Blog Archives - Ella Home Care

May 5, 2020 by Kirk Brechbiel Leave a Comment

How Ella Home Care is Caring for Our Clients During COVID-19

Every industry and individual has been impacted in some way by COVID-19. We have all had to learn to adjust to a new way of living, working, and connecting with one another. While some challenges are minor inconveniences, others are massive and life-changing. For the home care industry, we have had to make significant changes to how we care for our employees and clients at this time to ensure everyone is safe.

At Ella Home Care, we believe that health and well-being comes above anything else. We want to see our clients live the highest quality of life as long as possible. COVID-19 has made it difficult to navigate the balance between social distancing and also being able to help care for our clients. For the most part, this just can’t be done virtually. Here is an update on how Ella Home Care is caring for our clients and staying safe during the pandemic.

Consistent Communication

Clear and consistent communication is invaluable, always and especially as we navigate the changes and challenges of COVID-19. For Ella Home Care, this includes keeping our staff educated and updated on COVID-19 and CDC recommendations. As we implement new policies, we are sure that our caregivers are aware and adhering to them. Additionally, we frequently check in with our caregivers to ensure they and their families are well and taken care of.

Additional Training

Though Ella Home Care historically provided infection control training to our employees, additional training has been provided to combat COVID-19. Frequent reminders are communicated to employees including the importance of hand washing and not working when sick.

Frequent Health Checks

Our employees are required to have their temperature checked prior to the start of each shift. This also includes screening questions recommended by the CDC. If there are any concerns of their health or exposure to COVID-19, we adjust accordingly.

Protective Measures

We supply our caregivers with appropriate personal protective equipment like gloves, masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes before they go into any client’s home. We also provide recommendations for their interactions with clients so they and the client are as protected as possible.

Reporting Issues or Concerns

Our caregivers know to report any changes in a client’s condition including if there is suspected exposure to COVID-19. We keep an open line of communication with our caregivers so that this information is documented and we can make adjustments to their care accordingly. Administration staff checks in with our clients as well.

Limiting Contact

Though we love visiting our clients, our administration staff has made the majority of our interactions with caregivers and clients contactless. Additionally, we reorganized schedules to limit the number of caregivers coming to one client without sacrificing care.

Ella Home Care knows the current circumstances is extremely challenging for our clients and caregivers, physically, mentally, and emotionally. We look forward to when we can be together again, face-to-face, and until then we will continue to take every precautionary measure to stay well.

May 1, 2020 by Kirk Brechbiel Leave a Comment

Creative Ways to Stay Connected While Staying at Home

What might have seemed like a temporary change in our culture as social distancing took place, now appears to be here to stay for a while longer. Until we are able to truly live life like we used to, it’s important to be proactive about finding creative ways to stay connected with loved ones, especially our senior community. Take a look at these ideas for staying in touch and a part of each other’s lives, even with social distancing in place.

Create a Shared Journal

Google Docs is an easy way to create a shared journal electronically. If your aging loved one has a computer or tablet, they can easily navigate to the shared Google Doc and contribute to a daily journal. Take turns writing about your day, how you’re feeling, and any special memories. Best of all, this journal can live on well past COVID-19 and something you can look back on and read again and again.

Start a Book Club

Find a book you and your aging loved one will enjoy reading and do it together. A lot of great books can be found digitally now, so all you need is a device to instantly give you access to a wide array of new content. Set a reading schedule and then touch base weekly to discuss what you’ve read. The virtual book club is a great idea because it ensures you always have something to talk about!

Share Dinner Together Virtually

Doing things virtually is the name of the game as of late. Use Zoom, Facetime, or any other video conferencing tool to share a meal together virtually. You don’t have to have a planned menu, simply make what you have and enjoy it with a loved one who is miles away. Especially for our senior population, meal time can be among the loneliest. Ensure they have a smiling face to share their dinner with by coordinating a virtual meal.

Record a Bedtime Story or Song

There is no age limit on this one! Everyone enjoys a bedtime story or song, especially from a loved one. Ask your parents, grandparents, or even great grandparents to record themselves reading their favorite story or singing a song. Share this with your children, and then return the favor. These recordings will become precious memories you can enjoy well into the future.

Send a Care Package

Snail mail is still up and running and everyone loves to get something in their mailbox. Put together a care package of items your aging loved one needs or would appreciate. The easiest and safest way to do this is to shop online and have the package delivered directly to their door. Make it a mix of useful items as well as small luxuries that will brighten their day. Be sure to include a note!

