Caregiving Improves Quality of Life for Both Women and Men

Caregiving Improves Quality of Life

There is a common misconception that women are better caregivers than men. In reality, men are just as capable of providing exemplary care as women. In fact, caregiving proves mutually beneficial for the patient as well as the individual providing care. A recent study shows men who provide care for others are less likely to commit suicide. 

About the Study

The researchers who conducted the study included men who provided care to family members. These men lived in nearly two dozen different countries during the study. The suicide rates were lower in nations where men provided more family care, regardless of whether that care was for adults or kids. This means there is an inherent benefit to performing family care work. The benefit is so strong that it reduces the chances of suicide. This is an important finding as researchers had typically focused on areas of employment as potential factors that influence suicide rates. 

Most people errantly assume the lack of income or economic success is the sole cause of male suicide. However, as the study noted above shows, simply providing care to others, regardless of their age or unique condition, appears to lower the risk of male suicide.

Additional Study Details

It is particularly interesting to note the study also higher unemployment rates did not link to an elevated suicide rate in men in nations where men took on more care-oriented roles. However, in nations where men reported less involvement in providing care, the elevated unemployment rates were tied to an increase in the suicide rate. 

The mere fact that the female suicide rate did not significantly increase as more women entered the workforce in the past century is proof that providing care is mutually beneficial to caregivers and those receiving care. Women have maintained their roles as the primary caregivers in spite of the fact that most now have part-time or full-time employment. 

Caregiving Improves Quality of Life

Caregiving’s Latent Benefit Is Becoming Quite Clear

Caregiving clearly provides both men and women with an important connection to fellow human beings, be it those in their family or those who are a part of the larger community. People are quietly craving for meaning in life and new connections. The dependence on others gives one meaning and a reason to continue moving forward with life, reducing the chances of suicide, and also helping the caregiver feel that much more fulfilled. 

If you are looking for a job that provides you with the opportunity to give back to others, consider becoming a caregiver. Working as a caregiver gives your life that much more meaning and helps you obtain a sense of satisfaction from work.

Get Home Care in Philadelphia Through AmeriBest

Do not suffer through your injury, illness, old age, or other challenges in silence. If you can benefit from home care or if you know someone who can – contact us today. You can reach our Philadelphia home care services providers by phone at 215-925-3313 or by email at info@ameribest.org

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July is Healthy Vision Month

July is Healthy Vision Month

July is the perfect time for sun, swimming, and focusing on vision health. This is Healthy Vision Month, meaning it is an opportunity to pay close attention to whether your eyes are as healthy as they can be. In particular, those who care for individuals with visual impairment should be hyper-focused on providing top-notch care. Let’s take a look at a few tips for providing care for individuals in Philadelphia with visual impairment.

It Takes a Healthy Caregiver To Provide Care

If you are not healthy, you will not be able to care for your loved one with a visual impairment or other challenges. Take care of yourself first and you will be in the condition necessary to care for others. In particular, it will help to get your eyes examined at least once per year. Eat a balanced diet with colorful fruits and vegetables, continue to exercise, and get eight hours of sleep each night.

Sweat the Small Stuff To Make Seeing That Much Easier

A subtlety such as adding brightly-colored tape to steps in the home has the potential to prevent a painful and potentially fatal fall down the steps toward the basement, first floor, or elsewhere. Look for additional similar areas throughout the home where you can add light or bright colors to ensure the individual in your life with vision challenges can see as clearly as possible. 

Eliminate Slipping Risks

Eliminate Slipping Risks

Look around the home for anything that might cause your family member with vision limitations to slip or trip. Clean up all clutter. Mop, sweep and dry all hallways. Move cords out of the way. If there are any loose rugs, remove them or ensure they are firmly connected to the floor so the home can be traversed with ease. Buy your loved one a pair of shoes with rubber soles to wear around the house and he or she will have footing with a stronger grip, ultimately reducing the chances of a slip and fall that much more.

