Category Archives: Family Caregiver Information and Resources Posts

Our Blog posts with information and tips for family caregivers for elders, those with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and recovering from surgery or illness.

 

Is An Individual Caregiver Or A Home Care Agency Better?

When you have the responsibility for the care of a loved one, you do not want to trust just anyone.

If you or a loved one need in-home care, you want a home care agency that has the experience and a track record of helping families put together a plan that is affordable and responsive to the care needs.

Best Homecare Agencies Dedham MA

Home Care Agencies vs. Individual Caregivers

Individual home care providers are individual people providing in-home care by themselves. They may have to juggle the individual needs and schedules of many patients. This makes their availability very limited.

They may get sick, take a vacation, or need to spend more time with another client whose health may be declining.

They also may not have the level of skill needed to care for you or your loved one should health needs become more complex.

Advantages of Working with a Home Care Agency

A home care agency has many caregivers that can be assigned to provide in-home care. There is always coverage if a caregiver is out or away. With more than one caregiver home care agencies have coverage should you need more help.

There are additional staff members with varies skills if more specialized care is needed.

Agencies typically have a wider range of in-home services they can provide.

Agencies fully screen their caregiving staff.

Download the Guide to the Choosing the Best Homecare Agencies for more details.

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.

What Is The Cost Of Home Care?

 

In-Home Care Services Are More Affordable Than You Might Think

When you or a loved one needs personal care, deciding on the right type of care can make all the difference in the world. There are several care options.

What Type of Care Do You Need?

If your loved one is in poor or declining health, either mentally or physically, and health care needs are many, an assisted living facility or home care may not be the best option due to the cost involved. In this case, a skilled nursing facility, or nursing home made be a better option.

price of home care

Nursing homes are similar to hospitals because they are more able to provide skilled care to seniors with more intensive or urgent needs. For example, if your loved one needs care around the clock then a skilled nursing facility may be the best option.

What About Assisted Living Facilities?

Assisted living residences may, or may not have licensed nurses on their staff.

Because they are considered non-medical facilities- some assisted living facilities do not have a nurse or doctor connected with them at all. This is because they are not required by law to have a licensed nurse at their agency.

Accordingly, even if the assisted living facility does have a nurse, they cannot give hands-on care such as administering oxygen, dressing a wound, administering insulin 24 hours a day, or other care that is defined by the state and federal governments as “skilled nursing care.”

When is In-Home Care a Good Option?

We recommend that families always do an in-home evaluation to determine the level of care needed before making a decision on the best option. We believe that the individual and family are the best judges of what will work best for them and their unique situation.

We understand that the price of home care Dedham and other communities can be a primary concern for many families looking for in-home medical or non-medical services.

Some people assume that it in-home health care or personal care will be too expensive but if you compare all your options in most cases where the health or other care needs are not that intensive in-home care is your most cost effective option.

The Cost of Home Care

Typically, the price of home care is determined by the number of hours needed. In some cases, there is a 4 hour minimum for homecare services, but you can choose as many or as little services as you feel are necessary.

Hourly rates in Massachusetts, average $25 per hour for a Health Aide. For example, if you need a home health aide 4 hours per day for 5 days per week, then the yearly cost would be approximately $26,000 per year.

Contrast this cost with the yearly cost of a nursing home which is $131,400. Compare this with the yearly cost of a one-bedroom apartment in an assisted living facility which is approximately $55,920, in-home care is so much more cost effective than the other options.

How To Pay For In-Home Care

In-Home care services can be paid for directly by the client or through a variety of public and private funding sources.

These funding sources may include workers’ compensation, Long Term Care Insurance, as well as Medicaid.

About Unique HomeCare Services

Unique HomeCare Services provides in-home care for elders and people who are recuperating from illness, injury, or surgery.

We offer a full range of in-home care services such as personal care, grooming and incontinence care, bathing and dressing, post-hospitalization care, Alzheimer’s and Dementia care, and medication management.

