by North Oakland Caregivers | Aug 13, 2023 | Home Care and Healthy Aging, Home Care Clarkston MI |
As our loved ones age, providing them with the care and support they need becomes a significant consideration. Traditionally, senior homes have been the go-to option for families seeking professional care for their elderly members. However, in recent years, private duty home care has emerged as a compelling alternative. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of private duty home care and why it can be a better option than a senior home for seniors who wish to maintain their independence and quality of life.
Personalized Care in Familiar Surroundings
One of the most significant advantages of private duty home care is that it allows seniors to receive personalized care in the comfort of their own homes. Senior homes may provide a safe environment, but they often lack the personal touch and familiarity that home can offer. Private duty caregivers are able to tailor their care to the individual needs and preferences of each senior, ensuring that their daily routines, hobbies, and interests are respected and incorporated into their care plan. This level of personalization fosters a sense of security and promotes emotional well-being, which is crucial for seniors’ overall health.
Independence and Freedom
Seniors value their independence and the ability to make choices that affect their daily lives. Private duty home care enables seniors to retain their sense of autonomy, allowing them to decide how they want to spend their days, what they want to eat, and how they want to engage with their community. This level of freedom can significantly contribute to their mental and emotional well-being, as they are not confined to the schedules and rules of a senior home.
Familiarity and Comfort
Home is where memories are made, and it holds sentimental value for seniors. Moving to a senior home can be an emotionally challenging experience, as it often involves leaving behind a lifetime of memories and cherished belongings. Private duty home care eliminates the need for such a drastic change, allowing seniors to stay in an environment they are familiar with. This familiarity can provide a sense of comfort and stability, reducing the stress and anxiety that can come with transitioning to a new living arrangement.
One-on-One Attention
Private duty home care provides seniors with individualized attention that might be challenging to achieve in a senior home setting. Caregivers are able to focus solely on the senior they are assisting, ensuring that their needs are met promptly and comprehensively. In contrast, senior homes often have a higher ratio of residents to caregivers, which can lead to longer response times and less personalized care.
Cost-Effectiveness
While the cost of private duty home care might initially seem higher than that of a senior home, it’s essential to consider the full scope of expenses. Senior homes often come with a fixed monthly fee that covers accommodation, meals, and some basic services. However, additional charges can quickly accumulate for specialized care, medication management, and activities. With private duty home care, families have more control over the services provided, which can lead to a more cost-effective solution tailored to the senior’s specific needs.
Reduced Risk of Isolation
Seniors who stay at home and receive private duty care are more likely to maintain their social connections and remain engaged with their communities. Isolation and loneliness are common concerns in senior homes, where residents might have limited opportunities to interact with others. In-home care allows seniors to continue participating in local activities, clubs, and gatherings, fostering a sense of belonging and combating feelings of loneliness.
Conclusion
Choosing between private duty home care and a senior home is a decision that requires careful consideration of the senior’s preferences, needs, and overall well-being. While senior homes have their merits, the personalized care, independence, familiarity, and emotional benefits offered by private duty home care are compelling reasons to consider this option. By opting for private duty home care, families can provide their beloved seniors with the comfort, respect, and support they deserve in their golden years.
by North Oakland Caregivers | May 14, 2023 | Home Care Clarkston MI |
We love this poignant poem and dedicate it to all our lovely mothers and their caring daughters.
A Letter from a Mother to Her Daughter
“My dear girl, the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don’t interrupt to say: “You said the same thing a minute ago”… Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep.
When I don’t want to take a bath, don’t be mad and don’t embarrass me. Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl?
When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don’t look at me that way… remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair and dealing with life’s issues every day…the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through.
If I occasionally lose track of what we’re talking about, give me the time to remember, and if I can’t, don’t be nervous, impatient or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you.
And when my old, tired legs don’t let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked. When those days come, don’t feel sad… just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love. I’ll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared. With a big smile and the huge love I’ve always had for you, I just want to say, I love you… my darling daughter. “
Original text in Spanish and photo by Guillermo Peña
Translation to English by Sergio Cadena
by North Oakland Caregivers | Apr 4, 2023 | Home Care Clarkston MI |
Our clients have been generous with sharing their opinions about North Oakland Caregivers’ services, and we have felt grateful for that. After all, clients’ reviews have been our best recommendation for years!
This time, however, we got curious about specifics. What do our clients’ reviews have in common and what do they highlight the most? To find this out, we put all of our clients’ reviews in a word cloud program and the result was striking! If you remember how word clouds work, they make the words used most frequently bigger, so that they stand out more. And these were the top three words we saw:
I. CARE
This word stands for what we do – we take care of our clients’ daily needs. However, it also reflects how we do it – with care. And, while “CARE” as the most used word in our clients’ reviews was rewarding by itself, it got even better. We noticed that the top descriptions paired with it were “WONDERFUL”, “PROFESSIONAL”, and “COMPASSIONATE”. And we think it speaks volumes about the quality of service we and our caregivers provide!
II. JASON
Speaking about the quality of service, we also noticed people mentioned “JASON” quite a bit. What a glowing endorsement of the dedication that our Vice-President, Jason Lambart, puts into his daily interactions with clients! Together with his team, he makes sure any clients’ issues are addressed immediately, and new clients receive individualized advice and a support program proposal. Jason’s level of commitment and reliability provide the reassurance our clients seek as they trust us with the well-being of their loved ones.
