Posted on June 23, 2009

Ten Warning Signs:
Your Older Family Member May Need Help

The Eldercare Locator has produced a guide of “10 Warning Signs” to help families and older Americans determine if help is needed. Any one of the behaviors listed may or may not indicate that an action should be taken and your family member’s physician should be kept informed of physical or psychological behavior changes.

Has your family member:

• Changed eating habits within the last year resulting in weight loss, having no appetite, or missed meals?
• Neglected personal hygiene resulting in wearing dirty clothes, body odor, bad breath, neglected nails and teeth, sores on the skin?
• Neglected their home so it is not as clean or sanitary as you remember growing up?
• Exhibited inappropriate behavior by being unusually loud or quiet, paranoid, agitated, and making phone calls at all hours?
• Changed relationship patterns such that friends and neighbors have expressed concerns?
• Had physical problems such as burns or injury marks resulting from general weakness, forgetfulness, or possible misuse of alcohol or prescribed medications?
• Decreased or stopped participating in activities that were previously important to them such as bridge or a book club, dining with friends, or attending religious services?
• Exhibited forgetfulness resulting in unopened mail, piling newspapers, not filling their prescriptions, or missed appointments?
• Mishandled finances such as not paying bills, losing money, paying bills twice or more, or hiding money?
• Made unusual purchases such as buying more than one magazine subscription of the same magazine, entered an unusual amount of contests, increased usage of purchasing from television advertisement?

source: Eldercare Locator web site at www.eldercare.gov

The Eldercare Locator is a public service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging and is administered by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging in cooperation with the National Association of State Units on Aging.

Posted on June 23, 2009

Why Hire A Licensed Agency?
The Licensed Agency Advantage—Peace of Mind

When it comes to private duty home care for a member of your family, you question everything. Partnering with Angels of Mercy Private Homecare Services will help answer those questions, including the most important one — Will my loved one be well cared for and his or her quality of life maintained—in a safe, affordable and convenient manner?

Angels of Mercy Private Homecare Services is a licensed, full-service private duty home care agency. We employ* all of our in-home caregivers and provide their screening, training, insurance, and supervision. Our staff supports a full range of customized services, based on the same guiding principle—Quality people provide quality care and peace of mind. Our initial nursing assessment is a crucial step to ensure that the needs of your loved one are identified and matched with the skills and competencies of the chosen caregiver.

Posted on June 23, 2009

No-Cost In-Home Assessment

Whether an aging loved one is being discharged from the hospital or an emergency care situation arises, finding the right private duty home care solution can be a daunting task. Many times the family, or even the client, is expected to choose a company from a long list that the hospital provides upon discharge. Unfortunately, there is no guidance provided about how to choose the right private duty home care company. Angels of Mercy Private Homecare Services can help explain the differences in private duty home care companies (licensed, certified, registry, etc.)—in addition to helping you determine the type of home care your loved one requires. Angels of Mercy Private Homecare Services can also help identify additional elder care resources that are available.
Our in-home (or even in-hospital) assessment is arranged with a nurse and/or social worker to evaluate the current situation and care needs of your elderly loved one. This assessment helps to guide your family to a care plan that’s smart, safe and appropriate. Care plan recommendations are based on many considerations, including the medical, physical and mental condition of your loved one, finances, community and/or family support, as well as personal preference.
Additionally, it is at this point that other referrals are identified and suggested, such as elder law attorneys, community services and programs, entitlement programs (eligibility for government programs), and/or support groups. We find that this guidance provides much needed comfort through what seems like a confusing journey.

Posted on June 17, 2009

If you have more specific questions, please give us a call at 478-474-4463 to speak with a member of our staff.Q: What are some of the services that can be provided?

Services can include shopping, errands, preparing meals, light housekeeping, medication reminders, escort to appointments, meal preparation, laundry service, assistance with ambulating, as well as personal care, bathing, dressing, incontinence care, maintaining home safety, and companionship. Services can be provided in your home, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, and respite care facilities.

Q: Do the caregivers have any specialized training?

Employee orientation is provided to all employees. Additionally, ongoing training is provided, in-service company training, annual training in First Aid and CPR (initial and re-certification).

Q: Are the caregivers supervised and if so, how?
All caregivers are supervised by a licensed Registered Nurse. The licensed nurses are on staff to assure that proper guiding principles are being followed in the best interest of the client.

Q: Does the company have staff on-call for emergencies?
We have someone on-call when the office is not open on evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Q: What is the screening process?
Each employee is meticulously screened for the following: personal ethics, educational background, business and personal background, past employment history, special training and certification verification, state criminal history clearance, state driving background checks, automobile proof of insurance, social security identification, proof of citizenship and test negative for tuberculosis (TB).

Q: Are the company caregivers covered by state worker’s compensation?

Again, companies who contract work to independent caregivers do not have to pay into a state worker’s compensation fund. Then who does? If a caregiver were injured on the job, whose insurance would cover the medical expenses? Would the client or their estate be liable to pay for a caregiver’s injury? Angels of Mercy Private Homecare Services hires caregivers as employees to protect the client and the caregiver by paying into the employee’s workman compensation fund.

Q: Is the company and caregiver fully bonded and insured under the corporate liability policy?

Your loved one’s safety and security is first. It is in your best interest to choose a company and employees that are bonded and insured under a corporate liability policy. All of the employees are fully bonded and insured under the corporate liability policy. 

Posted on June 16, 2009

1. We’re available 24/7, so you don’t have to be.

2. Next time you want to hang up on your mother, you can tell her to call us.

3. Your dad can’t push our buttons.

4. We’ve helped hundreds of families a lot worse than yours.

5. We can tell your annoying siblings to shut up, but graciously.

6. We can make your parents hear what you have said over and over again, but they refuse to listen to them, you are still a child.

7. We can give you the scoop on which nursing home is really right for your parents.

8. We’re much cheaper than the cost of plane fare if you have to fly into town when your parents say “everything is fine” but you know it isn’t.

9. We know how to get around that “I’m saving for a rainy day” syndrome, when your folks are drowning in their problems.

10. We can do in 2 hours what it would take you 2 weeks to do.