Posts
Congratulations Deborah!
CAREGiver Communication Day
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Our June 8 CAREGiver Communication Day was a great day! We always enjoy visiting with our CAREGivers, meeting some of their family members and seeing how babies have grown! We also have a great time eating all day long and hearing new stories of clients that help remind us why we do what we do! Our CAREGivers are the heart of our business! We appreciate everything they do for our clients and for us!
Here are some pictures from the meeting!
May CAREGiver of the Month - Karen Estes!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Congratulations to Karen Estes! Our May 2011 CAREGiver of the month!
CAREGiver of the Month for April 2011 ~ Congratulations Sandra!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Congratulations to Sandra Arrick - Our CAREGiver of the Month for April 2011!
CAREGiver of Month for March
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Congratulations Robert Norwood! Our CAREGiver of the Month for March!
How Will You Live?
Friday, June 10, 2011
The Baby Boomers generation has ushered in change since the day they were born, and they are certain to change aging as well. Boomers are not merely an aging population; they are a dynamic population that will redefine what it means to age.
A Home Instead Flash Mob!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Home Instead Senior Care and its clients and care givers surprised shoppers in Liverpool One shopping centre with this Flash Mob. To the sounds of Rave Anthem 'Brothers & Sisters' which was originally sung by our very own Kathryn Dion-King and 2 Funky 2. Home Instead Senior Care intended to demonstrate that Fun and Laughter and Raving is not just for the youth. The Over 55's Flashmob is the first of its kind and we thanks all of our lovely participants for joining us on such a happy occasion,
Now that is a fun office!
Rebuilding Together
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
To us, it's personal...a tagline we use on our logo
To us, it's personal...a tagline we use on a daily basis with our clients & caregivers.
To us, it's personal...how we felt when one of our CAREGivers lost EVERYTHING in the tornado last week.
CAREGiver P {we won't use her real name} is thankful to be alive. She is thankful that God has given her a second chance. Katie, our Marketing Director took her out yesterday and bought her only what she called "primary needs"!
This is CAREGiver P's car.
To us, it's personal...a tagline we use on a daily basis with our clients & caregivers.
To us, it's personal...how we felt when one of our CAREGivers lost EVERYTHING in the tornado last week.
CAREGiver P {we won't use her real name} is thankful to be alive. She is thankful that God has given her a second chance. Katie, our Marketing Director took her out yesterday and bought her only what she called "primary needs"!
This is CAREGiver P's car.
Below is a picture where the house was that our CAREGiver was in when the tornado hit.
There used to be a garage over the car in the picture.
The Birmingham News posted this picture online. This is some of the family members sitting on the stairs of what used to be the entry into the house:
http://photos.al.com/birmingham-news/2011/05/alabama_tornadoes_101.html
Below are other pictures she sent to us.
We will help her rebuild her life, which to us means buying her whatever she needs. She keeps telling us she doesn't need anything. She is ready to come back to work and with the help of a borrowed car, she will come back on Friday.
Tornado Relief Drop-Off Location - Senior Specific Items
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Our office will start collecting "SENIOR SPECIFIC" items for victims of last weeks tornado.
Please bring NEW ITEMS to:
2059 Columbiana Road
Vestavia Hills, AL 35216
8am-5pm
Some items requested: - PLEASE CHECK BACK - WE WILL UPDATE REGULARLY.
Adults diapers
pill boxes
pillows
pillow cases
blankets
2-pc pajamas (male & female)
Toiletry items - hairbrush, soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion (fragrance free), toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, band-aids,
Large print bibles
Large print crossword puzzles
Socks
Slippers (anti-slip bottoms)
Mens undershirts
Mens boxers
Ladies underwear
KEEP IN MIND THESE ARE SENIOR SPECIFIC.
Email allison.youngblood@homeinstead.com or andrea.martin@homeinstead.com for more information.
Please bring NEW ITEMS to:
2059 Columbiana Road
Vestavia Hills, AL 35216
8am-5pm
Some items requested: - PLEASE CHECK BACK - WE WILL UPDATE REGULARLY.
Adults diapers
pill boxes
pillows
pillow cases
blankets
2-pc pajamas (male & female)
Toiletry items - hairbrush, soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion (fragrance free), toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, band-aids,
Large print bibles
Large print crossword puzzles
Socks
Slippers (anti-slip bottoms)
Mens undershirts
Mens boxers
Ladies underwear
KEEP IN MIND THESE ARE SENIOR SPECIFIC.
Email allison.youngblood@homeinstead.com or andrea.martin@homeinstead.com for more information.
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.
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.
Another Great Article by NYT - Credit card debt that outlives mom...
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Here is another great article that you might find informative...
http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/who-pays-off-moms-credit-card/?smid=tw-nytimeshealth
http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/who-pays-off-moms-credit-card/?smid=tw-nytimeshealth
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