Your Eldercare Consultants work with many older adults whose family members are considered “out-of town.” Out-of-town could mean New York or California, but it could also mean just a hundred miles away in southern Illinois. The point is that an aging loved one may not always have a relative or close friend nearby who can take the responsibility for a visit or “wellness check” to see if everything is alright or if there are signs that something needs to be addressed.
In some of these situations, a professional caregiver has been hired for daily care. Your Eldercare Consultants are often hired to “supervise” the paid caregiver on behalf of the long distance family caregiver.
Your Eldercare Consultants can:
- Monitor the status of the older adult—on all facets of health and wellness— and report back regularly to family members on any changes.
- Provide a professional assessment of the older adult’s situation and develop or modify a care plan.
- Identify symptoms that may require a change in medication … and discuss options with family members.
- Hire and train a professional caregiver.
- Show the professional caregiver techniques for stimulating the older adult’s mind, body and spirit.
- Work with professional caregivers to ensure that menus are varied and interesting with accommodations if necessary.
Situation: A 96-year-old woman lived at home with paid caregivers. Her son and daughter lived at opposite ends of the country. Her days were long, isolating and far too quiet with little interaction or stimulation. She lost interest in eating and was losing weight. During a trip to Chicago for the holidays, the son and daughter were disturbed at how much their mom had changed since their last visit.
Solution: Their mother became more alert and stopped losing weight after Your Eldercare Consultants implemented a plan to:
- Develop a rapport with the professional caregivers, teaching them how to use games, reading and activity to stimulate her memory.
- Arrange for a dietary consultation. The caregivers developed several new menu options, which were much more appealing to their mother.
- Guide the caregivers to prepare thickened foods, when swallowing became difficult.
- Facilitated Skype (phone call/video viewing) on a pre-arranged timeframe with adult children (as requested) so they could see their mom in her home setting.
Whether you can plan ahead or are in a crisis,
call 773.508.1015 to start the process of working with Your Eldercare Consultants.