Ella Home Care

Call Now: 717-963-7280

  • About
    • Testimonials
  • Services
    • Why Choose Home Care?
    • Respite Care
    • Request an Assessment
  • Our Caregivers
  • Employment
    • Apply Today
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook

April 9, 2020 by Kirk Brechbiel

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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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!

Filed Under: Blog, Caregiver, Home Care Tagged With: aging adults, aging population, assistance, care, coronavirus, covid-19, covid19, depression, elderly, emotional care, healthy, help, home care, loneliness, older, older adults, outreach, professional care, relationships, safe, seniors, sickness, social distancing, stay home, stay safe, virus

April 6, 2020 by Kirk Brechbiel

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.

Filed Under: Blog, Home Care Tagged With: aging adults, aging population, assistance, care, coronavirus, covid-19, covid19, depression, elderly, emotional care, healthy, help, home care, loneliness, older, older adults, outreach, professional care, relationships, safe, seniors, sickness, social distancing, stay home, stay safe, virus

September 6, 2018 by Kirk Brechbiel

6 Reasons Why Seniors Are Able to Live Longer in Their Home

With every passing year, technology, medicine, life-expectancy and a variety of a number of other factors continue to allow more and more seniors to live in their home longer, before moving into a continuing care retirement community or something similar.

So what are these factors and how do they impact our ability to age in our home? Take a look at the top 6 reasons we see seniors choosing to live in their home, long into retirement.

  1. More Ways to Afford a Professional Caregiver

The good news is that there are now more ways to save for and pay for a professional caregiver to care for you in your home as you age. You can make this part of your retirement savings, invest in long-term care insurance, or use life insurance or Medicaid. Also, veterans may quality for additional assistance. It’s important to do your research to know your options.

  1. Medical Advancements

Science and medicine is advancing at a rapid pace and with these advances comes advantages to allowing people to age in their own homes longer. This means illnesses and injuries can be quickly treated and people can be returned back to their homes rather than spending lengths of time in the hospital or rehabilitation facilities. More illnesses and diseases can also be prevented before they become an issue that has to be addressed in a medical facility.

  1. New and Improved Medical Alert Devices

With the various medical alert devices on the market today, families have a ton of options as to the best model for their aging loved one. Really, there’s no reason for anyone living alone to not own and wear one of these devices. Accidents can happen at any hour of the day and in any part of the home. By having one of these devices on your person at all times, you know help is always within reach which makes living independently more feasible.

  1. Improved Safety Measures

There are also many more ways in which we can safety-proof a home. By going room to room, it’s easy to identify various safety hazards from the placement of knives and heavy pots in the kitchen, to loose cords or slippery rugs in the living area. A professional caregiver can assist with auditing a home and making recommendations of ways you can make the space much safe for an aging loved one to live in independently.

  1. 24/7 Monitoring Technology

Granny cams, much like a baby monitoring system provides families with peace of mind knowing they can check in on their loved one whenever needed. For example, if you try to call your parent and they don’t immediately answer the phone, you can call up their camera to confirm their simply sleeping or outside. This alleviates the fear and frustration of not being able to reach a loved one and then assuming the worst.

  1. Family and Friends Who Live Nearby

Finally, it’s becoming more and more common for aging loved ones living independently in their home to have family or friends who live very close by. This is a huge asset that enables people to live longer in their own home because they have the care and companionship of other people who can easily stop by throughout the day. This also offers the social and emotional support that could be lost if you lived alone but without companions nearby. Having the love and support of friends and family close to you as you age is key for maintaining the highest quality of life!

Do you wish to be able to live in your home as long as possible? Which of these factors do you think will have the greatest impact on your ability to do so? Share your thoughts!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: adult, aging, assistance, caregiver, elderly, help, independent living, living at home, resources, retirement, senior

Our Promise To You

  • All calls answered by a live person
  • Engaged & well trained home care professionals
  • 24/7 access to your loved one’s care plan through our online portal
  • We will listen more than we talk
  • We will work one-on-one to develop your care plan

Download Our Brochure

ella_home_care_brochure-thumbnail

Contact Us

Ella Home Care
Address:
839 Market Street
Lemoyne, PA 17043

Phone: (717) 379-1793
Fax: (717) 695-2892

Email: info@ellahc.com

Copyright ©2021 · Ella Home care, All Rights Reserved