Social Science

10 Things to Look for Before Choosing the Best Home Care Assistance

April 19, 2022 By Administrator

What Should I Look for When Choosing Home Health Care?

Guest Post by Nicholas Rubright

As your parent or loved one gets older, you may notice signs that they need home care assistance. Maybe they are having memory problems, or they are no longer able to keep up with day to day tasks like housekeeping, bathing, and preparing meals. These are all good indicators that your loved one could use some extra help. Choosing a home care assistant can be challenging. You want someone who gives the best assistance possible for your loved one, but it can be difficult to know if you are making the correct choice for them.

Here are 10 things to look for before you make a decision.

1. Reviews and References

Some companies may sound good on paper, but it is important to check for references. Gather a list of companies in your area and visit each website. Read the reviews and patient testimonials.

Ask your family and friends, neighbors, coworkers, an elder law attorney, or anyone you trust if they have experience with a loved one receiving care from the agencies you’re considering—and what their experiences have been like.

If you are worried about the legitimacy of the reviews, you can check if they are accurate with the Better Business Bureau or with a third-party website. You can even use a plagiarism checker to see if the same review has been posted on multiple sites.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

2. Care Certification and Licenses

Before you hire a company, it’s important to make sure that each staff member and the company are licensed. Read about your state’s specific requirements and double check that the agencies are legitimate and regularly monitored.

Typically, only certified licensed personnel are allowed to administer medications. This includes everything from prescription painkillers to CBD oil, like nurses can administer.

3. Screening Procedures

Who exactly is taking care of your loved one? How do they vet potential caregivers? You want to check if the agencies perform thorough background checks on their caretakers, including local and national criminal records, before you make a decision on an agency.

Ask if they conduct drug screening, and how often they screen current caretakers.

A good caretaker should be compassionate, trustworthy, attentive to your loved one’s needs, patient, and respectful.

4. Caregiver Training

Proper training is a necessity for adequate care. Some states require more hours of training than others for caregivers to receive certification. Look up what the requirements are for your state, ask them questions to check their knowledge, and make sure their caregivers are able to provide first aid, CPR, and other treatments related to your loved one’s health.

The caregivers should be able to assist with walking and transferring from bed to wheelchair, assisting with using the toilet and incontinence care, and providing medication reminders.

They should give status reports to you and your family regularly. If they fail to do these things, it can be considered elder neglect. Improving your loved one’s home by removing clutter and perhaps replacing heavy decor that may fall with custom tapestries or posters may also help them move around the house freely when a caregiver isn’t available.

5. Replacement Caretaker Options and Procedures

Your loved one will most likely require more than one caregiver to assist them, especially if they require assistance around the clock. The company that you choose should have a replacement procedure in place to cover their employees’ vacations and work-hour limitations.

At night when your loved one needs to rest, if they are not receiving 24-hour care, they are likely to be alone. They may get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom or get a glass of water, putting them at risk for falls or other accidents.

Having a medical alert necklace or bracelet can be useful to ensure they get immediate care if an accident occurs.

6. Caregiver Supervision

You may want to ask how they will supervise the caregivers assigned to your loved one to prevent the possibility of elder abuse. Some agencies may use cameras, or they may have a trained nurse supervising the visits.

Once you choose an agency, make sure you regularly check in with your loved one to make sure they feel safe and are satisfied with the care they are receiving.

7. Financial Planning

COVID-19 has affected many things and devastated so many families. It has especially affected the cost of in-home care and assisted living.

According to this survey, the median annual cost of in-home care in the U.S. in 2020 was $54,912 for a home health aide and $53,768 for a homemaker. The lowest hourly rate for a home health aide was $17 in Louisiana, and the highest was $33 in Minnesota.

It can be hard to figure out how to afford proper care for your loved one, but there are ways to find financial assistance for long-term care. Learning finance basics on your own will also help you make a more informed decision and help you with your own retirement plans.

8. Caregiver Selection

It can be hard to talk about preferences when it comes to caregivers, but they are necessary to ensure your loved one’s home care experience is a good one. They should provide caregivers who have experience handling specific conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Your loved one may be more comfortable with a caregiver of a specific gender, or they might need someone who speaks a particular language or is knowledgeable about their culture.

9. COVID-19 Precautions

With COVID being a persistent presence in our lives and seniors being at an increased risk of complications or dying from COVID-19, ask what health and safety measures are in place to protect your loved one.

Some methods might include daily health screenings to check for fever, shortness of breath, dry cough, vomiting, or chills, and whether the caregivers have had exposure to anyone who has tested positive with the disease.

