A Guide to In-Home Care Options for Veterans in Atlanta
The VA offers many services and benefits for veterans including medical services. These medical services include both hospital services and in-home care. But for veterans who need assistance at home, it can be difficult to understand what in-home services include and how to go about obtaining services. Here’s an overview of what veterans in Atlanta, Georgi should know about their in-home care options.
What In-Home Care Benefits Are Available to Veterans?
Veterans who are eligible for community care can receive skilled nursing care, homemaker, or home health aide services at their home. The purpose of having a nurse, home health aide or, homemaker is to help veterans who are struggling to do activities of daily living (ADLs), are experiencing isolation, or who already have a caregiver that is stressed or overwhelmed and needs some assistance.
Home health aides and homemakers are not nurses. They help provide non-medical personal care at home and are supervised by nurses. Nurses provide some medical care to patients at home.
How Nurses, Home Health Aides, and Homemakers Help Veterans
When a nurse comes to a veteran’s home, they provide what is called skilled home health care.
Nurses will:
Assist with caring for wounds or catheters
- Perform a home safety evaluation
- Educate veterans about their medications and illnesses
- Give home IV infusions and antibiotics
- Perform ventilator care
- Draw labs
- Give injections
Home health aides help support the care given by nurses at home by:
- Helping veterans with home exercise program exercises.
- Helping with ambulation and transferring
- Take vital signs
- Help with ADLs like bathing, dressing, and grooming when the primary caregiver is unable to or the veteran is unsafe performing them
- Observe and report care and changes to their supervising nurse
Homemakers Homemakers provide personal care as it relates to the home. They help with:
- Shopping for groceries
- Meal preparation
- Laundry and changing the bed
- Ironing
- Vacuuming and Sweeping
- Caring for pets and plants
- Organizing the kitchen
How Do I Obtain Services?
Once veterans are approved for community care, they can obtain services from an agency that is approved to provide care for veterans.
Your Choice Caregivers proudly provides home care for veterans in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Once we receive a referral from the VA for a veteran interested in our care services, our care team talks with the veteran and their family and will start care services based on what has been approved. If you have questions about the care services we provide, contact us today!
Caring for Medically Fragile Children During COVID-19: Hiring Caregivers and Support During a Pandemic
Finding trained and trusted caregivers is a challenge in normal times. But in a pandemic, it is infinitely more difficult. Your Choice Caregivers is dedicated to helping families receive the care and support that they need while following all the required precautions and more for COVID-19. This post covers the policy that we use for our families in Georgia.
Maintaining Separation
One of the significant concerns’ families have when hiring a caregiver during the pandemic is if the caregiver is seeing multiple clients. Your Choice Caregivers assigns caregivers to see one client and that is it. The assigned caregiver will not take on another client during the duration of the pandemic. If the assigned caregiver is unable to make their shift, a secondary caregiver will be sent, and that person will not see other clients.
In addition, there is no overlap between our staff that visits and works in hospital settings and those who work with clients at home to guard against risks of exposure.
Following CDC Guidelines
Your Choice Caregivers follows all CDC guidelines and recommendations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes basics such as:
- Frequent hand washing.
- Wearing a mask while inside the home and working with a child.
- Wearing gloves.
- Getting a flu shot.
- Maintaining a safe distance between the caregiver and other members of the household during shifts.
- Keeping conversations necessary to reduce respiratory droplets.
- Cleaning surfaces touched.
Every caregiver also goes through a daily symptom screening before going to work. If any member of staff presents with symptoms of illness, they are required to quarantine for 14 days. Any supplies that the caregiver uses like masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer will be stored in a container in the home, exclusively for use with the client and their family. Our caregivers will also use any opportunities to ventilate the care space as much as possible.
