With more and more Baby Boomers approaching their Golden Years, the number of seniors choosing to age-in-place is growing year after year. So, it becomes increasingly more important for elderly loved ones and their family members to raise the level of safety when it comes to living alone. Cost effectiveness and practicality are just a few things to keep in mind when considering what upgrades need to be made to senior-proof your home. Freedom Home Care offers some additional tips below on how to make your loved one’s home safer and more comfortable for the long haul. Identify Potential
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Archives for Home Care
Choosing Between Assisted Living and Home Care
One in seven people in the U.S. is 65 or older. By the year 2035, experts say that number will jump to one in seven. And an estimated one in three people will be considered head of household. At some point, many seniors will need some form of in-home or assisted living care. This presents a challenge for not only family members residing with older loved ones, but also for the seniors themselves. With more than 31 million people predicted to be living with a disability over the next 20 years, families will need to begin making choices now in
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Is It Time to Hire An In-Home Caregiver for Your Loved One?
Like most life-changing decisions, the choice of whether to hire a caregiver for your senior is a difficult one. Many times, older loved ones are unwilling to admit to having trouble doing the things they used to do. They resist the idea of a caregiver, because for them, relying on someone else means losing their independence. This can present a problem for adult children because without the obvious signs, in some cases they have the burden of determining when their loved one needs help. In order to know whether to hire in-home care, there are a few things to look for. Many
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Tips to Make the Home of Your Loved One Safe
As more and more seniors are reaching the age of retirement, the number of older loved ones living alone continues to grow. That’s why it’s especially important that your senior feel safe around the house when friends and family are not around. There are a number of things you can do to help safety-proof your senior’s home. Freedom Home Care lists several tips below: Falls According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) one out of four seniors fall each year, one out of five falls result in serious injury and over 800,000 older adults are hospitalized due to a
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Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring a Home Health Care Agency
Deciding on a quality home health care agency is important not only for the safety and well-being of your senior but for your peace-of-mind as well. While it might take some planning and a little bit of research to determine which questions to ask, this information can actually help you find the facility that best meets the needs of your loved one. Freedom Home Care did some digging and found some things that might be helpful to know before hiring a home health care agency. Interview the Organizations Experts suggest interviewing the organizations that you’re interested in to get a better idea of
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How to Help a Parent That is Refusing Elder Care
One of the most heartbreaking things that adult children deal with is an aging parent that refuses in-home care. Not only is it heartbreaking, but it can also be the most frustrating. You’ve heard these stories before. Mom claims she doesn’t need help bathing and dressing, even though she struggles to do it herself. Dad doesn’t want anyone driving him to his appointments even though the doctor recommended it. You know your parent needs help, but how do you help a resistant loved one get the personalized elder care that they need? On one hand, you don’t want to force
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Financial Tips for Caregivers
As more and more loved ones begin to reach their Golden Years, the number of caregivers needed to provide support for them continues to decline, according to aarp.com. And today, many Baby boomers are finding their roles changing faster than ever before. Statistics show that more than 25 percent of boomers in the U.S. are making the transition from child to caregiver and may not be fully prepared for the change. Maybe an older loved ones has been diagnosed with a long-term condition like Parkinson’s or dementia. Maybe they’ve had surgery or are facing a major life change and have to rely on the
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When is it Time for a Caregiver?
“How do I know if my loved one needs a caregiver?” A question many of us ask will ourselves at some point in our lives. It’s an all-too common scenario: “Mom once kept her home tidy and in place, but lately everything seems so scattered and unorganized.” “Dad can’t remember the last place he put his heart medication and seems to have trouble recalling important dates and information.” For seniors one of the most significant things that defines who they are, is their independence. It’s the one thing – besides their love of family and friends – they try to
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Dealing with Anxiety in Seniors
Anxiety currently affects about million people in the United States and is said to be the most common mental illness that we face. It often causes its victims to experience trouble eating, sleeping and concentrating and may also manifest in the form of depression or panic attacks. But as common as anxiety is, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, only one-third of people who develop the disorder are actually diagnosed and treated. What those of here at FHC have noticed over the years, is how likely anxiety is to occur later in life. In fact, roughly 10
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How Home Care Can Reduce Hospital Admissions
It seems the growing problem of hospital readmissions has become a national endemic. Prior to 2013, the rate of readmission in the United States was almost 20 percent – one in nine patients returned to the hospital room within one month of being discharged. After 2013, with the implementation of a payment reduction program by The Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), the overall figures have dropped to about 18 percent. But, these statistics for Medicare patients are still higher than expected in 2016. One in five seniors are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, adding up
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