Home Instead Senior Care in Burbank is Getting A Face Lift

Home Instead Senior Care in Burbank is getting a little face lift. Here is a sneak peek

Survive (and Enjoy!) the Holidays with Home Care Help

Instead of heading to the mall to check a few items off your holiday shopping list, you’re taking mom to a doctor’s appointment and then heading out to the pharmacy to pick up her meds. Instead of looking forward to spending time with the relatives at your annual holiday gathering, you’re dreading the extra housework you’ll have to do on top of making sure Dad gets bathed each morning.

Can you identify with the lyrics to the Faith Hill song, “Where are you Christmas? Why can’t I find you? Why have you gone away?” It’s easy to get so lost in the responsibilities that come with caring for an aging parent that you can’t pause to enjoy the festivities of the season.

Yet, it’s possible to survive and enjoy the holidays if you ask for help. Get in touch with an in-home senior care agency to find out more about how the following five home care services can help to save your sanity during the holiday season and throughout the year.

1. Transportation – Having trouble fitting all your loved one’s myriad doctor appointments and errands into your schedule? Enlist the help of a professional caregiver to accompany your loved one on routine trips to the doctor’s or grocery store. Caregivers employed by a senior home care agency are typically bonded and insured, and provide assistance for your loved one before, during and after the outing.
   
   While a caregiver helps your loved one with errands, you can use that time to check off items on your own to-do list. Or, you can devote the time you would have spent sitting in the doctor’s office doing something that you and your loved one will both enjoy instead, such as gift shopping or attending a holiday event.
2. Housekeeping – Visits from friends and family members around the holidays create a lot of extra chores around the house that your loved one may be unable to handle due to lack of mobility or stamina. A professional caregiver can help out by accomplishing light housekeeping tasks such as dusting, vacuuming, changing bed sheets, doing laundry, or taking out the trash.
   
   Instead of dreading the arrival of family members because of all the work you’ll have to put into cleaning up the house, you and your loved one will be able to fully enjoy the visit and appreciate the family togetherness—one of the aspects of the holiday that older adults most look forward to.
3. Companionship – The holidays can be a sad and lonely time for seniors who have lost a spouse or have busy families that cannot come visit as much as they would like. Receiving regular visits from a hired caregiver, who often quickly becomes more of a friend, can help lift your loved one’s spirits by offering conversation, creating opportunities to reminisce, and encouraging mind-stimulating activities.
   
   Visit as much as you can, but instead of feeling guilty about the times you can’t spend with Mom or Dad, rest assured your loved one can still receive healthy social interaction.
4. Meal Assistance – Mom might now need extra help preparing the traditional Thanksgiving meal as she has always done, or perhaps even planning and preparing daily meals has become too much. Instead of worrying about how Mom might leave the stove on all night or that she’s not eating well, let a professional caregiver assist with planning out healthy meals for the week, creating a shopping list, and supervising meal preparation and cleanup.
5. Personal Care – If your loved one needs help with bathing, managing incontinence and other personal tasks of daily living , as a family caregiver, you likely spend a great deal of time each day attending to those needs. Hiring a trained professional caregiver to provide that assistance will not only spare you time and stress, but may also spare your loved one a little dignity.
   
   Instead of spending your mornings on nursing duty as you walk Dad through his wake-up routine, you’ll be able to spend quality time with him as a son or daughter again.

Receiving extra help for even just a few hours a week can free you up to spend the holidays with your loved one how you would like to, not how you have to.

For more information about how a professional caregiver can meet your loved one’s specific needs and to discuss scheduling and pricing information, call alocal in-home senior care agency.

For more info: http://www.caregiverstress.com

Home Instead Senior Care Network Announces No. 1 Franchisee Satisfaction Ranking; 2012 Guide Lists Senior Care Among the Most Popular Franchise Models

For the second consecutive year, the Home Instead Senior Care® network was listed No. 1 overall in franchisee satisfaction among all categories, as announced by Franchise Business Review in mid-February. In a report released March 15, Franchise Business Review explains that senior care – a lower investment franchise – remains among the most popular trends and concepts in 2012. The needs of a growing population of older adults testify to the popularity of an industry that is garnering top reviews from franchisees as well, according to President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jeff Huber of Home Instead, Inc., franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care network.


