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Archive for the ‘Home Care Agencies’ Category

Do you enjoy helping people and are looking for some great home health franchise opportunities? Home health care is a growing industry as many people cannot afford extended hospital stays and the costs of medical care is rising. This is a great industry to be involved with and offers some fantastic opportunities for you. Here are 5 of the best home health franchise opportunities to choose from.

Senior Helpers

If you enjoy helping people then Senior Helpers wants to talk to you. The number of seniors needing home health care is growing every day and as medical costs continues to rise; your services will be in higher demand. Senior Helpers has a great marketing program that helps you to take advantage of referrals from social workers and state agencies. They definitely need your help. Check out this very rewarding opportunity.

Always Best Care Senior Services

Projections are that demand for senior home health care is going to rise dramatically as more baby-boomers begin to retire. Always Best Care has dedicated itself to making sure seniors get the very best care possible. If you have a heart for helping seniors, then this is the business for you. You will receive intensive training and support, not only on home health care but also on running an efficient and productive business. Give them a call, you will be glad you did!

Home Health Mates

Here is your chance to be a part of an industry that is exploding and desperately needs your help. Home health franchise opportunities are growing faster every day and Home Health Mates is one of the best opportunities around. With franchises available throughout the United States, they can help you get involved in this very rewarding business and give you everything you need to operate and insure your success.

Interim Healthcare

Interim Healthcare gives you the opportunity to be involved in home health on one of three different levels. If you would like to be involved on a non-medical level, then check out the program for their personal care franchises. For a more involved program, they offer franchises in programs for licensed or Medicare certified agencies as well as physical therapists and nurses. You are sure to find the opportunity you are looking for here.

Right at Home Health Care

At Right at Home Health Care, you don’t need to have health care experience, but you do need a caring and compassionate heart. They can teach you what you need to know to run a business. If you truly have the desire to succeed at the same time you have the willingness and concern to care for those who can’t care for themselves, then Right at Home would like to talk to you.

To market their services and create brand awareness, home care agencies deliver numerous giveaways to referral sources. Giveaways create awareness of the home care agency, and especially when giveaways offer health information of use to referral sources and their patients, help to brand that agency as a health care community resource and viable partner in the care of the patient.

Home care agencies have a tremendous array of products at their fingertips from which to choose. Giveaways may range from disease-specific brochures, care plan oversight literature, and posters to health logs, tablet mousepads, and newsletters. However, one of the most popular giveaways for agencies is the calendar.

There are forces at play that make calendars the most timeless and functional giveaway: a holiday to celebrate, an observance to remember, an appointment to schedule…in essence, a life to move forward.

When calendars contain useful information for the referral source, they become an even hotter marketing commodity. Calendars may be personalized with the agency’s logo and contact information to encourage positive awareness of the agency. Its yearlong use within the office adds to the calendar’s reputation as a low-cost giveaway with a high return on investment. What other giveaway commands center stage of a referral source’s attention all year long, branding the home care agency as a health care partner with every flip of the page.

“We are always looking for new and innovative ways to stay ahead of our competition and market to our existing and prospective referral sources, says Judy Bishop, chairman of Guardian Home Care Holdings, Inc., which oversees nearly 70 home health, private duty and hospice offices throughout Texas, Tennessee and Georgia. “As far as return on investment, the calendar has been the best promotional giveaway we’ve done yet.”

Calendars allow for flexibility as they come in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit each agency’s budget and tastes. One agency may want to deliver wall calendars with themed imagery and customization on every page; another may opt for a monthly planner or a notebook- or pocket-sized planner. Another bonus to the calendar giveaway is the ease in putting it all together. Agencies have at their disposal marketing companies that do the work for them. In essence, the agency chooses a theme from an array of themes provided (e.g., flowers, national monuments, exotic destinations, butterflies, nostalgia, etc.), sends in their logo and contact information, and voila! Ready-made calendars are ready to go to the referral source.

There are a few common places that many families use to recruit home health aides. The most frequently used sources are:

-Independent Living Centers

-Your doctor’s office

-Nursing Schools

-Physical Therapy Schools

-Vocational Schools (Including Certified Nursing Assistant programs)

-A home health-care agency

-State Department of Developmental Disability or County Vocational Rehabilitation

-Ads in local newspapers/classifieds

-Bulletin boards at schools, community colleges, places of worship, etc.

