Savoring Independence: How Meal Prep Services Empower Seniors in Allentown

Meal Preparation Services

Older adults often have trouble in preparing their meals. They may have mobility issues that make it challenging to work in the kitchen, or they may have cognitive conditions that interfere with their ability to make healthy meals. AmeriBest caregivers can help. We can assist seniors in preparing nutritious dishes that help them achieve higher levels of physical and mental health. Read on to learn more about how meal prep services in Allentown.

Local Meal Prep Assistance in Allentown, PA

Seniors are often vulnerable, low-income, and many are disabled. However, there is hope. They face daily challenges meeting basic needs. 

However, amidst these difficulties, there is hope. Local services offer a lifeline by providing affordable meals, ensuring our beloved elders have access to nourishment and support. They come together to ensure every senior goes hungry and feels remembered.

For example, Allentown, PA, offers several food banks. These non-profit organizations distribute food to low-income people at soup kitchens and food pantries. The city also provides a Meals on Wheels program that delivers food directly to seniors’ doors.

These programs are beneficial and can do even more to help seniors with comprehensive care from in-home aides. Additionally, many home caregiver agencies also offer programs that allow family members to get paid for caring for senior loved ones to make care more affordable.

What Does Meal Prep for Seniors in Allentown Entail?

Both family and professional caregivers can assist with meal prep, which may include:

  • Mixing ingredients
  • Heating things in the stove or microwave
  • Plating and serving food
  • Storing uneaten food

They may also provide services that are related to home care meal preparation, such as:

· Grocery shopping: Caregivers can provide transportation and accompany seniors on grocery shopping trips to ensure they get the healthy items they require

· Feeding Assistance: In-home aides offer feeding assistance to seniors who are unable to feed themselves

· Clean Up: Aides can wash dishes and wipe down surfaces after meals to ensure the home is clean.

Why are Meal Preparation Services for Seniors Important?

  • Ensures They Eat Regularly: Many seniors need to remember to eat or follow an irregular eating schedule. Caregivers maintain a regular eating schedule that benefits physical and mental health.
  • They Eat Healthy: When caregivers oversee meal preparation for seniors, they ensure they eat healthy foods and follow doctor recommendations.
  • Improves Physical and Mental Health: Home care meal preparation means seniors eat nutritious food that benefits physical health. They also feel cared for. They maintain a regular eating schedule that provides a sense of comfort and minimizes anxiety and depression.
  • Minimizes Accidents: Seniors are more likely to become injured in the kitchen. They can cut or burn themselves or trip and fall over items. 

 

Meal Preparation Services

 

AmeriBest Offers Meal Prep Help for Seniors in Allentown

AmeriBest provides meal prep for seniors in Allentown and so much more. We also help with housekeeping, shopping, laundry, self-care medication reminders, and appointment scheduling. Our caring and compassionate aides provide companionship to decrease feelings of depression and anxiety.

Family caregivers can get paid for caregiving with AmeriBest. We offer competitive pay and benefits, a supportive environment, and an opportunity to learn valuable career skills. We give you the tools you need to provide a high level of care.

Contact us to learn how we can ensure your loved one enjoys optimal physical and mental health.

 

Home Care Agency for Stroke Recovery in Philadelphia

May is National Stroke Awareness Month. As a home care agency for stroke recovery in Philadelphia, AmeriBest sees the impact of strokes on individuals and families daily. Did you know that, according to the American Heart Association, someone has a stroke every 40 seconds in the United States? It can lead to disabilities and death. The good news is that 80% of strokes can be prevented. Keep reading to learn more about stroke reasons, risks, signs, and post-stroke care in Philadelphia.

The Makings of a Stroke

A stroke occurs when blood flow to some part of the brain becomes blocked. Alternatively, it may happen when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. When brain cells do not get oxygen-bearing blood, they will die. This creates a medical emergency. The sooner stroke treatments can be administered, the better chances physicians have of allaying some of the potential results. Delays in stroke treatment increase the risks of permanent brain injury or even death. 

