Comfort Keepers Davie

EP# 14: Spotting the Signs: Early Interventions and Cost-Effective Strategies for In-Home Care

• Kristi Gurule • Season 1 • Episode 14

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Can you recognize the early signs when a loved one might need in-home care? Join us on this episode of the Comfort Keepers Daily Podcast where we explore the key indicators such as missed appointments, forgotten medications, and noticeable weight loss. We provide you with practical strategies for initiating these crucial conversations early, ensuring that they are supportive and non-intrusive. Discover the potential risks of delaying these talks, which could lead to increased health decline and a need for more intensive intervention. We also delve into the emotional hurdles seniors often face when accepting help and offer advice on how families can build trust and maintain open lines of communication during this transition.

Managing the costs of in-home care doesn't have to be daunting. Learn how in-home care options can be both affordable and beneficial for your loved one's well-being compared to assisted living. We go over financial resources and insurance options you might not have considered, including Medicaid, VA benefits, and long-term insurance plans. Our episode also covers the balance between caregiving and preserving independence through interactive caregiving methods. And, stay tuned as we celebrate the exemplary work of Kristi, a dedicated professional whose contributions have made an indelible impact on clients and communities alike. Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical tips for navigating the complexities of in-home care.

Please visit our website for more information: https://www.comfortkeepers.com/offices/florida/davie/

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Comfort Keepers Davy podcast, where we elevate the human spirit. Here's your host, Christy Groulet.

Speaker 2:

Hello, hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of the Comfort Keepers Davy podcast. I'm your co-host, jeremy Wolf, joined by, as always, your host, christy Groulet. Christy, nice to see you, hello.

Speaker 3:

It's great to see you too.

Speaker 2:

Great to be back in the hot seat. We're going to get into some good topics today. We're actually going to go through. This is some stuff we actually covered in the past and in other episodes. However, there are such important topics that I want to. I thought you should go through and readdress them again, and it's really I'm going to kind of hit you a rapid fire with a bunch of cool questions about this, like when to start asking for help, recognizing the need for assistance. Let's start there.

Speaker 3:

What are some of the early signs that indicate that a loved one may need in-home care? Missing appointments, missing their medication, looking as if that they are losing weight that could be an indicator that they're not preparing their meals properly, or even grocery shopping. Those are some of the easiest and, like, quickest things. Holidays are upcoming, so that's really, really the time where I have my phone ringing. I would say in excess, because people are seeing family members that they don't see regularly and they're like oh man, man, mom's condition, she just looks different, she doesn't she's not doing her hair, not doing her makeup.

Speaker 3:

There's, there are things that just don't feel like mom or dad and those are very early um indicators warning signs yeah, just red flags to look for yep um.

Speaker 2:

So, once you determine there could be a an issue or a need for help, or just start looking into this further, how can family members have a conversation about in-home care without making their loved ones feel uncomfortable or dependent Cause? I know we again, we talked about this before the elderly generations. They're typically stubborn. They're not the ones looking for help, they're the ones that say I don't need help.

Speaker 2:

I can do this all on my own, so the parents really need to come in there, or the loved ones whoever's primary caregivers for these folks need to come in there and have these conversations. What's the best way to do that?

Speaker 3:

I think the best way is to start conversations earlier. So let's just use the example of I'm visiting. I don't live in the same state as my parents or even across town. I'm seeing that the house isn't as tidy as it normally is Some things that are minor, but I'm noticing them.

Speaker 3:

I think a great way to approach the conversation is to simply ask would it be helpful if somebody were able to come and just help you? Do this like once a week? Or what do you think about somebody coming to help twice a week to do X, y, z, whatever? It is not making it feel like force, like hey, I'm going to call somebody a company because you clearly can't do this on your own. When it becomes more of an open conversation and you are solving a problem that they see that they have, but they don't want to be the first one to admit it, that's the easiest way because then it can evolve from there and it may just maintain and that's all that your loved one actually needs. So just a very casual conversation and not making it seem as though you as a family member or primary caregiver are trying to take anything away from them. But hey, let me, just let me reach out. I know people. Let me get somebody in here to help you once a week. Usually they're a lot more acceptable.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, like you said, the earlier the better, right you wait until it gets too, you wait too long and it becomes more difficult to have these conversations. The earlier you can start bringing these topics up. You're kind of like slowly planting seeds to prepare for that moment where you actually have to take action on it. What are some potential risks associated with waiting too long to start having these conversations?