III. CAREGIVER & RECOMMEND
The next words people used most often in their reviews were “CAREGIVER” and “RECOMMEND”. These are two words, not one, but we mentioned them together for a couple of reasons. First, the same size of these words suggests that clients used them with similar frequency, so, they share our third position for this reason. Second, both the company and the caregivers serve our clients’ interests to the best of their ability, and it looks like our clients notice and recommend both, the company and their caregivers.
We feel grateful and humbled by this show of consistent appreciation 
And if you came here looking for clients’ reviews, we hope you feel reassured. If so, please give us a call and see for yourself whether our “CARE” that worked for many of our clients can work for your family, too!
by North Oakland Caregivers | Jan 30, 2023 | Home Care Clarkston MI |
January traditionally triggers us to think about New Year’s resolutions. It just seems easier to create a new habit, make a big change for the better, and reinvent yourself at the beginning of a new year! Many people use the first months of the year to start something significant that will make a lasting impact on their lives. But this may also be the right time to make a lasting impact on the life of your senior family member, too. For example, taking a step towards planning for the future of your older mom or dad who may need assistance in their daily activities. The idea may feel daunting at the beginning but we are here to help. Today we share tips that come from years of our senior home care experience.
We know some seniors may not be immediately open to the idea of having a caregiver coming into their home to help them. A perceived fear of loss of independence or temporary anxiety of having a “stranger” in the house might overshadow great long-term benefits. Seniors can respond with resistance in many different ways. Frankly, family members might have their own concerns about how this new arrangement might work.
We understand. Every change requires an adjustment. Our experience has shown that slowly easing into this new “caregiver” scenario is often all it takes to relieve the concerns of starting a home care routine for your senior loved one. Maybe having a caregiver come into their home once or twice a week just to give them an idea of what it’s all about might help alleviate their anxiety. Or, maybe, one 8-hour day a week will do the trick. Maybe 4 hours a day, 2-3 days a week will help set a comfort level! The key is starting small and adjusting to what the future needs will be.
Having a senior home care provider that is flexible enough to allow time to find the perfect routine for your senior loved one is a great solution. North Oakland Caregivers at Clarkston, MI, has been doing it for 30+ years. We are waiting for your call. Are you ready to make the first step towards the New Year’s resolution that will make a lasting impact on the future of your family?
by North Oakland Caregivers | Dec 24, 2022 | Company News, Home Care Clarkston MI |
In our busy days throughout the year, it is very easy to forget or to let time pass by, without appreciating all the things that made your life a little better that put a smile on your face. The holiday season traditionally helps us pause, observe and reflect. So, we thought it was a perfect occasion to share how caregiving touches lives – small acts of kindness bringing a big impact.
Our clients often give our caregivers the highest praise in their reviews. However, the little note below was different. It was sent directly to a caregiver from one of our clients showing her appreciation. We publish it with their permission:
“Hi, Vickie. Hope all is well. Sorry, it took so long to get back with you but “life” has been quite busy after my mom’s passing. (My brother and cousin were diagnosed with terminal cancer & uncle with dementia). I can not thank you enough for sharing in my mom’s transition. You are truly a blessing to your patients. I have been thinking about going into caregiving (for my family members) but not sure if I am able to handle such a delicate profession. You are amazing for what you do.“
We wholeheartedly agree – our caregivers are amazing at making difficult times easy, turning fear and stress into human connection, and making this world better overall.
Sending warm wishes this Holiday Season!
by North Oakland Caregivers | Nov 5, 2022 | Home Care Clarkston MI, Senior Home Care - What You Need to Know |
Choosing a home care company for your loved ones can be stressful. How to find the “right” people? Who to turn to for a recommendation?
There might be many approaches to the search but we recently came across the one we really liked, and we decided to share it with you.
It all started with one of us looking for a provider from a completely different industry for their personal needs. They come across an expert rating of such providers in their location, and the system of rating made a lot of sense to them. It was simple, factual, and credible because anyone could use the same criteria and arrive at the same results.
They used only two main criteria – Reputation and Experience because both of them can be easily researched by anyone. Reputation is based on customer reviews – many delighted customers and outstanding service lead to 5-star ratings. And the more people shaped that rating, the more reliable it is. Experience identifies masters of their trade based on years of being in business. After all, if you stay around for a long time, you must be doing something right!
You can apply this approach to any of your searches for the right provider. But, of course, our first thought was to check how it applies to the North Oakland Caregivers. And we passed this test with flying colors!
1. REPUTATION – 5-STAR REVIEWS
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- We are proud to have 5-star reviews on Google, Facebook, and our website. We consider this our best recommendation as the words of appreciation are coming directly from our clients’ experience.
- These outstanding reviews are testimony to our human touch that comes from our hearts, not our duties. We know all our clients personally, we call them to just ask how they are doing, and we stop by when we can. We like it when it feels like a family.
2. EXPERIENCE – 30 YEARS IN BUSINESS
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- 30 years of home care experience means we have withstood the test of time and are not going anywhere
- It also means we have gathered great expertise in the field of home care and in the understanding of what seniors and their families look for
So, there you have it. Now you’ve got an approach to assess any provider you are considering hiring, and in case you are looking for a caregiving company, you might want to include North Oakland Caregivers in your shortlist since we pass the test by the above criteria and more. So, we hope you give us a call, and we could discuss your family’s specific needs, and how we can help and be the “right” home care provider for your loved ones.
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