Category: Home care Harrisburg

It’s important to choose the home health services that you need, whether for yourself or for your senior loved one. With so many providers to choose from, how do you choose from the home health care agencies in Harrisburg, PA? Let’s look at what you should consider when choosing a provider for yourself or your loved one.

A Checklist of Questions

As you consider providers, it’s important to ask the right questions to help you judge their services. Here are some questions you should include in your checklist.

• How long has the provider been serving the community?
• Do they provide literature that explains their services, eligibility, cost, fees, and funding?
• Do they have a “Patient’s Bill of Rights” and what does it contain?
• Do they have an annual report for the public or other educational materials for the public to review?
• How do they select and train their employees?
• What credentials and certifications do they require of employees?
• Does it provide personnel policies, benefits, and malpractice insurance?
• How do they go about evaluating a patient’s needs? Who do they speak with to determine specific needs?
• Does the provider include the patient and family members in creating a care plan?
• How does the provider handle request to change the care plan?
• Do the patient and family receive a copy of the care plan?
• Are treatments and tasks documented?
• Do caregivers educate the patient and family members about the care being administered?
• Do supervisors oversee patient care? How often?
• Who can the patient or family contact with concerns, questions, or complaints?
• How does the provider resolve problems or follow up on concerns?
• What are the emergency procedures that caregivers follow?
• If necessary, are caregivers available 24/7?
• What are the financial procedures of the provider?
• Is there a statement explaining costs and fees provided to the patient and family?
• What are payment options?
• Does the agency provide education or guidance regarding financial and health care assistance?
• How does the agency ensure patient privacy and confidentiality?
• What references can the agency provide?

When you receive references, be sure to follow up on them. Ask them questions like,

• Do you frequently refer clients to this provider?
• Do you have a contractual relationship with the provider and do you require that they provide a certain quality of care?
• Have you received feedback from other patients about this provider and what kind of feedback did you receive?

Assessing Home Health Care Agencies in Harrisburg, PA

Once you’ve received answers to the questions on your checklist, it’s important to review them with your loved one, family, and their physician. Determine what questions are most important to the needs of your loved one. If you’re unhappy with the answers that you received, then the agency may not be the right choice for you. Interview multiple agencies to match the services and care they offer with what your loved one needs.

Looking for a Top-Rated Home Care in Harrisburg, PA?

If you’re looking for home health care for you or a loved one, contact us today. One of our program coordinators can discuss your needs and help you select the program and services that are right for you.

Do you have an elderly loved one who needs senior care in Harrisburg, PA? Family members are the first people most seniors turn to when they need care. Whether you’re looking for respite care options while you care for your loved one or you’re looking for home-based senior care in Harrisburg, PA, let’s look at what AmeriBest Home Care offers your loved one.

What Is Senior Care?

Senior care is a broad term that covers a wide array of services. Senior care services in Harrisburg, PA can include personal care services (bathing and personal hygiene), medication management, meal planning and preparation, chore assistance, and transportation. Depending on a senior’s needs, Medicaid may cover some or all their home care needs.

What Does AmeriBest Home Care Offer Seniors in Harrisburg, PA?

AmeriBest Home Care provides reliable, community-based home care for seniors in Harrisburg. We tailor our services based on what your loved one needs. We can provide,

• Support services
• Respite care
• Transportation assistance
• Light housekeeping
• Activities of daily living (ADLs)
• Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs)

All of our paraprofessionals are vetted, trained, and covered by insurance. In addition to providing you with expert caregivers, we can also train friends or family members to serve as a caregiver for your loved one.

What Are ADLs and IADLs?

Activities of daily living (ADLs) are the everyday tasks we do to care for ourselves and our home. These include personal care activities like bathing and dressing.

Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) are also everyday tasks, but ones that require more planning and forethought. They include things like getting around the community, paying bills, shopping for groceries, and managing money or paying bills.

How Do I Choose Senior Care Services?

It’s important to choose senior care services that your loved one needs. Often, their physician will recommend types of services based on evaluating their ADL and IADL capabilities. Listen to your loved one as well. What concerns do they voice about living independently? What frustrations do they show with daily activities? AmeriBest Home Care works with seniors and their families to ensure they receive the services they need to live independent and healthy lives.

Are You Looking for Senior Care in Harrisburg, PA?

If you’re looking for home health care for you or a loved one, contact us today. One of our program coordinators can discuss your needs and help you select the program and services that are right for you.

Affordable, quality home health care is important to aging at home and living independently. Community First Choice (CFC) was established under the State Plan as part of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. For Pennsylvania residents, it allows for seniors and people with disabilities to receive cost-effective community-based care. So let’s look at what community first choice does for Harrisburg residents.

What Is Community First Choice?

