Homecare

Have you started the process of looking for home care services for yourself or a loved one? At Hired Hands Homecare, we know this is an important process. Finding quality care and knowing what level of care you or your loved needs can be overwhelming. We are here to help! We have broken down some of the main functions and ability levels that we take into account when recommending either part-time or full-time home care.

Minimal to Minor Care at Home:

Emergency Responsiveness: The individual is able to negotiate stairs, call for assistance or respond appropriately to someone helping him or her during an emergency.
Mobility: The individual is able to walk and transfer himself or herself from a bed or chair independently with infrequent falling.
Activities of Daily Living (bathing, dressing, feeding, etc.): The individual is able to accomplish most activities with little … Read More »

Do you have an aging loved one struggling to accept the fact that he or she needs some extra help at home? One of the greatest fears we have as we age is the loss of independence and the ability to live at home alone. Because of this fear, it may be very difficult to ask for or to accept the help we need. If you have an aging loved one who is struggling with the idea of allowing some extra help at home, Hired Hands Homecare in California has some helpful tips to try:

Introduce the senior to the caregiver before care begins in order to help establish a relationship so that the caregiver is not perceived as a stranger.
If the senior is afraid of having someone he or she doesn’t know in the home, consider having a family member … Read More »

Did you know that ONE out of every THREE seniors aged 65+ falls each year.  The more tragic statistic is that EVERY 13 seconds, a senior is treated in the emergency room because of a fall!  Let’s put needed focus and attention towards minimizing this enormous problem!

The Eighth Annual Fall Prevention Awareness Day will be celebrated on September 23, 2015 – the first day of fall.  As such, we’d love to spread the word about all things Fall Prevention. A great information sheet is the NCOA-6-Steps-to-Prevent-a-Fall which includes 6 easy tips that can be used to avoid falls.  This is great information, and are easy ways that we can become aware on how to stay safe, and reduce the likelihood of a fall.

Over in the East Bay, the Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley presents “Take a Stand to Prevent Falls”.  Please join … Read More »

At Hired Hands, we truly take great pride in not only what we do, but equally important, HOW we do it.  As time goes on, there will continue to be more and more options for senior care.  We’re firmly committed to being among the best options in the communities that we serve.

This morning, we received the following accolade from a new client in the Tri-Valley area.  As their family has been dealing with the challenges of caring for a loved one, they have run into several obstacles and less than ideal situations with different care providers.  Needless to say, their compliment put a definite smile on our faces!

“First and foremost, Thank YOU.  You and your team have brought faith back to  this journey we are on.  It didn’t just start with the last agency that let us down.  It has not been pleasant … Read More »

Hired Hands Receives third consecutive Prestigious “Best of Home Care” Award from Home Care Pulse

Quality is key – especially when it comes to family.  In order to truly gauge the quality of our services, we contracted with Home Care Pulse, a national firm that closely measures Client and Employee Satisfaction in the caregiving industry.  Our dedication to quality standards earned us their designation, Certified – Trusted Provider.  Hundreds of our clients, their  families, and our amazing caregivers have been contacted by Home Care Pulse to answer a brief survey regarding our quality of service.

Everyone approaches their finances in different ways – some people are frugal, others spend-thrifts, and most people are somewhere in between. But no matter how we manage our money, there’s always a possibility that we can go off track, make a bad decision, or start having difficulties in doing financial tasks, like paying bills.

For some seniors, finances may represent independence, and any suggestion that they may be having difficulty managing their money may make them fear a loss of that independence. As well, they are from a generation that was often taught that you don’t discuss money, that this is an intensely personal part of life. That being said, difficulty managing money can be a sign of cognitive decline, and an indication that in-home health services may be needed.

So how can you make sure your loved one is able to … Read More »

Do you think that someone you care for is compulsively hoarding? Is his or her situation becoming more and more difficult to manage? Are you worried?

Compulsive or pathological hoarding, officially called disposophobia, is more than just gathering or living with clutter. It’s an excessive gathering of objects, regardless of their value. The idea of giving away or throwing away any of the objects, even trash, causes great stress.

Hoarding causes several problems. Too many objects in a living space can cause problems with hygiene – both in the home and with personal hygiene if washing facilities are blocked. Extreme clutter can encourage social isolation, due to embarrassment about the state of the home and the inability to clean up well enough to go out. And the clutter also can be a safety hazard. Clutter can cause falls, destroy home foundations, and … Read More »

“I want to stay in my own home.” That is a frequently heard statement by many seniors, even if they may be having some difficulty managing on their own. And who can blame them? Their home is where they likely feel safest. They know where things are and they have their routines. They may have friends and family who live nearby, who add to their quality of life. But if you have concerns about your loved one’s ability to continue living at home, how will you know if he or she needs help, perhaps in the form of in-home health care services?

Here is a list of questions to ask yourself to help you determine if your loved one is as safe as possible and if he or she may need some extra help:

Weight loss

Has your loved one unintentionally lost … Read More »

As our senior population grows, so does the already enormous problem of Elder Abuse.  New cases arise daily regarding the abuse, neglect or exploitation of seniors.  Unfortunately, we also know that the reported cases are only a small percentage of what is actually happening behind closed doors.  It is estimated that only one in 23 actual elder abuse situations actually get reported.

This week, an article shed light on a recent case in our own back yard.  Local bank staff, and social workers noticed some things that didn’t quite seem right, and notified the proper authorities.  We’re fortunate to live in an area where the District Attorney’s Office takes these accusations very seriously.  We’ll see where this case goes…

Hired Hands Homecare also takes this topic very seriously.  Awareness and education go a long way in helping people understand the severity of this problem, as well as ways that … Read More »