Stroke Risks

There are a variety of factors that increase the potential for having a stroke. Some risk factors can be managed by medicine and monitoring, others cannot. If you have:

  • A history of smoking, alcoholism, or using illegal drugs
  • An abnormal heart rhythm
  • Damaged heart valves
  • Diabetes
  • Heart Disease
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Hight Red Blood Count, Cholesterol, or Lipids. A high red blood count means your blood is thick, increasing the chance of clots. Cholesterol can thicken arteries
  • Obesity
  • TIA (transient ischemic attacks aka a mini-stroke) history

Then you have a higher propensity toward stroke, especially if more than one of these factors is in play. 

While strokes can happen to anyone at any time, people over 55 have twice the chance of having a stroke. Men experience strokes more often than women. One in four people who survive a stroke are at risk for another. 

Home Care Agency for Stroke Recovery in Philadelphia

Stroke Signs

The CDC explains the use of the FAST system to recognize the signs of a stroke.

F – Face drooping

A – Arm limp or weak

S – Speach issues, including stuttering

T – Time is of the essence – call 911 immediately.

What Can You Do?

When consulting with families in the AmeriBest Home Care Philadelphia, PA caregiver agency circle, we strive to educate everyone on ways to prevent stroke. The most important action is living a healthy lifestyle, including adjusting your meal and snack choices to more fruits and vegetables while avoiding trans fat, cholesterol, and salt. 

It’s also important to watch your weight. Obesity increases stroke risk. The BMI index is one that shows you if your weight is in a healthy range. If you know your weight and height check it here. Hand in hand with your weight comes activity. Movement helps stabilize or even decrease your weight while supporting healthy blood pressure. 

You can learn a lot and make great contacts by participating in a National Stroke Awareness event near you.

Home Care Agency for Stroke Recovery in Philadelphia

It can be overwhelming to care for a stroke patient while also attending to your own needs. That’s where home and community-based programs like those at AmeriBest come into the picture. We can provide your loved ones with improved safety, while also focusing on their recovery. Call the AmeriBest Home Care Philadephia office (215) 925-3313; 1-800-HOMECARE for information. You can also email info@ameribest.org, or use our online form for questions.

Home Care Agency for Stroke Recovery in Philadelphia

American Heart Month: What is it and How to Observe it?

Every February, AmeriBest Home Care of Philadelphia and Harrisburg, PA, joins with many other organizations, physicians, nurses, in-home care workers, and families alike to observe American Heart Month every February. Why? Because over 600,000 people die annually from heart disease in the United States alone. Heart disease shows no preference for age, gender, or ethnicity. However, the following factors impact your risk:

  • Alcohol consumption
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Inactivity 
  • Poor diet
  • Smoking

If you have been thinking about caring for your loved one at home due to their heart health (combined with other matters), there are ways to give them heart-healthy habits and choices. In addition, you and your family can become advocates for raising awareness about heart disease by first learning about it. This is part of what American Heart Month is all about. 

Heart Disease 101

The term “cardiovascular disease” (CVD) is often used synonymously with “heart disease.” Both are umbrella terms covering everything from congenital heart defects and heart rhythm problems to the most common form of heart disease, coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is a hardening and narrowing of the arteries going to the heart, leading to stroke and heart attack. And while all that sounds frightening, the good news is that many deaths can be prevented with proper care. The earlier, the better. 

Signs of Heart Disease

CVD often goes hand in hand with old age. At AmeriBest, we work with seniors, giving them ways of strengthening their circulatory system. The first step is teaching families and individuals the signs of heart disease so prompt medical treatment occurs:

  • Chest pain (or pressure in the chest)
  • Feeling constantly tired or exhausted
  • Nausea and vomiting regularly
  • Palpitations
  • Shortness of breath
  • Weakness

Preventing Heart Disease

Home health aid services like those AmeriBest Home Care provides help you monitor heart health, but that’s only one part of the equation. There are great ways to keep a person’s heart in shape. Think of healthy habits like a daily vitamin supporting wellness. 

By making minor changes, you can get on the road to improved heart health. Start with increasing activity levels. Don’t go from zero to one hundred—small, progressive steps matter. About two and a half hours of moderate activity a week is all it takes. If your loved one has physical limitations, AmeriBest’s outstanding caregivers can help develop a safe routine.  

