Category: Home Care Philadelphia

As years go by, our loved ones show signs of aging. Eventually, there are things they cannot do for themselves. You step in to help here and there, but the responsibilities keep on growing! People find themselves overwhelmed. That’s where AmeriBest Senior Care Philadelphia, PA, steps in offering in-home health care for seniors.

You may have already felt a financial strain from caregiving due to lost pay or out-of-pocket expenses to provide your loved one with medical necessities. You would not be alone. Three in ten families caring for their seniors report increased debt. Our agency can walk you through all the financial supports available, including Medicaid, which can decrease your burden substantively if you qualify.

Aging in Place

Aging in place is highly preferred among seniors. They don’t like the idea of moving from their home. Everything there is familiar, including the people. At a facility, many strangers walk the halls, and it’s nowhere near as comfortable. Plus, many families feel guilt over engaging in a nursing home. Using a home healthcare service solves these problems.

Studies show aging in place has an impact on mental health, too. Being at home, a person feels secure, and they also have a sense of autonomy. There’s less stress and more predictability.

You want to make the best choice in home care. At AmeriBest Home Care, we pride ourselves in attentive service and making every effort to maintain the individual’s sense of self-respect. Your professional home caregiver frees you up to focus on personal needs and tasks, many of which have been on the back burner because you simply ran out of time.

What to Expect 

As you seek senior care for your loved one in Philadelphia, PA, you might wonder what to expect from services. At AmeriBest Home Care, we will work with you, your loved one and their medical team to come up with a personalized plan of care. Some of the duties of our caregivers include:

• Preparing meals
• Med minders
• Housekeeping
• Bathing
• Dressing
• Organizing schedules
• Participation in social events
• Driving to physician’s appointments.

AmeriBest: Senior Care in Philadelphia, PA 

Our company name says it all. We want the “best” for your entire family. Aging in place doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Everyone needs to have a say and receive essential information as soon as possible. We encourage family advocacy. There are no “cookie-cutter” solutions in our business. The plans we settle on take into consideration family dynamics, your concerns, and your loved one’s feeling.

We are one of the top agencies in Philadelphia, PA, having shown dedication to superior care. As the world of caregiving grows and changes, we remain mindful of best practices in every aspect of our services. In choosing our staff, we seek individuals who show strong compassion, support, and attentiveness. We also scout for people who are dependable and trustworthy.

For more information, please contact us any time!

Call: 215-925-3313 or 1800-HOMECARE

Email: info@ameribest.org

When someone you love comes to the point of being unable to wholly care for themselves, the family is faced with the choice between facilities, hiring an aide service, or applying for Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPAP) – a program utilized by AmeriBest Home Care in coordination with Medicaid. All three of our offices in Philadelphia, PA, Harrisburg, PA, and Allentown, PA, can assist you in this matter.

The difference between a hired caregiver and someone hired through CDPAP is simple, familiarity. The CDPAP allows close family members of trusted friends to become a caregiver. Note this is a paying position. When you utilize Consumer-Directed Care, you have peace of mind that comes from knowing the person in your home regularly throughout the week. Better still, they’ll likely have some familiarity with your loved one, which makes that person feel more at ease.

Perhaps someone you know has already provided ongoing care freely to give you time away to do other things. AmeriBest can train that person. In this situation, CDPAP maintains continuity of care for the individual in need.

A Closer Look at The CDPAP Program

The Consumer-Directed program is part of Medicaid aimed at decreasing the cost of care among seniors. There are a few rules as to who you can choose as a caregiver, however. A spouse cannot receive compensation under this program with the exceptions of: New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, California, and Washington. Why? Because from a legal standpoint, spouses are already responsible for each other.

A person seeking to utilize the CDPAP program must be eligible for Medicaid. Under Medicaid, they must also meet the criteria for personal care, certified home health care, or private duty nursing. Finally, an individual’s physician must provide an order using designated paperwork. There is yet one more step.

When a person qualifies for CDPAP services, a qualified professional comes to your home, determining the level of need. Afterward, you’ll be notified of how many hours a week your loved one can work and get paid. This is a firm number (no wiggle room).

Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program Benefits

CDPAP provides a level of familiarity and rapport that takes weeks (if not months) to establish with a professional aide. Being part of the family, the caregiver already understands dynamics and the “lingo.” They recognize the people who may arrive at their doorstep.

