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State Governments Hoping to Improve In-Home Services

New York State is the most recent state government to announce that it will be re-focusing its efforts on improving in-home senior care services. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced recently that New York would be seeking an extra $15 million in funds to help with state costs associated with in-home and community based care. This would include programs like transportation to and from doctors’ appointments, meals and meal preparation, and in-home care tasks, like help with grooming, toileting, and transfers within the home.

  This isn’t the first time that New York has directed its attention to in-home care. In 2010, the EISEP program was launched to try and help more seniors that were not eligible for nursing homes to receive personalized in-home care. This was a great start, but more attention was needed. This new measure is designed to help pick up the shortcomings of EISEP. There will likely need to be more improvements in the future, but this seems to be a promising step forward.

  New York is not the first state to focus on the needs of senior citizens. It’s also not the first state to recognize that in-home care services can do a lot when it comes to improving the health of the elderly. Even though a $15 million investment here might seem like an astronomical figure here, it will more than likely help the state to save much more money than that. By spending money to focus on preventative and maintenance tasks, New York is likely going to save money when it comes to Medicare, Medicaid, and other services.

  State governments, like New York, are hoping to improve in-home care services to help reduce costs.

  Time after time, studies show that it is far more cost effective to age within the home than it is to go to a nursing home or to a hospital to receive senior care. Now, there’s nothing wrong with nursing homes, and sometimes this is the very best type of care that someone can receive. But it’s also been shown that many people who receive care in a nursing home do not actually need the level of care that this type of facility provides.

  If you’re looking for the best in-home care for an elderly loved one, give us a call today. Based out of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, we pride ourselves in being one of the most highly rated care services in the area. During a free consultation session, we can sit down with you and go over the needs present in your family. One of our expert caregivers will go over those needs and see if our service is the best fit for your family. Through a customized approach to giving care, we might be the best choice for you, but if we’re not, we will let you know that, too.

  It’s important to find a good fit for care for a loved one. Not only will it help you to save money as states like New York are discovering, it will also ensure that your loved one gets the high quality care and attention that they deserve.

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Is Medical Marijuana Safe?

One of the many changes that has happened in the United States over the last several years is the introduction of medical marijuana usage. For many of us, there are a lot of lingering questions about this. And whether we like the introduction of this or not, it is a growing trend in the U.S. Many states, such as California, have adopted laws that have made the use of this legal for medical purposes. If you have an elderly loved one that you think might benefit from this drug, you probably have a lot of questions about whether it is safe or not. While we’re not medical professionals, there are some resources that we can point to that will help us to better answer this question.

  Medical marijuana is used to help treat chronic symptoms like pain, nausea, some diseases, and some of the side effects of medical treatments, such as chemotherapy. It is also used to help alleviate symptoms associated with terminal illnesses. Because of its uses, it stands to reason that many elderly individuals will fall under the category of those who might be good candidates for using medical marijuana.

  For many, this can be a difficult decision. For so long, this drug was considered to be illegal and harmful, and that mindset can be tough to change. Even if the legal status of marijuana has changed, there are still a lot of questions out there about its safety. Although there hasn’t been enough research on the topic conducted, many scientists believe that marijuana use can cause cancer and that it is addictive. It certainly isn’t in the same category here as something like heroin, but studies indicate that if you have used this drug it is hard to stop doing so.

  Medical marijuana is growing in acceptance across the country, but is it right for your elderly loved one?

  Yes, there are drawbacks. And yes, there is a stigma against the use of marijuana, whether it’s for medical reasons or recreational. Yes, there are negatives to using marijuana. However, there’s a chance that it might be helpful to someone that you love. If that’s the case, and you live in an area where medical marijuana use is allowed, getting in touch with an experienced doctor can be helpful.

  Technically speaking, medical marijuana is still a banned substance under federal law. Because many states have circumvented this law, including California, it is unlikely that someone who is legally using the medication under their state’s law will get in trouble.

  The bottom line is that this is a decision that will need to be discussed with your family and your loved one’s medical doctors. There are some benefits that come with the use of medical marijuana, but there are also many known long term negative side effects that the drug can create. Oftentimes, doctors will not recommend using this substance unless nothing else has brought any sort of relief. But, what’s best for your loved one will depend on their individual circumstances. If you have more questions about whether or not this will be helpful to them, please get in touch with a doctor who is knowledgeable on the subject.

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How Can Hospital Readmission Rates Help Us Improve Care?

A recent study out of Canada found that different regions of the country experienced different rates of readmission into the hospital after someone suffered from some sort of cardiac event. Researchers found that individuals that had been hospitalized with atrial fibrillation, stroke, heart failure, or a heart attack were much more likely to be readmitted into the hospital within 30 days if they lived in Northern Ontario than those that lived in Southern Ontario.