-Word of mouth

-Craigslist.org

Centers for Independent Living (CILs) often provide training programs for home health aides. CILs assist people with disabilities to live independently and offer information on managing personal assistants and a referral service. As with any other referral service, you should check the references and do an extensive interview on personal assistants. Similar programs are offered in rural areas called programs for rural independent living.

Senior centers can also be valuable resources as many maintain a list of people willing to do attendant work. If you have sough medical attention in the past, your physician, social worker, rehabilitation therapist, or other medical staff may have information on home health aides.

You may also want to contact nursing schools in your area either directly or posting job listings on their bulletin boards. Nursing students are frequently looking to gain experience and will likely view your care needs very seriously.

In the case that you do not find an adequate home health aide, you can always use an agency. The employees provided by the agency are usually more trained. In the event that you PA quits or takes a leave, agencies provide immediate replacements. Agencies provide insurance coverage and benefits to their employees which contributes to a more stable workforce. The downfall of using an agency is that you do not have as much freedom to choose your assistant as hiring independently, and much of the time there are restrictions on the tasks that their HHAs can do. Agencies are often much more expensive than hiring independently.

Many people have been successful using Refugee agencies. You can offer training in English as part of a benefits package. They sometimes offer additional support and training.

Finally, word of mouth is a powerful recruiting method. Ask family members and friends who have sought care in the past. Ask them about their experience with the HHA, but remember to do your own research and background check on the individual.

Compulsive hoarding may have been a well kept family secret, but now the family is concerned over the aging parent’s safety in the home. This is an elder care crisis that is starting to rear its ugly head. Care giver stress over concerns about health code violations, fire safety or a fall that could lead to a death and being buried by trash.

City and county agencies have developed task forces to deal with the compulsive hoarder. The home of a hoarder looks like any other person’s home from the outside. Sooner or later, the accumulation of debris in the house gets to a point where the local government agencies are contacted. The neighbors may have complained about a terrible stench coming for the home or the local utility company has cut off the electricity or water to the home.

For some, their care giver or family member has had to report them. Upon discovery, what is found is often shocking: things piled from floor to ceiling. Doors and windows are blocked. The stove, refrigerator, bathtubs and sinks are unusable because they are covered by piles of clutter.

The hoarder has created a maze in their home, as their nest. They find comfort and solace in having their things around them. They get to point where some tunnel through their belongings to get to one spot in the house to the next. They are no longer able to care for themselves and in many instances have become a danger to themselves.

Symptoms of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and types of mental illness may play a role in the aging senior’s behavior. Studies show that many elderly hoarders have been diagnosed with an anxiety or personality disorder.

More on an elder care crisis. Caregiver stress over compulsive hoarding and safety in the home

Pet Scans of individuals identified with compulsive hoarding behaviors show a low activity level in the midline part of the brain. It is believed that this low level of energy affects the “firing” of connections in the brain. The result is difficulties with making decisions and throwing things away.

Aging seniors that suffer from this disorder are usually intelligent individuals that do will do anything not to make a mistake. They are perfectionists to the extreme. To avoid making a mistake, they will choose not to make a decision. The compulsive hoarder has such high standards and fear of failure, that the smallest task that they perform becomes overwhelming and stressful. They emotionally paralyze themselves with the minutiae of everyday tasks.

Compulsive hoarding is increasing as the population is aging. There has been more studies and research done in the past ten year. There is now more known and discovered than was ever known before. Because individuals of this disorder do not think they have a problem, it goes undiagnosed and untreated. In fact, cases are usually discovered by social service agencies or local government agencies before the mental health professionals are aware of a problem.

There is presently a large and growing diverse group of professionals including local health and fire safety services, health care providers, and social service providers looking into this growing problem. Because of the nature of the hidden disorder community police, legal and judicial services as well as public funding sources have joined forces to learn more about the nuances and problems associated with compulsive hoarding.

Treatment at the present time is still being investigated. It is known that such a strong and emotional attachment is placed on their belongings by the individual. Cleaning the environment and removing the debris is ineffective. The aging senior will just fill up the space with more things.

Some medications are prescribed for some of the other mental disorders the aging senior may have such as anxiety and depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a solution that is being explored. Compulsive hoarders can rationalize everything about the way they live. Unless they see a need to change their living situation, their hoarding will continue.