As part of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, Community First Choice provides funding for home and community-based care for people who meet the Medicaid criteria for institutional care. This allows them to live at home in their communities and saves money versus institution-based services.

Why Home and Community-Based Care Matters

The most important reason that home and community-based care is important to Harrisburg residents is because it is, overwhelmingly, what they want. Whether living with a disability or aging, people want to live independently, near their families and communities. Home and community-based care gives them that ability.

In addition, home and community care is less expensive than long-term care in a public or private institution. Per recipient, the state of Pennsylvania saves about $30,000 annually with home-based care over nursing homes.

What Services Are Included in Home and Community-Based Care?

For seniors who qualify for home and community-based care, AmeriBest Home Care provides a wide variety of services to meet their daily needs. These services include,

• Transportation/ escort services
• Social services/ case management
• Nutritional counseling/ education
• Personal care
• Homemaker chore services
• Home delivered meals

Do You Qualify for Home and Community-Based Services?

The state of Pennsylvania offers 12 Home and Community-Based Services to meet the needs of seniors and those with disabilities. At AmeriBest, we can educate you on eligibility requirements and assist you with follow-ups until you are approved.

Are You Looking for Home Health Care in Harrisburg, PA?

If you’re looking for home health care for you or a loved one, contact us today.

One of our program coordinators can discuss your needs and help you select the program and services right for you!

March is Women’s History Month. At AmeriBest Home Care Harrisburg, we’re excited to honor the women who helped shape what care is through their work and advocacy. Let’s look at some of the most influential caregivers in history.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt

Though Franklin Roosevelt’s polio left him paralyzed, he still became President in 1933. As strong and influential as he was during a tumultuous time in US History, it was the care that his wife Eleanor provided that enabled him to be the leader we remember today. When Franklin Roosevelt passed away, Eleanor continued to advocate for effective and empathetic care for those who needed it most.

Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler

In 1864, Rebecca Lee Crumpler became the first African American woman in the US to earn an M.D. degree. She focused her work on the care of women and children and further secured her place in medical history with her Book of Medical Discourses.

Anne Sullivan

When Hellen Keller lost her sight and hearing from scarlet fever as an infant, her family saw little hope for her. However, Anne Sullivan rose to the challenge, helping Hellen learn to communicate and interact with the world around her.

Hellen Keller

With the help of Anne Sullivan, Hellen Keller was able to overcome incredible obstacles to become an activist and speaker. Among her numerous causes, Hellen Keller became a fierce advocate for people with disabilities.

Debbie Reynolds

Debbie Reynolds was best known as a Hollywood actress (Singin’ in the Rain as well as the voice of Charlotte in Charlotte’s web). She was also the mother of one of the most beloved actresses in science fiction – Carrie Fisher. What most don’t know is that Debbie also spent her life as a caregiver to her own mother and grandmother when she was 14 and even her own daughter Carrie when she showed signs of depression and bipolar disorder.

Rosalynn Carter

Another First Lady on our list, Rosalynn Carter, became a caregiver at the young age of 12 when her father was diagnosed with leukemia. In addition to serving as a caregiver for other family members, she has written books about caregiving and started the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers to promote the health, strength, and resilience of those who dedicate their lives to serving others.

AmeriBest Home Care Harrisburg, PA

If you’re looking for home health care for you or a loved one, contact us today.

One of our program coordinators can discuss your needs and help you select the program and services right for you.

February is American Heart Month, with the theme “Live to Beat.”. It’s a time when various organizations encourage individuals to focus on cardiovascular health. At AmeriBest in home health care Harrisburg PA, we have seen firsthand the toll a heart attack can take on a person and their family during our work. Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. To put it in perspective, one person dies every 34 seconds from cardiovascular disease. In 2020, this equated to nearly 700,000 individuals.

The caregivers at AmeriBest have been trained to recognize the signs of a stroke or heart attack. They observe closely, especially with people who have hypertension, which is a contributing cause of cardiovascular problems.

Heart Health

It’s not as hard as you might think to deter your risks of cardiovascular disease. The first step is understanding your risks by talking to your physician. Taking preventative measures matters.

What are these measures? Main boil down to ongoing self-care. Here are a few:

Eating Healthy. Keep salt and saturated fat to a minimum. It’s ok to cheat. Just remain aware of what you’re consuming. AmeriBest’s Aides can prepare nutritional meals for your loved one.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep. Practice sleep hygiene. Shoot for 7-8 hours a night. Create a daily ritual for yourself for the time you get up and the time you go to bed. Don’t nap too much.

Move it! Endeavor to get about 2 ½  hours of activity weekly. If that sounds like a lot, it equates to only 13 minutes daily over 7 days. Focus on low-impact cardio exercises that increase your heart rate. Walking, yoga, swimming, and cycling are examples. These types of exercise have minimal impact on joints.