Organize the Entirety of the Home

If the home is well-organized, it will be easier for the senior in your life to move around, finding what he or she needs without tripping, slipping, or having to step over clutter. Even if it takes an entire day or two to organize the home so nothing is stepped on, investing the time just might prevent a costly and painful fall. There is even the potential for organizing the living space to saved your loved one’s life. Be thorough with the organization and you just might set the stage for the senior to remember where items are based on touch or memory.

Ameribest Is At Your Service

Our Philadelphia home care services providers are here to help during your time of need or that of your loved one. If you or a family member can benefit from home care, dial 215-925-3313 for more information. You can also contact us by email at info@ameribest.org.

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The Top 3 Rewards of Caregiving

Providing another person with care is inherently rewarding in a number of important ways. Being a caregiver gives one a sense of self-worth and an important role to serve within the Philadelphia community. Professional caregivers also benefit in that they are compensated for their hard work. If you enjoy providing others with care and want to make the world a better place for those battling illness or age-related problems, you should give serious consideration to becoming a caregiver with AmeriBest.

Reward #1: Caregiving Provides a Sense of Purpose

Everyone needs a sense of purpose. If you strictly work to provide for yourself, chances are you will feel a bit empty inside. Alternatively, if you were to provide another person, especially a loved one or another aging member of the Philadelphia community with care, you would feel that much more important and useful. This sense of purpose provides you with motivation to remain healthy and capable of helping your loved ones or others in need. Such a sense of purpose is particularly important for those who do not have anyone else to care for and those who want to be more involved with their community.

Reward #2: Improve Another Person’s Quality of Life

Even if you are not particularly talented or lack advanced college degrees, you can make a considerable difference in another person’s quality of life. Simply providing care for another person who is in need of assistance will dramatically improve his or her well-being. In other words, you have the power to single-handedly enhance the life of one or several other people living in the greater Philadelphia area. Doing so is much more rewarding than anything else you could have done with your time and energy. 

Improve Another Person’s Quality of Life

An added bonus is the fact that working as a care provider with AmeriBest provides a financial compensation. We provide caregivers with opportunities for career growth and additional compensation as experience is gained. If you genuinely care for others and would like to earn money for providing individuals throughout Philadelphia with essential assistance, consider a career with AmeriBest.

Reward #3: A Rewarding Friendship

Providing a loved one or another member of the Philadelphia community with assistance strengthens relationships all the more. This is an opportunity to learn about someone else, develop a friendship and make memories. So be sure to cherish every moment you spend with your patients as you will look back on that time quite fondly in the years ahead. Perhaps more important is the fact that the company you provide to your patients will warm their hearts and give them something to look forward to.

AmeriBest is Here to Help

We are proud to provide home care services to individuals throughout the greater Philadelphia area. If you or a loved one need assistance with daily living, let our team help you live with dignity. We are also interested in hiring caregivers. You can contact our Philadelphia-area home care providers at 215-925-3313 or by email at info@ameribest.org to learn more.

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Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month

Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month

This month is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. If you do not have a loved one in your family who suffers from Alzheimer’s or another brain-related medical challenge, you are in the minority. Though few know it, the Alzheimer’s Association’s annual Facts and Figures report states nearly half of American senior citizens age 85 and older have Alzheimer’s. This is just one of many interesting facts and figures worth highlighting during Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month.  

Even if you do not have a parent or a grandparent suffering from Alzheimer’s, you can do your part to provide life-changing assistance to those battling dementia.  If you would like to provide care for Philadelphia Alzheimer’s patients, consider becoming a care provider with AmeriBest.  Let’s take a quick look at some facts, figures, and other tidbits related to Alzheimer’s that most people are surprised to learn. 

Alzheimer’s is More Common Amongst Women

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, about 65% of those who have Alzheimer’s disease are women. This fact comes as a surprise to many people as there is a common misconception that Alzheimer’s disease is primarily a problem suffered by men. Women are more likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s at some point in their life simply because they tend to live longer than men. 

