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One of the most difficult positions to be in life is to watch the health of a loved one fade, along with their ability to remain independent. These situations can place many heavy and unexpected burdens in trying to assist these individuals with the day-to-day living amenities; such as eating, bathing, grooming, taking medications, paying bills, shopping, and more. Luckily, there are a lot of different options out there to assist you in giving these individuals the love and attention you know they deserve. Two of the most popular options are Home Care and Assisted Living.

Assisted Living

While both Home Care & Assisted Living offer common styles of assistance, they differ quite dramatically in how each caters to the needs of the individual. As an Assisted Living resident your loved one will become intertwined with a community of other residents, social circles, staff, and the daily routine that brings stability and structure into their lives. Assisted living facilities will often also provide features of entertainment, security, and some medical assistance/monitoring for residents on site. One of the greatest benefits of this type of service is that it allows individuals to get the social attention they need while staying active, mobile, and safe. While assisted living facilities provide all of these features, there is less privacy and independence than other forms of in-house care.

Home Care

Likewise, Home Care also provides many features of personal care, but does so in the comfort and security of the home. This assistance includes many of the day-to-day needs that often become difficult for the elderly to accomplish regularly. In some cases Home Care professionals are even able to help individuals regain their independence as a step by step rehabilitation process. This service is commonly performed by a trained professional who will visit the home periodically and assist your loved one with their daily needs. These types of services include: meal preparation, cleaning, dressing, bathing, grooming, transportation, and even some medical monitoring. Home Care also provides one of the main benefits that Assisted Living offers by brining friendly companionship to those who are in need of social interaction into a setting that is much more familiar and comfortable.

 

In conclusion, everyone has their own preference of what they are most comfortable with and finding a solution should focus primarily on that. The main benefits of a Home Care plan is that it allows the individual to stay with their family in a setting they are familiar with while providing professional assistance. The benefits of an Assisted Living facility is that there will be 24-hour support and supervision if there is ever a need.

To find out more information give us a call at (435) 275-1656 or click here.

Home Care vs Home Health: What is the Difference?

Home Health and Home Care are two distinct types of intervention that sometimes get confused with one another because they both take place in the home setting. However, most people do not understand the differences and use these terms interchangeably even though they both provide unique types of respective in-home assistance. The biggest difference is that Home Health is clinical care provided by licensed professionals while Home Care is non-clinical care.

Home Health

Home Health is typically warranted after a person has undergone an inpatient stay at a hospital, rehabilitation, or skilled nursing facility. This service is most commonly prescribed by doctors orders until the individual has the knowledge and peace of mind to regain personal independence. Skilled and licensed medical professionals will assist, monitor, and educate the patient in their home on their road to recovery. Home Health services commonly include:

 

 

• Therapy and skilled nursing services

• Administration of medications, including injections

• Medical tests

• Monitoring of health status

• Wound care

 

 

Since it is considered medical care, Home Health is covered by insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid.

 

Home Care

Home Care is beneficial to those who struggle to perform the tasks of day-to-day living. This includes eating, bathing, cleaning, doing laundry, and even companionship. This type of care is classified under personal care and is performed by non-clinical staff. Those who may consider using Home Care services are individuals who need assistance with daily grooming and meal preparation, those who can’t drive and need transportation, and even those who are alone that may be in need of friendly companionship interactions. Home Care services commonly include:

 

 

• Meal preparation

• House cleaning

• Helping dressing, bathing and grooming

• Transportation

• Reminders to take medicine

• Help with bill paying

 

 

Since Home Care is considered personal care the payment options will be covered either privately or is some cases for low-income Seniors by Medicaid. However, recent medical evidence suggests that Home Care can be one of the most cost-effective forms of health care while providing some of the best results.

 

If you have any questions about what type of healthcare service you need please contact us at (435) 275-1656 or click here.

 

Often times when a new client starts receiving home care services, their family lives out of town and has little to no knowledge of the client’s health and wellbeing. With more and more families living out of town, Kind Hearts Senior Care has the perfect solutions for families to keep track of their loved ones, without being invasive.

The Family Room is an included feature offered by Kind Hearts Senior Care. This amazing tool allows for family members to listen to caregiver notes, insight, and general comments about their loved ones most recent shift. Requiring nothing more than a username and password, the Family Room is an incredibly useful and simple tool to gain peace of mind that your loved one is being taken care of.

If you or a loved one is looking for home care services in St. George Utah, Kind Hearts Senior Care is the best option. Call us today for a free consultation!

As our Seniors age, something that commonly occurs is “caregiver burnout”. Caregiver burnout is when the primary caregiver in the home (usually a spouse) starts to decline faster than the person receiving care. This is due to the physical, mental, and emotional strain that it puts on the caregiver.

Recently, the APA, and AARP performed a study about caregiver burnout. The results from this study were quite surprising!

Results show that…….