Create a Group Chat

Include your aging loved one in a group chat with other family members. This allows you to easily check in daily and on your own time. Here you can also share pictures, links to interesting content, and videos. A group chat is a great way to feel connected even if you can’t be together in person.

Do you have another creative idea to share to stay connected while staying home? We’d love to hear it! Leave it in the comments below.

April 9, 2020 by Kirk Brechbiel Leave a Comment

Social Distancing for Seniors: How to Prevent Loneliness

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States, the term “social distancing” has become a part of our daily language. However, it’s so important to keep in mind that this is better described as “physical distancing” as social connection remains imperative, now more than ever.

Especially for our senior population, feeling social distant is a constant battle. As they are among the key population most likely to need serious medical care as a result of contracting COVID-19, this has led to less and less physical interaction from friends and loved ones. Even those who have professional care, whether this is in-home or in an outside care facility, physical contact has decreased as caregivers and medical professionals work to “flatten the curve.”

What we hope to share in this article are tips and solutions for maintaining a safe physical distance from our aging loved ones, at least until no new cases of COVID-19 have emerged, while still staying connected socially to ensure loneliness is kept at bay.

Utilize technology.

Everyone appreciates a phone call or text to check in, but don’t undervalue the need to see each other’s faces. It changes everything! You will feel so much more connected to your loved when one when you use Zoom, Face Time, Google Hangouts, Facebook’s Messenger App. Set a weekly (or even more frequently) time to connect and make it a priority.

Check in often.

We have ample tools to stay connected, but they’re not doing much good if we don’t make it a point to use them often. Commit to hearing from your loved one, ideally daily if you can. This ensures they never go more than 24 hours without a check-in. Hearing back from them daily will also give you peace of mind that all is well.

Become pen pals.

Now more than ever, people really appreciate receiving a good old-fashioned letter in the mail. Sure, it takes added effort than a phone all or text, and that’s the point. Become pen pals with a senior and you two can exchange letters that will serve as a beautiful memory you can re-read and look back on in the future.

Mail a care package.

Speaking of snail mail, take this one step further by sending a care package to an aging loved one. Consider including some activities or treats they enjoy, but may not be able to go out and get on their own. Many online retailers can bundle and ship such items to them directly and are taking all precautions to keep their items sanitary and safe.

Ask directly about how they feel.

Checking in is the first step, but the next important step is being sure to ask your senior friends and family how they feel. Are they feeling anxious, lonely, unwell, or depressed? It’s human to not want to openly share our emotions, especially if they are negative. Yet, when someone asks us directly, we are far more inclined to share the hard truth – which also provides an opportunity to get help.

Help answer their phone, app, or social media questions.

Adult children, you are so vital to your aging parents right now. In an effort to feel connected to the world during social distancing, they will turn to technology, much of which may confuse or frustrate them. Be patient and kind when helping them with their IT questions. This is one of the most loving gestures you can show.

Create something to look forward to in the future.

Finally, give both you and your aging loved one hope for the future and a time when things will feel normal again. Consider planning your first in-person get together. Ask them what they would like to do – and plan it out! Pick a location and an activity. Possibly make a day of it and also ask what you can help them do around the house that needs done. They will be so grateful for the thought, and for something to look ahead to.

Do you have an aging loved one struggling from the isolation and loneliness during this time? Consider implementing a few or all of the above tips this week to help them through the challenges so many of us are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most importantly, maintain safe practices for you and your family so we may all overcome this soon and get back to seeing one another in person. Stay well!

April 6, 2020 by Kirk Brechbiel Leave a Comment

How to Protect Our Seniors from COVID-19

Commit to not seeing one another in person.

This is a hard piece of advice, but one that must be followed to the best of all of our abilities. Unless you are providing essential care to your aging loved one, please commit to not seeing them in person during the quarantine. Even the best precautions can fall short and it would be devastating to feel as though you passed on the virus to someone for which you care deeply.

Reinforce social distancing and staying home.

When you do check in with your loved one (by phone or computer), take the opportunity to reinforce the importance of being serious about social distancing and staying home. You may find that they don’t understand the need to do so, or maybe are still going out and about to run their own errands. Be sure to communicate the facts and that your request to follow recommendations comes from a place of love.

