Caregivers

Assisting a senior you love with personal care needs – tasks like taking a bath, getting dressed, and helping with toilet needs – can be uncomfortable for both the senior and yourself. It requires the senior to set modesty aside and allow herself to be vulnerable. And when Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia is added to the mix, the senior’s feelings of distress may become overwhelming, resulting in an outburst.

The exact trigger behind these outbursts can vary from one person to another, but some of the more common reasons are:

Loss of control. A person’s sense of independence can feel as though it’s slipping away in a number of areas for older adults, and trying to remain in control over the most basic functions becomes even more important.

What can help: Help the senior to feel as much in control … Read More »

Picture how it would feel to wake up in an unfamiliar place, unable to remember how you got there or even what your name is. Complete confusion swiftly turns into fear and anger, and you may find yourself lashing out at the stranger standing beside your bed, speaking to you in a soft voice.

This scenario paints a bleak and sadly accurate picture of an Alzheimer’s patient’s reality. Now imagine standing in front of a person you love, and having that person look at you with no recognition whatsoever. Each day your heart breaks a little bit more, but you push through the pain and go on with your caregiving duties for your loved one with Alzheimer’s.

According to the latest report from Alzheimer’s Association, a whopping 17.7 billion hours of care are provided by family caregivers each year to those with … Read More »

Gina is July’s Caregiver of the Month for Hired Hands Homecare – Santa Rosa! Gina began working for Hired Hands Homecare in May of 2015. She has been reliable, hard working, positive and always stays calm and centered.  She is also an extremely talented Caregiver, adept at assisting with all Activities of Daily Living, along with the skills and knowledge required to work with Alzheimer’s and Dementia clients.

“I called Deb to find out how Gina’s first shift had gone. She told me that Gina was great! Deb asked that we send her back whenever Dolores is not available.”

 Joanne says she really LOVES Gina! “She’s pleasant and has been cooking up a storm!”
Thank you, Gina, for being AWESOME!!

Darlene MacDonald- Darlene has worked for Hired Hands Homecare for over 3 years. Darlene is a very hard worker. She goes above and beyond to get things done.

When Darlene was in her CNA class, she finished at the top of her class and scored a 100% on her final examination.

Darlene is an animal lover. She has two dogs Casey is a Yellow Lab and Sydney is a Chihuahua. She has a guinea pig named Rose that her and her family rescued at a local park and she feeds the local stray cats.

Darlene likes to read, bird watch and take hikes. Darlene’s favorite aspect of care giving is being able to brighten someone’s day and to help them be more independent.

Darlene, THANK YOU for ALL you do!
The Hired Hands Homecare Team~

Caught in ACTION!

I popped into Vintage Sonoma unannounced to do a visit with Julie Slaton’s client. Upon arrival they were in the lobby enjoying popcorn and having a great conversation. Julie was dressed in her Hired Hands Scrub and Badge. She interacted with the staff and client with great professionalism!

The Staff at Vintage Sonoma appreciate Julie’s attentiveness and professional appearance. She is always on time and keeps her client entertained and calm while in the lobby with other residents. They brought us on board to assist client for safety because she has tried multiple times to leave the building.  Julie has been successful at keeping client in the building and participating in facility activities.

Julie, THANKS for Shining like a Star!
Melissa W, Homecare Manager

Every Month, we Congratulate a STELLAR Caregiver for how well they go about their job.  This Month’s winner is……

Lisea!! Congratulations Lisea, you’re going home with our “Summer in the Fun on the Run” basket. Included are some great essentials to beat the heat like sun glasses and a water canteen, and some other fun items including a $25 visa gift card.

Lisea is halfway through the Hired Hands Inc Mentorship program. Even though she’s just beginning her career at Hired Hands, she is knocking it out of the park! She earned the most points last month by turning paperwork in early every week, and offering a helping hand whenever she could!

Lisea – You’re a Star!

Addy is the Employee of the Month for the Santa Rosa Office! With her calm demeanor and a smile that lights up the room, Addy has a way of putting both clients and families at ease during even the most difficult times. She has become one of our most valued Hospice Team members, and has helped ease families and their loved ones through the Hospice experience. As one daughter said “My father loved Addy. Her kindness, gentleness, warmth, and the way she diligently cared for him, put him at absolute ease.”

Melonie Timms has been chosen for the Employee of the Month for Pleasanton for June 2016. Melonie has so much compassion for her clients. Melonie interacts so well with her clients too. When Melonie and a client are together you can see them both light up. Melonie has a few different clients with very different personalities and she is amazing dealing with them all.

Melonie is an artist as well, she bedazzles all types of shoes. When Melonie isn’t working, she spends her time with her beautiful daughter.

This is Phyllis Mesquita. She was caught looking great in her Hired Hands scrub top and name badge while on a home visit! Our Hired Hands caregivers always giving their best.
Thank you Phyllis!

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, you may feel as though your world has turned upside down. It’s hard to focus on all of the details, options and choices that need to be considered.

At Hired Hands Homecare, our California caregivers understand the challenges and struggles faced by those battling cancer and by those who love them, and want to help. To start, we thought it might be beneficial to provide some basic details about one of the most commonly recommended treatments – chemotherapy – and answer some of the most frequent questions about this treatment option.

Chemotherapy’s main purpose is to destroy cancer cells, stop cancer cells from spreading, and/or slow cancer cell growth. There are many different kinds of chemotherapy, and it can be given in the following forms:

An IV (intravenously)
A shot (injection) into a … Read More »