Elderly Care is a Family Affair

Elderly Care is a Family Affair

Your elderly or disabled loved ones are at crucial points in their life, filled with many changes and new circumstances. During this time your loved one needs support and help in planning their future and making sure all of their needs are properly addressed. No one should walk this road alone, and so the care of your loved one needs to become a family issue. Often family members are the caregivers to their elderly or disabled loved one, so they too may be experiencing many life changes. The best way to care for your family is to make sure that you are coming together as a family, making compromises when necessary, and making decisions based on the needs of the entire family. 

"Seniors are at a vulnerable stage of life. They often face multiple health concerns and loss of physical and cognitive function. More than ever, seniors need the support and love of family members. Seniors often have difficulty expressing their needs, desires and preferences, so they must have someone to advocate for them. And who is more qualified for that than the people who know them better than anyone else in the world?"

To be able to be the advocate for your loved one during this often difficult time, is such a rewarding opportunity. If you and your loved one are able to work together and communicate effectively, this will increase the positive outcomes in both of your lives. 

It is not uncommon for family members to be the sole or primary caregiver for an elderly or disabled family member. "A new study of caregivers says that one out of three adults in the U.S. currently serves as a caregiver." Caregiving is no easy task, and takes up much of the caregivers time and energy. If you are in this position it may be necessary to consider some in-home healthcare options for your family. In addition to this, it is important to ask the right questions when you are considering a plan for your elderly or disabled loved one's care. 

Here are some questions that may be helpful to consider:

• What is the best way to talk to my parents or loved one about their healthcare needs?
• How will the care they need be funded?
• What is the safest, most comfortable, most appropriate care option for my loved one?
• Is there a family member nearby who can be of assistance at a moment's notice?
• What types of services or help does my loved one need-- for instance, bathing, eating, transportation, medications, etc.?
• How do my loved one's religious affiliation and personal preferences influence the care decisions we need to make?
• What types of senior care are available? How do they differ? How does each one address my parents specific needs?

Here is a resource that gives more statistical, and practical information on this subject:

Caring for Elderly and Disabled is a Family Affair

Missouri Business Development Program; Comfort of Home Healthcare

Hey, check it out! Comfort of Home Healthcare was highlighted in piece from the Missouri Business Development program!!!

Original Article Can Be Found Here!

Comfort of Home Healthcare, LLC – St. Joseph

Jason Douglas, co-owner and co-founder of Comfort of Home Healthcare, LLC, a home health care service based in St. Joseph with a satellite office in Gladstone slated to open later this year, didn’t start adult life as a health care entrepreneur.

He was a relief pitcher for the Missouri Western State University Griffons.

His repertoire included a wicked curve ball that had opposing hitters flailing away — or “They’d hit it 400 feet!” he laughs. He threw in the low 80s — good enough for college, but he knew the majors would be a long, hard climb. “I chased a lot of foul balls, raked the infield dirt a lot,” he admits.

The curve ball life threw at him when first his father, then father–in-law, then mother-in-law became incapacitated requiring round the clock care was tougher to handle. His father passed away at home with family present and hospice care; his mother-in-law too. Not so his father-in-law. Staying on top of the often unprofessional caregivers was virtually a job in itself, he recalls. With all this going on, he still held down jobs with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s St. Joseph branch, Blue Sky Home Care and Midland Empire Resources for Independent Living, where he saw what good caregiving looked like.

Tad Ulmer’s (left) son, Douglas (center) suffered traumatic brain injury in an auto accident. Jason Douglas is on the right.

Meanwhile in St. Joseph, truck driver Tad Ulmer received the phone call every parent dreads. His teenage son had been badly injured in a car accident and had been rushed to the hospital. Then things got even worse. He learned his son had suffered traumatic brain injury and would never walk again — in fact, would never feed, dress or bathe himself again, requiring 24-hour care. Ulmer too was frustrated with the care his son received at nursing homes; he says he believes staff stole and he saw them berate his son. When he registered a complaint, one provider suddenly stopped coverage.

The energetic, entrepreneurially minded Douglas had also been taking classes on entrepreneurship and small business through the SBTDC in St. Joseph. He and Ulmer met at a chamber event and clicked, realizing their vision of caring, professional at-home care could be more than a vision.