  There are a number of reasons why this might happen, and the researchers posited a few suggestions for why this might be occurring. Southern Ontario is more urbanized, and because of the closer access to city hospitals, researchers believe that this helped the short term recovery of patients. Another reason why could be more long term in nature. Because patients in Northern Ontario might not be receiving the same quality of healthcare throughout their lives, recovery from a cardiac event might be more difficult. As you can probably guess, there’s still a lot of opportunity for research here.

  The researchers published their findings in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.

  Hospital readmission rates can help us to find shortcomings in our care system–and then improve them.

  For us in California, this study might not look like it has any bearing on what we do. But actually, there’s a lot that can be learned here. The big thing is that quality care is important. Care of any sort is expensive, and by providing better preventative care and follow up treatments, the cost of care can be reduced, and elderly individuals can live a better quality of life at the same time. We can also see that not everyone has the same access to care. Wherever we find holes in our healthcare system, we should be doing our best to try and fix those things so that more people can live better lives.

  If you have a loved one who has recently left the hospital for whatever reason, it stands to reason that they are at a higher risk of dealing with future health issues than others might be. There are things that you can do on your end to help them. Besides making sure that they have access to high quality medical care and keep all of their doctors’ appointments, ensuring that your mom or dad is receiving good senior care can also help them in this respect.

  Paradise In-Home Care can help you. If you’re looking for the best in-home care solution for your elderly loved one, give us a call. We can schedule a free consultation and go over what we do, and help you to determine whether or not our services will meet the needs of your family. Each family situation is different, and we want to help you find the right custom solution to meet and surpass the needs of your parent or grandparent. We might not be the perfect fit for you, and if we’re not, we’ll let you know. We can help you to get pointed in the right direction so that regardless of which service you go through you can be assured that your family is getting the very best help that they can.

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Is it Realistic to Avoid a Nursing Home Stay?

Most senior citizens do not want to stay in a nursing home. Even though there is sometimes a sense of community in these care facilities, they have gained a bad reputation amongst seniors over the years because of what they stand for. Many view nursing homes as a place where they will go–against their will–when no one wants to help them anymore. And while this has been true of some cases in the past, that’s usually not the intent of the family members and others that make these decisions. Still, a nursing home tends to be an unwelcome care choice for seniors.

  Now, add to this the fact that some nursing homes have been in the news because or abuse or poor quality of care, and there is even greater reason for elderly individuals to want to stay out of these care facilities.

  As family members who love our parents and grandparents, it can be tempting to tell them not to worry about this, that we will do all that we can to keep them out of a nursing home. But is this really a good choice? Is this a promise that we can honestly make?

  Sometimes, it is not realistic to avoid the nursing home at all. In fact, because of the unique care that a nursing home provides, sometimes it is actually the best type of care that can be given. It all depends on the needs that your elderly loved one has. No one really wants to stay in a nursing home, but for some, it is the best choice.

  Avoiding the nursing home is not always possible, but there are things that you can do to reduce the odds of needing it.

  With that said, a stay in a nursing home isn’t always the best course of action. In fact, nursing homes are used far too often today. Other forms of care, such as in-home care, are often far superior when it comes to the balance between the type of care that is received and the amount of independence that is maintained. Finding a type of care that meets all of the needs of your family is the best thing that you can do for them. In-home care does a far better job of meeting emotional needs than a nursing home does, most of the time.

  If there are advanced medical needs present, in-home health care can also be an option. This is nursing home level care, provided by a nurse, but in the setting of the home. This is more expensive than in-home care, but it is often much cheaper than a nursing home because there is no residential cost to take into account.

  It’s not realistic promise your mom or dad that they will stay out of the nursing home. There’s no real way to tell the future, and you never want to make a promise that you cannot fully keep. However, there are a lot of things that can be done to help reduce the odds of this becoming necessary. If you haven’t done so yet, taking a look at in-home care and what it can do for your family is a good way to help approach this issue.

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Why are Care Market Studies Important?

You will often come across government and privately sponsored long term care studies when you are searching for information online. Things that talk about senior care numbers, dollar signs, and future predictions might not seem to be all that important right now–how do we know what’s going to be true 30 years from now? However, even though these predictions might not seem to be important at this particular moment, they do carry a lot of weight. They allow family caregivers and professionals to know what they might be up against in the future.

  If this alone was what these studies revealed, that would be more than enough. But that’s not all that these studies will do. They also give government agencies, like those that oversee Medicare and Social Services, information that can be helpful when they are facing tough decisions for the future. If the studies are done with accuracy, the decisions that are made because of them can help people in the future. Even though the temptation might be to ignore these, it is very important to take them into consideration.