Reduce Stress: For example, say your loved one knows a person who really rattles their cage. Limit how much time they spend with said individual. Activity (ah, ha #3) helps decrease anxiety, as can laughter, yoga (yes, it’s true), meditation, socialization, journaling, and keeping up with your personal hobbies. All these things provide mental distraction.

Know your numbers, specifically your blood pressure which is now easy thanks to home cuffs. If you cannot coordinate the cuff, ask the AmeriBest aide to help you.

If practicable, remain an active participant in your health. If you have questions, ask them, and insist on answers. You are your own best advocate.

Socialize: An in-home caregiver from a home health care agency like AmeriBest has trained personnel who take an interest in your loved one’s favorite activities. Studies show having interaction offsets depression, too.

Hiring a Home Health Care in Harrisburg, PA 

When you reach the point when you know you can’t go it alone as the primary caregiver to your loved one, it’s time to consider professional aides. Whether or not your loved one has cardiovascular problems, seeking in-home assistance comes with many questions. The professionals at AmeriBest are here to answer them and provide the necessary information you will need going forward.

Reach out to us:

Online https://www.ameribesthomecare.com/contact-us/

Telephone: (717) 545-2920

Email: info@ameribest.org

No matter where you live, you’ve probably come across a family caregiver or a professional home health care aid, like those provided by AmeriBest Home Care in Harrisburg, PA. The sad reality is that (as of this writing) 133 million people have at least one chronic illness. Families are left with difficult decisions. Do they send them to a facility, or do they find a way to keep their loved one in the comfort of their home?

If they choose in-home health services, the family of the said individual may try and become the caregiver, attending to all the needs of their loved one. As you can imagine, the strain is palatable. Effectively they are trying to balance two lives into the time allowance for one.

What is Aging in Place?

But there’s good news. Relief is on the horizon with AmeriBest home care services in Harrisburg, PA. The person involved can “age in place.” The idea is to give seniors a sense of independence while maintaining matters of safety and other supports. The individual has greater self-esteem and a more positive attitude. There is less stress, and an in-home aide helps with socialization, too. For the family, having a professional caregiver is less expensive than facility care.

What About Medicare?

When an individual cannot afford home healthcare, Medicare coverage. Can provide financial help if you qualify. A person has to be homebound, require periodic care, and have a doctor who will prescribe the service. Additionally, Pennsylvania’s Department of Health and Human Services can cover some of the costs involved. If you are not sure if your family makes for a good candidate, call the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (215-765-9040) and get some answers. The staff at our AmeriBest home health services can also help guide you through the jumble.

It is worth noting that both Medicare and the Pennsylvania Department of Health Services will allow you to choose an aide. Your children, cousin, aunts, etc., can work in your home and get paid. This takes aging in place to another level of well-being. Now your loved one not only stays home but has a known individual caring for them.

Home Health Care: a Closer Look

A person receiving home health care receives different services than other people. It’s vital they receive individualized care. One person’s needs are not the same as someone else. At AmeriBest, we are committed to tailor-made care plans. Yours might include more than trained aides. Perhaps the person needs physical therapy, for example. That requirement goes into the plan, along with any other specialized necessities.

Basic services include:

• Light housekeeping
• Meal preparation
• Nutritional menus
• Socialization
• Bathing
• Spotting a person with mobility issues

Our compassionate and well-trained aides help individuals achieve self-sufficiency within their limitations. They keep an eye out for changes in a person’s behavior, speech, walking, etc. Any oddity immediately gets communicated to the person’s medical care team.

There are several ways to contact us for further information:

Our online contact form

Phone: 717-545-2920

Email: info@ameribesthomecare.com

We look forward to hearing from you!

Tossing, turning, adding blankets, or removing them…the time seems to slow to an aching pace, and all you pray for is going to sleep. At AmeriBest senior care Harrisburg, PA, we’ve encountered many individuals, particularly seniors, who struggle with sleep. Small losses here and there are normal. But when it becomes nightly, the lack of sleep can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease and depression.

What is Sleep Hygiene?

In recent years you may have heard the term “sleep hygiene.” Basically, sleep hygiene is a matter of creating healthy habits that help you get better sleep.  Both your environment and pre-bed routine contribute to sleeping deeply. When we say “routine,” not all suggestions here work for everyone, so you want to craft a sustainable pattern that, with time, becomes natural.

Factoid: Insomnia 

Over 70 million Americans exhibit sleep disorders every year. Between 30 and 50% of the adult population have ongoing insomnia problems. Chronic insomnia is defined as having sleep interruptions or difficulties three times a week for more than three months. Stress is the number one contributor to sleep problems, along with pain, depression, diseases, and medications, all common to the aging population. 

