Posts

by San Diego Home Care

How Senior Home Care Helps Families Get Back to Enjoying Life Together

in ,
senior man and caregiver laughing

Rediscover the joy of simply sharing life together with those you love by partnering with our senior home care team.

Fulfilling the care needs of an elderly or disabled loved one is a psychologically, physically, and emotionally demanding undertaking, and it’s essential for family caregivers to take routine breaks to rest and relax. Senior home care offers relief from the everyday duties of caregiving, enabling family caregivers to also care for themselves.

Here are a few basic principles of senior respite care:

  • Respite from everyday, ongoing care tasks assures older adults still receive the attention they need and deserve.
  • Respite care supplies family caregivers with care that is planned, temporary, intermittent and substitute.
  • Respite care can be provided from part of one day to ongoing scheduled routine relief.

How you can help a family caregiver:

  • Offer to share caregiving tasks. Even if you are only available to help out once in a while, it shows the family caregiver that you care about his/her health.
  • Offer to assist with the family caregiver’s own personal chores. Family caregivers have their own lives too, and taking time to manage their own laundry, grocery shopping, and housecleaning chores can be tricky.
  • Chip in to hire respite care services from a professional home care agency, like the senior home care experts at San Diego Home Caregivers. Often, family members who live at a distance want to contribute to a loved one’s care. Helping to pay for respite care services not only helps the senior, but the family caregiver too.

How family caregivers can find needed support:

  • Request assistance. Other family members often want to help with caregiving, but aren’t aware of what help is needed. Involve them in the respite care plan so you can take a break when needed.
  • When family members are not available, schedule respite care with a senior home care agency, like San Diego Home Caregivers. Professional caregivers can help family care providers take the time away they need while providing quality care for their older loved ones.
  • Talk to the person in your care. A change in daily routine, such as by introducing a new caregiver, can be taxing for the senior, so take the following steps to alleviate any concerns:
    • Make sure you have a respite care plan ready to go in advance.
    • Remind the older adult regularly that your break is approaching and someone will be coming to provide care
    • Introduce the older person to the new caregiver if he/she is not another family member.
  • Follow your plan. Taking time away from caregiving is critical to your health. Make sure that everyone involved in your respite care plan are on the same page so that you can take time to care for yourself.

The bottom line is, no one person can do everything alone, and there is skilled and compassionate help here for you through San Diego Home Caregivers’ senior home care team! Providing home care in Carlsbad and nearby areas, call us at (619) 487-9000 to learn about how we can help you.

by San Diego Home Care

Are You at Risk for Caregiver Burnout?

in
Tired caregiver experiencing caregiver burnout.

Assess your risk for caregiver burnout with these questions.

Providing care for an aging loved one, while incredibly rewarding, can also bring about a high amount of caregiver stress. The full-time pressure of meeting a loved one’s care needs can swiftly escalate to become caregiver burnout – a dangerous condition that can lead to a loss of patience and emotionally charged outbursts, impacting not just the caregiver personally, but the senior as well.

It’s important to determine if you could possibly be in danger of developing caregiver burnout, and to locate help if needed. The quick questionnaire from our home care staff can help uncover whether you may have crossed the line from caregiver stress to caregiver burnout:

  • Are you no longer finding joy in activities or hobbies/interests?
  • Do you struggle with back pain, headaches, fatigue, and/or feeling sad or depressed?
  • Are you getting sick more often than before?
  • Is your temper shorter recently, either with the senior or other friends and family, in private or in public?
  • Are you lashing out at your senior loved one when she or he displays concerning behaviors?
  • Are you more emotional lately? Are you crying for little or no reason?
  • Are you gaining or losing weight without trying?
  • Do you have problems with falling or staying asleep?

If your answers to these questions are concerning, it might be time to think about finding help, for both yourself and the senior in your care.

At San Diego Home Caregivers, our thoroughly trained and experienced providers of La Jolla senior care can share the load by providing in-home respite care services – for several hours each week, full-time, around-the-clock care, or anything in between, offering a much-needed break to take care of your own personal needs, enjoy some downtime to rest and recharge, and to help you to be better prepared to provide the highest quality care for your loved one.

Just some of the countless ways we can help include:

  • Friendly companionship for conversations and fun pastimes
  • Preparing nutritious meals
  • Assisting with household chores and laundry
  • Grocery shopping and running other errands
  • Providing transportation to medical appointments and outings
  • And much more

To learn more about our personalized home care services, call San Diego Home Caregivers at (619) 487-9000. Partnering with our professional care team means you’re never alone! For a full list of all of the communities where we provide care, please visit our Communities Served page.

 

by San Diego Home Care

Can Your Aging Parents Pay for Long-Term Care? Helping Them Starts Now

in , ,
Retirement Home

The right time to help aging parents plan for future long-term care needs is before care is needed.

Millions of people in the U.S. struggle with the decision of whether their senior parents are able to cover the cost for long-term care. Monetary issues can be a delicate subject, and when it is time to begin thinking about long-term care needs, having an open and honest discussion about how your parents will be able to pay for aging care services is essential. To that end, San Diego Home Caregivers, the leading provider of elderly care in San Diego and the surrounding areas, has gathered together the following questions to help you get started:

  • What are your parents’ assets? A good place to begin is to determine approximately how much funding your parents have available in cash, investments, and Social Security. This provides a foundation for covering long-term care expenditures.
  • Do your parents anticipate needing financial assistance? People are living longer than ever before, meaning more people are outliving the resources they have designated for retirement. Ask your parents if they have enough funds to sustain their needs for the balance of their lives. If not, how much support will be necessary?
  • Do your parents have insurance? Find out if your parents have a long-term care insurance policy, as well as life insurance. Review to gain a solid understanding of their policies.
  • Can you access their passwords and account numbers? Ask for account and password details, and maintain a copy of this information, along with contact information for your parents’ attorney and financial advisor. This will make it an easier process to work through affairs when the need arises.
  • Do your parents have a power of attorney? Suggest to your parents that they select and finalize paperwork for a power of attorney so they are assured that there is a dependable, trusted person to make decisions for them in the instance of a medical emergency.

Planning in advance for long-term care is essential, and easier to accomplish while your parents are independent and thriving. Gaining an understanding of their finances now will help you be more prepared for their future care.

At San Diego Home Caregivers, we realize that discussions about long-term care and finances can be difficult, and our professionals are always available to offer help. Contact San Diego Home Caregivers, the top provider of elderly care in San Diego and the surrounding areas, at (619) 487-9000 to learn more.