  One such application here is the impending care crisis, as it has been called. Because the population of senior citizens is growing at such a rapid rate, care market studies have helped to prepare care services so that they an begin to expand in order to better meet the needs of the people that they help.

  Are these studies always accurate? No. But they can help to identify trends and show what the repercussions of those trends might be if they progress. They act as a way for professional care services to stay a step ahead, rather than fall behind in the quality of care that’s being provided.

  Market studies can help us to prepare for the future, but it’s important to remember the individual.

  Ultimately, whatever’s going on in the senior care industry doesn’t really matter in your personal life. Care services, such as ours, should be paying attention to these things because it helps to gain an idea of overall trends within the industry and how to best meet the needs of large amounts of clients. But in the end, it is your unique situation that is important. It is the needs of the individual that need to be taken into consideration, along with how the care service that you choose will meet those needs is what matters.

  This is why we at Paradise In-Home Care take pride in what we do every day. We pay attention to the data that is driving the senior care industry as a whole so that we can be prepared to anticipate the changing needs in our society, but we also remember that it is real people that we work with. It is a fine balance to maintain, but it is one that places the needs of the individual at the forefront. It is what helps us to provide the best care in a customized manner to every single person that we help.

  We’d love to help you, too. Give us a call if you have questions about care that we can help you with.

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Can Technology Reduce Senior Care Abuse Cases?

The United States, Japan, and many European countries are experiencing a shift in population demographics. This year, for the first time ever in the United States, there will be more people over the age of 65 than there are under the age of 5. The country, and many others around the world, are seeing the population grow older. This is bringing about a certain number of challenges. Medical doctors are finding that there is a higher need for those that specialize in geriatric medicine. Non-medical caregivers are finding that there is a larger demand for their services than ever before.

  This makes sense. As the senior population grows in size, the unique services that this population requires will also grow in size. Along with the logistical difficulties that might come along with this, there are other issues, too. One of these is a rise in cases of abuse. Senior abuse of any sort is already a major concern. No one deserves to be treated unfairly or in a harmful manner. As the need for senior care is set to rise, there’s a possibility that abuse cases will also rise. We should do everything that we can to help reduce the likelihood of that happening. In some places, care services are turning to technology to combat this. The hope is that this will reduce the number of neglect cases that occur so that all seniors can live safe lives, regardless of what type of care that they are receiving.

  The technology already exists to monitor senior safety remotely. Sensors in rugs, smart home technology, and virtual communication devices, like tablets and smartphones have helped seniors to live safer and happier lives over the last few years. These are designed to help keep people safe, but they also help to reduce the strain that caregivers might be under. This can help families to not feel overextended, and to help professional caregivers to focus their efforts where they will be most effective.

  Technology can be a valuable tool in the fight against senior abuse.

  Finding the right care for an elderly loved one is important. You want someone that you can fully trust so that suspicions of elder abuse will never bother you. Unfortunately, that’s simply not what’s happening in our society today. For whatever reason, elder abuse is still a severe problem for many. Finding methods to help alleviate this issue is valuable to all seniors.

  There is a bit of skepticism regarding technology’s place in monitoring neglect. This is definitely warranted. Even the smartest computer in the world cannot see the simple things that humans take for granted. A computer does not have the insight and levels of observation that a human does. Technology can never be a substitute for person to person contact because of this. However, technology can be a strong supplement to personal care. It all depends on what the specific needs of your loved one might be.

  If you are concerned about the safety of an elderly loved one, you have many options in front of you. Give us a call and we can go over the steps and precautions that we put in place to ensure that each one of the elderly individuals that we care for are as safe as possible.

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Making Care Changes Without Guilt

Oftentimes, there is a level of guilt that comes when we are trying to help an older loved one with senior care. It can start out when we are acting as a family caregiver. Am I doing enough to help mom around the house? What about my job? Am I giving the other people that I love the attention and time that they deserve? These are all good and respectable questions, but it’s easy to see how they can also lead to a spiral of guilt that we aren’t doing enough to meet all of our obligations to the best of our ability.

  As a family caregiver, your family’s wellbeing should be your highest priority. Sometimes this can mean removing yourself from a position of helping so that a professional can step in. Rather than being unhappy about this, we should be reassured that we are doing what’s best. You wouldn’t want to treat your child’s broken bone yourself; you would take them to someone who has medical training. And in many instances, we need someone with professional care training to step in and help where we do not have the right experience. Recognizing this can be a freeing experience as you are now assured that your parent is receiving the best care possible, even when you are away.

