Tender Loving Companions LLC - TLC

03/01/2018

Tender Loving Companions LLC - TLC updated their phone number.

Tender Loving Companions LLC - TLC updated their phone number.

11/01/2017

During November, the home care and hospice community honor the millions of nurses, home care aides, therapists, and social workers who make a remarkable difference for the patients and families they serve.

Join us in honoring these compassionate, tireless workers who play an invaluable role for their clients as caregivers, companions, and friends.

08/13/2017

For many baby boomers, watching parents age can be a source of sadness.

As moms and dads slow down, their needs increase, leaving families with very difficult decisions to make.

In the beginning, family members might question things about their parents’ ability to take medication correctly, plan and prepare meals, and handle sensitive financial issues.

As time passes, the initial concerns may be combined with other areas of worry regarding a parent’s ability to manage self-care (hygiene) and maintain mobility.

When these situations arise, family members often consider nursing homes as a possible solution.

Here are some of the benefits of in-home senior care:

Dignity - Staying at home often provides our clients with a certain sense of dignity that would be lost if they were to move to a nursing home.

Continuity - Not having to move provides our clients with a sense of continuity, which can be a source of comfort. Having to learn a new environment in a nursing home can be overwhelming.

Family - For family members, having Mom or Dad or Grandma or Grandpa remain in the family home can be very comforting. The family won’t have to rely on memories and can continue to enjoy their presence in their own home.

Tranquility - As people age, they generally value peace and quiet over other comforts. Hearing noises from neighbors in a nursing home, or beeps and dings from medical equipment can be bothersome. At home, our clients enjoy the environment that they created and have enjoyed for years.

While our list is certainly not exhaustive, it provides an overview of some of the benefits to loved ones who receive care in their own home as they age. At TLC our staff is comprised of extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and trusted professionals who take pride in helping your loved one with all that is necessary as they lose the ability to manage their daily activities.

Contact us today to learn more!

(678)615-2799

05/26/2017

Helping Seniors Avoid Isolation

As we age, the tendency to rely solely on ourselves is not uncommon.

Relying too heavily on our own person can be isolating though, especially among senior citizens.

While relying on the help of family or nursing staff can quickly become frustrating, it can also cause seniors to feel like a burden on others, thus creating the desire to isolate themselves. For this, and many other reasons, it is very important that senior citizens avoid isolation.

There other dangers associated with senior citizens being alone are very serious and include:

Risk of injury. A senior citizen may suffer an injury during their time alone. This can be as minor as a cut or bruise, or as serious as a trip and fall accident. If the injury is severe, they may not be able to access a telephone to call for help.
Risk of depression. Senior citizens are at risk of suffering from depression, especially if they isolate themselves.

Depression can lead to suicidal thoughts, which will require the help of severe medical attention.

How can you help prevent or resolve the issue of senior isolation?

Provide transportation. Senior citizens need a method of transportation to get to the store, to visit a friend, or to simply go for a walk outside. Whether that means picking them up and taking them out or investing in a mobility scooter, provide a way for your senior citizen to get around. There are a number of options when it comes to walking assistance devices, all you have to do is find one that is right for their individual situation.

Visit often. Visits from family mean everything, especially to a senior citizen that lives in some kind of care facility. Even if they are short, 20-minute weeknight pop-ins, a visit is a visit.

Spending quality time together allows your senior citizen to feel loved, appreciated, and wanted, and will help keep them busy instead of sitting quietly alone. If you begin to notice that they are isolating themselves more, try to stop by more frequently. If their isolation persists, you may want to have them medically examined, just in case they have slipped into a depression.
Encourage visits to worship. For many seniors, religion has been an integral part of their upbringing. Many people return to their religion in old age because they have more time for it. Senior citizens slipping into a state of isolation should be encouraged to revisit their religion, and extend their practice once again.

The sense of purpose that comes with worship can rejuvenate a senior and bring them out of their quiet isolation.

Boost self-confidence. Fostering friendships is one way to do this. Encourage your loved one to participate in the activities that their facility offers. Having a friend their age to confide in and share with will certainly boost their self-worth. Another simple way to boost self-confidence this is to encourage a senior to participate in daily physical activity. The endorphin rush, along with a more toned physique, can really amp up their confidence levels.
Make their home a special place. This is perhaps one of the best ways to pull a senior citizen out of their anti-social slump. Many senior citizens live in assisted care facilities or nursing homes that can feel dreary at times. Help to turn the space into a place of their own with pictures, indoor plants, and other memorabilia.