Once in place, CDPAP permits your friend or family member a flexible schedule. You will coordinate hours with them directly. You can also create an “in-house” plan of care, outlining the expectations of your caregiver (family or not, this is important).

How AmeriBest Home Care Helps

Even the best in-home health care agency doesn’t fit all molds and situations. As the demand for caregivers grows, having someone you already know becomes an ideal solution. Plus, individuals on the CDPAP have a support consultant. They bridge the individual and the program, ensuring ongoing requirements are met. AmeriBest does that, and we also take care of their wage processing.

We are sure you have questions, and our professionals are happy to answer them. You can contact us at any of our three offices:

Philadelphia, PA  215-925-3313

Harrisburg, PA 717-545-2920

Allentown, PA 610-596-9070

Or our online contact form HERE

Email: info@ameribest.org

When you begin your search for a home healthcare provider, you want one who keeps up with the latest in best practices for ongoing health. At AmeriBest Home Care – the best home care agency in Philadelphia, we continually update our personnel and train them accordingly.

Supplements are one way of boosting your (or your loved one’s) immune system. None will prevent or cure diseases, but they give you extra tools to defend your body against bacteria, toxins, and viruses. You bolster your resistance even more with healthy eating, exercise, and proper sleep.

The biggest caution with supplements is that not all of them play nicely with current medications! Over the counter or not, you should always check with your primary about any supplement you plan on taking. Certainly, the advertising sounds promising, but keep thinking: safety first.

Potential Immune System Supplements 

At AmeriBest, Philadelphia, our team sometimes walks into a home and sees dozens of bottles on the counter. Some are outdated, some are duplicates, and others aren’t necessary. You don’t need 101 supplements, just a few GOOD ones. For example, many people have a Vitamin D deficiency. This vitamin acts as an anti-inflammatory and helps protect you against respiratory infections.

A mineral you can consider for boosting your immune system is zinc, without which it will not function properly. As a result, you are at an increased risk of illness. About 16% of serious respiratory infections have ties to a lack of zinc. In the aging community, over 30% of people are zinc-deficient.

Another well-known supplement for health is Vitamin C. While you may have heard Vitamin C protects against infections and is a powerful antioxidant, it has another role. This Vitamin helps clear out old cells and replace them with new ones.

One of nature’s gifts to the immune system is Elderberry, which has been a prevalent part of the folk healer’s kit since the time of Charlemaign. Elderberry has antiviral and antibacterial properties, particularly useful in staving off the flu. It can also decrease the duration of a cold.

Then too, what about garlic? This spice has anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. It stimulates white blood cells. Garlic exhibits the potential to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, too. The Greek physician Hippocrates (after which the Hippocratic oath is named) prescribed garlic for various maladies. There is no need to process garlic in any particular way. Just add it to your recipe, and enjoy.

The Bottom Line

AmeriBest Home Care agency in Philadelphia, PA recognizes the benefits of supplements for aging people that boost immune functionality. However, nothing surpasses a healthy lifestyle. Exercise, healthy eating, good sleep habits, and medication management are part of the picture.

When you have a professional aide, they can help your loved one strive toward that goal. Our staff is highly trained to meet daily needs, protect your confidentiality, and focus on the individual’s sense of involvement and dignity.

Hire The Best Home Care Agency in Philadelphia!

If you’d like more information about our services, you can reach us in several ways:

Telephone: 215-925-3313

Email: info@ameribest.org, and

Online contact form HERE

Our senses are the key to the ways in which we engage with the world. When one begins to fade, it changes everything, including how others treat us. We begin to be seen as our condition, not the person behind it. Glaucoma, called the “sneak thief of sight,” is one such disorder projected to affect over 4 million people by 2030. Without raising awareness of how important eye exams are to preserving vision, the numbers will only continue rising. At AmeriBest Homecare in Philadelphia, we get calls from families who do not know how to handle this issue on top of any other health limitations their loved one has. They worry about the quality of life and effective care going forward. After all, Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness, especially for Latinos and African Americans. The numbers will only continue rising without raising awareness of how important eye exams are to preserving vision.

