Blog Archives - Ella Home Care

October 4, 2019 by Kirk Brechbiel Leave a Comment

Trick-or-Treat at Every Age: How Senior Adults Can Celebrate Halloween

Halloween fun has no age limit. There are many activities that can be enjoyed by the teeniest trick-or-treaters all the way to the most seasoned “ghouls” and “goblins.” All it takes is a little creativity and a spirited attitude. For our senior adults, Halloween can be a fun and festive holiday with much to enjoy. Take a look at a variety of ways in which you can partake in Halloween activities at any age or ability level.

Decorate Your Space

Halloween decorations are just plain fun! There’s no other time of year when you can hang fake cobwebs and spiders or put out props like a skeleton candy bowl and have no one bat an eye. Take full advantage of this! Halloween decorations are around every corner. A quick trip to the dollar store will yield you with enough décor to make your living space festive for the season. It will also bring a smile to any visitors you have over throughout the season.

Pass Out Candy

Another staple of Halloween is being visited by trick-or-treaters. For senior adults, this is a great activity that allows you to partake in the fun without requiring much more than sitting on your porch with some treats. Better yet, invite over family, a neighbor, or a friend to sit with you. Together you can enjoy the creative costumes, giggling children, and all the sights and sounds of the season.

Dress the Part

Finding some festive Halloween attire is another easy and accessible way to celebrate the holiday. You can even ask a friend or caregiver to help you with this, if needed. A decorative sweater, or Halloween print scarf will instantly put you in the spirit of things. Even something as simple as some fun Halloween socks will brighten the day. If you do choose to handout candy to trick-or-treaters, the kids will love seeing you in a witch’s hat or clown nose!

Involve Your Pets

Just because the days of parading around children in costumes are behind you, you may still have some furry friends who can fit the part. There are endless options for pet costumes available online and in-store. If a friend is looking to treat you to a surprise, suggest this as an idea for something that would be a thoughtful gift. Seeing your beloved dog or cat looking like your favorite Halloween character will certainly bring a smile to everyone’s face.

Share in Other people’s Enjoyment

Finally and most essentially, Halloween is a prime time to share in other people’s enjoyment of the holiday! Kindly ask friends and family to share pictures with you of their children’s costumes and their home décor. Whether by text, email, social media, or in person, these photos will allow you to experience Halloween joy, even if you can’t be there to see it in person.

Is Halloween your favorite holiday? Share how your celebration has evolved over the years in the comment section below.

September 11, 2019 by Kirk Brechbiel Leave a Comment

Great Outdoor Activities to Enjoy in Cooler Weather

It’s bittersweet to bid farewell to summer, but the fall brings with its some unique benefits like cooler weather which is a welcome break from high temps and humidity. Especially for senior adults, the very warm summer days can make it dangerous to spend too much time outside, limiting activities during peak daylight hours to shaded or air conditioned space. So with the arrival of fall, we wanted to offer a variety of outdoor activities you might enjoy sharing with an adding loved one this season. Take a look!

Walk in the park

A walk in the park during the fall season is a beautiful and scenic activity that is perfect for all ages, especially those in their senior years. Whether your local park is walkable from home or you need to take a quick car trip to get there, once you’re there you can enjoy a leisurely pace of walking different areas of the park while stopping to take a break on a bench of picnic table to take in the views.

Campfire with friends

Another fun fall activity, especially in the evening hours, is sitting by campfire or fire pit. If you don’t have one at your home, think of a friend or family member who does. Ask if they would be willing to host a small get together and then arrange transportation for your aging loved one(s). Sitting by the warmth of the fire, enjoying some snacks and sharing stories with one another is a great way to make new memories this fall.

Baking seasonal treats

Now that the heat of summer has subsided, an afternoon of baking in the kitchen seems bearable again. Use this as an opportunity to spend time with an aging loved one, making some of their favorite fall recipes. Think apples, pumpkin and cinnamon! If you’re able to bake a few different types of treats in a day, you can make these into care packages to share with neighbors and friends.

Hot cocoa to go

Tis the season for some homemade hot cocoa! Make some at home and bring it in a thermos to your loved one’s home. Then suggest you sit on the porch or deck to enjoy the fresh, cool air of fall while the hot cocoa keeps you warm. This would pair nicely with some of those homemade fall treats you’ve made.