Your Choice Caregivers is committed to assisting and protecting our clients throughout the duration of this pandemic. To learn more about how to obtain our services or to know more about how we serve our families, reach out to us today at 404-479-1008
How a Katie Beckett Waiver Help Children Receive In-Home Care in Georgia
How a Katie Beckett Waiver Help Children Receive In-Home Care in Georgia?
Children with complex medical conditions require frequent interventions and care. Receiving these services at home is more comfortable for the child and easier for the family. The Katie Beckett Waiver allows families to receive care at home rather than in an institutional setting. This post explains what the Katie Beckett Waiver is, how it helps families receive services, and how it can help with respite care.
What is the Katie Beckett Waiver?
A child in the 1980s named Katie Beckett was hospitalized for a medical condition and her doctors determined that she could receive treatment at home with the appropriate resources after discharge. Since her parents’ insurance had reached its limits, Medicaid coverage kicked in and it would only cover care provided in an institution, even though the cost was more than home care. Katie’s mother argued that this was a bad policy and advocated for change. It led to Congress passing the Katie Beckett Waiver, which has helped over half a million children since it was implemented.
How Does Katie Beckett Help Families in Georgia?
Katie Beckett helps children under 21 receive services such as therapies, doctors’ visits, in-home care, supplies, and medical equipment like they would under Medicaid. Also known as a deeming waiver, the waiver looks at the level of care a child needs and not their diagnosis or family income. The waiver acts as secondary insurance for the child, covering the services that the child’s primary private insurance won’t pay for.
The Katie Beckett program is intended for families who do not qualify for Medicaid because of income limits. It is meant for children who have a good prognosis but require a high level of care.
Katie Beckett and Respite Care
Families approved for Katie Beckett are eligible to receive respite care services. Respite care providers send in-home caregivers to your home to help temporarily care for a child and give the family respite. Respite care is a solution for family caregivers who need to go to appointments, run errands, or work.
If you are a family caregiver who needs respite care in the Atlanta, Georgia area, and have Katie Beckett, reach out to Your Choice Caregivers. Our knowledgeable staff will guide you through the process of obtaining services.
At Home Living Assistance Helps Families Find Peace of Mind
At Home Living Assistance Helps Families Find Peace of Mind
When a loved one is struggling to live alone, it can be stressful for the whole family. At home living assistance services from Your Choice Caregivers can help ease that stress and help your family find peace of mind.
Our living assistance services are designed to provide the compassionate care that your loved ones need to continue living independently at home. Many seniors find that aging brings with it struggles they perhaps didn’t anticipate. Whether it’s keeping up with the housekeeping, making the decision to stop driving, or needing help with hygiene needs, it can be hard for seniors to ask for help.
At Your Choice Caregivers, we understand the conflicting feelings your family is going through. You want your loved one to be able to continue living in their home and enjoying their independence. However, you are worried they may not be able to live alone safely. Our at home living assistance services provide the helping hand your loved one needs and the peace of mind you deserve.
How Living Assistance Services Can Help
One of the most frequently asked questions we answer is about the type of at home living assistance services we provide. At Your Choice Caregivers, we recognize that each of our clients has a unique set of needs. To ensure your loved one receives the assistance they require to age in place safely, we create a custom care plan designed around their individual needs.
Some of the services we most frequently provide include:
- Assistance with household chores including laundry, light cleaning, and changing linens
- Dignified assistance with bathing, dressing, and grooming
- Medication reminders
- Help planning and preparing healthy meals and snacks
- Assistance with running errands and shopping
- Friendly conversation and companionship
Our at home living assistance services are always available on the schedule that meets your loved one’s needs. Caregivers can visit weekly, daily, on weekends, and holidays. Live in care and 24/7 multiple shift care is also available from most locations.
Getting Started with Living Assistance Services
A simple phone call to 404-479-1008 will connect you with our living assistance services. When you call, we’ll connect you with the office that is local to your loved one’s home. You can begin the process of setting up care services with just a single phone call or at home visit.