The Franchise Business Review announcement March 15, which lists senior care among the most popular franchising trends in 2012, comes on the heels of an earlier announcement that the Home Instead Senior Care network has again taken home the top honor among all categories for franchisee satisfaction.

Franchise Business Review bestows the Top Franchise awards annually to franchisors with the highest overall franchisee satisfaction, according to an annual survey of franchisees. The 2012 award is based on a survey of more than 22,000 franchisees representing more than 300 franchise brands.

The announcement of the 2012 Top Franchises was made recently by Franchise Business Review at the International Franchise Association conference in Orlando. This is the second time that the Home Instead Senior Care network, which has been ranked No. 1 in the senior care category for the past six years, has taken home the top honor overall among all categories. The network also was ranked number one in the large franchise systems category for the second time.

The Franchise Business Review survey includes 33 benchmark questions, relating to the franchisee’s experience and satisfaction as well as market area, business lifestyle and other demographic characteristics. Franchise Business Review contacts each franchisee individually with an average franchisee participation rate of 70 percent.

In commenting about the No. 1 ranking, President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jeff Huber of Home Instead, Inc., franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care network, said: “We are proud to serve older adults throughout the world, whose needs have helped drive growth in the senior care industry. The partnership that we have with our franchisees has made the Home Instead network a leader not only in the senior in-home care business, but the franchise industry as a whole,” he noted.

In the March 15 report, Franchise Business Review explains the history of its research, which began in 2005. “Franchise Business Review sets out to identify the top brands in all of franchising based on our annual survey of franchisees. Originally dubbed the ‘FBR50’ because it included only 50 companies, the list has grown to include more than 150 companies spread out across three categories (small, medium, and large franchise businesses). In addition to providing the basis for the awards program, the annual survey supplies a considerable amount of data, as well as a unique view of franchising from the inside.”

The 2012 report explores what concepts and franchise models are most popular in 2012, what’s involved from an investment and financing standpoint, what skills and attributes contribute to a franchisee’s success, and how franchisee satisfaction has fared in the past year.

“Senior care and lower investment concepts (those requiring an average initial investment of under $100K) continue to be popular in 2012 as they have in past years and therefore represent a significant portion of our list.”

Huber said that the growing aging demographic will continue to make senior care a popular and viable business alternative. “With baby boomers aging in record numbers, we realize that the need for senior care services will continue for many years. And we know that the best way to continue to meet those needs is through the development of a strong Home Instead franchise network.”

ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE
Founded in 1994 in Omaha by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care® network is the world's largest provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 950 independently owned and operated franchises providing in excess of 45 million hours of care throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, Finland, Austria, Italy, Puerto Rico and the Netherlands. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ more than 65,000 CAREGiversSM worldwide who provide basic support services – assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), personal care, medication reminders, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, incidental transportation and shopping – which enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. In addition, CAREGivers are trained in the network’s groundbreaking Alzheimer’s Disease or Other Dementias CARE: Changing Aging Through Research and EducationSM Program to work with seniors who suffer from these conditions. This world class curriculum also is available free to family caregivers online or through local Home Instead Senior Care offices. At Home Instead Senior Care, it’s relationship before task, while continuing to provide superior quality service that enhances the lives of seniors everywhere.





http://www.prweb.com/releases/Home_Instead/top_franchise/prweb9382980.htm

What Makes A Good Caregiver Great!

Have you ever thought about helping seniors?  Reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predict an increase in the personal and home care aides job category – forecasting it to be the second fastest-growing job group in the nation over the next decade.  But the rapid growth in this job group may not be fast enough.  Home Instead Senior Care’s recent research indicates that demand for these jobs will outpace supply in a big way.  To keep pace with this projected demand, Home Instead will have to double its care force in just three years, according to our research.

So, do you have what it takes to be a Home Instead Senior Care CAREGiver?