Speaker 3:

Yes, I was just getting ready to say, yeah, okay, I feel it. So when you wait too long it becomes a very overwhelming process In my experience with family members to have the conversation you have, a lot of times your loved one is very, very closed off to even thinking about it. That one day a week or even a couple hours a week is not going to cut the actual level of care that they need. So bringing somebody in full time, even 20 hours a week, is a lot to ask somebody to agree to if it's never been talked to, talked about before. Yes, and I think the other thing really when we look about risks is if we are to that point too.

Speaker 3:

A lot of times a health has declined so much and then there's need for even additional assistance. On top of a company like my own, you may actually need more in the home, just depending on whatever the situation might be. So little conversations starting out so much easier than the multitude that could all come all at once. It can be done. It's just a lot harder and taxing on everyone.

Speaker 2:

Indeed indeed. So what are some in line with what we're talking about, with having these conversations and it being difficult to navigate this with these elderly generations? What are some common emotional barriers seniors face when accepting help and how can families support them through that process?

Speaker 3:

So I think some of the barriers is just simply, I don't know somebody who's going to come into my home and this is my space being worrisome of a stranger quote unquote coming into your home, which is a very understandable thing. There does need to be some type of a relationship, which is how we build before we step into the home to even meet somebody for the first time. You also get the individuals who are I can do it myself, I'm just going to do this like once a week or instead of you know, doing it, just trying to think of like, let's say, let's say that this person normally, religiously, goes to a family gathering every Sunday. Okay, let's just say that that is the routine. It's been the routine for years and years and years, and all of a sudden they're not coming, they're not feeling well, they're tired, and then that becomes now the routine.

Speaker 3:

So I think that I think that when you come in, a lot of people are just they try to come up with excuses, right, like I can't come every Sunday, but I can come once a month or something, um, and that's just where you need to continue to dig. You need to dig and you need to be able to be confident to say that listen, mom, dad, whomever we can find somebody that you trust, that I trust to, to come in and just try it out to see if it does actually help, and that usually is really the winning conversation that happens.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and you had talked in the past about kind of introducing the help. This is what you do at Comfort Keepers. You kind of bring in your team as a friend of the family and not an outsider that's there to kind of take control of their life, but really just like hey, this is, you know, talk a little bit about that that approach that you take to build trust and confidence and kind of let the guard down so that they are open to receiving help.

Speaker 3:

A hundred percent. So we don't just come in almost like a contractor because they hear we're here to do a job and buy.

Speaker 3:

That is not at all how we work. So if I am approached by a family member, then I want to know everything that I possibly can about the person that they're looking for help for. Then I want to know everything that I possibly can about the person that they're looking for help for. Who is it? What is their lifestyle? Who lives with them? Are they in the same state, same town, whatever it is and then we want to coordinate whether they're able to be there physically. When we come and introduce ourselves to.

Speaker 3:

We don't come in with a clipboard, a briefcase Again, things that make you feel, I mean, just sterile or not as friendly. I'm coming in with myself and I want to meet you in your home. You're inviting me in, and if somebody is able to be there with that individual, that conversation is so much more comfortable to be had. If not, then we are definitely up for having the loved one that's out of state on FaceTime or on a Teams call or even on speaker phone. So they're still a part of the entire process. We always tend to have family members pop up on a phone call somewhere and we welcome that because we want to be trusted by everybody and that helps really relieve stress or anxiety that their loved one may be feeling if they're not there or if they're still easing into the idea of getting help from outside of the home.

Speaker 2:

Well said and obviously you take great preparation and precaution and dealing with these matters to optimize the effect for your clients. On the other end of that spectrum, right, you have somebody that doesn't have your knowledge and expertise. They're facing this situation with their loved one. They're looking for help. What are some of the key factors that families should consider when choosing an in-home care provider?

