Staying at home can mean a more enjoyable, positive life style for your loved one!

Tips to Maintain Independence

Staying independent and living at home as long as possible is every older adult’s hope. Because of the medical developments, health conditions that shortened the lifespan or independence in previous generations, now improves the way we live and the choices we make. When seniors remain in their own homes, it adds dignity and a better quality to their life. 

Jobeey Home Care professional Caregivers help seniors remain self-reliant and live independently in their own homes rather than an institution or assisted living community. Jobeey Home Care can assist family members by providing guidance, and services that help relieve the stress associated with caregiving. Families have told us repeatedly that our caregiving services are truly lifesavers for their aging loved ones and themselves.

In order to maintain a lifestyle of independence at home where one wants to live as long as possible, Jobeey Home Care suggests the following 10 ways to sustain independence:

Stay fit and Active to live longer.  All around health is recommended and a great way to keep the heart, mind and body healthy. Seniors need to realize that being physically active gives health benefits that help them maintain longevity and independence. No matter what your age, try to have some level of physical activity each day.

Eat healthy gets more significant with age. It’s what we preserve the most, especially after retirement. Most seniors would love to foresee a life of health, fitness and relaxation. A fit and healthy life is nothing but a result of a wholesome lifestyle. It stems from preventive care and making sure your body gets all it needs to remain in the pink of health. It really isn’t difficult to find important nutritional guidelines to follow. Use the Internet for a readymade wealth of information.

Live where you can afford in a city that has a lower cost of living.  If you currently live away from adult children, find a place near a family member willing to provide care.  Hiring professional caregivers to help may be necessary but having family close by can lessen costs.

Share the caregiving responsibility is an economical way to keep aging parents in their homes.  By sharing, you can get some help and companionship from others in the same situation. There are many tasks you can share to ease burdens for the caretaker and those receiving care. Ask siblings or other family members to help out. It may be possible for a neighbor or a church member to help out occasionally. Jobeey Home Care provides well qualified and credible caregivers. Call us at 1-800-HomeCare or 904-737-7667.

Move in with a relative or friend and stay close to your family in times of need and emergencies, that"s the most important thing for older adults. Find out if another family member has the extra space for an aging parent to move into.

Hire Companion Services like In-Home Care, a non-medical home care agency. Family members of aging parents and relatives know how difficult it is to see parents and grandparents lonely, depressed, and forgetful. Our Companion and Homemaker services really make a difference in a person’s quality of life, how they feel about themselves and interact with concerned family members. We are flexible in scheduling your need for part-time caregiving help.

Hire Personal Services for activities of daily living needs. At In-home Care, we understand how seniors and the infirmed feel after living all their lives as independent people, accustomed to taking care of themselves. We offer a broad range of home care helper and companion services based upon the individual’s specific needs and match your special senior with the right caregiver.

Build a small residence for your loved one to live in, if the property allows. A decision like this should not be made alone. Include your loved one, children and spouse in these discussions. Remember that moving a loved one into your home may take a toll on the family members, the primary caregiver; causing stress, fatigue and strained relationships with family and friends.

Check your parent’s finances to make sure they have the funds to remain at home. 

Planning and Funding Care

The cost of long-term care for seniors varies as much as the types of care available and the degree of assistance you or a loved one need.

Jobeey Home Care reviews some of the more common funding options for senior housing and long-term care services. Senior care can range from a few hours a week of personal or companionship care by an Jobeey Home Care provider, to full-time in-home care, to skilled nursing care in a nursing home.

Many who have not done their research mistakenly believe that Medicare can be the answer for long-term care. In reality, it covers only a very narrow range of long-term care costs. It is important that you understand ahead of time the benefits and limits of Medicare so you can adequately prepare for long-term care needs. Jobeey Home Care is generally far less expensive over nursing home costs, but will vary greatly, depending on where you live, the level of care and number of hours of services needed per week.