A profession caring for seniors brings many benefits.  But it’s also not for everyone.  That’s why it’s important to ask yourself important questions before pursuing this job path.  If you love working with seniors, if you’re an understanding person and if you have served previously as a family caregiver to a loved one, you probably have some of the attributes needed to be a good professional caregiver. 

What is expected of a Home Instead Senior Care CAREGiver?

The most important qualities that we look for in a potential CAREGiver are compassion for seniors, dependability, and patience.  CAREGivers will provide services such as companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, shopping, errands, incidental transportation, pet care, bathing, grooming, toileting and many more.  Potential CAREGivers go through a thorough screening process and on average about 5% of all applicants are offered employment with the company.

We are dedicated to providing superior CAREGivers for the seniors in Southeastern Massachusetts - someone we would feel comfortable working with our own family. If you are interested in learning more about being a professional CAREGiver, you can reach a Recruitment Coordinator Monday-Friday 9:30am-3pm at 818-843-8688. 

For more info: http://www.womensjournals.com/articles/464/1/What-Makes-a-Good-Caregiver/Page1.html 

Laughing with Mary - Tips for Saving Money

Ten Caregiver Tips For Care of the Elderly

The caregiver role is complex and differs for everyone depending on the needs of the care-receiver. Many times, in the beginning, there may only be a few needs, such as providing transportation or helping with shopping or cooking.

Over time, needs increase, requiring additional services, until the care-receiver is fully dependent on the caregiver. Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Every caregiver should know as much as possible about the care-receiver. You should know their characteristics and personality style. For example, you should know their likes, dislikes, family members, ailments, etc.  You should know if the care-receiver is outgoing or reserved, task-oriented or people-oriented. Once you get to know them better you will be able to understand their needs and behavior patterns.

2. Every caregiver should know and understand his/her responsibilities, duties, and tasks. As a caregiver, you have a responsibility to be sensitive to the needs of the care-receiver, and to find a way to satisfy their needs.  This may require you to enlist the help of others. The duties of the caregiver usually change and increase over a period of time. Set up and follow a care plan.  Recording essential daily information will assist everyone on the Care Team. It also allows another caregiver to take your place fairly easily.

3. Stay updated on the health condition of the care-receiver.  As the health of the elder deteriorates and more needs start to surface, it is important for the caregiver to find out how to cope with them.  Keep a log of his/her daily activities (medicine taken, food intake, sleep habits, temperament, etc.) so that you will always have a snapshot view of their current health. This information will help the doctor get a more complete picture of the condition of the care-receiver.

4. Assist as little as possible in tasks the senior can usually handle himself/herself. Just as it is not easy being a caregiver, it is not always easy being a care-receiver.  The gradual loss of independence and control over just about everything is difficult to accept. Remember, seniors have the right to their dignity and pride.

5. Caregivers should express warmth and concern towards the welfare of the care-receiver.

If the care-receiver has a poor self image or feelings of inferiority, the caregiver may have to provide reassurance while ignoring negative behavior.  A caregiver must have patience (and stamina) for change in moods.

6. Be a good listener. Many times seniors may simply want you to listen. They want to share their stories. Caregivers must be careful to avoid put downs and choosing sides.  Pay attention and be able to connect the dots between past, present, and future. Listen intuitively or use your sixth sense to hear underlying messages.

7. Smile a lot. Be a good friend and companion. Be as positive as possible.

8. When friends and family neglect to call or visit, do not hesitate to remind them.

9. Ask for help. Advocate for what you need. Sharing the care of a loved-one benefits everyone.

10. Maintain your self-composure and avoid stress. Elder abuse can occur as a result of caregiver stress.

It is imperative that you are aware of and deal with stress.

For more info: http://www.seniorsresourceguide.com/articles/art00974.html

Understanding Your Long-Term Care Options

"Mom had a fall." I'd come to dread the four words uttered on the other end of the phone, but there they were. Again. Mom had just recovered from her most recent fall last summer when she'd fractured a vertebrae, and I thought things were getting better.

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I found myself lurched back into the reality of the moment. My mother needed to explore options for assistance. It's a conversation that I'd tried to start a hundred times before but just couldn't figure out how to do it. I was suddenly faced with the need to make a life-changing decision. But first, I had to know: what were my Mom's options for assistance?