Speaker 3:

There's a whole long list for that, jeremy, but one of the biggest things, I think, is how does the communication work with, whatever the agency that you are working with? So, are you going to be notified if there's a change in condition of your loved one? Are you going to be notified if a caregiver does not go to their scheduled shift? Are you going to be notified of X, y, z? Communication is key. Every single time that I've called a family member about any of the above mentioned, they are very grateful to know, because it's not going to be their loved one calling them to tell them those updates, and that's usually something that they really, really enjoy. I think it's important to know what is your vetting process. Are your employees W-2 employees or are they contractors? And that's a huge thing when it comes to the really the brand promise that we bring and the people that work for us. They're vetted, they are trained, they believe in our mission for what it is, and I'm not just contracting someone to come and fill a shift.

Speaker 3:

That is not what people are to us. They're individuals with needs and we are there to meet them at. Their needs are to us. They're individuals with needs and we are there to meet them at their needs. So I think it's very important to understand what is your recruitment process for your caregivers. Background screening, all of those things are so important to again bring peace of mind to the whole family unit as an individual or as a family, and then also to the individual that would be receiving care. You don't want somebody that's coming into your home who hasn't had the level two background screening, that hasn't had all the proper training, not just some Joe Schmo off the street. That's hey, I need a job Like. That's not how it works. We go through a very lengthy process to ensure that we have the right individual.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so I'd imagine that and you tell me right, I'm just kind of going through it, the process of you kind of go into this evaluation and then, based upon the individual that needs help, now that you're then going back and matching them specifically with a caregiver of comfort keepers. That aligns in terms of personality compatibility. Obviously that's of building this relationship right. So, and you're doing all that.

Speaker 3:

And it's what we do and it's not what everybody does, but we're very proud of that Because sometimes there's a very unique need, whether there's a language barrier, even an age, demographic that someone would feel more comfortable having right. We will do our absolute best to find that person and if it doesn't work the first time, that's okay. That's not a loss. People, personalities, don't always get along. That's where communication comes back to us and we go right back into okay, who do we have in mind? We love to do those first face-to-face with our caregivers in person, not just sending someone to your home because we've called to tell you that, okay, we've got somebody, they're coming out today or tomorrow. We actually have one of our admin go and meet with the caregiver and the client for their very first shift so that they have a familiar face of comfort keepers meeting someone new, just like we were introduced to their loved one by a family member. So we continue to have this pass off of introductions, very personal again, to keep comfort and confidence high.

Speaker 2:

What types of services are you providing at Comfort People? So I know you do a lot of different things, but there's this distinction and I think there's a misconception with people between in-home care and home health care, where you guys don't actually perform medical type services. Talk a little bit about the various types of services that you offer to your clients.

Speaker 3:

So it's easiest to say that Comfort Keepers offers two main branches of services. One considered personal care services, the other one is home and community services. The other one is home and community services. So personal care is going to be your dressing, grooming, bathing, bathroom needs, hands-on assistance in the home, whether that's needed or not, and then your home and community. That's going to be your light housework, your meal prep, transportation to doctor's appointments, your companionship, and then both of these goals, both of these whole list of services that we do is to remain, is to help our individuals stay safe, healthy and happy in their home. What we do not do home health. Home health is provided by nurses. That's where we're talking about wounds care, ivs, medication management. So, yes, more of the medical route, and that is not what we do in the home. We can complement those services because we'll do the things that they cannot do or they do not do in the home. We come in and fill in those gaps.

Speaker 2:

In a time where everything is incredibly expensive. Inflation is through the roof. I mean, it seems like you can't go anywhere right now without spending a fortune of money. Talk about budget and affordability of this. What should families know about the costs associated with in-home care, and are there any financial resources or insurance options that can help with these matters?

Speaker 3:

Mm-hmm. So that's a loaded question because it really depends on the needs. Truly it does. It's a very hard economy right now 100% but it is cheaper to keep your loved one in their home than it is to have them in an assisted living.

Speaker 2:

Not to mention a lot healthier for them to stay as long as they can.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, mentally the home that they've been in. They are surrounded by their memories, everything that's taken place there. Nine times out of 10, like keeping somebody there is better for their overall well-being. So one of the things that I can tell you about Comfort Keepers and pricing and such is that I don't require that is a big thing. I do not require you to have my services eight hours a day, seven days a week. I do not require that.

