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Hiring the Right Caregiver

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

Making the decision to hire a caregiver is stressful. Once you decide your aging parent needs outside help, you need to take the next step to find the right person. Whether you are hiring an independent caregiver or going through an agency, you need to be sure that your hired caregiver is a good fit for your family. How do you know if you’ve hired the right person? Hiring the Right Caregiver

I have worked with many families over the years and have met good and bad caregivers. There are certain traits that were common among good caregivers. Hiring the Right Caregiver

Signs You Found the Right Caregiver

  1. Respectful: A good caregiver treats your aging parent with respect and kindness, regardless of your parent’s cognitive ability. He/she looks your parent in the eye, speaks directly to him/her and addresses him/her directly in a respectful, not condescending tone.
  1. Patient and Flexible: Not everything will always go according to schedule. Our caree may be difficult because they are frustrated with their situation. A good caregiver is patient and flexible and understands the challenges of caring for others and allows their caree to go at their own pace.
  1. Able to Empathize: The ability to empathize is an important, yet challenging skill for many. To be able to understand what a client is going through and be able to ease their frustration or discomfort helps your parent let them in and share concerns with them.
  1. Trustworthy: You are not only entrusting this person with your parent’s care, you are letting them into your parent’s home. Knowing you can trust them with both your parent’s life and their valuables is critical. You don’t want to constantly worry about either.
  1. Passionate: Caregiving is not a high-paying job. Even if you are paying more than $30 an hour for a service, the caregiver is likely making minimum wage, or just slightly above minimum wage. There are many jobs that pay the same rate but are easier to do or don’t require the level of commitment that caregiver requires. Make sure your caregiver is in it because they truly care about helping others and not because they like the idea of relatively unsupervised work (particularly if your parent has cognitive decline or communication challenges).
  1. Forward-Thinking: A good caregiver comes up with ideas or addresses potential problems before they arise. They can see changes in your parent’s demeanor or well-being and bring it up immediately, rather than just going through the motions and waiting for your direction.
  1. Thick-Skinned: Even the sweetest, kindest person may be not-so-nice to their caregiver. A good caregiver understands that it isn’t about them and doesn’t take the behavior personally. They understand that the behaviors may be due to not feeling well or frustration over the situation.
  1. Creative: Sometimes, particularly when working with someone with dementia, a caregiver needs to find unique ways to cajole a client into doing important activities of daily living. Additionally, a creative caregiver will find activities to do with a caree outside of sitting them in front of the TV.
  1. Professional: A good caregiver always remains professional, even when dealing with embarrassing issues. They don’t make your aging parent feel shame about a health condition, physical or mental decline or inability to perform activities of daily living.
  1. Organized: A good caregiver is able to manage many tasks in an organized manner. They can keep track of medications, dosage information and scheduling needs of your parent.
  1. Reliable: A good caregiver arrives on time and ready to work. They don’t frequently call in sick, show up late or leave early.
  1. Physically Strong: Caregiving isn’t just about emotions and professionalism. Many caregiving tasks require physical strength. Caregivers need to be able to safely move their clients, assist with bathing, etc. Your parent may not require these tasks immediately, but if their condition declines, your caregiver will need to be able to handle the changes safely.

There are many other signs of a good caregiver, but these 12 characteristics are a good indicator that your caregiver is the right person for the job. Hiring the Right Caregiver Hiring the Right Caregiver Hiring the Right Caregiver Hiring the Right Caregiver Hiring the Right Caregiver

Hiring the Right Caregiver

 

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Home Improvements

Electricity Emergency Preparedness for Seniors and Caregivers

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

Power outages aren’t very common, but when they do happen in your community, do you know what to do?

Preparing for power outage emergencies won’t be as easy as getting a 72-hour emergency kit ready—especially if you are an elderly or are caring for someone who is.

Here are a few things that may help you ensure your safety or of the elderly in your care.

IDENTIFY THE RISKS

Knowing what you’re up against is a big step toward being prepared.

WHAT CAUSED THE POWER OUTAGE?

  • Natural disaster.
  • Accidents leading to power failure.

WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE RISKS?

