Spring fever is setting in! It’s time to crack open the windows and breathe in nature’s rebirth. Find a senior who may have trouble getting out of the house and go for a springtime stroll. It’s sure to invigorate everyone’s senses from their wintry sleep.
Studies show that increasingly people are hunting for homecare-related information online. In a spirit of sharing and community, we strive to fulfill that need, and hope you will find the following articles in this month’s newsletter informative and beneficial.
Thank you,
The Team at Tender Hearts
February is a great month to reach out to those we appreciate and let them know we care. Spend an extra hour with a cherished senior, enjoy a meal with someone who is lonely, or simply provide a listening ear. At Tender Hearts, we hope to show our appreciation to you by providing noteworthy caregiving news and information. Thank you for all that you do to enhance the lives of those around you.
In a spirit of sharing and community, we hope you will find the following articles in this month’s newsletter informative and beneficial.
Thank you,
The Team at Tender Hearts
Living far from your loved one can complicate matters, but it is possible to take a healthy, active role in caregiving wherever you live. All you need to do is follow a few tips:
Get Informed
Do they feel safe? What chores do they need help with? Needs determine the care decisions your family has to make.
Tender Hearts will perform an Assessment at No Charge with one of our Nurses. This helpful resource gives you a clear picture of the issues your loved one may have.
Consult your elder loved one about who to invite to this meeting. Find out who they want helping make decisions about their care.
Put together a file of all their medical information. Include names/contact information for all treating physicians, current prescriiptions, surgeries, medical diagnoses, durable power of attorney, living will and all advance directions. Be selective in distributing the information within the family and be sure your parents retain control over access to their information.
No matter how far away you live, there are always ways you can help. Ask the primary caregiver what you can do, and then do it. Try to support them as much as you can and appreciate the fact they they’re doing the best job they can.
Seniors can easily fall victim to financial, physical, and psychological abuse by their care provider. In fact, statistics show that they often do. Much thought and research should go into the hiring of an in-home care provider. The choices are many and the consequences of making the wrong choice can be serious. The first thing to consider is whether to hire a private caregiver or an agency.
Private vs. Agency
While hiring a private caregiver may seem the most economical choice, the legal implications are often overlooked. According to IRS and Labor Law rules, a private caregiver falls under the category of “household employee” and the person hiring the caregiver is, by law, an “employer”. This means that they assume all of the obligations that a normal employer assumes.
Full-Employment Agency vs. Independent Contractors
In order to pass on a lower cost to their clients, some agencies hire “Independent Contractors”, thereby seemingly bypassing those “employer obligations” cited earlier. However, while this may appear to be a simple way to keep costs low, it does nothing more than to shift the employer obligations from the agency to the person receiving care.
Other important differences to look for:
Thorough background checks, excellent training programs, caregiver supervision by qualified personnel, and close attention to client safety are some of the traits that separate Tender Hearts from any other care provider in Cincinnati.
· Questions to Ask When Hiring In-Home Care
· In-Home Care Providers in the Cincinnati Area
· What You Need to Know About Long Term Care
· Becoming an Accidental Employer
· Legal Challenges When Providing Home Care
· Services Using Independent Contractors
Our services
Tender Hearts at Home provides in-home care to seniors throughout the Cincinnati Area, helping them to continue living independently in their own homes for as long as possible. Services include companion care, assistance with bathing and grooming, meal preparation, errand running, personal transportation, and more. Tender Hearts provides the perfect answer for seniors both at home or in an independent living arrangement in a facility but need support to remain independent. For more information about Tender Hearts at Home, visit our website at: www.tenderheartsathome.com or call us at 513-234-0805
We look forward to hearing from you!
As a new year begins, it is natural to cast a wide view on the previous year’s accomplishments while trying to predict the innovations ahead. This is an exciting time in which to live, with technological and medical advancements for seniors and health care happening all around us.