This might spark them to invite friends from their facility into their space, encouraging conversation and helping to foster relationships.

02/27/2017

Tender Loving Companions LLC - TLC updated their address.

Tender Loving Companions LLC - TLC updated their address.

11/24/2016

From our Family to Yours!

11/08/2016

Today a few caregivers at TLC ensured that their clients had an opportunity to vote!

10/31/2016

Dementia is an extremely emotional and uncomfortable topic. If you suspect a loved one suffers from a cognitive disorder or memory loss, you may not know how to approach the topic.

Read below for tips on how to start the conversation about dementia and getting tested for the disease.

1. Make It Your Issue

Often times elderly parents don’t want to burden their adult children with their ailments. The parent-child role reversal is not easy, for anyone involved, which is why adult children need to voice their worry and concern by making the issue their issue to get dialogue started.

An example statement might be:

“I worry about you and seeing what the doctor says would make me feel better. I would rest easier knowing that we have the most up-to-date information about your health.”
It’s important to stress that many memory and function problems can be helped with proper testing and diagnosis and that quality of life is what’s most important.

2. Contact the Doctor Before Routine Checkup

Instead of just showing up for a routine checkup or other scheduled appointment to express concerns, you might want to either call or write the doctor in advance to prepare them for the visit. It’s important to do the following:

Request a memory screening
Share examples of behaviors you have witnessed
If you have HIPAA clearance, the doctor can include you in the conversation. If you don’t, you can still share pertinent information to help your doctor diagnose any problems.

3. Enlist Someone Who Can Influence Your Family Member

If your family member or loved one doesn’t want to listen to you, recruit someone who they’ll listen to, whether it’s a attorney, clergy, friend, or other family member.

4. Keep It Positive

Don’t focus on the elderly loved one’s deficits, but rather discuss the importance of getting treatment that can help them retain their skills, memory and good quality of life.

Acknowledge that you’re on their side, you are their advocate and that you want them to live independently and happily.

It’s important to not use the terms dementia or Alzheimer’s as this can scare people and make them withdraw further.

5. Acknowledge Their Fear

It’s normal to be worried and fearful if you suspect something is wrong with your mind and everyday abilities. Be kind and human and acknowledge that you are also worried, which is why you want to get help.

A possible comment might be:

“I’m a little worried, too. If we can find out what’s behind the mix-ups, then the problem can be treated.”
6. Never Respond with Anger

Some people who suffer from cognitive disorders can display many challenging behavior problems, making it even more difficult for you to get help. The anger, confusion, fear, paranoia and sadness that people with the disease are experiencing can result in aggressive and sometimes violent speech or actions. If you respond with anger, they are less likely to listen to you.

It’s important to stay calm and approach slowly, from the front, using eye contact. Keep sentences short and simple and try to distract from the conversation with an activity or favorite food.

Get more communication strategies for dementia to help you confront, and treat, the issue.

7. Be Persistent

If your family member resists the conversation and doesn’t want help, persist gently. You can drop the conversation topic for the time being, and approach it again another time with a new tactic.

10/02/2016

Caregiving for a loved one can take its toll and can change family dynamics. Trying to provide care for a loved one can become very stressful.

If you need help, you are not alone. TLC provides caregiving services to families across Metro Atlanta. We can help you too!

Call us today 678-615-2799

09/13/2016

Many people don’t realize that falls are the number one cause of injuries and injury death in older Americans. One third of American seniors fall each year, resulting in more than 2.5 million emergency room visits and over 700,000 hospitalizations annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Falls in older adults can easily cause injuries, and lead to severe effects on physical and emotional quality of life. To prevent falls:

1. Remove anything that could cause tripping or slipping while walking.

2. Create clear walking paths.

3. Make sure carpets are secured.

4. Avoid wet floors.

also help avoid slippery surfaces.

5. Use non-slip items in the bathroom.

6. Make sure the house is well-lit.

7. Use handrails.

8. Use caution at night.

9. Keep up a regular health and exercise regime.

08/15/2016

Becoming a caregiver to a loved one is undoubtedly a tough job, one that many of us have already taken on or will take on in the future. Often an area that does not receive the proper amount of attention is gaining knowledge about when and how to help your loved one with their finances and to understand what may happen to their finances as their need for care progresses.

