Why The Type of  Home Care Agency Matters

Hiring the wrong type of home care help-by going through a registry or referral service or hiring help on your own-can expose patients to financial, legal, and safety risks, like liability for payroll taxes or on-the-job injuries, property losses, or care that is unreliable, substandard, or even abusive. Only a licensed, bonded, and insured home care agency guarantees your peace of mind-and good patient care.

Home care agencies:

Not all agencies are created alike. When hiring-or referring patients to-a home care agency, it’s important to know the difference between types of agencies. Some are licensed, bonded, and insured; others are simply referral services that try to match independent contractor home care providers with clients. Unknowingly selecting the wrong type of agency can expose you-or your patients-to financial and legal risks.

Key questions about any home care agency:

• Is it licensed, bonded, and insured?
• Are the caregivers employees or independent contractors?
• What type of background check does the agency perform on caregivers?
• Does the agency have someone on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week?

What a licensed, bonded, and insured home care agency does-in addition to providing excellent private duty care:

• Care is monitored and the agency responds to changing care needs.
• Agency supervision helps create positive working relationships between caregivers, patients, and families.
• As an employer, the full service agency pays payroll taxes for all caregivers. A registry isn’t an employer.
• The agency hires, trains, supervises, and conducts performance evaluations on its employees.
• If an employee is injured while providing care in the home, the agency’s insurance coverage-not the homeowner’s-applies.
• The agency conducts background checks-including reference checks, criminal background, and drug screens-on all employees as a routine part of the pre-employment process.
• If a regularly scheduled caregiver is ill or otherwise unable to come to work, the agency-not the patient-is responsible for finding a replacement.
• Provides peace of mind that the patient will receive the very best home care available.

Points to remember

• Only a licensed, bonded, and insured home care agency provides both high quality care and legal and financial protection for patients and families.
• Knowing what type of agency you’re hiring or recommending is essential for your peace of mind.

Ivory House Health Services are Geriatric Care Managers and Certified Nursing Assistants working together to allow seniors to live more safely in the comfort of their own homes. If not possible to remain at home, our staff is knowledgeable about the many options for varied assisted living facilities that are available in the Baltimore area. For more information about our Care for the Elderly and In Home Care in Maryland you can contact Ivory House Health Services by calling 1-800-704-3536.

Geriatric Care Manager – Mary Schenning

I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU INFORMATION ABOUT ONE OF OUR GERIATRIC CARE MANAGERS.  She is Mary Schenning and works part-time for us.  Mary has a quiet calming way about herself. Her understanding of human behavior comes from many years of working with patients both in the hospital setting and outpatient. She is perceptive, quickly analyzing the problem bring all of her expertise to produce solutions both for the client and the family. When we discuss our work I often think that I would like to be nurtured by Mary back to a state of wellness.

Ivory House Health Services are Geriatric Care Managers and Certified Nursing Assistants working together to allow seniors to live more safely in the comfort of their own homes. If not possible to remain at home, our staff is knowledgeable about the many options for varied assisted living facilities that are available in the Baltimore area.  For more information about our Geriatric Care Managers and In Home Care in Maryland you can contact Ivory House Health Services or call 1-800-704-3536.

IS IT TIME FOR THE SENIOR AND/OR CARETAKER TO CONSIDER A MEDICAL ALARM SYSTEM?

Chronic health conditions interfere with the confidence of the senior.  Fear replaces independence when living alone.  What will replace that fear?  A medical alarm system provides the senior with a sense of comfort …in the one place they feel most comfortable—their own home.

Finding out if the senior is ready for the system and will use it ..Ask these simple questions.

1. How much time does the senior spend alone during the day or night?
2. Is your loved one at risk for falling? Has any falls taken place recently? Is the senior anxious about falling?
3. How many visits to the emergency room in the past year?
4. Has the senior required hospitalizations’ in the past year and continues to decline in strength?
5. Does the senior have at least one major health condition?
6. Does the senior use a walker, cane, wheelchair or chair lift?  Does the senior have balance problems? Does the senior have any problems with walking?
7. Does the senior take more than several medications daily?
8. Can the senior complete his activities of daily living and or does he need help with any of the following?  BATHING, TOILETING, DRESSING, GROOMING, EATING, MEAL PREPARATION.
9. Are you having difficulty finding the time for yourself?

10.  Answer this question.  Is it important for you that your loved one continues to live independently?

Scoring the above list of questions

ANY  YES ANSWERS OVER 4 should encourage you to consider the use of a alarm system for you senior.

Caregivers for Senior Citizens

The family members who are doing the talk about the need for senior assistance should be prepared.  Your senior family member has probably spoken to their friends and has learned all the excuses used for saying  NO.  Many senior citizens simply feel embarrassed about needing help.  As the family member, or caregiver,  your first step is to be prepared to debunk this stereotype.

In Home Care

Make sure that you are properly prepared about the benefits of in-home care that go beyond the assistance of daily tasks, such as social stimulation and companionship. Let your loved ones read some of the materials.

You cannot get the entire conversation, and decision making about in home care in one sitting.  Give your senior time to ask questions, read the contract and do not assume that any hesitation on their part means a NO. Give them time to digest that assisted living or in home care is a lifestyle change, and talk with them over several days.

Do not make your senior family member feel like he or she is losing a battle. Let them know that you feel that this lifestyle is positive. Stay away from adversarial context.

Having multiple talks about in home care can instill a sense of comfort and trust that the senior may be seeking before they jump to sign a contract. Let your family member know that they will participate in the decision and when the senior is comfortable going forward with help will be a good decision.

Choosing A Walking Cane

There is more to choosing a walking cane than you might think and its very important that you choose one that can be adjusted you and it is comfortable to grip.

The top of the cane should line up with your wrist, when your arm is hanging at your side  so that your elbows bends at an angle of about 30 degrees when you grip the cane. Most canes can be adjusted in one-inch increments in order to achieve this. The grip  should feel comfortable in your hands, a rubberized or foam grip is ideal and some are ergonomically molded to fit your palms.

As far as materials and style are concerned a wooden cane will be light weight and durable but unlike aluminum, it may not fold. Graphite and fiberglass canes are particularly strong if you need a higher weight limit (a typical cane can support up to 250 pounds) but they cost more check that the cane you have has a rubber tip at the bottom to prevent slipping.

How To Use A Cane

When you walk with your cane you can hold it in the hand opposite the side that needs support, so that the walking cane and your weaker leg make contact with the ground simultaneously. When climbing stairs, lead with your good leg but when descending them, put your cane on the step first and then step down with your weaker leg.

Credit to, Rosanne M. Leipzig, MD,PHD Geriatric Medicine

Choosing The Right In Home Care Provider Checklist