In honor of joining the social media world, we’re going to have our first Facebook contest. This contest is open to all our clients and their caregivers and it’s literally a snap to enter. Just submit a photo of a Cypress client with their caregiver -makes no difference which one you are! If you have the winning photo, you’ll both receive a gift certificate at any Applebee’s restaurant.

Look for future games and contests on Cypress Home Care’s Facebook and Twitter sites. And if you’re interested in working with us, visit us here or on LinkedIn for job postings and applications.

Lisa Riskey

Lisa Riskey joined our office staff full time seven months ago.  Lisa and Deb Pullem, our Care Coordinator, work side-by-side to assure that all of our clients’ needs are being met.

As our Assistant Care Coordinator, Lisa works hard make certain our clients not only get the very best care from our caregivers, but that they also have a good relationship with the office staff.

Lisa is a warm, friendly, and outgoing person who has brought a great new dimension to the office.

Kat McPeak

Kat McPeak is the newest member of our team, and we’re happy to have her on board! You might see her out and about in the community, networking and marketing for Cypress.

As Director of Business Development, she is helping Cypress open new doors and expand in new directions. If you know of any person or organization that could benefit from working with our team at Cypress, please give Kat a call at (517) 282-3139. She would love to hear from you.

Jacqueline Herrin

Every single day, we’re thankful for all our amazing caregivers. Their dedication, hard work, and passion are what keep our company moving forward every day. Every three months, we are pleased to give special recognition to one caregiver who has been doing an extraordinary job meeting clients needs.  This quarter, we honor Jacqueline Herrin.

In addition to our heartfelt thanks, Jacqueline also receives a cash bonus in appreciation for all her hard work. She was chosen for this award for going “above and beyond.”  Jacqueline really loves what she does, and it shows.

Pink never goes out of style!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a reminder to us of the fight for their lives that many women face every day, but the fight doesn’t end when October ends. There were many great ways to get involved during the month of October to help promote awareness. But it doesn’t have to stop there.

During the month of October, there were plenty of ways to get involved in promoting and raising awareness for breast cancer. You may have been involved in a walk for breast cancer, either by sponsoring a participant or putting together your own team. Many businesses gave you the opportunity to donate at their location or to buy items which part of the profit goes to breast cancer research. Many people took up their own mission, such as Michael McPeak, who along with us raised both awareness and funds for breast cancer one photograph at a time.

It doesn’t matter how you helped in October, it just matters that you open your heart to the women and their fight against breast cancer any time of year.

Breast cancer didn’t end on the first of November. We have to keep fighting. There are many ways to show your support, such as wearing your pink ribbons and using all of the products that you have to promote breast cancer. If we can remind one woman to schedule her mammogram or give one woman hope, then it’s all worth it.

Spreading hope can help us one day get to the point where we can live in a cancer-free world. Having hope and showing those who are currently fighting cancer that we stand along side them no matter what month of the year it is, can help us get to the cure one day at a time. Remember -pink never goes out of style.

Most often, the task of caregiver is given to one person within the family. Usually, that person lives the closest to, or has the best rapport with, the parents. Depending on the parents’ health and mental wellness, the caregiver can become the primary contact, intermediary, and interpreter for doctors and other professionals. The caregiver can be asked to do all sorts of things such as shop for groceries, make meals, provide transportation, help with bills, fill prescriptions, monitor the taking of medications, clean, perform home maintenance, and assist with finances. It’s not a task to be taken lightly.

It’s easy to see why caregivers often neglect their own needs; there just doesn’t seem to be enough time and the parents’ needs seem much greater than their own. But to do so can be to the detriment of the caregivers’ own well-being. You know from your own experience. The healthier and more rested you are, the more you can accomplish and the better care you can administer.

If you are a caregiver, keep in mind these tips for preventing burnout:

* Exercise and eat healthy

* Don’t neglect your hobbies

* Take one problem at a time

* Plan time for yourself to just “be”

* Include siblings in care-giving/financial decisions where feasible

* Make use of the resources available to you and your parents

* Don’t hesitate to ask for assistance

Being a caregiver is important. But you don’t want to lose priceless and enjoyable time with your parents because you’ve become so worn down in the “job” of caregiver.

If you need a break or just some assistance or information, websites such as Seniors List.com, ElderCare.gov, and AARP.org offer valuable resources.

Or, call Cypress Home Care and we’ll be happy to meet with you and your loved ones to discuss a personalized care solution. There is no charge for this service. We’ll also conduct a free care assessment and a free home safety evaluation. Contact us.

