There are risks and liabilities to some types of care, and understanding those risks and liabilities is imperative before referring for care, or attempting to manage care alone. Because in-home care is in a mostly unsupervised setting, the caregiver needs to be a trustworthy, kind, compassionate, intelligent and trained person. Below are defining differences between the various business models:

Registries, also known as referral services or nursing registries, match independent contractors to clients and patients, meaning:

• These workers are not employed by the registry as an employee
• The registry serves as a “middle man” to match independent workers to clients seeking care
• The registry cannot supervise, train or monitor that person while in the home
• The referred caregiver is not covered by workers’ compensation insurance, so should an injustice occur in the home, the consumer would have to cover the expenses
• Should the caregiver not work out and apply for unemployment insurance, the consumer might be judged an employer and charged for back coverage and taxes plus penalties

Private duty agencies, like Home Care 4 Seniors, provide caregivers who are employed by the agency, meaning:

• The employees are also bonded and insured
• The employees are screened for drugs, any past criminal history and motor vehicle violations
• All required taxes are withheld and employer mandated items are matched
• The accounting is completed by the agency
• The employees are trained, supervised and monitored
• The agency covers workers’ compensation insurance and has general liability for the employees

Home Care 4 Seniors would love the opportunity to be an important advocate for your loved one’s health and wellbeing. Contact us today at 214-621-1969 to find out more about our professional and reliable home care services and how we can schedule care that meets your family’s needs.

Prior to your or a loved one’s next appointment, make sure to jot down the following items for the doctor:

• Any changes since your last appointment, including changes in appetite, mood, body, etc.
• Any questions you want to ask
• A list of all your current medications, vitamins, and supplements that you are taking
• Consider keeping a health diary to track changes as they occur

And, never be embarrassed to say, “I don’t understand,” or to pull out your list of questions in front of the doctor. Excellent doctors will always encourage your desire to understand as much as possible about your condition and will welcome your questions. If the physician does not, then perhaps it is time to search for a new physician who will encourage you to be an advocate for your health.

Home Care 4 Seniors can also be an important advocate for your or a loved one’s health and wellbeing. Among numerous eldercare services such as personal care, meal preparation and light housekeeping, we can also assist with scheduling and transportation to and from a doctor’s appointment, and in making certain that medications are taken as prescribed. Contact us today at 214-621-1969 to find out more about our care services and how we can schedule care that meets your family’s needs.

Each exercise should be done 8 to 10 times for two sets. For the patient, remember:

• Complete all movements in a slow, controlled fashion.
• Don’t hold your breath.
• Stop if you feel pain.
• Stretch each muscle after your workout.

Hip Flexion, strengthens thigh and hip muscles

1. Stand straight, holding tall, stable object for balance.
2. Slowly bend one knee toward chest, without bending waist or hips.
3. Hold the knee up.
4. Slowly lower leg all the way down.
5. Repeat with other leg.

Side Leg Raise, strengthens muscles at sides of hips and thighs

1. Stand straight, directly behind table/chair, feet slightly apart.
2. Hold table/chair for balance.
3. Slowly lift one leg to side, 6-12 inches.
4. Hold position.
5. Slowly lower leg.
6. Repeat with other leg.
7. Keep back and both knees straight throughout exercise.

Wall Push-ups

1. Place hands flat against the wall.
2. Slowly lower body to the wall.
3. Push body away from wall to return to starting position.

We believe in planning care around recreational and enjoyable activities. Contact Home Care 4 Seniors in Carrollton, Texas at 214-621-1969 to find out more about our care services and how we can schedule care that meets your family’s needs.

*Tips courtesy of FamilyDoctor.org and the American Heart Association.

Like any difficult job, a break from the task every now and then is essential. Respite care allows for relief from the daily responsibilities of caring for someone who is ill, injured or frail. When a caregiver’s own needs for nurture, reassurance, support and respite are met, that is when caregiving is most effective and sustainable.

Here are a few basic tenets of respite care:

• Respite from ongoing care responsibilities ensures loved ones still receive the attention they deserve.
• All approaches to respite care provide caregivers with care that is planned, temporary, intermittent and substitute.
• Time required for respite varies from part of one day to ongoing scheduled routine relief.

Caregiver burnout symptoms are similar to those of stress and depression and can include withdrawal from friends and family, loss of interest in activities, changes in mood, appetite, weight, sleep patterns, and exhaustion. Make sure to celebrate and support the family caregiver in your life by helping him or her take a deserved break.

Contact Home Care 4 Seniors in Carrollton, Texas at 214-621-1969 to find out more about our respite care services, gift certificates for family caregivers, and how we can schedule services that meet your family’s needs.

Other benefits of home care include:

• Home care promotes healing.
• Home care allows families to be more involved with the care.
• Home care offers personalized care tailored to the needs of the family and the individual on any given day.
• Because home care services are delivered one-on-one as opposed to the group setting of nursing homes, there is no “waiting for one’s turn” when care is needed.
• With a home care program, personalized daily exercise routines can be implemented and maintained with the safety of a qualified professional on hand.
• Not only can in-home caregivers help clients stay active, they can also prepare healthy meals that appeal to the client and adhere to any dietary restrictions.

