Ivy Reyes 10/18/24 Ivy Reyes 10/18/24

7 Benefits of Companionship for the Elderly

Companionship is an essential component of caregiving that extends beyond the basics of physical care.

October 18, 2024

Companionship is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of caregiving that plays a significant role in the well-being of individuals receiving care. In an industry primarily focused on physical health and medical needs, the emotional and social components of care are vital for holistic well-being. Here’s why companionship matters in the caregiving industry and how it can enhance the quality of life for those in care.

Emotional Support

Companionship provides emotional comfort to individuals who may feel isolated or lonely. For many seniors and patients with chronic illnesses, companionship can alleviate feelings of depression and anxiety. A caregiver who engages in meaningful conversation, shares a laugh, or simply listens can help foster a sense of connection that is essential for emotional health.

Enhanced Quality of Life

Individuals receiving care often face limitations in their daily activities, which can lead to a sense of loss or frustration. Companionship helps restore a sense of purpose and joy. Caregivers who take the time to engage in hobbies, participate in games, or even enjoy a walk together contribute to a richer, more fulfilling life for their clients. This enhancement in quality of life can lead to better overall health outcomes.

Improved Mental Health

The benefits of companionship extend beyond emotional support; they also impact cognitive health. Social interaction is known to stimulate cognitive function and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Engaging in conversations, playing memory games, or simply sharing stories can keep the mind active and engaged, which is particularly beneficial for older adults.

Trust and Rapport

A strong caregiver-client relationship built on trust and companionship can lead to more effective care. When clients feel comfortable with their caregivers, they are more likely to communicate their needs and preferences. This open line of communication fosters a collaborative approach to care, ensuring that the individual’s wishes are respected and met.

Reduction of Caregiver Burnout

The caregiving profession can be emotionally and physically demanding. When caregivers prioritize companionship, they may find their roles more rewarding and less isolating. Building relationships with clients can provide caregivers with a sense of purpose, reducing feelings of burnout and increasing job satisfaction. This dynamic creates a positive feedback loop where both caregivers and clients benefit from companionship.

Encouragement of Independence

Companionship can empower clients to maintain a degree of independence. Caregivers can encourage individuals to participate in activities they enjoy or support them in pursuing new interests. This encouragement helps clients feel valued and capable, which can significantly enhance their self-esteem and overall outlook on life.

Social Engagement

For many individuals, especially seniors, social engagement can decline due to mobility issues or the loss of peers. Caregivers can help bridge this gap by facilitating social interactions, whether through group activities, community events, or simply spending time together. This social stimulation is crucial for maintaining emotional and mental health.

Companionship is an essential component of caregiving that extends beyond the basics of physical care. It fosters emotional support, enhances quality of life, and promotes mental well-being for both clients and caregivers. As the caregiving industry continues to evolve, it is vital to recognize and prioritize the importance of companionship in delivering holistic, compassionate care. By doing so, we can ensure that individuals receiving care not only live longer but also live better.

Ivy Reyes 7/23/24 Ivy Reyes 7/23/24

Bradley Cooper Producing New Documentary Called “Caregiving”

July 23, 2024

Bradley Cooper, the multiple Oscar nominee, actor, director, producer, writer, is producing a new documentary called “Caregiving” which will feature a diverse group of caregivers with different experiences and backgrounds. This documentary will highlight the personal stories of caregivers, their struggles and triumphs, their impact and sacrifice. Cooper produced and starred in the hit movies A Star is Born and Maestro. It’s refreshing to see a respected person in the film industry calling attention to such an important and under-represented subject.

This topic is personal for Cooper because he was a caregiver for his father, Charles J. Copper, who passed away from lung cancer in 2011. He wants to bring the discussion of caregiving to the forefront of conversations and to help make the voices of caregivers be heard.

With the demand for caregivers rising as baby boomers age and life expectancy increases, it’s about time we raise the banners for our caregivers.

You can watch the Caregiving sizzle reel here. The documentary is scheduled to be released in Spring 2025.

Ivy Reyes 6/26/24 Ivy Reyes 6/26/24

How to Talk With Your Loved One About Home Care

It might be difficult to start the conversation with a loved one about their need to get a caregiver. Understanding why it’s a sensitive topic and doing a little bit of preparation will make this process a little bit easier.

June 26, 2024

It might be difficult to start the conversation with a loved one about their need to get a caregiver. Understanding why it is a sensitive topic and doing some preparation will make this process a little bit easier.

