When surveyed, majority of people over 65 years of age want to "age in place". Meaning they want to live their lives in their home as long as possible.
According to the CDC, 1 in 4 individuals have a fall every year. Of those falls, 50% NEVER return to their prior level of function . That is a huge statistic.
I use a 240 point assessment to thoroughly cover every area of the home and provide a written evaluation with a prioritized list of recommendations. With the home assessment, it may be beneficial for training with medical equipment to insure the client and caregiver's safety. With the insurance changes and restrictions, home assessments are not performed during a client's rehabilitation stay. The client returns to the home that possibly caused the fall which increases the possibility of another fall and re-hospitalization. My goal is to perform assessments, provide hands-on training, and education for changes to allow the client to "age in place" as long as possible - many of these changes are simple.
Caregiver training can be customized for homecare staff and/or family members. Training includes verbal and hands-on instructions to be able to assist your client in their Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). ADLs include transfers, walking, dressing, personal hygiene, etc. My 30 years of experience in physical therapy has taught me the best way to teach caregivers to handle situations with the least risk. Due to the short hospital and rehabilitation length of stays, proper caregiver training for family members and home care staff is imperative to the client's recovery. Proper training prevents caregiver injury, decreases call offs due to pain/injury, increases client independence, decreases caregiver turnover/burnout, decreases risk of client's rehospitalization. Caregiver training provided to homecare company staff increases the caregiver's confidence and self esteem by making them feel prepared and knowledegable about managing their client. . For homecare companies, this leads to increasing the client's longevity with the company.
It has been my experience that most family members are also caring for children, other parents, and maintaining a job. Hospitals and rehabilitation facilities only provide family training during work hours, which is either not possible or requires time-off for the caregiver. I provide training at your convenience and in the client's home. Training can be done prior to client's return to home or after.
Along with the safety home assessment and family training, I also provide education about equipment, managing your loved one's new diagnosis, and troubleshooting probable scenarios. Many times due to declining health, a client cannot remain safely in their own home. I have extensive knowledge regarding the different levels of care available and can provide education to client and family regarding various types of senior living.