Next, think about diet. Limit saturated fats, salt, and meats with high-fat content. Stress fruits, whole grain, nuts, and vegetables. Look into the Mediterranean diet for ideas.

Monitor yourself or your loved one. When you go for a check-up, talk with the physician about blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol. There are medications specifically designed to target these two risk factors. And, people may not have to take them forever if they make suitable lifestyle choices. 

Finally, get more rest and avoid stress factors. Both support your immune system and improve both mental and emotional well-being.

Need Help?

If you’re in the Philadelphia or Harrisburg, PA area and have a loved one who needs more support than you can provide, reach out to us, asking about home care services. As a professional home health care agency, our staff provides compassionate and insightful assistance. Feel free to contact us HERE any time with your questions. 

January: Cervical Health Awareness Month

According to the American Cancer Society, cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women. 

It happens a lot less often than it once did, but yes, it is still a threat to many women.

According to the ACS (American Cancer Society) roughly 4,250 people in the U.S. died from cervical cancer in the year 2019.

The primary reason that fewer individuals are dying of cervical cancer these days is an increase in the use of the Pap test.

Cervical cancer is more prevalent in less developed regions of the world. In 2018, around the world, approximately 311,000 individuals died from cervical cancer.

This type of cancer is curable, particularly when treated in the early stage.

Will the stage at diagnosis matter?

Absolutely. In general, the earlier cervical cancer is diagnosed, the better the results. This type of cancer usually grows slowly.

A Pap test is able to discover abnormal cells on a cervix before they grow cancerous. It’s referred to as carcinoma in situ or stage zero cervical cancer.

Removing those cells may assist in preventing cancer from initially developing.

General cervical cancer stages are:
  • Stage One: Cancer cells exist on the cervix and might’ve spread into the uterus.
  • Stage Two: Cancer has grown outside of the uterus and cervix. It has not spread to the bottom part of the vagina or the walls of the pelvis.
  • Stage Three: Cancer has spread to the pelvic wall, the bottom part of the vagina, or is impacting the kidneys.
  • Stage Four: Cancer has reached beyond the pelvis over to the bladder lining, the rectum, or to distant bones and organs.

The five-year relative rates of survival based on those diagnosed with cervical cancer from the years 2009 – 2015 include:

  • Localized (confined to uterus and cervix): 91.8%
  • Regional (reached beyond uterus and cervix to sites nearby): 56.3%
  • Distant (reached beyond the pelvis): 16.9%
  • Unknown: 49%

Is there anything you can do to prevent it?

There has been a substantial reduction in the fatality rate since the Pap test came onto the scene.

One important thing to do to prevent cancer includes getting routine Pap tests and checkups as advised by a doctor.

Other methods of lowering your risk involve:

  • asking the physician if you ought to receive the HPV vaccine
  • obtaining treatment if pre-cancerous cervical cells are discovered
  • having follow-up tests done when there’s a positive HPV test or an abnormal Pap test
  • quitting or avoiding, smoking

Are you or your loved one experiencing cervical cancer?

You may require some support and care at home because of cervical cancer or its treatment. At AmeriBest Home Care our home health care professionals are dedicated to providing high-quality comprehensive home health and personal care services to valued members of our community. A lot of emotional and practical support is available to you. We offer Philadelphia home care services in a dignified and respectful manner. Your home health care professional manages your healthcare while you’re in your home. They’ll help with all non-medical issues that arise. Please call us at 215-925-3313 to find out how we can help you or your loved one.

January: National Glaucoma Awareness Month

Glaucoma is a condition that damages the optic nerve of the eye. Usually, it happens once fluid accumulates in the front area of the eye. This additional fluid increases the eye’s pressure and damages the optic nerve.