Here are a few reasons preventing you or them from breaching this topic:

They may be in denial about getting older and needing some help.
They may not know the benefits of having a home caregiver.
They may be averse to making changes in their lives.
They may be worried about the cost.
They may be hesitant to have a “stranger” come into their home.

There are many more reasons not listed here and understanding how they feel is the first step you need to take. Consider that they may be feeling some or all of these normal concerns. Then, contemplate on the following tips for before, during and after your conversation with your loved one:

Before:

Do your research.

How can you or your loved one benefit from having a caregiver? Knowing this can help you make a compelling case when talking to them.

Frame your message.
You don’t want your loved one to be on the defensive. So it’s important to highlight your concerns for their safety and well-being instead of making them feel like they’re losing the ability to care for themselves.
Find support.

You can enlist the help of another trusted family, friend or even a doctor. It may be beneficial to hear from another person.

Practice.

Go over what you plan to say and practice with another person. Anticipate your loved one’s response or the questions you may get from them, and prepare your own response.

During:

Make it a conversation.

Present your thoughts and listen to what they have to say. Address their concerns and promise to get the answers to the questions you don’t know how to answer.

Focus on the positives.

Remember to highlight the benefits of getting a caregiver. Lean on the research you’ve done. Again, don’t forget to address their concerns.

Call on your support person.

If you need to, get your support person to help back you up. Just make sure that your loved one doesn’t feel like you are uniting against them.

After:

Follow up.

If they had questions you couldn’t answer, make sure to find the answer and follow up with your loved one.

We hope that these tips can help you navigate this difficult dialogue and that you remember to do this with empathy and understanding. Do not hesitate to call us at Light and Life Home Care if you need any assistance.

Ivy Reyes 6/18/24 Ivy Reyes 6/18/24

Interesting Survey Results on Long-term Care Services and Support

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) conducted a survey on 1,573 adults in the U.S. in May 2022 to gather sentiments regarding long-term care services and support for older adults and people with disabilities who require assistance with activities of daily living.

Fewer than half of adults (43%) say they have ever had a serious conversation with a loved one about who will take care of them if they need help with daily activities in the future.
Even fewer (39%) have talked about how the cost of such care would be paid for.
Four in ten adults (43%) say they are not confident that they will have the financial resources to pay for the care they might need as they age.
Only 28% of adults ages 50-64 say they have set aside money that could be used to pay for future living assistance expenses.
Only 48% of adults 65 and older say they have set aside money that could be used to pay for future living assistance expenses. So more than half in this age group has not put any money aside for this.
Nursing home costs are estimated to be $100,000 for one year on average in the U.S. Compared to the estimated $60,000 for one year assistance for in-home care.
Medicare coverage of long-term care is limited. Medicaid is the main source of coverage for these services. Four in ten adults incorrectly believe that Medicare is the primary source of nursing care or home care coverage.
Almost half (45%) of adults who moved into a long-term care facility, or had their loved one move into one, say they encountered unexpected costs for things they thought were included but were added on as extra charges by the facility.
About half of adults (51%) found it difficult to find nurses or aides to help with everyday activities. Compared to 61% who found it difficult to find a facility to meet their or their loved ones needs.
More people are satisfied with the quality of care they received from in-home care versus long-term facility care. Only 68% of adults with personal experience or sufficient knowledge of a loved one’s time in a long-term care facility is “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with the quality of care they received, compared with 78% of those who used in-home care that are satisfied with the quality of care they received from a nurse or aide.
More people are satisfied with the cost of care of in-home care versus long-term care facilities. 63% of adults having experience with in-home care versus 48% of adults having experience with long-term care facilities.

Source

Ivy Reyes 5/21/24 Ivy Reyes 5/21/24

Not All Heroes Wear Capes

While attending Mass yesterday, the elderly lady in front of us lost consciousness. I noticed what was happening and my first instinct was to get help from my mother who was sitting all the way at the other end of our pew. She’s a retired nurse with decades of experience with the elderly and the sick…

May 20, 2024

While attending Mass yesterday, the elderly lady in front of us lost consciousness. Luckily, she was kneeling at the time so she didn’t fall on the floor and simply leaned towards her husband. The husband was calling her name and tried to wake her up. I noticed what was happening and my first instinct was to get help from my mother who was sitting all the way at the other end of our pew. She’s a retired nurse with decades of experience with the elderly and the sick, having worked at a long-term care facility in New York City. She rushed over to help care for the lady, while my husband tried to get the lady in a better position so as not to fall further, and I grabbed my phone to call 911. Thankfully, the lady gained consciousness after a minute or so, and the Emergency Medical Services came to assess her and bring her to the hospital. But this incident made me realize one thing: even though I'm an adult now with 3 kids, I still look towards my mother for help in cases like this. This wasn’t the first time that someone fainted in our vicinity at church.