This concern is shared by millions of seniors, adult children, friends and neighbors, around the world. It isn't a simple problem. The answers involve complex financial, emotional, physical and spiritual considerations, but there are many ways to get an older adult the help they need. When you boil down the choices though, there are really three routes to take:

• Provide assistance within the senior's home, allowing them to remain in their own house.
• Create a place for them to stay in your home (or a relative's).
• Find an alternative residence or care facility, for example, a Residential Care Facility (RCF), or a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF).

How Do I Make a Choice About Care?

I certainly wasn't the only person whose parent had experienced a bad fall. Every year, the need to make long-term care decisions is precipitated by a fall, an illness, Alzheimer's or Dementia, or the sudden death of an older adult's spouse. Suddenly, you're trying to make a complex decision in the midst of a very stressful event. It's really important to have the tools and questions in mind to think through this difficult and personal decision. Below is a list of questions that can help clarify your own values and beliefs:

1. Consider Staying at Home

Most seniors will tell you that their first choice is to stay at home. They're comfortable in their spaces. They have many memories and it feels safe, even if in reality it isn't what it used to be. To give up their home feels like they are giving up a large part of who they are. It can be a difficult conversation, but I've found that you need to act as a sounding board to help your parents think through their realistic needs and assess what's feasible.

• What level of care is required?
• Is non-medical assistance needed (such as shopping, cooking, paying bills and the like)?
• Do they need help ensuring that medications are not forgotten?
• Is help required with activities of daily living?
• How many hours a day is the care required?
• How much will it cost? Will paying these costs reduce or eliminate other choices later on?
• Is reliable help available?
• Are you able to check that the hired help is not abusing your parent?
• Is the home safe for an older adult? If not, can it be modified to be safe?
• Are railings available for the full length of all staircases?
• Are supports available in the shower or tub?
• Are there gas appliances that must be lit?
• Is there a way to summon help if the parent falls and is unable to move?
• How often will you personally be able to visit?
• What are the demands on your time due to work and other family obligations? (For example, would you be taking time away from other family members or your job to spend hours traveling each weekend to visit?)

2. Consider Moving Senior into Your Home

• Can your parent be left alone and for how long?
• What changes will need to be made to your home to make it safe for a senior?
• Who else lives in your home and how will they be impacted? (e.g. Are there children living at home? How old are they?)
• What will you do if the person becomes ill or simply needs to go to the doctor?
• Are you and your spouse in COMPLETE agreement?
• Are you also in agreement on sharing the responsibilities?
• Have you researched what the role of caregiver can mean in your life? There are lots of resources online that can help connect you with other caregivers and deal with the inevitable stress (and also share its benefits).
• How do you feel about having part-time help come into your home?
• Have you investigated the options for senior daycare?
• What are the options if you want to go away for a weekend?

3. Consider Moving Senior into a Care Facility

• Are the financial resources available for this option?
• How far away is the facility from you? Should you relocate the senior, geographically, so that you can more easily visit?
• Are you prepared for enormous initial resistance? This is a big change for a senior.
• Have you thoroughly researched what's available?
• Have you thought about the possible need to move among facilities with differing levels of care? (For example, eventually a parent might need to move from assisted living to a nursing home).
• If funds are available, but limited, have you learned how the facilities address Medicaid?
• Will the facility accept a client coming in on Medicaid or will they demand an initial paid period? Facilities are becoming increasingly inventive about ways to finance the cost of care. Care costs money. Include this fact in your planning. Ask, don't assume.
• Don't assume that government funded facilities will be horrible (or that private facilities will be wonderful). Visit them and decide for yourself.

There can be advantages and disadvantages to all three of the options, depending on the situations of both you and and your parent. Taking the time to prepare and educate yourself now can make it a lot easier to deal with that dreaded phone call, should it ever come. You'll be glad you did.


http://seniorcare.homeinstead.com/long-term-care-options/

Should You Pay a Relative to Take Care of Mom?

Should You Pay a Relative to Take Care of Mom?

Growing numbers of families are compensating relatives who serve as caregivers to elders. But to avoid exacerbating tensions, it is important to disclose such arrangements to the entire family.