Caregiving for someone with glaucoma

The following tips might help to promote eye health and control high eye pressure:

  • Consume a healthy diet. Consuming a healthy diet may help to maintain your health; however, it will not prevent glaucoma from growing worse. Several nutrients and vitamins are critical to eye health, which includes antioxidant vitamins A, E, and C; selenium; copper; and zinc.
  • Safely exercise. Routine exercise might decrease eye pressure within open-angle glaucoma. Speak with your physician about a suitable exercise plan.
  • Restrict your caffeine. Consuming beverages that have large quantities of caffeine might raise your eye pressure.
  • Frequently sip fluids. Only drink moderate quantities of fluids during any given time within the course of a day. Consuming one or more quarts of any liquid within a brief time might temporarily raise eye pressure.
  • Sleep with an elevated head. Utilizing a wedge pillow that keeps the head raised slightly, around twenty degrees, has been proven to decrease intraocular pressure when sleeping.
  • Take all prescribed medication. Using eye drops or other medicines as prescribed may help to obtain the best possible outcome from treatment. Be certain that you use the drops precisely as prescribed. Or else, the optic nerve damage in your eye might grow worse.

Glaucoma is a condition that damages the optic nerve of the eye. Usually, it happens once fluid accumulates in the front area of the eye.

Alternative medicine (discuss with your medical provider!)

A few alternative medicine approaches might help your health overall; however, none is an efficient remedy for glaucoma. Speak to your physician about their potential risks and benefits.

  • Herbal remedies. A few herbal supplements, like bilberry extract, have been claimed to be remedies for glaucoma. However, more studies are needed to show their effectiveness. Do not use herbal supplements in replacement for proven therapies.
  • Relaxation methods. Stress might trigger acute angle-closure glaucoma. If you are at risk of that condition, figure out some healthy ways to cope with your stress. Meditation and additional techniques might help.
  • Marijuana. Studies show that marijuana can lower eye pressure in those who have glaucoma, yet only for 3 – 4 hours. Other traditional treatments are more effective. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, marijuana is not recommended to treat glaucoma.

Are you or your loved one experiencing glaucoma?

Once you receive a glaucoma diagnosis, you are possibly facing long-term treatment, routine checkups to slow down and prevent vision loss as much as possible. You might need some care and support in your home because of glaucoma or its treatment. At AmeriBest Home Care our home care professionals are committed to offering quality comprehensive personal care services to valued members of our community. We offer Philadelphia home care services in a respectful and dignified manner. Your home care provider will help with every non-medical issue that arises. Also, they can help you follow your doctor’s orders. Call an AmeriBest home health care provider today at 215-925-3313 to find out how we can be of help to you or your loved one to stay independent at home!

Thanksgiving 2021: To be, or not to Be 

This year’s Thanksgiving will be unlike any other. The cost of turkeys has skyrocketed and the fear of coronavirus continues to ominously hang overhead. You can still celebrate the holiday by taking the proper precautions at your Philadelphia home. 

The Safe Thanksgiving You and Your Loved Ones Deserve

The Thanksgiving celebration does not have to spread coronavirus throughout your family. If possible, move the celebration outdoors so everyone can breathe in the fresh air while enjoying turkey and all the fixings. There is no shame in wearing a mask while around loved ones until Thanksgiving dinner is ready. 

Above all, it will help to keep your celebration small. Limit the number of participants at your Thanksgiving dinner and you will have done your part to prevent the potentially deadly transmission of coronavirus between loved ones. 

Encourage Family Members to get Vaccinated

Vaccination is essential to safeguarding yourself as well as loved ones from COVID-19. If anyone invited to your holiday celebration is not vaccinated, encourage them to get the jab as soon as possible. Even one shot prior to Thanksgiving will help protect your family. 

Ideally, everyone who attends your Philadelphia Thanksgiving celebration will be fully immunized. Immunization helps to reduce the chances of severe illness as well as death. If everyone who attends your get-together is fully vaccinated, the event will be as close to normal as possible.

Thanksgiving 2021, Thanksgiving for seniors

Include the Kids

Kids between the ages of 5 and 11 are now eligible for vaccination. Have your kids vaccinated as soon as possible and you will be able to include them in your Thanksgiving celebration without even the slightest worry. Though your kids will not be fully vaccinated by the big day, partial vaccination will make a meaningful difference both in terms of health and wellness as well as your peace of mind. 