Brunch or lunch on the patio

Treat a senior loved one to a meal out at one of their favorite restaurants. Choose a location that has the option to sit outside. If the weather is nice enough for it, suggest sitting outside on the patio or deck of the restaurant to take in the scenes of fall while enjoying a delicious meal. To be mindful of the dropping temperatures during the evening hours, make the meal a brunch or lunch so that you’re able to still enjoy the warm sun during peak hours.

What is your favorite fall outdoor activity? Is this something you might be able to share with an aging loved one this season? Join in the conversation by leaving a comment below.

September 4, 2019 by Kirk Brechbiel Leave a Comment

Fun and Easy Fall Craft Ideas for Senior Adults

Tis the season for pumpkin spice and everything nice! The passing of Labor Day typically shifts our mindsets from summer to autumn, making it a great time to dig into some seasonal crafts that can make your home feel a bit more festive this time of year.

Crafts aren’t just for kids! In fact, crafts are one of the best ways to engage aging adults, giving them a productive pastime while increasing mental alertness and dexterity. Let’s take a look at just a few of the many fall craft ideas you may wish to try out this season with your aging loved one.

Decorating a photo frame

Photos are closely tied to memories, making a photo frame a great craft idea for aging adults. Find an old, plain photo frame or purchase an inexpensive new one. Try to choose something made of unfinished wood or of a material that will work well with hot glue. The Dollar Store is a great place to find these types of items! Next, using a hot glue gun (and helping your loved one as needed), carefully arrange various fall décor items like faux leaves, acorns, and mini plastic pumpkins around the frame. Once dry, the frame is ready for a new photo. Use this opportunity to take a family photo with your loved one. Now you have a fresh memory fit for the fall season!

Filing a vase with fall décor

It’s likely you or someone you know has a variety of empty vases to spare. Borrow or buy some of various sizes and shapes. Next, go on a “scavenger hunt” around the home, or outside to collect fall items like leaves, pinecones, acorns and flower clippings to fill the vases. Take time to carefully arrange the various items in the vases to create a colorful and decorative display that can be placed on a table, above a fireplace or on a side table to add a burst of fall décor to your loved one’s home or apartment.

Creating fall themed greeting cards

You don’t have to be a true artist to master this fall craft idea. Whatever comes from the heart will be well received! Using crayons, colored pencils and stencils, spend time with your aging loved one decorating greeting cards to send to family and friends. On the front of the blank cards, draw a fall scene like a park bench surrounded by leaves, or a pumpkin patch. Then write a thoughtful note inside. The final step in this craft is taking a walk together to the mail box to send your well wishes off together. This is the perfect craft to do over the course of an afternoon.

Making a no-sew fleece throw

This craft idea take a bit of preparation, but is well worth the effort. Go to your local fabric store ahead of time and purchase two large squares (large enough to be a comfortable throw) of fleece in two different fall patterns. Then, following these instructions, work together to cut tabs around the material and knot the two pieces together to create a warm and cozy blanket that is perfect for those cool fall days. Every time your loved one wraps up in this blanket they will think back on the memory of making it with you.

Filling trick or treat bags

Another fall craft idea, geared more toward the Halloween holiday, is to fill trick or treat bags to have on hand to give out to neighborhood trick or treaters. Help your loved one by purchasing a variety of candy and baggies in advance. Work together to fill each bag and tie it off. You can even add a fun and festive note to the bags, if you wish! This is something a senior adult may not have the means or ability to do by themselves, so with your help they will be well prepared to enjoy Halloween visitors from neighborhood children while having treats ready and on hand to give them.

Which one of these fall craft ideas do you plan to do with a friend or family member this season? Let us know, or share a new idea, by leaving a comment below!

August 9, 2019 by Kirk Brechbiel Leave a Comment

A Perfect Match: How Ella Home Care Finds the Best Caregiver for You

At Ella Home Care, we go much deeper than simply matching an available caregiver with a new client. We have a careful process for how we assess the needs of a client, as well as their personality, interests and hobbies so that we can provide them with a caregiver who is as close to a “perfect match” as possible. Are you curious to know more about our process? Read on to learn the steps we take to find the best caregiver for every situation.