We also provide non-medical support services such as meal planning and preparation, light housekeeping, caring companionship, shopping/errands, accompanying to medical and other appointments, as well as case management services.

Our services are available for long-term and short-term care needs from as little as a one 4 hour day visit a week to 24 Hour and Live-In Care.

We also offer Respite Care services to assist family caregivers going away or with caregiver fatigue.

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.

Our service area is Boston, Norwood, Dedham, Westwood, Walpole, Canton, Sharon, Stoughton, Avon, Braintree, Easton, Milton, Quincy, Weymouth, and surrounding towns.

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

Geriatric Care Managers What They Do To Help Seniors

 

Geriatric Care Managers: Helping Seniors and Their Families

geriatric care managers dedham

What is a Geriatric Care Manager?

Geriatric Care Managers are invaluable in helping seniors and their families figure out how to get the care they need.

Seniors health care policies are extremely complicated and to try and understand the benefits and exclusions of these policies can be challenging for seniors and their families.

These are trained professionals who can help you or your loved one with all aspects of the care management and caregiving process.

The Geriatric Care Manager Role

A Geriatric Care Manager works with the family and senior to create and implement a comprehensive short and long-term care plan which enables the senior to maintain their health and independence.

This is accomplished by putting in place staff and services with the highest quality care at the best price. Geriatric care managers have a specialization in caring for seniors, and some can also provide care to people with disabilities, no matter the care needs or age of the client.

Qualifications of a Geriatric Care Manager

Care managers typically have graduate-level degrees in nursing, psychology, social work, or gerontology, and most are certified or licensed.

The Process of Getting Help

When the Geriatric Care managers begin their work, they typically start with an assessment of the person’s needs, which includes exploring the available family and community resources, financial resources, as well as the physical and mental health of the client.

Once the initial evaluation is made and the care plan created, the Geriatric Care Manager continuously monitors and re-evaluates the plan by either advising the family about existing resources or by becoming a member of the long-term care team.

What Do Geriatric Care Managers Do

Generally, geriatric care managers will help with the following:

  • Screen and Assess care needs.
  • Determine the client’s eligibility for financial assistance, problems, and services required.
  • Arrange for and monitor in-home medical care and related services.
  • Provide counseling and support for families, client, and others involved in the caregiving process.
  • Provide advocacy for the client and/or family.
  • Assist a client in changing their living environment, if needed.
  • Assist with coordination and communication between family members and caregivers.
  • Offer crisis intervention, as needed.
  • Make referrals to specialists for medical, legal, dietary, or financial matters.

Custom Care

Geriatric Care Managers tailor each care plan to each individual’s custom needs. Therefore, it is important to make all of your needs known to the Geriatric Care Manager initially when you meet with them.

Benefits of Hiring a Geriatric Care Manager:

Convenience: Not all, but some are available around the clock

Continuity: It is easier for the caregiver to ensure continuity of care

Control of Costs: They coordinate to help keep costs down

Custom Care: Care manager tailors care to your loved ones needs

Flexibility: Having a person who is available at times when you need them, enables you to resume many of your normal activities

Higher Quality Care: Geriatric care managers are governed by standards of quality care set forth by the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers

About Unique HomeCare Services

Unique HomeCare Services provides in-home care for elders and people who are recuperating from illness, injury, or surgery.

We offer a full range of in-home care services such as personal care, grooming and incontinence care, bathing and dressing, post-hospitalization care, Alzheimer’s and Dementia care, and medication management.

We also provide non-medical support services such as meal planning and preparation, light housekeeping, caring companionship, shopping/errands, accompanying to medical and other appointments, as well as case management services.

Our services are available for long-term and short-term care needs from as little as a one 4 hour day visit a week to 24 Hour and Live-In Care.

We also offer Respite Care services to assist family caregivers going away or with caregiver fatigue.

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.

Our service area is Boston, Norwood, Dedham, Westwood, Walpole, Canton, Sharon, Stoughton, Avon, Braintree, Easton, Milton, Quincy, Weymouth, and surrounding towns.

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