In This Issue
FEATURE ARTICLE: Are Alzheimer's Caregivers The Forgotten?
Hope - The Human Condition: Inattention
Long Term Care Insurance - Monthly Feature
Kudos From Kelly
Eldercare Planning: Family Meetings
Simone Biles
Providers We Love




Photos in top banner: Jessica (our web guru) and her family enjoying a ride on a ferris wheel; Charlotte ( Regina's grandniece fashionable as ever; Ryan and his grandfather Tom ( Regina's grandson with her husband  tom also known as Pappy) patiently await airplane sightings.

 

























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Regina McNamara RN, MSN President &
Kelly McNamara, Chief Operating Officer




Here at Always There Home Care, we are grateful you are slowing down to read our newsletter full of items that relate to home care, home health care, aging and eldercare, as well as some useful tips for daily living. Please enjoy in the spirit of community and cooperation in which this newsletter was sent.
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FEATURE ARTICLE 
Are Alzheimer's Caregivers The Forgotten?
By Bob DeMarco  |  Alzheimer's Reading Room
  
It is not unusual for caregivers to tell me that as time goes on, and as Alzheimer's worsens, one by one their family and friends fade away. 
 
One issue that really frustrates me is the treatment of Alzheimer's caregivers.

Most Alzheimer's caregivers hear people tell them how wonderful they are for taking care of their loved one.

As a caregiver, I learned to appreciate these compliments. They help, they really do.

However, if you have a loved one, family member, or friend that is an Alzheimer's caregiver and all you do is tell them what a great job they are doing -- it is not enough.

Many Alzheimer's caregivers are forgotten by family and friends.

This is a sad truth that is rarely discussed.


Hope - The Human Condition: Inattention  By Alan Weiss 

I'm an optimist. We who live here, in America, reside in the greatest experiment in freedom and liberty in the history of the planet. We are basically a good people, albeit not perfect, and we have shed our blood for those in other lands, we have provided innovation and resources, health care and safety. I'm sometimes disappointed in our foreign and domestic policies, but I'm never embarrassed by our system or what it represents. I'm deeply appreciative that, as an accident of birth, I live here, I've prospered here, and I can help others here.


Long Term Care Insurance - Monthly Feature by: Beata Everett, Long-Term Care Insurance Advisor

When Should You Start a Long-Term Care Insurance Claim?

The short answer... as soon as you qualify! It is important to know the details of your long-term care insurance policy and it is often helpful to have a cheat sheet of the critical components.  For example:  How many Activities of Daily Living must you require assistance with in order to qualify for a claim?

When you or your family believes you in fact qualify for a claim, contact the insurance company and begin the process. It generally takes a few weeks for all the data to be gathered and the claim to be approved. Many times we see people delaying the start a claim because they need the policy to cover their care in the event that their health suddenly worsens.


Kudos from Kelly
 KUDOS from Kelly
  By Kelly McNamara

Dora Odura: We have had the honor of having the very popular and incredibly reliable Dora with us for nearly one and a half years. During that time, she has taken on very challenging clients whose care needs often change. Her assignments are all night shifts, her preferred time to work. Caring for a complex client at night requires a unique set of skills. Dora brings a level of creativity and resilience to her care which helps her to adjust and refine her care techniques. She is a frequently called upon to orient new staff, often for an entire shift until she is satisfied their care is up to her standards.

Her affection for family members of clients and theirs in return for her, is a testament to her special level of care. Like many of our caregivers, Dora juggles family responsibilities with her care-giving job, excelling at both. NO small accomplishment.

Our respect for Dora is surpassed only by the high esteem in which our clients and their families hold her.  Thank you from all of us Dora, for doing such a magnificent job!

All caregivers mentioned in this column will receive a gift card and our sincere appreciation!  Many many thanks to all of you for once again extending yourselves to ensure that we are of course Always There...!! 

 Eldercare Planning: Family Meetings By Jeannette Franks, PhD

It is standard practice for businesses to tackle tough issues through meetings with concerned parties. Similarly, meetings with family members and caregivers for the purpose of coordinating the care of an elderly family member and addressing problems as they arise is a crucial element in elder care planning.

Overcoming Barriers to Holding a Family Meeting - There can be various barriers to meetings, both real and imagined. Geography is a big one-often families are widely dispersed across the country. Lives are already busy and often over-scheduled without adding yet another commitment. Paid caregivers might not want to donate their time, and families may feel it is too expensive to pay them for meeting time.

Continue Reading Full Article

We can push ourselves further. We always have more to give. ~ Simone Biles

The incomparable Simone Biles, in many ways a normal 19 year old is also an extraordinary athlete and the world's best woman gymnast. After winning 3 world championships, she went on to earn 5 medals total (four gold and one bronze) in Rio at the 2016 Olympics.

Adopted by her maternal grandparents after her mother lost her parental rights, she was fortunate to grow up in a loving family who nurtured her spirit and encouraged her to always do her best and have fun in the process. This magnificently talented young lady who hated home schooling and loves Justin Bieber, is now the finest woman gymnast in history and one of her country's foremost athletes.  

Bravo Simone and her family! ■

Providers We Love      
We are privileged to have received referrals from and be able to coordinate care with many Assisted Living facilities, rehab facilities, and Medicare Home Care and Hospice agencies. Our growth is in large part due to the trust the staff in these organizations have put in our caregivers. We are likewise impressed with them and we are committed to referring to them on a regular basis  

Kindred Care at Home/Gentiva Home Health Care Services, Stratford, Old Saybrook, Hamden, Farmington (Gentiva has now joined with Kimdred, a national sub acute care facility company to provide both high quality home health and facility care)

* Their services include. Skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational and speech language therapy Neurorehabilitation, wound care, disease and pain management, medication management and education, patient education to promote self-management, and treatment for balance problems that can lead to fall risks. They maintain a special expertise in dementia care.
 

 About Always There Home Care

Always There Home Care provides compassionate, dependable and professional one-on-one care for seniors who need assistance in the comfort of their homes or residential care communities.  Services from highly qualified and trained caregivers range from companionship, meal preparation and incidental transportation to personal care, medication management and RN-directed case management. Available 7 days a week, services range from a few hours a day to 24-hour care.

Always There Home Care understands that every situation is unique and creates individualized care plans to help improve a client's quality of life.

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Our Caregivers

Our caregivers are totally committed, highly qualified and carefully selected individuals who are personally and thoroughly screened, bonded and insured. Most are Certified Nurse Assistants or Home Health Aides. Most importantly our caregivers are dependable and extraordinarily caring of others. In addition to their previous experience, our caregivers receive continuous training that includes dementia, hospice care, home safety, nutrition and other topics related to seniors. These highly qualified and trained caregivers are ready to help you and your loved ones with a variety of daily activities such as:

Personal care   /  Meal planning and preparation
Transportation to doctor appointments and other errands
Caring companionship   /  Light housekeeping
Medication reminders  /   Information and referral services

Our personalized, nurse- supervised services are available 7 days a week and
can range from a few hours a day to 24 hours and live in care.

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For more information or service needs, call 24 hours a day at:
800.348.0485
or visit www.AlwaysThereHomeCare-CT.com.  
We are Always There!