All posts by Norman Rosskothen

How Much Does 24 Hour Home Care Cost?

24 Hour in-home care is about $576 a day for the care needs of one person or $624 a day for two people to receive care.

24 Hour home care costs are a little more than nursing home costs. However, your loved one receives individual, one on one care versus the shared care of a nursing home.

With 24 Hour care, two caregivers are scheduled daily with each caregiver working a 12-hour shift.

In some situations for medical or other reasons, it can be better to have 3 caregivers each working 8-hour shifts.

In most cases, 24 Hour care isn’t needed and Live-in Care is a better and less expensive option.

Live-in home care costs are about half of 24 Hour in-home care costs.

With Live-In home care, a single caregiver provides to the needs of your loved one in a 24 hour time period.

One Live-in caregiver is scheduled for a maximum of 4 or 5 days per week and switches with a different Live-in caregiver for the remainder of the week. Generally, the care is provided by only two caregivers over the course of the week, versus two or three caregivers in a day.

Over a 24 hour day, the Live-in caregiver is given a 4-hour break from care duties to rest and rejuvenate. If the situation requires it, an additional hourly caregiver can cover these 4 hours.

The Live-in caregiver also has an 8 hour sleeping period. With Live-in care a bedroom in the house must be provided for the Live-in caregiver to sleep.

About Unique HomeCare Services

Unique HomeCare Services is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts and serves the Greater Boston communities in Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth counties.

We provide private in-home care for elders, those with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, and people who are recuperating from illness, injury, or surgery.

We provide both short-term and long-term in-home care needs from as little as one 4 hour day a week to 24 Hour Care and Live-In Care.

We offer a full range of in-home personal care services including Bathing Assistance, Personal Hygiene and Grooming, Dressing Assistance, Toileting and Incontinence Assistance, Feeding Assistance, and Medication Reminders.

We also provide support services such as Case Management, Accompaniment to Appointments, Nutrition and Meal Management, Light Housekeeping and Laundry Services, Bed and Wheel Chair Transfers, and Shopping and Running Errands.

It is our pleasure to assist our veteran clients with VA Aid and Attendance Benefit approval at no cost.

To schedule a no cost and no obligation In-Home Assessment to determine the home care needs and get a quote, please call us to speak to a Case Manager at (800) 296-9962 or fill out our Free Quote Contact Form.


 

EPA-Approved Products Proven To Kill The COVID-19 Virus

The CDC states that the primary and most important mode of transmission for COVID-19 is through close contact from person-to-person. Based on data from lab studies on COVID-19 and what is know about similar respiratory diseases, it may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this isn’t thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

Best practices to minimize the possibility of transmission is to sanitized all surfaces, especially frequently touched surfaces as often with a sanitiser that kills the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has added to its list of products that have proven effective in killing the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) on hard surfaces, based laboratory testing. This update brings the total number of products approved by the EPA for use against SARS-CoV-2 virus to 23 products:

1. Lysol Disinfectant Spray
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium, ethanol (ethyl alcohol)
EPA registration number: 777-99

2. Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium, ethanol (ethyl alcohol)
EPA registration number: 777-127

3. Lysol Disinfecting Wipes (all scents)
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 777-114

4. Lysol Laundry Sanitizer
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 777-128

5. Lonza Formulation R-82
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-78

6. Lonza Formulation S-21
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-75

7. Lonzagard RCS-256 Plus
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-349

8. Lonzagard RCS-128 PLUS
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-348

9. Lonzagard RCS-128
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-347

10. Lonzagard RCS-256
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-346

11. Lonza Formulation R-82F
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-139

12. Lonzagard R-82G
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-381

13. Lonza Formulation S-18
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-77

14. Lonza Formulation DC-103
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-152

15. Lonza Formulation S-21F
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-140

16. Lonza Formulation S-18F
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-136

17. Lonza Disinfectant Wipes
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-313

18. Lonza Nugen Low Streak Disinfectant Wipes
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-382

19. Lonza Disinfectant Wipes Plus
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-336

20. Lonza Disinfectant Wipes Plus 2
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 6836-340

21. Clorox Commercial Solutions Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 67619-31

22. Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 5813-79

23. CDW (from The Clorox Company)
Active ingredients: Quaternary ammonium
EPA registration number: 5813-113

It is also important to wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer correctly when soap and water are not available.

For a PDF version please click here.

About Unique HomeCare Services

Unique HomeCare Services is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts and serves the Greater Boston communities in Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth counties.