  • Do you live alone?
  • Do you drive or own a car?
  • Do you have any physical, medical, thinking or learning limitations?
    • Smell.
    • Hearing.
    • Mobility.
    • Vision.
    • Communication.
  • Are you reliant upon any medical equipment or assistive technologies?
  • Are you reliant upon a caregiver?

HOW WILL THE POWER OUTAGE IMPACT YOU OR THEM IN THE NEXT 72 HOURS?

Below you’ll find helpful checklists for when there’s a power outage in your area—covering different scenarios and circumstances.

CREATE YOUR PERSONAL SUPPORT NETWORK (FAMILY, NEIGHBORS, AND FRIENDS) AHEAD OF TIME

  • Get your family, neighbors and friends to assist during a power outage.
  • Get your family, neighbors and friends to assist during a power outage.
  • Call your local emergency management office.
    • Ask what their emergency plans are and how they can assist you.
    • Ask for their list of contacts and of the numbers of nearby health care facilities—keep these numbers close.

GATHER ALL RELEVANT MEDICAL INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS FOR EASY ACCESS

  • Prepare medical alert tags or bracelets to wear during the emergency.
  • Prepare medical alert tags or bracelets to wear during the emergency.
    • Outline your needs. This is in case you will be moved to a facility so first responders will be informed on the type of help you need.
    • Prepare your medical documents and records so medical personnel will be to see to your medical needs.
    • Prepare a list of your medication.
  • State the best way to communicate with you. This is important especially if you or the person in your care needs to be brought to a facility that is unfamiliar with your needs.

PREP A 72-HOUR EMERGENCY KIT

  • Use battery operated flashlights and lanterns. DO NOT USE CANDLES.
  • Unplug all major appliances so they won’t be damaged by the electrical surge when the power is restored.
  • Store your supplies in a container that has wheels.
  • Label your emergency medical supplies with large print text or Braille.
  • Label your equipment and assistive devices, like wheelchairs, canes or walkers, with your name, address and phone numbers.
  • Get ice or frozen cold packs in a small ice chest to store your medicines in.
  • Keep your emergency contact list close and contact them as soon as you can.
  • Pack plenty of batteries and power banks for your assistive devices.
  • Pack plenty of lighting resources like flashlights and lamps (if you have a power generator, even better!).
  • Prepare food and water supplies for up to 72 hours.
  • Ready blankets and extra clothing for warmth.
  • Set aside extra money, as well as the documents you’ll need to secure social security and other regular benefits.
  • Don’t forget to prepare emergency kits for your pets/service animals

HOME MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND/OR ASSISTIVE EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST

  • Prepare batteries or alternate sources of power that will sustain you and your medical equipment/assistive technology for the next 72 hours.
  • If you have a hearing disability, prepare a TTY (or Text Telephone), or extra batteries for your assistive devices.
  • Contact your doctor or health care provider and ask for nearby alternatives you can relocate to for help during a power outage.
  • Use portable generators cautiously.
    • Make sure you operate them outdoors, in a well-ventilated area.
    • Do not connect your generator to your home’s electrical system (unless using an approved transfer switch that is compliant with your local electrical code).

ALTERNATE COMMUNICATION OPTIONS CHECKLIST

  • Prepare cards with phrases, pictures, or pictograms for communication, so your support network or first responders can communicate with you.
  • If you are visually impaired, or care for one:
    • Prepare Braille or text communication cards for communication.
    • Label your emergency supplies with Braille or large print texts

SCHEDULED TREATMENTS/THERAPEUTIC CARE ALTERNATIVES CHECKLIST

If you or the senior citizen in your care requires regular medical treatments like dialysis, or other procedures, call your clinic or hospital to.

  • Ask about their emergency plans and processes and how they can help you during the crisis.
  • Ask for their back-up medical treatment providers close to your location

MOBILITY AND MOVEMENT CHECKLIST

  • Prepare extra battery packs if you or the person in your care uses a power wheelchair.
  • Prepare an extra manual mobility aid like a cane, walker, or manual wheelchair as your alternative for moving around.
  • Store your supplies in one or more easy-to-carry containers, such as a backpack or a duffel bag.
  • Plan and prepare your transportation options, in case you need to move to a clinic or hospital for care and assistance during the emergency.
  • If you have a personal vehicle, keep your gas tank full.