Our first step will always be to listen. We want to know what concerns you have, what questions you’d like to have answered, and how we can help your family. We’ll also take time to ask you some questions about your expectations and needs, listening carefully to your answers to inform the living assistance care plan we will create.
Some common questions we ask include:
- What concerns led you to contact our office?
- How often do you think your loved one will need a caregiver to visit?
- What kind of help do they need?
- Do they have any special needs related to sleeping, eating, mobility, etc?
- What is their current daily schedule like?
At home living assistance services from Your Choice Caregivers can help your family find peace of mind.
Home Care Assessment
Performing a Home Care Assessment
A complete home care assessment is an essential step when coordinating care for a loved one. At Your Choice Caregivers, our home care assessments are an essential part of our approach to home care. Before starting care, we meet with every potential client for an in-depth discussion of their care needs. This allows us to carefully tailor our services to each client’s specific care concerns and challenges.
If you’re considering home care for a family member, it can be difficult to assess your loved one’s care needs on your own. Our care specialists typically have years of experience in performing home care assessments, making it possible for us to zero in on the specific care concerns of aging and disabled individuals. Without that kind of professional background, family caregivers can feel like they’re left without a road map when trying to set up care for a loved one. This can make it difficult to know when home care is needed and what level of care your loved one needs.
To make this process easier, the care experts at Your Choice Caregivers have put together the following guide to help you understand what goes into a home care assessment.
Determining When Home Care’s Needed
The first step in any home care pre-assessment is to establish if home care services will be necessary or beneficial to your loved one. Sometimes, the need for home care is obvious. But in other cases, you and your loved one will need to carefully assess your loved one’s current condition, their safety concerns, and the challenges and/or obstacles that make living at home difficult.
To determine whether or not home care is right for your loved one, there are three key questions you should be asking:
- Can your loved one live safely without care? If your loved one has physical or mental difficulties that make independent living unsafe, professional home care can help lower those risks.
- Can your loved one live comfortably without care? Some seniors are able to live safely with physical difficulties but do so with pain or discomfort. Home care can help alleviate these issues by providing assistance with specific tasks.
- Can your loved one live happily without care? Without care, many in need skip or miss out on aspects of daily life that bring them joy. An in-home caregiver can provide companionship and remove barriers to joyful activities.
If the answer to any of the above questions is “no” (or even “maybe”), you should consider meeting with a home care provider or providers.
Professional Care Assessments
Once you’ve determined that your loved one may require home care, you’ll want to meet with professional care providers. A quality care provider will perform a complete home care assessment before starting care to determine your loved one’s care needs. This makes it possible to precisely plan your loved one’s care according to his or her specific care concerns. During a home care assessment, care specialists will meet with you and your loved one to discuss your loved one’s greatest age-related or disability-related challenges, your loved one’s lifestyle and daily schedule, and your overall goals for care.
Getting to know your loved one is also a key part of the caregiver selection process. For care agencies like Your Choice Caregivers, a full in-home care assessment means that care directors are able to match your loved one with a caregiver whose personality, skills, and experience are best suited to your loved one’s needs. At Your Choice Craegivers, our Choose Your Caregiver program, allows our clients to choose their caregiver(s). This process is greatly aided by connecting clients with caregivers who we think would be a great match. Thanks to our in-depth care assessments, we’re able to suggest matches that closely meet our clients’ needs, making it easy for our clients to find the right care professional.
Choose your Caregiver
Choose Your Caregiver by Your Choice Caregivers
When you hire in-home care for a loved one, it’s important you have full confidence in the caregiver who is provided. Your Choice Caregivers makes this process more personalized by offering a program that allows families to have an important role in choosing their caregivers. This specialized program can play a big part in making your loved one’s care a success.
At Your Choice Caregivers, we know that any successful care plan comes down to finding the right caregiver for every client. With Choose Your Caregiver, we’ve made sure that you can find the right care provider for your loved one.
We’ve detailed below how the program works, the benefits it can offer, and how you can get started with Your Choice Caregivers.