Unique HomeCare Services provides private in-home care for elders, those with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, and people who are recuperating from illness, injury, or surgery.

We provide both short-term and long-term in-home care needs from as little as one 4 hour day a week to 24 Hour Care and Live-In Care.

We offer a full range of in-home personal care services including Bathing, Personal Hygiene and Grooming, Dressing Assistance, Toileting and Incontinence, Feeding, and Medication Reminders.

We also provide support services such as Case Management, Accompaniment to Appointments, Nutrition and Meal Management, Light Housekeeping and Laundry Services, Bed and Wheel Chair Transfers, and Shopping and Running Errands.

It is our pleasure to assist our veteran clients with VA Aid and Attendance Benefit approval at no cost.

We have an extensive Directory of Online Senior and Caregiver Resources for the information you need.

To schedule a no cost and no obligation In-Home Assessment to determine the home care needs and get a quote, please call us to speak to a Case Manager at (800) 296-9962 or fill out our Free Quote Contact Form.

 

When And How to Use Hand Sanitizer Correctly

Most people do not use hand sanitizer correctly, which increasing the chance of spread COVID-19 and other germs.

The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water whenever possible because hand washing reduces the amounts of all types of germs and chemicals on hands.

Using Hand Sanitizer CorrectlyIf soap and water are not available, using a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can help you avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others.

Hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of microbes on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs.

Background

Even if your hands appear to be clean, they carry germs. Hands pick up micro-organisms (germs) in a number of ways:

• When people who are sick sneeze or cough, the germs that are making them sick are expelled into the air in tiny droplets. If these droplets get onto your hands and then you touch your mouth, eyes or nose without washing away these germs, you can get sick.

• You can also get sick if you don’t wash your hands or sanitize them before and after preparing food and after using the toilet.

• Washing your hands or sanitizing not only prevents you from getting sick, but it also reduces the risk of infecting others.

• Other people can also get sick from the germs unwashed hands leave on objects and surfaces such as doorknobs, keyboards, and other equipment in the home or workplace.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of microbes on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs.

• Soap and water are more effective than hand sanitizers at removing certain kinds of germs.

• Although alcohol-based hand sanitizers can inactivate many types of microbes very effectively when used correctly, people may not use a large enough volume of the sanitizers or may wipe it off before it has dried.

Hand sanitizers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.

• Studies show that hand sanitizers work well in clinical settings like hospitals, where hands come into contact with germs but generally are not heavily soiled or greasy. However, when hands are heavily soiled or greasy, hand sanitizers may not work well. Handwashing with soap and water is recommended in such circumstances.

Hand sanitizers might not remove harmful chemicals from hands.

• Hand sanitizers cannot remove or inactivate harmful chemicals. If hands have touched harmful chemicals, wash carefully with soap and water.

If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

• Sanitizers with an alcohol concentration between 60–95% are more effective at killing germs than those with a lower alcohol concentration or non-alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

• Hand sanitizers without 60-95% alcohol may merely reduce the growth of germs rather than kill them outright.

When using hand sanitizer, apply the product to the palm of one hand and rub the product all over the surfaces of your hands until your hands are dry.

• Make sure your hands are dry before using hand sanitizer as wet hands will dilute the product.

• Use enough product to cover all the surfaces of your hands and fingers.

• Rub the hand sanitizer over the front and back of hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

• Rub your hands together until the product has evaporated. Do not wipe off the hand sanitizer as it needs to dry on the hands to be effective.

About Unique HomeCare Services

Unique HomeCare Services provides private in-home care for elders, those with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, and people who are recuperating from illness, injury, or surgery.

We provide both short-term and long-term in-home care needs from as little as one 4 hour day a week to 24 Hour Care and Live-In Care.

We offer a full range of in-home personal care services including Bathing, Personal Hygiene and Grooming, Dressing Assistance, Toileting and Incontinence, Feeding, and Medication Reminders.

We also provide support services such as Case Management, Accompaniment to Appointments, Nutrition and Meal Management, Light Housekeeping and Laundry Services, Bed and Wheel Chair Transfers, and Shopping and Running Errands.

Unique HomeCare Services is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts and serves the surrounding Greater Boston communities.

It is our pleasure to assist our veteran clients with VA Aid and Attendance Benefit approval at no cost.

We have an extensive Directory of Online Senior and Caregiver Resources for the information you need.