 

A little planning can go a long way to making sure you or the person in your care is safe and taken care of. Keep to this list and don’t worry: you’ll find that there will always be people to help you during emergencies.

SOURCES

  • Preparedness information for people with disabilities., American Public Health Association.
  • Disaster Planning For Older Adults, Insurance Information Institute.
  • Emergency Preparedness Tips for Senior Citizens, Senior Citizen’s Guide.
  • Disaster Preparedness for Seniors by Seniors, American Red Cross.
  • The Importance of a Personal Support Network, American Red Cross.
  • Power Outages, Ready.gov

 

For more information: https://www.chooseenergy.com

 

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Women And Men Process Salt Differently
Housing Tips

Hiring Staff for Your Home Care Franchise

by Richard Bitner
written by Richard Bitner

As a home care franchise owner, there will come a time when you need help handling your workload. While many home care franchise owners spend their first months as their company’s primary or sole caregiver, an expanding client base means that you’ll soon need to expand your workforce. Hiring Staff for Your Home Care Franchise
Hiring Staff for Your Home Care FranchiseThere are lots of qualities you can use to screen and evaluate caregiver candidates for your home care franchise. At Visiting Angels, our corporate team regularly guides new home care franchise owners through the staffing process – giving them tips on how to find strong candidates, what screening procedures to use, and what criteria to rely on for your ultimate decision.
Here are some of the things you should consider when hiring new staff for your home care franchise:

The Right Credentials

Start off by searching for caregivers who carry the proper certification to work as care providers in your region. Certification requirements change state by state, and you should be familiar with what kinds of certification your new staff members will need.

The Right Experience

A candidate with plenty of existing senior care experience is (almost) always preferable to one without. But finding a caregiver with the right kind of experience profile makes a big difference. Check the amount of time this caregiver has spent with individual companies and clients, ask about what kinds of care environments he/she has worked in, and learn what kinds of a care he/she has helped assist with. Look for candidates with a breadth of experience and a strong track record.

The Right References

So much of running a home care franchise lies in keeping clients happy. A strong candidate for your home care franchise should be able quickly supply you with glowing references from previous clients or their family members. Be sure to take the time to follow up on references, as these will tell you a lot about the way each candidate approaches care.

The Right Attitude

A warm, supportive approach is essential for any caregiver. Before hiring a new caregiver for your home care franchise, you should be confident that you’ve chosen a candidate who will bring warmth and care into the lives of your clients. References help here, and an interview will tell you a lot about any candidate’s personality, how they approach home care, and their ability to respond to adversity.

Resources You Can Use

If you’re hiring staff for a home care franchise, your franchisor should offer support with the hiring process. For example, at Visiting Angels, the corporate team regularly guides franchise owners through hiring their first employee caregivers. If you have that kind of support available to you, be sure to take advantage of it, as it can be the difference between a great hire and a so-so staff member. Hiring Staff for Your Home Care Franchise

Hiring Staff for Your Home Care Franchise

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How Family Caregivers Can Plan for Natural Disasters
Life Lessons

How Family Caregivers Can Plan for Natural Disasters

by Richard Bitner
written by Richard Bitner

After the back-to-back disasters of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, it’s important that seniors and family caregivers alike understand the need for natural disaster preparedness. No matter where you live, it’s important to plan ahead for weather-related hazards. No one is more vulnerable during these emergencies than seniors, and a quick response is crucial to ensure the safety and security of elderly adults. How Family Caregivers Can Plan for Natural Disasters
When creating a natural disaster response plan, family caregivers and seniors should keep the following guidelines in mind.

Learn About Community Preparedness

Your loved one’s community will have resources in place to help residents plan for and respond to natural disasters. Family caregivers and seniors should know how the community will communicate with residents during a disaster. If the community has publicly available disaster response plan, this can help you plan and prepare for how to react.

Research & Plan for Different Disasters

When family caregivers and seniors create a natural disaster response plan, it’s important to learn about, plan, and prepare for all possible risks. Learn about all the different weather hazards faced by your area, and make sure you’re ready for any disaster your community could be vulnerable to.