How will you pay for long-term care? Options include Medicaid (if you qualify), long-term care insurance, Veterans Administration benefits, and out of pocket—from your savings and assets. Jobeey Home Care makes it easy to pay for the care services received. You can pay the monthly conveniently by check. Here are additional ways of paying for Jobeey home senior care; some of the most frequently accessed sources are summarized here.

• Private Funds
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Veteran’s Benefits - Aid and Attendance
• Life Settlements
• Medicaid
• Medicare

Senior Resources

Jobeey Home Care has compiled an essential group of resources and checklists to assess your needs and explore options in care and support services.

Does your loved one need assistance?

Please refer to our Needs Assessment Checklist to help pinpoint their needs.

Find out about services and assistance

Available in Georgia to seniors and family caregivers. Georgia’s Department of Elder Affairs has a wealth of information for you.

GEORGIA
Georgia Department of Human Resources
Cliff Burt
Division of Aging Services
#2 Peachtree St. N.W., 9th Floor
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 657-5336 Fax: (404) 657-5285
General Number: (404) 657-5258
gcburt@dhr.state.ga.us

Overwhelmed by prescription costs?

Find out if you or your special senior can qualify for Georgia’s Medicare/Medicaid and Prescription Assistance (GoMedicare

).

Are you a caregiver looking to reduce stress?

It’s difficult, but you can gain some insights on stress reduction for caregivers in this brief yet informative piece.

Please feel free to Contact Us to learn more about our services and other resources that may be available.

Assessment Checklist

To determine the senior services that will best suit your needs, you can conduct an assessment.  The assessment is to be conducted at home or where your love one feels most comfortable.

In many cases it may be obvious. Mom is forgetting to take her medications or cannot remember where they are. Dad is repeating himself or losing his balance and falling. For many, those times are the trigger for additional care, whether hired assistance in the home or considering a move to a retirement facility.

Performing an honest assessment of your love’s needs and then working with the entire family to determine appropriate services  If you are unable to meet the love one’s needs.

The assessment should cover topics such as:

• Do You Suspect Inadequate Meals & Nutrition?
• Are There Unopened or Piled Up Bills?
• Are There Recurring Memory Lapses?
• Does the Individual Suffer from Frequent Falls?
• Is There a Lack of Interest or Feeling of Being “Sort of Down”?
• Are You Concerned About Unsafe Driving?
• Do You Sense a Marked Change in Behavior Patterns?

Also discuss the type of caregiver personalities that will work best with you or your loved one then find an appropriate match.

Family Lifestyles - Each family is different on how they approach home care.  Openly discuss your approach and how your love one’s home Care will fit into your lifestyle.

Daily Routines and Preferences - Review daily routines and preferences to provide care that allows you or your love one to live the way they want to.

Service Needs - Review the scope of services need it and answer questions such as; Do you need transportation? What type of home cleaning is needed? If meals are prepared, are there specific nutritional needs?

Medical Conditions - Examine your love one’s current health and medical conditions including mobility and cognitive ability. Then think of a home care with the appropriate service plan.

Benefits of Homecare

As more and more seniors wish to remain in their homes for as long as possible, homecare is becoming a popular choice for both them and their family members. In the past, the elderly often went into a nursing home or other assisted care facility because they simply could no longer take care of their personal needs, not always due to the need for medical treatment or 24/7 care. This often led to an individual spending his or her final months or years in an unfamiliar place feeling like they were there just waiting for the end.

Staying at home can mean a more enjoyable, positive lifestyle for your loved one -- in familiar surroundings, without the anxiety and stress of living in a care facility, and with increased independence to make the aging process less daunting. A study by the United States General Accounting Office notes that seniors receiving homecare tend to live longer and have a better quality of life. Fortunately, many seniors today can and are comfortably remaining at home, having more of a say in their lives. Simple aspects of when to get up and what to eat remain their decision, avoiding the frustration of these simple everyday choices dictated to them by a nursing or assisted living facility. Additionally, homecare provides a cost-effective alternative to the expensive nursing homes, adding a financially sound facet to the benefits of in homecare.

