Live Free Home Health Care, LLC. - Bristol, New Hampshire

All posts within: home companion

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Live Free Home Health Care Meets Your Level of Care Needs

At Live Free Home Health Care, we understand that each individual is different and so is his or her plan of care. Since no two patients are alike, we offer a complimentary in-home assessment and the following guidelines that anyone can use to understand care needs.

Minimal Care at Home:

• Emergency Responsiveness: The senior is able to negotiate stairs, call for assistance or respond appropriately to someone helping him or her during an emergency.

• Mobility: The senior is able to walk and transfer himself or herself from a bed or chair independently with infrequent falling.

• Activities of Daily Living (bathing, dressing, feeding, etc.): The senior is able to accomplish most activities with little help; perhaps needs assistance with meals or housekeeping, or reminders about medications, assistance grooming, etc.

• Mental Status: The senior has little to no mental impairment.

More to Full-time Care at Home:

• Emergency Responsiveness: The senior needs definite or major assistance in the event of an emergency.

• Mobility: The senior is prone to falls and needs either stand-by or full assistance walking or transferring.

• Activities of Daily Living: The senior needs reminders and/or full assistance with many or all activities of daily living.

• Mental Status: The senior has mild to moderate memory impairment, becomes disoriented often, and/or exhibits mild confusion.

If a senior is in need of full, around-the-clock assistance, family members may want to consider an assisted living facility, although home care may still be a viable option. If you're looking for a partner in home care in Concord, the Lakes Region or Central New Hampshire, contact Live Free Home Health Care today at 603-217-0149, and let us help make providing quality care a little easier.

Tags:   eldercare, home companion, home safety, medication management, safety alert

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Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Home for the Holidays: Recognizing Care is Needed

Holiday visits sometimes greet family members with alarming signs that additional care or daily assistance is needed in the home of aging loved ones. With busy schedules or long distances separating families for much of the year, subtle (or not-so-subtle) indicators can easily be missed. This year, make holiday visits a time to evaluate the needs of elderly relatives, and encourage in-home care solutions that will enhance quality of life and ensure safety at home long after the holidays are over. Remember that checking for warning signs is not for the purposes of judgment or criticism; it’s a check for wellness, wellbeing and safety.

Right away, an unexpected disheveled appearance of a loved one may be noticed during a holiday visit. Failure to keep up with daily hygiene routines such as bathing, tooth brushing and other basic grooming could indicate health problems such as dementia, depression, or physical impairments. Inspect to see if clothes are clean and if the individual appears to be maintaining good grooming habits.

At the dinner table, appetites may appear to be healthy during the holidays, but noticeable weight loss without trying could be a sign that something’s wrong. For the elderly, weight loss could be related to many factors, including difficulty cooking or loss of taste or smell. Sometimes weight loss is a sign of a more serious underlying condition, such as malnutrition, dementia, depression, or even cancer.

Additionally, any big changes in the way things are done around the house could provide clues to health. For example, scorched pots could mean forgetting about food cooking on the stove. Neglected housework could be a sign of depression, dementia, or other problems. Check to see if the lights are working, the heat is on, the bathrooms are clean, or if clutter is blocking the walkways of the home.

But most importantly, during holiday gatherings, slow down and be sure to include elderly relatives in family traditions. After the holidays, if you’ve determined that additional care might be necessary for your loved ones, please do not hesitate to contact us at 603-217-0149. At Live Free Home Health Care of Concord, New Hampshire, we are here to help you determine the best plan of long-term care that will meet your loved one’s needs.

For further resources on recognizing care needs over the holidays, click here .

Tags:   better quality of life, caregiver tips, eldercare, holiday blues, home companion, private duty agencies

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Friday, August 26, 2011

How to Develop an Open Line of Communication with Your Physician

Communication is a key to any successful relationship. When it comes to doctor/patient relationships, communication is also key to receiving the best healthcare possible. However, it is not always easy for patients to talk to their physicians, especially for older Americans – though the older people get, the more important it is for them to nurture an open, honest, communicative partnership with their healthcare provider.

Knowing that your time with the doctor is limited, there are some basic ways to help maximize this time. Preparing beforehand and then asking questions during the appointment are vital to achieve the best level of healthcare possible.

Before the Appointment

• Jot down everything you'd like to ask your physician.

• Note any changes in appetite, mood and/or body.

• For each, note the date that the entry is made, what it is about, and the changes noticed.

• Also write down changes in health since the last doctor’s visit.