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease Start as Early as 30

Most people incorrectly assume Alzheimer’s is a disease that strictly pertains to the elderly. However, upwards of 5% of those who have Alzheimer’s suffer from the type dubbed early-onset. The sad truth is individuals can begin displaying the symptoms of Alzheimer’s as soon as age 30.

Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month

Caregiving is Becoming Increasingly Important

It is quite shocking to learn more than 16 million individuals are working as caregivers for those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Though some Alzheimer’s patients are partially autonomous, the vast majority require considerable assistance. 

You can earn money by providing assistance to the ill, the injured, the elderly, and those with dementia by working for AmeriBest. This is your opportunity to earn a living while improving another’s quality of life, develop new relationships with those in Philadelphia, and also helping relieve pressure from a senior’s family members. 

Alzheimer’s is Becoming an Increasingly Expensive Societal Problem

The aggregate cost of long-term care services and overarching health services for Alzheimer’s care is quickly approaching $300 billion. It is interesting to note about three-quarters of the cost of care was paid through Medicare and Medicaid. The balance was paid out of pocket. The aging baby boomer cohort will spur even more Alzheimer’s spending in the years ahead, creating plenty of jobs for caregivers.

AmeriBest Care is a Phone Call Away

We are proud to provide home care service in and near Philadelphia. If you are interested in working as a care provider for Alzheimer’s patients throughout the greater Philadelphia area or are in need of care, reach out to us today. We can also discuss coordinating care for your aging or ill loved one. You can contact AmeriBest by phone at 215-925-3313.

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High Blood Pressure – The Silent Killer

The Silent Killer That is High Blood Pressure

May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month, meaning this is the perfect time to delve into this important subject matter. AmeriBest is proud to provide service to individuals in the greater Philadelphia area who suffer from high blood pressure. You might have high blood pressure and not even know it. Below, we provide a look at some helpful tips to determine if you have high blood pressure and also explain how blood pressure is measured.

Blood Pressure Risk Factors

Did you know that simply being African-American hikes your chances of having high blood pressure? African-Americans are also more likely to have blood pressure issues that are that much more severe. Additional risk factors include a family history of high blood pressure and age. The older you get, the greater the chance that you will be saddled with high blood pressure. Though few are aware of it, being a man also boosts the chances of having high blood pressure. Insufficient physical activity, an unhealthy diet, consuming too much alcohol, and being overweight are also high blood pressure risk factors. Finally, those who have kidney disease are also that much more likely to suffer from high blood pressure.

The Warning Signs of High Blood Pressure

There is a common misconception that those who experience difficulty sleeping, regular sweating, nervousness, or facial flushing automatically have high blood pressure. Rather, the truth is high blood pressure is a silent killer in that there are not many signs that indicate it is a problem. Contrary to popular opinion, high blood pressure does not spur nosebleeds or headaches.

The Silent Killer That is High Blood Pressure

However, there are a couple of signs that indicate high blood pressure might occur yet these are not surefire guarantees of high blood pressure. As an example, blood spots in the eyes are particularly common amongst those who have high blood pressure. Dizziness and facial flushing also sometimes indicate high blood pressure.

How to Check Blood Pressure

You have the ability to check blood pressure on your own. However, if you do not feel comfortable doing so, one of our Philadelphia home health aides can check your blood pressure for you. If you would like to test your high blood pressure, you can do so at a local Philadelphia pharmacy or on your own at home with the right equipment.

Be sure to sit peacefully for at least five minutes prior to checking your blood pressure. The reading should be taken in a quiet place while seated in a comfortable chair. Do not consume caffeine, alcohol, or other stimulants prior to performing a reading.

AmeriBest is Here to Help

Whether you have high blood pressure or another health problem, AmeriBest can help you live with dignity. We provide home health aide service, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and skilled nursing services. Contact us today at 215-925-3313 or by email at info@ameribest.org to find out more about our services. You can also reach out to our team through our online contact form and we will be in touch at our earliest convenience.