How to Get Started 

Sleep hygiene aims to create a pre-bed routine and harness habits that may contribute to getting to sleep and staying asleep. The aides at Ameribest, Harrisburg, PA, can help individuals stick to their routines using simple reminders.

For example, they can remind a person of all the steps before going to bed. Dress, brush your teeth, and take a half hour to wind down using gentle lighting and relaxing music. Find the things that really settle your mind and spirit.

Sleep Schedule

First things first, it’s time to set a sleep schedule. Try to wake up at the same time daily, creating a bio-rhythm for consistency. Do not put off sleep unless it’s absolutely necessary. It may take a little time to adjust, but that’s to be expected.

Cat Naps & Electronics

Avoid napping. You haven’t slept well, so it’s not surprising you want a nap. However, the more you nap, the more it impacts your night’s sleep. Limit naps to early afternoon. Also, avoid all electronics (cell phones, tablets, etc.). Electronics stimulate the mind, which is the opposite of what you want. Instead, try relaxation methods like deep breathing and meditation.

Tip: Don’t just lie there awake

When you spend hours in bed, unable to sleep, the connection between you and your bedroom becomes contrary. You want to look forward to bed. So if you’re still awake after a half hour, get up for a bit. Stretch, perhaps read a book, and then try again. Still, avoid electronics, though.

Other Helpmates for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

Get as much natural light as possible. Sunlight creates a rhythm in your body that can decrease sleep problems. Don’t drink caffeine in the evening because it’s a stimulant. Late-night meals aren’t great, either. Digestion can disrupt sleep.

Senior Care Harrisburg

If you are caring for a loved one, it can be difficult to help them achieve solid sleep habits. However, if you have a professional aide like those from AmeriBest Harrisburg, PA, they can step in with guidance during their shift. Make it a team effort!

Call us to see how home care in Harrisburg, PA can best help your family. You can reach our Harrisburg office at 717-545-2920, by email at info@ameribest.org, or by using our online contact form.

 

Not that long ago, cervical cancer was the predominant cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States, one-quarter of which were over the age of 65. Thanks to screening and prevention, those numbers have been slowly reducing, but there is still a long way to go. Thousands of women still die of this disease annually. Many will require the help of home health care agencies in Harrisburg, PA.

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. At AmeriBest Home Care Harrisburg, PA, we recognize two major barriers to continuing the fight against Cervical Cancer. One is education. The other is prevention by ongoing screening and inoculation. Nearly all cases (70%) of Cervical Cancer begin with an HPV infection; vaccines designed to protect against HPV (Gardasil and Cervarix) could potentially prevent many cases. Pap smears may also catch the problem. So why are these preventatives used more often?

That question returns us to education. There is a general lack of public awareness. Girls and boys between the ages of 11-12 should receive the HPV injection, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). While primary physicians may stress getting the inoculations, something in communication often falls through, leaving children at risk of future HPV cancers.

Two Types of Cervical Cancer

The type of cervical cancer a person has depends on where the disease began. Squamous Cell Carcinoma develops in the outer part of a woman’s cervix, visible during gynecological exams. This is where 90% of cervical cancer originates.

Adenocarcinoma begins in the inner part of the cervix. It is rare. Sometimes both types of cancer appear simultaneously, again a rare occurrence.

How Can PAP Tests Help?

Because cervical cancer is usually a slowly growing problem, a Pap test may detect abnormalities that act as a red flag for future checkups. Pap can also detect cancer in its early form. In both cases, there is a better chance of recovery when the disease is caught in the initial stages.

The good thing is that testing can be done in a clinic or doctor’s office rather than the hospital. If you have a professional home caregiver, they can transport your loved one to and from the appointment, leaving your time open for other matters. For those without health insurance, there are programs offering low-cost screening.

The Aging Population

The mortality rate of cervical cancer in elderly women is high. Studies indicate that delayed diagnosis and insufficient treatment are two correlating factors. The average age of diagnosis is in the early 50s, but there is a second peak of this cancer in women that happens between 60-70. Because these women often have other issues like heart disease and diabetes, their risks are greatly increased.

Home Health Care Agencies Harrisburg PA

Looking for home health care agencies in Harrisburg, PA? When you hire professional caregivers, they are there to provide support, not just with daily tasks but with any protocols that a physician puts in place for “at home” care. AmeriBest staff has been trained to follow the care plans diligently. When you cannot be home, WE can be.

How To Access Home Care in Harrisburg PA?

Contact our Harrisburg office at 717-545-2920. You can also email us at info@ameribest.org or contact us here.

We’ll be happy to help you navigate the process!