Following are adaptive devices you can easily install and add to a senior’s home for a combined total of about $500. Prices are approximates and may vary by vendor.
1. Raised toilet seats with arms that lock onto an existing toilet provide height and support to stand. $90
2. Hand-held shower nozzle slips directly over a tub faucet. $24
3. Floor to ceiling grab bar provides a full range of heights to hold onto while sitting or standing up. It can be installed by the bed, in the bathroom or by a favorite chair. $150
4. Lever doorknob turner adapters attach securely to a variety of round door knobs to provide leverage for easy opening. $22
5. Lever handles attach to recliner chair handles to serve as an extension. $22
6. Various kitchen items are available including automatic openers that remove lids and open cans, jars and bottles. $50
7. Rubber ramps that are ADA compliant are often easy to install to most surfaces. Ramp stays in place by its sheer weight and can be moved from one opening to another. $36
8. Mobile stools are particularly useful to help seniors navigate a kitchen. $100.
9. Aging in place: Priceless!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
A Home Safety Review and Checklist
Seniors and their families might want to look for the following opportunities when performing a home safety review.
√ Examine dark pathways, corners and other areas where seniors regularly walk or read. Make sure all areas of the home have adequate lighting. Timed and motion-sensor lights outdoors can illuminate potentially dangerous pathways. Inside, consider Ott-Lites – which provide a high-intensity beam for doing detail work. Make sure that hallways and stairs are properly lit.
√ Avoid monochromatic color schemes. Contrast can help seniors with failing eyesight better navigate their homes. Large red and blue buttons over hot and cold water faucet controls will help prevent dangerous mistakes. A dark green or brown toilet seat and vinyl tape around the shower will make those fixtures more easily distinguished. Kitchen countertops should contrast with floors as well.
√ Look for ways to reorganize. Mom always put the black stew pot under the stove to keep the kids from breaking it. Perhaps now it belongs on a shelf beside the stove. And who says the eggs must go in the egg tray of the refrigerator? Perhaps it’s easier for dad to handle them if they’re stored in the meat tray. If that hallway table, which has always been a permanent fixture, is becoming a dangerous obstacle, relocate it.
√ Look behind closed doors. Many seniors will close off parts of a house they no longer use. Be sure to check those areas regularly for mold or water damage. Don’t close vents to crawl spaces.
√ Look for ways to simplify your senior’s life. Talk to your parents about why and how they do things then look for ways to simplify their lives. If your Mom’s immaculate floors are now regularly dirty, think about how she’s been doing that job all these years and offer options.
Rather than a heavy mop and bucket, investigate light-weight mops. If your senior is replacing appliances, look for smooth-top stoves and refrigerators with water and ice on the outside. Change door knobs to levers, or purchase grips that can go on conventional knobs. Convert single-bulb light fixtures to multiple bulbs so seniors still have light when one bulb burns out.
√ Consider security. Think about the potential dangers that lurk within your loved one’s home. Lock-in switches on thermostats and stoves will keep seniors with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease from harming themselves. Help them manage in their environment by installing a cordless intercom.
√ Keep an eye out for damage. Watch for signs that a senior is adapting his or her behavior to the environment. Look for towel bars or window sills that are pulling away or shower curtains that have torn from seniors using them to grab onto.
√ Look for ways to make entries safe. Make sure that railings into a home are in good repair and that steps and sidewalks are not damaged. Or eliminate steps altogether. Make sure that doors into a home can be set to stay open for carrying groceries and other items in and out. Install remote-control locks.
√ Is clutter taking over? Messy conditions and broken items are important warning signs. Remove area rugs and stacks of newspapers and magazines, or other potential obstacles.
√ Contact a professional senior-care service, such as Home Instead Senior Care, which can conduct a home safety review and serve as a second set of eyes for older adults.
This list was adapted from the home safety checklist developed by Home Instead Senior Care and enhanced in cooperation with the SUNY Buffalo School of Architecture IDEA Center, the National Association of Home Builders—Remodelers CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialists), the National Aging in Place Council, and aging-in-place consultant Louis Tenenbaum.
√ Examine dark pathways, corners and other areas where seniors regularly walk or read. Make sure all areas of the home have adequate lighting. Timed and motion-sensor lights outdoors can illuminate potentially dangerous pathways. Inside, consider Ott-Lites – which provide a high-intensity beam for doing detail work. Make sure that hallways and stairs are properly lit.
√ Avoid monochromatic color schemes. Contrast can help seniors with failing eyesight better navigate their homes. Large red and blue buttons over hot and cold water faucet controls will help prevent dangerous mistakes. A dark green or brown toilet seat and vinyl tape around the shower will make those fixtures more easily distinguished. Kitchen countertops should contrast with floors as well.
√ Look for ways to reorganize. Mom always put the black stew pot under the stove to keep the kids from breaking it. Perhaps now it belongs on a shelf beside the stove. And who says the eggs must go in the egg tray of the refrigerator? Perhaps it’s easier for dad to handle them if they’re stored in the meat tray. If that hallway table, which has always been a permanent fixture, is becoming a dangerous obstacle, relocate it.
√ Look behind closed doors. Many seniors will close off parts of a house they no longer use. Be sure to check those areas regularly for mold or water damage. Don’t close vents to crawl spaces.
√ Look for ways to simplify your senior’s life. Talk to your parents about why and how they do things then look for ways to simplify their lives. If your Mom’s immaculate floors are now regularly dirty, think about how she’s been doing that job all these years and offer options.
Rather than a heavy mop and bucket, investigate light-weight mops. If your senior is replacing appliances, look for smooth-top stoves and refrigerators with water and ice on the outside. Change door knobs to levers, or purchase grips that can go on conventional knobs. Convert single-bulb light fixtures to multiple bulbs so seniors still have light when one bulb burns out.
√ Consider security. Think about the potential dangers that lurk within your loved one’s home. Lock-in switches on thermostats and stoves will keep seniors with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease from harming themselves. Help them manage in their environment by installing a cordless intercom.
√ Keep an eye out for damage. Watch for signs that a senior is adapting his or her behavior to the environment. Look for towel bars or window sills that are pulling away or shower curtains that have torn from seniors using them to grab onto.
√ Look for ways to make entries safe. Make sure that railings into a home are in good repair and that steps and sidewalks are not damaged. Or eliminate steps altogether. Make sure that doors into a home can be set to stay open for carrying groceries and other items in and out. Install remote-control locks.
√ Is clutter taking over? Messy conditions and broken items are important warning signs. Remove area rugs and stacks of newspapers and magazines, or other potential obstacles.
√ Contact a professional senior-care service, such as Home Instead Senior Care, which can conduct a home safety review and serve as a second set of eyes for older adults.
This list was adapted from the home safety checklist developed by Home Instead Senior Care and enhanced in cooperation with the SUNY Buffalo School of Architecture IDEA Center, the National Association of Home Builders—Remodelers CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialists), the National Aging in Place Council, and aging-in-place consultant Louis Tenenbaum.
The Parent Trap
Boomers Help Mom and Dad
Avoid a Home’s Potential Pitfalls
Baby Boomers may dream of owning a second home as they head into their retirement years. But instead of caring for a vacation house, adult children often find themselves helping an aging mom and dad avoid the safety pitfalls of the family home.
There’s no doubt where seniors want to be as they age. The majority of seniors polled in recent industry surveys – typically 90 percent – say they want to stay at home. But in a 2007 AARP independent living study, two-thirds of Boomer women surveyed said they are concerned about their parents’ ability to live independently as they get older, with 43 percent being very concerned and 26 percent somewhat concerned.1
It’s a legitimate fear. “Many seniors and their families don’t think about the fact that homes must adapt to the changing needs of seniors as they age until an accident
happens,” said Tiffany Alcantara, Manager of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving San Luis Obispo
“There are many potential pitfalls that we’ve seen during the home safety reviews that our company conducts before starting service in a client’s home. Our reviews cover 50 different items throughout a home including the entrance, living areas, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and stairways. Important safety areas to highlight in a senior’s home run the gamut from accessibility to lighting to trip and fall hazards. A lack of attention to those details can jeopardize an older adult’s ability to remain at home,” Alcantara said.
Many home safety improvements are simple and inexpensive, experts say. Convincing seniors, on the other hand, is another story. Danise Levine, assistant director of the IDEA Center at the SUNY (State University of New York) Buffalo School of Architecture, said that denial often comes into play with seniors.
“We see a lot of seniors who don’t want to admit they’re getting older so they don’t want to make changes in their homes,” Levine said. “Secondly, consumer education is an issue. If older adults do need help they often don’t know where to go or how much things cost.”
Those issues can result in seniors’ adapting behavior to their environment, creating a potentially dangerous situation, said Levine, whose IDEA Center is dedicated to improving the design of environments and products by making them more usable.
“If a senior has problems getting off the toilet, he could develop a several-step process of using a window sill, shower curtain and towel bar to get up.” However, a window sill and towel bar will eventually pull away and break and a shower curtain will tear under the strain, creating the potential for an accident.
Unfortunately, many home makeover changes are responsive rather than proactive, noted Peter Bell, president of the National Aging in Place Council, a Washington-based advocacy group dedicated to helping seniors remain at home. “Too often changes aren’t made until someone has had a stroke or other type of condition that begins to impair their mobility,” Bell said. “It’s a shame, too, because that’s a difficult time to be making a renovation.”
Bell said that it’s important for a senior-care professional to conduct a home review to identify various safety pitfalls from poor lighting to the need for adaptive devices in a home. (The attached checklist includes various potential hazards to look for in a home.) While many fixes are simple and inexpensive, others might involve a remodeling project to help a senior remain at home.
“That first, important step is to make an objective review of what needs to be done to keep them at home,” Alcantara said. “It’s one of the most important services that Home Instead Senior Care provides.”
Avoid a Home’s Potential Pitfalls
Baby Boomers may dream of owning a second home as they head into their retirement years. But instead of caring for a vacation house, adult children often find themselves helping an aging mom and dad avoid the safety pitfalls of the family home.
There’s no doubt where seniors want to be as they age. The majority of seniors polled in recent industry surveys – typically 90 percent – say they want to stay at home. But in a 2007 AARP independent living study, two-thirds of Boomer women surveyed said they are concerned about their parents’ ability to live independently as they get older, with 43 percent being very concerned and 26 percent somewhat concerned.1
It’s a legitimate fear. “Many seniors and their families don’t think about the fact that homes must adapt to the changing needs of seniors as they age until an accident
happens,” said Tiffany Alcantara, Manager of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving San Luis Obispo
“There are many potential pitfalls that we’ve seen during the home safety reviews that our company conducts before starting service in a client’s home. Our reviews cover 50 different items throughout a home including the entrance, living areas, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and stairways. Important safety areas to highlight in a senior’s home run the gamut from accessibility to lighting to trip and fall hazards. A lack of attention to those details can jeopardize an older adult’s ability to remain at home,” Alcantara said.
Many home safety improvements are simple and inexpensive, experts say. Convincing seniors, on the other hand, is another story. Danise Levine, assistant director of the IDEA Center at the SUNY (State University of New York) Buffalo School of Architecture, said that denial often comes into play with seniors.
“We see a lot of seniors who don’t want to admit they’re getting older so they don’t want to make changes in their homes,” Levine said. “Secondly, consumer education is an issue. If older adults do need help they often don’t know where to go or how much things cost.”
Those issues can result in seniors’ adapting behavior to their environment, creating a potentially dangerous situation, said Levine, whose IDEA Center is dedicated to improving the design of environments and products by making them more usable.
“If a senior has problems getting off the toilet, he could develop a several-step process of using a window sill, shower curtain and towel bar to get up.” However, a window sill and towel bar will eventually pull away and break and a shower curtain will tear under the strain, creating the potential for an accident.
Unfortunately, many home makeover changes are responsive rather than proactive, noted Peter Bell, president of the National Aging in Place Council, a Washington-based advocacy group dedicated to helping seniors remain at home. “Too often changes aren’t made until someone has had a stroke or other type of condition that begins to impair their mobility,” Bell said. “It’s a shame, too, because that’s a difficult time to be making a renovation.”
Bell said that it’s important for a senior-care professional to conduct a home review to identify various safety pitfalls from poor lighting to the need for adaptive devices in a home. (The attached checklist includes various potential hazards to look for in a home.) While many fixes are simple and inexpensive, others might involve a remodeling project to help a senior remain at home.
“That first, important step is to make an objective review of what needs to be done to keep them at home,” Alcantara said. “It’s one of the most important services that Home Instead Senior Care provides.”