Speaker 3:

There are agencies that have a minimum and they do require you to meet that minimum, whether you need it or not, and that is just not our approach to care. We're there to be there when you need us, so that is something that's very helpful. It can be built upon. There's no long term contracts.

Speaker 3:

One of the other things, too, is that there are a lot of funding sources, and it's really about helping your loved one ensure that they are being put into contact with those local resources. So, whether it's state Medicaid, there's a lot of different Medicaid funding options that can help, from a few hours a day to a lot more, depending on what your loved one may qualify for. There are services through the VA, whether you are a survivor of a veteran widow or you are a veteran yourself. There's also long-term insurance plans that people have paid into their entire lives and they don't realize that there is a clause for in-home care, and those such as farmers insurance, Genworth Bankers Life. They're great policies that, if you don't use them, I mean they're just going to be sitting there and most people don't know Exactly.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2:

That's why it's important to also work with a trusted insurance agent.

Speaker 1:

That has your best interest at heart.

Speaker 2:

That can tailor and structure all these plans so they can tell you what you have available when you're having these problems.

Speaker 3:

It's so much. And if you don't right, if you don't have that one individual, that insurance agent, it's just a matter of calling the numbers that are on your insurance cards. And I know nobody loves to be on hold forever.

Speaker 2:

As you said that, I got a feeling of dread. I was like, oh, I don't want to.

Speaker 3:

I know and I'm like saying like I would love to be able to take that burden on from someone, but the truth of the matter is I cannot call on anyone's behalf because I am not their POA, I am not them and so I will not get any information. But if they call and they ask do I have any benefit? Even Medicare Advantage? Medicare Advantage plans change, I swear, every January 1st they change and I'll think I know them all and then they change and I'm not. I'm just saying you call, you may have a plan. You had no idea. You check the box and that's something that you get. So it's worth the phone call. And if they say, yes, we do offer coverage for in-home care great, then that's where you get to start calling in-home care agencies to see who then can help.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so a bit of a double-edged sword when it comes to bringing in outside help, because at one level, if you bring in somebody that is too controlling over the environment, it could take away the feeling of independence from the person that needs care. So how do you, at comfort keepers and in home health care or home health care services in general, structure to support and enhance the independence of your clients while at the same time taking that burden off of them for all these things, because there's a fine balance between those. Yes, right, if you go too far in either direction, it could be, you know, disadvantageous.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yes, so counterproductive, maybe. So comfort keepers, we call that interactive caregiving. So think about I'm coming into your home, I'm going to help with laundry. It's hard for you to put your laundry in or take it from your washer and put it into your dryer. It is a fall risk. You're weak, not balanced. Those are things that make it hard for you to stay up with your laundry. I'm going to go ahead and put your laundry in, but when I bring the laundry out to fold it, I'm going to sit with you and together we're going to fold laundry.

Speaker 3:

So when we can do something with the person that we're helping, we could be meal prepping. I'm in the kitchen and I'm preparing everything on the counter, whatever, and maybe all I'm going to ask is that they help set the table. Very simple we look for a way to interact every single time so that we are not just doing while they sit or while they do nothing. If they cannot participate, that's completely acceptable, but that what we want to make sure of is that we are involving them in any way possible to keep their mind sharp, to keep routine going and even just getting up and down, moving around, just even here and there. Very little, not crazy amounts, it's good. It's good for everyone's health, everyone's overall well-being.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely All right. What else I got for you, christy, I don't know.

Speaker 3:

These are like everyday phone calls that come. I mean phone calls every day. They're very common questions, which is really good, because there's not a silly question that's out there and every family has a unique story, and so it may not fall into the context of what we're talking about. I still would encourage people to call because I promise there's always something that I will come up against. That I've not heard yet, but we've always worked through it, so I just want people to know that we're very empathetic and we want to be helpful.

Speaker 2:

Oh yes, you are Any common safe. Before we wrap up here, any common safety concerns things you can offer before they've actually reached out to get information on home health care, just some ways to make sure that their loved ones are protected when they don't have somebody there helping them in the house.

