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Self-Care for Caregivers: Tips to Remember During the Holidays

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Self-care for caregivers is particularly important during the holiday season.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! However, for the millions of people in the U.S. who care for an aging loved one, the upcoming holidays may feel more like the most stressful time of the year. Finding time for yourself may have been relegated to the very bottom of your to-do list, but the home care team at Endeavor In Home Care would like to challenge you to think again and reprioritize caring for yourself! Read more

Answers to Common Lifestyle Questions After a Heart Attack

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Heart AttackWhen a heart attack strikes – and for hundreds of thousands of people, that’s going to be sometime this year – there’s no time to plan a course of action or contemplate the everyday ways in which life will change afterwards. As with anything, the best defense is a good offense, and being prepared now can (literally!) save a lot of heartache later.

Hopefully neither you nor your senior loved ones will be impacted by a heart attack or heart disease, but just in case, it’s a good idea to jot down and keep these questions handy for future reference:

  1. Will I have to give up my favorite activities? Bed rest isn’t always best, and it’s very likely you’ll be able to gradually get back into pastimes you enjoy. It’s important to let your doctor know about any hobbies, interests, and exercise regimens you’d like to resume, and he or she can help you work towards that goal.
  2. What dietary changes will be needed? It’s important to work with the doctor to put together a dietary plan that’s not only heart-healthy, but one that you can stick with long-term. Keeping salt and fat to a minimum is crucial, but doesn’t mean you necessarily have to avoid them altogether.
  3. How can my loved ones help? Select several trusted family members and friends to help hold you accountable to your lifestyle changes, and to support you emotionally as you adjust to these changes.
  4. Can I still travel? There’s really no one answer that fits all when it comes to traveling after a heart attack. A general rule of thumb is often to avoid traveling by air for at least two weeks after placement of a stent. Having a discussion with your cardiologist about when and where you’d like to travel is always a good idea, to weigh out the risks vs. the benefits.
  5. What are the long-term effects I can expect? The goal, of course, is to prevent another heart attack, which means ongoing, periodic medical appointments and testing. Following your doctor’s prescribed dietary and treatment plan will go a long way towards keeping you healthy in the years to come.

Endeavor Home Care provides expert assistance and support to heart attack survivors, including preparing heart-healthy meals, running errands such as picking up groceries and prescriptions, and offering encouragement with adhering to an exercise regimen. Contact Endeavor In-Home Care, the leading provider of companion care in Chandler, AZ and nearby areas, any time for more tips, resources, and in-home care services.

Providing Care at Home Can Be Fun

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Something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment or for something entirely different. The only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better.

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Caring for a senior is certainly hard work, but that shouldn’t prevent you both from having fun, too.

This quote is from Thefuntheory.com website and applies to everyone.

No one ever makes reference to the daily care at home given to the elderly as “fun”. As we all agree, work is not fun but making work “fun” is possible.

When a professional in-home care provider arrives, there is usually a set of duties planned to get completed during that shift. No time for fun here, or is there?

As a family member providing home care for your loved one, you wear your no-nonsense hat to work. But does that mean no fun allowed?

Making duties a little more interesting and fun will benefit both you and the person needing the care. You’ve heard the saying “Time flies when you’re having fun”. You can put that to the test.

You may have an uncooperative recipient of your services and fun might just bring them around. A smile, a chuckle or a full roar of laughter can change the environment you work in and your client lives in. Yes, it may take a few extra minutes but it will be a benefit.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Bathing

  • Lay out 4 towels and 4 matching washcloths of different colors on the bed. Pick a color and let your client find that color and the matching washcloth. That will be your color for the day.
  • Place a few hairbrushes and combs in a container short enough for them to stand on end and be visible. Have your client pick out either all the combs or brushes.
  • Keep 3 or 4 toothbrushes in the holder. Let the client pick out the color of the day or their favorite color. Give them a cup to spittle in over the sink and laugh when they miss.

Dressing

  • Lay out a few pairs of socks and unmatch them. Let your client find a matching pair or finish matching them all if they want.
  • Lay out a short-sleeved and long-sleeved shirt and ask your client to decide which is best for the weather outside.
  • Lay out men and women’s undergarments. Hand them the opposite sex item and laugh.

As the care provider, it rests on your shoulders to set the mood for you and your client. All your clients, including those with mild dementia can benefit from these exercises helping to stimulate the mind and muscles.

Endeavor In-Home Care provides professional, friendly caregivers that can bring a smile to your loved one’s face. Contact us to learn more about finding an in-home caregiver in Scottsdale, AZ and the surrounding areas.

Should I Pay My Home Senior Care Provider “Under the Table?”

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The last thing you need when a loved one is in need of at home senior care is to be audited by the IRS. OK, it’s not exactly something anyone wants, but the short-term savings of hiring a helper under-the-table will be quickly overwhelmed by the costs of penalties and possibly legal fees if you are caught not paying required taxes.

And that’s not all! Hiring a caregiver under the table, without working through a reputable home care agency is extremely risky. A privately hired caregiver has no supervision or oversight, and has not been background checked and screened – leaving an older adult vulnerable to fraud or elder abuse. Also consider what will happen if the caregiver should become sick or takes time off for a vacation. There’s no backup care available when working with one individual. Finally, think through what might occur if the caregiver was injured in your home, or if items of value went missing. Without being bonded and insured, you would be liable for any applicable expenses: medical bills, worker’s compensation, the replacement cost for valuables, etc.

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How Can I Avoid a Catastrophe When Hiring a Caregiver?

Thankfully, we have a solution that allows you to simply enjoy the benefits of in-home care without any fear of legal or other serious repercussions.

A home care agency like Endeavor In-Home Care will work with your budget and identify the best personnel to care for your family member in a home setting. And you will know that you and the caregivers who are working in your home are in compliance with federal and local laws. Our caregivers are fully bonded and insured, extensively trained, and background checked, for your peace of mind, while we take care of all of the necessary taxes, worker’s compensation, and oversight.

It’s not just celebrities and politicians who get caught up in “nanny-gate” situations through inappropriate hiring processes. Essentially the government likes to keep “off the books” employment to a minimum, so unless you are running a lemonade stand, someone needs to be paying taxes. Your legal options are to hire a care giver directly and take responsibility for filing tax reports (which you either have to do yourself or pay your own tax provider to handle) or you can contract with an at home senior care agency and be confident that payroll and taxes are handled in a professional manner.

If you would like to consider the option of professionally managed at home senior care from the leading caregivers in Phoenix and the surrounding areas at Endeavor In-Home Care, please contact us.