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The reality is, as we age, managing what were once simple tasks can become overwhelming. We recognize our inability to do the things we once could and experience a sense of loss and frustration. The physical and psychological impact these changes present can cause you and your family undue stress. Now recognize that your parents (or other elders in your life) are experiencing the same thing but are further along the time line.

Even though you’re an “adult,” the relationship between a parent and child can make it difficult for them to let you know they’re feeling insecure or in need of assistance. It can also make it hard for you to notice and acknowledge the same.

Here are some signs that your parents or loved ones may need assistance:

1. Personal appearance: hair uncombed, soiled clothing, inappropriate attire for occasion or season, unkempt, body odor, bad breath, noticeable weight loss, gaunt or frail-looking, slower movement.

2. Home: unopened (or un-retrieved) mail, decline in cleanliness, laundry not attended to, unpleasant household odors, unusual amount of “bad” food in the refrigerator.

3. Confusion about medications. Overdosing or forgetting daily medications.

4. Mental abilities: forgetting to call or write, conversation is repetitive, retelling topics again and again, inability to make simple decisions, short-term memory loss, lapses in relaying thoughts.

If you’re not the person who has steady contact with your parents, you might notice these changes immediately upon visiting. Or, you may receive a phone call from a concerned friend or relative. Take some time to evaluate the situation. Ask questions. Talk to your parents, if you’re able. Think of this as an opportunity to take a pre-emptive step toward their ongoing safety and well-being.

There are resources available to help determine whether or not assistance is warranted, and, if so, the type that would be most effective. You can find much of this information on websites such as www.aoa.gov (the Administration on Aging) and www.nasuad.org (National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities).

Or, call Cypress Home Care and we’ll be happy to meet with you and your loved ones to discuss a personalized care solution.  There is no charge for this service. We’ll also conduct a free care assessment and a free home safety evaluation. Contact us today.

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Since that time, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has opened a multitude of care facilities nationwide. According to that agency’s website:

“VA’s health care system has grown from 54 hospitals in 1930 to 157 medical centers in 2005, with at least one in each state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. More than 5.3 million people received care in VA health care facilities in 2005, a 29 percent increase over the 4.1 million treated just four years earlier.

VA operates more than 1,300 sites of care including nearly 900 ambulatory care and community-based outpatient clinics, 136 nursing homes, 43 residential rehabilitation treatment programs, nearly 90 comprehensive home-care programs, and more than 200 Veterans Centers.”

Some of the benefits provided for veterans by the VA include:

• Health Care Clinics
• Mental Health
• Counseling
• Job training
• Burial and Memorial benefits
• Education
• VA Home Loan
• DIC
• Compensation
• Pension
• Care Management
• Home Renovation for Disability
• Assisted Living
• Prosthetics
• Rehabilitation
• Weight management
• Nursing Homes
• Prescriptions
• Hospitals
  and much more

“Pension” is the official title for a little-known veterans’ disability income more commonly referred to as “aid and attendance.” Many veterans, or their single surviving spouse, can become eligible for Pension if they have a regular need for the aid and attendance of a caregiver or if they are housebound. Evidence of this need for care must be certified by VA as a “rating.” With a rating, certain veterans or their single surviving spouses can now qualify for Pension. Pension is also available to low-income veteran households without a rating, but at a lesser dollar amount.

Pension is an underused benefit.

A study commissioned by VA in 2001 estimated that over the next 14 years only about 30% of eligible veterans would apply for Pension. This is likely because most veterans simply don’t know about the program. In fact, about a third of all seniors in the U.S., age 65 and older, could become eligible for Pension under the right circumstances. That’s how many elderly war veterans or their single surviving spouses there are. There are different income categories for Pension, but the highest could pay as much as $1,949 a month in disability income to a qualifying veteran household.

To receive Pension, a veteran must have served on active duty, at least 90 days, with at least one of those days during a period of war. There must be a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable. Single surviving spouses of such veterans are also eligible. If younger than 65, the veteran must be totally disabled. If age 65 and older, there is no requirement for disability. There is no age or disability requirement for a single surviving spouse.

There are income requirements, but a special provision does allow household income to be reduced by 12 months’ worth of future recurring medical expenses. Normally, income is only reduced by medical expenses incurred in the month of application. Allowable, annualized, medical expenses include such things as insurance premiums, ongoing prescription drug costs, out-of-pocket cost of monthly medical equipment rental, the cost of home care, the cost of paying adult children to provide care, the cost of adult day services, the cost of assisted living, and the cost of a nursing home facility. These are all considered medical costs and can be deducted from income to receive this benefit.

