synergyhomecare-eastvalley

Contracts for Care?!

I often hear from perspective customers the question about whether or not a contract is required for care or not. I am often very surprised by this questions since those of us in the profession for the right reasons know the answer is 'no' but wonder how it can ever be. 

Sure, I understand the business principle of contracts and guarentee that are offered for security and peace of mind.  But in home care?  How can home care be scheduled if the service we offer is so dependant on person's condition and capability?  How doessomeone with beginning stages of dementia know that they will only need 20 hours of care for a period of time?  How can someone recovering from an injury know that it will take them a period of time to heal?  What happens if somebody's condition changes and they get better or don't get worse?  With a contract you are stuck. 

Be certain that if you are considering home care you understand if the agency requires a contract or not.  Those agencies that understand client care don't have contracts. 

Giving Time to Make the Right Choice

So often in this business we are encountered with families that are in a rush to set up service.  This is due to many reasons and a lot of justified ones, like a rapidly deteriorating condition, or other family member illnesses.  However, for those individuals or families that do have the time, take it.  Take the time to consider all of your options and determine which ones are the right ones for you. 

During the moments when you have the time, consider the answers you heard from all the sales reps in the field.  Consider whether or not you believe that they are over-committing or setting unrealistic expectations.  From our experience here, this occurs and is pretty much a nature of the beast in any sales role.  But the reality is there are things you should know when making this decision.

Home care is a service related business and no matter how sophisticated the computer systems are, personalities do clash.  Did the sale representative inform you that replacement caregivers can be found if this occurs? 

Home care caregivers also get ill, or have ill families that need attention from time to time.  It's hard enough to work for clients that are sick and day to day remain healthy.  At times caregivers also get sick and need to heal, or care for a loved one.  When this occurs, did the sales representative inform you a replacement caregiver can be schedule? 

These are just a couple of examples of items that should be considered when researching home care. 

Patience for Patients

Many times I am often asked about how fast services can start.  The reason why that is the case is because the patient or their family waited too long prior to inquiring and at the moment we are talking with them nerves have worn out.  Now, for these families patience is not a solution or even a recommendation because they've waited too long. 

However, for the other families that thinking about getting some assistance for their loved one, keep patience.  Why?  With today's economy and market conditions for even the health care industry you may feel like you've just visited a used car lot after the first assessment.  Rather, with patience things will become clear and you will see that there are agencies that practice the philosophy that in time the right answer will come from the right question.  It's just not, however, on our time line.  Those questions come from the client or their family after they have given considerable thought on whether or not to bring in assistance.  And, if you are working with an agency that also believes in same spirit than all will work itself out in the end. 

So, if you are shopping for home care or any other health related purchase, patience.  The right agency or person will come into your life and be able to deliver the care you need all the time.   We at SYNERGY HomeCare East Valley will walk side by side with you on your journey even if we're not selected to provide that care, because we care about ensuring you have all of the information and options available. 

Relief!

Are you one of the millions of people caring for a loved one, working and balancing all of the complexities in life?  If you are I certainly understand where you are coming from when you say that you need some relief.  The relief you are needing IS very normal and the cause out is nothing to be ashamed of.  You are a unique individual with unique needs that need to be met.  When you are continuously running from your job to caring for a loved one and then to other activities like errands you body and mind never get to rest and recuperate from the activities. 

With a home care aide there to assist you caring for your loved one, you will instantly feel relieved from the list of items that need to get done that day.  Mostly importantly, the care essentials for your loved one will remove the worry that you are feeling rushing home to make a meal so medication can be taken on time.  If you need to work a little late, it's Ok since your loved one is cared for.  If you want to enjoy dinner with your family, it's OK your loved one is cared for.  If you want to take your kinds to soccer practice or a movie, it's OK your loved one is cared for.  Your piece of mind and your relief comes through a caregiver from SYNERGY HomeCare East Valley. 

Home Care Aids in Recovery, Part III

In my last two post we spoke about how home care aides can be used to help individuals going through treatments for cancer and post operations.  In this post I would like to suggest to you many other areas when home care aides can be used.

Most of us regardless of our health condition will need smaller medical procedures as regular exams or minor treatments.  These procedures do require some preparation ahead of time and some follow-up as well.  These procedures I am referring to are colonoscopy, eye exams (with pupil dilation) and teeth being pulled.  Home care aides can assist you in getting to and from procedures as well as ensuring your home is locked prior to leaving (a common thing to forget with a little anxiety) and having all the requirements, plus a little pampering following your procedure. 

Home care is not just for the elderly, it's for anyone that needs a little extra help with a little privacy.  SYNERGY HomeCare East Valley can help you, by calling (480) 377-6770 to speak with a professional. 

Home Care Aids in Recovery Time, Part II

Yesterday we spoke about how using home care can assist folks battling life threatening illnesses like cancer.  Today I would like to talk about how home care can aid the recovery time for anyone post surgery.  You know the pre-op routine of not drinking, not eating and being at the hospital at 5am, if not sooner, for a 7am case.  In all reality the operation day is not the issue, the issues arise in the days that follow when you are recovering. 