  That doesn’t always change how we feel about things. Loving your family is good, and we want to do all that we can. But you can be a better family member if you take better care of yourself, too.

  Caregiver burnout and the guilt that can be generated are common. But just because they are common does not mean that they should happen. You don’t ever need to feel guilty about doing what is right to help your loved ones. And if you are overwhelmed by the amount of care that is necessary to help your mom or dad, then finding a professional that can step in and help to supplement that you are providing is actually the right choice because it will enhance the quality of care that your parent will get.

  Caregivers often feel guilt when finding a professional to step in, but this is often the more responsible choice.

  Yes, we want to be able to step in and do it all. But when that’s not possible, then it is completely okay to enlist the help of a professional caregiver. This is not a relinquishing of your duties, but rather a recognition that your parent might need more help than what you are able to give them. If you can’t do it all, don’t worry. No one can.

  Are you experiencing caregiver burnout? There are resources out there to help. Respite caregivers are available through many services (such as ours) that can help to temporarily ease your burden. Other resources, like your County, can also provide guidance on this issue. There’s no reason to continue feeling the crushing stress of this. If you’re in this situation, please reach out to someone for help carrying this. It might be a tough first step, but it will definitely be worthwhile to you and your entire family.

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Starbucks Leading the Way in Senior Care Benefits

The need for senior care has had an impact on many families, and the repercussions of care have extended into the workplace. Some people are finding that it is harder and harder to balance work and family as their parents age. Others decide that it is better to leave their jobs and focus exclusively on caring for the needs of their parent. While each family is different and what’s best for one isn’t always going to be best for another, overall, studies have shown that it is more expensive to leave a job to provide care as a family caregiver than it is to pay for a professional to provide care.

  Besides having a financial toll on a family, this also hurts businesses. In the last five years, there has been a push by companies to try and offset this loss of labor with different policies and benefits to help their employees cope with the challenges that providing senior care can create.

  One company that has recently recognized that accounting for senior care can help both employees and the company as a whole is Starbucks. A new policy initiated by Starbucks involves covering most of the cost of a replacement caregiver if the regular caregiver is unavailable to help on a given day. According to one source, the end cost for the Starbucks employee will be $1 per hour. The rest is supplemented by the company.

  Starbucks is one of many companies that is recognizing the value of providing senior care benefits to employees.

  This new program of Starbucks’ might not seem like a very helpful one–unless you have ever experienced the need for a sudden respite caregiver. If you’ have a routine that involves going to work while a caregiver watches your mom or dad, think about what would happen if your regular caregiver called you and said that they wouldn’t be in to help today. Most likely, you would need to stay home from work in order to provide care yourself. Starbucks is hoping to avoid this. The policy is intended to help families, but it is also geared toward helping to retain employees and reduce turnover within the company.

  Starbucks is not the only company that is providing these types of benefits to employees. They are just one in a long line of businesses that have recognized the importance of helping employees out with family needs. Apple and Home Depot also have recently announced programs designed to help meet senior care needs.

  Finding a care solution that works for you and your family is important. If the company that you work for does not offer senior care benefits, then perhaps a conversation with your HR department can get the ball rolling here.

  In other instances, you might find that your company just can’t help you with the needs that your family has. If this is the case, there are other resources out there that can help you. Get in touch with your county’s Department of Social Services department to see what’s available near you, and feel free to give us a call to see how we can help your family on our end.

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How to Spot Self Neglect

Elder abuse is one of the most serious issues that our elderly loved ones face. This can come in many different forms, ranging from emotional, to physical, to financial, to sexual abuse. It can also be characterized by a lack of action when needed, more commonly called neglect. The older people in our lives already have enough health challenges in front of them. Adding to those difficulties because of selfish reasons is completely unacceptable. Senior abuse is a serious issue and we should all be doing our part to try and put an end to it.

  When senior abuse comes from our own loved one, it is a lot harder to spot and to know what to do about it. Self neglect is a form of abuse, even if it is self-inflicted. Self neglect occurs when someone is not doing the basic things to take care of themselves, and as a result of that, they are placing themselves or their property in a dangerous situation. Things like not eating, not bathing, not changing clothes, or doing tasks necessary to maintain a home all qualify as self neglect.

  Self neglect is harder to spot and recognize, but that doesn’t mean that there are no warning signs present. It also is far more prevalent than you might think. Some estimates say that as many as 35 to 45 percent of senior abuse cases are self inflicted. If you see a loved one who is struggling or refusing to do these things, there’s a chance that self neglect could be happening.

  Self neglect is often preventable with the right care.