You should also inquire on how they handle caring for elders showing symptoms of COVID, or elders who are confirmed to have COVID.

10. Interview the Agencies

Once you have narrowed down the options to three agencies, give them a call and set up in-person interviews to cover any further questions or concerns you may have. This will ease any second thoughts and help you make the best choice going forward.

How to Leverage Veterans’ Skills for Your New Business

June 22, 2021 By Administrator

How to Leverage Veterans’ Skills for Your New Business

Guest Post by Kelli Brewer

Every new business owner knows how tricky it can be to find the right candidate for a role. Start-ups require immense role juggling, with every employee wearing multiple hats simultaneously. It is also critical to have a self-starter hire, who can work competently and without constant supervision. This is where veterans come in. Not only do they have a wide range of skills perfect for a fledgling business, but they also have the drive to make your business goals a reality.

Benefits to Hiring Veterans

There are innumerable benefits to hiring vets for your new business. From problem-solving and decision-making to honesty and attention to detail, veteran hires are sure to have a varied skill set to apply to your workplace. The following are some standout skills most vet hires come with:

Veterans work well independently: As a new business owner, it is natural for your business to pull you in numerous directions, making it difficult to delegate. Hiring those who take initiative can be critical to being able to carry out work efficiently. According to Lifeline for Vets, veterans are 45% likely to find business success, indicating that they are self-starters and independently minded.
Veterans are goal-oriented: One of the biggest takeaways from military service is completing missions accurately and correctly. Collaboration, cooperation, and hard work are emphasized to make target goals a reality.
Veterans are technically skilled: For example, did you know that veterans receive government-provided accreditation and degree opportunities? In addition, veterans are trained in technological knowledge, with practice in numerous industry-standard software and procedures. These skills will be a great addition to your talent pool.

How Can I Hire a Veteran For My Business?

Go about looking for the perfect vet hire just like you would any other employee: by searching job sites. Decide on the skills and experience you’re looking for, and reach out to candidates that will be the best fit for the role. When it comes to hiring vets, consider the skills they have and how they may be suited to your workplace — for example, a vet with experience in recruiting is ideally suited for an HR position. Remember to include ‘veterans encouraged to apply’ on your job title so that it is visible to veterans and helps your listing gain traction.

You can also look up veteran-specific resources, such as veterans’ job sites. Job banks and government recruitment websites are also great places to post your listing. Check out the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS). These pair veterans with corporate leaders and run incentives and schemes that encourage businesses to hire veterans. For example, did you know you can get tax credits for hiring ex-military personnel? Just another reason to hire a vet today!

Once you’ve hired the right candidate for your post, you’ll need to go ahead with onboarding and settling them into your workplace. This process is typically the same for any hire: You settle them in, delineate their tasks, and help them navigate their entry into the workforce.

You’ll also need to integrate your new hires into your payroll. Look for a service to allow direct deposit with payroll and automatic payroll scheduling to pay your employees on time and, by extension, happy. Accurate reporting and tax filing are also necessary to keep your business above board and organized. After your payroll goes out each month, it’s just a matter of adjusting tasks if need be and evaluating your new hires’ performance.

Indeed, the best way to honor veterans is to hire one. You’ll be able to give back to the courageous men and women who served our country selflessly for years. And remember: Hiring a veteran has innumerable benefits for the small business owner. Utilize the standout skillsets veteran hires bring to the table today, and watch your business transform to new heights.

If you need comprehensive office support, or simply to find more hacks for professional and personal growth, subscribe to Judy Vorfeld’s blog and newsletter!

Philippine Elementary School Launches Vorfeld Toy & Book Library!

February 20, 2019 By Administrator

Philippine Elementary School Launches Vorfeld Toy & Book Library!

Far away from the United States is an amazing island in the Philippines: Mindanao. Tucked away in the mountains is a tiny community known as Pacuhan.

It is in the Pacuhan Elementary School that you will find the Vorfeld Toy/Book Library, a room that I had built to honor the memory of five of the most incredible men I’ve ever known: my husband, Jack Vorfeld, his brother Bob Vorfeld, Jack’s sons, Peter Vorfeld and Ted Vorfeld, and Peter’s son, John C. Vorfeld.

When it was time, I contacted the co-founder of “I Can Make A Difference, Inc.,” Meryl Grace Agudelo. At that time, Grace was employed as a nurse by the Philippine Air Force, and an enthusiastic volunteer for her own NGO and others, including The Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation. She has since moved to London, England to continue in her profession, but she still volunteers with I Can Make a Difference and endorses and encourages others.

