CareMate Wellness Solutions proudly provides comprehensive direct care services to our Veterans who need them. We are a licensed and well vetted home care and home health service agency. The Homemaker and Home Health Aide Program is designed to help a Veteran with personal care needs. Your local VA medical center can help arrange for a home health aide who will come to your home on a regular schedule to assist you with improving your health & wellness outcomes. Below are resources to help take advantage of the benefits your pension may offer. VA Aide & Attendance or Housebound Benefit Provides monthly payments added to the amount of a monthly VA pension for qualified Veterans and survivors. How Do You Qualify? You may be eligible for this benefit if you’re a VA pension and you meet at least one of these requirements.
What are the differences between a Homemaker and Home Health Aide? Homemaker: A homemaker is a care giver/ companion that assists with light duty tasks where no physical contact is necessary majority the time. A homemaker also helps to reduce loneliness and social isolation which is a leading risk for dementia and other serious medical conditions. According to the CDC, social isolation is associated with about 50% increased risk of dementia and higher risks of depression, anxiety, and suicide. Duties your care attendant may assist with are:
Home Health Aid: A home health aid is a licensed or certified care attendant that can assist with tasks that are documented and goes into a patient’s permanent health record.
How to know which service is needed? Use the form below from va.gov to find out which services best fit your needs. How to get benefits? Veteranaid.org is a valuable resource free to veterans and their surviving spouses. Use the link below to check the qualifications and https://www.veteranaid.org/apply.php Or Sign up by contacting your local Veteran Satellite Office: VA Regional Benefit Satellite Office at Arlington 1600 E. Pioneer Parkway Suite 400 Arlington, Texas 76010 Phone: 800-827-1000 VA Regional Benefit Satellite Office at Fort Worth VA Clinic 2201 SE Loop 820 Fort Worth, Texas 76119 Phone: 800-827-1000
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As your loved one’s age there are many changes and adjustments involved. Depending on the health status, additional assistance may be inevitable. The power of medicine blesses us to live longer and healthier, but it cannot reverse the aging process as there are tasks that cannot be completed independently any longer. For example, even for an active senior they may need assistance with daily tasks such as driving and light duty chores around the house may become difficult to complete. This is when a home health aide can be a useful service for any senior citizen who need assistance with medication, light errands, and organizing the house. Here are five signs to consider a home health aide for your loved one. Frequently forgetting to take medications properly Sometimes our loved ones forget to take their medications daily and correctly. It can become difficult for family members to keep up with reminders as most have to work or travel often. If simply keeping medications organized proves to no longer be efficient then further assistance and care is needed. Getting Lost While Driving or Wandering from Home In early cases of dementia or Alzheimer’s a person may begin to forget how to get home or even wander from home unknowingly and get lost. When you notice a change in your loved one’s cognizant abilities and memory it may be time to hire assistance to help take care of light errands and grocery shopping Change in Conditions at Home & Appearance Early signs of Alzheimer’s or Dementia can manifest in the way your loved keeps up their appearance. As the disease progresses, they may forget basic hygiene or change their clothes appropriately. Changes you may notice within their home is clutter and obsessive hoarding. They also may not remember to throw trash away or clean dishes properly. Changes in Mood Depression and anger are early signs or symptoms of Alzheimer’s or dementia. As their memory of family and friends begins to fade, they may either become aggressive or scared when approached by their loved ones. If you notice confusion or low energy with your aging loved one, consider scheduling an appointment with their specialist for testing and diagnosis. If they are active and live alone, they may benefit from companionship services to reduce senior isolation and loneliness. Inability to make important decisions independently Once your loved one begins making the wrong important decisions it may be due to a decline in memory and understanding. Dementia affects every diagnosed patient differently; there are good and bad days. To help with memory loss, keep reminders and notes around the house. Also keep important belongings such as purse, wallet, or phone in the same places for easy finding. How CareMate Wellness Solutions Can Help Caring for an ill loved one is a tough task for just one individual or family with busy schedules. CareMate Wellness Solutions can assist with non-medical service offerings. We help increase the quality of life by providing memory skills activities and companionship for your loved one as they age and battle the effects of dementia. Most clients are active seniors who need a bit of assistance in their daily lives as certain tasks become difficult to complete themselves. CareMate Wellness Solutions is here to fill the needs of anyone needing non-medical assistance. Fill out our referral form below and contact us today to schedule an assessment. References: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/10_signs https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007428.htm
