Home Instead Senior Care, Birmingham

Our friend Eric & the NBC13 Making a Difference Award

Tuesday, March 22, 2011



Congratulations Eric!


To us it's personal

The Birmingham News - "Caring for aging parents can bring siblings closer together or tear them apart".

Monday, March 21, 2011

A link to the article run in the Birmingham News discussing Home Instead Senior Care's Boomer Project.

http://blog.al.com/living-news/2011/03/caring_for_aging_parents_can_b.html

The responsibility for caring for aging parents can turn back the clock on relationships among adult children, bringing them as close together or pushing them as far apart as they were as kids, according to a new survey on elder care dynamics.
The survey by The Boomer Project, conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care home health care company, found that in nearly half of families surveyed one adult child ends up taking on the bulk of the responsibility for a parent because siblings have trouble working together. That disparity contributes to a deterioration of the siblings' relationship, the survey found.
Also among its findings:
• Forty-six percent of caregivers who report deteriorating relationships with siblings say their siblings aren't willing to help.
• Siblings tend to give themselves much higher marks for their role in elder care than they give their brothers and sisters. Seventy-three percent say they are reliable, but just 27 percent say the same of their siblings. Similar gaps were found in perceptions of communication skills and empathy.
• Among those whose relationships improved while caring for their parents, nearly all credited good communication.
• Siblings who rate their brothers and sisters highly as caregivers are seven times more likely to see their relationships improve.
• Nearly a quarter of those surveyed said that if they could change one thing about how they've handled care, they would encourage their siblings to help more.
• About two-thirds of youngest siblings describe themselves as the primary caregiver, versus 57 percent of oldest siblings and 49 percent of middle siblings.
Dan Pahos, who owns the Birmingham franchise for Home Instead, said the most common problem his staff encounters with siblings has its root in geography. When one adult child lives near the parent, and another far away, the nearest child often ends up with the greatest share of the burden by default.
The adult child handling the care sometimes feels put upon by the disparity, he said, and the one who lives far away often feels either guilt or a sense that the primary caregiver isn't doing a good enough job.
A result, experts said, can be a return to siblings' relationship roots, only more so.
"Typically, the dynamics of the family that existed prior to caregiving will continue or become magnified," said Virginia G. Wadley, an associate professor of medicine and director of the Dementia Care Research Program and Alzheimer's Family Program at UAB.
"If the siblings fought with each other before, if one was always designated as the responsible one and the other as the slacker, these same patterns and roles will be played out against the backdrop of caregiving," she said in an e-mail.
Pahos, whose company cares for about 100 seniors in greater Birmingham, echoed that conclusion.
"We tend to play in the same sandbox as we did when we were kids," he said.
Reasoned management of caregiving by siblings is important not just for the sake of their relationship, but also for the health of the parent, Wadley said.
If the siblings' relationship is poor, the primary caregiver has a greater likelihood of being depressed, and depression in a caregiver has consequences for the parent under their care.
"The parent's quality of life is affected by both the quality of care they receive and the emotional tone of their interactions with the caregiving child," Wadley said.
Communication, both Wadley and Pahos said, is key. Among Wadley's advice:
• Call a family meeting, and acknowledge that each sibling cares.
"If things are strained, a social worker, psychologist, or pastor can be asked to facilitate the meeting," she said.
• Communicate openly, but avoid accusations.
• The main caregiver should offer concrete ways that the siblings can help.
"If you need help with tasks, don't say, 'Why don't you help me once in a while?'" Wadley said. "Give the sibling a grocery list. Ask them to take your parent to an upcoming doctor appointment. ... Tell them exactly how they can help."
The Boomer Project Survey included results from 711 U.S. adults ages 35 to 64 and with living siblings or step-siblings who currently provide care for a parent or older relative. The survey was done online.

To us it's personal

Do the seniors in your life follow their doctor's advice at home?

Friday, March 11, 2011

The Phoenix, Arizona Home Instead office had this article posted on their facebook page. I found the article informative and helpful.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/when-home-life-trumps-health-care/?smid=tw-nytimeshealth



To us it's personal

Seeking an On-Call Staffing Coordinator

Thursday, March 10, 2011

We are seeking a part-time On-Call Staffing Coordinator.
Please email your resume to homeinsteadbham@gmail.com.
NO CALLS PLEASE.

Job Title: On-Call Staff Coordinator


Schedule: Part-time Friday 5:00 pm through Monday 7:30 am (on-call for part or all weekend for all hours-24/7), and some week nights, 5pm to 7:30am the next morning


General Purpose:

The On-Call Staff Coordinator is expected to perform a variety of duties in the coordination of scheduling service for clients. The On-Call Staff Coordinator is expected to support CAREGivers and assist clients, in order to provide the highest quality service to clients.

Primary Responsibilities:

The primary responsibility of the On-Call Staff Coordinator is to provide the highest quality of service to clients at all times, according to Home Instead Senior Care standards and policies. The following are the primary functions of this position:

  • Answer each incoming call in a friendly, professional, and knowledgeable manner.
  • Fill shifts that come open as a result of CAREGiver absence or client requests.
  • Field new client inquiries over the phone in a knowledgeable manner.
  • Monitor, mediate, and log both client and CAREGiver activity, and follow up on CAREGiver assignments and client service.
  • Communicate client and CAREGiver concerns or problems with Staff Coordinator or other staff members as appropriate.
  • Complete other duties assigned.

Secondary Responsibilities:

The secondary responsibility of the On-Call Staff Coordinator is to successfully accomplish the following:

  • Field employment inquiries from prospective CAREGivers and refer to Human Resources for follow up
  • Notify Human Resources of any CAREGiver issues that may require disciplinary action or counseling
  • Notify Client Services of any Client complaints or issues that may require follow up
Staffing experience is necessary. Must have 24/7 access to the internet.

To us it's personal

CAREGiver of the Year

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Congratulations to Eva Richardson ~ 2010 CAREGiver of the Year for our Birmingham office!

We held a little reception for Eva last week. We also invited her clients to come because they are the ones who nominated her. Eva cares for Mr. & Mrs. Bell, and they are very entertaining. Mr. Bell had the Home Instead staffing laughing constantly. We enjoyed hearing stories of when he worked for the post office and rode the train from Birmingham to Atlanta everyday.
We celebrated Eva and constantly bragged on her...she didn't want the credit. Eva wanted the office to take the credit for her being such a great CAREGiver - but we can't. We can't teach or train on what makes Eva such a great CAREGiver - it's the way she truly cares for her clients from the heart.
Close to the end of our celebration Mrs. Bell leaned over to Eva and said (the best she could after a stroke left her speech slurred), "I'm proud of you". It was the sweetest moment and we wish we would have had a video camera to capture it.
THANK YOU EVA & CONGRATULATIONS!





To us it's personal