How can you follow doctor's orders and stay off you feet, keep them elevated or remain bed-bound when you're the only one home and all of your loved ones are at work?  How can you not get up, risking stability issues to use the restroom, make a cup of coffee or lunch?  How can you remain in bed with your feet elevated if you dropped the remote? 

Enough already, help is on the way through home care!  Many people feel like home care is only for folks that need on-going support until they go into a nursing home.  When in reality home care really is there for anyone and everyone whenever they need it.  Recovering from a surgery and giving yourself the best chance of a speedy recovery through following doctor's orders can be accomplished with a home care aide. 

SYNERGY HomeCare of the East Valley is proud to aid in the recovery of post operative clients everyday.  We love to see you get back on your feet.  Call (480) 377-6770 now to speak with a professional who can assist you in your needs.   

Home Care Aids in Recovery Time

For those of us in the industry we would have always said that our impact is great and worth the expense.  However, we now now have proof from a study conducted in Canada that reveals what we've always believed and seen in our clients.  Recovering from a surgery at home with all the proper help needed really does indeed work and does aid in the recovery process.  I am referring to a study that was just released that specifically looked at recovering from hip replacement surgery: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/08/17/hip-replacement-home-care.html?ref=rss

Although the article is talking specifically about medical care at home the connection to satisfying the needs, non-medical needs, are pretty clear.  What we would like everyone to know is that home care is not just for the elderly.  SYNERGY HomeCare East Valley provides care for clients of all ages, young and old alike, including surgical recovery. 

If you would like to speak with a member of the SYNERGY HomeCare East Valley team, please call (480) 377-6770 to be immediately assisted. 

Home Care is not Transportation Services

We often get a lot of phone calls from seniors or their family members asking if we can transport clients to/from errands and doctors appointments.  At first this may seem like an honest question but as professionals in the industry we've learned to ask a few more questions.  Why? A lot of times family members convince their loved ones to accept home care since they will be driving them around.  What this means to us is that the possible new client thinks of us as a shuttle service rather than from all the help we really can assist with. 

Despite the lack of consistent stories, let me share with you what we can do and what we can do to help make it easier to convince your loved one.  Home care aides can certainly help transporting a non-emergent client to/from a doctor's appointment and ensuring the medication is filled following with only a few restrictions to that in general.  The caregiver may also be able to ensure that there is ample groceries in the house for the client to enjoy a balanced home cooked meal.  The additional requirement for home care aids to be able to perform this work is that there needs to be care provided at home.  Meaning, if the caregiver was not allowed to work or perform any other tasks for the client other than the transportation, home care is not the solution.  However, a caregiver can provide the transportation so long as there are other services that accompany the transportation once they get home like making the meal or other home care activities.  The reason for this is simple.  If the caregiver only did the transportation that home care services would turn into transportation services according to the state and we would then have to follow guidelines associated with taxi cab companies. 

As a result, home care services really like to limit the amount of transportation to essential doctor's appointment's and required pick up of medications and groceries. 

So, if you are in the market to assist getting your loved one to/from a doctor's appointment home care help so long as services performed include more than just transportation either before or after the appointment. Call Synergy HomeCare of the East Valley, your local home care professionals at (480)377-6770 to learn more about how we can help. 

Our Client's Touch Us

Our clients mean the world to us, not just because they employ us but because we love to help them.  We speak a lot about the way we provide exceptional customer service and the way we try hard to make things right in every situation, but it's more than that.  When we are on the phone with our clients we really do listen and pay attention and it shows ultimately when one of our client's pass.  For both the family of the client and us we feel a loss of a friend.  A friend?  Yes, a friend that was in the military for 22 years and met his wife while overseas.  A friend that loved to fish in the White Mountains day after day without regard to time.  And a friend that loved to boat so much in his day that when retired he bought a house on a lake to take a little powerboat on. 

We want to get to know you.  We pride the best care to those that open up to us and get to know us as we get to know them.  Tell us your story and you'll be surprised at how much we like to listen. 

How Can We Help You?

Many times people choose home care as a part of the overall care of a loved one since it's the least expensive option for help at home.  It's not that we are cheap, but it's a starting point for a loved one to accept help around the house and what better tasks to get that help with but with household chores that nobody really likes to do. 

However, home care does provide a lot more that just a friendly face to help clean and perform laundry.  Home care agencies like SYNERGY HomeCare of the East Valley works very hard at fitting into the health care continuum in the East Valley so we can be an integral part of keeping people at home for as long as possible.  As a result, we have partnered with many other companies in the east valley that can provide you with a variety of services with the ease at which we did. 

SYNERGY HomeCare East Valley recognizes the importance of staying at home and health benefits a comfortable surround can give.  It is through that understanding we have reached out to other east valley organizations and companies to develop the most inclusive list of partners available to anyone.  This list is just another example of how SYNERGY HomeCare of the East Valley prides itself on exceptional customer service.  Call 480-377-6770 to experience it for yourself.