10 Ways Seniors Can Stretch Their Dollars
Following, from Home Instead Senior Care and various senior and financial experts, are 10 ways that seniors can stretch their dollars:
Seek the services of an objective financial planner. Sheryl Garrett, CFP®, founder of the Garrett Planning Network, said it’s important for seniors to seek the advice of an objective fiduciary. The Garrett Planning Network (www.garrettplanningnetwork.com) features experts throughout the country who offer their advice on a fee-only basis.
Get a second opinion on investments and financial purchases. If you’re approached about changing your investments or making a purchase, make sure you get another opinion.
Contact your local Area Agency on Aging if you’re having trouble paying for food and gas. For more information or an office near you, log on to National Association of Area Agencies on Aging at www.n4a.org.
Get back to gardening. The economic downturn is generating a resurgence in gardening, and the over 55 crowd traditionally has been among the most avid gardeners. The national seed and plant company Burpee has experienced unprecedented 40 percent growth this year, double its normal rate, according to CEO George Ball. With food costs up as much as 25 percent in places, gardening provides a 1 to 10 savings ratio, according to Ball. “In other words, for every $100 you spend on garden plants, you’ll get $1,000 in produce. While $100 in groceries may last for only a couple of weeks, a senior can eat for six months on the produce from $100 in plants,” Ball said.
Avoid convenience foods, which are more expensive. Watch for sales on fresh or canned fruits, vegetables and meats, which will be less expensive than convenience foods and better for you.
Look for deals on generic medications. Contact your pharmacist about ways to save money on your medications.
Walk when you can. If the gas prices are cutting into your social life, organize a walking club or walk with friends.
Carpool when you can’t walk. There’s economy in numbers. If you can’t afford to drive somewhere solo or in pairs, contact others you know going in the same direction or the same place and share costs.
Keep drapes drawn during the heat of the day, and minimize opening and closing doors in the cold of the winter. Close off parts of the house you’re not using to cut down on utility costs.
Financial planner Sheryl Garrett says that the ability of seniors to live at home helps cut costs as well. If you or a loved one needs assistance around the house, contact Home Instead Senior Care or visit the company’s Web site at www.homeinstead.com/345.
Seek the services of an objective financial planner. Sheryl Garrett, CFP®, founder of the Garrett Planning Network, said it’s important for seniors to seek the advice of an objective fiduciary. The Garrett Planning Network (www.garrettplanningnetwork.com) features experts throughout the country who offer their advice on a fee-only basis.
Get a second opinion on investments and financial purchases. If you’re approached about changing your investments or making a purchase, make sure you get another opinion.
Contact your local Area Agency on Aging if you’re having trouble paying for food and gas. For more information or an office near you, log on to National Association of Area Agencies on Aging at www.n4a.org.
Get back to gardening. The economic downturn is generating a resurgence in gardening, and the over 55 crowd traditionally has been among the most avid gardeners. The national seed and plant company Burpee has experienced unprecedented 40 percent growth this year, double its normal rate, according to CEO George Ball. With food costs up as much as 25 percent in places, gardening provides a 1 to 10 savings ratio, according to Ball. “In other words, for every $100 you spend on garden plants, you’ll get $1,000 in produce. While $100 in groceries may last for only a couple of weeks, a senior can eat for six months on the produce from $100 in plants,” Ball said.
Avoid convenience foods, which are more expensive. Watch for sales on fresh or canned fruits, vegetables and meats, which will be less expensive than convenience foods and better for you.
Look for deals on generic medications. Contact your pharmacist about ways to save money on your medications.
Walk when you can. If the gas prices are cutting into your social life, organize a walking club or walk with friends.
Carpool when you can’t walk. There’s economy in numbers. If you can’t afford to drive somewhere solo or in pairs, contact others you know going in the same direction or the same place and share costs.
Keep drapes drawn during the heat of the day, and minimize opening and closing doors in the cold of the winter. Close off parts of the house you’re not using to cut down on utility costs.
Financial planner Sheryl Garrett says that the ability of seniors to live at home helps cut costs as well. If you or a loved one needs assistance around the house, contact Home Instead Senior Care or visit the company’s Web site at www.homeinstead.com/345.
