The most comprehensive study of its kind, Genworth’s 2012 Cost of Care Survey, conducted by CareScout®, covers nearly 15,300 long-term care providers, across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, in 437 regions and cities nationwide, to help individuals plan with an eye toward costs in their preferred location and preferred care setting. The survey discloses the median annual cost of home care, adult day care, assisted living and nursing home care in 437 regions nationwide, making it the most comprehensive study of its kind!

Here are some highlights from Genworth’s recently released 2012 Cost of Care Survey:

- The cost to receive care in the home remained relatively unchanged from 2011 to 2012. The median hourly cost for homemaker services and home health aide services is $18 and $19, respectively.

- The median annual cost for care in an assisted living facility is $39,600 nationally. This represents an increase of 1.2 percent since 2011 and a 5.7 percent annual increase over the past five years.

- The median annual cost for care in a private nursing home room rose 4.2 percent from 2011 to 2012 to $81,030 nationally, or 4.3 percent annualized over the past five years.

Read More about Genworth’s 2012 Cost of Care Survey…

Home care counselors at American Care Partners are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce Family caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing In-Home Care in Falls Church, Virginia.

Providing Home Care Services in Falls Church Virginia, Arlington Virginia, Fairfax Virginia, Loudoun County, Prince William County, Alexandria Virginia, Burke Virginia, Leesburg Virginia, Ashburn Virginia, Manassas Virginia, Manassas Park, Reston Virginia, Sterling Virginia, Herndon Virginia, Oakton Virginia, Dunn Loring Virginia, McLean Virginia, Great Falls Virginia, Tyson’s, Vienna Virginia.

Let us help you or your loved ones, live safe and comfortable at home!

By Paula Spencer, Caring.com senior editor

Practical steps you can take when you’re wondering, “Where do I start?”

Let reality sink in.

Whether you’ve suspected the diagnosis for ages or it’s come as a shock, absorbing the reality ahead of you can be a sobering — but critical — process. Especially if much of the burden of care will fall on your shoulders, it’s useful to start out recognizing that Alzheimer’s disease can be an emotional roller coaster. Uncertainty about the disease’s pace can make planning for the future difficult. Alzheimer’s is considered a chronic disease that can continue for 15 to 20 years or more, with progressively more challenging stages whose length and experience can vary widely from person to person. The average life expectancy after a diagnosis depends on one’s age at diagnosis and the severity of symptoms; a major long-term study has found that in general the disease shortens life expectancy to about half that of someone the same age without the disease. A person with severe symptoms at diagnosis is apt to be shorter-lived than someone with mild symptoms, whose downward spiral may begin quite slowly and last 15 years or more.

Even as your focus is on your loved one’s health, it will be critical to stay aware of what you’re experiencing and how it affects the many dimensions of your life. Disbelief, denial, grief, fear, and financial worry are just some of the very common feelings you can be expected to have.Talk to other family members to help make the situation more “real” and to get a reality check on how you’re handling it.

Get to know the turf.

Alzheimer’s is seldom a disease people in midlife have much firsthand experience with. Take some time to learn a bit about what you’re dealing with. You’ll find masses of information out there. Shortcuts on what’s critical: Alzheimer’s stages, common care-giving issues, and what treatments are available, including any medications your loved one’s doctor prescribes and any lifestyle practices that can forestall the disease’s progress.

One particularly insightful kind of reading is a book written by someone who has the disease, which may help you step into your loved one’s shoes and anticipate issues. A good choice is Alzheimer’s From the Inside Out by Richard Taylor.

Continue reading: http://www.caring.com/articles/parent-with-alzheimers#ixzz1HFIupvnF

Home care counselors at American Care Partners @ Home are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Falls Church, Virginia.

