Blog

  • Four Things to Know Before Hiring a Caregiver for a Senior with Alzheimer's

    Mar 16th, 2021

    Whatever your needs, there’s an in-home caregiver that’s right for your family. But finding that person depends on clearly understanding your aging parent’s condition or disease, and defining the specific care he requires. For instance, in addition to specific daily care skills, Alzheimer’s caregivers should possess an extra dose of patience and compassion.  

    Before you begin interviewing Alzheimer’s caregivers, here’s what you should know:

  • Want Your Life Back? There’s No Need to Feel Guilty

    Mar 2nd, 2021

    Whether you stepped in to help an elderly relative out of love, a sense of responsibility, or financial necessity, caregiving can sometimes feel like a burden – even for the most devoted family members. What frequently starts as a small role, perhaps doing some grocery shopping or cleaning, often becomes much more demanding over time.

     

  • Why Educating Your Caregiver is a Win Win

    Feb 2nd, 2021

    It’s common for your loved one’s needs to change over time. If you’re lucky, you have a trusted caregiver who really connects with your senior, understands his or her needs, and is responsive to your input and concerns. But even the best caregivers may need some guidance and direction when a new set of medical circumstances arises. Helping your caregiver understand changes in care, and giving them the tools to handle them, benefits the aging adult, the family, and the caregiver, too. 

  • 3 Practical Success Strategies for Family Caregivers

    Jan 21st, 2021

    Though providing care for an aging parent may start as a sprint, it often becomes a marathon. Perhaps an injury or illness sends you scrambling for emergency care, but you soon realize that your senior won’t recover fully. Instead, she’ll need ongoing and likely, increasing, care. Or maybe you get a bit more warning; you notice your parent’s declining health and put a care plan in place over several months.

  • Three Thoughtful Last-Minute Gifts for Your Caregiver

    Dec 16th, 2020

    If time is running out and your gift list just seems to grow longer every day, we've got some quick suggestions for thanking a special caregiver. A thoughtful gift can go a long way and we have three simple but meaningful ideas for spreading joy to your home aide this winter holiday season.

  • 5 Simple Ways to Help Your Senior Trust a New Caregiver

    Nov 17th, 2020

    Some seniors, particularly those in the early stages of dementia, may have a hard time trusting anyone other than the family member they rely on most.  Yet being solely responsible for an elder’s care can quickly become a heavy burden for that family caregiver -- no matter how loving and committed he or she may be. Reliance on a single caregiver isn’t in the senior’s best interests either, since it can lead to isolation and in some cases, may even increase the risk of elder abuse.

  • How to Obtain Guardianship—and When You Should

    Nov 2nd, 2020

    Realizing that your parent has become incapable of caring for herself or making reasonable decisions about her property is a heart-wrenching discovery. And if you postponed getting legal documents in place -- a power of attorney and living will -- your only option may be guardianship.

  • Fingerprint Background Checks Are a Must for Caregivers

    Oct 8th, 2020

    If you’ve ever watched a crime drama, this scene is probably familiar. A beat cop hustles a criminal into the police station for booking. The intake officer records his name, takes a mug shot, tells him to empty his pockets—and then asks for his Social Security number. Right?

    Wrong. As every crime drama from Hill Street Blues to CSI has taught us, when someone is arrested for a crime, it’s the fingerprint that links them to it forever.  So why do some home care agencies rely only on Social Security numbers when screening caregivers? 

  • How to Protect Your Senior from Financial Abuse

    Aug 18th, 2020

    Is your senior safe from financial abuse? You might be surprised. A report by elder financial services firm True Link Financial reveals that the extent of senior financial abuse is much greater than previously reported. Approximately 36.9% of Americans over age 65 are affected in a given 5-year period—at a cost of $36.5 billion a year.

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