Category: Miscellaneous

Everybody needs a little help sometimes, and seniors tend to need more assistance as they age. In the senior care industry, you’ll often hear people refer to activities of daily living, or ADLs. Most seniors have certain ADLs in common that become more challenging to perform with age or as they develop new health conditions that interfere with their cognitive abilities and mobility. Taking a look at these common ADLs seniors need assistance with gives you a starting point for managing discussions about your aging loved one’s current and anticipated care needs.

Personal Hygiene

Bathing, brushing teeth, and performing other personal hygiene tasks do more than simply make your loved one look their best. Personal hygiene can also prevent infections and help seniors maintain their self-esteem. Seniors often have difficulty with personal hygiene tasks due to a loss of mobility that may make it challenging for them to maintain their balance on slippery floors. Or they could develop a fear of falling that makes them skip showers.
Senior care providers can help seniors bathe or simply give them reminders to brush their teeth. If your loved one cannot manage a specific aspect of maintaining their hygiene, a caregiver can also point out strategies to help. For instance, the caregiver may recommend using an ergonomic toothbrush to support a senior with limited hand movement.

Many seniors prefer aging in place over moving to assisted living facilities. If your senior loved one needs assistance to remain safe and comfortable while living at home, reach out to Corio by Institute on Aging (IOA), a leading home care San Francisco agency. Our dedicated in-home caregivers can assist with meal prep, bathing and grooming, exercise, medication reminders, and many other important tasks.

Meal Prep & Eating

If you’ve ever been too exhausted to make a meal after a long day at work, you already have an inkling of what life is like for seniors who live with debilitating fatigue and chronic pain. Some seniors need assistance with making healthy meals due to an inability to stand for long times at the stove. Seniors with memory loss may need assistance to avoid fire hazards as they cook. Your loved one could also benefit from having the emotional support of enjoying meals with a caregiver who can turn mealtimes into highly anticipated parts of their day.

Managing Restroom Needs

Seniors with incontinence may be unable to change their soiled clothing independently. Or your loved one may face difficulty maintaining their hygiene after using the toilet. Some seniors wake up throughout the night to use the restroom, which increases their fall risk. If your loved one expresses concerns about how they use the restroom, hiring an in-home caregiver can retain your loved one’s dignity while also providing the assistance they need to stay healthy.

Family caregivers sometimes need a break from their day-to-day responsibilities. Whether you need respite from your caregiving duties or your aging loved one needs overnight home care, Corio by IOA can meet your family’s care needs. Our dedicated caregivers are available around the clock to accompany seniors to doctor’s appointments, ensure they take their prescribed medications, and help with a variety of tasks in and outside the home.

Functional Mobility

Your loved one may manage many of their ADLs once they get out of bed, but they may have difficulty with some basic aspects of their mobility. For instance, seniors who use mobility devices such as wheelchairs might need assistance moving from their beds or chairs to their devices. Or your loved one might need help moving around in public, where it’s challenging to navigate doors from a wheelchair or step over curbs. Caregivers can identify seniors’ mobility challenges and find solutions to overcome each one.

For many families, hourly home care can be a wonderful solution when their aging loved ones need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Corio by IOA, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home. To learn about our quality-assured services, give us a call today at (415) 750-4111.

Many seniors prefer to age in place because they want to be surrounded by familiar places, people, and belongings. However, having their loved ones living at home is often a concern for some family members who feel their elderly loved ones won’t be safe or have the necessary care. Read on for details about aging in place, including its benefits and ways your loved one can take advantage of remaining at home.

Staying at Home & within the Community

The types of illnesses or other health conditions your loved one lives with can determine the type of care they need. For instance, if your loved one has mobility limitations, they’ll need assistance with cooking, cleaning the home, bathing, transportation, and other daily activities. Your family can step in to share these responsibilities, adapting them to meet your loved one’s current abilities as well as your personal schedules and financial capabilities.

You can also hire a caregiver to assist when you and your siblings are unable to take on caregiving tasks. Doing so gives your loved one the ability to age in place in the community they love instead of living in an elderly care facility. 

One of the most challenging tasks of helping an elderly relative age in place safely and comfortably is researching agencies that provide 24-hour home care as well as overnight and live-in care. Families can turn to Corio by Institute on Aging (IOA) for reliable, high-quality home care in San Francisco for aging adults. We offer 24-hour care for seniors who require extensive assistance, and we also offer respite care for family caregivers who need a break from their caregiving duties.