Eureka Pinkney with Caremate Wellness Solutions, LLC recently had a presentation with The Senior Source in Dallas in October 2023 called 'Navigating the Senior Care Maze'. It was such an informative session where we discussed how seniors and people with disabilities can access the top-notch care they truly deserve. If you're interested in learning more about the services we offer and the different levels of senior care available, check out this video. Give Caremate Wellness Solutions a call today to discover how you access quality care for yourself or a loved one. When you hear the word caregiver, the first thing that comes to your mind is taking care of others. It can be your old grannies, your sick spouse, or your disabled child. These people cannot do even the slightest things for themselves, and you have to be there full time to feed, bathe, and take care of their needs. Being a caregiver is overwhelming and can become a nightmare if you forget to care for yourself. We’ll understand the love you have for your loved ones that you can’t imagine leaving their side for seconds. But burnout is real, and you can’t take care of them if you’re not feeling well. So, how do you care for yourself as a caregiver? This article outlines five simple ways that can help you take care of yourself as you take care of your loved ones. Talk to Someone When you start taking care of your loved ones, you’ll notice that your network will grow smaller. You can’t go out for drinks, no parties, no work. You’ll be at home 24/7. Do you know what happens when your situation gets to this? You’ll start feeling lonely, stressed, and abandoned. It’s normal to feel this way. It could be even worse if your life took a drastic turn from a fun-loving person to a stay at home caregiver. But you know what? You’re not alone. Your friends and other family members may not understand your situation, but there are other caregivers out there going through the same ordeal. You need to find these people, talk to them, and relieve the stress. There are support groups for caregivers you can find in your area or internationally. Whether you have Alzheimer’s patient, a child with autism, or a disabled partner, you must find someone in the same situation. Don’t be afraid to join those caregiver’s support groups and find the necessary care for caregiver that you deserve. This is the place to exchange information, encourage each other, and find ways of coping with caregiving stress. Care for Yourself and Health Many caregivers only revolve around seeing their patients healthy and happy. Don’t forget you also have a life and you can fall sick at any time. Imagine who’ll take your position when you’re unwell. It can be a nightmare if you don’t have money to hire a professional caregiver to cover for you while you recover. To avoid all the trouble, make sure you don’t fall sick often. You should take care of your health situations that are within your control. Read this article on how to take care of yourself including your health and your general well-being as a caregiver. Maintain your regular health checkups. See your doctor at least once a year, even when you’re not feeling sick. Get your doctor’s advice on stress management techniques, coping exhaustion, and managing sleeplessness. Eat healthy meals on time. Also, remember to take the annual flu vaccine to protect you and the person you’re caring for. Don’t Get Stuck at Home It’s normal to want to stay by the side of the person you’re caring for all the time. It’s also normal not to trust anyone to cover for you when you’re away for an errant or just to treat yourself. But you also have a life to live, right? You must sneak in a few minutes or a whole day for yourself. You need to take a break to exercise, go for a walk, or have some time for yourself away from the caregiving duties. Exercise is vital to help you prevent diseases and stay away from stress. If your hobby is dancing, hiking, or partying, make sure you find time to do this even if it’s not as often as before. Meditation Works Magic No matter how much love you have for your loved ones, it’s normal for a human to feel tired. Sometimes you feel you can’t take it anymore and you want to give up. You can wake up feeling irritable and regret ever committing to the caregiving duties. When you reach this point, you need to step aside and meditate. Meditation is a kind of soul-searching activity that calms the mind and ensures your mental health care. When you meditate, it helps you lessen the stress, anxiety, and depression feelings. Just a few minutes of soul searching helps you get your normal self back. There are different types of meditation for caregivers that can help you out. Deep breathing meditation is the most common one. You can breathe in and out with your hands in your stomach for a few minutes. Do this with your eyes closed and hold your breath a few times. Visualization is also a kind of motivation that gets you to imagine the nice things in life. Just have your eyes fixed in one place but not looking. Imagine a peaceful place like a forest, a river, or a park. Engage all your senses, including smell, sight, and ears. Practice these kinds of meditations and engage in them whenever you feel overwhelmed. They will help you get back to your feet. Don’t Push Yourself Too Hard The situation can sometimes get too overwhelming for you. Instead of pushing harder and getting even more desperate, take a break and relax. You need to find a better approach to the events unfolding, and you can only do it if you relax. Create time for yourself, especially when you feel that you’re reaching your limits. Try finding a friend or family member who offers to stay with your loved ones while you take a rest. Make use of this time to treat yourself and forget about your problems. Once your mind is relaxed, and your body recovers from the exhaustion, you will come back stronger and ready to fight again. You Can Make Caregiving Fun Caregiving is hard, but if you know how to juggle between caring for your loved ones and care for yourself, you can make it fun. Always remember that you have a life outside your caregiving duties and you must live it. Follow all the tips for caring for yourself, and you will beat the exhaustion that comes with caregiving. You need someone to teach you how to be a better caregiver, especially if you’re not a professional one. You can visit our site for more advice on caregiving and your health in general. Our experts are ready to give you the answers. In a nutshell, respite means having someone else look after your loved one while you take a break. Respite can be:
Respite Care: Caring for the Caregiver |