Heroes are Not Always Calm and Confident

The truth is that I don’t normally seek my mother when my children are sick or when they hurt themselves. Primarily because she panics, her blood pressure rises, and she always looks close to tears when she sees any family member hurt, especially her grandchildren. Somehow, if it’s a stranger who needs help, she acts calmly and knows exactly what to do. It probably makes sense to be more affected by seeing a family member hurt, thereby clouding one’s judgment. The husband of the elderly lady was a good example as he was in shock and mostly in a panic trying to wake her.

I also realized that I felt a little guilty that I couldn’t provide more assistance. The lady was directly in front of me after all, and all I did was ask my mother for help and then call 911 for more help.

Heroes Help other Heroes

This incident made me wonder how many of us become so distraught seeing a loved one hurt or in a medical emergency that our judgment is clouded and we fail to give them the help that they need? How many of us fail to ask for help? And how many of us feel guilty about asking for help? These are all not uncommon, and in fact natural. But if we want to help our loved ones and do something truly heroic, there are 3 main things we can do:

Recognize when you need help.
Seek and accept the help of others.
Release the guilt of seeking help for your loved one.

These also apply for when your loved one needs a caregiver. It is important to recognize the signs that you need support – read my blog “5 Signs It’s Time to Use a Home Care Provider”. When you assess that you need some assistance, seek for a trustworthy home care service. Do your due diligence finding the help that you need. And lastly, release the guilt of needing to ask for support because you are only trying to do what’s best for everyone.

We don’t all have to be the hero that we think we need to be. Sometimes we simply need to be the hero that someone needs at that moment in time.

Ivy Reyes 5/1/24 Ivy Reyes 5/1/24

Similarities Between Caring for Small Children and the Elderly

I have a 3-year old toddler and I can’t help but notice the similarities between taking care of a toddler and caring for an elderly parent.

Autonomy vs Safety

For both small children and the elderly, there’s a need to balance safety and autonomy. I can prevent my toddler from climbing the rock wall in the playground, but if I do, how would he learn to take calculated risks, and build the strength to do such things, and acquire the confidence when he successfully climbs it? In the same vein, we can tell our parents that they can’t live alone anymore because someone needs to make sure that they don’t slip and fall, or that they take their medications on time or that they eat nutritious meals. But taking away their autonomy can make them defensive or even contribute to the decline of their health. We need to think about how to strike a good balance between autonomy and safety.

It Takes a Village

We’ve all heard the adage that “it takes a village to raise a child”. What I’ve observed is that we should say the same about taking care of our elderly. When this responsibility only falls on one primary caregiver, it takes a toll on that person’s physical and mental health. We have a responsibility to help care for our elderly and this can be in the form of volunteering at our local aging centers or dropping by to visit an elderly neighbor.

May Need to Hire a Caregiver

Every parent or parent-to-be knows that eventually they will have to hire a nanny or find a daycare for their child so they can go back to work. Most of them start looking for these resources before the baby is born. And yet, we are usually blindsided when the need arises to find a caregiver for our elderly loved ones. As a result, we struggle to know our options or to even know where to start looking. In addition, we are unprepared for the financial impact of elderly care. It’s important to consider the potential need to hire a caregiver, not just for our children but for our elderly loved ones.

Lack of Government Financial Support

Unfortunately, in the United States, we don’t get enough financial support from the government to fund the care of our children or our elderly. Florida, Oklahoma, Vermont, and the District of Columbia are the only states that enroll all 4-year-olds in free preschool programs. Several states offer some form of free pre-school, but programs may have limited entry, fewer days per week, or may not cover the full cost of tuition. And what about care for children ages 0 to 3? Government funding is just as limited for elderly care. Medicare and most health insurance plans don’t cover long-term care. As a result, caring for our children and our elderly can take a financial toll on individuals.

There are many more similarities between caring for our children and our elderly but these are the ones that stand out to me the most. They’re also the ones that arguably require the most thought and consideration.

Let’s take care of each other.

Here’s my toddler enjoying a little bit of autonomy at Ikea.