• Bring a list of all your prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal remedies or supplements, as well as dosage information and side effects, if any.

Medical Testing 101

If medical tests are ordered during a visit to the doctor, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) recommends finding out the following information:

• Name of test

• Reason for test

• What the test involves

• What the test will attempt to reveal

• Cost/health insurance coverage

• Dangers/side effects

• When the results will be ready

Diagnose the Diagnosis

To assist in understanding information while visiting the doctor, ask the following questions about a diagnosis:

• What is the name of my condition? How is it spelled?

• Why do you think I have this condition? What may have caused it?

• How long may this problem last? Will it be forever?

• What is the prescribed treatment?

• Is there a specialist who I need to see for further information or a second opinion?

Home care agencies, such as Live Free Home Health Care, can also be important advocates for a senior’s health and wellbeing. Among numerous skills and services, we can assist with scheduling and transportation to and from a doctor’s appointment, and in making certain that medications are taken as prescribed. Providing in-home care services in Concord, New Hampshire and the rest of the Lakes region and Central New Hampshire, contact Live Free Home Health Care today to learn more about how we can assist.

Tags:   communication, communication tips, home care, home companion, home health care, in-home care providers, medication management, private duty agencies

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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Wipe Out Caregiver Burn-out

Caregiver burn-out can sneak up on you. It may feel like you have everything precariously balanced like spinning plates on sticks but then your body starts to give you signs that it is wearing out. Perhaps your short-term memory is lapsing due to lack of sleep, or your back is constantly sore and you suffer daily stress-related headaches. By reducing or sharing responsibilities and keeping a healthy balance for yourself, it is possible to wipe out burn-out and be in a better position to care for your loved one. Here are a few tips to keep everything in balance:

Spend time with friends, even if it’s just over the phone.

Let your loved one know what you are capable of giving in terms of time and assistance in order to set some personal limits.

Find a time each day, even just ten minutes, to relax and not provide care. This should be protected time to read, listen to music, exercise, etc.

Take walks or get other exercise, eat nutritiously and get enough sleep, even if that means naps during the day.

Never be afraid to ask for assistance. Make a list of jobs that could be delegated to outside help. This could include household chores, home repair or maintenance, driving, paying bills or finding information on needed services. Live Free Home Health Care can assist with service recommendations and coordination.

Install assistive devices such as bathroom and bedroom grab bars, easy-grip utensils and extra lighting to reduce the assistance needs.

Join an online or in-person caregiver support group to be able to share with others in similar circumstances. (Patients Like Me Parkinson’s Disease Community, Stroke Awareness for Everyone, Alzheimer’s Association).

Explore community resources such as adult day-care centers and Live Free Home Health Care in-home respite care. This will provide free time for errands and personal time, as well as providing health monitoring, transportation and recreation for your loved one.

Contact Live Free Home Health Care in Concord today at 603-217-0149 for further guidance and options that can give you a well deserved break.

Tags:   caregiver tips, eldercare, family caregivers, home companion, private duty agencies

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Friday, May 06, 2011

Celebrate Mother’s Day With a Little Stress Relief

Mother's Day is almost here and honoring these most important ladies in our lives should be top of mind. Mother's Day to most might mean flowers and brunch, but have you thought about how to relieve stress for the mother(s) in your life?

Too often mothers get run down and even sick because they have not taken time out for themselves. Being pulled in many, many directions, including caring for their own mothers, may seem a right of passage. However, many of those mothers are neglecting their own needs, putting their elderly mothers at risk.

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, approximately 67% of family caregivers are women and most care recipients are also women (68%) and are the mothers of their caregivers. Social workers report that the majority of family caregivers are not prepared for many aspects of their aging relatives’ care, including the financial burden, the amount of time it takes to provide care and the emotional toll it can take on their own nuclear family.

Effective, sustainable caregiving depends on meeting caregiving women’s needs for nurture, reassurance, support and respite. By accepting respite care from an in-home care agency, women can better concentrate on also being a daughter, a mother, and a spouse.

As a Mother’s Day gift this year, encourage your wife, mother or friends to accept outside caregiving help. Help them by sharing that taking a break is not an act of selfishness. It is actually an act of great giving.

Whether for a few hours a day or as an ongoing relief, whenever respite is needed, Live Free Home Health Care in the Concord area can be there. Contact Live Free Home Health Care today at 603-217-0149 to find out how easy and comforting extra care in the home can be.

Tags:   eldercare, family caregivers, holiday stress, home companion, private duty agencies

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