Safe At Home Senior Care Twilight E-Newsletter: Summer 2015

In this Edition:

• Clients in Action
• Community Events
• Feature Story
• Summer Social
• Care Provider of the Quarter
• Training Certificates

CLIENTS IN ACTION: 

CLIENTS IN ACTION:  “Edith”

Edith is 90 years old and has lived in Santa Cruz County her entire life.  She grew up on a rural ranch near what is now Highway 17.  Later she adjusted well to city life when she moved to Santa Cruz in the 1940’s.  Edith has been a Homemaker, a Business Manager and even worked at the Wrigley Factory that had been out on the Westside in the mid 1960’s.

In Edith’s earlier retirement she spent many years entertaining folks; singing and dancing with the Choraleers at senior centers and retirement homes in the area.  A talented and musically inclined lady, who could play the organ and piano, she created all of her costumes and choreographed her performances.  Later Edith joined Banjos by the Bay playing the Washboard.  Yes, that’s right, the Washboard!  It was an instrument that Edith played using special gloves to which she had attached thimbles.

Although Edith has been living comfortably at Dominican Oaks there came a time when her family felt the need to bring in extra care.  With their attention to detail and the benefit of having back-up caregivers ready for those just in case moments, Safe at Home was an easy choice to become Edith’s caregiving provider.

Edith and her family are thankful that she was paired with her wonderful day time care giver, Dana.  “Those two are quite a pair!”, says Edith’s niece, who adds, ‘It is a blessing that Edith has a caregiver who although attentive, gives Edith her space and independence when needed all while conversing about varied subjects and laughing at amusing goings on.”  The fact is all of the caregivers that Edith has encountered with Safe at Home have been very good.  Edith takes more walks now since her caregivers help get her moving and she has even revived her stamp collecting hobby.   Edith’s family feels that the added comfort and security of having excellent care through Safe at Home has enabled Edith to thrive.   

Edith’s family has been so pleased with her care that Safe at Home was engaged when care became necessary for other family members.

Thank you Safe At Home!

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Capitola Art & Wine Festival 

In partnership with the Capitola / Soquel Chamber of Commerce, Safe at Home Senior Care volunteered their time to assist in the setup of the annual Art & Wine Festival that took place in the Capitola Village September 12^th and 13^th.

This year marked the 33^rd year the Capitola Chamber of Commerce has been putting on this great event.  Our staff participated by assisting with the setup and takedown of the booths for the various vendors participating.  There were over 160 artists and 23 Mountain Wineries participating in this year’s event.  That is a lot of booths!  The event was a huge success and we look forward to partnering with the Chamber again next year!   

Grey Bears Pancake Social   

Safe at Home Senior Care partnered up with the Grey Bears organization to volunteer for their annual Pancake Breakfast.  The event took place on Saturday July 18^th from 8am – 11am at the Thrift Store location at 2710 Chanticleer Ave in Santa Cruz.  Our care providers and administrative staff assisted by prepping food, cooking, greeting guests and serving the delicious pancake breakfast!  Dozens of Grey Bear members in the community came out to enjoy a great breakfast and socialize with friends.    

Grey Bears is an organization that provides healthy meals, information and supplies to the elderly community in Santa Cruz County.  Many of our clients have been positively impacted by the incredible support this organization provides to our community. We are honored to have had the opportunity to partner with such a great organization and look forward to collaborating on more events in the future!    

YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT…

• 66 million internal and family caregivers provide care to someone in the U.S each year 

• 15% of the adult population age 65+ are reported to be below the poverty level
• In 2012 there was an estimated 6 million adults age 85+ in the U.S.  This figure is expected to more than triple to 19 million by 2050
• 1 out of 4 adults age 45+ are not financially prepared if they should suddenly need long-term care for an indefinite period of time~40 million people provided unpaid care to someone age 65+ over the last 3 months
• ~40 million people provided unpaid care to someone age 65+ over the last 3 months

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE FALL?

Volunteer work with Elderday

Safe at Home Senior Care is volunteering to assist Elderday, an adult day health care program designed to provide care and engaging activities for low-income elderly individuals in Santa Cruz County.  Elder Day is one of several great programs offered by Community Bridges that provide much needed services to our elderly community. Safe at Home care providers will volunteer to lead activities and provide caregiving support to Elderday members.  Date and time: TBD

Safe at Home Senior Care Fall Social – It’s Wine Tyme! (September 12^th from 4pm – 6pm)

We will be celebrating and recognizing our great staff of care providers at It’s Wine Tyme on Thursday, September 12^th from 4pm – 6pm.  Free food and drinks will be provided on the outside patio facing the Capitola Village.  This event is open to our clients, their family members and organizations that we partner with.  Invitations will go out in September.  To RSVP, please contact Liz at liz@safeathomeseniorcare.com or call the office at (831) 462-3500. 

FEATURE ARTICLE

Selecting an In-Home Care Provider

By Ryan Colligan

Director, Safe at Home Senior Care

Try as we might, we can’t always be all things to all people.  One situation where that is especially true is taking care of the day-to-day needs of our elderly parents.  Two of the most important issues for seniors are to remain independent and in their own homes.   However, health and safety issues can sometimes make normal day-to-day living more challenging – if not impossible. 