Did you know that 1.7 million people sustain a brain injury each year? Brain injury is not a onetime incident. It is rather a complex neurological process with potential physical, emotional, psychosocial and financial impact. Traumatic Brain Injury is defined as an alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force. Acquiring or sustaining a brain or spinal cord injury can be devastating to an individual, their family, and loved ones. When these types of injuries occur, it can change everything about us and the way we live our lives dramatically. These changes can be temporary or permanent, and may cause impairment or a complete inability to perform and function.

These injuries are complex and vary greatly from person to person. For many, returning to their previous lifestyle may no longer be possible. Patients living with Brain or Spinal Cord Injury feel more in control of their environment, comfortable, and secure when they are able to receive compassionate and dependable home care in their homes.

Read More: http://biausa.fyrian.com/about-brain-injury.htm

Home care counselors at American Care Partners @ Home are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable  Home health care such as Multiple Sclerosis and Neurological care. We are an Home health Care agency providing Home health Care in Falls Church, Fairfax and entire Northern Virginia.

Several Studies have shown that living out their lives at home, rather than in an assisted living center or a nursing home, is the overwhelming preference of the elderly and their adult children.

One of the greatest long-term needs of older adults and those with chronic illnesses is for In-Home Care Givers. These In-Home Care Providers are also referred to as home health aides, certified nursing assistants or In-Home Care Givers. These In-Home Personal Care Providers make it possible for people with functional limitations to remain at home in a comfortable, familiar environment. In- Home Care Givers provide a wide range of assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing, dressing, grooming, assisting with ambulation or transferring, toileting, feeding and providing medication reminders. In addition, In- Home Care Givers help with what professionals call, instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), such as shopping, meal preparation, making medical appointments, transportation, laundry and companionship.

Family caregivers provide a wide variety of services to care recipients: administering medications and physical therapy, assisting with daily tasks, meeting with healthcare providers, coordinating treatment regimens and schedules, helping with financial and administrative aspects of medical care, health insurance and more. They can also provide emotional support for coping with disease. However, most family caregivers reach a point when they realize they need help at home. Tell-tale signs include recognizing that your loved one progressively requires constant supervision and/or assistance with everyday activities, such as bathing and dressing. Overwhelmed Family Caregivers also find that certain housekeeping routines and regular errands are accomplished with great difficulty or are left undone. It may become apparent that in order to take care of any business outside the home, more than one caregiver is required.

When a family is ready to hire home health aide services, they need to make a basic decision about the source of such In-Home assistance. i.e a choice between Hiring individual private Care giver or Hiring an In-Home Care Agency to provide the Care and all the Coordination required. This decision needs to take into consideration the type and level of help needed, the financial/tax implications, and the relative vulnerability of the person receiving the care.

Cost may be the biggest advantage of hiring a private caregiver. Agencies pay caregivers less per hour or day than private employers pay because agencies make sure that taxes are paid and other Overhead expenses are covered. However,besides Cost, there are other major differences between the two choices:

- Lack of Professional Supervision. Providing Supervision could often be difficult because of geographic distance, lack of time or resources, lack of expertise, or the close emotional bonds that often get established between the In-Home Care giver and the person receiving the care. Furthermore, families often may not have the time or the resources to do criminal background checks, or to contact references. Sometimes families are so grateful for the care provided by an In-Home Care giver, which may also make them vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation.

Twenty-Four (24/7) Hour Care Management and Supervision: A licensed Home care agency has a responsibility to provide ongoing supervision for their employees. This includes helping the In-Home caregiver to understand the changing needs of clients, assuring the proper limits of care according to the practice acts of the various levels of professionals, and mediating difficult relationship issues.

In addition Care coordinators are on call twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, to handle any care related issues that might arise. When the assigned In-Home Care giver did not show up for a shift, there is always a backup plan to replace him/her.

A State licensed Home care agency has a responsibility to conduct an extensive Background Checks on Caregivers Prior to Employment. If you hire a private caregiver directly, you are letting a stranger into your home. They may have been convicted of theft and other crimes, do not have the appropriate skill level, and frequently don’t show up when you need them due to a variety of reasons.  Safety and quality of care should always be your first priority.