So don’t make any plans for a second “kids” table that is socially distanced from that of the adults. You can include vaccinated kids at the regular dinner table without worry by getting them vaccinated today.

Mind the Ventilation

If those attending your Thanksgiving celebration are not vaccinated, they can still interact with revelers at your home. However, it is in your interest as well as that of attendees to ventilate the area to the best of your ability. Open up the windows, turn on the ceiling fans and use air purifiers. Even opening a door every hour or so will improve ventilation, reducing the chances of a breakthrough case. 

Consider Rapid Testing

Though some family members might scoff at the idea of being rapid tested prior to socializing with their loved ones, it is in the interest of the collective family unit for such testing to be performed. Rapid tests generate results in mere minutes, providing everyone who attends the family get-together in Philadelphia, Allentown, or a nearby community with a truly invaluable peace of mind.

Learn More About Home Care by Connecting With AmeriBest Home Care

There is no shame in asking for Philadelphia home care assistance, especially when the grueling Philadelphia winter arrives. Our home care specialists are here to help you enjoy a high quality of life throughout the winter and beyond. Give us a call today at 1-800-HOMECARE or send us an email at info@ameribest.org to find out more about how our home care services will improve your quality of life or that of a loved one.

What is Respiratory Care and why Seniors and Caregivers Should Know About It?

The final week of October is Respiratory Care Week. Respiratory care becomes increasingly important throughout the aging process. If you have a senior in your life or are a senior yourself, you will greatly benefit from respiratory care knowledge and strategies. However, most people are understandably unaware as to what this unique type of care is really all about. Here’s a quick look at the basics of respiratory care for seniors.

Recognize the Importance of Respiratory Health for Seniors

Senior caretakers and seniors themselves tend to focus on the loss of bone strength throughout the aging process for good reason. Bone loss prevention is certainly important yet respiratory health is also essential to maintaining a high quality of life through the golden years. A senior with a chronic respiratory problem such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will struggle to perform self-care and complete the activities necessary for daily living. 

If you are a caretaker for a parent or grandparent, be sure to wash your hands before interacting with him or her to help prevent the transmission of germs that might cause an infection that leads to breathing difficulties. Even the common cold has the potential to cause breathing problems. 

It also makes sense for the senior in your life to minimize interactions with Philadelphia community members during flu season. Ideally, one or two primary caregivers will provide assistance to your elderly loved one during the winter months to minimize the potential transmission of germs and viruses.

Respiratory Care for Philadelphia Seniors

A respiratory problem makes it difficult to perform daily tasks, especially when you reach your 60s, 70s, and 80s. A senior diagnosed with such a condition will require ongoing assistance to do everything from bathing and grooming to meal preparation and even household tasks such as vacuuming. 

Respiratory problems have the potential to make it challenging to walk from the house to the car or even from the bedroom to the kitchen. Hold onto your parent’s arm when walking for additional support. The use of a walker or cane will also facilitate safe walking inside and outside of the home.

Mind the Indoor Air Quality

Most senior citizens spend the vast majority of their time indoors. Unfortunately, indoor air isn’t as clean as outdoor air. Though heating and cooling system filters remove some toxins and other particles from indoor air, they don’t remove every potential threat. Change these filters once every month or two to ensure they can trap as many nasty particles as possible. If you vacuum for the senior in your life, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to eliminate as many allergens, pollen, dust, and other diminutive particles from the living space.

Help the Senior Citizen in Your Life Choose the Right Clothing

An elderly individual who struggles to breathe will find tight clothing makes it that much more difficult to breathe without impediment. In particular, overly-tight clothing around the abdominal region, the chest, and the neck can constrain breathing. Go clothes shopping with your elderly loved one, choose nonrestrictive garments including those with elastic bands for additional flexibility, and he or she will have that much more freedom to expand the chest and diaphragm for easy breathing.

AmeriBest Home Care is Here to Help

Our home care providers have helped seniors throughout the greater Philadelphia area enjoy a better quality of life. Whether you or your loved one has a respiratory ailment, mobility limitations, or simply struggles completing daily living tasks, our Philadelphia care providers are here to lend invaluable assistance. Contact us today at 215-925-3313 or by email at info@ameribest.org to coordinate service at your Philadelphia-area home.