When it’s time to make the important decision about extended care, quality of life should be your number one concern. Aging in place with quality in-home care can offer you and your loved ones the comfort and peace of mind you’re looking for. To learn if in-home care is the right choice for you, contact Home Care 4 Seniors today.

A few hours a day of practical assistance from a professional caregiver who is trained in MS care can save energy sources from being drained. Nourishing a person’s mind, body and spirit are essential when helping a person with MS stay motivated and enabled. Here are a few of the ways a home care agency can help.

MIND – Professional caregivers can help individuals understand their MS symptoms and how to make lifestyle adjustments. For instance, they can help establish a daily routine, stressing the importance of limiting activities and taking regular rest periods to prevent fatigue and symptom exacerbations.

BODY – Physical limitations play a big part in the caring for MS. A professional caregiver will help with:

• Maintaining proper body alignment when positioning if the MS patient is on bed rest
• Protecting skin from friction, pressure, and excessive heat, moisture, or dryness
• Assisting with body mechanics for good posture, alignment and improved gait
• Encouraging daily exercise and assisting with physical therapy
• Providing tasty, nourishing meals and assistance with eating if needed

SPIRIT – Keeping spirits high goes a long way in managing the disease and making life more enjoyable. Professional caregivers are not only physical helpers but know tips to help lift spirits, such as:

• Offering comfort measures, such as gentle massage and warm (not hot) baths
• Encouraging independence by being sensitive to knowing when to take and then give back responsibility for tasks as symptoms come and go
• Providing emotional support
• Providing recommendations for devices designed to make daily activities more comfortable, such as built-up utensils, reaching devices, and sliding boards

With various adjustments made along the way, individuals with MS may look forward to a fulfilling and productive lifetime. A professional in-home caregiver experienced in MS can help with interventions to fight MS fatigue. Contact Home Care 4 Seniors for more information on how our in-home caregivers can make a person with MS feel enabled, motivated and connected to others.

• Avoid the “everything will be all right” attitude but be sure to emphasize good news.
• Sometimes simply being there and allowing a loved one to express his or her emotions is the best form of support.
• Prepare to change roles. You may have to step in to fulfill some of the duties your loved one used to always do.
• Be an advocate for your loved one. Research, ask questions, scout out cancer specialists and learn everything there is to know about the cancer and its treatments.
• Help your loved one with the everyday tasks of life such as cooking or cleaning or contact Home Care 4 Seniors to help provide assistance from a few hours to 24 hours a day.

Home health care eliminates inconvenient visiting hours and preserves a loved one’s independence and dignity. At Home Care 4 Seniors, we are dedicated to helping loved ones receive the cancer treatments needed while recovering and recuperating in the comfort and privacy of home. Our skilled and compassionate caregivers are well trained in cancer care and know the ways to make life easier during treatment and recovery.

Servicing the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area , we can be reached at (214) 621-1969.

If you or a relative are experiencing hearing loss, here are a few strategies to help you communicate:

• Tell the people you are with that you have hearing loss; that way they know to adapt their speech, look at you when they are speaking, or make other accommodations to help keep you in the conversation.
• Sit or stand where you can see the faces of all speakers.
• Move away from noise or other background disturbances.
• Ask people to repeat themselves when necessary or repeat back the part of the message that you understood with a request for the speaker to repeat the part that you didn’t hear. (For example, “You went where?” “Who called you yesterday?”)
• Use what you know about the speaker to help clue you in on what is going on in the conversation, including the speaker’s interests or habits.
• Stay informed about current events.
• Make sure you are well-rested before attending an event where you will be listening to a lot of speech.

Plus, hearing aids today can usually compensate for the majority of hearing loss in individuals with decreased hearing. For more information on communication strategies for the hearing impaired, contact Home Care 4 Seniors in Carrollton, TX at (214) 621-1969.

Background noise, fast talkers and mumbling—these factors and more make it very difficult for someone with low hearing to understand group conversations, and may cause him or her to be left out completely. People without hearing loss need to recognize this struggle and remember to speak clearly, facing the individual.

If you or a relative are experiencing hearing loss, here are a few strategies to help you communicate:

• Tell the people you are with that you have hearing loss; that way they know to adapt their speech, look at you when they are speaking, or make other accommodations to help keep you in the conversation.

• Sit or stand where you can see the faces of all speakers.

• Move away from noise or other background disturbances.

• Ask people to repeat themselves when necessary or repeat back the part of the message that you understood with a request for the speaker to repeat the part that you didn’t hear. (For example, “You went where?” “Who called you yesterday?”)

• Use what you know about the speaker to help clue you in on what is going on in the conversation, including the speaker’s interests or habits.

• Stay informed about current events.

• Make sure you are well-rested before attending an event where you will be listening to a lot of speech.

Plus, hearing aids today can usually compensate for the majority of hearing loss in individuals with decreased hearing. For more information on communication strategies for the hearing impaired, contact Home Care 4 Seniors in Carrollton, TX at (214) 621-1969.