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Table of Contents

Labor of Love ............................................................................ 3 You Are Not Alone .................................................................. 5

Responsibilities .......................................................................... 6 Rally Your Resources ............................................................... 8 Plan to be Organized ............................................................. 8 Explore Work Options ............................................................ 8 Consider an In-Home Caregiving Service ............................ 8

Time for Help ........................................................................... 10 Key Questions ....................................................................... 11 Institutionalized Caregiving vs. Home Health Care ........... 12 How to Indentify a Quality Home Health Care Provider ... 14 Talk to Your Loved One about Home Care Services ......... 18 Long Distance Caregiving.................................................... 20 Take Time for Yourself .......................................................... 22 What to Expect on the First Day ......................................... 24

Aging and Caregiver Resource Information ........................ 27

If you are one of the millions of

Americans caring for a family member,

a spouse or friend, you know it is truly

a labor of love. It is so much more than

simply providing help with daily living.

You are a supporter of their

independence and guardian of

their dignity.

The emotional well–being of your loved

one is just as important as the physical

well–being.

2 3

There are more people in a caregiving role than

ever before, as life spans continue to increase.

Many people fi nd themselves shouldering the

responsibilities of caring for both their children

and their parents.

A home health care provider can be a partner

in caring. There are many reasons to opt

for additional assistance with caregiving

responsibilities, and there are many

professional caregiving services available.

Home care is not just for the elderly. It can

benefi t those with long-or short-term illnesses,

injuries, physical handicaps, mental health

disorders and chemical dependencies.

Choosing a home health care provider that is

an extension of your role is essential to your

peace of mind. If a caregiving service puts the

emphasis on your loved one, not the bottom line,

the rewards can be enormous. Quality caregiving is

based on a mission to serve.

Lisa Smith, founder of Community Caregivers, a

home health care provider with offi ces in Hartville,

Canton, Cuyahoga Falls, Green, West Akron, Canfi eld

and Medina, sums up her work as “families taking care

of families.”

Quality of life is as important as day-to-day tasks, such as

bathing, preparing meals and medication reminders.

To maintain its mission of serving others, Community

Caregivers looks deeper into each client’s situation

to discover what constitutes a quality of life for that

individual. For some it may mean the freedom to

practice their faith, for others it may mean watching

their favorite team play on TV or enjoying their pet.

One of the benefi ts of an in-home caregiving

service is the ability to maintain continuity in

the life of the person needing care – allowing

them to go on living, and enjoying what is

meaningful to them.

Labor of love.

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You Are Not AloneIf you have taken on a caregiving role, you know that it is

not without struggles. Others share your struggles. According

to a 2004 study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and

AARP, more than 44 million Americans are responsible for

the care of a family member or friend. Studies show that this

number is expected to sharply increase in the state of Ohio.

According to the Scripps Gerontology Center, it is estimated

that between 2015 and 2050 Ohio’s older population will

increase from 1.7 million to 2.9 million, an

increase of 70 percent. Some studies show

that nearly half of the working population

is expected to be in a caregiving role

within the next few years. That is

a lot of responsibility – work,

family and caregiving.

rease from 1.7 million to 2.9 million, an

rease of 70 percent. Some studies show

nearly half of the working population

xpected to be in a caregiving role

hin the next few years. That is

t of responsibility – work,

ily and caregiving.

54

Balancing Your Responsibilities

There are many tasks that may fall

to the caregiver, including care of pets,

fi nancial matters and upkeep of the

home. Often it amounts to running

two households – which can be an

overwhelming task.

76 www.commcareinc.org

www.commcareinc.org8

ResponsibilitiesRally Your ResourcesCaregivers are often hesitant to ask others

to help, yet many people have resources

around them. Now is the time to rally those

resources. Ask other family members or

friends if they can pitch in. Plan ahead for

unexpected situations that arise in your

life – an illness, or additional work or travel

for your job. If you enlist others to help in

advance, you will be less tense about calling

upon them when needed.

Plan to Be OrganizedMaintaining a list of your loved one’s

emergency contacts, medications and dosages,

and fi nancial/insurance information can save

time and additional stress should a situation

require hospitalization or emergency medical

care. Keep this information at your fi ngertips.

It will allow you to focus totally on your loved

one in a time of crisis.

Explore Work OptionsPerhaps you are feeling the pressure of juggling

caregiving with a full- or part-time job. A recent

MetLife Market Institute study found that a

signifi cant portion of the working population either

quit their jobs or retired early due to caregiving

responsibilities. Today, there are more options than

ever for employees. To retain and recruit good

workers, many employers have begun to offer

“eldercare” benefi ts – providing counseling, seminars

and even backup care for their employees. Flex-time

is another option that you might want to consider, if

your employer offers it.

