Uncategorized

Being social is beneficial for everyone, but it’s especially important for seniors – especially those who live alone or who care for their aging or declining partner. Regular, positive social interactions are shown to improve health and wellbeing for the elderly population, and multiple studies correlate loneliness or feelings of isolation with increased morbidity and mortality rates in seniors.

From reducing indicators for loneliness and depression to slowing down the progression of age-related memory conditions – and just plain making life better – it’s important to keep the seniors in your life socially engaged with the world around them.

Learn More About Things That Block a Senior’s Sociability

Sometimes, a senior’s seeming “un-socialness” has nothing to do with their unwillingness and everything to do with items that need to be addressed first. This might include:

• Helping them get control of incontinence issues that make public/social outings embarrassing

• Vision/hearing loss that hasn’t been corrected enough to enjoy their surroundings

• Mobility loss that makes them feel unsafe or afraid of falling

• Unaddressed grief that makes it difficult to connect with others

• Not eating well or taking care of general hygiene (a clear sign that outside support is required to keep them safe, healthy, and independent)

Check in and see if any of these are creating social barriers for your loved one.

1. Include him/her in your “routine” life more often

If you think about having to schedule “visits” with senior loved ones, it can seem like one more thing to fit into the calendar – and it rarely happens. Instead, think about including your senior loved one in the routine, day-to-day acts more often. 

The simple act of getting out and about, even if s/he opts to sit in the car, or on a shaded bench, and people watch while you do some errands is exponentially more stimulating than sitting alone at home.

Consider:

• Skipping the gym one day a week and taking a walk with him/her around their neighborhood or complex.

• Bringing them on  a picnic with your little or big one(s)

• Taking them along to an evening event you’re attending (the library’s guest speaker, a book club meeting, music event, a poetry reading at the local bookstore, etc.)

• Picking them up and heading to a movie theater in their neck of the woods

• Picking up a to-go meal and eating at their house on the way home from work/kids’ extra-curricular activities

2. Use a Local Home Care Agency for Companion Services

If you live too far away to visit often, but feel your senior loved one is lonely, companion services are a step in the right direction. Home care agencies do their very best to pair senior clients with companions who share similar interests, tastes in music or food, hobbies, etc. A companion can visit once a week – or multiple times per week – depending on the client’s preference.

Another benefit of using a professional companion is that you have someone who’s (health/safety) checking in on a regular basis, and who can recommend additional services if/when they’re needed – such as light housekeeping, driving services, errand running, grocery services and meal preparation, etc.

3. Encourage Volunteer Opportunities in the Community

Retired adults have more time on their hands than almost any other sector of the population, and yet many sit at home feeling as if life has no real purpose anymore. Most non-profit organizations are in need of volunteers, so volunteerism is the perfect solution for any senior battling loneliness. 

There are volunteer opportunities for every personality type, interest, and ability – from petting and walking animals at a local shelter and participating in holiday-themed food drives to reading to elementary students or delivering meals to those who can’t shop/cook on their own.

The team here at Family First Senior Care has a seemingly infinite number of ideas for keeping elderly loved ones social and engaged in our local community. Contact us to schedule an in-home assessment or to learn more about how we can help. 

The more time you have to search for a home care provider, the more likely you are to find the best fit for the client. The ideal is to recognize the signs an aging relative needs support to stay at home, and taking advantage of free, no-obligation, in-home assessments offered by most home care agencies. Even if you find yourself in a 9-1-1 situation, we still recommend taking time to interview multiple prospects. 

As with anything in life, you’re bound to feel more comfortable with one over another, so interviewing multiple agencies gives you and your senior loved one some agency in the process – and the ability to make a more informed selection.

Become a Pro at Interviewing Prospective Home Care Agencies

What then, does that selection process look like? And how should you move forward? First, visit our post titled, The How-To Guide For Hiring In-Home Help.

The best way to compare agencies is to make sure they’ve all answered the same questions. This gives you a more “apples-to-apples” comparison so you can hear various answers and approaches to the same things. 

Some of the questions pertain to the essential “must-haves” from a home care provider, such as, “are you licensed,” while others delve into more personal or more open-ended subjects that are more relevant to the client’s and household’s needs.

1. Are you licensed in the state of Washington?

You should never hire a home care agency that isn’t licensed by the state in which they work. These state-authorized licenses are reviewed regularly and require a basic standard of caregiver education, training, reviews of client complaints or lawsuits, etc. 

Feel free to use our website’s Find a Home Care Agency link, which connects you with home care agencies that current licenses from the state of Washington.

2. Are you certified by Medicare, meeting their health and safety requirements?

This is another layer of “vetting” worth having. Medicare covers some aspects of healthcare depending on the situation. So, even if your parent or spouse’s caregiving needs don’t qualify for Medicare reimbursement or coverage now, it’s worth thinking ahead and working with a Medicare-certified agency so you’ll have that option should you need it down the road.