  Our families deserve the best. That’s why we believe so strongly in the importance of high quality senior care. A great caregiver can do a lot to help avoid the situations mentioned above. In-home care is designed to help your loved one stay as comfortable as possible in their own home, but to also make sure that all of your parent’s physical needs are being met. Self neglect is much less likely to happen when there is someone in the house with them making sure that they are eating, taking care of themselves, picking up, and staying socially engaged. In-home care provides for physical needs, but it also is a source of companionship for those receiving care. It might seem like a small thing, but seniors are far more likely to withdraw from the world around them, and this can increase feelings of isolation and depression. Sometimes, when there’s another person in the house with them, these things can be alleviated or even avoided altogether.

  We’d love to talk with you about what Paradise In-Home Care can do for your family. Please feel free to reach out to us by phone, email, or through our website if you have any questions about care or what we do. We offer a free consultation service and would love to sit down and discuss what in-home care is, and how it can or cannot meet the needs that your family has. Even if we’re not the right choice for your family, we can still help you to learn more and get headed in the right direction.

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Are Diet Drinks Dangerous?

A new study published in the journal Stroke revealed some potentially startling information. Older women who drink more than one diet soda (or other artificially sweetened beverage) were at a higher risk of suffering a stroke than those that did not drink this amount. When compared to women who did not drink diet sodas, this group of women were about 23 percent more likely to have a stroke and 31 percent more likely to have a stroke that was caused by a blocked artery.

  In this study, the researchers also found that the mortality rate of this group was 16 percent higher, too.

  There’s obviously a lot to unpack regarding this study. For example, one question that might not be addressed is why this group of women were drinking diet soda. Women that are trying to lose weight or have been told to stay away from drinks with high amounts of sugar might already be at a higher risk for stroke or other cardiovascular conditions. If this is the case, then the artificial sweeteners found in diet drinks might not have anything to do with the findings.

  Diet drinks may be dangerous in elderly women.

  However, because this study did build upon previous research and the link between diet drinks and cardiovascular disease has already been established, there seems to be some basis for the statement that diet drink consumption should be moderated. Diet soda and other beverages may be a healthy alternative, but only if they are consumed in small amounts. Over 81,000 postmenopausal women were looked at for this study. On average, each of these women was tracked for almost 12 years. A compilation of medical data was looked at, made available through the Women’s Health Initiative study. Although this information is not definitive, it does provide compelling evidence to say that we need to be cautious when it comes to how much diet soda we drink. Healthier alternatives, like water, some sports drinks, or low caffeine teas and coffees (unsweetened) could provide a better choice in these instances.

  This study comes on the heels of a study published by the American Heart Association that said that there was not enough evidence to say whether diet soda played a role in the future development of heart disease amongst younger adults and children. Even though current research makes this assertion, there is reason for all of us to take a step back and re-evaluate what we drink and eat. After all, Americans are living much longer than ever before, and entering our senior years in good health should be a goal for all in order to help reduce our dependence on senior care.

  For many, this information is going to seem like it’s too little, too late. If your mother has already suffered from a stroke, then the goal is no longer prevention, but enhancing quality of life, healing, and helping to avoid a second stroke. Unfortunately, if someone has one stroke, they are likely to have a second stroke. Reducing the likelihood of this can go a long way toward helping them to live a better and happier life.

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What to Do When Care Doesn’t Go Right

Despite every precaution that we might take, the senior care that we plan out for an elderly loved one might not go exactly as we had planned for it to go. When something happens to someone that we love, it’s natural to want to take steps to correct the problem. Even if it’s not for the sake of our family member, doing something to prevent future individuals from being negatively impacted can be a good move. It all depends on the situation and whether or not the service responsible for care did something wrong. Either way, finding the right care is an essential part of keeping your loved one as healthy and happy as possible.

  We will make mistakes. That’s part of being human. But when it comes to the care of someone that you love, you do not want to settle for something that is less than ideal. If you realize that the care that your loved one receiving isn’t quite right–for whatever reason–there are steps that you can take to help correct this problem. The first step is to find a caregiver or a service that can adequately meet the needs that your loved one has. Next, make sure that the staff members seem to be a good match for your parent. This is something that might take time to tell, but there’s always a first impression of care staff that you can work from.

  Once these two foundational steps have been established, the third step is to take action. Find a new care service that can meet all of the needs of your loved one, meet with them, and start the transfer process.

  Finally, be sure to always bring any sort of suspected issues to the attention of authorities. Even if something doesn’t seem like a big deal, it’s a lot easier for those in oversight positions to make that decision when they have more info.

  Care decisions aren’t always perfect. Luckily, there are steps you can take to correct this.