• 19% of caregivers experience regular and recurring physical strain
• 60% of caregivers suffer from depression
• 60% of caregivers are trying to work and care give
• 61% of working caregivers have to make work accommodations due to caregiving needs, this means they either take time off, leave work early, cut back on work hours, retire early, or turn down a promotion
• Working caregivers are 25% more likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure
• Working caregivers are 50% more likely to experience daily physical pain than their colleagues who do not have caregiving responsibilities

So what does all of this information mean?

Caregivers need help! While often times easier and more economical, the long term toll on a caregiver can have long lasting effects.

At Kind Hearts Senior Care, our caregivers are trained on how to lift, transfer, and help seniors with activities of daily living. Using a caregiver 2-3 times a week will drastically improve ones physical and mental health! Call Kind Hearts Senior Care today for a free consultation for Senior Care in St. George Utah! 435-275-1656

When a parent needs senior care, the question often arrises from their children “How can I be involved in Mom and Dad’s care without physically being with them?”

According to a study performed by AARP, a parent age 60 or older who has a least one child lives on average 280 miles away from their nearest child. Which brings up the question “How can I be involved in Mom and Dad’s care without physically being with them?”.  At Kind Hearts Senior Care, we easily bridge the gap between patients and their family members. We do this through the “Family Portal”.

The “Family Portal” is a proprietary feature that Kind Hearts Senior Care offers to every single client. When a caregiver clocks out of a shift, they do so from their mobile phone. After clocking out, they leave a narrative of their shift that includes anything from activities performed, the physical status of a client, and anything else they feel the family would benefit from. In turn, the family members can login to the “Family Portal” and listen to real time updates about their loved ones. It’s the perfect solution when you want to keep tabs on Mom and Dad without peeking over their shoulder’s.

When you are looking for Senior Care in St. George Utah, remember that Kind Hearts Senior Care will help you seamlessly bridge the gap between you and your loved one, in a simple non intrusive way. For questions or a free consultation call us today! 435-275-1656

When looking into Senior Care options, many individuals will look into both Home Care, and Assisted living options before determining the route the route they want to take. While this is a fine approach to determining a long term solution to help a loved one maintain their independence, it is like comparing apples to oranges.

At an Assisted Living Facility, residents typically have their own unit that they stay in, where they can be cared for. While a beautiful building can be enticing, if your goal is to maintain your independence, a beautiful facility is rarely the option. I recently ran in to a situation where a client was debating on going to an Assisted Living Facility, or staying at home with home care services. The client, needed little help with activities of daily living, struggled with depression and anxiety. Her depression was sparked by little socialization and interaction. I highly recommended that the client got to an Assisted Living. An Assisted Living is a great way to have social outings and make friends.

For those who are looking to maintain their independence, Home Care is usually a better option. While we can provide socialization, outings, and friendship, we can also focus on maintaining your independence. If a loved one needs help bathing, shopping, housekeeping, and laundry, Home Care Services are the perfect solution.

Let’s make a few comparisons to paint a better picture:

Cost:
The cost of an average assisted living is roughly $3,500. This fee does not include any Activities of Daily Living. If you are looking for help with shopping, bathing, housekeeping, and other help, the cost would go up roughly $1,000. Making the assisted living a total of $4500.

The cost of Kind Hearts Senior Care is $21 per hour. If a client needed help with any Activity of Daily Living, including transportation EVERY SINGLE DAY, the client could receive almost 7 hours a day of home care, to equal the $4500. You would be paying the same amount, to stay in your home.

Staffing
In an Assisted Living Facility in Utah, staffing ratios are required to be 8 people to 1, and 6 people to 1 if the patients have Alzheimers. If each resident were to need help for 30 minutes to an hour, it would take anywhere from 3 to 4 hours just to be seen for a second time. You would be paying for 4 hours of waiting time! As well, staffing requires changes for both the employee who visits you, as well as the schedule by which they visit you based on other residents needs, leaving you to become acquainted with a new caregiver, after having waited for 3-4 hours.

Home Care is a one on one relationship. We send one caregiver to help you for the entire time they’re at your home. If you’re paying for the care, why not get the best bang for your buck? As well, we consistently staff the same caregiver, on the same schedule to help provide continuity, so you or your loved one will have a routine, which will ultimately hep them.

Transportation
At an Assisted Living Facility, their are restraints on transportation. Typically it must be scheduled 3-5 days in advance, and it has a limit of 1-2 transports per week. Its your care, why should’t you be able to have transportation anytime you need?

At Kind Hearts Senior Care, we believe that some of the best moments in life, are spur of the moment events. Things like going to the senior center, shopping, visiting the doctor, or meeting up with a friend from high school aren’t always planned 3-5 days in advance. Sometime we all just need a break and want to go on a drive! With Home Care services, you can have transportation anytime, any day, anywhere.

If you are considering an Assisted Living Facility or Home Care services, call us today for a free consultation!