Douglas then met with Rebecca Evans, director of the SBTDC in St. Joseph, and began bombarding her with questions about partnerships, how to write a business plan, labor and employment law, office space, alternative financing and much more.

Finding office space was surprisingly easy. Evans knew that Mo-Kan, the regional planning and economic development group in St. Joseph serving northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas, needed new businesses for its incubator. “Originally, we were just going to work out of our homes,” says Douglas. “Mo-Kan leased us space for $175 a month.”

This building in St. Joseph is home to Comfort of Home administrative services.

Financing was tougher to field. The business didn’t require a great deal of outlay, mainly payroll; even so, Douglas had to cash in his retirement plan, sell the family Toyota and more just to issue paychecks. Banks were reluctant to loan two inexperienced businessmen the capital for an untried venture. Together, however, the team explored and secured a low-interest loan from the state of Missouri, enough to get the fledgling business off the ground.

The first months were terrifying, Douglas says, but his faith and the help of the SBTDC pulled him though. “We had to sell almost everything we owned!” he says. “There was no money the first few months, not a dime. But you don’t know what you’re capable of when there’s no other option. It really makes you focus when you are a trapeze artist and the net is taken from underneath you.

“We were also smart enough to realize when you don’t know what you don’t know, and we found someone who does know what she knows … Sometimes the Lord makes you sweat it a little bit.”

Evans even secured a video segment for the partners with TV station KQTV, shown at the St. Joseph chamber’s annual banquet, among other venues.

“Now we are off and running!” Douglas says. “We jumped in the deep end and we found ourselves swimming.”

And he and Ulmer have never looked back. The firm today has 70 and plans to hire 20 more employees; has around 40 private and two public (Missouri Division of Mental Health, Medicaid) clients; enjoyed gross sales of more than a million and a quarter last year; and is negotiating to locate a second office in Gladstone, north Kansas City.

Douglas says the firm’s largest obstacle by far has been finding the right people. (Yes, he’s also acting HR director.) He and Ulmer first looked at candidates’ prior experience, certifications and the like, but now Douglas says he looks more for character. Skills can be taught. Caring and steadfastness can’t.

“I say [in interviews], If you’re just looking for just a job, there’s Taco Bell right down there. There’s a bank there. We need people who want to help other people.” In fact, he says he won’t let anyone enter a home he wouldn’t have in his own home.

The partners and their families have suffered and emerged not just better people, but better business people. Douglas knows, however, that he doesn’t have all the answers.

He does have the answer to the age-old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg.

In business, “They come at the same time! That’s the answer.”

Exercise: Improving the Lives of the Elderly

Exercise

Improving the Lives of the Elderly

Exercise is a vital part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle for any age group, but it is especially important for ageing adults and the elderly. Exercise needs to be a kept a priority because of its many physical and mental health benefits. There may be some hesitation at first because of the challenges that come with exercising while ageing, but exercise will drastically improve their quality of life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that physical activity also has the ability to extend life expectancy. 

Three of the main physical health benefits include: (helpguide.org)

• Exercise helps older adults maintain or lose weight.
• Exercise reduces the impact of illness or chronic disease.
• Exercise enhances mobility, flexibility, and balance in older adults. 

Three of the main mental health benefits include: (helpguide.org)

• Exercise improves your sleep. 
• Exercise boosts mood and self-confidence.
• Exercise is good for the brain.

The challenges of life will inevitably get in the way of staying motivated and staying committed to a regular exercise routine, so it is important to have a plan ahead of time for when this occurs. When your regular exercise routine gets interrupted, always have a back up plan. The more consistent you are in your daily exercise, the more benefits you will acquire. 

There may be some concerns before starting a regular exercise routine for older adults. They may have an illness that significantly changes their ability to exercise, they may feel too weak, or they may have concerns about falling. All of these issues and more need to be addressed, and there is a safe way to go about starting a regular exercise routine. 

Some safety tips to consider include: (helpguide.org)

• Get medical clearance from the doctor. 
• Consider all health concerns. 
• Start slow.
• Commit to an exercise schedule. 
• Stay motivated by focusing on short-term goals. 
• Recognize problems. 

There are also specific types of exercise that are more appropriate for specific age groups or a specific individual's needs. Every person has a unique set of physical and mental health needs, and these can be met through various types of exercise techniques and programs. Here are some resources that will give you more information about what is best for you or your family member:

Exercise and Fitness Over 50

Why is Physical Exercise Important for the Elderly?