Consider an In–Home Caregiving ServiceMany people have turned to professional in-home

services to assist them in meeting work and

caregiving responsibilities. Studies show that

the impact of early retirement in terms of

loss of wages and social security benefi ts can be signifi cant.

A reputable service can help offset some of the caregiving

work, so that family members can continue to remain

viable at their jobs.

Community Caregivers staff members consider

themselves extensions of the families they serve, so

even the everyday tasks of running a household are

part of the individualized care plans. They put together

meal plans, shop for groceries, make veterinary appointments

for pets and even take the pets to those appointments. They

might help plan a lunch gathering of friends at

the home, make the calls to invite and

then prepare the meal. Whatever is

important to the individual is

included in the care plan.

ome, make the calls to invitee and

prepare the meal. Whatever is

tant to the individual is

ed in the care plan.

9

Perhaps you have never imagined that you would need to

enlist a home health care provider to assist you in caring for

a loved one. Or maybe you are wondering if now is the right

time to seek help.

Ask yourself some key questions:

• Are you feeling pressured to meet your other

responsibilities – to children, spouse, employer and others

– while caring for your loved one?

• Is caregiving interfering with your job responsibilities,

perhaps putting a strain on your relationship with

your employer?

• Are you fearful that the stress of caregiving is having a

detrimental effect on your health and well-being?

• Are you regularly unable to enjoy leisure activities and

activities that bring you joy and relaxation due to your

caregiving responsibilities?

• Has the person that you are caring for lost mobility or

other functions that are making caregiving more diffi cult

for you to handle?

• Has a change in your physical condition made it diffi cult

to continue to properly care for your loved one?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions,

it may be time to research home health care services in

your community.

www.commcareinc.org10 11

Time for help

Institutionalized Caregiving vs. Home Health CareIn the past, long-term caregiving meant a

nursing home or institutionalized care. Now,

home health care providers like Community

Caregivers provide families with options. In

fact, most caregiving needs can be met in the

patient’s home, in familiar surroundings.

Home health care offers:

• 24-hour care

• Personal care such as oral hygiene, bathing

and daily grooming, mobility, transferring

and positioning, assistance with toileting

and incontinence care.

• Nursing case management

• Meal preparation, with consideration to

individual health conditions and limitations

• Physical therapy*

• Occupational therapy*

• Speech therapy*

• Skilled nursing care*

• Hospice care

* Provided with a doctor’s order

Of course, in-home care offers the benefi t of keeping

the patient in familiar surroundings, where they are most

comfortable.

With a ratio of 1 to 1, there is more time for the home

health aide to focus on the individual’s needs and other tasks

related to maintaining the patient’s home and lifestyle.

Other services that home care provides include:

• Light housekeeping services, such as dusting, vacuuming,

washing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, changing linens,

laundry and ironing

• Medication reminders

• Meal planning/grocery

shopping

• Respite care

• Pet care

• Errands

• Companionship

Lisa Smith, LPN and

owner of Community

Caregivers, says, “What

separates this type of care

from institutionalized care

is that we can accommodate

the individual’s own personal

non-medical needs within their

familiar surroundings.”

Sometimes institutionalized care is the only option.

Such cases would be:

• IV Therapy

• Specialized wound care

• Surgical recovery

• Enteral feeding (feeding tube)

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Time for help

How to Identify a Quality Home Health Care Provider

Choosing an in-home care provider can be

a daunting task. Below are some points to

consider when interviewing a prospective

home health care provider.

Training

• What type of training do they provide

for their home health aides?

• How much time to do they spend with

their home health aides before they assign

them to a client?

The state of Ohio requires that home health

aides receive 60 hours of training. Some

providers have more intensive training periods.

Community Caregivers has a patented 75-hour

Home Health Aide Certifi cation Class that delves

deeper into issues that home health aides typically

face. “We like to expand upon the basic knowledge

offered in typical training courses by not only

explaining limitations and procedural guidelines to

follow, but really providing an understanding of why

these are in place,” says founder Lisa Smith.

Supervision

• What type of supervision is in place for the

home heath aides?

• Is there a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

or Registered Nurse (RN) that they can contact

if necessary?

Most professional caregiving is delivered by

certifi ed home health aides, but some programs

offer the additional support of RNs or LPNs.

Community Caregivers assigns each patient a nurse

case manager who provides health evaluations

of each client every 60 days at no extra charge.

The nurses assigned to each case also make

unannounced “pop-in” visits as part of their

supervisory role.


Availability

• What are the scheduling options?

• Do they provide 24-hour service?

Can they accommodate a change in schedule for emergency

situations or planned events such as vacations or work travel?

Many in-home caregiving services offer fl exible scheduling,

so that the home health aide is there to assist the client when

they need it – and that time may vary for each individual.

Some may need split shifts of home health aides – one for the

morning routine and one for the bedtime routine.