Create Response & Evacuation Plans

When disaster hits, whether or not you need to evacuate will depend on the type of disaster and how severely it impacts your area. It’s important that you have a plan for evacuation and for staying in place. If you will be evacuating, develop a plan — and a backup plan — that takes into about the local challenges you’re likely to face in an evacuation. If the elderly person needs to stay in place, it’s important that you plan for what they need with them and who they need with them.

Make an Emergency Supply Kit

Family caregivers and seniors should compile a full list of emergency supplies that will be needed in the event of any disaster, whether the senior is staying in place or evacuating. This kit will include things like a supply of water and food, any needed medications, a complete first aid kit, a flash light, sanitation and hygiene items, warm clothing, blankets, a map, important personal documents, and emergency contact information. As it is likely that the family caregiver or another family member will be with the senior during an emergency, make sure that the emergency supplies cover the needs of both people.

Build a Personal Support Network

Seniors shouldn’t rely on only their family caregiver in case of an emergency. It’s important to build a personal support network of at least three people who will check in on the senior during an emergency. Within this network, everyone should know how to get in touch with one another, and communication plans should be in place in the event that phone and/or internet service becomes unavailable.
At Visiting Angels, our caregivers often play a key role in these support networks. When it is safe to do so, caregivers can check in on clients, monitoring their well-being, and providing assistance. In cases where seniors are separated from children and other family by long distances, a professional caregiver can often play a crucial role during an emergency.
If you’re concerned about your ability to care for a loved one in the event of an emergency, we invite you to contact your local Visiting Angels or call 800-365-4189 to learn more about our caregiver services.

How Family Caregivers Can Plan for Natural Disasters

How Family Caregivers Can Plan for Natural Disasters How Family Caregivers Can Plan for Natural Disasters How Family Caregivers Can Plan for Natural Disasters How Family Caregivers Can Plan for Natural Disasters How Family Caregivers Can Plan for Natural Disasters
 
 

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Caregiving

Super Quick Self-Care for Caregivers

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

If you only have a few minutes to practice self-care, these are my favorite activities to squeeze into my day.

Morning or Evening Stretches: If you are pressed for time in the morning, get ready for bed just a few minutes earlier and do a few simple stretches before you get into bed. Pick a few body parts that are tight and try to loosen them. If you don’t know what stretches to do, do a quick Google search for stretches and the part of the body you want to work. You’ll find pictures or videos that will walk you through the stretches.

Practice Gratitude: We all forget how fortunate we are when we’re focused on our day-to-day struggles. I find I’m less stressed when I actually think about the good in my life. Focusing on the good helps you prioritize your stressors. As I always say, even on the worst days, I can be thankful that I woke up in the morning, there was food to eat and there is a roof over my head.

Meditate: If you haven’t given meditation or mindfulness a try, you really should consider it. It’s free and fast. I have been thinking about meditation off and on for years but it wasn’t until I read Russell Simmons’ book “Success Through Stillness” that I really tried harder to implement mindfulness and meditation into my life. While I don’t practice the way Simmons suggests, I have started making mindfulness a part of my self-care routine. I use the free app Calm and do a guided meditation for just a few minutes but I feel like it really makes a difference. I also purchased “A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook,” which came with a free CD that has several guided meditations for varying lengths of time.

Elevate Regular Experiences: If you are in a truly busy season and really have almost no time for self-care, try making everyday activities a bit more luxurious. For example, use really nice smelling products in the shower and spend an extra minute or two taking it in. You can also splurge on a really nice hand cream or moisturizer and take a few extra seconds massaging it in to your hands or face. I splurge on a really nice hand cream that I only use before bed. Since I only use it at night, it lasts forever, so it really isn’t much of a splurge after all.

Do Something You Enjoy: When we are extremely busy, we tend to stop having fun. We’re either “doing the work” or too exhausted for fun. The problem is, life gets really boring and sad when we are all work, no play. Even if you don’t have a lot of free time, try to squeeze in a little fun. I love reading and try to squeeze reading in instead of watching TV. What do you love? Can you find a way to squeeze it in?

Slow Down: I have started getting up an extra twenty minutes early so that I can fit in morning stretches and drink my coffee slowly while I work on my to do list. I used to gulp my coffee down while I was flying around getting everyone ready to start our day. I was exhausted by 9 a.m. Now that I get up early, everyone is less stressed out and I feel so much more in control of my day because I have slowed the pace of my morning.

