In-home care companions are caregivers who receive a unique opportunity to be a lifeline and a friend to those that are homebound or just need a little help around their home. Having a companion in your home allows you to maintain the lifestyle you have become accustomed to and preserve a general independence that you would be otherwise be unable to.
Conversation and companionship
Whether it is conversation and company, playing cards, reading to each other or just eating a meal together, having someone to sit by your side can help make for a happier, healthier life.
Family caregiving relief (respite care)
Otherwise known as “respite care,” our caregivers can provide a break for family members who are taking care of their loved ones. If you need to run errands, go shopping or get some much needed rest, our caregivers can give you some downtime.
Maintain a safe environment
Safety is the number one concern for both our clients and our caregivers. A main mission for the caregivers is to ensure that the home is safe for their clients and for anyone else who enters it. They can clear walkways and pathways, move cording, check electrical cords and wires and observe for other safety hazards.
Arrange appointments
Coordinating medical and other needed appointments can be time consuming, not to mention tricky, for seniors and busy moms with ill children. Our caregiving staff can arrange and track these appointments for you.
Medication reminders
While our caregivers cannot administer medications (or provide “home healthcare,” as it is traditionally known), they can be an “alarm clock” for you or your loved one to take medications at the right time.
Help with morning wake-up
If you or your loved one need help getting up and around in the morning, our caregivers can help with getting out of bed, getting dressed and preparing breakfast.
Bedtime assistance
Just like the morning wake-up, our caregivers can provide specialized turndown assistance. They can get the bed ready, help with getting into bed, tuck the patient in, set the room to the right temperature, ensure there is an ample amount of fluids by the night stand and can even get that little mint onto the pillow.
Monitor diet and eating
Some studies show that more than half of seniors living at home are either undernourished or malnourished. Causes vary from getting too little food to not eating the proper nutrients, from food not absorbing into the body to depression. Our caregivers can help prevent this extremely dangerous problem by monitoring their food and fluid intake, helping to or preparing nutritious meals or even helping those that have a hard time feeding themselves.
Plan activities
Everyone has a hobby they love, an activity they enjoy or an important routine they must follow. Caregivers can help by planning and assisting with these activities so you or your loved one can maintain independence, keep your mindactive, and have a little fun. Caregivers can arrange for friend and family visits, play-dates for the kids, trips to the zoo, shopping outings, crafting and scrapbooking activities and even help plan their client’s next vacation.
Care for houseplants
Many seniors experience depression, helplessness and boredom. Houseplants can help create a lush and loving habitat right at home. Our caregivers can help you or your loved one nurture and care for plants; studies have shown that plants help to decrease depression while increasing appetite and an “overall happy quotient.”
Care for pets
To many seniors, pets are members of their extended families. Our caregivers can help you spend quality time interacting and caring for your pet.
Improve T.V. and Computer usage
Our caregivers can encourage meaningful television shows to sharpen and educate the mind. For those beginning to experience memory loss or dementia, trivia and puzzle game shows can help keep the mind active. For our younger clients, educational programming will be encouraged.
Report any change in condition
One of the main reasons for having a caregiver in the home is to make sure that the client is safe and secure. Sterling Care trains its caregivers to watch for and act quickly on what is called a “change in condition”, which means anything that appears out of the ordinary for that particular person. You can rest assured that these changes WILL NOT be ignored and that the appropriate person will be notified.
Receive and organize bills/letters
If you or your loved one is having problems remembering to pay the bills, our caregivers can receive and organize the mail so important bills and letters can be taken care of. They will even walk you to the mailbox for you.
Prepare grocery list
Caregivers not only prepare nutritious meals – they help prepare grocery lists as well. This includes clipping coupons, looking through grocery advertisements for the best deals, checking on the food supplies in the home and disposing of old or spoiled food. Our caregivers can even do the shopping for you.
Transportation
So you can stay active with your friends and within your community, our caregivers are able to drive clients that have their own vehicles. With a Sterling caregiver driving, you or your loved one can be transported in a safe manner to local appointments and events.
Sterling Care offers in home companion care to customers in the lower Fairfield County, Connecticut and includes the cities of Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Southport, Stamford, Weston, Westport and Wilton.
