Receive the Care You Need in the Comfort of Your Own Home

Article submitted by Dina Sanz, Director of Community Resources & Home Health Care.
For more information, she can be reached at 267-298-1325 or by e-mail: homecare@jevs.org, or visit their website: www.jevs.org.

Home Health Care is an ideal alternative to an extended hospital stay, nursing home, or convalescent facility. Bringing services to people, rather than people to services, can significantly enhance quality-of-life. Not everyone who is aging or disabled needs the full complement of services a nursing home provides and oftentimes it's unnecessary or premature.

Seniors want to thrive in recognizable settings with maximum independence, self-reliance, and dignity, and want to live in the comfort of their own homes so they can make their own decisions about activities of daily living. Home Health Care also eases the burden on families who care for their loved ones at home.

As a long-time provider of Attendant Care and in-home supports to consumers with disabilities, JEVS Supports for Independence continues to broaden its focus and expand its services to meet the growing needs of seniors. Through our services, the client determines which and how many services they need, when and how often they need them, who administers them, and creates a customized job description for their potential personal care assistant.

Delivered by an experienced, qualified staff, these consumer-driven home care management and support services empower and train people to choose, tailor, manage, and direct their own care to meet their needs. Individualized care is provided by hourly or live-in personal care assistants scheduled at the client's requested days and times.

Tips for Building a Good Relationship with Your Personal Care Assistant

• Interview the prospective assistant to help you feel more comfortable once care begins.
   
• Write a list of your schedules, preferences, likes, and dislikes enabling the assistant to maintain a schedule that is comfortable for both of you. List things like the time you wake up, take a shower, eat meals, and even when you watch your favorite television shows.
   
• Do not leave money, jewelry, or other valuables lying around as a precautionary measure.
   
• Explain telephone etiquette to the assistant, especially if you have limited service outside of your area.
   
• Consider the assistant's preferences too. If she is going to have meals in your home, it is courteous to ask her likes and dislikes.
   
• Specify rules for doing laundry. Since all machines are different, leave a note explaining its use and any specific instructions for the care of your clothes.
   
• Be respectful of evening time habits for live-in assistants. Make sure you do not need access to her room late at night and discuss a reasonable time to go to sleep.
   
• Do not pay in advance or loan money to the aide. Though she may promise to "work it off," something might come up and she may not be able to repay you.
   
• Be open with each other. Everyone should feel free to discuss issues that need to be worked out. If you are unsure how to handle a situation, a placement coordinator is always there to answer your questions and concerns.
   
• When the job ends, always ask for the keys to your home before paying the assistant.