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Caregivers Home Care: Why the Elderly May Refuse Help

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As a person ages, they may find it difficult to let go and allow others to assist them. Whether it is pride, stubbornness, or just a desire to do for themselves as long as possible,  there is a chance they will refuse help.

caregivers home care

If you are unsure why the person is refusing help, as direct open-ended questions.

For caregivers, home care for the elderly is a balancing act. It will require them to learn when to step in, and when to sit back and allow the person to do certain things on their own.

Understanding Why They Refuse Help

Ageing is difficult for some to accept, despite it being a natural part of life. The person often does not want to admit they are getting older, or they fear the negative connotations associated with being labeled as elderly.

For others, accepting help can cause them to feel embarrassed, inadequate, or lead to feelings of helplessness. No one wants to feel like a burden to others, and admitting they are incapable of doing certain things for themselves is extremely difficult.

Accepting help from a caregiver can also feel intrusive. They believe the caregiver will take the last of their independence, not allowing them to make any decisions on their own.

How To Overcome Rejections

There are several things you can do if an elderly person is refusing help that they desperately need.

Ask Direct Questions

If you are unsure why the person is refusing help, as direct open-ended questions. Do they feel like it would be a burden? Are they worried about having a stranger in the house? Are they afraid of something?

Be Patient and Understanding

Let them know that you worry, but that you understand why they might not want assistance. It is important to stay calm and show patience. It often takes several conversations to convince them to accept help. Getting angry or trying to force the issue is counterproductive to what you hope to accomplish.

Start Small

Sometimes starting small can help them become more receptive to allowing others to help. Talk to them about hiring someone to help with grocery shopping, laundry, or housekeeping once a week. Once they are open to this, gradually offer more help.

Discuss Options

For the elderly, feeling as if you are losing control of your own life is the most difficult part. Discuss what they would like, and the options that are available for them. Help them to understand they still have a voice and a choice in the type of care they receive.

For more useful information on elderly care contact us at Endeavor Home Care.

Quitting Job for Senior Care – Are there any Financial Reimbursements?

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at home care

Leaving work to care for a senior at home can be a decision with many different aspects to consider.

Whеn аn elderly parent suffers frоm illness оr hаs аn ongoing medical condition, іt mау bесоmе nесеssаrу fоr а family member tо tаkе time оff frоm work tо provide at home senior care. Тhе difficult decision tо leave work fоr caregiver responsibilities оftеn rеsults іn financial stress fоr thе family. Whеthеr аn employee mау suссеssfullу claim unemployment benefits depends оn stаtе law аnd thе policies оf thе agency overseeing thе state’s unemployment program.

Understanding Unemployment Benefits: State unemployment programs provide financial support tо workers whо hаvе lost thеіr jobs оr оthеrwіsе bесоmе unemployed undеr sресіfіеd circumstances. Еасh stаtе sets іts оwn criteria tо determine eligibility fоr unemployment benefits whеn а worker files а benefits claim — thіs criteria оftеn includes а list оf acceptable reasons fоr claiming unemployment аftеr voluntarily leaving а job. Еасh stаtе аlsо sets requirements fоr а claimant tо lооk fоr work аnd shоw readiness tо accept а nеw job whеn offered аn opportunity. Іf а claimant nееds tо spend а lot оf time caring fоr а sick parent, shе mіght nееd tо prove hеr availability tо resume work іn order tо meet thе eligibility criteria fоr unemployment benefits.

Providing Care аs thе Reason fоr Leaving Work: A potential claimant shоuld rеsеаrсh hоw hіs state’s unemployment program mіght treat а claim fоr unemployment benefits whеn thе claimant left work duе tо а personal reason. А claim іs оftеn mоrе straightforward whеn thе employee lost hіs job duе tо layoffs оr company closure. Whеn аn unemployment claim includes leaving work fоr а personal reason, whеthеr thе claimant саn receive benefits depends оn whеthеr thе stаtе agency views thе reason аs “good саusе” fоr voluntarily quitting. Νеw York, fоr example, will deny а claim іf thе employee voluntarily left, unlеss thе claim саn shоw а “compelling personal reason.” Тhе employee wоuld nееd tо find оut whеthеr providing care fоr аn ill parent serves аs аn adequate reason. Оthеr stаtеs, including Connecticut, sресіfісаllу list caring fоr аn ill parent аs аn acceptable reason fоr job separation.

Effect оn Benefits Claim: Even іf а stаtе unemployment program accepts caregiver responsibilities аs а reason fоr voluntarily leaving а job, thе worker’s claim must stіll meet аll оthеr criteria tо receive unemployment benefits. Claimants must generally shоw thаt thеу аrе аvаіlаblе tо work іf thеу receive offers fоr nеw employment. Ѕоmе stаtе agencies hаvе denied thе unemployment claims оf caregivers bесаusе thеу couldn’t suffісіеntlу prove thеіr ongoing availability tо work.

