Home Care Versus Nursing Home Care

Most elders would prefer to stay in their own homes, where they know their neighbors and can associate memories with each piece of furniture and object around them, rather than move to an institution as they age.

Things that can make “aging in place” — the current term for staying in one’s own home as one ages — problematic are tasks such as cooking, cleaning, toileting, shopping, doing laundry, and driving, as well as falls, which for frail elders could initiate a downward spiral.

Support systems

• Help could come from family members, friends, or neighbors, who take care of the specific thing the elder has trouble with — such as doing laundry or shopping.
• Or, some elders turn to their religious community, as often there are volunteers willing to enable a senior to age in place.

• Home care agencies can be hired to provide the extra help needed for the senior to be able to age in place. In some cases, expenses will be reimbursed by Medicare, but seniors will need to check with the home care agency to find out about this possibility.

New technology can help seniors

• Electronic devices are now available to help monitor whether or not a senior has taken his or her medication — and if not, to remind the senior — or to determine whether a senior has opened the refrigerator.
• Emergency buttons can be worn around the neck and pressed if a health or other emergency should occur, in which case a person will speak to the senior through the device, assess the situation, and call for appropriate help.
• Cameras can be installed to track a senior’s movements, allowing adult children to monitor the senior and be assured that he or she is functioning well.
• New devices are constantly being invented, and they can make an enormous difference in a senior’s ability to age in place.

With all of these options available, aging in place is an increasingly viable choice. Seniors and their loved ones need to assess whether this alternative is indeed best, the risk being that the senior may become too socially isolated despite being in familiar neighborhoods and homes.

FREE Elder Talk Audio Release Coming Soon!

Grace Home Care will be releasing an audio compact disc covering the important topics of elderly living and aging.  To receive your FREE copy today, please send email, including your name and mailing address to ttgracehomecare@gmail.com.

The compact disc will be available 12.15.2008. The CD’s  will be going FAST, so reserve your copy TODAY!!

For your In Home Care needs, look to Grace Home Care Services  to provide care that cannot be matched.

Grace Home Care Services

308 22nd Ave. South

Seattle, WA 98144

206.328.6251

ttgracehomecare@gmail.com

Grace Home Care Has Great Care Assistants Available For The Holidays.

If you or a loved one is need  of a great Care Assistant for the holidays or beyond, DO NOT hesitate to give Grace Home Care Services a call. We have qualified Care Assistants available for all shifts. Including day, night, 24 hour, or live-in.

If you need help cooking, cleaning, dressing, doing laundry, running errands, care for pets, or any other household chore call Grace Home care TODAY!!

Phone: 206.328.6251

Holidays and your aging parent. Does Mom or Dad need Home Care Help?

Holiday gatherings are a time when family members reconnect. If it has been awhile since adult children have seen their aging parent, they may be surprised by the changes. Unopened bills strewn across the dining room table or dirty dishes piled up in the sink. Mom seems absentminded and Dad is moody. Clearly help is needed, but what should you do?

First of all, don’t panic. The holidays are a good time for family members to observe changes in older relatives and begin a conversation on the type of assistance they may need. Discussing plans for the future with aging parents is not easy.

As your parent’s potential caregiver, it’s up to you to ask questions regarding their medical, financial, and housing plans and arrangements. Keep in mind that it is easier to have made plans before a crisis — such as a fall or an illness — occurs. Taking action ahead of time will help you avoid scrambling for a solution after the fact. There can be a lengthy application process for long-term-care insurance or waiting lists for some senior communities.

Signs to look for:

• Changes in personal hygiene
• Home in disarray or in need of cleaning
• Changes in weight (check the refrigerator and pantry)
• Failure to manage medications or keep medical appointments
• Increased difficulty with mobility
• Changes in judgment, mood, or overall behavior
• Increased forgetfulness
• Missed bill payments or other financial difficulties
• Decreased social activity

Another difficult aspect of coping with aging parents is dealing with siblings, other family members, or well-meaning friends. Everybody has an opinion or an agenda. Encourage everyone in your family to listen to each other, respond with respect, keep a sense of humor, and stay focused on the goal: providing your parents with the best quality of life.

Grace Home Care has great Care Assistants available for all shifts.

Grace Home Care has several qualified, loving, and caring Care Assistants available for all shifts. Whether you need assistance for part of the day, the night, or a 24 hour live-in shift, GHCS can provide you with the impeccable care services that you need. We also provide Care Assistants to Nursing Homes, Adult Family Homes, and Hospitals.

So call today for more information.

Telephone: 206.328.6251

E-mail: ttgracehomecare@gmail.com

First sign of nursing home abuse.

Bedsores and bruises are often the first signs of nursing home neglect. If you notice any of these signs on a loved one that is living in a nursing home, please ask questions to ensure your loved one is safe, and being properly cared for.

Keep your loved ones safe with affordable home monitoring.

Help take care your elderly loved one using technology  and another vital signs monitoring devices  so he of she can live independently and at home.

No Nursing Homes! Consider In-home Care instead.

Almost everyone will deal with the possibility of putting a loved one in a nursing home.  Believe me, this is not a place anyone would like to spend their last days. An accident or a health crisis can cause a nursing home admission. If you are 40 or older I urge you to make a physical retirement plan for yourself and your loved ones, so you will never have to live in a nursing home. For information on physical retirement visit: www.nonursinghome.com

Grace Home Care’s Holiday Bazaar is back!!

The holiday season is among us, and it’s time for the annual Grace Home Care Holiday Discount Bazaar. By signing up to recieve any of our offered services, you will save 10%  on  every invoice through 01/02/ 09. So call today to take advantage of our limited time offer.

Services:

• Lifestyle Enhancement Program (LEP)
• Certified Home Health Aide
• Assistance with Daily Activities ( personal hygiene, grooming, moving around, exercise programs, and meal preparation.)
• Homemaker (laundry, shopping, personal errands.)
• Companion
• Bathing and Tuck-in
• House Sitting
• Respite Care

**New Customers only.**

Grace Home Care has great Care Assistants available for all shifts.

Grace Home Care has several qualified, loving, and caring Care Assistants available for all shifts. Whether you need assistance for part of the day, the night, or a 24 hour live-in shift, GHCS can provide you with the immecable care services that you need. We also provide Care Assistsants to Nursing Homes, Adult Family Homes, and Hospitals.

So call today for more information.

Telephone: 206.328.6251

E-mail: ttgracehomecare@gmail.com