In some cases, it may be necessary to move your parents to a skilled nursing or residential care facility.  Instead, many seniors are able to remain in their own homes with the assistance of hired care providers.  Hired care providers can either be independently contracted or individuals employed by a professional agency.

Hiring an independent care provider is typically a less expensive option.  While there are many talented and experienced care providers who work as independents, there are certain risks and considerations to make in hiring an independent: 

1. You are responsible for performing a criminal background check.
2. You are responsible for finding a replacement if the care provider is absent.
3. You bear the burden for withholding payroll taxes and providing state-mandated workers compensation insurance coverage.
4. You bear the burden for liability problems like theft from or damage to your property.
5. You must verify their references and level of experience and training.    

Santa Cruz County is home to several agencies that specialize in providing professional non-medical, in-home care.  These agencies provide a wide range of services including light housekeeping, meal preparation, laundry, transportation, medical reminders and assistance with personal care.  The one-on-one services offered can continue should your parents move out of their home and into an assisted living or nursing facility. 

Care providers employed by these agencies are bonded and covered by liability insurance to prevent any personal liability to you or your loved ones.  Care providers are provided with ongoing training and scheduling is handled by the agency to prevent situations in which your parents might be left alone in an unsafe environment.  While the services of a professional agency are typically more expensive than hiring privately, there are several benefits that come with the increased cost:

1. Services are customized to each client’s needs.
2. The agency provides training and thoroughly vets employees by performing criminal background, checking professional references and conducting interviews before hiring.
3. The agency is responsible for all employer tasks such as payroll, taxes, workers compensation, liability insurance and bonding.
4. The agency is responsible for providing a replacement should the assigned care provider fail to arrive or need a day off.
5. Many agencies will offer the ability to meet and interview the care provider before beginning services.

Fortunately, there are an abundance of options when it comes to finding care for your parents to remain safe in their own home.  Determine what factors are most important to you in selecting a trusted partner.  Take your time, do your research and hopefully, you will find an in-home care provider that can make that final phase of your parents’ life as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.         

For questions or comments, you can reach Ryan Colligan by email at ryan@safeathomeseniorcare.com or by phone at (831) 462-3500 x2

This article was featured in  Times Publishing, Aptos Life and the Santa Cruz Sentinel

‘Selecting an In-Home Care Provider’ Pg. 11. Times Publishing, Aptos Life

Summer Social

Michael’s on Main Street!

We value the commitment and hard-work our care providers put into working with our clients each and every day.  Being a care provider is not an easy job.  It takes a special individual to be a professional, caring, compassionate care provider. We are fortunate to have many of these individuals as a part of our award winning team at Safe at Home. We want to recognize these special individuals and the positive impacts they make in the lives of our clients.  One way we do that is to have fun together!

On Thursday afternoon, August 6th, we celebrated the efforts and accomplishments of our great staff by hosting a social at Michael’s on Main Street in Soquel.  Safe at Home Senior Care provided free food and drink  tokens to all of our employees that attended. We also recognized the accomplishments of several outstanding individuals with certificates, awards and cash!  The event drew over 30 people including a handful of our community partners and a great time was had by all!  We encourage clients, client family members, individuals in the community and anyone interested in getting to know more about Safe at Home Senior Care and our award winning team of care providers to come join us in these fun events!

 

Our next event, the Fall Social will take place at It’s Wine Tyme, Thursday, September 12^th from 4pm – 6pm.  If you are interested in attending please RSVP with Liz at liz@safeathomeseniorcare.com.

For more details, please call our office at (831) 462-3500 or email at: info@safeathomeseniorcare.com

Care Provider of the Quarter!

Aitu Richmond!

Safe at Home Senior Care publicly recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of an outstanding Care Provider every quarter.  The “Care Provider of the Quarter” award is given to one individual who goes above and beyond to deliver extraordinary care to our Safe at Home clients. It was our honor to present the Summer 2015 award to Aitu Richmond!

Aitu has invested in continuing education by completing our Certified Companion Aid (CCA) and Certified Hospice Companion Aid (CHCA) training programs.  Aitu embodies the all-star characteristics that we look for in a care provider and has been a valuable member of our care provider team for over 3 years.  Aitu is an experienced, caring, professional who is extremely reliable.  Her calm nature and professional demeanor are always well received by the clients who have the privilege of working with her.  Aitu serves as the unofficial lead for one of our clients, training the new care providers on the team.  Aitu has a heart of gold; a truly exceptional care provider.  We appreciate and recognize your effort and commitment Aitu.  We are extremely grateful to have you as a part of our team!

Congratulations, Aitu Richmond!

TRAINING CERTIFICATES

Safe at Home Senior Care offers ongoing training courses to our care providers.  These training courses are designed to further the development of our care providers by providing certified training courses on subject matters that are important to understand when caring for elderly individuals as a profession.  We recognize and reward the time, effort and energy our care providers put into further developing their skill set by providing hourly pay increases and/or cash bonuses for each training certificate earned.  

Below is a list of our training certificate recipients for the Summer 2015 term: