Home Instead CAREGiverssm give their elderly clients companionship and one-on-one human contact to reduce isolation and provide a quality of life beyond the basics of traditional care. That kind of human contact means the elderly have someone they can talk with and lean on - someone who can be a friend and companion. It’s often the little things in life that the elderly miss and need the most. Home Instead CAREGivers become like a surrogate family member to help meet those needs. Here are a few examples: Whistling A Happy Tune When Home Instead Senior Care began service for the 80-year-old couple, the husband had just been released from the hospital. His wife wasn't feeling well and seemed overwhelmed with his care. The CAREGiver assisted the husband and, when he was asleep, went to work pampering his wife. She helped the elderly woman style her hair and pick out special jewellery to wear. The two started talking about music from the 1930s and 1940s and soon they were singing. By the time the CAREGiver left, the woman was whistling a happy tune and feeling like a princess! Filling the Void It didn't take Home Instead Senior Care's office long to realise that their 60-year-old client was in constant pain. She suffered from several health problems including a severed nerve in her back. The client was on a poor diet and suffering from bouts of depression. The CAREGiver realised that the woman was just a very lonely person who wasn't getting a lot of attention. So, the CAREGiver looked for common ground and built on that. The CAREGiver began shopping for and preparing nutritious meals and accompanying her client on trips to the doctor. She has seen a drastic improvement not only in the physical state of the woman, but in her mental and emotional condition as well. Making Friends By watching the Home Instead CAREGiver with her 70-year-old client, you'd think they had been friends forever. Together, they go to restaurants, shops and special events and spend summer days gardening. By all accounts, they have a wonderful relationship. But, that good relationship has not always been the case. At first, the client didn't accept the CAREGiver at all. So the CAREGiver decided to go the extra mile, becoming interested in and determined to be even more involved in her client's life. The client now has a beautiful flower and vegetable garden, and the two often attend flower shows. He loves birds so they go on walks. "I really enjoy going over there now," the CAREGiver said. "He seems like my own father. We've come a long way." The Way Life Used to Be The Home Instead Senior care representative will never forget the first time she saw the house -- dark, dreary and depressing. Beer bottles cluttered what once was a beautiful garden. Inside lived the client -- an elderly woman -- who was dying from cancer. Her son suffered health problems. A dedicated CAREGiver went to work, helping to organize the cleaning of the house and garden, from top-to-bottom, emptying bags of rubbish from the refrigerator. She cooked for her client and, on nice days, took her into the garden. She was so happy and neighbours started to visit again. When her son saw everything the CAREGiver had done, he said: "This is the way life used to be." A Reason to Get Out of Bed She was an 84-year-old woman who spent her days in an assisted living facility, not doing much, but feeling lonely. She had recently left her home and neighbourhood of 40 years and felt like she was loosing her independence. The staff encouraged her to join activities, socialise and go on facility outings, but she didn't feel like leaving her room. Then a Home Instead CAREGiver made a breakthrough. The CAREGiver discovered that the woman had one very important love - cakes - more specifically, raspberry Danish pastries. So, every time she visited the client, the CAREGiver would accompany her down the street to the local bakery for a Danish pastry. "One day the client told me: 'I have never had such a fun habit before. Now I have a reason to leave my room and enjoy myself," the CAREGiver said. There When You Need Us The 70-year-old woman had visited Egypt and had a religious experience, of sorts. Instead of coming home happy, she was depressed – depressed because she wanted to die to be with her Maker. Her depression became so severe, she couldn't be alone. She was obsessed with thoughts of death. That's when her Home Instead CAREGiver went to work. The CAREGiver made sure she was there for her client as much as she could be and that the client knew that she could depend on her. They also talked frequently. I said,`When God wants you, he'll call you home.' That simple and direct statement seemed to make all the difference in the world," the CAREGiver said. "She began to enjoy life again." Tea Time One 69-year-old Home Instead Senior Care client lived in an assisted living facility that scheduled regular tea socials. None of her family or friends had ever encouraged her to go, until her Home Instead CAREGiver came along. The CAREGiver helped her get ready and accompanied her to the event. When she got there, the client tapped her spoon on her tea cup and said: `Now, now ladies. I think it's time we introduce ourselves and say a bit about each other. As it turned out, such events had been very much a part of the client's younger years, and she quickly became the centre of attention. The tea time was the start of a lifestyle, that the client thought was gone for good. Dinner is Served With Home Instead Senior Care, failing health doesn't have to mean the end of socialising. When ill health forced one client to give up entertaining in her home, her Home Instead CAREGiver collected a few gourmet recipes. Once each week, she prepared one of these recipes and donned a waiter's jacket to serve the client and one guest these special meals. This allowed the client to continue to act as a hostess and entertain in her own home. It improved her attitude and gave her something to look forward to each week. More Compassion Because the frail, elderly woman was very ill, the Home Instead CAREGiver spent nearly every day with the client. They enjoyed the "Countdown" game show. The CAREGiver often knew the "Countdown" answer, but she learned not to call out the answer first, because the client didn't like that! Some days, when she was feeling particularly bad, the client and CAREGiver would quietly do word search puzzles together. "My client never complained about the pain," the CAREGiver said. "I felt I had more compassion for my other clients after caring for her. I just like caring for older people and helping them. You know that your time is valuable to them and their families. It doesn't take long to feel like a member of the family. A Friend to the End When the Home Instead CAREGiver arrived for her assignment, she found a 90-year-old nearly blind man who asked her to step close so that he could glimpse as much of her as possible. "He told me all about himself – that he was a Russian immigrant and that he had been an actor," the CAREGiver said. He asked if I could sing, and when I said I couldn't carry a tune, he began to sing to me in Russian. His daughter was stunned when I coaxed him into eating half his dinner because he had nearly stopped eating before I arrived. Soon after, he lapsed into a coma and died. I'm glad that we had that short time together and I think I made a difference in his final days. That was my reward -- knowing that I was there to hold someone's hand to the very end." Our caregivers provide our elderly clients companionship and one-on-one human contact to reduce isolation and provide a quality of life beyond the basics of traditional care. Our office also specializes in Alzheimer's care. Our services can be arranged for as little as a few hours or as many as 24 hours per day. Short term service or long term care is available 7 days a week, including holidays. Home Services Alzheimer’s care Assist Hospice Clients Assist with Bathing & Showering Assist with Incontinent Care Assist with Dressing Assist with Feeding Medication Reminders Monitor Alzheimer's/Dementia Light Housekeeping Laundry Iron Clothes Wash Dishes Take Out Rubbish Change Linen/Bedding Vacuuming Pick Up Prescriptions Dust Off Polish Furnishings Organise/Clean Toilets/Bathrooms & Pantries Clean Kitchen Cupboards Clean Refrigerator Clean Oven Grocery Shopping Companionship Services Companionship & Conversation Arrange Appointments Assist with Walking Light Exercise Assistance Letter Writing/Correspondence Reading Meal Planning Meal Preparation Monitor Food Freshness & Expiry Dates Sort and/or read Mail Make Bed Assist with Entertainment Answer the Telephone Answer the Door Basic Grooming Clothing Selection Assistance Care of House Plants Appointment Reminders Discuss Current & Historical Events Participate in Crafts Play Games/Cards Sewing Assistance Monitor Diet & Eating Habits Coordinate Garden Care Supervise Home Maintenance Prepare Grocery List Clip Coupons for Shopping Review Phone Messages Assist with Pet Care Visit Neighbors, Friends, Family Religious Reading & Discussion Consultation Please contact us for a FREE, no-obligation consultation. We’ll arrange for one of our staff members to visit you at a location most convenient to you (in your home or at a facility), and help you assess your personal situation and provide counselling and advice. Then we’ll put together a customized plan based on your needs. On the first day of service, our client and caregiver will meet and be personally introduced by one of our staff members. During this meeting, all parties will discuss the care plan and make sure that the caregiver and client are compatible. Then, a staff member will make a QCV (Quality Control Visit) the first week, the first month and each quarter after that. We guarantee 100% satisfaction. If for any reason you’re not happy with the CAREGiver, we will provide a replacement within 24 hours upon our client’s request, or one day of service, for FREE.