One of the biggest decisions that families need to make relates to choosing home care for an elderly loved one who is beginning to exhibit signs of requiring assistance to remain independent at home. Families first need to understand the various types of home care available, but from there they can begin the process of finding help:

1. Talk about it – while family might believe a senior requires home care assistance, their elderly loved one might not feel the same. Talking about it gently is essential, and not all seniors are likely to simply accept the suggestion of help. A family counselor can intervene if necessary.

2. List the help needed – talk together and determine specific things that a senior care provider like Home Care San Francisco could assist with. Whether it’s grocery shopping, help with bathing and dressing, or other tasks.

3. Do research – talk to friends and family about home care agencies they’d recommend, but during that process as costs are addressed, it’s also essential that any funding or insurance coverage that may be available is investigated

4. Don’t jump into a decision – even once a specific agency is narrowed down, it’s okay to interview them and ask questions about their history and their policies. Ask if they’ll spend time with the senior first to assess comfort level, and also verify that a replacement caregiver will be provided if one doesn’t work out

Via: The Family Caregiver

Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

Home Care San Francisco enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.

Millions of seniors have Type 1 diabetes. Many of them have had it since they were young adults, though it can develop later in life. With this type of diabetes, patients are required to inject insulin because the pancreas no longer produces it naturally. It can take a lot of time to find a balance of insulin that works best, but once this is achieved, patients carry on with daily life as they always have. Below is a list that contains some important facts and useful tips about Type 1 diabetes.

1. Those with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day. Without insulin, the patient will not survive. It is important to find out exactly how much insulin is needed to control blood sugar levels.

2. The onset of Type 1 happens rapidly. The warning signs of the development of type 1 diabetes include increased blood sugar levels, increased urination and thirst, weight loss, blurred vision and fatigue. If any of these symptoms are noticed, contact a doctor as soon as possible.

3. It is important to test blood sugar levels regularly. These levels allow patients to monitor their diabetes and can tell them how much insulin they need to control the levels. It is best to test before meals, a few hours after meals and before bedtime.

4. A regular diet is important, but so is the time meals are eaten. Many diabetics have to eat at the same time every day to keep their blood sugar levels under control.

5. A healthy life style will help the battle with Type 1 diabetes. Work with doctors to find a regime that works best and stick to it. Once your diabetes is under control, you will lead a normal life.

Source: diabetes.about.com

Image: diabetic-forum.net

Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

Home Care San Francisco joins the Social Network of Care one of the most advanced social networking programs in the country. It offers blogs, media exchange, forums, wikis (group-document building) and, of course, groups. Groups can be public or private, open or closed – whatever suits your needs. Each group you establish automatically gains access to all of these tools, embedded for your use. You can use the Social Network of Care for individuals, clients, families, work groups, and more. Or, you can create your own private Social Network of Care area for you and your employees.   Everything on the Social Network of Care platform is completely free. It is also free of any advertising or e-commerce.

Your San Mateo County Network of Care for Seniors & People with Disabilities site also includes:

• Personal Health Records
• A comprehensive, community-based Service Directory
• News from all over the country
• Free Web-site building
• The Network of Care for eLearning – a state-of-the-art Learning Management System.
• Special features such as Fall Prevention, Financial Abuse Prevention, and much more.
• A Call Center application, should you need this advanced software program.

For more information about the Social Network of Care or any Network of Care services, please contact us at any time. Click here to visit your site or check out the Social Network of Care.

Image: sxc.hu

Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

Whether you’re moving an elderly parent into your home, or trying to help modify a senior’s home to make it more safe and comfortable for them as they age, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind to ensure that their health and happiness at home remains a priority.

1. Install a lower peephole – particularly for seniors that live alone, a peephole is an important security measure. Osteoporosis can cause seniors to lose height, and causing them to strain to see out of a peephole is a danger

2. Reduce glare in the home – for the comfort of seniors, install blinds on the windows that can be adjusted depending upon the amount of light or glare coming into the home

3. Prevent falls with safety measures – put railings on stairs and in the bathroom, and to avoid slips remove area rugs

4. Control water temperatures of the faucets – seniors can scald themselves if they find it challenging to control water

5. Change door handles – seniors with arthritis often have trouble manipulating doorknobs; accommodate them by installing level handles or other assistive devices

6. Try to control clutter – whether a senior is moving in, or you’re trying to make their home a little safer, finding storage for all the extra items that are not regularly used is important to reduce clutter and increase safety

Via: Guide for  Boomers and Seniors who Live with Them

Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

A great home care franchise for seniors should do more than just the basics in order to ensure their success. Of course, a major part of a home caregiver’s role would be to simply attend to the non-medical care needs of their elderly care recipients, but to be a competitor against the other businesses also actively engaged in the industry, it needs to go farther than that.

When you’re looking to hire a professional caregiver from an agency, you need to make sure that they’re willing and able to take steps to make sure that your senior’s comfort and safety day and night is among their primary concerns. They should be willing to address the following safety issues:

1. Install nightlights – lighting in a senior’s home is crucial for preventing accidents and nightfright. Installing nightlights which have sensors to go on when seniors get up in the night can also improve safety, and are a simple and inexpensive addition to any home

2. Suggest a lifeline – since caregivers are not always there around the clock, a lifeline, or an emergency device that will contact a loved one or emergency help can make sure that seniors receive help when needed

3. Put lights on timers – suggesting lights on timers inside or outside the home can help ensure there is adequate lighting at all times, and it also adds an element of security in the evening hours when seniors are home alone, and helps to conserve electricity

4. Remove hazards – if seniors do have caregiving help 24/7, caregivers should ensure the environment is safe for seniors to get around while on their own. Removing tripping hazards like throw rugs and poorly placed furniture will reduce the likelihood of accidents. Sturdy grab bars can also be placed in bathrooms and along stairwells for added stability

5. Talk to family members – caregivers can also speak to family members about their concerns, and address them specifically, making the home environment safer to put everyone’s minds at ease

The above are some suggestions of what should be included in any home care franchise service for the success of the business, but of course, specific services will depend upon the client, so hiring caregivers that are perceptive to senior’s needs is crucial to franchise well-being.

Sources:

1. Home Instead Senior Care

Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

Approximately 4 million families in the United States today have adopted a multi-generational living structure to facilitate the care of an older adult and to generally benefit the family as a whole. For many families, the decision to move in an elderly parent or older relative can be an easy one; however, if the proper approach is not used it can result in family tension and even estrangement, because it’s a question of family being too close to comfort. Relationships can change for the better or for the worse when members of the same family are living together under the same roof for the first time in many decades.

When adding a senior to the household, families should consider the following tips to make sure that their relationships are preserved, and that all members of the family benefit from the multigenerational living arrangements.

• All members of the family should be allowed to voice their thoughts – even after a decision has been made to move in mom or dad, every member of the family, including children should be allowed to speak their minds and make suggestions on how to make the living arrangements work for everyone
• Define roles and set expectations – all family members living under the same roof should have their roles defined in advance and should know what to expect of the changes that will be occurring
• Ask for help – when adult caregivers live with their elderly care recipients, they can feel like they’re overwhelmed with responsibility that they can never get away from; ask other siblings or family members to step in to provide respite care or help around the house
• Focus on family – establish family rituals that bridge the generational gap between all of the family members. Plan a movie night, or a family dinner so that everyone can bond over a shared enjoyable experience

Via: Home Instead Senior Care https://www.homeinstead.com/Lists/doclistlib/Attachments/257/Too_Close_For_Comfort_Booklet.pdf

Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

I’m a senior care specialist in San Francisco, and while I receive questions from families about all kinds of senior care issues, there’s one type of inquiry in particular that is especially devastating, not only to the family, but to me who as a professional, needs to be detached and professional, even though I see how deeply families are suffering. The hardest thing that stands out in my mind that families consult me about, is when their parent or elderly relative who has lost the ability to communicate through speech. They tell me that they feel like they’ve lost someone they love; because they appear in body but not in mind, and want to know what they can do to communicate.