Consistency • Will a particular home health aide be assigned

to your loved one?

• Is there a low turnover rate in the staffi ng?

Adjusting to a new caregiver can be diffi cult for both

the client and the family.

At Community Caregivers, consistency of caregiving is of

primary concern. All efforts are made to make sure that

each client is served routinely by the same home health

aide. This allows the aide and client to build a rapport, get

to know each other better and establish trust. “We assign

our home health aides on a case-by-case basis. Because of

our in-depth initial assessment where we learn as much as

possible about the potential client, we are able to select a

home health aide whose personality will most suit that of

the client,” says Lisa Smith of Community Caregivers.

15

Time for help

Communication

• Does the caregiving service communicate

regularly with the patient’s family?

• Is the family involved with developing

the care plan, and updating it, if necessary?

• Is there someone to call to make

schedule changes, or answer questions?

Communication is important to Community

Caregivers. They offer on-call supervisors,

available 24 hours a day, seven days a week,

to provide support to their home health aides

and to give families a point of contact for

communications regarding the client’s care,

schedule or other needs. In addition, each time

the home health aide visits the patient, written

documentation is provided to the family for

review, in order to keep them informed as to the

patient’s progress and let them know what their

loved one’s day was like.

Responsible/Reliable

• Is the home health care provider careful about

screening aides before they interact with clients?

• Are their aides bonded and insured?

• Does the home health care provider require

background checks and fi ngerprinting for all

home health aides?

• How long has this particular company been

serving the community?

Reliability is an important

characteristic to look for

in an home health care

provider.

Billing

• Does the service require upfront fees or a contract?

• Is the billing monthly or every two weeks?

• Are there fl at fees or will fees vary each month based

on services rendered?

• Are payment plans available?

Discuss billing processes and procedures up front so that

you know what to expect. Again, the purpose of a home

health aide is to relieve stress and make things more

comfortable for clients and family. Billing procedures

should be as straightforward as possible. Perhaps the client

will be the one handling the payment,

rather than the family. If the client

is elderly, is the billing easy

to read and is the format

set up so as to eliminate

confusion? Community

Caregivers does not

charge upfront fees and

there are no contracts

required. They also

are participants in the

PASSPORT Program,

of which all Ohioans

should be aware, that

allows Medicaid funds

to be used for home

health care. Contact your

Area Agency on Aging for

more details.

Referrals Ask around with friends and family, members of

your place of worship or within groups that you participate

– has anyone experienced a home health care service that

they would like to recommend? Or contact the service

you are considering and request to speak with someone

who currently uses their services. All businesses should be

accustomed to referral requests, and should be able to put

you in touch with a couple of their current clients, their

families or physicians.


ng the payment,

If the client

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Time for help

Talk to Your Loved One about Home Care Services

Approaching your loved one to discuss the

option of adding an in-home care service

can be diffi cult. Your suggestion might be

met with resistance. What follows are some

common concerns and some points of

discussion for you and your loved one.

Why can’t you keep doing it all?

Lisa Smith of Community Caregivers feels

hiring a home health care provider allows for

more quality time between the caregiver and

their loved one. It is an opportunity for the

relationship to revert back to one of mother/

daughter, husband/wife, or whatever it was

before the need for daily caregiving became

the focus. “I would rather spend time with

my parents shopping, eating out or doing the

activities that we have always enjoyed together

rather than devote the bulk of our time together to

daily caregiving activities,” says Smith.

I don’t want to spend the money.

A home health care service can be a way for someone

to enjoy as much independence as possible and to avoid

institutionalization. Families choose to hire a home

health care service because they want their loved

one to be able to be well-cared for and in their

own comfortable surroundings. Of course there

is the cost factor to consider when hiring an

in-home caregiving service, but many services

offer competitive rates. Ultimately, the

benefi ts of hiring a home health care service

can be less stress for all involved. If the

home health aide keeps the patient in their

familiar surroundings, it provides immense

psychological benefi ts to both the

caregiver and the patient. If a home health

care service can provide a better quality of

life, then the value it brings is immeasurable.

I don’t want a stranger in my home.

With a good caregiving service,

the home health aide and client

can form a new relationship, one

that not only provides help with

daily activities, but the freedom

to continue to enjoy what is

important in life. Many people

do not realize that home health aides offer companion-

ship, daily interaction and help facilitate other fellowship

opportunities for the client. Again, consistency can help

alleviate this worry. Community Caregivers assigns one

home health aide to each client, and that consistency helps

build trust and understanding. It is a comfort both for the

client and their family.

There is no reason to feel that you need to handle it all

yourself. Hiring a home health care service does not mean

that you are no longer caring for your loved one, it just

means that you have a partner in the caregiving process.

Often, a home health care provider can give you more

time to devote to the relationship in ways that are more

enjoyable and meaningful to you both.