  We all have the gut feeling that getting senior care right the first time is the best course of action. That’s why multiple studies confirm the benefits of aging in place. In reality, it’s seldom this easy, though. What seems like the best course of action at first can be wrong. And what was the best decision as far as care goes can change over time. People change, and the physical needs that your parent is facing will change over time.

  This is why we believe that in-home care can be a huge benefit to people. Although it’s not perfect, it is one of the few types of care that can easily be modified to match the changing needs of the person in question. If dementia care is needed after a couple years, in-home care can often easily be adapted to meet this new need. This is just one example of how in-home care can be changed to grow with the people that you love.

  As always, we’d love to work with you in finding a good care solution. Give us a call today to learn more about what we do and how we can help your family.

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Staying on Top of Health Concerns

There are six health concerns that impact a huge number of seniors. These include anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain, sleeping issues, and breathing issues. These health problems span many different categories and can range in severity, and they are incredibly common. One of the big issues with these things is that they can be so prevalent and the explanation of the symptoms can be so vague that they are often brushed aside, both by family members and by medical professionals. But as you can easily see, some of these things can be quite severe–even life threatening. Staying on top of health concerns, even seemingly minor ones, is an important part of helping your older parent to live a better life during their senior years.

  Researchers from the University of Washington looked at these six issues and their prevalence in seniors. They found that almost half of all seniors experience two or more of these things on a regular basis. About a quarter of those aged 65 or older experience three or more on a regular basis.  

  This is a huge concern. It’s really hard to enjoy your life if you are dealing with the repercussions of several of these things. Interestingly, researchers believe that these symptoms are often overlooked because when a patient does mention them to a doctor, he or she only talks about one, ignoring the less severe problem.

  Many health concerns are overlooked in senior citizens.

  It’s worth pointing out that there are can be overlap with these things. Someone who is experiencing clinical depression will often be tired and anxious much of the time. The good news is that helping to treat the root of these symptoms can often help to reduce symptoms across the board. When a doctor accurately assesses the problem, the resolution is often a lot easier than it might seem to be.

  If your mom or dad does suffer from one or more of these concerns, then finding a caregiver who is familiar with how to work with someone who is experiencing difficulty in these categories is important. Finding a trusted caregiver with the proper training can go a long way toward giving you the peace of mind that you deserve when entrusting the care of your parent to a professional. This can be a tough process, and making a decision can be difficult.

  Let us help make this easier for you. We have a whole team of trained caregivers that are ready to help you and your family. Give us a call, and we can schedule a free consultation to go over your concerns and goals in regards to senior care. Our in-home care specialists might be exactly what you need to feel confident that your mom or dad is going to get the care, love, and attention that they deserve. If we’re not the right service for you, we will let you know that, too. Our goal isn’t to get your business; our goal is to help. That might mean pointing you in another direction. Either way, we’ll be happy to help your family find what you’re looking for.

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How Do Care Services Specialize?

One concern that I often hear from older people is that they have so many different people working with them. There’s an older gentlemen I have grown close to over the last couple years and he recently asked me, “how many doctors does one person need?” He was concerned because he has five different doctors that he works with. Before I could answer, one of my peers took the question on.

“As many as you need to stay healthy,” he replied.

  It was a brilliant answer. No one person will have the same set of needs or circumstances. While someone in good health might only need their general practitioner, someone who is older and has more health issues will necessarily need more assistance. This goes for both doctors and for the senior care that our loved ones receive.

  The specialization of care is essential to making sure that your older loved one is receiving the right care for their needs. We are all different, and we each have a different set of needs. Trying to blindly match senior care with an individual ignores the fact that not everyone has the same needs in front of them.

  Different types of care focus on different things. Some focus just on companionship. This is what senior living is all about. Here, groups of seniors live in the same home or apartment complex. The advantage here is that older people are surrounded by their peers. Other types of care are more focused on providing the right type of care. For example, memory care is focused on helping those with dementia get through each day safely. In-home care focuses on providing for the needs of someone who doesn’t need a lot of medical assistance, but might have trouble getting around or performing daily tasks safely. The right type of care focuses on just what your family needs. It is supposed to make life easier, not more confusing.

  The specialization of senior care is supposed to make life easier, not more confusing.

  The amount of choices that you have when it comes to senior care can be overwhelming. And the terms for these things might not be clear to you at first. Words and phrases like assisted living, continuing care retirement communities, life plan assistance, in-home care, home health care, and many other types of care can seem like a lot of words to describe the same thing, but there are often important differences between these types of care. Knowing how to navigate these differences will be helpful when it comes to finding the right level of care for your family.