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Mind Your Mental Health This May

Mind Your Mental Health This May

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. If you are like most people, you have been quarantined in your home for over a year. This isolation has undoubtedly taken a toll on your mental health. In particular, Philadelphia seniors and those who live alone are that much more likely to suffer mental health problems. After all, we are a social species with a yearning to bond with others in-person rather than over screens through videoconferencing.

Tips for Caregivers

If you provide care for someone who is elderly or otherwise isolated, go out of your way to engage them in conversation throughout the entirety of your caregiving sessions. Even if you don’t have much to discuss, you can make small talk about the weather or current events to stimulate the individual you are caring for. Keep in mind, those who have no one to talk to have the potential to lose their phonetic abilities, meaning they will struggle to enunciate words following extended periods of silence. It will also help to engage in shared social activities with the patient such as board games, outings around town, and other group activities.

Even taking the senior citizen or other needy individuals in your life to the park or another social space for a picnic will lift his or her spirit, stimulate conversation and potentially lead to a conversation with Philadelphia community members. If the individual you care for expresses an interest in participating in a community activity such as a book club, a movie club, bingo sessions, or anything else involving others, volunteer to drive them to and from that event. Even if these social experiences only occur once every couple of weeks, they will provide the individual you care for with something to look forward to.

Mind Your Mental Health This May

Mental Health Following the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread loneliness and mental illness in Philadelphia, the United States, and the rest of the world. Studies show one-third of those who contracted the virus suffered mental health or brain health issue. However, even those who did not contract the virus are dealing with social isolation. In particular, those with minimal income and savings have suffered severe mental health problems throughout the pandemic. Though the rich also endured mental health issues during the pandemic, those with less money lack the financial means necessary to obtain assistance from a mental health professional. Furthermore, those lacking in financial resources have also spent comparably more time worrying about paying the rent, buying enough food, and paying for the cost of monthly utilities.

Anxiety and depression amongst Americans have doubled from 20% prior to the pandemic to 40% during the pandemic, making it crystal clear that it will take some time for our collective mental health to return to even a semblance of normal. Ameribest is here to help with the assistance of home health aides and other healthcare professionals who are happy to provide assistance including social and mental stimulation that improves your well-being or that of your loved one.

Ameribest is on Your Side

Our Philadelphia home health aides are here to provide essential assistance including social stimulation. Our team is friendly, talkative, and more than willing to engage you in conversation. If you suspect or know you or a loved one can benefit from the assistance of one of our home health aides, our skilled nurses, our physical therapy, or our occupational therapy, contact us today. Ameribest can be reached by phone at 215-925-3313 or by email at info@ameribest.org.

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A Caregiving Journal has the Potential to Change Your Life for the Better

A Caregiving Journal has the Potential to Change Your Life for the Better

People are quite fond of diaries yet there is comparably little discussion pertaining to caregiving journals. A caregiving journal will lift your spirit, help you avoid a crippling depression and ultimately regain control, at least to a limited extent. If you were to read a caregiving journal from an altruistic Philadelphia care provider, you would find this journal is quite insightful, even if the daily entries were fairly short.

The Power of Caregiving Journals

Caregiving journals might not seem that important on the surface yet they are quite important for individuals who selflessly provide assistance to others. These journals detail daily challenges in the context of caregiving in Philadelphia, oftentimes delving into the frustrations that inevitably arise when providing care for those in need. Writing journal entries after providing care certainly takes time and effort yet doing so will make a meaningful difference in your mental health, boosting your spirit, and ultimately empowering you to continue to provide care as time progresses.

One Part Therapist, One Part Diary

If you were to ask care providers about the merits of writing a caregiving journal, the majority of them would testify their journal is an outlet to vent. Instead of detailing their challenges to friends and family and ultimately bringing them down while chewing up their limited time, caregivers who journal write down their thoughts. The process of venting through writing really is quite cathartic. In fact, plenty of professional care providers including some physicians journal on a daily basis. 

A Caregiving Journal has the Potential to Change Your Life for the Better

Caregiving journals are not limited to a private airing of grievances. Some such journals are more gratitude-oriented, meaning they serve as a medium to express one’s thankfulness for their health and ability to provide care to others in need. Jot down your challenges as well as your moments of joy, humorous experiences, and other events that occur on a daily basis and you will find you gravitate toward your journal. 

