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Identifying Goals for Home Care Transitions
A mistake many people make when a loved one is transitioning to home care is assuming that once he or she is home that everything will be normal. In reality, your loved one is likely to have care needs that you are not accustomed to, and failing to plan for them can cause frustration. Consulting with a caregiving agency in Memphis as well as your loved one’s care team can help you determine a plan for providing the necessary assisted living services and identifying goals to encourage your loved one’s recovery.
Goals for the transition to home care can include things like increasing your loved one’s ability to walk around the block one more time each week or completing a set of daily exercises recommended by a physical therapist. The exact nature of the goals depend on your loved one’s condition, but having a recovery plan in place can prevent the need for your loved one to return to a care facility. Be sure that your in-home caregiver understands these goals as well so he or she can incorporate them into the assisted living and home health care plan as needed.
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Helping Your Loved One Transition Home from a Stroke Rehab Facility
Because of the damaging effects of stroke, many patients spend a period of time in an in-patient rehab facility in the period immediately following the incident. Eventually, most patients will transition out of the rehab facility and back to home. Although you may welcome the opportunity to have your loved one home again, it is important to plan carefully to make the transition as easy as possible. Hiring an in-home caregiver in Memphis to assist with transitional care can be enormously helpful. These tips will help you prepare for this new kind of care as well.
Identify the Goals
Although your loved one is leaving the rehab facility, he or she likely still needs to be engaged in a treatment plan. Decide on a set of short-term and long-term goals to help your loved one get stronger, and learn strategies you can use at home to support the progress. Physical, occupational, and speech therapy may be needed on an outpatient basis, so determine a schedule and find out if there are any exercises you should be doing between appointments. Make sure your in-home caregiver also understands these goals and how to help your loved one meet them.
Prepare the Home
The rehab center staff can explain to you the kind of care your loved one will need and offer advice about preparing your home for the transition. For instance, you may need to set up a bedroom downstairs for your loved one or remove trip hazards from walking paths through the home. The earlier you start preparing your home, the easier your job as caregiver will be and the safer your home will be for your loved one.
Ask for Help
During the transition, you will need help. Recognize that asking for help when you need it makes you a better caregiver. Explore your options, from having a family member take over care one day per week so you can do errands to hiring an in-home caregiver for assisted living services. Arranging help before your loved one returns home can ensure a smoother transition.
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Knowing What to Expect When a Loved One Reaches the End of Life
When you have been advised that a loved one is nearing the end of his or her life, it’s natural to wonder what the future holds. Fortunately, in-home hospice care can be extremely comforting for both you and your loved one, as an experienced end-of-life caregiver guides you through the process and helps you understand what to expect. Here are some of the symptoms you may see in your loved one while he or she is receiving end-of-life care in Memphis .
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Fatigue
Fatigue can be overwhelming at the end of life. Your loved one may be unable to take part in any activities that require physical exertion and may struggle to hold long conversations, read, or watch television without sleeping. When your loved one does have energy, plan activities that make the best use of that time, even if it means simply sitting together and having a long talk. In very late stages, your loved one may appear to be asleep or in a coma and unable to speak at all. However, he or she can still hear you, so continue to talk to your loved one. Your hospice care provider can help you recognize the signs that your loved one’s fatigue is becoming overwhelming.
Shallow Breathing
At the end of life, breathing becomes slow and shallow, and there may be periods where your loved one sighs or takes a deep breath and then doesn’t breathe again for a few beats. This kind of shallow breathing is normal. Turning your loved one on his or her side can be helpful. Generally, people who are experiencing this shallow breathing are not uncomfortable. Ask your hospice caregiver for advice of you believe your loved one is suffering, as a doctor can treat this symptom to increase your loved one’s comfort.
Decreased Need for Food and Water
It can be scary to watch your loved one eat and drink less, but resist the urge to force food or water. Give your loved one easy options, like ice chips and soft, easy-to-digest foods. Dehydration is common when your loved one’s appetite declines. Keep his or her lips and mouth moist with glycerin swabs and lip balm.
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Planning for End-of-Life Care
When it comes to end-of-life care in Memphis , it is essential to plan ahead. Whether you know a loved one who will shortly need comprehensive elderly care or you may want to move into an assisted living facility yourself, starting your research early will guarantee you get the very best care available. In addition to having the most experienced caring companions, you can get a more affordable rate. Read on to learn more about how you should go about planning for end-of-life care by researching options, discussing choices, and considering costs.
Research Options
When you invest in end-of-life care, you deserve to have the highest quality of care possible. Whether you are considering moving your loved one into an assisted living facility for round-the-clock care or will be the primary caregiver yourself, you will need comprehensive support. In the final stages of life, many people choose to stay at home so they will be as comfortable as possible. When you consider your options for professional caregivers, you should only hire experienced and compassionate professionals to assist you and your loved one through this difficult time.