How Select Your Caregiver Works
The program starts with a home care assessment, which is performed in your loved one’s residence. This is a chance for Your Choice Caregivers care director to meet with you and your loved one. The assessment allows the director to learn about your needs and start formulating an effective care plan.
Based on this assessment, Your Choice Caregivers will find a caregiver (or caregivers) whose skills, experience, and personality are aligned with your requests. If — for any reason — you feel the caregiver isn’t quite the right match, just let us know. We’ll recommend a different person for you.
Benefits of Choosing Your Caregiver
Your Choice Caregivers knows how important the relationship is for families and their caregivers. By allowing family members to choose their caregivers, we help ensure the perfect fit is there from the outset. Through the program, you’ll be able to select a care provider who has:
- Skills and past experience that aligns with your loved one’s needs
- Availability that matches with your loved one’s schedule and routines
- An approach to care that fits with your loved one’s personality
Getting Started with Your Choice Caregivers
If you want to get started with home care for a loved one, Your Choice Caregivers will be happy to help. Our care assessments are performed in the comfort of your loved one’s home and come at no cost and no obligation. When you choose our in-home care, we will be happy to match you with a caregiver who we think would be a great fit.
Easy Chair Exercises for Seniors that improves balance & strength
Falls do not have to be a fact of life – exercising can make you stronger and fitter. No fancy equipment needed, just pull up a chair! A proven way to help prevent falls and slips are with simple exercises. The exercises below can be done to improve balance and strength. Please be safe, use a sturdy chair that do not have wheels and use assistance if needed or required by your physician. Please consult your physician before attempting the following exercises.
Single leg Stance
Step 1:Stand behind a sturdy solid chair.
Step 2:Hold on to the back of It.
Step 3:Lift up your right foot and balance on left foot.
Step 3:Hold that position for 30 seconds (or as long as you can)
Step 4:Switch foot.
Clock Reach
Step 1: Stand behind a sturdy chair.
Step 2: Hold the chair with your left hand.
Step 3:Imagine that you are standing in the Center of a clock. The number 12 is directly in front of you and the number 6 is directly behind you.
Step 4: Lift your right leg and extend your right arm and point to 12, then 3 and finally point to 6. Bring arm back to 3 and then to the number 12.
Step 5: Repeat this exercise twice per side
*Be sure to look straight ahead the whole time
Back Leg Raises
Step 1: Stand behind a sturdy chair.
Step 2: Slowly lift your right leg straight back. Don’t bend your knees or point your toes.
Step 3: Hold that position for on second, gently being your leg back down.
Step 4: Repeat this 10-15 times per leg.
Side Leg Raise
Step 1: Stand behind a sturdy chair with your feet slightly apart.
Step 2: Keep your back straight, your toe facing forward and stare straight ahead.
Step 4: Slowly lift you right leg to the side.
Step 5: Lower your right leg slowly
Step 6: Switch foot.
Repeat this exercise 10-15 times per leg
Toe Lifts
Step 1: Stand behind a stead chair
Step 2: Stand straight and put arms in front of you.
Step 3: Raise yourself up on your toes as high as you can, then gently lower yourself.
*Don’t lean forward on chair.
Lift and lower yourself 20 times.
Shoulder Rolls
Step 1: Stand behind a stead chair or seated in a chair.
Step 2: Rotate your shoulders gently up to the ceiling, then back and down.
Step 3: Do the same thing but roll them forwards and then down.
Repeat 10-15 times
Single Limb Stance with Arm
Step 1: Stand with your feet together and arms at your side next to a chair.
Step 2: Lift your left hand over you head
Step 3: Slowly raise your left foot off the floor. Hold that position for ten seconds.
Repeat the same action on the right side.
Remember that before embarking on an exercise regimen, please consult your doctor.