Affording In-Home Healthcare

Affording In-Home Healthcare

One of the main reasons people choose not to invest in in-home healthcare (1 on 1 care) for their loved ones is because of the possible financial burden or the lack or resources the individual has. Comfort of Home Healthcare wants to make in-home healthcare not only comforting and convenient for your family, but also financially affordable. As a business, we try to keep costs down as much as we can, but there are also resources for your family to participate in that will dramatically change your financial outlook on in-home healthcare services. 

But before we get in to some of the resources, Comfort of Home Healthcare would like to point out that if your receive in home care for two people. E.g. Parents/ grand parents
It is very feasible to financially keep your loved ones in their homes!! In a facility setting (nursing home) you will have to pay out of pocket for each person. In home care is priced by staffing and not each individual person. 

This is so important because this will allow you to; 
1. keep your loved ones in their home! 
2. You will have one staff taking care of both of them as opposed to one CNA per 10+ people!

Unfortunately this is not case for most of our clients. For those of you who are looking for care for a loved one (not a couple). Comfort of Home Healthcare has provided a list of resources that will offset costs, for you to consider. Here are several of those resources and how you may qualify to receive these benefits: 
(Not all scenarios work for every person. This simply a list of all options available)

• Veterans Benefits: If you or your loved one was a veteran.

• Veterans Widows Benefits: If you or your loved one was married to a veteran.

• Medicaid: If you meet the financial guidelines to qualify for Medicaid, they have potential opportunities for assistance. 

• Long Term Care Insurance: If you or your loved one has purchased a Long Term Care Insurance Plan.

• Life Insurance: If you or your loved one is terminally ill, a life insurance plan is a valuable resource. 

• Life Insurance (Viatical Settlement): A viatical settlement is the sale of a life insurance policy to a third party, usually a funding company owned by a group of investors. 

• Life Insurance (Loan): A policy owner may be able to make a loan against the cash value of the policy, based on what type of policy is owned. 

• Reverse Mortgage: If you or your loved one has equity in their home, they can probably qualify for a reverse mortgage.

• Area Agency on Ageing: There can be local organizations such as the Area Agency on Ageing that can help with some of the costs of in-home care. 

• Employer-Sponsored Health Savings Account (HAS) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA): If you or your loved one is employed, many employers will offer a HAS or FSA in their benefit plans.

If you have questions about the specific details (contacts and phone numbers) of these resources, Comfort of Home Healthcare would be happy to talk to you about the resources that will best fit your family and your family's individual needs. 

We care about your family and we want to provide the best possible service at the best price for your family!

Dementia and Alzheimer's in the Elderly

Dementia and Alzheimer's in the Elderly

Your family is not alone. The effects of dementia and Alzheimer's are devastating, not only to the one suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's, but also to the family members who are coping with this new reality. You may feel alone in this battle, but there are many other families who are struggling with these same circumstances in their own family. Coming to a better understanding about the symptoms and effects of dementia and Alzheimer's, may help change your perspective on this issue. Also, we will provide you will a couple resources that may help you get the support you need during this time. 

First, it is important to understand that although the terms "dementia" and "Alzheimer's" are often used to mean the same thing, they are defined and diagnosed differently. Dementia refers to, "A loss of mental ability severe enough to interfere with normal activities of daily living." This can encompass a wider variety of diseases, but Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. 

Although Alzheimer's is most commonly found in and associated with the elderly, it is not a natural part of the aging process. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that gets worse over time; the intensity and form the symptoms take will change as the disease progresses. For example, in the beginning stages an individual might experience minor memory loss, but in later stages an individual may experience more severe memory loss, affecting their ability to function independently. 

Some of the general symptoms of Alzheimer's include:

• Memory loss, ranging from mild to severe. 
• Disorientation.
• Mood and behavior changes. 
• Deepening confusion about events, time and place.
• Suspicions about family, friends, and caregivers.
• Difficulty speaking, swallowing, and walking.

If any of these symptoms are occurring in you or your family member, a doctor should be seen right away. Although there is no cure for Alzheimer's, there are a few helpful intervention methods that can slow down the process. Early diagnosis is key for Alzheimer's treatment. There are very noticeable changes that take place in the brain scans; Alzheimer's prevents nerve cells in the brain from accurately performing their job. This causes the brain to lose function, resulting in many of the symptoms seen above. 