10 Cost Cutting Warning Signs
Following, from Home Instead Senior Care and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, are ways that a downturn in the economy could impact seniors. If you’re a family caregiver, ask yourself the following questions. If you’re an older adult experiencing difficulties because of the economy, contact your local Area Agency on Aging or Home Instead Senior Care office. Or, if you have a financial issue, contact the Garrett Planning Network.
Is your senior’s home too warm in the summer and too cold in the winter?
Is the lawn not getting mowed nor is the sidewalk getting cleaned in inclement weather?
Is your loved one complaining about not being able to afford medications?
Are home repairs not getting made?
Is there a shortage of food in the house?
Is your senior skipping doctor’s appointments?
Is your older adult staying home more and becoming isolated?
Is your senior cutting out entertainment?
Does your loved one eat out less?
Did your senior cancel a vacation?
Is your senior’s home too warm in the summer and too cold in the winter?
Is the lawn not getting mowed nor is the sidewalk getting cleaned in inclement weather?
Is your loved one complaining about not being able to afford medications?
Are home repairs not getting made?
Is there a shortage of food in the house?
Is your senior skipping doctor’s appointments?
Is your older adult staying home more and becoming isolated?
Is your senior cutting out entertainment?
Does your loved one eat out less?
Did your senior cancel a vacation?
Cutting Corners
Pinched by the Economy, Older Adults Put
Themselves at Risk
Evidence is mounting that older adults are cutting everyday expenses to keep up with the economic downturn. Local senior-care experts warn families to be on alert to make sure seniors aren’t cutting too deeply. Warning signs include skipping medications, pulling the plug on air conditioning and canceling social outings.
In a report released in May by AARP titled “The Economic Slowdown’s Impact on Middle-Aged and Older Americans,” 59 percent of seniors 65 and older surveyed said they’d found it more difficult to pay for essential items such as food, gas and medicine. Nearly half (47 percent) said they found it more difficult to pay for utilities such as heating, cooling or phone service. Forty-six percent have reduced the number of times they eat out and 45 percent cut back spending on entertainment.1
“Cuts of essential items such as food and medication should be of immediate concern to seniors’ families,” said Tiffany Alcantara of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving San Luis Obispo.
“Other reductions in spending can lead to less obvious issues. One of the biggest problems that we see is senior isolation, which has been magnified during this troubled time in our economy with the high price of gas,” she added.
“When seniors’ families live a distance from their loved ones, or when Boomer children are busy trying to make ends meet themselves, an older adult can get in trouble very quickly. That’s why it’s so important that someone look out for the well-being of seniors to ensure they are safe in their homes and eating properly, taking their medications and able to maintain their appointments and social life,” she said.
Falling interest rates, fixed incomes and seniors’ fears of past hardships can influence how they react to the current economic slowdown, according to Sheryl Garrett, CFP®, author of Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies® and several other books on financial planning. “Some seniors may be running short on money but, for others, there’s always that fear of running out because they lived through the Depression. They know how ugly it can get.”
It’s important also for seniors to guard against fraud and too-good-to-be-true offers, Garrett advises. “Seniors want to get the best that they can from their investments without falling for scams or overselling tactics,” she said. Older adults also should beware of CDs and fixed annuities that can promise higher interest rates, but force
seniors to lock in their money for longer time periods or otherwise put their investments at risk, Garrett noted. Always get a second opinion, Garrett advises.
Seniors at all income levels may be facing choices they haven’t had to make in the past, Home Instead Senior Care’s Alcantara said. “They should know where to go for help before they put themselves or their health at risk. Area Agencies on Aging, for instance, offer both food and gas assistance, so seniors should contact their local offices if they can’t make ends meet. And companies such as Home Instead Senior Care can provide transportation assistance and help around the home, and serve as a second set of eyes for seniors’ families.”
Families also can play an important role monitoring seniors who have decided to scale back because of the economy, said Alcantara. “Even seemingly innocent decisions, like cutting back a little on groceries or air conditioning, can have a damaging impact.”
1. http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/econ/economy_survey.pdf
For more information about Home Instead Senior Care, visit us on the web at www.homeinstead.com/345
Themselves at Risk
Evidence is mounting that older adults are cutting everyday expenses to keep up with the economic downturn. Local senior-care experts warn families to be on alert to make sure seniors aren’t cutting too deeply. Warning signs include skipping medications, pulling the plug on air conditioning and canceling social outings.
In a report released in May by AARP titled “The Economic Slowdown’s Impact on Middle-Aged and Older Americans,” 59 percent of seniors 65 and older surveyed said they’d found it more difficult to pay for essential items such as food, gas and medicine. Nearly half (47 percent) said they found it more difficult to pay for utilities such as heating, cooling or phone service. Forty-six percent have reduced the number of times they eat out and 45 percent cut back spending on entertainment.1
“Cuts of essential items such as food and medication should be of immediate concern to seniors’ families,” said Tiffany Alcantara of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving San Luis Obispo.
“Other reductions in spending can lead to less obvious issues. One of the biggest problems that we see is senior isolation, which has been magnified during this troubled time in our economy with the high price of gas,” she added.
“When seniors’ families live a distance from their loved ones, or when Boomer children are busy trying to make ends meet themselves, an older adult can get in trouble very quickly. That’s why it’s so important that someone look out for the well-being of seniors to ensure they are safe in their homes and eating properly, taking their medications and able to maintain their appointments and social life,” she said.
Falling interest rates, fixed incomes and seniors’ fears of past hardships can influence how they react to the current economic slowdown, according to Sheryl Garrett, CFP®, author of Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies® and several other books on financial planning. “Some seniors may be running short on money but, for others, there’s always that fear of running out because they lived through the Depression. They know how ugly it can get.”
It’s important also for seniors to guard against fraud and too-good-to-be-true offers, Garrett advises. “Seniors want to get the best that they can from their investments without falling for scams or overselling tactics,” she said. Older adults also should beware of CDs and fixed annuities that can promise higher interest rates, but force
seniors to lock in their money for longer time periods or otherwise put their investments at risk, Garrett noted. Always get a second opinion, Garrett advises.
Seniors at all income levels may be facing choices they haven’t had to make in the past, Home Instead Senior Care’s Alcantara said. “They should know where to go for help before they put themselves or their health at risk. Area Agencies on Aging, for instance, offer both food and gas assistance, so seniors should contact their local offices if they can’t make ends meet. And companies such as Home Instead Senior Care can provide transportation assistance and help around the home, and serve as a second set of eyes for seniors’ families.”
Families also can play an important role monitoring seniors who have decided to scale back because of the economy, said Alcantara. “Even seemingly innocent decisions, like cutting back a little on groceries or air conditioning, can have a damaging impact.”
1. http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/econ/economy_survey.pdf
For more information about Home Instead Senior Care, visit us on the web at www.homeinstead.com/345
Who will care for Mom?
Reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that predict an increase in the personal & home care aides job category – forecasting that to be the second fastest-growing job group in the nation over the next decade – is welcome news in a recession. But the rapid growth in this job group may not be fast enough. One local senior-care provider – Home Instead Senior Care – says the company’s recent research indicates that demand for these jobs will outpace supply in a big way.
“This could become a national crisis issue,” said Tiffany Alcantara, General Manager of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving San Luis Obispo County “At our company alone – the largest of its kind, but one of many throughout our country – the number of CAREGivers nationally is about 60,000. To keep pace with this projected demand, our company will have to double its care force in just three years, according to our research,” she noted. “On a positive note, these projections will result in job opportunities for area workers hit hard by the economy, providing part-time option for additional income or a new career in a fulfilling job field – caring for older adults.”
The government identifies personal and home care aides as professionals who help the elderly, disabled, ill and mentally disabled live in their own homes or in residential care facilities instead of in health facilities. “We’ve certainly seen the needs of seniors in our area drive the demand for our services, which in turn creates more caregiving jobs,” said Alcantara. The local Home Instead Senior Care office is part of an international franchise company whose professional CAREGivers go into the homes of seniors to help them with their non-medical needs such as companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, errands and shopping.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Economist Colleen Teixeira Moffat, who studies the occupation of personal and home care aides, said increasing health-care costs partly explain this growing demand. “It’s a lot more feasible to leave a hospital sooner when all a senior might need is assistance with daily activities,” she said. “A visiting nurse, home health aide, and personal and home care aide all will be cheaper than a stay in a residential care facility,” she said.