  A good place to start is with what you know. You know your mom or dad’s personal needs better than anyone else does. Start here, and find a care services that meets those needs. The names of the types of care can be a good starting place, but ultimately what it comes down to is finding what works best for you.

  Have more questions? Feel free to give us a call. We can schedule a free consultation and let you know what types of care we specialize in here at Paradise In-Home Care.

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Is the Cost of Care Really Going Down?

Recent reports are indicating that the cost of care is going down for the elderly. On the surface, this is awesome news. Care is necessary for many people, and reducing the cost of it is very beneficial to a group of people who are already struggling with the burden of a drastically reduced income.

  Current estimates say that more than 50 percent of people who are over the age of 65 will need some sort of long term care during their lifetimes. Helping to make this cost more manageable is definitely an important thing.

  As you probably suspect because of this post’s title, there’s a bit more to the story than meets the eye. Yes, care costs are starting to level out, but that doesn’t mean that everyone is paying less for care. Thanks to the better overall health that seniors are experiencing, the average individual in need of senior care is living longer, and receiving that care for longer. While the per day cost of care may have stopped rising so dramatically, the need for care is increasing. As a result, many seniors are paying more for care than before.

  The main reason is that heart health has improved for seniors overall. Instead of being at severe risk of dying from a heart attack or a stroke, people are living longer, higher quality of lives. For many seniors, the big risk is no longer heart disease, but dementia. On the whole, this is impacting people much later in life. Still, the need for care exists. And it exists for a longer period of time when it is needed. The cost might be dropping, but people are paying more.

  The cost of care can be misleading for many seniors.

  One of the things that many families are experiencing is that they are in a position where they must help offset the cost of care for an elderly loved one. This is frustrating, but there is hope for those that are feeling the crunch.

  Senior care is an essential part of aging. Planning ahead of time effectively can help to make the cost of this a lot more manageable. Not everyone is capable of this, and many of those who are currently seniors won’t be able to use this option. If this is the case, then looking at what options are available to you that can help reduce the cost of care can be a good choice. Whether that means advice from your local Department of Social Services, speaking with a caseworker, or getting in touch with an elder care attorney, there are many avenues that can help you and your family to figure out just how to afford the cost of care.

  And as always, if we can be of any help on our end, please feel free to contact us. One of our team members would be more than happy to assist you and answer your questions pertaining to care. We offer a free consultation service and would love to sit down and go over your options and help you find the perfect solution for your family.

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Celiac Disease Can Present Unique Challenges for Seniors

According to a recent study, people with Celiac disease experience a loss of immune cells in their bowel lining, and the scar cells that replace these promote inflammation within the body. The consequences of this are not fully understood yet, but it likely contributes to many of the health problems that older individuals with Celiac disease face.

  Celiac disease is an intolerance to gluten. Oftentimes, going “gluten free” isn’t quite enough for people with this disease. Cross-contamination is a big issue for people with Celiac, and can often lead to a flare up of symptoms even if a miniscule amount of gluten is consumed. The food that is consumed must be carefully chosen. Preparation, any cooking surfaces, and the eating area must be free of anything containing gluten, too. Otherwise, the person with the disease may accidentally consume something that they shouldn’t. This can lead to painful stomach cramping, diarrhea, muscle pain, fatigue, and more.

  When someone has Celiac disease, the T-cells that are present in everyone’s stomach lining begin to change. Usually, T-cells help with fighting illness and healing. When someone has this disease, the T-cells are changed with T-cells that help with inflammation. This has been shown to have a long term negative impact on health and can increase the risk of certain types of cancer.

  The researchers in the above mentioned study were from Cardiff University. Their goal is to help the long term treatment of those with Celiac. They also stated that there is a strong chance that this research could help people with other diseases, such as ulcerative colitis. Unfortunately, this study was only geared toward increasing knowledge about Celiac disease. No recommendations for how this research can be applied to help improve the quality of life for those dealing with Celiac were given.

  Celiac disease and other autoimmune diseases can create a unique set of needs. Make sure that your elderly loved one’s caregiver is aware of these.

  The symptoms that elderly individuals with Celiac disease are often a bit different from younger people with the disease, often because of the complications that come with this autoimmune disease and the permanent damage that it can do to someone’s body. Adding to these complications, people with one autoimmune disease–like Celiac–are often likely to have another, such as psoriasis. The health complications of multiple chronic autoimmune diseases can lead to a unique set of health issues, disabilities, and other hurdles that can complicate senior care.

  There are a few ways that this can be combated. The best place to start is with your loved one’s physician. They will likely have a deep understanding of the long term prognosis for your parent and will be able to tell you everything you need to know now, and what to expect as you move forward into the future. This information can help to make care planning a lot easier.

