by San Diego Home Care

Answer These Questions Before Moving a Senior From Assisted Living

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Moving a senior from an assisted living facility requires careful consideration of a number of factors.

The rampage of COVID-19 cases in nursing homes and assisted living facilities was devastating, as the virus spread throughout our most vulnerable population in such close living quarters. As a result, many families considered moving a senior from assisted living into their own home, which raised a number of challenges.  Read more

by San Diego Home Care

How to Ensure a Safer Recovery at Home for Seniors

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Recovery at home for seniors after a hospitalization is safer and more comfortable with the help of home care services.

Recovery at home for seniors after a hospitalization takes time. Not merely do older bodies take more time to mend, but there are further considerations that can arise: reduced mobility and numerous instructions to follow for dietary restrictions, medications, follow-up appointments, and physical activities, just to name a few.  Read more

by San Diego Home Care

Simple Fall Prevention Exercises Seniors Can Do at Home

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Reduce the risk of falls with simple fall prevention exercises.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shares that as many as one-third of seniors experience a fall each year, and surprisingly, only half of them bring those falls to the attention of a doctor. When an older adult falls, even if it does not cause a serious injury, it can lead to an elevated fear of falling again. This can cause the person to begin to limit activities and exercise, which leads to reduced mobility and eventually, a greater risk of another fall.  Read more

by San Diego Home Care

Senior Fall Prevention Tips for the Home

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Try these senior fall prevention tips and simple home modifications to make life safer for older adults.

Experiencing a fall can be painful for anyone, but for older adults, falling can have devastating results. One of the common effects of a senior fall is a fractured hip, which can lead to even more health problems. Alarmingly, one-fourth of seniors who fracture a hip die in a period of just six months from the time of the injury – a sobering, yet preventable fact. This shows how important it is to take senior fall prevention measures to keep loved ones safe at home. Read more

by San Diego Home Care

How to Recognize and Overcome Compassion Fatigue

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Learn to overcome compassion fatigue, which may come on suddenly and negatively impact your health and ability to thrive in a caregiving role.

Family caregivers dedicate so much of themselves to those they care for – both emotionally and physically. It’s easy to become worn down and begin to experience unexpected feelings such as indifference, weariness, and a detachment from the person in your care. Identified as compassion fatigue or secondary traumatic stress, it may be detrimental to your own wellness but could also impact your ability to be as caring, warm, and nurturing as you should be for the person you’re caring for. Read more

by San Diego Home Care

Find Answers to Our Most Frequently Asked Home Care Questions

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compass solutions home care questions

Discover the answers to your home care questions.

You’re beginning to become concerned that Mom might be in need of some professional help at home, and so naturally, you know just where to go for assistance, right? No? Rest assured – you are not alone. Millions of people in the U.S. are faced with the same predicament, and most people have a lot of home care questions they need answered right away.

If you’re in the beginning stages of investigating home care options, it’s helpful to have some understanding of what exactly home care is and how it works. To assist you through this journey, the professional team at San Diego Home Caregivers, the top-rated private caregiver in La Mesa and surrounding areas, has pulled together some commonly asked questions about home care, along with the appropriate answers to help you make better, more knowledgeable care decisions for your loved one.

Q: Can Medicare cover the cost for long-term in-home care?

A: No. Even though it’s true that Medicare might pay for some home health care costs within very specific parameters, it was never meant to cover long-term in-home care.

Q: Is it less expensive to hire a caregiver independently than working together with a professional home care company?

A: No. While at first it might seem that hiring a caregiver independently is more affordable than hiring a caregiver through a professional home care agency, there are numerous unrevealed costs when hiring an independent caregiver. For instance, with an independently hired caregiver, you are the caregiver’s employer, meaning it is your duty to cover the cost for taxes, worker’s compensation, and more. When working through a home care agency, you do not have to worry about or cover the cost for any of these things.

Q: Is home care the right choice for a senior with Alzheimer’s disease?

A: Yes. San Diego Home Caregivers provides highly skilled, compassionate Alzheimer’s and dementia care. Our caregivers receive ongoing training on how to provide the highest quality support to older adults, offering families much-needed breaks from care and peace of mind.

Q: What do ADL and IADL stand for?

A: ADL refers to Activities of Daily Living, or activities that take place every day, such as taking a shower, dressing, transferring from the bed to a chair, walking, etc. IADL stands for Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, and covers such activities as managing household expenses, shopping, using the telephone, etc. ADLs and IADLs are evaluated when determining which level of care is best suited for a senior.

San Diego Home Caregivers can help older adults with both ADLs and IADLs, which results in safer, more comfortable, and more independent lives at home.

We know you probably have some additional home care questions, and we’re always here to provide the answers you need. You can reach us any time at (619) 487-9000 to learn more about our home care services and dementia care in La Mesa, CA and the surrounding areas.

by San Diego Home Care

Top Six Benefits of Home Care for Seniors

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beefits of home care reading to senior disabled man

Learn some of the top reasons home care is best for seniors.

As we grow older, it is common to start to be affected by challenges with daily activities, including showering, dressing, fixing meals, and even driving a vehicle. This can result in the fear of having to give up not just our freedom, but our home as well. Yet there is encouraging news for older individuals: home care services, like those provided by San Diego Home Caregivers, can help actually increase independence for seniors and help them continue residing at home where they are most comfortable.

