The sun was out yesterday and so was a star! We welcomed Hazel Grape to our office. Hazel was the recipient of the Joyce V Kernan Memorial Scholarship. Sponsored by the Kernan family through Oakton Community College. The world needs bright lights. We are so pleased Hazel has chosen to brighten the lives of others through her pursuit of a career in healthcare. Go Hazel!
We Know The Words
What do you do when the client sings the same song over and over every day? You learn the words of course! Everytime I hear this song I think of a certain A-Abiding Care client and A-Abiding caregiver. When I asked her how many times she sang this song she replied, “About a thousand, and I’ll sign it a thousand more.”
Is It Time for a Better Quality of Life with Chicago Home Care?
Whether it’s a nagging feeling that bothers you after a visit or a comment or action that made you wonder if something is wrong, it might not be at first obvious that a loved one needs support at home to stay safe and sound.
If you’ve been wondering but don’t know where to start, A-Abiding Care, which provides home care services in the Chicago area, can help. A-Abiding Care is encouraging seniors and their families to regularly take a good look at their circumstances, to see if anything has changed that may indicate that extra help is needed. Securing professional in-home care assistance when the first warning signs surface, rather than waiting until there is an urgent need, will help to ensure that loved ones can age in place longer, rather than facing a move.
If you or a loved one has made the decision to age in place and receive in-home care, the next step is to assess the level of care required. There is a classic assessment test called the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, developed to help professional caregivers assess the level of assistance needed in the home; however, here is a list of some of the main daily activities that anyone can use to help determine their in-home care needs.
- Ability to use a telephone: This is an important function for seniors in the event of an emergency. If the senior can operate a phone, look up phone numbers, and dial a few well-known numbers, he or she may not need assistance in this area. However, if the senior can only answer the phone, but not dial, or cannot use a phone at all, this is an area where assistance is needed.
- Shopping: Depending on mobility, some seniors may be able to shop for themselves, while others may need accompaniment to the store or to have their shopping done by a caregiver.
- Food preparation: Proper nutrition is important for aging seniors, and you may find that your loved ones are not maintaining an adequate diet from the meals they prepare for themselves. If this is the case, they may need assistance with food preparation.
- Housekeeping: Daily household chores can be daunting for frail seniors. This is an area where many home care clients require assistance to help maintain upkeep of their homes.
- Medication responsibilities: A certain amount of memory loss is common with aging, so many seniors feel the need to receive medication reminders. For seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, this assistance is particularly important.
If any of these areas – or others – are causing you concern, contact A-Abiding Care so our trained staff can perform an in-home assessment and give you recommendations on the best options for you and your loved one for home care services in the Chicago area. Our staff can provide daily help for everyday tasks, such as light housekeeping, meals, shopping, and transportation. Our qualified nurses can also provide assistance with medical care, such as taking medications or caring for medical issues such as wound care, blood pressure monitoring, and more. If your loved one is in the Chicago area, contact us today at 847-698-1400. We’d love to provide your care solution.
Is In-Home Care Right for Your Loved One?
When people have to move from their home, they are leaving behind more than a building. For many of them, their home is their identity – it’s where they feel most comfortable and where they have so many memories. This is why many people don’t want to move. They want to stay in their own environment as long as they can. But as time passes and independent living becomes more difficult, how do loved ones and their families decide what type of care is best and if in-home care is the right solution?
A-Abiding Care understands that making a decision to move into a facility and sell a home is an unalterable one, once completed. Our trained staff can help make the decision easier, providing you with the various options for care. As experienced providers of home care for seniors in Chicago, we can perform a complete assessment of medical conditions, local family support, financial ability for care, and mental status prior to making any formal recommendation for long-term care that involves a move away from home.
During the assessment, A-Abiding Care will consider the following questions, which you can use as a guide as well:
- Is the senior able to call for assistance in an emergency situation or is total supervision and assistance needed?
- Can the frail senior get up and down out of a chair or bed? Needing assistance in toileting means that care is needed constantly. However, if the person is able to get out of a chair or bed, then the care needed is sporadic and home care should be considered first.
- Is the senior able to perform daily activities such as bathing, dressing, grooming and eating without assistance or with minimal assistance, or is total assistance in all areas needed?
- Is the senior able to socialize and enjoy recreation or does the senior need an escort and encouragement to attend any activities?
- What is the mental status of the senior? It is far easier to care for an alert and mentally sharp but physically frail senior at home than it is to care for a cognitively impaired but physically active senior.
Our experienced team at A-Abiding Care can help you decide between which services you or your loved one needs. Our Chicago home care services include a free in-home assessment that will give you a clearer picture of what is needed and what can be provided. Contact us today to learn more about how A-Abiding Care can provide home care services for you in the Chicago area.
Prefer to Age in Place? You’ve Got Options!
As we mentioned in our last blog post, aging in place in the comfort of home is the preferred choice for many older adults. Luckily, the choices for in-home care are virtually limitless; there are several different models and payment options, depending on the type and amount of care an individual requires. So how do you know what kind of care is right for you or your relative? Let’s take a look at the main models of in-home care to find out:
- Private Duty Home Care: Private duty home care services are non-medical services that include assistance like companionship, housekeeping, transportation, personal, dementia, and respite care, and more. Private duty care services are usually paid for directly by the patient or his or her family. Some services may be covered by long-term care insurance, workers’ compensation, or armed services funding. It is important to note, however, that long-term private duty services are not covered by Medicare.
- Home Health Care: Home health care is skilled nursing care that is usually required in the home for treatment of an illness or injury – wound care, injections, diabetes or blood pressure monitoring, and other treatments that require nursing skills. Home health care can also provide physical respiratory or speech therapy. Some home health services may be covered under Medicare, providing that specific conditions are met.
- Geriatric Care Management: Geriatric care managers handle the details of an individual’s life or estate that fall outside the realm of direct care providers, such as financial and estate management. They can also coordinate care for an individual, mediate family communications, or assist with moving to another living arrangement or closing up of a household. Geriatric care management is traditionally an out-of-pocket expense.
- Hospice Care: Hospice care is a special type of in-home care, designed to provide comfort and support for patients who are nearing the end of a terminal illness. Hospice provides a range of services including nursing, mental health, and spiritual advising. Coverage for hospice care is typically offered by most private insurance providers and through Medicare.
Are you wondering where to begin in your home care research for a loved one? Feel free to contact the Chicago home care experts at A-Abiding Care. We can help you create a plan that suits your loved one’s unique care needs.
