Caring Companions Of Atlanta

Helping People Live With Dignity

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Mar 30 2021

Granny Cams and Care

Hello everyone…as we (hopefully) leave the pandemic in the rear view mirror and search for normalcy, we will always be left with some baggage of how life had to be altered during 2020. The ripples that rolled out were endless and affected most aspects of life in some why, shape or form.

Home Health Care in Atlanta GA: Senior Outdoor Adventure Planning
Home Health Care in Atlanta GA: Senior Outdoor Adventure Planning

For seniors and their family, the pandemic meant not being able to see loved ones and access familial support. With that, came isolation, uncertainty and, in some cases, speculation about care. How can one monitor mom and dad’s care when they have no ability to lay their eyes on them!?

One thing some families took to were video cameras. However, capturing one’s life on camera comes with many questions (see this article in US News and World Report: https://health.usnews.com/health-care/for-better/articles/should-you-use-a-granny-cam-to-monitor-a-loved-ones-care). What about privacy? What about the capture of personal and confidential conversations? Even HIPPA compliance? And what about what cameras do not “catch.”

Use of cameras in largely an attempt to make sure care is sufficient and loved ones are safe. They can be useful but it is important to note that they also might only tell part of the story. What is seen can occasionally be out of contest and cause concern when nothing nefarious is is in play. What if a conversation took place out of the camera’s eye and mic that led to an action. And action that, to the viewer, deemed inappropriate or out of place? When if fact, it was a direct result of instructions from the very person one is monitoring?

We always tell our caregivers that are working in an environment with cameras to be extra careful. It is not that we do not trust them. Rather, we just want them to know that what is seen is in play…and always be mindful of how an action might appear on camera. However innocent it might be.

For now, camera as here to stay as are all the implications of that. Keep on caring evreyone!

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Written by Adam Seever, Owner · Categorized: Senior Issues

Feb 16 2021

Trouble Finding a Caregiver?

Join the club!

Take a look at some statistics from CNN Business:

  • The senior population is projected to reach 83.7 million by 2025 (twenty percent of the total US population)
  • The US will need to hire 2.3 million new health care workers by 2025 in order to adequately take care of its aging population
  • The largest number of new job openings — about 423,200 — will be for home health aides

Layer on the above that pay rates for caregivers are low (which affects the pipeline of new caregivers entering the marketplace) and you can see a big problem ahead.

tlantaHome-Care-in--GAA good friend of mine, Cindi Gatton Principal of Pathfinder Patient Advocacy Group http://www.pathfinderpatientadvocacy.com/ penned a BLOG article that underscores the caregiver crisis. A link to her article is below:

The Caregiving Crisis

As the owner of a home care company we run into endless inquiries by families looking for a caregiver 10-20 hours a week. They are not yet ready for full time care but need some help. Sadly, as the caregiver shortage intensifies, getting such help is very, very difficult. And if they do find an agency willing to give it a try, inevitably, there will be caregiver turnover. Who wants to work 10-20 hours a week when there are endless 40+ hour jobs available?! Caregivers are always in the hunt for more hours. They too need to put food on the table.

For those in the hunt for care, brace for a couple of changes. Look for more home care companies to required more hours-a-week and longer shifts and also be prepared to pay more as demand goes up. Supply and demand in play. And care giving is not an easy job.

To all those caregivers out there that see what they do as a calling, recognize your value to those you help and keep fighting the good fight. We appreciate all you do!

Adam

 

 

 

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Written by Adam Seever, Owner · Categorized: Caregiver Stress, Senior Issues

Jan 27 2021

Concerned about a loved one getting up at night?

Most people that have been a caregiver have had a loved one or client that has been a fall risk. That alone is concerning…however, when they are a fall AND do not think they are, it is a recipe for disaster! We have seen this dynamic frequently in clients living with Parkinson’s disease…their mind still has them at full speed yet their brain has them otherwise. They get up too fast, become unstable and a fall becomes imminent.

Night is another risky time for falls. This can be aggravated by the likelihood of being woozy or semi asleep when getting up. We had just such a situation the other day and I reached out to an Occupational Therapist (OT) friend about how we might help the family keep their loved one safe. He came back with a genius solution on Amazon Smart Caregiver® Light Outlet with Cordless Grey Floor Mat and Cordless Alarm

Technology continues to evolve with new devices to keep people safe. If you have a challenge, reach out to an OT and get expert advice….you can go it alone, but their knowledge of good devices accurate and placement is worth it’s weight in gold. That being said, sometimes being simple is the best solution. In the case of our client, due to a variety of factors, a small bell attached to a walker did the trick just fine!

Stay safe and keep on caring!

Adam

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Written by Adam Seever, Owner · Categorized: fall risk, Senior Issues

Nov 30 2020

Caring in the Times of COVID

Home-Care-in-Atlanta-GA
Home Care in Atlanta GA: Caring In the Times of COVID-19

A few weeks back Caring Companions had a brush with the dreaded COVID-19 virus. Fortunately, the situation did not yield any long-term complications and everyone is fine. However, the brush made me revisit a BLOG entry I wrote a while back entitled “Do You Have a Plan C?”

The premise of that BLOG was that if you have a loved one that needs care, who is plan A and who is plan B? And, with the introduction of a pandemic, who is plan C?

Many of the families we work with consider Caring Companions their plan A. We are the front-line help and to an extent become an extension of their family. If, for some reason, their primary caregiver cannot go to help them, we send the pre trained on-call manager or they go to plan B. That is usually the family caregiver (spouse, daughter, etc.). However, in the times of a pandemic, having a plan A and B might not suffice.

Imagine this scenario. One morning plan B (the family caregiver) wakes up with COVID-19. They are contagious and, as a result, their normal plan A (Caring Companions) cannot come in due to the risk of infection. Never-the-less, their loved one still needs help. The family member with COVID is flat on their back with a fever and other symptoms. What happens to the one requiring assistance? Is plan C a family member that comes in and lends a hand? Or, is there even a plan C?

Our brush with the virus came in the form of an asymptomatic, but COVID positive caregiver being in contact with a family. Before she even felt sick the caregiver was contagious and had helped the family. As soon as her symptoms kicked in, she was tested and was positive. Fortunately, we had considered the plan C possibility and, because we do not offer skilled nursing services nor do we have the protective gear to service a COVID positive client, had identified another company that could service them with increased gear and nurse supervision.

So, for two weeks, the family was without the beloved caregivers we provide to them. Instead, they had substitutes that got them through the crisis. Once the isolation period was over and the caregiver was COVID negative, we were able to resume service and get the train back on track.

The point of this whole message is this…if you do not have a plan C, you need to get one. As unlikely as it is, the diligence in laying the foundation could mean the difference between an inconvenience and a catastrophe.

Happy caring! Thanks to all you amazing caregivers out there!

Adam

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Written by Adam Seever, Owner · Categorized: Senior Issues

Sep 15 2020

Memorycare.com

Hi friends:

Most of you know that Caring Companions of Atlanta has had many touch-points with those living with dementia and their care. Our Geriatric Care Coordinator Lynn Ross has done many seminars on care techniques and I serve on the advisory Board for Amy’s place in Roswell.

memorycare.comRecently, the community outreach person from memorycare.com, Angela Williams, emailed me to share with what they are up to and see if I might include them in my BLOG posts. So, I went and took a look.

Memorycare.com is a privately-funded venture that “uses a dual approach of data-driven research and first-hand knowledge from aging experts, medical researchers, and its board of advisors to help caregivers and those living with dementia find the tools and resources they need to achieve the best possible quality of life, while maintaining cognitive function.” Their researchers then use a rigorous formula that identifies the best memory care facilities in a given area based on the following criteria:

Location (20%)

Availability and Involvement of Experts (30%)

Facility Features (30%)

Amenities (20%)

From there, one can see facilities in their area they deemed superior. I recognize all the names of the places in the Atlanta metro area.

It is worth a look to follow their link above and take a look if you have a loved on and are considering memory care. However, I always recommend using a placement company like Care Patrol of Metro Atlanta or Senior Living Specialists of Georgia rather than going it alone…their experience and insight can help a ton and save families from being inundated with solicitation calls.

Remember, to be a good caregiver, you need to take care of yourself! This is especially so for families living with dementia. Hang in there!

Adam

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Written by Adam Seever, Owner · Categorized: Senior Issues

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Wonderful Care! ★★★★★ 5 out of 5 – by Laura S. on Aug 14, 2017

My parents recently relocated to Atlanta to be closer to family. My father has Alzheimer’s disease requiring assistance with all activities of daily living. My mother’s goal has been to care for him at home and Caring Companions has made this goal a reality. The caregivers who assist my parents were selected with care to be a good “fit.” They are even better than I had hoped for. Both of my parents look forward to seeing them because they are so kind and respectful. They go above and beyond to support my family. I could not be more pleased with the caregivers and Adam Seever! Caring companions has truly exceeded my expectations!

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  • Trouble Finding a Caregiver?
  • Concerned about a loved one getting up at night?

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