3. Do you have a protocol for communicating with the family?

If you’re a child or family member of the client, rather than a spouse, you’ll want to have a clear communication path in place. You should be informed of the caregiver and client’s day, any red flags or changes noted by the caregiver, mood tracking, meal reports, updates from healthcare providers or the pharmacy, etc. 

4. What services do you offer? And, do you offer in-home care 24/7?

The services required now are bound to evolve, change, and increase as time goes on. Eventually, that may require overnight support, long-term respite care, or even live-in care. Working with an agency that offers care 24/7 is a smart way to ensure you won’t have to go through the caregiver search all over again if the client’s needs increase.

5. Do you place caregivers based on the personality of the client?

Caregivers are as varied in personality as their clients, and clients fare best when paired with someone they feel comfortable with. This can include things like a love of the same hobbies or activities, similar energy levels, pet lovers, etc. Just as you want to feel good about the home care agency you use, your loved one should connect with the caregiver(s) they spend time with. Meeting a few ahead of time, or ensuring the agency works hard to “match” caregivers and clients by personality types and lifestyle preferences, eases the transition.

The Washington Home Care Association was explicitly established to guarantee seniors choosing to age-in-place have access to high-quality, personalized in-home care. Contact us to learn more about selecting the best potential home care provider for your loved one.

From May 7th to 8th­ get ready for the Washington Home Care Association’s 12th annual conference, Blooming with the Boomers!  The theme of this year’s conference is camping, where the goal is to help you “Build a Strong Camp to Weather Any Storm” in home care! You can learn everything you need to know about all the various challenges that face a home care business, ranging from the regulations in home care to the new WACs that have recently come into effect.

We understand that a home care business is faced with many challenges that can make it difficult to provide the best care possible, and that is why we want to help everyone we can in the hopes of making your home care service the best it can be.

This two-day event is packed with local and national speakers sharing their stories and insight so that you can provide the best home care possible, along with various sponsorships and events that will be sure to help you along your journey.

There are a wide variety of reasons as to why attending Blooming with The Boomers is a great choice. This is a great opportunity to build partnerships with influential home care leaders who may be able to help you personally or professionally, as well the perfect chance for those in the industry to network and connect with their peers to work together on the tough challenges that they face in their line of work.

There will also be various types of exhibits and demonstrations throughout the 2-day trip that will sure to be educational as well as a fun way to share an experience with your team or other likeminded people working in the industry. You can even use this opportunity to share your own product or service! The Washington Home Care Association has created a fabulous program that will provide valuable information for everyone who attends, no matter what section of the Home Care industry you work in.

This fun and educational camping event is perfect for anyone who is interested in learning more about home care, but this especially great for people who are…

·       Home Care Owners

·       Executive Directors

·       Upper Management

·       Professionals in Human Resources

·       Professionals Business Development

·       Marketing Teams

·       Client Services

·       Care Coordinators

·       Caregiver Supervisors

And anyone else who is passionate about home care! Whether you bring just yourself or your entire team, this is sure to be a conference you would not want to miss. Registration is still open so be sure to sign up right away in order to secure your attendance to this wonderful experience.

 

Socializing and staying active as an older adult is incredibly important for maintaining physical and mental health and wellbeing. Studies have shown that isolation and loneliness exact a significant toll on seniors, leading to many negative health outcomes for those who aren’t active in their communities.

Fortunately, the state of Washington has many activities and events in the upcoming months that are perfect for those who are looking to get out and engage with others.

Here are some wonderful activities coming up that are great excuses to get out and enjoy the company of others.

Easter Cookie Decorating Class (Wenatchee)

Admission: $45

Date: April 19th

Learn all the tips and tricks so that you too can make beautifully decorated cookies at home! The class will be 2.5 hours of instruction and hands-on decorating. During the class, each participant will decorate 8 Easter themed sugar cookie cut-outs to take home in a window-pane box all while learning cookie decorating techniques.

Spring Fair (Puyallup)

Admission (for seniors): $19

Date: April 11th-14th

Located at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup, the Washing State Spring fair features rides, music, pig racing, performing dogs, and many more wonderful activities. The Spring Fair has a country fair vibe and offers lots of interactive fun for people of all ages.

Best of the Northwest Art and Fine Craft Show (Seattle)

Admission: $10

Date: April 13th-14th

Northwest Art Alliance presents the 31st annual Spring Show! Held in Hangar 30 at Seattle’s Magnuson Park, this spring event will feature more than 100 of the area’s best artists and artisans

Cheese and Meat Festival (Seattle)

Admission $35

Date: April 20th

The Cheese and Meat Festival allows consumers to taste their way through international and local artisan foods in sample bites. The Festival takes place at the beautiful Block 41 venue located in downtown Seattle. All attendees will be given a small charcuterie board upon entry that will allow for samples to be placed on the board while vendors describe the item being showcased.

Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival (Seattle)

Admission: Free

Date: April 26th-28th

Explore and experience the cultural roots and contemporary influences of Japan through live performances, visual arts, hands-on activities, foods and games including Taiko drumming and artisan demonstrations.

 The Festival was founded 40 years ago in appreciation of 1,000 cherry trees gifted to Seattle by Prime Minister Takeo Miki on behalf of the Japanese government in commemoration of the nation’s bicentennial. It is the first ethnic festival to be held at Seattle Center annually and the oldest in the Seattle Center Festival series.

Jacobsen Series: Puget Sound Piano Trio (Tacoma)

Admission: $10

Date: May 3rd

The Puget Sound Piano Trio is the ensemble-in-residence at the University of Puget Sound School of Music.  This season inaugurates the Puget Sound Piano Trio Concert Series, an expanded offering of three performance events for the Trio’s home audience.  These programs will explore a complete cycle of the Brahms piano trios, as well as chosen pairings of classical, romantic, and modern works on the first half of each concert.  Join us for this exciting series!

Gorge Artists Open Studio (White Salmon)

Admission: Free

Date: May 3rd-5th

Explore art in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge during the 13th annual Gorge Artists Open Studios Tour. Forty-eight juried artists will open their studios to the public for this three-day tour, featuring the highest quality work available from the region in a variety of mediums and styles.

Revelry Crawfish Boil (Walla Walla)

Admission: $35-$50

Date: May 3rd

We are kicking off Spring Release weekend with our much-anticipated annual Revelry Crawfish Boil! Join us for rosé, crawfish, and king cake after hours Friday evening. This event is popular, and tickets tend to go quickly. Advanced purchase is required.

Design with the 90% (Seattle)

Admission: Free

Date: Now – May 11th

This exhibition demonstrates how individuals and organizations are using design innovation to address some of the world’s most critical problems and improve lives. The 26 projects on view highlight how design is improving access to life’s essentials – clean water, health care, education, and shelter – as well as increasing economic opportunities and strengthening communities.

North Spokane Farm Museum (Spokane)

Admission: Donation (any amount)

Dates: April 1st – October 15th

Located 15 miles north of Spokane, Washington off state highway 395, the North Spokane Farm Museum is in a 5,000 sq. ft. building. “The Red Shed” is considered a teach and touch museum which displays farm machinery and farm artifacts from 1850-1950. All equipment is painstakingly researched and restored to its near original splendor. Once a year at noon on the 4th Saturday of June, the equipment is demonstrated with a new specialty chosen each year. Other featured displays are a working 50’s kitchen, a 40’s bedroom, a 20’s kitchen, and the largest collection of Ironstone China in the Pacific Northwest with more than 36 sets from 1850 to 1976.

 

 

 

Individuals working in the home health care field provide vital services for their patients. Although it is rewarding work, it can also lead to stress or burnout for caregivers. In addition, the demands of the work can cause some employees to feel undervalued.

The website Home Care Pulse reports that the United States has an annual 70% turnover rate for home health care workers. For every employee that leaves, the site also reports it costs home care agencies $2,600 to source and train new talent. With such a high turnover rate and associated costs, it is essential to take steps to retain your employees. Below are some tips to help ensure your home care staff feel valued. Doing so can help boost employee morale, resulting in less employee turnover in 2019.

One of the most important ways you can help your employees feel valued is to maintain a flexible scheduling and assignment system as much as possible. This can include factoring in caregivers’ commute times when assigning clients and matching clients and caregivers that are likely to be compatible.

Another important way to show your employees you value them is to ensure they are properly trained. This can include offering paid training, lunch and learn sessions, and soliciting employee feedback on training topics. In addition, you should establish and communicate policies on the support resources available to employees, such as human resources or an employee assistance hotline.

Employee recognition is a crucial component in making your employees feel valued. There are many ways to recognize your employees for outstanding work. Home Care Pulse provides a variety of ways to recognize your caregivers. A few of those tips are highlighted below:

·       Financial Rewards: Bonus, merit increase, gift cards, additional paid time off

·       Recognition from their supervisor: This could be one-on-one or at a team meeting. Supervisors could also send an email or handwritten note to caregivers.

·       Sharing positive feedback from their clients

·       Selecting an Employee of the Month, Quarter, and Year and providing a reward

·       Providing events like quarterly lunches or an annual holiday party

·       Years of service award: This can be done on an employee’s one-year anniversary and every 5 years after that.

Training, a professional development site, offers additional ways to help make your employees feel valued:

·       Creating and communicating a well-defined vision and core values, including an emphasis on employees’ value, goes a long way.

·       Employees who understand and identify with a company’s mission are more likely to feel connected and valued.

·       Another tip for creating value is to ensure employees know their career path at your company. This includes providing access to training, providing informal feedback, annual evaluations, and providing support if they desire to move to a different position within the company.

However you choose to make your employees feel valued, you will help reduce the rate of turnover at your company. Employees who feel appreciated and appropriately compensated for their efforts are much more likely to stay at your company.