According to a report by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, 43.5 million Americans looked after a friend or relative age 50 or older in 2009, 28% more than in 2004. In a survey conducted for Home Instead Senior Care, a home-care franchiser, nearly 7% of respondents said they receive compensation for providing care to a relative.

Jeffrey Bloom, an elder-law attorney in Boston, says the number of such cases in his practice has quadrupled since before the recession. "I have several clients with adult children who are out of work," he says. "Rather than pay someone else for care, many hire the child."

Feeding the trend: the high unemployment rate, the rising cost of nursing-home care, an aging population and a 2006 change in Medicaid law that makes it harder for people who wish to qualify to give away assets. (Individuals are subject to strict limits, which vary by state, on the value of their assets in order to qualify for Medicaid benefits.)

When caregivers make financial sacrifices, elder-law attorneys say, it is often appropriate to compensate them. Some 37% of caregivers surveyed by the NAC in 2007 said they had quit a job or reduced their hours to accommodate their responsibilities.

There are several ways to compensate a family caregiver. Attorneys say many families pay an hourly wage. As an estate-planning tactic, others opt for annual gifts or a lump-sum payment designed to cover services over an extended period. Some arrange for the caregiver to receive a larger inheritance.

Which option makes the most sense will depend on factors such as the caregiver's desire for income now versus later and the care recipient's estate-planning goals. Families also must consider tax consequences. And if a parent may need to rely on Medicaid to cover future nursing-home costs, it is important to pay the caregiver in a way that is permitted under Medicaid law.

Regardless of the method selected, elder-law attorneys urge clients to disclose these arrangements to the whole family. When revealed after the fact, compensation agreements can create suspicions that result in family conflicts or even estate litigation, says Howard Krooks, an elder-law attorney who practices in Boca Raton, Fla., and Rye Brook, N.Y. (To find an elder-law attorney familiar with your state's rules, go towww.elderlawanswers.com or www.naela.org.)

Under federal law, when annual compensation exceeds $1,700, an employer and employee each owe federal payroll taxes of 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare. The employer must generally also pay 6.2% on the first $7,000 in wages in federal and state unemployment tax, says Melissa Labant, a CPA with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. (For more information, see IRS Publication 926, "Household Employer's Tax Guide.")

In many cases, people employing someone 40 hours or more a week also are required to contribute to state workers' compensation insurance pools.

Some families prefer to give caregivers tax-free gifts in lieu of compensation. Current law allows people to give up to $13,000 a year to anyone, which also may reduce the amount of a taxable estate. While each person also is permitted to give away an additional $1 million over his lifetime, such gifts reduce the amount a donor can ultimately shelter from the estate tax.

Particularly in situations where a care recipient may eventually need to rely on Medicaid, attorneys say it is important to draft a written agreement—often called a "personal care contract"—that documents the caregiver's responsibilities and hours and sets a rate of pay in line with that of local service providers.

Under such a contract, Anne Stone, 51, received $420 a week for providing 21 hours of care to her wheelchair-bound father, William Stone, 81, from October 2008 until last February, when he entered a nursing home. Ms. Stone says the payments made up for some of the income she lost when caregiving responsibilities forced her to take time away from the doggie-day-care business she operates in Sudbury, Mass.

"I was taking so much time off from work that we had to turn business away," she says.

The payments had an unanticipated benefit: They also helped Mr. Stone deplete his savings so he could qualify for Medicaid. Without the employment contract, Medicaid would have considered all of the payments to Ms. Stone a gift made to hide assets, subjecting Mr. Stone to delays in coverage, says Mr. Bloom, the Stones' attorney. To pass muster with Medicaid, he says, it is important to have such a contract in place before the services are rendered.

Rather than issue regular paychecks, some families opt to pay caregivers an upfront lump sum, typically calculated by multiplying the caregiver's hourly wage by the number of hours he or she is expected to work over a parent's life expectancy. With such a move, a family can transfer assets to a child that Medicaid might otherwise deem available to pay a nursing home.

Still, in some states, says Mr. Krooks, lump-sum payments can trigger delays in Medicaid coverage.

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