Below are some helpful tips for those in an elder caregiver role.

Start the conversation now!

Consider these questions:

1. What are their asset levels and their ability to pay for care?
Where does their income come from?
How are their assets titled (i.e., who owns the assets)?
Have they have done any planning to pay for the costs of elder care?
Do they have long-term care insurance?
Caregiving: Keeping It Real

2. Find out what is important to your loved one

Talk to your loved one about what they’d prefer in the event that they have to receive care:

Are they insistent that they be able to stay in their home?
Is it important to them that they are not a burden to their children?
Are they comfortable with the thought of moving to an assisted living facility or nursing home?
You may not be able to provide everything exactly as your loved one wants, but this information could help you in the future to understand why they may feel frustrated.

3. Seek financial advice

One step that many caregivers overlook is seeking financial advice from a financial planner who is experienced in elder care planning. Financial planners come in many different flavors, and the type of advice they are able to give is contingent on the licenses they hold. We recommend that you work with a “fee for service” planner rather than someone who provides advice for “free” as long as they are managing your assets. A “fee for service” financial planner is licensed to provide advice or recommendations in exchange for a predetermined fee and is legally bound to provide unbiased advice that is in the best interest of their client, rather than being paid a commission to manage assets.

The financial planner will help you understand which of your loved one’s assets may need to be liquidated to pay for care, the order in which this should happen, and how long the assets are calculated to last in various situations. If it is calculated that your loved one may eventually require assistance from Medicaid to pay for care, your planner could be invaluable in helping to implement strategies which assist in preserving assets and/or income. They may also be able to identify tax management strategies during Medicaid’s asset “spend down” or liquidation process. The financial planner should help to make sure that beneficiary designations on all accounts are correct and up to date.

4. Seek legal advice

Another step which is often missed in elder care planning is seeking the assistance of an elder law attorney in the state in which your loved one resides. It is important to work with a professional who is well versed in elder care laws specific to that state. The attorney can help to make sure that your loved one has up-to-date legal documents: a will, power of attorney, health care proxy and living will. An elder law attorney can also advise as to when it may be appropriate to apply for Medicaid, and may even help with the process. You should expect your attorney and financial planner to work with each other to ensure that all planning is coordinated.

5. Know where financial documents are located

Find out now where your loved one keeps their insurance policies, statements for investments and/or banking accounts, as well as legal documents. We recommend that you also keep a list with contact information for the professionals with whom your loved one works.

6. Consider how your caregiver role will impact your finances

Will you be missing work to attend doctors’ appointments? Will you have out-of-pocket expenses associated with caring for your loved one? It is best to consider now how your family’s personal finances may be affected, and to communicate now with your spouse, siblings, etc., to avoid potential future conflicts or surprises

07/27/2016

78 million baby boomers starting to retire at a rate of 8,000 a day, the demand for in-home care is increasing.

http://www.seniorliving.org/lifestyles/home-care/

07/09/2016

Saturday Morning Bingo with a few friends.

06/21/2016

Moving Elderly Parents Into Your Home

Here is a great article with helpful information for caregivers. There are several factors to consider before you make the decision to move Mom or Dad out of their home.

If you decide to move a parent or other relative in with you, you won't be alone: 1 of 4 caregivers lives with the elderly or disabled relative he or she cares for.

06/13/2016

Risks of Chronic Conditions | HomeCare Magazine

Keeping Seniors Safe

With so many seniors living with chronic conditions and the associated increased risk of falling, it is important to take steps to help seniors maintain their everyday routines.

As we age, our reflexes slow down, we lose muscle mass and our vision may not be as sharp, causing us to misjudge depths and distances. Over time, these physical changes can multiply, leading to a higher risk of falling. What many seniors and caregivers might not know, however, is that the presence…

05/30/2016

We would like to wish you a very Happy Memorial Day!! Remember we are all on this planet together. Remember how fortunate we are to be alive. Most of all, remember those who died while serving to protect us.

05/28/2016

National Stroke Awareness Month | cdc.gov

May is National Stroke Awareness Month.
To help protect yourself and your loved ones, learn what steps you can take to prevent a stroke and how to spot a stroke if one occurs.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. In 2008 alone, more than 133,000 Americans died from stroke—or one person every four minutes—died from stroke, making it the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.