Glaucoma up Close

Glaucoma can affect people from all walks of life and of all ages. Nonetheless, it primarily affects people when they hit middle age and upward. Everything begins in the optic nerve, which is responsible for sending thousands of images to the brain for processing. When there is damage to the nerve, the clarity decreases and begins fading. When an eye doctor detects glaucoma in its early stages, it improves their ability to treat the issue.

Two Main Types of Glaucoma

Primary open-angle glaucoma is one of the two primary forms of the disorder. It results from increased pressure inside the eye. Secondary glaucoma occurs because of an underlying disease, causing, or contributing to, eye pressure.

Prevention

The problem with glaucoma is that most people don’t even know it’s developing because it begins in peripheral vision. There are no early warning signs. The only way to check for glaucoma is through an eye exam in which the eye is dilated. When discovered early enough, some eyesight can be protected. Note that if your family has a history of glaucoma, it’s doubly important to have regular exams as there appear to be genetic correlations.

Tests for glaucoma look at five factors. First, the eye doctor examines the pressure inside the eye. Next, they look at the shape and color of the optic nerve, followed by checking your field of vision. The last two things are examining the angle where the iris meets the cornea and the thickness of the cornea.

Accessing Homecare in Philadelphia

If your loved one has a glaucoma diagnosis, you may need help with their daily care, especially as the vision fades. Our trained staff is ready to show compassion and kindness, particularly since the individual probably feels vulnerable. Give us a call to learn how we can make things at home run with less stress while also providing experienced care you can trust.

There are many good home care agencies in Philadelphia, but if you’re looking for a GREAT one, contact AmeriBest!

You can contact our office in three ways:

Our online Contact Form

By phone 215-925-3313

Or by email: info@ameribest.org

Caring for others takes a particular person. Empathy and compassion cannot develop from a training class. Truth be told, many people who are now HHAs, DCWs, PCAs, and CNAs, started with caring for a family member or a friend. Knowing how much you are helping a family can be incredibly fulfilling, and home care jobs are always available.

The demand for home care services grows daily. At AmeriBest Homecare, we always hire and offer our staff add-on, ongoing training. We know you have choices to make in terms of your potential career paths as a caregiver. Example options include

• Certified Nursing Assistant
• Gerontology
• Home Health Aide
• Nutritionist
• Personal Caregiver
• Private Duty Nurse
• Social Worker

And much more.

Specializations allow you to follow your interests and passions. For example, you might train to help patients with dementia. When clients have unique circumstances that go beyond typical home care assistance, education like that which AmeriBest provides gives you the knowledge. In turn, you can serve a wider range of individuals.

Nursing acts as a bridge between doctors and the family. They can take care of things like medication administration and taking vitals. Some nurses work in an office and also act as home caregivers. Nursing requires specialized schooling for certification.

A Certified Nursing Assistant might be a perfect alternative if you cannot attend college. If you take the training for being a CNA (typically a program certified by the state), you can work in the home and become part of medical facilities.

A fast-growing potential career path as a caregiver in Philadelphia, PA, is Gerontology. Because people are living longer lives, there are more elders in need of assistance. Sadly, a long life does not always equate to a healthy one. A Gerontology certification course can focus on one or more issues. Possibilities include psychology, mobility, and dentistry.

Then too, there’s becoming a Home Health Aide. At AmeriBest, we have jobs at home and community-based programs for which you can apply. The need is great. In this capacity, you help people with everyday living challenges, including

• Bathing
• Housework
• Med management
• Oral hygiene
• Traveling to and from appointments
• Socialization

The Home Health Aide comes to know the individual. Everything is personalized. You work with the family to help them better understand the care their loved one needs. You also alert the family and physicians to potential problems.

Home Care Jobs for Family Caregivers in Philadelphia, PA

If you’d like to become a member of a caring company with a holistic culture, reach out to us and start your application. We offer some of the industry’s best benefits, including

• 7 paid holidays; time and a half for working those days
• Medical, Vision, and Basic dental covered at 100%
• 15,000 life insurance at no cost for full-time workers
• 5 days of paid maternity leave

Among others. Read more about our benefits HERE.

AmeriBest values its staff, knowing you are essential to client satisfaction. We aim to keep good people by showing them the support and respect they deserve.

There are three ways to contact us about your potential career path as a caregiver in Philadelphia, PA:

1. 1. Our online contact form
   2. Telephone 1800-HOMECARE
   3. And e-mail: info@ameribest.org