Coronavirus Holiday Safety for Seniors

Coronavirus Holiday Safety for Seniors

With a vaccine nearly here, health officials are still strongly encouraging mask wearing and social distancing. In fact, many states have recently added new safety precautions – including limiting indoor gatherings to 10 people at a time.

This makes holiday planning a little tricky for seniors this year.

But, not to fear! Seniors can still celebrate and partake in all the holiday cheer. They just have to do it smartly and safely.

In this article, we’ve included tips on how to keep your senior safe throughout the holidays, as well as suggestions on how to help your seniors make the most of their celebrations this year.

How to Keep Seniors Safe This Holiday?

As a word to the wise, here are some basic safety precautions to take this holiday season. You may be tired of hearing these tips, but it’s always good to have a reminder every so often. Especially, when it comes to the health and wellbeing of seniors we love. And, make sure your senior is following all CDC health guidelines.

  1. Avoid large parties.
  2. Social distance.
  3. Wear a mask.
  4. Wash hands frequently.
  5. Keep some hand-sanitizer nearby.
  6. Find out the health status of your guests.
  7. Sit 6-feet apart when eating.

How to Make the Most of the Holidays This Year?

Just because there are extra rules and regulations this year, doesn’t mean the holidays are ruined. In fact, you may find that some of these safety precautions actually have some positive impacts on the holidays. 

1. Focus on What Matters

Over the years, the holidays have become so commercialized, that we’ve easily lost sight of what truly matters. The real meaning behind the holidays.

Now, we have a chance and a reason to get away from the huge parties and instead stay home with family. The stricter safety regulations this year have given us a chance to spend quality time with our seniors and the people we truly love.

2. Send Gifts Ahead of Time

Sales have already begun. This means, that you can easily start your holiday gift shopping now.

If you can’t spend the holidays in-person together, sending gifts ahead of time to your senior is a sweet way of showing that you care. You can also make it an activity over the phone, and help your senior send his or her gifts to friends and family.

3. Learn How to Entertain Virtually

If you’ve got a big family, video calls will be your best friend this holiday season. Put your senior on a video call to keep him or her safe, but included. You can unwrap gifts together, watch holiday movies together, sing together, play games together, or even just sit and chat.

Video calls are a wonderful way to spend time with everyone this holiday season, while still being cautious.

4. Send Some Holiday Cards

Phone calls and video calls are nice, but there’s something extra special about a hand-written card. It may sound old-school, but sending a hand-written holiday card or thank you card, will really show your senior how much you care about them and how much you miss them. You may even want to help your senior write out some cards as well! 

Ready to provide caring and capable Home Health to a loved one in the comfort of their very own home? AmeriBest Home Care can help you! Call us today by number: 215-925-3313!

National Long-Term Care Awareness Month: A Brief Guide

National Long-Term Care Awareness Month

Put your hands together for National Long-Term Care Awareness Month!

For seniors and caregivers alike, this is an incredibly important month. National Long-Term Care Awareness Month brings attention to the emotional hardships, the medical benefits, and the financial advantages of lasting homecare and caregiving.

In honor of the month, we’ve put together a quick guide on everything you need to know about long-term care.

What Is Long-Term Care?

Long-term care for seniors is centered around individual health and personal care. The goal of long-term care is to help with everyday tasks, enabling seniors to live their best lives stress-free and comfortably.

Long-term care is generally intended for seniors with disabilities, serious injuries, or ongoing medical conditions.

What Does a Long-Term Caregiver Do?

A home health aide providing long-term care usually helps with:

  • Dressing
  • Meal prep
  • Hair, skin, foot, nail, and oral care
  • Laundry
  • Transportation
  • Light housekeeping
  • And more

Trained health care providers can also offer long-term medical care, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and skilled nursing.

A caregiver providing long-term services doesn’t just go through the rote motions of routine but also creates a safe and warm environment for seniors.

How to Get Paid for Caregiving?

The majority of long-term care is done at-home. And, it is mostly done un-paid by family or friends. While providing care for a loved one is an extremely rewarding endeavor, it can also be time-consuming and emotionally draining.