18 www.commcareinc.org 19

Time for help


Long Distance Caregiving

Our society is a very mobile one.

Many people do not live in or near the

community they grew up in, and that

presents special considerations when there

is caregiving involved. Many people find

themselves traveling on weekends and

making phone calls to try and oversee

the health and care of a loved one.

It is often important for families

to keep their loved one in the

comfort of their own community,

but at the same time, caregiving

from such a distance can be very

stressful on all parties involved.

A good home health care

service can allow your loved

ones to remain in their home in

comfortable, familiar surroundings

and ensure that you, the caregiver,

is completely involved in their

day-to-day care.

Community Caregivers provides family

members with documentation of every

visit and will maintain a dialogue with

family members via e-mail or whatever

method is most convenient.

“We let family members know what their

loved one’s day was like and keep them

informed as to how we are meeting the goals

outlined in their individual care plan,” says

Community Caregivers’ Lisa Smith.

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Take Time for Yourself

When you are caring for a loved one and

juggling other responsibilities such as work

and family, often the only person not being

cared for is you. But the repercussions of

overwork and unalleviated stress can be

detrimental to both you and your loved

one. Research has shown that services

offering support or respite from caretaking

responsibilities can help delay or even

prevent institutionalizing a loved one.

Taking a break from caregiving

responsibilities now and then to enjoy a

leisure activity, taking a vacation or just

taking a break, can be benefi cial to both

the caregiver and the patient. With renewed

energy, you can give your loved one the

benefi t of the best care possible. It is of

utmost importance that you fi t your needs

into your schedule.

Time for help

It can be very diffi cult, but

realizing that caring for yourself

is just as important as caring for

your loved one is the fi rst step –

it takes away the guilty feelings

of taking time for you.

• Try to get enough sleep, eat well and fi nd the time to

exercise. Exercise can relieve stress and improve health

at the same time.

• Stay involved in social, volunteer or whatever activi-

ties you enjoy. Having an outlet for your energies is

important for your quality of life.

• Seek help when you need it and don’t be afraid to

ask. Some fi nd asking for help diffi cult, but it is not

a sign of weakness. Remember – if your health and

well-being suffer, so will your loved one.


Time for help

What to Expect on the First DayThe fi rst day with your home health care service

is the beginning of a partnership in care. Many

home health care services begin with an initial

assessment. Community Caregivers meets with

every prospective client to make a detailed

patient assessment. This initial assessment forms

the basis for a care plan that will be followed,

reviewed and continue to evolve throughout

the caring partnership. The family is always

encouraged to be involved in this process.

Initial AssessmentThe initial assessment includes a head-to-toe

medical evaluation followed by a safety review

to address anything in the home environment

that might pose a safety issue for the patient.

The safety review also helps indicate if any home

health equipment is needed to help in the care of

the patient.

Gaining InsightIn addition to addressing health concerns and needs,

Community Caregivers takes time to talk with the

potential patient to learn more about them and their

background, to gain insight into what is important

to them and what constitutes quality of life for that

individual.

“We talk about what they used to do for a living, and

about their interests,” says Lisa Smith of Community

Caregivers. “We discuss what they like and do not like

to eat, to assist us in preparing meals that they will enjoy.

We talk about what they like to do in their downtime –

watch television, play cards or visit with friends. All of

that information is important as we make a plan that

suits their personal interests and needs.”

“I see this as an area where we differ greatly from

institutionalized care,” says Smith. “The activities

and meals that we plan are truly

individualized. It is the core of what we do – offering per-

sonalized care that allows the patient to continue living the

life they know, to the best of their ability and with our caring

assistance.”

First Home VisitCommunity Caregivers has a nurse accompany the selected

home health aide to the fi rst home visit. The nurse and aide

will review the care plan with the client, who is welcome

to add to or adjust the plan. The nurse observes the aide as

they assist the client, and then they discuss how they like to

plan their day. Then the nurse leaves, allowing the new home

health aide and the client to get to know one another.

“We always follow up in a couple days to see how things

are going,” says Smith. “It is all based on getting the right

information upfront, and then tailoring the care plan and

selecting the home health aide that fi ts.”


Aging and Caregiver Resource Information

A list of local and national aging and caregiver resources are

listed for your reference:

• Ohio Department of Agingwww.goldenbuckeye.com1-800-266-4346

• PASSPORT informationwww.goldenbuckeye.com/families/passport.html(Can also call the Ohio Department of Aging. See phone number above.)

• National Family Caregivers Associationwww.nfcacares.org1-800-896-3650

• AARPwww.aarp.org

• Eldercare Locator1-800-677-1116

• National Alliance for Caregivingwww.caregiving.org

• Area Agency on Aging 1-800-421-7277 Akron-Canton1-800-686-7367 Youngstown1-800-626-7277 Cleveland

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