At the same time, Tender Hearts would like to remind you to take a look at the power of the small, everyday actions that make such a difference in seniors’ lives. Make a resolution this year to spend extra quality time with a cherished senior. It will certainly be a promise you won’t regret.
In a spirit of sharing and community, we hope you will find the following articles in this Week’s newsletter informative and beneficial.
Thank you,
The Team at Tender Hearts
Enjoy some photos from a French photographer whose initial goal was to help his lonely 91-year old Hungarian grandmother smile. Sacha Goldberger wanted to cheer her up, so he suggested a photo shoot to get her out of a depressed and lonely feeling. These may be more professional than you could do, but the idea to get creative while spending time with a loved senior can take many forms. The photos were so popular, they have gone viral, so there is a second posting with even more to enjoy.
Each year the Cleveland Clinic selects the Top 10 Medical Innovations. For 2011, a new molecular imaging biomarker for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease tops the list. It is the discovery of a new radioactive compound that allows doctors to “see” inside of a patient’s brain that makes this finding such an important discovery. Currently, positive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is only possible upon autopsy.
The Video is found here: http://www.homecarepulsecertified.com/
Eliminate the guesswork when choosing a home care agency.
A Home Care Pulse Certification proves that an agency cares about quality!
People have choices in care. When seeking in-home care for an aging loved one, it can be emotional, stressful and confusing.
Why Choose a Home Care Pulse Certified Agency?
A Home Care Pulse Certified agency has proven that it will go the distance when it comes to client satisfaction.
We knew that families were looking for a way to differentiate one home care agnecy from another. We also knew that the thing you care about most is quality of care. Armed with that knoweldge, we created the Home Care Pulse Certification, which measures what matters most: client & employee satisfaction.
How do we capture and measure this for Home Care Pulse Certified agencies?
Via monthly live phone interviews with their clients and
employees, not ineffective mailed surveys!
Choosing a Home Care Pulse Certified agency guarantees you will be:
Contracting an agency committed to client satisfaction
Working with an agency that has loyal, productive caregivers
What areas of client and employee satisfaction do we measure?
Client Satisfaction – Caregivers work ethic, training & knowledge of caregivers, agency’s communication, overall quality of service, would they recommend services to a friend, and much more
Employee Satisfaction – Caregiver morale, training effectiveness, working environment, overall satisfaction, would they recommend employment to a friend, and much more.
The Alzheimer’s Association of America has revised its 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease as follows:
- Memory changes that disrupt daily life
- Challenges in planning or solving problems
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks
- Confusion with time or place
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
- New problems with words while speaking or writing
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
- Decreased or poor judgment
- Withdrawal from work or social activities
- Changes in mood or personality
Dear Friends,
The 9th annual presentation of The Living Nativity will be presented on Saturday, December 4th and Sunday, December 5th from 4:30 -7:30 pm at Loveland United Methodist Church.
We invite you to make this community outreach offering part of your Christmas celebration this year. Come and journey with us, outside, on a guided walking tour through 20 stations featuring a dramatic presentation of the story of Jesus’ birth. After your tour, you’re invited to visit with the live animals and then come inside to warm up with some hot cocoa, cookies and Christmas cheer.
This event is a FREE Christmas gift to you from your friends at Loveland United Methodist Church.
We are located at 10975 South Lebanon Rd in Loveland, OH. Our phone number is 513-683-1738. For more information, visit our website at www.lovelandumc.org
Please note that sign language interpretation will be available on the Saturday evening tours.
Make The Living Nativity part of your Christmas celebration this year and please invite others to join you by simply forwarding this email!
We look forward to seeing you in Bethlehem!
God’s blessings to you,
Pat
Pat Blankenship
Director of Worship and Congregational Care
Loveland United Methodist Church
Loveland, OH 45140
513.683.1738 / www.lovelandumc.org
“Connecting the unconnected in Loveland and neighboring communities with the transforming love of Jesus Christ in order to become his fully devoted disciples.”