Self-care is hugely important, especially if you are a busy person. While I’ve known this for a long time, I really never found a way to make it work for me until I started making it part of my daily routine. I essentially schedule certain self-care activities into my day.

Activities like my stretches, my morning coffee and elevating my regular routine are non-negotiables now. If I get those done, I’m good. On really great days, I add in a few other self-care activities like taking a walk or doing something I enjoy. How do you fit self-care into your life?

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Understand Your Caregiving Options
Caregiving

Top 10 Caregiver Hacks

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

How to Simplify Caregiving and Make It More Manageable

Sixty percent of caregivers are employed full-time. Between work and running a household, there isn’t a lot of extra time for caregiving duties. Unfortunately, caregiving is full of never-ending to do lists and tasks to accomplish for yourself, your caree and your family. Top 10 Caregiver Hacks
The stress from caregiving can lead to health issues such as a higher risk for chronic illness, a weakened immune system and depression and anxiety. What can you do to reduce the caregiving stress? I’ve pulled together a list of my 10 favorite tools for caregivers to either help you lighten your load or relax. Top 10 Caregiver Hacks

Top 10 Caregiving Tools to Be More Efficient

  1. Develop a System: Organization should be your first step in caregiving. Whether you create a schedule on the wall, use a paper planner or use an electronic calendar or app on your phone, keep your schedule and contacts organized. Be sure to include contact information for doctors and service providers so that you don’t have to look them up each time you need to do something.
  1. Use Your Time Wisely: Are there things you can knock off your to do list during spare moments or downtime? Can you work on your grocery list while waiting in line at the bank or make your to do list while waiting in the dentist’s office? What can you do to make the most of your spare minutes?
  1. Never Have Empty Hands: I once read a time management tip that suggested never leaving a room with empty hands. If you’re going to the bathroom, can you take fresh towels from the linen closet to refresh the room? If you’re walking to the bedroom, take the shoes sitting by the door or the book you want to read later. If you’re in your room, take the water glass next to your bed back to the kitchen. Rather than spending hours putting your house back together on a Saturday, move things throughout the day. Your home will feel slightly more organized.
  1. Outsource When You Can: Managing two households is extremely difficult. I can barely keep one house running. If you or your caree has the means, outsource some tasks to take things off your plate. Is your parent having a difficult time keeping his/her house clean? Hire a weekly or biweekly cleaning service to do the big jobs. Do you or your parent have a difficult time getting meals on the table? Consider one of the many meal prep services or even schedule take out into your weekly meal rotation. Is there someone who can take your parent to the grocery store or to run errands? Use a service or hire a driver to reduce the amount of time you are running around. Make a list of the activities you do on a regular basis that can be outsourced.
  1. Use Technology: Set up online reminders so that your brain doesn’t have to keep track of everything. If possible, communicate with doctors or service providers via email or text. Email allows you to reach out during the off hours when you have time.
  1. Reach Out/Use Your Resources: Don’t do it all yourself. You can enlist the help of other family members, your community or even local resources like your senior center. Just like it takes a village to raise a family, it takes a village to care for an aging parent.
  1. Practice Self-Care: If you don’t care for yourself, you can’t care for others. It’s that simple. Whether you have a lot of time or almost no time, you need to make time for yourself so that you don’t experience burnout.
  1. Let Go Of What You Can: I know how difficult this one can be. I want to do everything, perfectly, myself. However, no one is a superhero. We all need help and not everything can be perfect always. If you are dealing with a particularly busy or stressful time, it’s OK to eat more take out or have a messier house than you’d like. Give yourself permission to let go and just do the best you can do today.
  1. Plan Ahead: You can’t always plan for a crisis, but whenever possible, having your game plan set up ahead of time will make a crisis less chaotic. If you don’t work on weekends, take some time to get yourself ready for the week. Plan for the busy days so that you don’t rush around. Prep a few dinners, plan your wardrobe, put your parent’s medication in in pill dispenser. Do whatever you can ahead of time to reduce in-the-moment chaos.
  1. Stay Positive: Sometimes when we’re in the midst of busy-ness and chaos, we get frustrated. It can be easy to get angry and frustrated with your situation when you are overwhelmed. Acknowledge that you are in a busy stage of life and your current life is stressful and challenging, but remember this too shall pass. Years from now, you will be happy that you were able to spend so much time with your parent and you will miss the chaos of having children demanding your time. Try to focus on the positive parts of your life when times are tough to make them more bearable. Consider keeping a gratitude journal to focus on the positive parts of your life. Even if you had a terrible day, you can be grateful that you woke up, there is a roof over your head and food in your belly.