Discuss Choices
When it comes to end-of-life care, you should make sure to discuss all available options with your ailing loved one and all close family members. Make sure that your loved one realizes that he or she has your complete support. Often, individuals who require end-of-life care are still sufficiently mentally sound to make informed decisions about their lives. Allowing them to choose between different caregivers and to personally select an in-home caregiver can preserve their sense of independence and dignity.
Consider Costs
In-home care should not place an undue burden on surviving family members. Whether you need more comprehensive dementia home care for a senior relative or need to have a caregiver agency help with a younger loved one nearing the end of his or her life, you should work with an esteemed agency that provides affordable options for home care assistance.
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Tips for Teaching a Senior Loved One to Use Technology
Elder care in Memphis is dedicated to even more than health care support and companionship . As you will learn in this video, teaching your senior loved one to use technology can offer invaluable support, helping to improve his or her quality of life tremendously.
An assisted living facility prioritizes teaching seniors how to use technology. Seniors are often ill-equipped to navigate the Internet or use new cell phones, which is why a caregiver agency places so much importance on technology. As an assisted living aide knows firsthand, knowing how to use a cell phone can be the difference between life and death in a health emergency.
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What You Should Know About Return Home Care
If you have a loved one who is currently staying in a hospital or another medical facility, you may not have thought much about what will happen when he or she returns home. However, proper return home care is critical to ensure the continued health of your loved one. A professional caregiver in Memphis can provide you with the guidance and assistance you need to ensure that recovery goes smoothly. Here are some important things you should know about return home care.
Making your home a safe space. It’s important that you make any modifications to your home that are necessary to make it a safe and comfortable place for your loved one to be. This may mean installing grab bars in bathrooms, adding a wheelchair ramp, or clearing away clutter that could lead to accidents. A home health professional can advise you on how you can make your home safer.
Seeking out useful resources. You should work closely with the healthcare facility your loved one is staying at in order to make the transition home as easy as possible. Your loved one may require round-the-clock attention, as well as assistance with daily tasks such as bathing and dressing. You may also need access to transportation services for your loved one’s convenience. Having an in-home caregiver on hand can help to make it easier for you and your loved one to adjust to the recovery process.
Determining your health goals. When your loved one is released, he or she will probably require continued care during recovery. It’s important to plan out a program that will maximize your loved one’s level of recovery, which may include working with physical or occupational therapists in order to improve his or her condition. Pre-planning return home care will help ensure that your loved one stays healthy and can continue to lead a comfortable life at home.
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Protecting Seniors from Financial Fraud
Protecting seniors from being taken advantage of is essential to elder care in Memphis . As you will learn in this video, elderly individuals are especially susceptible to financial fraud.
One aspect of elder care involves making sure that seniors do not fall victim to thieves and predators. Whether you hire a professional caregiver or are personally responsible for a senior loved one’s home health care, you should always be wary when a senior makes a large financial investment. The biggest sign of financial fraud is any investment that maintains it is “guaranteed to make money fast.” Anything that promises unreasonable returns is likely fraudulent.
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Why Medications Reminders Are Important to Seniors
Medication reminders are a big component of elderly care serving Memphis . Even if your loved one does not suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s, he or she may deal with the confusion and memory lapses that often accompany old age.
Many seniors take daily medications that are essential to their health and wellbeing. When it comes to caring for elders, all caretakers know that seniors can sometimes simply refuse to take their medicine. At other times, they may feel embarrassed because they cannot remember which medication to take at what time. Additionally, others were never properly advised of how to take a particular prescription. Experienced home health care companies advise anyone who cares for a senior to create a system for taking medication. You can invest in a pill box with different slots for different times of the day. You may also want to purchase an electronic pill box that sounds an alarm when it is time to take medicine. Missing even one dose of a medication or taking too many doses within a given period can have life-threatening consequences, so you should make sure that you create a good system for medication reminders.
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Signs a Senior May Be Struggling
Signs a Senior May Be Struggling
As your loved one ages, it’s important to recognize the signs that he needs homecare assistance near Memphis . When you provide the appropriate elder care or senior assisted living services early enough, you can help your loved one avoid accidents, injuries, and health complications. A home health aide can offer your loved one companionship, household and grooming assistance, and medication management.
Watch this video to learn about some of the signs that a senior may be struggling and in need of elder care. The sooner you seek senior care services from a home health agency, the happier, healthier, and more comfortable your loved one will be.
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Household Chore Support from In-Home Caregivers
If you or one of your loved-ones requires a little extra help with daily or weekly domestic tasks, long-term home care in Memphis may be a good solution for you. Here at Caring Companions , our kind and compassionate staff are trained to assist people of all ages to lead comfortable independent lives.
We offer a number of services for those who require assistance with household chores. Our staff can help keep your house clean. We can sweep, vacuum, and mop floors and carpets, dust, and keep kitchens and bathrooms in good condition. If you let us know your trash collection day, we will also take out the garbage. In addition, we can help with your laundry needs. We are happy to wash, dry, and fold clothes. We also provide ironing services on request.
Let us help you keep your home clean and tidy, so that you can live in a pleasant, appealing environment.