North Bay Home Care

“I never want to live in a nursing home.”

If you’re the child of an elderly parent, you’ve probably listened to your loved one speak those words or a similar sentiment signifying your parent’s wish to continue to age at home instead of moving to a long-term care facility. Truthfully, the majority of seniors want to remain in their own homes for as long as possible – for a variety of reasons. Home is the place they’ve lovingly created, so it’s where they feel the most comfortable. Living at home also brings meaning and purpose to one’s life. Something as simple as looking at one’s belongings, reading the mail, or relaxing on the porch are more meaningful in one’s own home than in a long-term care facility because it is the home that creates the framework of one’s life. … Read More »

Greetings!

In 1994, Hired Hands Homecare was humbly small, not yet a year old.  In celebrating the Holidays, we welcomed our Employees and Client to join us for a small Open House in our office.  At the end of the day, one of our most amazing Caregivers presented a most simple and wonderful gift.

She said “Please accept this small token of appreciation.  It has been wonderful working with such great people, and doing such amazing things for the Seniors of our Community.  I don’t have much, but I very much want to present this to you as a gift during this Holiday.”

Every year we light the candle before we turn the lights out in the office, and go celebrate with friends and family.  A simple paper plate, wrapped in Christmas paper, with candles … Read More »

Dear Valued and Trusted Members of the Hired Hands Team:

 During this Thanksgiving Holiday, we are thinking of all of you who are so dedicated and committed to the care, comfort, and safety of our cherished Clients.  There is no adequate way to express our deep and profound gratitude for all you do.  You have chosen a rewarding, yet often difficult job, and you do it so well.  I am sure there are days when you don’t realize the enormous impact that you have on others lives, enriching them, and offering them peace and joy and security.  It is a BIG job and you are truly heroes!

 To our very special internal staff members, Hired Hands would be nothing without your daily efforts to make a hugely complex company run like a top.  You handle both … Read More »

As outlined by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, approximately 12 million adults are currently diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and it’s expected that another 12 million may be living with the disease without even knowing it. It’s also worth noting that COPD typically occurs in middle age, with smoking as the biggest risk factor. Consistent exposure to dusts and chemicals also presents a high risk factor.

If someone you love has been diagnosed with COPD, living healthier can make a difference in symptom severity. As a matter of fact, eating a healthier diet can make those with COPD feel better, enhance the level of energy needed for breathing, and fight off chest infections.

These tips can help with better management of COPD symptoms:

Don’t skip breakfast. For those with COPD, breathing burns ten times as many calories than in … Read More »

On Wednesday, Hired Hands Homecare joined many families, friends, Caregivers, Clients and industry partners at the Marin Senior Information Fair.  Yes… it was our TWENTY-FOURTH Marin Senior Fair!  It was a great day of seeing old friends, gathering useful information, and even getting the flu shot out of the way.  And how great do Kirsten and Erick look?!?

Greetings Friends and Families,

The past two weeks will be remembered as a time of profound tragedy for our Community.  We’re extremely thankful to CalFire and ALL the first responders for finally getting the fires contained and under control.  We’re also extremely thankful for the safety and well being of all Hired Hands Employees, Families, and Clients.

During the toughest of times, our Management Team, Emergency On-Call Coordinators, and dedicated Caregivers exceeded all expectations in their efforts to keep our Clients as safe and comfortable as possible.   This was particularly impressive over the past two weeks as the situation changed constantly.  Our office operations had to relocate due to power outages.  Families were evacuated multiple times, often to far away locations.  Evacuees even slept in our offices.  Together, we worked around the clock as a focused Team, doing the best we could, … Read More »

In the Bay Area, they’re forecasting TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT for the upcoming Holiday Weekend!

We all suffer in hot weather. However, for elderly and disabled people and those with chronic health conditions such as vascular disease or diabetes, the weather does not have to hit 100 degrees to cause heat stress or even deadly heat stroke.

As we age, we gradually lose the ability to perspire and regulate our body temperature. This is why older people tend to overdress — they don’t feel heat the same way anymore. Heart rates do not speed up-or return to normal-as fast during exercise. Older skin also thins and offers less protection from the sun. Poor circulation, heart, lung and kidney diseases, and high blood pressure increase the risk for heat-related illness. Being overweight or underweight also increases risk.

Medications taken for a variety of diseases … Read More »

Impacting as many as one out of every ten older adults, and even more prevalent in those who smoke, suffer from chronic conditions such as diabetes, or whose skin is more fragile, bed sores (also known as pressure sores or pressure injuries) are not just extremely painful – they can quickly progress to infections that can spread to the bloodstream and even become life-threatening.

For those with limited mobility or who are bed- or wheelchair-bound, and those who care for them, the battle against bed sores can seem endless. Resulting from a lack of blood flow when remaining in one position for too long, it’s imperative for those caring for a senior loved one to educate themselves about pressure sore prevention. Try some of these tips to help protect your loved one’s vulnerable skin from these dangerous sores:

Frequent Position Changes

Hourly if … Read More »

Throughout aging, assistive home care tools can make daily life around the home simpler and safer. There are a plethora of adaptive equipment options for home care on the market today that can make seniors’ lives less hazardous and more comfortable. At Hired Hands Homecare, we wish to supply you with some insider tips for buying and using some of the most widely used pieces of home care equipment.

Commodes

A commode can be used in place of both an elevated toilet seat and a toilet safety framework and also has the added benefit of being mobile, so can be utilized separately at a bedside as well.

Tips for purchase:

Look for one that has non-removable armrests and rubber tips on the legs in place of wheels, and check for sturdiness.
Look for a commode that includes both a pail (with lid) and a sleeve … Read More »

It’s intuitive to most of us that socializing with others improves wellbeing by keeping one connected to other people’s experiences, beliefs, struggles, humor, viewpoints, and a number of other human occurrences. Now, however, scientific research is proving that socializing with others, and in particular senior socialization, actually may enhance the wellness of both brain and body.

The results point clearly to the benefits of friendship and social engagement for older adults. A study executed by Rush University Medical Center showed that someone who reported a high level of senior socialization was nearly twice as likely to remain free of a disability involving activities of daily living than somebody with a low level of social activity, and nearly 1.5 times as likely to remain free of disability involving instrumental activities of daily living or mobility. Very social older persons had a 70% … Read More »