children, and grandchildren. In other cases, it comes from professional caregivers. But for some seniors it comes from friends and neighbors. Providing Senior Care for a Friend or Neighbor
According to data from the AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, 1 in 10 seniors who receives at-home care considers a friend or neighbor their primary caregiver. This can happen for a number of reasons, but it most often occurs either because family members live too far away to help or because a senior is without immediate family to care for them. Providing Senior Care for a Friend or Neighbor
Some friends are close enough or comfortable enough with one another that care comes naturally. But in many cases, the transition from a friendship to a care-focused relationship can create challenges for both parties. Below, we’ve listed some of the most common challenges when friends become caregivers and how seniors — whether they’re receiving care or providing it — can manage those concerns.

Coordinating with Family

When you’re the primary caregiver for a friend or neighbor, one of the biggest challenges can be coordinating care with that person’s family. You may find that your friend/neighbor’s family members are quick to ignore your input when it comes to care decisions. In other cases, you might find that their family members take your assistance for granted, assuming you’re always available or willing to take on any responsibility they see fit.
One way to avoid these problems is to develop lines of communication early between yourself and your friend/neighbor’s family members. Let your friend or neighbor know that you’d like to exchange contact info with their family members and introduce yourself as a precaution in case of a future emergency. A quick call or email will allow you to introduce yourself, explain your relationship with the care recipient, and outline how you are becoming involved in their care. This can help open avenues of communication, making it easier to coordinate care with family members and reduce the likelihood of conflicts down the road.

Managing the Comfort Zone

Depending on the situation, becoming a caregiver for someone can push you far out of your comfort zone. That’s particularly true if you are caring for a non-family member like a friend or neighbor. If the care recipient requires assistance with personal tasks, such as dressing, bathing, or going to the bathroom, you might find these aspects of care unsettling or uncomfortable to perform.
While you shouldn’t force yourself to perform tasks that violate your personal boundaries, allowing your sense of compassion to overrule your sense of discomfort ensures that your friend or neighbor receives help that he or she truly needs. Remember that if you feel hesitant performing a task, it’s unlikely that your friend or neighbor would be asking for help if they did not absolutely need it.
If you find that the care your friend or neighbor requires has become too much for you to handle or you simply can’t get comfortable with some of the tasks required for care, it may be time to consider bringing in help from a professional caregiver. At home care agencies, like Visiting Angels, can provide assistance with a wide range of non-medical tasks and offer respite care that helps the caregiver find relief.

Medical Obstacles

One of the biggest challenges as a caregiver for a friend or neighbor can be managing the health care system. While family members have certain privileges when it comes to medical information and medical records, friends and neighbors have no such privileges. This can make it difficult to manage care for a friend or neighbor if that person suffers a major medical episode, such as a fall, stroke, or heart attack.
A simple way to remove this obstacle in advance is to have the care recipient sign an authorization that allows you to access medical information and — if needed — make medical decisions on his or her behalf. If you live in a state governed by the CARE Act, you can also have yourself listed as a person’s primary caregiver. This way, you’ll be automatically notified when the person is discharged from the hospital.
Do you have a friend, neighbor, or relative who requires at-home senior care? If so, your local Visiting Angels can help. Call your local office today to schedule a no-cost care needs assessment.

Providing Senior Care for a Friend or Neighbor

Providing Senior Care for a Friend or Neighbor

 

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Make a Difference by Starting a Senior Care
Caregiving

Make a Difference by Starting a Senior Care

by Richard Bitner
written by Richard Bitner

Everybody wants to make a difference. That’s doesn’t necessarily mean changing the world — but it means contributing where you can. But too often in today’s world, it feels like our careers don’t really have a positive impact. We fiddle with spreadsheets, track down leads, compile reports. And at the end of the day, we wonder what impact we’ve really, truly made. Make a Difference by Starting a Senior Care
But there are businesses and careers where it’s still possible to feel like you’ve made a difference. For instance: starting a senior care business. In-home senior care isn’t just one of the fastest growing industries out there, it’s also one of the most impactful. Make a Difference by Starting a Senior Care
That was made clear by a recent study released by Johns Hopkins University. In the study, seniors who struggled with regular day-to-day tasks were provided with in-home assistance and senior-friendly home repairs. At the start of the study, participants struggled with roughly four “activities of daily living” on average. But by the end of the study, the number of activities the average participant struggled with had fallen by half. Make a Different by Starting a Senior Care

Putting the “Care” in Senior Care

At Visiting Angels, one of the top reasons we hear from entrepreneurs for starting a senior care business is wanting to make a difference. Our franchise owners are people who are driven to do meaningful work. They get a boost out of seeing their clients’ lives improve thanks to care, and it means the world to them that their success as a business owner comes with a positive legacy.
Of course, starting a senior care business doesn’t just improve the lives of seniors. There’s a ripple effect of positive change that comes with helping the elderly live more happily, comfortably, and healthily at home. Senior care agencies provide relief and respite for unpaid family caregivers. They give seniors the support they need to get re-involved in the community. And they help seniors stay healthy, creating a positive impact on an already overburdened health care system.

Keys to Starting a Senior Care Business

Does starting a senior care business seem like something you’d be interested in? If so, there are some key issues you’ll need to address:

  • Independent or Franchise? You can start a senior care business on your own, or you can build your business using a pre-set franchise model. Starting your own business allows you to build an independent brand, while a senior care franchise will offer support and guidance as you build your business.
  • Training & Licensing. Unless you’re already a trained and licensed senior care provider, you’ll need to find a program for home care training and apply for your license. If starting a franchise, you may receive substantial support in this area.
  • Choosing Your Market. Starting a successful senior care business can largely depend on choosing the right market. Consider openly available data — like demographic info portal org — to do research in this area. Make a Different by Starting a Senior Care

If you’re thinking of starting a senior care business, get in touch with Visiting Angels. Our franchise system has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs launch their very own home care agencies. For more information on starting a senior care business with us, call 1-800-365-4189 or visit us online today.

Make a Difference by Starting a Senior Care

 

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