Independence

Aging in place allows seniors to maintain independence without putting their health at risk. Maintaining independence is beneficial for mental, physical, and emotional health. It can delay the aging process and the progression of diseases and various health conditions. Simply getting up each day and looking out the windows of their own home can boost your loved one’s quality of life, as it allows them to feel they’re retaining significant control. 

There are a variety of age-related health conditions that can make it more challenging for seniors to live independently. However, many of the challenges they face can be easier to address if their families opt for professional overnight, live-in, or hourly home care. You can rely on expertly trained caregivers to keep your loved one safe and comfortable while aging in place.

Financial Benefits

If your loved one is living on a fixed income, they must balance their budget and spend money on necessities, with only occasional spending on shopping, entertainment, outdoor eating, and more. By aging in place, your loved one only spends money on the care services they need, whereas at an assisted living facility or nursing home, they may have a monthly bill that includes services they don’t use.

Privacy

Sharing a bedroom with another adult may not sound appealing to most seniors, and it can cause their health to worsen. They may give up on being strong and begin to experience depression, anger, and other negative emotions because at least some of their privacy is being taken away.

Even if your loved one has a private room in a healthcare facility, sharing entertainment rooms, eating with others, and having different individuals coming in and out of the facility could reduce their privacy. This includes other residents having family and friends stop by and medical professionals being there throughout the day as well as individuals assisting with daily cooking, cleaning, activity prepping, and more.

Many seniors prefer aging in place over moving to assisted living facilities. If your senior loved one needs assistance to remain safe and comfortable while living at home, reach out to Corio by IOA, a leading senior care agency. Our dedicated in-home caregivers can assist with meal prep, bathing and grooming, exercise, medication reminders, and many other important tasks. To create a customized home care plan for your loved one, call us today at (415) 750-4111.

It’s with great pleasure that we announce Corio by Institute on Aging (IOA)’s exceptional achievement in being honored with not just one but three prestigious awards from Home Care Pulse. Join us in celebrating the remarkable success of the Corio by IOA team, who have demonstrated unwavering commitment and dedication to excellence in home care services.

Home Care Pulse, a leading provider of applications to enhance outcomes in long-term and post-acute care, has recognized Corio by IOA for its outstanding performance in various categories. Over the past year, the Corio by IOA team has invested significant effort in utilizing Home Care Pulse resources to bolster our standing among both clients and caregivers.

The team’s commitment to providing clients and caregivers with a quality experience has not only paid off in terms of client and caregiver satisfaction but has also resulted in Corio by IOA securing three prestigious Home Care Pulse awards.

Let’s take a closer look at the three accolades Corio by IOA has achieved:

Best of Home Care: Provider of Choice

The criteria for this award include:

• Overall Client Satisfaction (OSAT) score of 8.75 or higher 
• At least 12 surveys completed in the past 12 months
• Less than 15 percent of clients on “Do Not Call” for the year
• Actively surveying clients for at least six consecutive months

Best of Home Care: Employer of Choice

The criteria for this award include:

• Overall Caregiver Satisfaction (OSAT) score of 8.75 or higher
• At least 12 surveys completed in the past 12 months
• Less than 15 percent of care professionals on “Do Not Call” for the year
• Actively surveying care professionals for at least six consecutive months

Best of Home Care: Leader in Experience (formerly Leader in Excellence)

The criteria for this award—the highest award a home care agency can earn from Home Care Pulse—include:

• Client OSAT score of 8.9 or higher 
• Caregiver OSAT score of 8.9 or higher
• A minimum of 2 client and 2 employee surveys per month for 12 months
• Earning both Provider and Employer of Choice awards for the year

Corio by IOA’s recognition as a Leader in Experience is particularly noteworthy, as it involves excelling in both client and caregiver satisfaction along with meeting stringent survey requirements over an extended period.

This triple win is a testament to the Corio by IOA team’s relentless pursuit of excellence and our focus on creating positive experiences for both clients and caregivers. It reflects not only the high standards of service provided by Corio by IOA but also the trust and satisfaction of those who receive and deliver the care.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the entire Corio by IOA team for this outstanding achievement. Our commitment to excellence sets a standard for the industry, and we look forward to continued success in providing exceptional home care San Francisco services.

Maintaining independence and living comfortably is more manageable for many seniors when they age in place, which is why they tend to prefer this option. Aging in place can boost their physical, mental, and emotional health for several reasons. Below are some of the main reasons your senior loved one may want to age in place and reasons you should consider following their wishes.