Top 10 Caregiver Hacks

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Moving An Elderly Parent Closer to Your Home
Caregiving

Moving An Elderly Parent Closer to Your Home

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

Setting Up a Multi-Generational Household Isn’t Just About Moving Furniture

A sudden fall or illness can make a family rethink their living situation. If an aging parent has been living well independently for years, a sudden health crisis can bring up a big decision for a family. Do you move a formerly independent parent in with you to better care for them? Moving An Elderly Parent Closer to Your Home
Most families decide to move their mom or dad in with them as soon as possible. It is easier to move a parent to you than to move your family to them, particularly if you and your spouse have not retired. Initially, all goes well and everyone is happy to be together, but after the dust settles and the novelty wears off, it can pose challenges for everyone.

Deciding Who Is in Charge in the Multigenerational Household

It can be difficult to settle into new roles when you’re all under one roof. You’ve each lived many years running your own household, and even though you’re related, you may run your households differently from each other.
Set some ground rules early to reduce resentment. This is particularly important if you have children in the home. You will need to agree on who is able to discipline your child and how to go about disagreements. Its one thing when you are together for a short visit and your mom goes over your head on a parenting decision. If you are living together, it can undermine your role as the parent. Moving An Elderly Parent Closer to Your Home
Try to keep the roles as they always have been – grandparent/parent/child to reduce frustration and confusion. Moving An Elderly Parent Closer to Your Home
Your mom may also feel uncomfortable not being able to contribute to the household. Work together to find ways that she can contribute to running the home that don’t conflict with how you like things done. Did your mom enjoy making family meals on Sunday? Re-start the tradition. Is there a task that your mom enjoys that you can pass on? I love folding laundry. It feels relaxing to me. If I suddenly didn’t have to do it anymore and had someone doing it for me, it would feel weird. I would feel awkward having my laundry done by someone else. By the same token, I hate doing dishes, so if someone wanted to take that off my plate, I’d be thrilled!

Making Mom Feel at Home

I had a client who moved in with her daughter after her husband passed away. While the mother was happy to live with her daughter and the daughter never intentionally made her mother feel like it wasn’t her home, she didn’t feel at home. She was frustrated when there wasn’t a cooking tool she needed that she had at home. She was frustrated that they lived far from stores and public transportation, making her feel trapped. Obviously, her daughter couldn’t move the house, but she did find simple, affordable transportation options for her mom and tried to make her feel more comfortable in the home. Moving An Elderly Parent Closer to Your Home
How can you make your mom feel at home? Stock the kitchen with tools that she uses, even if you have never been much of a cook. Make sure she has her own private space and that her privacy is respected. Just because the room is in your home, doesn’t mean you can go into her room whenever you want. Pick up some amenities she likes. My friend’s mother moved in with her family a few years ago. Her mom enjoys drinking a beer in the evening when she watches TV. My friend and her husband prefer wine over beer, but they purchased a small mini fridge for the den and stocked it with her mom’s favorite beer, which is what she had at home.

Build a Social Network Outside Your Own Family

One of the biggest mistakes families make when they move their parent home with them is to assume that time with the family is enough social interaction. In many cases, the parent not only lost their spouse, but their home, neighborhood, friends and local family when they moved in with them. That’s a lot of change at once. Moving An Elderly Parent Closer to Your Home
You can’t give them back the things they’ve lost, but you can help them re-build in their new community. If your family belongs to a church, look into a senior group of volunteer opportunities that would be appropriate for your parent. Encourage them to join their local senior center, and better yet, if the senior center has a grief support group, encourage them to join. Meeting other people who have suffered the same loss will help with their healing. Did they enjoy taking classes at home? Look into options in your community and through your local community college.
If you are at work all day, think of how much time mom will be sitting home alone in your empty house. Loneliness can lead to poor physical and mental well-being so it is important to help set your mom up for success by establishing a new social network.