The secret for receiving a successful award for aid and attendance or housebound ratings is not in filling out the form but in knowing what documents and evidence must be submitted with the application. Knowing the secrets for a successful award — with the special case of long term care recipients — is 95% of the battle. Even though the form is challenging, filling out and filing a claim is only a formality.

A knowledgeable consultant can provide information to shorten VA’s decision window of 6 to 12 months to possibly 3 to 4 months; understands how to maximize the benefit or avoid a denial, and can provide guidance for meeting the asset test. Finally, the consultant can suggest the actual strategies for reallocating assets and arrange for trusts or income conversions to allow for the best possible accommodation of assets for beneficiaries thus avoiding or reducing taxes, family disputes, and Medicaid penalties.

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Generally, elderly parents want to remain living in their own home for as long as possible. Their children may become concerned if they see their parents slowing down; perhaps having trouble with handling stairs and doing general daily activities. But, for the most part, as long as their parents’ mental and physical health is not creating problems, children often see no imminent need to search out support services or other accommodations for them.

This is the time to evaluate your aging parents’ home to make sure it’s safe and secure for your loved ones — now and in the near future — in anticipation of disabilities that may occur with aging. There are many places to turn for assistance. As the United States as a whole has become more aware of elderly needs, services and products to meet those needs have become available at an outstanding pace.

The growing list of needed services encompasses:

• Home remodeling services — making a home more serviceable to the elderly
• Safety alert systems and technology
• Motion sensors to monitor movement
• Home care aides or live-in caregivers
• Tele-health services — using home-based computer systems for the doctor’s office or a nurse to monitor vital signs and
• A pill dispenser that notifies when it’s time to take medication

Making sure an elderly family member is safe and managing well in his or her home.

Visit often and at different times of the day and night. Make note of daily activities that appear challenging and where changes might be made to add safety and convenience.

To avoid falls, remove rugs that slide. Move furniture with sharp edges. To protect older sensitive skin from scalds and burns, set the water heater at a lower temperature. Be sure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are in place and functioning; install batteries, if needed.

Bathrooms are a hazard area for the elderly. A shower stool or chair is a good item to have. And, grab bars by the toilet and shower are essential to help prevent falls. Easy-to-install grab bars can be found at a local hardware store.

Home safety or medical alert companies provide GPS-based bracelets or pendants to track the elderly at home who tend to wander. Companies also provide alarm devices such as pendants or bracelets which allow the elderly to alert someone if there’s been a fall or sudden health-related attack. In the event an alarm is triggered, a 24-hour monitoring service will alert the family, medical emergency services, or call a neighbor, depending on previous instructions. There are also companies that install motion sensors in the home to monitor the elderly on a 24-hour basis.

Locating resources.

Your parents’ community is also a valuable resource for helping them stay in their home. Neighbors, local church groups, senior centers, and city centers are some places to look for assistance. Most of the time there is little or no cost for these services. They can provide the assistance your parents need and peace of mind for them and you that they’re not alone.

Your state’s aging services unit is a valuable community resource. You can locate it through the NASUA website (www.nasua.org). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Aging (www.aoa.gov) is a national program established through the Older Americans Act. The AOA provides home and community-based services to millions of older persons through programs that are funded under the Older Americans Act.

The AOA website offers information about these and other services including:

• Supportive Services and Senior Centers
• Nutrition Services
• National Family Caregiver Support Program
• Grants for Native Americans
• Nursing Home Diversion Grants
• Aging & Disability Resource Centers
• Evidence-Based Disease Prevention
• Long-Term Care Planning
• Alzheimer’s Disease Grants
• Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities

A few thoughts on hiring home care aides or live-in care givers.

The classifieds are filled with people looking for work as aides to the elderly. Many of these are well-qualified, honest people who will do a good job; but, of course, there will be some who are not so reputable. If you’re looking to hire an aide, be sure you interview him or her and check references and qualifications. You’ll be responsible for scheduling, payroll, and taxes as well. Be very sure you hire someone who’s trustworthy as oftentimes the elderly trust these aides more than they should and can therefore be easily taken advantage of.

A professional home care service will eliminate your employment concerns. Professionally-provided aides are usually bonded and service is guaranteed. Home care companies take care of the scheduling and payment of their employees.

These providers represent a rapidly growing trend to allow people needing help with long term care to remain in their home or in the community instead of going to a care facility. The companies cater to the elderly in their homes by offering a variety of services.