Familiarity

Merely being in the house they grew up in or lived in for decades allows your loved one to use their memory and recall the loving times. Familiarity is something most seniors miss the most when they move into nursing home facilities. The familiar smell of the home or access to the same rooms and activities can provide a positive feeling that boosts their mental and emotional health.

Aging in place can present a few challenges for seniors living with memory loss. However, they can still live independently at home with the help of professional memory care. Families can rely on Corio by Institute on Aging (IOA) to provide their elderly loved ones with mental and social stimulation, timely medication reminders, assistance with meal prep, and much more. Our caregivers are available around the clock to help your loved one live a happier and healthier life. 

Independence

Your loved one will be responsible for cooking meals—if they can do so independently—along with cleaning the home, bathing, doing laundry, and other daily tasks. As a result, your loved one’s brain stays active and their physical health gets a boost instead of relying on others to take on these responsibilities.

As a family caregiver, you should continuously monitor your loved one’s health to ensure they can take on specific tasks alone. If not, you need to step in and offer assistance, but do so respectfully so it doesn’t affect your loved one’s confidence and allows for as much independence as is safely possible.

For many families, hourly home care can be a wonderful solution when their aging loved ones need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Corio by IOA, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home. 

Saving Money

Unlike at most senior care facilities, your loved one will only need to pay for the services they need and use when aging in place. For example, suppose your loved one can stay at home alone and only requires assistance from others periodically. In this case, your loved one isn’t incurring any fees, as opposed to the extra expenses they could be responsible for when staying in a retirement facility. Most nursing home facilities have around-the-clock care, and your loved one would typically be responsible for paying for those expenses, even if they didn’t need them.

Healthier Living Environment

There are a variety of individuals who live in retirement facilities, and they often have family members and friends who visit regularly. Other individuals are inside the building as well, such as nurses, doctors, staff members, and people from different companies delivering products. As a result, germs will be more prevalent and spread faster, putting your loved one at higher risk for getting sick.

Recovering from illnesses is often easier for seniors who age in place than those who are in medical facilities. This is due to the comfort of their homes and familiar surroundings. Your loved one may prefer recuperating at home and having privacy instead of worrying about others watching their every move and commenting when they make mistakes or take longer to do specific tasks.

Many seniors prefer aging in place over moving to assisted living facilities. If your senior loved one needs assistance to remain safe and comfortable while living at home, reach out to Corio by IOA, a leading home care San Francisco agency. Our dedicated in-home caregivers can assist with meal prep, bathing and grooming, exercise, medication reminders, and many other important tasks. Reach out to one of our Connect Specialists today at (415) 750-4111 to learn more about our high-quality home care services.

Performing activities of daily living (ADLs) can increase independence for older adults, allowing them to age in place. While there are many seniors who can perform ADLs without assistance, other aging adults may need help with everything from bathing to cooking, mobility, and more. As a family caregiver, you must learn what your aging loved one requires assistance with and how to step in without compromising their independence or safety.

Bathing and Dressing

As adults age, these ADLs become more challenging for different reasons, such as anxiety, muscle weakness, and decreasing memory. Seniors may experience mental and physical discomfort, making them shy away from receiving help with bathing or dressing. However, family caregivers need to find ways to ease the discomfort so they can keep their loved ones adequately bathed and dressed.

As you step in to help your loved one, learn more about their strengths and weaknesses, and alter their bathing and dressing tasks accordingly. For example, if your loved one has difficulty standing, add a bench to the shower or encourage them to take baths. Doing so could make personal hygiene less stressful and give your loved one more confidence.

Many seniors prefer aging in place over moving to assisted living facilities. If your senior loved one needs assistance to remain safe and comfortable while living at home, reach out to Corio by Institute on Aging (IOA), a leading home care San Francisco agency. Our dedicated in-home caregivers can assist with meal prep, bathing and grooming, exercise, medication reminders, and many other important tasks.

Meal Prep

Reducing the risk of diabetes, obesity, and heart conditions is something caregivers need to help their loved ones with, and it begins with healthy eating. The foods your loved one eats daily impact his or her brain, weight, sleeping habits, and energy levels. When preparing meals, avoid using saturated fats, sodium, and sugar in the dishes.

Incorporate fruits, vegetables, lean meats, healthy seafood options, and plant-based dishes in your loved one’s meals. To make mealtimes even more enjoyable, turn them into social outings with your loved one and their friends or other family members.