Speaker 3:

So one of the things that I recommend is everybody well, not everybody, but a lot of people have ring cameras and they have other sorts of exterior cameras. I think that this is important for a couple of different reasons, because if a family member, somebody living in Florida, but family lives in the Midwest somewhere not in Florida, mom's there by herself and let's say that she takes it upon herself to hire somebody to come help a couple of days a week, that's fine, mom's making her own decisions, that's great. What I have seen happen is I have seen people get taken advantage of when they are in fact paying somebody I say under the table, just privately, to come in and help when a family doesn't know until it's too late. The worst case, the worst circumstance, jeremy, I've seen is somebody's actually moved in with a loved one, a total stranger, and none of that was known to the family until they came for a birthday, I believe. And they who is this person living with mom?

Speaker 3:

Ok, so one. It's just nice to see somebody come and go, it's nice to see your family member come and go and they look good. But it's also good to keep tabs of who's coming in, especially in today's world where our seniors are taken advantage of in so many ways, over the phone and in person. It's very sad, so I'm very vigilant when it comes to some kind of cameras. The other thing, too, is I think it's worth asking when you're with your loved one about their medication. Medication mismanagement is one of the scariest things that can happen, and if you're unaware of what your mother is taking in her medication, but in a conversation you can just ask so curious what kind of medicine are you on, mom? How do you organize that? How do you know when to take it?

Speaker 2:

I think it's important.

Speaker 3:

Yes, Pill planners are a big deal Pill planners, I think.

Speaker 2:

I need one of those already, jesus, I'm feeling it.

Speaker 3:

So pill planners are great, but the next time you go, are the pill planners being filled? Are they being filled properly? Is the AM going in the AM or is it going in the PM? Are we doubling up on certain days when we shouldn't? There's a lot of accidental things that can happen with medication. So even just having the conversation and being aware of what your loved one is taking regularly is really important, because sometimes we misdiagnose ourselves. When we see someone and we're like man, they're really like acting off or they're really sick. It could be they're taking medication improperly and that's giving them. The side effect that we're seeing is something different.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3:

A couple things.

Speaker 2:

So let me just preface what I said about me needing the pill thing. It's, it's. It's mostly for like vitamins, I should say, because my wife is like you got to take the, you don't take the b with the d and you don't do this and you don't do that, and I got to go to each bottle and and it's like I don't even take them. So I need to get one of those for my vitamin.

Speaker 3:

Yeah I mean it's good for organization period? It really isn't't. It's a visual reminder, just saying most individuals, as they age, they may have to take more supplements, whether it's a vitamin or a prescription, and it's good to know that they're keeping up with it and there's not excess. Or what are they doing with the excess? Are they pulling out an old pill bottle? That's not at all what they should be taking now.

Speaker 2:

I see this happen the most when somebody goes to the hospital and then comes home and they've got new medication, new medication with old medication, and now I've got all these words that are this long for this, this and this, and mom or dad just says, yeah, I just, I take, I take it what I mean.

Speaker 3:

I truly seen some crazy things. So it's just, it's a good conversation to have to be in the know so that you can see, man, do I need to try to help mom get this organized better?

Speaker 2:

Absolutely so. For anybody out there that's listening that has seen some changes with their loved ones. Maybe it's their parents, maybe it's friends. Whatever the case may be, reach out to Christy at Comfort Keepers. As you can see, she's a wealth of knowledge and it can only benefit everybody involved to start having these conversations early, even if it doesn't turn into immediate care like you talked about, just opening the door to that when it comes time to get that help, it's going to just make it that much easier. So, christy, keep doing the great work. I always say this you are a ray of sunshine. You are doing such great work in the community and many different communities, for your clients and beyond, and also educating on this platform. So truly, thank you for all that you do, because you do great work. Yeah, thank you To our listeners. Thanks for tuning in, and we will catch everybody next time on the next episode of the Comfort Keepers Daily Podcast. Everyone, take care, have a wonderful day and we'll see you next time.

Speaker 1:

Bye, bye. Thank you for listening to the Comfort Keepers Davey podcast. For more information, visit comfortkeeperscom or call 954-947-7954.