- Withholding Taxes and unemployment Taxes: Any individual, who employs a private In-Home caregiver directly, will be responsible for collecting and remitting the employee’s social security and Medicare taxes, Federal income tax withholdings, and State income tax withholdings to the Appropriate Government Entities. In addition, If you employ a private In-Home caregiver directly, you will be responsible for remitting to the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Economic Security unemployment taxes. This is currently approximately about 2.70% of the first $7,000.00 of an employee’s gross wages.

- Employer Social Security and Medicare Taxes: If you employ a private caregiver directly, you will be responsible for remitting to the Internal Revenue Service the employer’s social security and Medicare taxes. This is approximately 7.65% of an employee’s gross wages and is paid by the employer in addition to the gross wages.

- Liability for Employee Job Related Injuries: If you employ a private In-Home caregiver directly you will be responsible for any job related injuries suffered by your employees. If the Job, involves a lot of Heavy lifting and if the In-Home private Caregiver is not well trained, your liability for Employee`s injury while at job will increase significantly. To protect yourself, you should contact your insurance agent to discuss the availability and cost of workmen’s compensation insurance.

Furthermore, a State licensed Home care agency carries liability Insurance and Bond coverage.

Home care counselors at American Care Partners  are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce Family caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing In-Home Care in Falls Church, Virginia.

Providing Home Care Services in Falls Church Virginia, Arlington Virginia, Fairfax Virginia, Loudoun County, Prince William County, Alexandria Virginia, Burke Virginia, Leesburg Virginia, Ashburn Virginia, Manassas Virginia, Manassas Park, Reston Virginia, Sterling Virginia, Herndon Virginia, Oakton Virginia, Dunn Loring Virginia, McLean Virginia, Great Falls Virginia, Tyson’s, Vienna Virginia.

Let us help you or your loved ones, live safe and comfortable at home!

Multiple sclerosis usually affects women more than men. The disorder most commonly begins between ages 20 and 40, but can be seen at any age.

Multiple Sclerosis is a progressive disease, meaning the nerve damage (neurodegeneration) gets worse over time.  In addition to nerve damage, another part of multiple sclerosis is inflammation. Inflammation occurs when the body’s own immune cells attack the nervous system. The inflammation destroys the myelin, leaving multiple areas of scar tissue (sclerosis). It also causes nerve impulses to slow down or become blocked, leading to the symptoms of MS. Repeated episodes, or flare ups, of inflammation can occur along any area of the brain and spinal cord.

MS symptoms include:

• Vision Impairments including: Blurred or double vision, red-green color distortion or even blindness in one eye.

• Muscle weakness in the extremities and difficulty with coordination and balance. In the advanced cases, partial or complete paralysis.
• Peripheral Neuropathic symptoms like Numbness,  prickling, or “pins and needles” sensations.
• Pain
• Speech impairments
• Tremors ,Dizziness ,Hearing loss
• Cognitive impairments, such as difficulties with concentration, attention, memory, poor judgment, and Depression

Being diagnosed and living with Multiple Sclerosis can be both challenging and overwhelming. Patients living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) feel more in control of their environment, comfortable, and secure when they are able to receive compassionate and dependable home care in their homes.

American Care Partners Home care Services in Northern Virginia can help. We are able to provide compassionate and Dependable In-Home care and treatment for patients and families who are living with Multiple Sclerosis.

American Care Partners In-Home nursing Care and personal Home care services include, but are not limited to:

• Administering of medications
• Private Duty Nursing (LPNs and RNs)
• IV antibiotics and other IV therapies
• Gastrointestinal care and bowel regimes
• Tracheotomy care
• Trained and Certified Ventilator Nurses
• Certified Respiratory Technicians
• Personal assistance with bathing, grooming, and other daily activities
• Assisting with transfer and  mobility
• Respite care
• Preparing meals and feeding
• Performing light housekeeping
• Running errands (prescription pick-up, dry cleaning, etc.)
• Physician house call Services

Home care counselors at American Care Partners @ Home are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Falls Church, Virginia.