Taking Medication

If your loved one has memory limitations, you’ll likely need to help with ordering prescriptions and providing reminders to take the medications. For example, if they cannot drive, picking up prescriptions could be a regular responsibility, and you may need to ensure your loved one has the food and other necessities that may need to accompany some medications.

Try to use the same pharmacy for all of your loved one’s prescriptions. Create a list of the dosage times for each prescription and the effects each has on your loved one. These notes can be shared with your loved one’s primary care physician, who will determine if the medication needs to be altered or changed altogether. Developing a daily medication routine is essential, as is using pill boxes and other methods to separate, label, and keep the prescriptions well organized. 

Family caregivers sometimes need a break from their day-to-day responsibilities. Whether you need respite from your caregiving duties or your aging loved one needs overnight home care, Corio by IOA can meet your family’s care needs. Our dedicated caregivers are available around the clock to provide transportation to doctor’s appointments, ensure seniors take their prescribed medications, and help with a variety of tasks in and outside the home.

Socialization

Regardless of whether your loved one is healthy or living with a condition such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, depression, heart problems, or mobility issues, you need to encourage socialization and physical activities in their daily life.

Stepping in could mean you alter the activities based on your loved one’s limitations and strengths. For example, you could take your loved one to an exercise group with a few classmates the same age, offering the ability to socialize and work out in a less crowded environment, which continues to boost their mental, physical, and emotional health.

For many families, hourly home care can be a wonderful solution when their aging loved ones need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Corio by IOA, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home. To learn about our quality-assured services, give us a call today at (415) 750-4111.

Seniors do best when they’re able to maintain their independence for as long as possible. They’ll be more likely to eat healthier when they can enjoy meals in the comfort of their own kitchens. They may also retain more cognitive abilities when they’re able to follow a normal daily routine. Increasing independence at home for seniors involves offering them strategies and support that help them be successful in all of their endeavors.

Reduce Safety Hazards Around the Home

A home safety assessment involves having a professional senior caregiver walk through the house to check for common hazards. For instance, a jumble of cords that flows into the walkway could leave your aging loved one at risk for a slip-and-fall injury that threatens his or her independence. Clear out some clutter and install a few new safety features, such as grab bars in the bathroom, to make a big difference in your loved one’s safety at home. Keep in mind you’ll want to do a similar assessment annually or anytime your loved one’s needs change.

Many seniors prefer aging in place over moving to assisted living facilities. If your senior loved one needs assistance to remain safe and comfortable while living at home, reach out to Corio by Institute on Aging (IOA), a leading home care San Francisco agency. Our dedicated in-home caregivers can assist with meal prep, bathing and grooming, exercise, medication reminders, and many other important tasks.

Arrange Professional Services for Risky Activities

Even the most independent seniors may need to leave a few riskier tasks off their to-do lists. For instance, your loved one may not be safe mowing the lawn in extreme heat, or he or she might need to avoid climbing on ladders to change light bulbs. As you do a walk-through of your loved one’s daily routine and home maintenance needs, try to identify where he or she could benefit from professional help—whether it be someone assisting with heavy laundry baskets or even going grocery shopping.

Encourage Daily Exercise

Exercise is one of the best ways to prevent injuries and illnesses that could interfere with the ability to remain independent. Try to encourage your loved one to do daily stretches that keep his or her muscles limber. Your loved one may also need to start a walking routine or do other exercises the doctor recommends. If your loved one doesn’t like exercising, try to make it fun by adding a social component. Joining a senior fitness class or walking with a caregiver can turn exercise into an activity your loved one looks forward to each day.

If your aging loved one needs help managing everyday tasks or encouragement to adopt healthier lifestyle choices, turn to Corio by IOA, a leading provider of hourly, live-in, and overnight home care. Our professional in-home caregivers are available around the clock to help seniors live longer, happier, and healthier lives.

Expand Their Social Support Network

Ideally, independent seniors should have multiple people they can turn to for help. Your loved one could benefit from joining a senior group in your local community that provides opportunities to socialize. You might also want to make sure your loved one knows the neighbors and how to reach out if he or she needs assistance. Helping your loved one connect with an in-home caregiver also gives your parent a professional to rely on when needing assistance with everything from cooking to finding transportation to a doctor’s appointment. 

For many families, hourly home care can be a wonderful solution when their aging loved ones need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Corio by IOA, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home. To learn about our quality-assured services, give us a call today at (415) 750-4111.