However, if you’re a family member who is a caregiver to an elderly person living at home, you know it’s no easy feat, especially if you’re doing this alone. If you work, you may find this affects you on the job – making calls and appointments during work hours or even missing work altogether some days. There are undoubtedly those times when you just simply need a break or some time for yourself – and you may feel guilty taking it - if you can even find the time at all. Professional, affordable homecare is also an option for family caregivers who can use a break or extra help while providing their loved one a more comfortable lifestyle at home.

Benefits of Homecare include:

• Customized Care: Homecare offers care on a more personalized basis than nursing or assisted living facilities where patients or residents must wait their turn for services, exercise, and even meals. Custom, one-on-one care tailored to your loved one’s needs benefits them by providing added independence, friendly companionship, and happiness in a familiar setting. It also promotes the healing process, with evidence pointing to patients healing more quickly in their own home.
• Peace of Mind:  Personalized care offers your loved one the specific support they require. It may be as simple as conversation, medication reminders, and healthy meal planning or may include bathing, exercise, feeding assistance, or cognitive skill focus. Whatever their needs, personalized homecare gives both you and your elderly loved one peace of mind that someone is ready and able to help with day to day living.
• Home Care is Often Less Costly than Other Types of Care: For many services, homecare costs less than other care options. Overall, homecare is just one-tenth the cost hospitalization and 25% the cost of a nursing home when addressing comparable health issues.  In some instances, a portion of it may even be covered under Medicare, depending upon the patient’s health and other factors.  Additionally some long-term care policies and retirement benefits may also include homecare services. Check with your plans and also refer to your local Agency on Aging for more information.
• Homecare is Coordinated With the individual and their Families -- and helps keep families together: The care recipient and their family members are encouraged to participate in the process of developing and maintaining customized care. Seniors are provided services they need to remain home, family members can rest easier, and recovering patients are taught how to get well and how to maintain their health. Additionally, the social value of family participation and the elderly remaining comfortably at home is invaluable, especially in times of times of illness.
• Medication Assistance & Monitored Nutrition:  Timely and correct medication doses and proper nutrition are quite important, especially when it comes to seniors living on their own. A home caregiver can also create balanced, nutritional meals as well as watch the amount and types of food (i.e., diet-specific such as low sodium, low sugar, etc.) consumed by the individual in their care.
• Companionship, Activity & Exercise: Many elderly people get lonely in their own homes. A friendly face making regular care visits really can make a difference. Additionally, activity is also vital for seniors, so having the benefit someone there to walk with them provides added safety and security as they move about.  An exercise regimen can also be implemented (under their doctor’s guidance/clearance) so that the senior can remain mobile and active.
• Transportation:  Homecare also fills the gap for much-needed transportation for senior citizens. The caregiver can drive the person to any appointments they may have, from doctor’s visits to friends’ homes to social events and more. This avoids the risks of public transportation that some elderly people take when they have no other option, despite physical disabilities, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s disease. It also assists busy family members as they no longer need to plan out who will drive or take time off of work to safely escort the care recipient wherever they need to go.
• A Choice for the Terminally Ill:  The trend for hospice and palliative care delivered in the home is growing in acceptance by the public and medical community.  Many people seek the comfort of their own home with added access to friends and loved ones as they live out their final days.Fortunately, proper, respectful end of life care may now be provided to them right at home.  

Contact Jobeey Home Care Services, inc. any time 24/7 to discuss homecare that suits you or your loved one’s needs and to schedule a FREE consultation. We feature flexible options ranging from a few hours a day to emergency coverage to post-hospitalization homecare, live in, part time, and everything in between. We understand that proper caregiving has no one size fits all solution and are ready to provide the services you need, when you need them.