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Daniel Rivera, RICP www.RAretirement.com • We ♥ Referrals danielrivera@riveraassociates.us 1170 U.S. 22 East, Suite 104 Bridgewater, NJ 08807 ÊÊ Tel. 908.231.0600 • Fax 908.450.1523 We Specialize in: • Income You Can’t Outlive • Tax Free Income • Long Term Care Planning • Social Security Planning • Pension Planning • Tactical Money Management • Capital Preservation Ask about our Retirement Planning Classes at Raritan Valley Community College www.theconnectionsnj.com Whether you’ve been pro- viding care for a month, a year, or a decade, you’ve clearly dedicated yourself to ensuring that your loved one has the best care and quality of life possible for as long as possible. However, there may come a time when outside help is needed to maintain that quality of care for your loved one. This help may be necessary on a temporary basis or it may be cru- cial to keeping your loved one safe in their home. Knowing about the differ- ent options that a home care agency offers will assist you when making this decision and you will ultimately feel more in control. What Is Home Care? Home care is a term that represents a wide range of community-based serv- ices, from supporting someone who is recuperating from an acute situation, such as a hip fracture, to providing in- home services to an individual with an ongoing chronic condition such as Alzheimer’s disease. Having assistance in the home to care for a loved one makes it possible for them to remain at home in a safe environment, promotes independence and provides the family caregiver a chance to replenish their physical and emotional needs. Getting Started With Home Care If you are considering hiring home care help to assist you with your care giving responsibilities or to get some time for yourself, there are a number of things you need to consider: • The first step is to make sure you and your loved one are comfortable with the idea of someone else tak- ing on some of the tasks that you’ve been doing yourself. It is important for all involved to understand and agree that there is the need for home care services. • Defining the tasks that need to be completed by the caregiver will help you determine exactly what type of home care is most appropriate for your situation. For example you may need a home health aide to help your loved one get showered, dressed and to prepare meals and do light house- keeping. The majority of families need the most help with personal care. • Ask friends for references for rep- utable home care agencies; inquire about cost, minimum number of hours per visit and caregiver consis- tency. Be sure to ask if the agency follows NJ Best Practices for home care agencies. Fellowship Helping Hands conducts all of the necessary pre-employment screening and hiring required for all of our New Jersey state Certified Home Health Aides including a criminal back- ground check, physical, PPD and drug screen. They have attended our mandatory orientation and receive ongoing training and in-services that are specific to their roles as home care providers (i.e. fall prevention; nutrition, dehydration, safety, etc.). We also offer dementia and Alzheimers sensitivity training which is extremely beneficial for those aides who are working for clients with these issues. Aides are supervised by a Registered Nurse who conducts an initial assessment and develops a Plan of Care for the client. Both the client and families have access to our Nurse to discuss caregiv- er concerns, schedules or questions regarding the day-to-day non-medical services our aides provide. Agencies take responsibility for all aspects of your caregiver including payroll, taxes, benefits, scheduling, training, and supervision. There is rarely ever a break in service because the agency is able to provide a replace- ment when your caregiver calls out sick, goes on vacation or if there is a request for a change in caregiver. Before hiring a private caregiver, care- fully consider the liability and responsi- bility that will be required of you. To discuss all of your home care options, please contact Elizabeth Fandel at Fellowship Helping Hands at 877-708-1121 for a complimentary in-home assessment. WHEN KEEPING YOUR LOVED ONE AT HOME MEANS BRINGING IN HELP By: Elizabeth Fandel, Fellowship Helping Hands www.theconnectionsnj.com