Is the Multigenerational Home the Right Fit?

Multi-generational living isn’t for everyone. I’ve had clients complain about living with their children and grandchildren as they were used to quiet and the house suddenly felt very chaotic. I’ve also had adult children complain that their parent is constantly undermining their parenting decisions, causing problems with their spouse and children.
You don’t need to live in the same house to be close to each other. If you don’t have the luxury of a mother-in-law suite, is there an apartment complex nearby where your mother can rent an apartment? I had a client who preferred living in an assisted living facility near her daughter because while they all got along really well, she was a very social person and was bored spending 8 – 10 hours a day alone. She had made friends in the neighborhood, but they only saw each other a few times a week. She moved into an assisted living facility and arranged nightly happy hours, movie nights and shopping trips with friends she made in the building.
There is no one-size-fits all for moving your parent closer to you. You’ll need to do what’s best for all generations of your family. The most important things to remember are to be respectful of each other’s needs and make sure that you set yourselves up to succeed.

Moving An Elderly Parent Closer to Your Home

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Caregiving

10 Essential Tips to Become Nurse Supporting Family Caregivers

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

Becoming a nurse who supports caregivers is a calling for many healthcare professionals. It’s a job you have to do if it is aligned with your passion. Being a nurse already allows you to work in a job that you are passionate about. With ambulatory care nursing, you will be able to flex your schedule a lot more. This is a great benefit and avenue for nurses who are also moms or just want more flexibility.

Going into this career option without much knowledge of what it would be like can be daunting. It’s always best to get as much information as you can beforehand. Once you understand what the job would entail, you are a lot more prepared to deal with the everyday issues. Nursing is a lucrative career choice. Many nurses still work a full-time job and do this on the side for extra income. If you are considering this as a viable option for your career, these tips should help.

1. Patience

Working with a caregiver and the patient might challenge your patience. You have to remember that the caregiver is not a nurse. She is merely here to take care of the patient and probably doing the best with the knowledge she has. Instead of becoming impatient, you can try to teach the caregiver a few tricks. It will take some time for you two to become acquainted with each other.

2. Transfer skills

You are not always going to be available in the case of an emergency. Work on a list of transferable skills. You are not only educating the caregiver, but you are also looking out for the patient’s best interest. Being a nurse means that you are always taking care of others. You transferring some of your skills is simply part of your job. It is going to make it a lot easier for you going forward.

3. Documents

Make sure you have all of your qualification documents ready. The fact that you are a qualified nurse is going to get you hired quickly. You should be able to prove this to the family. Once you have been working for a while, you might not even know where all of your documents are stored. This might be a good time to find your documents.

4. Resume

You cannot simply walk into a room with your documents and expect to be hired. Make sure you have your resume ready as well. Put your bls certification on resume to give yourself a better chance. Look at this as applying for a nursing position at a prestigious hospital. It’s better to be over prepared.

5. Availability

If you are planning to do this on the side, you might find that you don’t have enough time to balance both worlds. You are going to have to work out a system in which you are available to the caregiver. In this instance, you are her helpline in case something happens. You also need to guide her if there is a new complication she has not be trained at yet.

6. Listen

The caregiver is not a qualified nurse most of the time. This does not mean that there is no information she can share with you. Work on being a good listener. The caregiver is with the patient the majority of the time and should be given a little credit for that. When there is a report back, pay attention to what is being said. It could be crucial.

7. Create a system

When you are working with more than 1 person, it is always advisable to put a system in place. A schedule of your visits, when you are available for a phone call and at what time meds need to be administered is all part of a winning system. This is going to eliminate a lot of issues going forward.

8. Cover letter

Your resume and documents are very impersonal and just a lot of facts on paper. A cover letter can give a bit more insight into who you are as a person. A mental health nurse cover letter would usually be a good way to put the patient and the family at ease.

9. Research

Find out what the patient’s health situation is. The go ahead and do some additional research on the condition. Sure, you are a qualified healthcare professional, but there is nothing wrong with being prepared for ant scenario. Its little things like this that will help you build a stronger bond with the caregiver, the patient and the family.

