With Comfort Keepers®, you can meet the needs of your loved ones from the comfort of their own home because we provide the quality, in-home care you are seeking.
The first step is the initial meeting, which can be in the home, at the Comfort Keepers office, or even in the corner coffee shop – we can meet wherever you and your loved ones feel most comfortable. No matter where that is, there is information that you will want to organize so you can make the best of this initial meeting and move forward to securing care.
Let’s start the discussion with goals for the care.
What is important to the individual who will be receiving the care? For example, is attending cultural or religious events a high priority? If so, Comfort Keepers can make sure your loved ones continue to stay socially engaged with the events that stimulate and bring them joy. Socialization is an important and significant contributor to provide a higher quality of life.
Many family members work outside the home or may not even live in the same market as the care recipient. With this obstacle, care coordination may be an important goal for your loved ones’ care plan. Comfort Keepers can deliver a solution for this goal by scheduling and coordinating things like appointments for check-ups, transportation to doctor and therapy appointments, and a host of other services to ensure your loved one’s care is coordinated.
Tell us about any major concerns you have about your loved one.
Have you noticed changes in your loved one’s behavior such as memory lapses or eating habits? Has there been a recent fall? Is your loved one having difficulties managing medications? As a family member, you are often the first to notice changes in your loved one’s behavior that may impact his/her ability to live independently, and sharing this information during the first meeting can help us understand the type of care that may be needed. These behaviors can also serve as first indicators of more serious issues that require medical attention.
Determine form and frequency of communication.
Senior care is a family decision, so it’s best to understand how the family wants to communicate, the type of information that is important, the best and most convenient communication channels, and how frequently. Quality care is a team effort and we will do all we can to ensure we are meeting your needs.
We need to understand a client’s condition.
Comfort Keepers is a part of the care continuum, so understanding your loved ones medical history, recent hospital stays and why, illnesses, medications, etc. helps us do a better job on several fronts. First, when we do the in-home assessment of the client and the client’s environment, this type of documentation will help us develop a better care plan. Secondly, having this background information allows us to better match a caregiver with your loved one.
Think about how care will be funded.
In some cases, families have planned well in advance and have purchased Long Term Care Insurance. In other situations, the client may be a veteran and there may be opportunities for funding through the VA. In still other cases, the client and/or family members may be paying for the care. It’s a difficult topic to broach, but it is better to have this discussion early so you can plan accordingly.
Family Caregivers have a great deal to think about. If you would like to learn more about what it means to be a family caregiver, the challenges, but more importantly, the solutions, click HERE.
Thank you for allowing Comfort Keepers the honor of being a part of your loved one’s care.