If you or someone you know is providing long-term care, lighten the burden, and get paid to be a caregiver! You can get paid to do the work you’re already doing by simply signing up as a home health aide.

When you sign on to work with a premium home care agency like AmeriBest Home Care, you’ll receive more than just a job,  you’ll receive a lifelong career. AmeriBest provides its caregivers with paid training, competitive pay, flexible hours, medical benefits, career encouragement, and more.

National Long-Term Care Awareness Month

Who Can Get Paid for Caregiving in PA?

Pennsylvania has multiple programs that offer un-paid caregivers a chance to get reimbursed for their out-of-pocket expenses pertaining to their caregiving. Expenses such as food, medical supplies, health services, and more.

With these programs, many adults acting as primary caregivers can receive compensation for their work, even if they are caregiving for family members or friends.

However, if you’re looking for more than just reimbursement, working as a professional caregiver can provide you with financial security and life satisfaction.

At AmeriBest Home Care, we are committed to providing exceptional home health and personal care services to seniors and members of our community. And, when you join the AmeriBest family, you’re joining a cause. A cause to make sure no senior gets left behind. That every senior, no matter physical ability or financial status, is given a real opportunity to live their very best lives.

What could be more rewarding?

Join the AmeriBest family, and get paid to be a caregiver!

Сall today at (215) 925-3313 or 1800-HOMECARE (for PA residents).

Caregiving Discussions: Lifestyle or Career?

Caregiving as a Lifestyle

Whether short-term or long-term, acting as someone’s primary caregiver requires time, money, emotional stamina, physical stamina, and mental wherewithal to make critical decisions regarding medical treatments.

And, when you’re devoting so much of yourself and your life to a role, it’s no exaggeration to say that eventually, that role becomes your lifestyle.

If you’re looking for a way to alleviate the burden of family caregiving, read on! In this article, we’ll discuss the different types of caregiving lifestyles you may fall into, caregiving as a career, and how you can get paid to be a caregiver.

Caregiving as a Lifestyle

According to a study conducted on family care, caregivers can be categorized into five distinct groups of care: compressed generational, broad generational, intensive parent care, career care, and serial care.

Each group represents a different lifestyle. The lifestyles are based on the number of care patients, the age at which one first becomes a caregiver, the length of the caregiving, and the exhaustion of the caregiver’s abilities due to overlaps.

Compressed and broad generational care:

Compressed and broad generational care are the two most common forms of caregiving, according to Fast et al.’s study. These two categories of caregiving involve caring for a family member or close relative and start during the middle to a late period of one’s life. Compressed and broad generational care run for shorter periods of time, with an average of 4-14 years.

Caregivers who fall under these two categories generally care for an aging and/or ailing parent. According to www.caregiver.org, nearly 85% of caregivers care for a loved one, 42% of which for older parents.

Intensive parent care, career care, and serial care:

Caregivers who have taken on intensive parent care, career care, or serial care, constitute the smallest population of caregivers but are overcome with the largest stresses of caregiving.

These caregivers take on the burden earlier in life, between the ages of 30-50, and labor for the longest duration, 10-30 years.

On average 40% of caregivers are classified as being in “high-burden” situations, with the financial encumbrance ranging from $7,000 to $12,000 a year.

home care agency in philadelphia

Caregiving as a Career

If you fall under one of the five categories of lifestyle caregiving, it might be time to turn your caregiving into a career, and get paid for the work you already do! Become a professional home care aide, and get paid to take care of aging parents and grandparents.

At AmeriBest Home Care, we understand the burdens involved with caring for a loved one. And, how those burdens can often get in the way of good caregiving. That’s why we do all that we can to create a stress-free, enjoyable experience for our caregivers.

When you sign on with AmeriBest, we’ll provide you with professional training, health insurance, dental, vision, life insurance, holiday pay, overtime pay, sick days, 401k, PTS, and competitive pay.

With AmeriBest Home Care, caregiving isn’t just another stressful obligation, it’s a wonderful and meaningful career.

Give us a call today at (215) 925-3313 or 1800-HOMECARE (for PA residents).