THANK YOU Kraig!
The Hired Hands Homecare Team raises our glasses to Kraig, as our most recent Caregiver of the Month!
We had the pleasure of surprising Kraig while he was on shift with his client, Stanley. When we presented the award, Stanley smiled and said that he wanted to “look up in admiration at Kraig holding his award” for the picture for our office Wall of Fame. It was a moment filled with warmth, appreciation, and lots of smiles. Kraig and Stanley can often be found sharing a quiet afternoon working on crossword puzzles or a competitive game of scrabble. Either usually includes enjoying a bowl of ice cream! While Stanley remains undefeated in their friendly games, Kraig more than makes up for it with his compassionate heart, knowledge of caregiving, and unwavering dedication. Kraig is one of our highly skilled caregivers and also … Read More »
How to Handle Repetitive Questions in Dementia Without Losing Your Cool
Repetitive questions in dementia aren’t always easy to manage, but these tips will help.
If you’ve ever heard the same question five times in five minutes from someone you love, you know just how draining it can be. Repetitive questions in dementia are one of the most common and challenging behaviors families encounter. But these loops aren’t something the person can control. They’re a window into how dementia changes the brain.
How Dementia Affects the Senses and What You Can Do About It
Find out how dementia affects the senses, how it impacts quality of life, and how you can help someone you love.
When dementia is part of your family’s life, there’s a good chance that memory loss is top of mind. But there’s another reality that often goes unrecognized: how dementia affects the senses. These unexpected changes can have a huge impact on daily safety, independence, and comfort. If you’re helping care for someone with dementia, understanding how sensory changes show up, and how to respond, is vitally important.
Grace is a Senior Care ACE!
Please join us in congratulating Grace Q as our most recent Caregiver of the Month!
We recently had the pleasure of surprising Grace on shift with her client, Darlene. Both were pleasantly surprised, and excited to celebrate. Grace is highly skilled Homecare Professional. She always has a positive, friendly attitude. She has a gentle approach and is able to connect with her clients instantly. Grace has received many compliments for the fantastic work she provides to our clients families, and we couldn’t agree more.
Grace, Thank You for ALL that you do! It is an absolute pleasure to have you on our Team!
~HHH
Healthy Conversations With Your Parent Start Here
Learn how to have healthy conversations with your parent to restore peace to your relationship.
When you dedicate so much time and energy to caring for a senior parent, it’s natural for other relationships to take a back seat. After all, there are only 24 hours in a day, and you can only spread yourself so thin. This can lead to additional stress, hurt feelings, and misunderstandings.
The key to overcoming this hurdle is communication. It means having healthy conversations with your parent that may be uncomfortable but allow the opportunity to air grievances, share feelings, and ultimately reinforce the love you have for each other.
Kicking Off a Courageous Conversation
First, know that a planned, formal meeting isn’t necessary for a conversation to be effective. It can be a quick chat while waiting for the coffee to … Read More »
How Can You Prioritize Privacy as a Caregiver?
Make sure to prioritize privacy as a caregiver to protect your health and well-being.
Think back to your teenage years. Remember how important it was to find a safe place to be by yourself, to shut out the world, turn up the music, and write your most secret thoughts in your diary?
The need for privacy that began then may become overshadowed when providing care for someone else. Yet it’s still vitally important to be able to separate yourself both physically and mentally from your caregiving role to take time for yourself and prioritize privacy as a caregiver.
How Can a Caregiver Make Privacy a Priority?
Frankly, it isn’t always easy. You may feel as though you need to always have at least one ear and eye open to the needs of the person in your care. There … Read More »
What You Need to Know When Mom Is Discharged From the Hospital
When Mom is discharged from the hospital, keep an eye out for a condition known as post-hospital syndrome.
The moment Mom is discharged from the hospital, you exhale, believing the toughest part is finally behind you. But instead of bouncing back, she seems drained, anxious, or even weaker than before. She’s struggling with simple tasks, isn’t sleeping well, and feels overwhelmed.
This wasn’t how you pictured recovery. Instead of a turning point, it feels like she’s slipping backward.
What’s going on?
The Unexpected Challenge of Post-Hospital Recovery
Leaving the hospital doesn’t always mean the body is ready to heal. Many older adults experience post-hospital syndrome—a state of extreme stress and vulnerability that can slow recovery, lead to new health complications, and even increase the risk of readmission.
Stress plays a bigger role than you might realize.
How Stress … Read More »
Struggling to Let Someone Lighten Your Caregiving Load? This Might Be Why.
Learn why it’s so important to allow someone to help lighten your caregiving load, and why you may be feeling so resistant to the idea.
The moment Mom is discharged from the hospital, you exhale, believing the toughest part is finally behind you. But instead of bouncing back, she seems drained, anxious, or even weaker than before. She’s struggling with simple tasks, isn’t sleeping well, and feels overwhelmed.
This wasn’t how you pictured recovery. Instead of a turning point, it feels like she’s slipping backward.
What’s going on?
The Unexpected Challenge of Post-Hospital Recovery
Leaving the hospital doesn’t always mean the body is ready to heal. Many older adults experience post-hospital syndrome—a state of extreme stress and vulnerability that can slow recovery, lead to new health complications, and even increase the risk of readmission.
Stress plays a bigger … Read More »
Oscar Rocks!
Please join us in congratulating Oscar as our most recent Caregiver of the Month!
We recently had the pleasure of surprising Oscar while he was on shift with his client, Richard. Richard cheerfully joined in on the celebration and let me know that Oscar deserves every ounce of acknowledgement, and we couldn’t agree more! Oscar sends a big thank you to everyone in the office and stated that he has never received recognition like this before, which made the surprise all that much sweeter!
Oscar has worked with the Hired Hands team since 2022. He is highly skilled, exceptionally patient, kind, gentle, respectful, and has great attention to detail. Most of the time when we visit, you can find Oscar in the kitchen preparing amazing meals for our clients. Oscar is attentive and always makes sure that our clients are well taken care … Read More »
Why Won’t Mom Eat? It Might Just Be an Eating Disorder.
If you’ve been wondering, “Why won’t Mom eat?” it’s important to know the signs of an eating disorder.
Changes in appetite and weight are often considered a normal part of aging. But if you find yourself asking, “Why won’t Mom eat?” it’s important to consider all possible reasons. While factors like medication side effects, dental concerns, or reduced mobility can certainly play a role, there’s another potential cause that often goes unnoticed: eating disorders in seniors.