10. Relax

You are qualified for this position and there are no two ways about it. Don’t allow the process of applying stress you out. With all of the experience and knowledge you have, don’t let this job create any doubt in your mind. You are capable and qualified to do a stellar job.

Final thoughts on becoming a nurse supporting family caregivers

Considering this avenue in your career is a great opportunity for you to help those in need. When a job comes from a place of passion, it is always going to benefit all parties. You can do this and it is a selfless job. Rewards come in the form of seeing the joy on your patients’ faces.

-Bobby Evans

Bobby Evans is a guest post writer and he works as a content writer. He specializes on nursing professional BLS certification on resume for ambulatory care nursing. Writing is not only his job but also his passion. His hobby is reading and traveling. His life motto is “Try to do your best and never give up!”.

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Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency
Caregiving

Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

One of the biggest challenges family caregivers have is handing over the caregiving reigns. Many times, they’re overwhelmed and have too much on their plate but handing over such an important role as caregiving can be upsetting. Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency
That being said, sometimes it is in a family’s best interest to hand off caregiving tasks. Between managing household tasks in two homes and helping aging parents remain safe at home, the never-ending to do list can be too much for one person. While it can be expensive to hire an in-home caregiver, there are less expensive tasks you can outsource to simplify your life.

  1. Errands: Running to the post office, grocery store, pharmacy, etc. etc. etc. can be time consuming. Between the driving and the waiting in line, you can lose hours a week. There are errand services that allow you to outsource these tasks for a relatively low cost. You can also hire a high school or college student to run some of these simple errands. If you don’t have the money to pay someone, do you have a family member or friend who you can trade errands with? Perhaps they pick up your groceries one week and you do theirs the next week. Get creative to find ways to reduce your load. Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency
  2. Meals: I have posted some tactics for eating healthy when you’re busy, but if meals are truly dragging you down, there are ways to outsource the task. Sign your parent up for Meals on Wheels to have one meal taken off their plate. You can also do meal trades with family or friends. Basically, you team up with a family and each cook one extra family meal per week (double your recipe) and share it with each other. You’ll each cook one less time per week. And finally, if you have room in your budget, you can purchase meal delivery programs or meal prep services. Some examples are Dream Dinners (you do the prep, freeze and cook later), Blue Apron, Plated or Hello Fresh (ingredients delivered for you to cook). These services can be pricey, but they’ll save you from grocery shopping and much of the time-consuming prep work is done for you.
  3. Grocery Shopping: Have you tried grocery delivery services? This is a great way to save at least an hour of time per week. You can shop online, set up your delivery time and have your groceries delivered to your door. I know many long-distance caregivers who do this for their elderly parents to ensure that they have food in their fridge. I personally have used Vons.com and Amazon Prime Now. They both charge a small delivery fee but in both cases, I have been extremely pleased with the quality of produce, which was always my concern about trying it out. You can even specify how you prefer your items. For example, I prefer to purchase green bananas because I get a lot of bananas and don’t want them to go bad before we can eat them. You can specify that.

If you have a larger budget, or siblings who can contribute financially, here are some other caregiving tasks that you can outsource. Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency

  1. Paid Caregiver: Even if you intend to be the main source of care for your aging parent, you can hire someone to come in to assist with some of the more challenging caregiving tasks or to provide respite care. Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency
  2. House Cleaning Service: Whether you hire a service for your home or your parent’s home, getting help with cleaning will take a huge load off your shoulders.
  3. Transportation Provider: Unfortunately, in some cities, there aren’t a lot of safe, reliable transportation services available for seniors, but if you happen to live in a community where there is a good transportation service, consider enlisting them for some of your parent’s social outings. Social isolation can lead to depression, so while this may be low on your already packed to do list, it is important to your parent’s well-being.
  4. Companionship: As I stated, social isolation can lead to depression or an increase in health concerns. If your parent is alone for most of the week, consider hiring a senior companion – there are some individuals and services that specialize in being a companion to seniors – or enrolling your parent in an adult day care or activities at their local senior center.

You may not be able to hire all of the services, but even adding just one or two to your life can give you a bit of time to take better care of yourself or practice self-care.
Juggling Caregiving in the Sandwich Generation

Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency

Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency
 
 
 
 

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