With the encouragement of her grandmother, Cresencia Nantes Pabatao, Grace envisioned a special way for us to honor memories of the five Vorfeld men: A Toy & Book Library in the somewhat isolated but special elementary school in the barangay of Pacuhan. Pictures to follow. Grace will be adding more toys and books (as of February 2019).

Pacuhan is a barangay in the municipality of Salug, in the province of Zamboange Del Norte, with a population of less than 1,000. The elevation is about 377 feet above mean sea level. I have included a photo of some of the Pacuhan school children.

Salug falls within the third type of climate wherein the seasons are not very pronounced. Rain is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year. Because of its tropical location the municipality does not experience cold weather. Neither does it experience strong weather disturbances due to its geographical location (being outside the typhoon belt) and also because of the mountains that are surrounding the Municipality.

All of the Vorfelds are strong believers in the value of education, and it seemed like a good idea to honor these five men by doing something to encourage school children to read and play in a colorful, specially designed library.

Mission of I Can Make a Difference

Raise awareness of and help solve the problematic situations involving children, women, indigenous people and other marginalized members of a community, especially problems concerning health, education, and the environment; and address these problems through the mobilization of people, social institutions, and social entities of the community.

I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, Inc

June 16, 2018Happy Anniversary I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Seven years and counting! What started an initiative to create a solar reflector for water disinfection has become a movement to develop young innovators to make a difference in their communities. Almost a decade ago, we envisioned a generation of youth who do not only have the power to mobilise resources & communities through social media, but also possess the power to create innovations to transform the socioeconomic landscape of their communities.

In the advent of the challenge possessed by artificial Intelligence, the vision of I CAN is ever more relevant, as it endeavours to make small but passionate contributions to make the Philippines a center of the sciences. One thing that time or technology can never replace is the heart and soul of a creative. Imagine a Filipino youth with the knowledge of innovation and the enabling experience to make their innovation happen. We will become a country of creatives, a vision so wonderful! To more years of innovations.

You may want to visit these websites:

https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Salug,_Zamboanga_del_Norte

https://schools.trokis.com/pacuhan-elementary-school.html

https://www.facebook.com/icanteam/

Special thanks to Meryl Grace Agudelo

Return to Waikiki

October 24, 2016 By Administrator

What a privilege to visit Hawaii recently and connect with the place where my kids and I roamed many years ago. Back when we were all younger, Waikiki was THE place to be for sunshine, the ocean, cooing Rock Doves/Domestic Pigeons, the everywhere scents of sun tan lotion and plumeria, the soothing “feel” of warm white sand, and a sparkling blue-green ocean dotted with surfers, swimmers, and boats.

On this visit we drove into a busy Waikiki where I later hunkered down on the 19th floor of an amazing hotel. I loved my time on the patio watching the ever-hopeful surfers and surf paddlers waiting (from dawn to dusk) for the next wave . . . the sweet sound of traffic carrying people to work and to play and to sightsee . . . sunrises and sunsets rich with streaming colors . . . the rich fragrance of plumeria . . . and the ever-present trade winds.

I spent a good part of my visit adventuring around Oahu with my amazing friend and relative, Mary Anne Vorfeld. And other times I was off on mini-adventures, like riding the Waikiki Trolley. What fun feeling the warm wind in my hair and having a savvy driver who maneuvered the trolley through traffic and near curbs like a pro. She narrated the entire time so people could feel history come alive. Refreshing. Fun!

Not so many photos, as I was busy absorbing sights and sounds and experiences. I did manage to get a few shots, including fish & chips from a restaurant in my hotel. The fish was the catch of the day, and the presentation, servers, and the food itself were breathtaking. I’m sure I didn’t gain an ounce!

One evening during the middle of my trip, I had just returned to my room when I heard (and saw) fireworks. Oh, right: this was the night Hawaii 50 was premiering for 2016, and the cast/crew/honored guests were celebrating on the beach near the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Thrilling fireworks for what seemed like a half hour, but who knows?

Some people say, “Well, I never go to Waikiki because they say it’s not like it used to be.” True. But I spent a lot of time wandering around Waikiki, and loved every minute of it. Many people from different countries, different cultures, enjoying themselves. Weddings everywhere! Long white limos everywhere with VIPs and wedding parties. Hotel employees were magnificent. Busy, busy traffic, but not frantic. Courteous drivers. From people wandering around wearing swimsuits to people in formal wedding parties: there was no one “uniform.” Everyone fits in – in Waikiki. Sure, it’s busy, and not the place to visit if one is looking for long periods of serenity. But it’s simply in a class by itself.