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.

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.

Medication assistance is often a key part of elder care in Memphis . Most seniors take some kind of medication. Whether it is a prescription heart medicine or regular insulin for diabetes, almost all seniors take at least one pill daily. Often, these prescription drugs are essential to their very lives. Unfortunately, as they age, seniors become increasingly likely to either forget their medicine or accidentally overdose. Read on to learn how you can help prevent a dangerous medication overdose in your senior loved ones by using medication management, hiring caregiving help, and checking prescription safety.

Use Medication Management

Medication management is often essential for elderly care. To prevent medication overdoses, consider investing in modern medication management tools to remind yourself and your senior loved one of how much medicine to take and when. Many bill bottles come with different compartments for days of the week. Modern pill bottles are also equipped with alarms and even electronic disbursement systems, so your loved one and his or her caretaker know which pill to take. Many medications must be taken at the same time each day, which means these systems are integral.

Hire Caregiving Help

Hiring caregiving help is one of the best ways to prevent medication overdoses. Many seniors become forgetful with age, whether it is due to a neurological condition like dementia or as a natural side effect of the aging process. When you hire elderly care help, you can count on your loved one taking the correct dose of medication every time. Otherwise, seniors could forget that they have already taken a pill or how much was ingested.

Check Prescription Safety

Whether you are the primary caregiver or hire caring companions to assist with administering medication, you should always remain vigilant when it comes to the medications your senior loved one has been prescribed. Many people visit different doctors for different ailments. Make sure that all your loved one’s physicians, including dentists and psychiatrists, are aware of all medications that have been prescribed. This will ward off both accidental overdose and bad medication interactions.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A Look at Falls in Senior Citizens

Because seniors are often prone to falls, it’s important to regularly evaluate your loved one’s need for elderly care in Memphis . Seniors are at risk for a number of health conditions that can make them more prone to tripping, losing their balance, and falling, both in and out of the home. Here is a look at the causes, complications, and prevention of falls in senior citizens.

Common Causes of Falls

When caring for elders, it’s important to be aware of the common causes of falls. Seniors can develop muscle or spinal problems that make it difficult for them to keep their balance or walk. They can also develop vision problems, which make it hard for them to see obstacles in their paths. Low blood pressure and low blood sugar may cause dizziness upon standing, resulting in a fall. Senior citizens are also at a higher risk of dementia, foot problems, sensory problems, and poor reflexes, all of which may cause a fall.

Complications of Falls

A fall can cause serious complications for an elderly loved one, which is why it is so important to seek elderly care or senior assisted living services if you believe that your loved on is at risk of a fall. If your loved one has osteoporosis or a spinal condition, he can break or fracture bones easily even after a minor fall. He may also suffer from severe bruises, contusions, or head injuries that can increase his risk of infection or other motor problems. If your loved one lives alone without the support of a home health aide, a fall can prove to be catastrophic.

How to Prevent Falls

The best way to prevent falls is to hire a home health aide or in-home caregiver for your loved one. You should also ensure that pathways are clear of obstacles, and that the home has proper lighting. Carpeting, flooring, and stairways should be maintained so that they don’t cause accidents. If your loved one has health conditions that may cause a fall, he may need senior assisted living services.

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.

How to Care for Your Aging Parents

As your parents age, you will be faced with making the difficult decision as to whether or not they need senior assisted living services near Memphis . Caring for elders can be complicated and time-consuming, particularly if you don’t have experience as a home health aide. Here are some helpful tips for providing in-home care for your aging parents.

Have an Honest Conversation with Your Parents

The first step in developing an in-home care plan for your parents is to have an honest conversation with them about your intentions. If necessary, you can enlist the services of a doctor, counselor, or other professional to help you have this conversation. During this conversation, you should voice your concerns about your parents’ safety, and discuss the possibility of hiring an in-home caregiver. It’s important to give your parents time to discuss their feelings. You should listen carefully and respond sympathetically to their thoughts.

Determine the Level of Elder Care That is Needed

Next, you must determine the level of elder care that your parents need. If they are capable of living independently, but require some assistance with daily tasks, you can hire an in-home caregiver. If your parents have medical issues that require monitoring, they might need at-home nursing care from a private duty nurse. If they are at risk of dementia or are already exhibiting early warning signs of the disease, they will need specialized dementia home care. Once you know what senior assisted living services they require, you can begin talking to home health care companies.

Evaluate Your In-Home Care Options

It is important to find a reputable home health agency that can provide the homecare assistance that your parents need. When evaluating different home health care companies, you must determine if they are qualified to provide the caregiver and assisted living services that are necessary to keep your parents happy and healthy. If your parents require home health care services like medication or medical equipment monitoring, you will need to find a caregiver agency that employs private duty nurses.