Choosing in-home care might be the best choice for you or your loved one–but how do you know for sure? This quick primer on in-home care can help you make that very important decision.

Seniors sometimes need a bit of help. Whether that means simple reminders to take their medication or something as significant as 24-hour medical monitoring, there is a solution designed to meet all of their unique needs.

What Kind of Care is Best for Your Loved One?

There are many different kinds of care available for elderly patients. Some will require occasional light help, while others might need round-the-clock nursing care. Knowing your options can help you choose the best one to fit the needs of everyone involved.

• Skilled Nursing Facility. Also known as a nursing home, a skilled nursing facility offers round-the-clock care for those patients who need constant monitoring.
• Assisted Living. Assisted living facilities offer custodial care, or help with the basics of day-to-day life. Grooming, bathing, dressing, and meal preparation are just a few of the ways assisted living can help.
• In-Home Care. Care at home can cover a wide range of assistance. From help with occasional grocery shopping to full-time medical attention, there is an in-home care option available.

The Top Five Considerations for In-Home Care

In-home care is the most popular option chosen by the American public. Consider the following reasons why in-home care might be the best choice for you and your family as well:

• Independence Matters. With in-home care, patients are encouraged to be as independent as possible. With a few changes for safety, such as grab bars and anti-slip rugs, freedom to move around the comfort of their own home is very possible with in-home care.
• Family Involvement. Those who are cared for at home have the advantage of open visiting hours. Family members can stop in and help out as often as necessary without concerns about intruding on the care of others. In times of illness, the presence of family members can buoy a patient’s spirits and make everyone feel more in-control of the situation.
• Continuity of Care. Home care is often provided by the same nurse or team or nurses, so they always know what kind of care has been given or is needed. The patient can also keep their same doctor, so the continuity of their care stays intact.
• Safe and Personal. The risks of infection are lessened when a patient uses in-home care. The one-on-one care and personal attention also ensures that all your loved one’s needs can be met quickly and without the red tape often found in hospitals or nursing homes.
• Lower Costs. In-home care providers are usually less expensive than nursing homes or assisted living facilities. With in-home care, you also have the option of hiring someone for only the hours when your loved one needs help the most. Lower costs also offer peace of mind to those seniors who are concerned about the financial burden their care might put on their family.

Continue reading:

http://www.eldercarelink.com/Go/In-Home-Care/Top-Five-Reasons-to-Choose-In-Home-Care.htm

Home care counselors at American Care Partners @ Home are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care such as Multiple Sclerosis and Neurological care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Falls Church, Virginia.

Excerpted from The Comfort of Home for Alzheimer’sTM

The symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) include:

•Weakness or clumsiness in the hands and feet.      •Gradual loss of strength of the arms and legs.

•Inability to control the use of the arms and legs.   •Muscle twitches (fasciculation).    •A stiff, clumsy walking style.

•About 15-45% of patients could also experience -Pseudo bulbar affect, which could manifest as uncontrolled laughter or crying.

•Difficulty swallowing, speaking, drooling and breathing.    •Muscle cramps, especially at night, which may occur late in the course of the disease.

•Pain, often during the late stages of the disease.

•Gradually worsening breathing efforts (due to progressive weakness of Respiratory muscles) resulting in Respiratory Failure (Which require Breathing assisting devises), during the late stages of the disease.

Being diagnosed with ALS can be both challenging and overwhelming for patients and families who are living with ALS. As the disease progresses, household tasks that were once simple can become difficult and daily living requires assistance. Physical demands, emotional demands, other family responsibilities, jobs, and more, eventually take a toll on even the strongest, most devoted Primary Family caregivers.

American Care Partners In- Home care Program for ALS patients can help! We understand the challenges of ALS and have the ability to address both Medical and non-medical In-Home Assistance that ALS patients need.