As the elder care crisis of compulsive hoarding shed’s some light on this disorder, science and research are working to improve the treatment. For now, there will be caregiver stress concerning that aging senior and the safety in the home.

In home health care can help cancer patients stay in the comfort of their own home while they receive care. The home offers an atmosphere of comfort and security. While hospital stays can contribute to feelings of isolation and loneliness, staying at home allows patients to stay connected with family and friends. It has both advantages and disadvantages to the patient and caregivers. Sometimes, in-home care can create new challenges for those involved. It may also bring about changes to relationships or require family members cope with aspects of patient care they would not have seen otherwise. It is important that patients and caregivers prepare for these obstacles.

Care services within the home may be administered by doctors, nurses, home health aides, or even family members. If you are considering this type of care, you should ask your doctor about the patient’s specific needs and if they can be met by home care. Get information about the types of home care services the patient will require and discuss these with the people who will be administering care.

Use of a home health care agency is usually necessary when the person has advanced medical needs. Research agencies in your area to find the one that best fits your needs. Most agencies provide home health care aides that can assist with personal care, meal preparation, homemaking, and general health management. Services may also include visits by nurses or social workers and access to medical equipment.

It may also be helpful to hire independent home health care providers, rather than an agency. For people paying out of pocket, using independent home health care providers is usually less expensive than hiring an agency. However, you will have to coordinate payment and scheduling yourself.

There are many public and private sources that help patients pay for home care. It may be helpful to look into benefits provided the government, like Medicare or Medicaid. Some private health or long-term care insurance policies cover the costs of certain home care services. Other organizations, like the American Cancer Society, offer free services to cancer patients and their families.

Most of us will have to manage the care of an aging loved one at some point in our lifetime. A loved one can need additional care because of a medical condition or complication, a decline in cognitive functioning, or increasing isolation and depression. The responsibilities and challenges can be overwhelming for a caregiver. Navigating the options for senior care and coordinating their care can be equally challenging.

The Options:

Assisted Living & Skilled Nursing Facilities: Studies show the process of aging is a much better experience when you are able to age in place and remain in the home environment. For this reason, assisted living or skilled nursing facilities may not be the best option for your loved one. In addition to the trauma associated with moving someone from the home to an assisted care environment, one must also consider the high cost of care as these facilities can range from $3,000 to more than $10,000 per month.

In-Home Care: While this solution would allow a loved one to remain in their home, the fact is that home health care can still be very isolating. Studies have shown that seniors who feel lonely are twice as likely to develop dementia as well as have a significant increase in heart disease and depression. Not only is in-home care socially isolating, but the cost of home care can be very prohibitive for many families.

In-home care agencies often have a high rate of staff turnover. It places a burden on the family to orient and supervise new caregivers, not to mention the difficulties everyone may have adjusting to frequently changing staff. Because the caregivers work without direct supervision it can be difficult for the agencies to ensure the quality of care. The family may feel they need to carefully watch over them as well.

Adult Day Care Services: Seniors who attend adult day centers have varied opportunities to meet and to be with friends, enjoy nutritious meals including special diets, assistance with personal care, and support with their health and medical needs such as health monitoring and medication administration.

Adult Day Care centers have professional qualified staff including registered and licensed nurses, social workers, dieticians, and activity specialists that are able to handle such issues as physical impairment, depression, Alzheimer’s and dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s Disease as well as chronic conditions that demand constant monitoring such as diabetes, hypertension, and arthritis.

Additional services may include the provision of transportation, podiatry, physical, occupational, and speech therapy services, weekly outings, exercise classes, salon services, and caregiver respite support groups.

Adult day care centers are usually open from 7 am to 6 pm, from Monday to Friday. Some centers are also available during the evenings and on Saturday and/or Sunday or provide in-home care during those times.

The average cost for adult day care is much less than a visit from a home health nurse and about a quarter of the cost of skilled nursing facility. Assistance with funding is available from Long Term Care Insurance and Medicaid. In some areas, funding assistance may also be available from the Veteran’s Administration, nursing home diversion programs, and other entitlement programs.

A checklist for comparing adult day care centers in addition to identifying locations is available on the website of the National Adult Day Services Association (nadsa.org).