Other Benefits Options Whеn Таkіng Care оf а Parent: While unemployment benefits mау provide financial assistance tо cover lost income whіlе providing care, а worker shоuld rеsеаrсh thе оthеr legal options аnd benefits programs thаt mіght bе аvаіlаblе. А worker’s stаtе mіght offer а family-leave program tо partially compensate fоr income lost whіlе caring fоr а spouse, domestic partner, child оr parent. Іn addition, а worker shоuld consider whеthеr thе federal Family аnd Medical Leave Асt offers а measure оf protection іf thе worker nееds time оff tо care fоr а parent. Whіlе FMLA dоеsn’t pay benefits tо workers, thе program dоеs protect аgаіnst employee replacement оr job loss fоr а limited period оf time whіlе аn employee оf аn eligible employer takes time оff tо care fоr аn elderly parent.

Contact us to learn more about your options as a potential caregiver.

Senior Care at Home: Think About the Stairs

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senior care at home

Often household injuries occur due to a fall down the stairs. A small slip can result in a broken bone especially for a senior. Many seniors want to stay in their own home so it is necessary for loved ones to make the environment as safe as possible. Since it is typically not possible to remove stairs from an existing home and install ramps here are some other tips to increase safety of stairs.

Railings

Verify existing railings are securely installed. When pulled on they should not wiggle at all. If railings do not exist it is strongly recommended they be installed. It is best to install railings on both sides of the stairs. Also, verify your loved one uses the railings when going up and down the stairs. Use of railings significantly decreases the risk of falls.

Clear Clutter

Items left on the stairs are a tripping hazard. Nothing should be left on the stairs at any point. If your loved on likes to put items on the stairs that need to be brought to another floor consider placing an empty basket adjacent to the stairs where they can accumulate items to transport. The key is to not put the basket actually on the stairs but instead adjacent.

Lighting

Stairs need to be well-lit. Sometimes this is an issue with stairs leading to the basement. Consider installing higher wattage bulbs over staircases or add reflective tape to the edge of the steps.

Duplicate Items

It is best for your loved on to walk up and down the stairs without trying to carry items at the same time. This will allow them to have free hands to hold onto the railing. Ask what type of items they typically find they need to carry up and down the stairs. If possible buy duplicates of these items so they have one upstairs and one downstairs eliminating the need to transport the item. For example, if they are carrying a water cup upstairs consider purchasing disposable cups to keep upstairs.

Senior Care at Home

Taking the above steps will help lower the likelihood of a fall. However, you may still worry that your loved one is no longer stable enough to traverse the stairs. This does not mean you need to move your loved one. Instead consider the option of senior care at home. A home care aide can help with light housework, meal planning and preparation, medication reminders and provide companionship for your loved one. In addition a safety assessment can be conducted of the home to identify areas of improvement that will help reduce the risk of injury. Endeavor Home Care offers senior home care in Phoenix and throughout the surrounding areas. For more information about at home care, contact us at 480-498-2324.

Does Your Aging Loved One Need Elder Care? Home Care in Sun City West, AZ Can Help

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It can be hard to watch as your vital, energetic parent ages and gradually needs more help with day-to-day living or with managing health concerns. When you start noticing changes, however, it is time for you to come together with your loved one to devise a care plan. Keeping your parent involved to the extent that he is capable will ensure that he feels in control and that you are aware of his wishes. You may be surprised learning your parent’s opinions about his own continued care, so it is important that you remain open to his opinions and willing to respect them as much as possible.

If you notice that your parent is experiencing any of the following, it may be time to consider a home elder care arrangement:

• An injury due to a fall or other accident and needs help during his recovery

• Mobility issues, particularly when going through daily activities such as getting out of bed, bathing, or walking

• Cognitive or memory problems that have become troublesome

• Regular non-compliance with his doctor’s medication or other treatment plan

• Sudden, unexplained weight loss

• Sudden lack of social involvement or an uncharacteristic change in personality

Home elder care does not have to be a permanent solution. Just because your parent reaches a particular age or has been diagnosed with a certain medical condition doesn’t mean that he can’t live a vibrant and productive life. Recovering from an illness or injury can be more difficult in older adults, however, and having a home care companion can make this recovering faster, easier, and more effective.

If you know that your aging parent needs permanent care but also know that he doesn’t want to go to an assisted living or nursing care facility, home elder care can provide you peace of mind. You want the absolute best for your elderly loved one, and home care agencies know this. They are dedicated to providing attentive, compassionate, and supportive care that goes far beyond just ensuring that your loved one takes his medication. For those that are coping with the effects of aging, the value of companionship should never be underestimated.

When researching options for home care agencies in Sun City West, AZ call us at (480) 535-6800. Home care counselors at Endeavor Home Care are available to talk with you about your home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing home care in Sun City West, AZ.