Our In-Home care services include, but are not limited to:

Administering of medications Including IV Therapies

gastrointestinal care and bowel regimes

Tracheotomy care

In-Home Ventilator Care by Trained and Certified Vent Nurses

Physician House Call Services

Personal assistance with bathing, grooming, transferring and other daily activities

Respite care

Preparing meals and feeding

Performing light housekeeping

Running errands (prescription pick-up, dry cleaning, etc.)

Our highly skilled and compassionate caregivers will provide immediate and effective nursing care that is designed to meet the patient’s specific needs and support them throughout the process.

Home care counselors at American Care Partners @ Home are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Falls Church, Virginia.

Certain factors must be assessed when deciding if allowing your parents to stay at home is practical and safe. First you must review the accessibility in their home and from their home to public places. Things to consider: presence of stairs, home maintenance requirements, distance to public places like the grocery store, bank, or pharmacy, and availability of safe public transportation. Having a close network of family and friends nearby, in case of emergencies, and to prevent them from developing depression from being alone is also important. Finally, you must take into account their medical conditions and financial situation. Determine what physical or mental conditions are present and/or may develop or worsen and how you plan to support them as these conditions continue. Establish a budget for care based on what your parents can afford and what the family may be willing to contribute.

After you’ve reviewed the above, you can better assess what services will be right for your parents. Home care services allow you to pay certified/licensed professionals to come to your parents’ home as needed to help them with their daily activities. These services can include household maintenance and cleaning, transportation or personal and limited health care. Family members can struggle to provide proper care to their parents while trying to juggle their own jobs and children. When this happens, families become stressed and all involved may suffer. Home care services can alleviate the stress and you can make arrangements to only use the services that are needed and beyond what your family is able to provide.

The house is not tidy

This could be due to a loss of interest or energy. This is particularly concerning if they are normally neat and organized. It may also be accompanied by a decline in personal hygiene.

Food in the refrigerator goes uneaten or is spoiled

The effort to shop, cook, and clean becomes overwhelming. They might be eating just enough to maintain weight, but are not eating nutritional meals. Actually losing weight would leave little doubt if they are otherwise healthy.

Mail and bills are gathering dust

This could show a lack of interest or depression. Dealing with one’s mail should not require very much energy, so this can be a troubling sign.

Using stairs becoming difficult

Complaints of dizziness or unsteadiness on their feet may become evident. This is particularly troubling since a severe injury resulting from a fall could occur.

Inappropriate behavior

They may act in ways completely out-of-character to them. This could be a sign of mental decline or confusion. If they are having lapses in concentration, it could be dangerous if they forget the stove is on, for example. You might look for signs of scorching on the bottom of pots and pans. This could indicate they have previously forgotten something is cooking on the stove.

Your loved one’s friends may have noticed changes in their behavior. You might engage them in conversation and casually mention the subject. They may see them more day-to-day than you, or something may have escaped your notice which is apparent to them.

You can establish a baseline of behavior by spending quality time with them. If there are any sudden departures from this behavior, you might look further into it. It could be nothing, or it could indicate a decline in functioning that needs to be addressed.

If you suspect your aging loved one is suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s or dementia, you should consider talking to their doctor before confronting them. They have expertise in this area and can tell you if your concerns are valid and if your loved one might benefit from tests.

Yard unkempt

The yard is not mowed. The garden, if they had one, is uncared for. Many plants are dead and dying. Shrubs and trees are not pruned. The area just shows a general attitude of neglect.

Forgetting to take medication

This could be simple forgetfulness that we all experience occasionally. It could also be something more serious if it happens frequently. Not only would it show some signs of mental decline or dementia, but can be very dangerous in and of itself. You might talk with them to see if they are truly forgetting to take the medication or maybe they are doing it on purpose. Their medication might need adjusting if it causes objectionable side effects.

As you consider the signs that your loved one might require home care, remember to always treat them with dignity and respect. After all, it will not be long before you will be in their shoes as well.

Home care counselors at American Care Partners @ Home are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Falls Church, Virginia.