  When you choose a care service for an elderly loved one, you will want to make sure that the caregivers who will be assisting your family are aware of any health concerns that are present. Celiac is certainly a large health concern. If your mom or dad does have special needs that you are looking for in their care, it’s important that the caregiver that will be working with them is aware of this and has received the right types of training to account for them.

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Being a Better Advocate for Your Family

There are portions of our society that need help to thrive. In some ways, this is a very obvious statement. Look at children, for example. Small children, especially babies and toddlers, need a lot of help and attention in order to gain, practice, and use the skills that are necessary to survive in adulthood. This is one of the many reasons why the family structure is so important: it provides a safe place for kids to grow, make mistakes, and learn.

  Kids are not the only portion of our society that requires attention and supervision. In one respect, all of us need this in order to do well. We don’t live in isolation, but require the help and support of family and friends to keep growing. But individuals suffering from a disability or elderly folk that have experienced a decline in mobility and ability also need more attention. This is not the same type of assistance that a baby needs, but it is still different from what the typical, healthy adult requires.

  On top of this, we all need someone who is willing to speak up for us when we can’t do it ourselves. When it comes to children and the elderly, there’s also a great need for someone to look out for their best interests. Oftentimes, this is a family member or close friend. When it comes to our elderly loved ones, we need to remember that we are often that advocate that needs to speak up on their behalf.

  This can be a scary or overwhelming thought for some people. Even if that is the case with you, it doesn’t make it any less of a vital role. Acting as an advocate can be tough, but it is often one of the most noble and important tasks you can be called to.

  Oftentimes, we are the best candidates to advocate for the wellbeing of the elderly.

  There’s no one out there that can do a better job of advocating for your elderly loved one than you can. As a family member, you know your mom or dad’s needs better than anyone. However, this is only a clinical understanding of who your parent is. Your mom has much more to her than her needs. There are things she likes doing, things she loves, things she hates. She has hobbies, interests, and passions. There are causes that are important to her. There are goals she’d like to achieve.

  Even though your mom might need helping getting around the house, or even if she is confined to a nursing home, these things do not just go away. Speaking up to make sure that your loved one is being treated in the way that he or she deserves is one of the many ways that a family member can continue to show their love for an elderly parent even if they are no longer providing the care themselves, or even if they are no longer able to stay in the home. This might mean speaking to a nursing home employee, a doctor, or a caregiver. Either way, it is one further way that you can express your love and admiration for your family.

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Activities for Seniors in California

When someone is older and starts to experience a need for senior care or increased family supervision, it can be difficult to keep your older parent active. Unfortunately, this can be detrimental. People who have been socially and physically active throughout their lives do not suddenly stop liking these things just because they are experiencing difficulty maintaining the same lifestyle that they once had.

  Whether you’re in California or another part of the world, there are plenty of activities for seniors that you can help your mom or dad gain access to. Some of these are free, while others have a cost associated with them. Either way, there’s almost always something close to you that you can find that will fit within your budget and help your parent to live a better, more active life.

  The activity that you choose for your family will depend on what the unique needs that are present are. For most seniors, the two biggest needs are socialization and exercise. Some activities are designed to meet both of these things at once.

  Silver Sneakers remains as one of the best ways for seniors to stay active. This group typically meets in large shopping centers or at YMCA facilities and seniors meet together to walk as a group. While this might not seem like a big deal for everyone, Silver Sneakers provides a way for seniors to get together and socialize all while getting some much needed exercise. This meets two of the biggest needs that seniors have and it mixes them together to provide an important service. This is often free for qualifying individuals. If it’s not covered by insurance, a membership fee is charged.

  There are many fun and helpful activities for seniors in California.

  If you are at a loss for ideas for activities that a loved one can take part in, search your area for senior centers. Senior centers tend to have low cost or free activities scheduled on a daily basis. Even if your mom or dad isn’t a big fan of one or two of the activities that are offered, they’re bound to find something that they enjoy. What’s really the most important part of these things is the social aspect. Seniors that live in isolation most of the time end up being at risk of premature death, cognitive decline, and emotional health problems. Senior centers and organizations similar to them provide a valuable service because of this emphasis on social activity.

  Many sports teams also host senior nights. If your city doesn’t have a professional team, there’s probably a minor league or semi-pro team that hosts these activities. A call to the front office will let you know what’s available.

  It’s easy to focus on the needs of senior citizens and forget that there are also a large number of desires, wishes, and wants, too. These might not necessarily be essential for day to day living, but they do certainly enhance the quality of life that we experience. Think about it: you have hobbies and interests, right? These aren’t something that you must have, but they do a little something that makes your life better.

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