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

All posts within: home care

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Overcoming objections to an in-home caregiver

“I don’t want a stranger coming into my house and going through my things!” “I’ve been doing my own cooking and cleaning since before you were born. I can manage just fine.” “I’m a great driver. I’ve never been in an accident.” “Why can’t you help me with these things?” Are these the sorts of comments you encounter when bringing up the subject of in-home care with your aging parent? You aren’t alone.

It is common for people needing assistance with home care to feel uncomfortable or even reject the idea of accepting the help of an in-home caregiver. Admitting a care need can make a senior feel vulnerable and afraid of losing independence. But there are ways to help. Experienced senior care agencies such as Live Free Home Health Care know how best to handle these situations and can not only help with finding a perfectly matched caregiver but can offer helpful advice to overcome objections to a home helper as well.

Contact Live Free Home Home Health Care today to find out how we can help gently introduce a perfectly matched caregiver into the home. We service Concord New Hampshire, the rest of the Lakes region and central New Hampshire. Below are some further tips to help ease the transition:

Introduce the caregiver to the senior before care begins, so the caregiver is not a stranger.

Find a caregiver with a personality and temperament that complements the senior’s personality.

Frame the situation so it’s about you rather than the senior. An example would be saying, “I know you are very independent and don’t feel you need extra care at home, but I worry a lot about you and this would help me not to worry so much when I’m not able to be here.”

Start small, and ask the senior to “give it a try.” Present the idea as a trial. Have someone come in for one day a week for a few hours, just to vacuum, take out the trash or wash clothes, and then build up to more care if needed.

Sympathize and understand the fear and vulnerability associated with the transition. Have serious, compassionate talks with him or her, and realize the first time may not work. It could take a few months before the senior feels more comfortable with the situation.

For further transition tips, click here.

Tags:   better quality of life, communication tips, eldercare, home care

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Thursday, July 01, 2010

Six Subtle Signs Indicating More Care at Home May Be Needed

It’s not easy to admit you need help, and when it comes to personal care needs, it can seem downright embarrassing. Couple this with a fear of losing your independence and it isn’t hard to imagine why many seniors keep their needs to themselves. This is why watching for signs that could indicate extra assistance is needed oftentimes falls on family, friends, or advisors. If there is a frail senior in your life that you suspect may be hiding a home care need, take note of the following:

1. Has there been a noticeable weight loss?

2. Has personal hygiene and general appearance been deteriorating?

3. Is the home no longer being neatly maintained?

4. Does the senior seem safe in the home and in good spirits?

5. Is the senior having increased difficulty getting around?

6. Has the senior been exhibiting forgetfulness or inappropriate behavior?

To learn more about how to recognize a need for home care assistance, click here, or for a free in-home care needs/safety assessment, call Live Free Home Health Care at (603) 217-0149.

Tags:   eldercare, home care

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Monday, May 24, 2010

Random acts of kindness ARE contagious!

You’ve heard that a spirit of kindness and generosity can spread to others, but did you know that it’s actually been proven? A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that for people who have experienced generosity, not only does the spirit of generosity persist in them, but they also pass it on to others. This causes a ripple effect of kindness and generosity, in an ever expanding circle of people.

At Live Free Home Health Care, we believe in random acts of kindness every day! Our top-notch caregivers are carefully selected to make sure they possess special qualities such as patience, understanding, respect, and good listening skills….those we would feel comfortable with in our own home. Give us a call at 603-217-0149 to find out more about our services. In the meantime, take a moment to spread some random joy and generosity and start your own ripple effect for humankind.

Read more about the study in our May Live Free Home Health Care newsletter.

Tags:   caregiver tips, home care, home health care, in-home care providers, long-term care

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Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Caring for others while sleep deprived = caring for others while drunk

Studies have shown clearly that the mental impairment of someone with extreme sleep deprivation is equal to the mental impairment of someone who is legally drunk. As a family caregiver, it is so important (and sometimes that much harder) to get a healthy amount of sleep each night. Without it, your body doesn’t have a way to recharge and revitalize. Organs and systems are forced to work when they should be resting. This gives the body no time to heal itself in preparation for its next work period. Constant stress on the mind and body affects our overall health and wellbeing, resulting in pretty devastating consequences, some of which include:

· Poor concentration

· Inability to perform tasks or process information easily and quickly

· Decreased perceptual skills

· Increased risk of coronary heart disease and other major illnesses

· Decreased muscle strength

· Disruption of insulin production and sugar metabolism, increasing risk of diabetes

· Weakened immune system

To read more, click here. Bringing some outside help into the home can be done whenever there is a need. Try using a caregiver from a professional agency at night so you can get a good night’s sleep and awake refreshed and ready to tackle another day.

Tags:   better quality of life, home care, home health care

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Monday, March 22, 2010

What you didn’t know about long-term care insurance

You’ve heard the rumblings….health care reform….Medicare misery…and the expected senior care upheaval of the boomer generation, the so called “silver tsunami”. Perhaps now is the time to take a second look at a long-term care insurance policy. What you might not have known is that long-term care insurance does often cover the cost of in-home care services. In fact, policies are now more flexible than ever. Take a look at this informative article on today’s long-term insurance policies in Forbes.

And with taxes coming due soon, did you know you could deduct a portion of the cost of that long term care insurance?  Recently, LTC Financial Partners, a long-term care insurance agency, noted that consumers can get a break in their federal taxes if they pay for long-term care insurance. The amount they can get depends on a person's age. View the article here.

To learn more about long-term care planning, view these resources.

Tags:   eldercare, home care, insurance, long-term care

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