Write Rather Than Edit

The beauty of jotting down entries in a caregiving journal is no one else has to read it, meaning it can be written in your handwriting no matter how sloppy it is. This is your opportunity to write down your daily experiences without worrying about the rules of grammar or punctuation. Just be sure to read your journal entries every now and then so you can reflect on prior challenges and also your accomplishments. Ideally, you will wait a few weeks or even a month to read prior journal entries so you have some time to emotionally distance yourself from the experiences chronicled in your journal.

A Caregiving Journal has the Potential to Change Your Life for the Better

AmeriBest Home Care

If you know or suspect you or a loved one can benefit from home care services, reach out to AmeriBest Home Care today. Our Philadelphia team is here to help you live a rewarding life for as long as possible in the comfort of your home. You can contact our team by phone at 215-925-3313. If you prefer to reach out to our team online, you can do so by completing our contact form or by sending an email message to info@ameribest.org.

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Legal Matters in Caregiving

Though no one wants to discuss the legal aspect of caregiving and the end of life, this subject matter is quite important. The bottom line is it is only a matter of time until you and the senior citizen or adult son/daughter sit down to discuss the legal component of caregiving and death. It is important that these discussions zero in on the nuances of estate planning in Philadelphia. Let’s take a quick look at some key areas to highlight during this discussion. 

Estate Planning With a Will 

Though you or your loved one are certainly empowered to create a will in a DIY (do it yourself) manner, doing so has the potential to backfire in a big way. There is no reason to run the risk of your will being invalidated by a judge or challenged by a family member when a Philadelphia estate planning attorney is available to craft a detailed will suited to your nuanced financial picture and desires. 

This is the time to review your assets as well as your financial obligations with your estate planning attorney and loved ones. Determine how you would like your assets to be distributed, sign your will, and you will finally rest easy knowing your hard-earned money, home, vehicle, investments, and other assets are distributed to beneficiaries exactly as desired. Be sure to update your will as major life events unfold to ensure it is completely accurate.

Legal Matters in Caregiving

Plan for the Worst, Hope for the Best

The worst possible scenario is your health declining to the point that you are no longer capable of taking care of yourself and your property. You deserve better than a small room in a nursing home where you might be neglected or abused. Opt for home care services and you will have the essential assistance you need to be provided by truly caring individuals in the comfort of your home. Do your research on Philadelphia home care service providers today and you will enjoy invaluable peace of mind knowing someone will be available to lend vitally important assistance when you need it the most.

Create a Durable Power of Attorney

A durable power of attorney is a document that provides legal powers to a specific individual on behalf of the senior citizen. This legal tool is effective as soon as it is signed. Furthermore, if you become physically disabled or mentally incompetent, the durable power of attorney will still be a valid legal document. This tool grants powers pertaining to the senior’s financial decisions, banking, real estate, government benefits, and other important matters to a family member or friend who can be trusted to make fair and logical decisions.

A Living Trust

Living trusts are legal documents that empower an individual, known as a trustor or grantor, to form a trust and subsequently name a trustee to manage the assets within the trust. This management occurs when the trustor is no longer capable of managing his or her finances. Trustees can be a person or a financial institution.

Legal Matters in Caregiving

Advance Directives

Advance directives are specific instructions pertaining to a senior’s preferences for medical care. Advance directives range from living wills to health care proxies, health care power of attorneys, and do not resuscitate directions. Advance directives should be prepared well ahead of the point at which you or your loved one need home care or nursing home care.

Contact Ameribest Today

Ameribest is proud to provide home care services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, skilled nursing, and additional services that make a meaningful difference for Philadelphia-area patients. If you or a loved one can benefit from home care or other Ameribest services, reach out to us today to learn more about our team. You can reach Ameribest by dialing 215-925-3313. If you prefer to contact us online, fill out our contact form or send an email to us at info@ameribest.org.