The best way to communicate with your family member who has Alzheimer's is to meet them where they are at, and be aware that this may change from day to day. This disease is completely out of their control, and should not be handled with anger and frustration. It is important for family members to get support during this time, because it can become too big of a physical and emotional burden, especially on family members who also have the responsibility of being the main caregiver.

Here are a few helpful resources in regards to this topic and support for your family:

Support for Alzheimer's/Dementia

Alzheimer's: Dealing with Family Conflict

COHH is Pleased to Announce the Start of Another New Service! Snow Removal/Lawn Care!

As the owners of Comfort of Home Healthcare we pride ourselves in going above and beyond for our clients. After all, we have been where they are; we have and still do take care of our own loved ones in the comfort of their home.

While we were out picking up caregivers and taking them to our clients homes to work during inclement weather, it occurred to us that most of our clients probably need additional help in removing the snow from their drives, sidewalks, lawns, etc.

In order to be more helpful to our clients and their families, Comfort of Home Healthcare is extremely happy to announce that we are now offering snow removal services in the winter and lawn care during the summer. With these services, we can allow you to focus more of your time and energy on the more important things in life. Let us take care of the details for you during this time. 

If you or any of your family/friends are interested, please give us a call or if it’s easier, shoot us an email. We can always be reached at 816-671-0298 or info@comfortofhomehealthcare.com. Just ask for Jason or Tad.

All homes and driveways/lawns are different and will have to be bid individually. Also, note that all direct Comfort of Home Healthcare clients will receive a significantly discounted rate!!

Wow, the green grass sure looks good right about now!!

Family Assessment: What Do Your Parents Really Need?

Family Assessment

What Do Your Parents Really Need?

Often we are so overwhelmed with our own life that we forget to take a moment to consider what our parents are going through and how they are feeling about their changing life circumstances. Your elderly parents or disabled family members are going through things that we can't begin to understand unless we have been in their position. The best way to understand how your loved ones are feeling is to have real, honest conversations with them about their emotions, concerns, desires, and needs. If you truly have the desire to know and provide for your parents emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual needs, then you must assess where they are, where they want to be, and how to get them there. Their health needs to be a priority and the best way to keep them healthy is to stay in constant communication with them, because they know themselves better than anyone. 

Your loved one is going through a variety of changes, as they are losing some of their independence, mobility, control, and possibly certain relationships. It is easy to overlook some of their very basic needs, such as the need to feel important, the need to be touched, the need to have company, the need to still feel in control, and the need for independence. Every person needs their basic human needs to be met in order for their other needs to be efficiently taken care of. 

Here are some practical steps you can take to help assess your parents needs, in addition to considering your own needs:   (ehow.com)

1. Make your own careful assessment of your parents needs. Prioritize specific areas such as health care, social life, and accommodating changes needs as your parents age. 
2. Communicate with your family member to find out what they want most out of life and what they consider to be their most challenging issues. Make sure you communicate with an open heart and without immediate judgement. 
3. You don't have the energy or time to do everything, so decide what areas you can be most effective in and focus on those. 
4. Take into consideration your parent's personality, background, and life experiences.
5. Keep in mind that you don't really know what it feels like to lose your independence because of old age, until you have been there yourself. 
6. When things get tough, bring up happy, funny, or heartwarming memories. Laughter is always the best medicine when going through trials. Good memories or pictures from the past can heal a heart. 
7. Stay well-informed about your options, gather all the information you can about home health agencies, medicare, etc. 
8. When you are feeling impatient, stay kind towards your parents, when you look back at this time you will be happy you stayed gentle and patient towards them during this time. 

This tips will help you during your assessment process, but you may need some help knowing what questions to ask your parents about their life and their current health situation. There are many questions that will be appropriate to consider and ask your parents when you are trying to make some difficult decisions. You need to be able to ask them about various areas of their health, including their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Here is a helpful resource that gives you lists of questions to start asking in your own family: What Help Does Mom or Dad Really Need?

Your family assessment will be very beneficial for your entire family. When you don't know how to go about your family situation, always remember that selfless, sacrificial love will bring you and your family the most peace and joy!

Here are a couple more resources that may be helpful for you in your journey:

What Your Elderly Parents Really Need From You

How To Help an Elderly Parent