The services offered may include:

• Companionship
• Grooming and dressing
• Recreational activities
• Incontinent care
• Handyman services
• Teeth brushing
• Medication reminders
• Bathing or showering
• Light housekeeping
• Meal preparation
• Respite for family caregivers
• Errands and shopping
• Reading e-mail or letters
• Overseeing home deliveries
• Dealing with vendors
• Transportation services
• Changing linens
• Laundry and ironing
• Organizing closets
• Care of house plants
• 24-hour emergency response
• Family counseling
• Phone call checks

and much more.

As their caregiver, you can make the difference in the quality of life for your aging parents. If staying in their home is a possibility, you have the resources to make it happen.

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In the latter part of the 1800′s, due to an increasingly urban society, many families were often unable to care for aging loved ones because of a lack of space or because all family members, including children, were employed six days a week for 12 hours a day. During this period, many unfortunate people needing care were housed in County poor houses or in facilities for the mentally ill. Conditions were deplorable. In the early 1900′s, home visiting nurses started reversing this trend of institutionalizing, allowing many care recipients to remain in their own homes. Nursing homes or so-called “rest homes” were also being built at this time with public donations or government funds.

With the advent of Social Security in 1936, a nursing home per diem stipend was included in the Social Security retirement income and this government subsidy spurred the construction of nursing homes all across the country. By the end of the 1950’s it was apparent that Social Security beneficiaries were living longer and that the nursing home subsidy could eventually bankrupt Social Security. It was never the intent of Congress to pay for nursing home care for all Americans.

In order to protect the thousands and thousands of existing nursing homes, Congress needed to find a way to provide a subsidy but remove it as an entitlement under Social Security. In 1965, Medicare and Medicaid were created through an amendment to the Social Security Act. Under Medicare, nursing homes were only reimbursed on behalf of Social Security beneficiaries for short-term rehabilitation. Under Medicaid, nursing homes were reimbursed for impoverished, disabled Americans and impoverished, aged Americans over the age of 65. The nursing home entitlement for all aged Americans was now gone.

Over the last 40 years, there has been a gradual change away from the use of nursing homes for long-term care toward the use of home care and community living arrangements that also provide in-house care.

With proper planning people could remain in their homes for the rest of their lives.

We are now seeing a trend back toward the urban working conditions of the early 1900′s, where both husband and wife work and are putting in longer hours. At the same time, we are seeing a return to the trend of the early 20th century, where outside visiting caregivers relieve or replace working caregivers and allow the elderly to receive long-term care in their homes. In addition, there’s a significant trend in the past few years for Medicaid and Medicare to pay for long-term care in the home instead of in nursing homes. Given enough money for paid providers or government funding for the same, a person would never have to leave his or her home to receive long-term care. All services could be received in the home. Adequate long-term care planning or having substantial income can allow this to happen.

We only need to look at wealthy celebrities to recognize this fact. Christopher Reeve, the movie star, was totally disabled but had enough money to buy care services and remain in his home. President Ronald Reagan suffered from Alzheimer’s for many years but received care at his California ranch. He was also wealthy enough to pay for care when needed. Annette Funicello and Richard Pryor had income from their movie careers which allowed them to receive care with their multiple sclerosis at home. Mohammed Ali, who is severely disabled with Parkinson’s disease, will probably never see the inside of a care facility, unless he chooses to go there to die. With the proper planning and the money it provides, most of us could remain in our homes to receive long-term care and would never have to go to an institution or a hospital.

The popularity of home care.

Most of those receiving long-term care and most caregivers prefer a home environment. Out of an estimated 8 million older Americans receiving care, about 5.4 million, or 67%, are in their own home or the home of a family member or friend. Most older people prefer their home over the proposition of living in an unfamiliar care facility. Family or friends attempt to accommodate the wishes of loved ones even though care giving needs might warrant a different environment. Those needing care feel comfortable and secure in familiar surroundings and a home is usually the best setting for that support.

Often the decision to stay in the home is dictated by funds available. It’s much less expensive for a wife to care for her husband at home than to pay $2,000 to $4,000 a month for care in a facility. Likewise, it’s much less costly and more loving for a daughter to have her widowed mother move in to the daughter’s home than to liquidate her mother’s assets and put her in a nursing home. Besides, taking care of our parents or spouses is an obligation most of us feel very strongly about.

For many long-term care recipients, the home is an ideal environment. Although they may be confined to the home, they continue to lead active lives engaging in church service, entertaining grandchildren, writing histories, corresponding, pursuing hobbies, or doing handwork activities. Their care needs might not be that demanding and might include occasional help with house cleaning and shopping as well as help with getting out of bed, dressing, and bathing. Most of the time they don’t need the supervision of a 24/7 caregiver.

There are, however, some care situations that make it difficult to provide long-term care in the home.

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