And the reality is, these days, the majority of older adults are deciding to receive the care they need at home. To help you better comprehend exactly what home care is, we’ve provided the following benefits of home care for seniors:

  • Home care services are delivered on an individual basis, leading to more personal attention than in a nursing home or assisted living facility. There is never the need to have to wait your turn when care is needed.
  • A caregiver in the home can help encourage a healthier way of living. Professional caregivers are skilled in planning and preparing nourishing and delicious meals that are appealing to the individual and can also help keep track of the amount of food consumed.
  • A customized, ongoing exercise regimen can be implemented and carried out with the help of a caregiver, providing the extra safety measure of a qualified professional being present during exercising.
  • Home care strengthens self-esteem and independence, essential factors for a fulfilling lifestyle. Home care (in particular, private pay home care) ensures personalized care specific to the needs of the family and senior on any given day, whether the need is as simple as companionship, or more complex, such as help with personal care needs.
  • The additional benefit of accompanied transportation to and from medical appointments, social events or running errands means that families have the opportunity for more quality time together.
  • The recent pandemic brought to the forefront how dangerous senior isolation can be to both physical and emotional health. An in-home caregiver offers necessary socialization opportunities and the chance for seniors to have a companion at the ready to avoid loneliness and depression, through interesting conversations and reminiscing, fun activities, participation in enjoyable hobbies and interests, and more.

We would love the chance to chat with you and your family more about the benefits of our home care services. Call San Diego Home Caregivers, the leading provider of home care assistance in La Jolla and surrounding areas, at (619) 487-9000 to learn more about our trusted home care services for seniors.

by corecubed

Talking With Your Kids When You Have Mesothelioma

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Cute young daughter embracing her mother with love

Mesothelioma takes between 20 and 50 years to develop. Due to this long latency period, the asbestos-caused cancer affects middle-aged and elderly people most often. Read more

by corecubed

Be Proactive in Addressing Post-Holiday Loneliness in Seniors

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The holiday season can be overflowing with a whirlwind of activity for the seniors we love, with family gatherings, holiday parties, faith-based services, and shopping for the best gifts for those they love. Yet after the holiday ornaments are packed away and families have gotten back to the daily busyness of life, many struggle with a common but little-discussed condition: post-holiday loneliness in seniors. 

Although naturally seniors who live alone are most apt to develop feelings of isolation and sadness when the holiday activities are complete, all older adults are in danger of a case of the blues, as they look to the year ahead while reminiscing over years past. It’s vital for family members to create a plan to help their older loved ones experience a positive transition. Give some thought to the following tips: 

  • Make plans for the next get-together. Decide on a date in the coming weeks for another family celebration, offering the older loved one and the rest of the family something enjoyable to anticipate. For example, schedule an informal New Year’s resolution check-in party for the last week of January, where each person can report on his or her progress towards resolutions that were made, and each bringing along a dish to share a potluck meal.   
  • Create a chain letter. Split the family up into groups of five, and designate a number to each person who would like to participate, i.e., #1 – 5. The person with #1 begins by writing a short letter in the first week of January, mailing it to the #2 person, who reads and then contributes to that letter and then sends to the #3 person – and so on. The last person in the chain adds to the letter and sends back to the first person to read, and then a new chain can be initiated. Receiving ongoing mail with news about family members is a great pick-me-up for seniors. 
  • Partner with San Diego Home Caregivers. San Diego Home Caregivers’ skilled care companions are the ideal solution to post-holiday loneliness in seniors! Our caregivers are adept in helping seniors to remain socially and physically active through a wide range of engaging activities, according to each person’s interests:  
  • Reminiscing and conversations 
  • Puzzles, games, and crafts 
  • Exercise programs 
  • Transportation and accompaniment to fun outings 
  • And much more! 

Let us help alleviate post-holiday loneliness for the older adults you love, and maintain a sense of community, purpose, and connection all throughout the year. We’re available for once-a-week visits up through and including full-time care and companionship. Call the experts in senior companion care in San Diego and the surrounding communities at (619) 487-9000 and request an in-home consultation to establish what will work best in your particular situation, and help make your loved ones’ coming year the best one yet! 

by San Diego Home Care

Clean Indoor Air Benefits Individuals Diagnosed With COPD

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If you’re providing COPD care for an older loved one, you’re probably aware that outdoor air pollution can make symptoms worse. However, did you know that reduced air quality in the home can also lead to problems? Cleansing the air in the home can help those with COPD – and everyone else – breathe more easily.

The home care team at San Diego Home Caregivers recommends keeping the following COPD care strategies in mind:

  • Prohibit Indoor Smoking. Don’t smoke or allow others to smoke in the home of a person with COPD. If there is a woodstove or fireplace in the home, realize that it can also be a source of irritation for someone with COPD.
  • Reduce Chemical Exposure. Chemicals in the home such as paint and cleaning products can trigger COPD symptoms, so reduce the use of them, and be sure to keep lids on cleaning products when not in use. It’s also a good idea to look into healthier cleaning options, like baking soda and vinegar.
  • Minimize Dust. Wash bed linens weekly, remove clutter, and keep pets off furniture in order to limit the amount of dust and dander.
  • Purify the Air. Utilize an air filtration device with a HEPA filter. Even though air pollution is not as hazardous in rural areas as it is in the city, someone with COPD will still benefit from filtering the air and clearing away irritants and toxins.
  • Sweep Floors Often. Keeping floors clean reduces allergen buildup. Bear in mind that hardwood floors are easier to keep in an allergen-free state than carpet and rugs.
  • Use a Humidifier. Dry air from the heating system can make COPD problems worse, as can air that is too damp. Strive for a level of about 40% humidity inside the home for someone with COPD.

COPD patients can breathe easier with the help of San Diego Home Caregivers. We can provide:

  • Helpful information about COPD care and management
  • Exercise recommendations to ease symptoms
  • Nutrition and dietary tips
  • Skills to best contend with symptoms
  • And a full range of home care services

San Diego Home Caregivers, a top-rated Carlsbad home care agency with care services throughout the surrounding area, is here to help with personalized home care services. Contact us any time at (619) 487-9000 to learn more about the many ways home care can help and to set up a free in-home consultation.