The training process for the profession is comprehensive but not lengthy, industry experts note. Caregivers typically complete a four-step training program, which provides the basic skills and, for some, advanced skills necessary to care for seniors. These include a
focus on safety, communications, emergency first aid, activities and routine meal preparation and light housekeeping. The more advanced training prepares caregivers to perform personal services such as toileting and bathing.
Caregiving companies are gearing up to meet this expected caregiving need by offering incentive recruiting programs and reaching out to groups that have proven to be attracted to this job category such as older adults. “At Home Instead Senior Care, we have focused our efforts on retaining quality CAREGivers, who in turn can recruit other outstanding CAREGivers,”
For information about Home Instead Senior Care or to become a client or CAREGiver, please visit our website at www.homeinstead.com/345
Do you have what it takes?
A profession caring for seniors brings many benefits. But it’s also not for everyone. That’s why it’s important to ask yourself important questions before pursuing this job path. If you love working with seniors, if you’re an understanding person and if you have served previously as a family caregiver to a loved one, or if you’re a senior yourself, you probably have some of the attributes needed to be a good professional caregiver.
In the meantime, why not complete the caregiver career self-assessment at www.heartofacaregiver.com to help you gauge whether caregiving would be a good career fit for you.
In addition to being the second fastest-growing job category nationally, CareerBuilder.com has listed personal and home care aides as one of the top 10 best part-time jobs2 as well as part of one of the top five recession-proof industries: health care3.
2. http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/01/24/best.parttime.jobs/index.html
3. http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/03/24/cb.recession.proof/index.html
“This could become a national crisis issue,” said Tiffany Alcantara, General Manager of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving San Luis Obispo County “At our company alone – the largest of its kind, but one of many throughout our country – the number of CAREGivers nationally is about 60,000. To keep pace with this projected demand, our company will have to double its care force in just three years, according to our research,” she noted. “On a positive note, these projections will result in job opportunities for area workers hit hard by the economy, providing part-time option for additional income or a new career in a fulfilling job field – caring for older adults.”
The government identifies personal and home care aides as professionals who help the elderly, disabled, ill and mentally disabled live in their own homes or in residential care facilities instead of in health facilities. “We’ve certainly seen the needs of seniors in our area drive the demand for our services, which in turn creates more caregiving jobs,” said Alcantara. The local Home Instead Senior Care office is part of an international franchise company whose professional CAREGivers go into the homes of seniors to help them with their non-medical needs such as companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, errands and shopping.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Economist Colleen Teixeira Moffat, who studies the occupation of personal and home care aides, said increasing health-care costs partly explain this growing demand. “It’s a lot more feasible to leave a hospital sooner when all a senior might need is assistance with daily activities,” she said. “A visiting nurse, home health aide, and personal and home care aide all will be cheaper than a stay in a residential care facility,” she said.
The training process for the profession is comprehensive but not lengthy, industry experts note. Caregivers typically complete a four-step training program, which provides the basic skills and, for some, advanced skills necessary to care for seniors. These include a
focus on safety, communications, emergency first aid, activities and routine meal preparation and light housekeeping. The more advanced training prepares caregivers to perform personal services such as toileting and bathing.
Caregiving companies are gearing up to meet this expected caregiving need by offering incentive recruiting programs and reaching out to groups that have proven to be attracted to this job category such as older adults. “At Home Instead Senior Care, we have focused our efforts on retaining quality CAREGivers, who in turn can recruit other outstanding CAREGivers,”
For information about Home Instead Senior Care or to become a client or CAREGiver, please visit our website at www.homeinstead.com/345
Do you have what it takes?
A profession caring for seniors brings many benefits. But it’s also not for everyone. That’s why it’s important to ask yourself important questions before pursuing this job path. If you love working with seniors, if you’re an understanding person and if you have served previously as a family caregiver to a loved one, or if you’re a senior yourself, you probably have some of the attributes needed to be a good professional caregiver.
In the meantime, why not complete the caregiver career self-assessment at www.heartofacaregiver.com to help you gauge whether caregiving would be a good career fit for you.
In addition to being the second fastest-growing job category nationally, CareerBuilder.com has listed personal and home care aides as one of the top 10 best part-time jobs2 as well as part of one of the top five recession-proof industries: health care3.
2. http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/01/24/best.parttime.jobs/index.html
3. http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/03/24/cb.recession.proof/index.html
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