SOURCE: http://career-advice.monster.com/in-the-office/workplace-issues/safety-tips-for-home-health-workers/article.aspx By Megan Malugani, Monster Contributing Writer Home health workers face an array of safety risks — including overexertion, falls, car accidents and hostile pets — that make their jobs more treacherous than those of their hospital counterparts. In fact, the injury rate in home care settings is about 50 percent higher than that in hospitals, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. Three home health veterans offer these Safety Tips for Home Healthcare Workers for staying safe and injury-free when you’re making house calls. Keep Your Guard Up […] Read Full Article »

As we grow up, we understand the importance of having a ‘social life.’ Friends and family with similar interests or situations are confidants, sounding boards and companions for experiences in good times and bad. Unfortunately, as we get older and require geriatrics care, assisted living and home health care, new friends are not as easy to come by and unfortunately, other friends move on or pass away. This is why Helping Seniors Stay Social is so important. Even though this is a truth of getting older, it doesn’t change that fact […] Read Full Article »

According to the dictionary, the word “service” means: “the action of helping or doing work for someone” or “an act of assistance.” Service is a very important act to teach children that will have a longstanding impact on their growth as a person and their relationships with others. Why should we encourage youths to serve seniors? Teaching children about service instills countless important character traits that will help them grow as individuals and members of society. Compassion, trustworthiness, reliability, selflessness and commitment are just a few of these traits. When they […] Read Full Article »

Possibly one of the most common jokes about those getting older is their inability to remember things. As funny as those comments may be, memory loss is a very real problem for geriatrics patients. While it is a fact of life that remembering people, dates, facts and ‘to-do’s’ are tough as people age, there’s are ways to help you and your geriatric loved ones “exercise their brain.1” Before you assume I am going to suggest an expensive program, all of my suggestions are free! Thanks to Livestrong.com, I have several […] Read Full Article »

I know, it is an interesting title, but please continue reading. As people age and require geriatrics care, quality sleep can be harder and harder to come by each night. In addition, home health care, house calls and therapy can be extremely tiring, which weighs on a persons physical, mental and emotional health over time. The combination of these factors points to one thing – geriatrics care patients need to be intentional about their rest. According to a quote from Bradley Edwards, PhD, on Madeline Vann’s Everyday Health article, The […] Read Full Article »

Unfortunately, there are just some facts of life that are hard to handle – they aren’t easy for anyone. As your loved ones get older there are tough conversations that naturally must happen to make sure they have the highest level of geriatric care. These tough topics including things such as therapy, home health, assisted living, “mobility, health, and safety in the home for friends and relatives. 1” So what do you do when these situations arise? Here are the keys for managing the tough care conversations that must be […] Read Full Article »

How to Communicate with Seniors It is inevitable, everyone gets older and as we do, our bodies and senses change. At times, normal daily activities are challenging and require assistance from a geriatric care nurse or a home health professional. While our loved ones in geriatric care are still capable of having productive conversations and engaging others, there are a couple factors to consider when communicating. First, when communicating with your loved ones, be sure to speak clearly and slowly. As people get older and enter into geriatric care, the […] Read Full Article »

Stroke Education for Geriatric Care According to the National Stroke Association (NSA), “Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in America and a leading cause of adult disability. 1” In addition, in the United States, stroke is the leading cause of death, claiming 130,000 lives each year2. It is also the leading cause of long-term adult disability2, which often requires home health therapy or nursing care to some degree. But, did you know that “up to 80% of strokes are preventable? 1” First, what is a stroke? Per the […] Read Full Article »

While I am sure most have heard about cataracts to some degree in relation to a friend or family member who may have received care or therapy, do you really know what the geriatric condition entails? For a simple explanation, a cataract is a condition in the eye that causes the lens to become cloudy, resulting in the impairment of vision. Cataracts are an important topic for geriatric care because it is very closely related to one’s age. This condition affects more people than you may realize – more than 50% […] Read Full Article »

Getting older is an absolute truth of life that some say is the only constant besides taxes. Jokes aside, as we grow in age, our bodies don’t always work exactly how we are accustomed and sometimes this means we have to pay extra attention to how our bodies are functioning. In my personal experiences recently I have noticed there is a general fear of doctors, hospitals and especially the concept of home health and assisted living for the older generation, in my family at least. Despite why that may be, […] Read Full Article »