To schedule a no cost and no obligation In-Home Assessment to determine the home care needs and get a quote, please call us to speak to a Case Manager at (800) 296-9962 or fill out our Free Quote Contact Form.

 

How To Wash Your Hands Correctly

The simple act of washing your hands is not something most of us thought about until the COVID-19 crisis.

Most of us do not wash our hands correctly to effectively remove germs.

Washing Hands Correctly

Washing your hands correctly or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, is the most effective action you can do to protect yourself against a number of infectious diseases, such as the “flu”, the common cold, and COVID-19. Not only will it help keep you healthy, but it will also help prevent the spread of infectious diseases to others.

Background

Even if your hands appear to be clean, they carry germs. Hands pick up micro-organisms (germs) in a number of ways:

• When people who are sick sneeze or cough, the germs that are making them sick are expelled into the air in tiny droplets. If these droplets get onto your hands and then you touch your mouth, eyes or nose without washing away these germs, you can get sick.

• You can also get sick if you don’t wash your hands before and after preparing food and after using the toilet.

• Washing your hands not only prevents you from getting sick, but it also reduces the risk of infecting others.

• Other people can also get sick from the germs unwashed hands leave on objects and surfaces such as doorknobs, keyboards, and other equipment in the home or workplace.

• The CDC’s guidance for washing hands is not new. Until the COVID-19 crisis, most people have not paid attention to this guidance.

Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), remove jewelry, and apply soap.

• Hands could become recontaminated if a basin of standing water is used that has been contaminated through previous use.

• The temperature of the water does not appear to affect microbe removal. However, warmer water may cause more skin irritation for some people.

• Remove any hand or arm jewelry you are wearing under running water as they may harbor germs.

• Using soap to wash hands is more effective than using water alone because the surfactants in soap lift soil and microbes from the skin.

Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, in between your fingers, and also under your nails.

• Lathering and scrubbing hands creates friction, which helps lift dirt, grease and microbes from skin.

• Microbes are present on all surfaces of the hands and are in particularly high concentrations under the nails. Therefore the entire hand needs to be scrubbed.

Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Use a timer or sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice from beginning to end.

• Evidence suggests that washing hands for 15 to 30 seconds removes more germs from the hands than washing for shorter periods of time.

• You are scrubbing the dirt and germs off your hands. The soap does not kill these germs.

• 20 seconds of scrubbing your hands at a sink is much longer than you think. In fact, 20 seconds is about 3 to 4 times longer than most people think it is. Some people sing the entire “Happy Birthday” song twice to time how long they are washing their hands.

• After thoroughly washing your hands wash any jewelry you removed.

Rinse your hands well under clean running water to wash away the germs and then wash your jewelry.

• The purpose of scrubbing with soap is to lift dirt, grease, and microbes, including the disease-causing germs, from your skin so they can then be rinsed off of hands with the running water.

• Rinse off any hand jewelry you have removed.

• Replace the jewelry and dry your hands with a clean towel.

About Unique HomeCare Services

Unique HomeCare Services provides private in-home care for elders, those with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, and people who are recuperating from illness, injury, or surgery.

We provide both short-term and long-term in-home care needs from as little as one 4 hour day a week to 24 Hour Care and Live-In Care.

We offer a full range of in-home personal care services including Bathing, Personal Hygiene and Grooming, Dressing Assistance, Toileting and Incontinence, Feeding, and Medication Reminders.

We also provide support services such as Case Management, Accompaniment to Appointments, Nutrition and Meal Management, Light Housekeeping and Laundry Services, Bed and Wheel Chair Transfers, and Shopping and Running Errands.

Unique HomeCare Services is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts and serves the surrounding communities.

It is our pleasure to assist our veteran clients with VA Aid and Attendance Benefit approval at no cost.

We have an extensive Directory of Online Senior and Caregiver Resources for the information you need.

To schedule a no cost and no obligation In-Home Assessment to determine the home care needs and get a quote, please call us to speak to a Case Manager at (800) 296-9962 or fill out our Free Quote Contact Form.

 

COVID-19 Basic Information And Facts

There is much misinformation on COVID-19 spread by social media and the rumor mill. Not only can this misinformation create panic, but it is also dangerous as proper prevention based on science and fact may not be used.

Know the facts about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and help stop the spread of rumors.

What Is A Novel Coronavirus?

A novel coronavirus is a new coronavirus that has not been previously identified. The virus causing coronavirus disease 2019, called COVID-19, is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illness like the common cold.