We take time to really get to know you.

First, a member of our team comes out to the home for an assessment. The assessment is like a meet-and-great where we get to know each other and determine what services will be needed to keep that person living independently in his or her place of residence. We also ask the person what kind of personality and traits he or she would like in a caregiver. For some, a strong and outgoing personality is a good fit, while others may be better suited for a quiet personality.

We consider the areas of expertise needed.

Next we take inventory of what is expected of a caregiver. If a lot of hands-on tasks are involved, like bathing and transfers, we look to our experienced staff who are accustom to providing those services like our CNA’s on staff or other skilled caregivers. We also make sure our caregivers of physically capable of providing such care and can do so safely.

We take into account pets, interests, and hobbies.

If the person has any pets, we make sure our caregiver is not allergic to or has issues working around animals. We also try to match someone with a pet with a caregivers who also loves pets. This commonality can help to create a bond right from the beginning. We also try to identify interests and hobbies and when possible match a caregiver who has a shared interest or hobby. Many times, a client will request someone who is a good cook, someone who likes the outdoors, or someone who likes conversation and we do our best to accommodate this.

We make sure everyone feels comfortable and prepared.

Once we have obtained all the necessary information to make an informed decision, we carefully review our roster of available caregivers to see who may be the best fit. If the client wishes to meet their caregiver in advance of their first day, we are happy to arrange this. In fact, we recommend that the client and caregiver meet prior to the start of their working relationship to ease into the transition and to make things more comfortable. This also allows the caregiver to see the home in which they will be working, allowing them to prepare anything they may wish to bring with them to help them in caring for the client.

Could you or someone you know benefit from the care and assistance of an in-home caregiver? Contact Ella Home Care today so we can help you find the right option to meet your needs!

August 3, 2019 by Kirk Brechbiel Leave a Comment

How an In-Home Caregiver Can Help Even When You’re Not at Home

Just as the title would imply, an in-home professional caregiver most commonly provides care for aging loved ones who wish to stay in their home as long as possible. However, there may be situations that arise that call for this person to receive care outside their home for a period of time. For example, an injury or procedure could require a short hospital stay or a few days or weeks in a rehabilitation facility.

During this time, a professional caregiver serves just as important of a role as ever by continuing to care for this person in their new location. The doctors and nurses on-site will care for their major medical needs, while the professional caregiver is there to assist with their daily hygiene, dressing, and eating. And they are there to provide a lot more than that! Here are four benefits of having an in-home caregiver care for a loved one even when they’re not in their home.

A Familiar Face

When your loved one is in the hospital or in short-term care at a rehabilitation facility, their caregiver will provide them with something familiar. When you’re out of your home environment, it can be lonely, unsettling and even scary, especially for older adults. With a professional caregiver, that person has something that feels safe, familiar and normal.

Continuity of Care

A very important role a professional caregiver plays is providing continuity of care. When someone is in any type of short-term care, they will likely be working with many different nurses and doctors in a short period of time. This can make it challenging to be sure your loved one is receiving consistent care tailored to their needs and expectations. With a professional caregiver, you know you will have one thing that remain constant throughout it all.

Personalized Attention

More than just the physical care of your loved one, you want to be sure they are being cared for emotionally and mentally. A professional caregiver is available to listen, talk, and simply spend time with a person. This personalized attention can greatly enhance the healing and recovery process.

Your Eyes and Ears

Most importantly, when you cannot be with your loved one, you will have the professional caregiver there to help be your eyes and ears for all that is going on. As doctors or nurses stop by ask questions and do their assessments, the caregiver can provide you with updates. They can also alert you of any concerns or requests they have. This gives you both the peace of mind and certainty that your loved one is receiving the top quality care.

Could you or someone you know benefit from having a professional caregiver? Contact Ella Home Care today so we can tell you more about our process and determine if this is the right fit you!

Trick-or-Treat at Every Age: How Senior Adults Can Celebrate Halloween

Great Outdoor Activities to Enjoy in Cooler Weather

Fun and Easy Fall Craft Ideas for Senior Adults

A Perfect Match: How Ella Home Care Finds the Best Caregiver for You

How an In-Home Caregiver Can Help Even When You’re Not at Home

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