Tips and Suggestions during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Parents with Special Needs Children
Parents and caregiver that are raising a child with special needs or a disability are faced with unique challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic . With stay at home orders and social distancing being promoted as the best way to avoid transmission it is even more important to self care and comfort your child. Since schools are closed and many social events cancelled, here are some useful tips to help during the Covid-19 pandemic;
Self- care
Stay connected Virtually!! Shelter in place does not mean isolation. Connect with friends, family and love ones using text, video chat and social media to stay engaged.
Do not be too hard on yourself– It is normal to feel overwhelmed especially when the needed help may not be available during these times. Take short breaks and focus on what can help you feel restored and relax.
Seek Help– Although we may not be able to meet in person there are a lot of amazing support groups that offers virtual support. Be sure to check out organization that can give you and your child support like https://disabilitylink.org/ .
Be Ready– Although we hope everyone stay safe and healthy, be prepared with a plan just in case you become ill. It is important that you have a plan for secondary care for your child such as a family member or close friend. This provides a sense of security and reassurance.
Comfort Your child
Stay Calm. With a change a daily life it is important to practice calming behaviors. Create and introduce coping and calming activities to your child.
Create Routine. If your child’s previous schedule has been interrupted, create a new routine for your child. This can help them feel more secure and it is a great way to introduce new behaviors such as hand-washing or other behaviors that supports social distancing.
Be Compassionate. Acknowledge and validate their feelings of discomfort. They might feel discomfort, anxiety or pain with not going to school, seeing their friend and not having access to needed equipment or technology that assist with their special needs or disability.
Show them extra love. Parents are now wearing the hats of employee, teacher, caregiver, cook and so many more, we encourage parents to remind your child of the unconditional love and joy of spending extra time with them.
Help your child talk about their feelings. Encourage your child to discuss their feelings. Connect with teachers and other parent to connect students through texting, phone calls and video chatting.
Parent and caregivers please be sure to take care of your self and your child. Stay connected with friends, families and loved ones as much as possible, stay informed, talk to your child and other family members about Covid-19, check in with your child’s school, teachers and therapist and be sure to staying connected to your child’s health care provided for best and safe practices to obtain needed equipment, supplies or medications.
List of Helpful Resources
COVID-19 Virus Watch
We are in this together.
Dear families, patients, and caregivers,
On behalf of our entire YCC family, we would like to extend our appreciation to all of you for placing your trust in our services, as we are always working to serve you with the clinical excellence that you deserve, especially in delicate moments like the one we are living in.
That said, we would like to address all the concerns arriving from the outbreak of the 2019 Corona-virus (COVID-19) and to detail the steps we are taking to preserve the health of all of our YCC members, including office staff, clinical team, field caregivers, medically fragile patients, seniors, and families.
MOST IMPORTANTLY
We want to assure you that we are closely monitoring all the guidance provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). However, so that we can strongly prevent any cases of contagion and follow the CDC recommendations to avoid crowds of people, we dispersed our departments to perform their duties from home.
This preventive measure has no impact on the routine of excellent care that we serve for our patients since all departments, including Clinical Leadership, Scheduling Team, and Human Resources are still available and all calls will be redirected and answered normally.
WE UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN
“Is it safe to let healthcare providers into my house?”
Yes. Our YCC Caregivers are licensed professionals and trained to respond quickly to emergencies, which include recognizing the symptoms of the COVID-19 if necessary, as well as offering the services and care that our patients need and always following the safety instructions recommended by the U.S Center for Diseases Control (CDC).
We are taking every step to plan for any contingency and we don’t forecast interruption of services. As your partner, it is important to remind you that the care we provide to your loved one is ordered by your doctor. Help us maintain this important consistency and continuity of care.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
World Health Organization (WHO)
FOR MORE INFORMATION
- Please visit the U.S Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) website: HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/ for live updates regarding the Corona-virus (COVID-19).
- Do not hesitate to contact us at 404-479-1008 as all of our representatives will gladly assist you.