Run errands for them.

While you are reinforcing the need for older adults to stay home and social distance, offer to run errands for them, if you are low-risk and able to do so. Try to combine this with your own errands. You can pick up their groceries and other necessities like medications. Doing so eliminates their need to leave the house and reduces risk of exposure.

Remind them often of the CDC’s recommendations.

As the United States learns more about COID-19, the CDC’s recommendations are evolving. Be sure to check in with your aging loved ones to ensure they have received the most up to date information and are following it. Also guide them to where they can go to review these recommendations first-hand, such as online or offer to mail them an article.

Help answer their questions and concerns.

Many people feel anxious during these times because they have questions and concerns that are not being properly addressed. When speaking with a member of our senior population, ask them if there is anything you can help clarify. You might be surprised by what your mom or dad don’t know or don’t understand. Use this as an opportunity to educate them with correct information.

Ensure they have professional help, if needed.

Finally and most importantly, when checking in with your loved one, be sure their essential needs are being met. Ask whether they have what they need to keep up with their personal hygiene, cooking, and cleaning and have the ability to do so without risk of injury. If you find your aging loved one cannot get by on their own, yet still wishes to remain living in their home, hiring a professional caregiver may be a solution. During the COVID-19 pandemic, home care agencies can provide professional caregivers who help seniors with their basic needs while taking every precaution to not spread the virus. This allows families to safely social distance while not worrying about the care of their aging relatives.

From our family at Ella Home Care, we hope you stay well and stay home during this time. Though this is among the hardest circumstances our world has ever faced, we thank you for doing your part to help keep everyone – including our loved senior population – safe and healthy.

March 5, 2020 by Kirk Brechbiel Leave a Comment

Tips for Living Independently for as Long as Possible

For most people, our dream is to remain living independently, in our own homes for as long as possible. Many factors can impact the ability to do this including health, finances, and support. If you or someone you know are planning for the future, which includes a desire to live independently, consider these tips and tools for putting yourself in the best position to do so.

Plan Ahead

In the midst of everything else going on in your life, it can be hard to find time to plan ahead for the future. Often, this gets pushed to the back burner. But one of the best things you can do for your future self is to start planning for how you wish to live your later years in life. What does this look like? If you desire to stay in your home as long as possible, it’s important to consider what all this will require of you and your loved ones. Write down your plan and think through all the variables. Having this mapped out will help you out greatly down the road.

Communicate Your Wishes

Now that you have thought through what it will require to live independently as you age, you must make your wishes known to those who are likely going to be caring for you, to some degree, in the future. Quite possibly this is a spouse, family member, or even a friend or neighbor. Making it known early that it is your desire to remain living in your home as you age will help your loved ones adjust their expectations and be able to fully support you.

Get Your Finances in Order

There are costs associated with anywhere you live, whether that’s in your current home or in a retirement community. There are certainly pros and cons to each. Be sure to get your finances in order early. Not only will this help you throughout retirement, but it will enable you to live where you wish without a lack of funds dictating the care you do or do not receive. You may even wish to consider a long-term care insurance policy which can assist with costs like professional care in your home.

Enhance Home Safety

Another way to plan ahead for aging in your home as long as possible is to ensure that it is a safe space. Invest in your home with things like repairs, enhancements and safety features to make it a place where you can age safely. If you should need the assistance of a walker or wheelchair, can your home accommodate that? Can you arrange things to create a first floor bedroom to eliminate the use of stairs? Make time to carefully walk through every aspect of your home so that you are aware of things that may need to change in order to stay living in your home in your later years.

Consider a Professional Caregiver

Finally, and most importantly, you may want to consider how a professional caregiver can help you achieve your goal of living independently in your home for as long as possible. You may not need this assistance right away, but it’s smart to at least be informed of what options are available to you and the associated cost. Reach out to a trusted in-home care agency, like Ella Home Care, who can advise you of the services they provide and how they fit your needs and budgetary requirements.

If you or someone you know is hoping to remain living independently in their home as they age remember that with these tips and some additional professional help, it is possible! At Ella Home Care, we proudly provide options to help people live independently in their homes. We welcome you to contact us so we can discuss what might be right for your needs.

How Ella Home Care is Caring for Our Clients During COVID-19

Creative Ways to Stay Connected While Staying at Home

Tips for Living Independently for as Long as Possible

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