A diagnosis of coronavirus 229E, NL63, OC43, or HKU1 is not the same as a COVID-19 diagnosis. Patients with COVID-19 will be evaluated and cared for differently than patients with common coronavirus diagnosis.

Putting COVID-19 Into Perspective

As COVID-19 is newly discovered much about the virus is unknown or unconfirmed and more is learned daily.

The current mortality rate figures for COVID-19 maybe deceptively high as health officials say the number of those with the virus may be under-reported which could lower the mortality rate significantly.

There is currently a 3.4% mortality rate globally for COVID-19 versus a mortality rate for previous outbreaks of 9.6% for SARS, 34% for MERS, and 0.02% for Swine Flu. The mortality rate of the common flu this season is 0.1% in the US., which sounds low, but has caused 46,000 deaths this flu season. Thus, the common flu this season is 5 times deadlier than Swine Flu.

The concern with COVID-19 is it seems more contiguous than the common flu and more deadly.

How Does COVID-19 Spread?

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person. The transmission is between people who are in close contact with one another, meaning within about 6 feet.

The transmission is through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby and possibly be inhaled into their lungs.

Can Someone Spread The Virus Without Being Sick?

People with the virus are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic, meaning the sickest.

Some transmission might be possible before people show symptoms. There have been reports of this occurring with COVID-19. However, this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

Can The Virus Spread From Contact With Contaminated Surfaces Or Objects?

It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. But this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

For safety until more is known, it should be assumed that the virus can be transmitted from contaminated surfaces or objects.

How Easily Does COVID-19 Spread?

How easily a virus spreads from person-to-person varies. Some viruses are highly contagious and spread easily like the measles, while other viruses do not spread as easily. Another factor is whether the spread is sustained, spreading continually without stopping.

COVID-19 seems to be spreading easily and sustainably in the community in some geographic areas. This is called “community spread”. Community spread means people have been infected with the virus including some who are not sure how or where they became infected.

Who Is At Higher Risk?

According to the World Health Organization, “older persons and persons with pre-existing medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, cancer or diabetes, appear to develop serious illness more often than others.”

Although most people infected will COVID-19 have mild symptoms, about one in five require hospitalization.

So far there have been no fatalities of children under age 9 and the highest number of deaths have occurred to those 80 or older.

What Are The Symptoms of COVID-19?

The following symptoms may appear in 2-14 days after exposure.

· Fever

· Cough

· Shortness of breath

Just because a person exhibits these symptoms does not mean they have COVID-19. All the normal illnesses are still out there, the common flu, colds, and pollen season is starting.

Reduce Your Risk Of Getting Sick

· Clean your hands often and properly during the day. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place. 20 seconds is much longer than you think. Washing your hands does not kill germs. You are scrubbing the germs off and washing them away. Use a timer if needed.

· If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

· As much as possible, avoid touching high use surfaces in public places such as elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something.

· Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.

· Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs. Practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces. For example: table tops, counters doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, and sinks

· Clean your cell phone several times a day. Realize that your hands touch surfaces with germs all day. Your hands then touch your cell home, using apps, texting, etc., and you then place the cell phone next to your face when making calls.

· Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. Your risk of exposure to respiratory viruses like COVID-19 may increase in crowded, closed-in settings with little air circulation if there are people in the crowd who are sick.

· Avoid all non-essential travel.

· You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home.

For a PDF version please click here.

About Unique HomeCare Services

Unique HomeCare Services provides private in-home care for elders, those with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, and people who are recuperating from illness, injury, or surgery.

We provide both short-term and long-term in-home care needs from as little as one 4 hour day a week to 24 Hour Care and Live-In Care.

We offer a full range of in-home personal care services including Bathing, Personal Hygiene and Grooming, Dressing Assistance, Toileting and Incontinence, Feeding, and Medication Reminders.

We also provide support services such as Case Management, Accompaniment to Appointments, Nutrition and Meal Management, Light Housekeeping and Laundry Services, Bed and Wheel Chair Transfers, and Shopping and Running Errands.

Unique HomeCare Services is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts and serves the surrounding communities.

It is our pleasure to assist our veteran clients with VA Aid and Attendance Benefit approval at no cost.

We have an extensive Directory of Online Senior and Caregiver Resources for the information you need.

To schedule a no cost and no obligation In-Home Assessment to determine the home care needs and get a quote, please call us to speak to a Case Manager at (800) 296-9962 or fill out our Free Quote Contact Form.