Of course, there’s no way to make someone who’s lost the ability to speak regain that skill, but families can use simple techniques in order to connect and interact so that their seniors aren’t left isolated and alone because they can’t talk back. Families can engage their seniors by talking to them, even if they can’t respond; and also by using touch to communicate affection. Just by bridging the gap between someone who can communicate and a senior who can’t; seniors can still feel included, part of something, and loved.

Sources:

1. Aging Care

Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

Family caregivers who provide care for an elderly loved one, often get so caught up in their many responsibilities they can’t find time for themselves or their own needs. With so many San Francisco caregivers balancing their home care responsibilities with careers and their home lives, where they might care for their own young families and children; it’s understandable why they may not put the focus on themselves. As selfless as this may seem, many caregivers who neglect their own care, experience high levels of stress and are actually doing their care recipients and families a dishonor, because people who can’t take care of themselves can’t take care of anyone else adequately.

While it’s recommended that San Francisco caregivers make time everyday to do an activity to help them relax, sometimes that’s easier said than done. But taking a few moments to revitalize, isn’t too much to ask. When you begin to feel overwhelmed as a caregiver for the elderly, take a few deep breaths to relax or slow down for a moment and take-in your surroundings. Don’t feel selfish for focusing on yourself; remember that by being in better spirits and health, you will be doing that important senior in your life the favor of being able to provide better quality senior care.

Sources:
1. Caregiverstress
2. Caregiver ABC Blog

Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

Q – I suspect that my elderly grandfather, who has an elder care provider assisting him in his home in San Francisco might be a victim of home care negligence. He doesn’t seem to get along with his caregiver and is reluctant to look her in the eyes. I don’t want to make a big deal out of nothing, so what are the signs I can look for to determine if he’s a victim of negligence?

A – If you believe that your father in San Francisco might be a victim of negligence, or doesn’t get along with his caregiver. Don’t hesitate to talk to the caregiving agency about your suspicions and request another elder care expert to provide home care services. However, if you want to justify your concerns, there are other signs that could indicate your father is being neglected.

• Sudden changes in his behavior, such as becoming more withdrawn, depressed or angry

• Physical injuries like bruises, scrapes, cuts, or even broken bones

• The home care provider not allowing seniors to spend time alone with family members for fear something might be revealed

• Pressure sores or signs that restraints have been used

• Sudden, inexplicable weight loss in the senior

Sources:

1. Care Home Negligence
2. EZine Articles

Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

To be a caregiver, you don’t have to live in the same city, or even in the same state as your elderly family member. Many family caregivers care for loved ones from long distances by coordinating care services, making care related decisions and monitoring the care being provided to their elderly family member from afar. While many long distance caregivers do rely on home care professionals or other members of the family to provide day-to-day care for the senior when necessary; long distance caregivers still play a substantial role in senior care.

What can you do as a long distance caregiver for your loved one?
•    Assess the care needs of your loved one by talking to them, other family members and friends nearby
•    When visiting, look for signs that they may be struggling to live independently. Signs may be exhibited on them personally or by looking at their home. Go with your instincts
•    Coordinate senior care services if necessary – hire a professional non-medical caregiver, arrange for transportation, meal preparation and medication reminders to help the senior live on their own
•    Keep a phone book for the senior’s local area, and a list of friends, family members and other people that you could call on in an emergency to help the senior
•    Offer to help with financial matters, or be appointed Power of Attorney to look after the senior’s assets or medical wishes should the situation arise
•    Learn about the senior’s condition
•    Be a supportive ear when they need to talk

Sources:
1.    Caregiver-Connect.ca
2.    HowtoCare

Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.