Raising ‘Rents (as in pa’Rents)

Host Zack Demopoulos recently attended a ComForCare national conference and had the opportunity to speak with quite a few owners and operators  of ComForCare home care agencies from all over this continent.  He shares some great tips from these passionate providers that come from their experience of hiring many caregivers in these series.

 In this episode he interviews Renee Henriques, owner and operator of ComForCare in Toronto Canada.

 This show is sponsored by ComForCare, a national home care provider that will help you live your best life possible.

In previous Episode 26 and Episode 27   Zack discussed hiring home care to help you care for a family loved one so that they can continue to live at home independently and safely.  Home Care is Day 17 of the 30 Day Preparation Plan to care for an aging adult.  

Renee shares personal experience with caring for her father.

Zack:  That's Renee Henriques.  She owns and operates a ComForCare home care agency in Toronto.  We are going to hear more from Renee in this final episode, episdoe 33, of the series Hiring a caregiver to help you care for your family loved one. 

Zack:  I asked Renee how did she know she was cut out for homecare?

Renee:  I have nursing background and have been through the home care experience twice.  There was no private home at the time and she could've used it and someone to have coached her along. 

Zack:  Let's go back to the story about Renee's father.  I asked her what did she learn from that experience. 

Renee:   Shares the story about how she handled her father who was confused wandering outside knocking on the doors of his neighbors.  She had to tell him that he had to move and that it was temporary.  She did it out of desperation.

Zack:  He was happier in the last five years of his life than he ever was.  That is a powerful story and brave of Renee to have made that decision and be honest enough to share that with us.  But you ask…what does that have to do with home care?  Who runs a home care agency is just as important as hiring that right caregiver.  With Renee at the helm of her home care operation and with all that personal raw experience,  you will get genuine and appropriate guidance that will steer you in the right direction of your caregiving journey.

Renee:   When I meet a family in the beginning of their caregiving journey, they usually do not know where to go and do not understand the system and since I have worked in the healthcare system for a long time I can add that value.  I know the person to sign up for assessment for Canada's offering of free home care.  Alzheimer Society has great resources.

Zack:  What makes Renee unique is that she offers resources I do not usually hear from others or may not be top of mind, resources that are very valuable for you the caregiver. 

Renee:  I offer various caregiver support chat rooms that anyone can access regardless of where you are from.

Zack asks her why is this so important?

Renee:  This can help calm a caregiver down.  Better decision making.  It helps in situations where some people may not want care and there are ways to work through that.

Zack:  You see, hiring a caregiver is more than just placing someone in your home.  A good agency should be able to help you, like Renee is suggesting here, with things like dealing with mom or dad who may be very resistant to having a stranger in their house.  Speaking of a caregiver coming to your house, I asked Renee what should a family expect from an agency as far as what they should be providing in way of a qualified and skilled caregiver?

Renee:  Caregivers should be bonded, insured.  Agency should be credible in terms of required documentation.  Ongoing education for caregivers.  Ways for the family to get what they need like a schedule and is someone on call 24 hours a day.

Zack:  Renee is obviously very experienced.  I wanted to take advantage of that and asked her to share with us some unique tips that caregivers should consider when caring a family loved one who may be confused or has dementia. 

Renee:  One tip is when having a conversation with someone who is confused and they may not want to do what you want them to do is to buy some time.  Help them make that decision by making that time short for them.  Another tip is to avoid phrases such as "remember when".  Third tip is be aware that they can read your moods.  If you are frustrated they will get frustrated.

This was Episode 33 and our final episode in the 5 part series of talking about hiring a caregiver to help you care for a family loved one.  

Thank you for listening to the Raising 'Rents podcast. If you have any questions or feedback, please go to our website www.raisingrents.com and click on the "Contact" tab.  Let us know about any topics you want covered.  You can also find the show notes and references to anything we talked about.  Until we talk again, remember that our parents raised us, the least we can do is help raise them. Talk to you later.

References:

Renee Henriques

ComForCare Toronto Canada

205-2 College St., Toronto, M5G 1K3, Canada

Email: 

Toronto-Central@ComForcare.ca

Phone: 416-966-2100

Fax: 

866-298-1289

Sources used in this episode:

Intro/outro music: Arthaiz

Other music:   bensound-betterdays drama credit bensound

• Daughter Anastasia Demopoulos does the opening voice over

Website created and managed by Philip Golden

Host Zack Demopoulos recently attended a ComForCare national conference and had the opportunity to speak with quite a few owners and operators  of ComForCare home care agencies from all over this continent.  He shares some great tips from these passionate providers that come from their experience of hiring many caregivers in these series.

 In this episode he interviews Devon Williams, owner and operator of ComForCare in Danbury Connecticut.   

 This show is sponsored by ComForCare, a national home care provider that will help you live your best life possible.

In previous Episode 26 and Episode 27   Zack discussed hiring home care to help you care for a family loved one so that they can continue to live at home independently and safely.  Home Care is Day 17 of the 30 Day Preparation Plan to care for an aging adult.  

Devon shares that he initially didn't have the appreciation for what families struggle through.

Devon shares how he got into homecare.

De`Zack—I don't know about you but I am asking myself how does an Electrical Engineer all of a sudden become a home care provider.  I asked him that. He said he met with someone he respected and received their feedback that led him to make this important decision.

Devon shares that that someone sat down with him and told why he thought he would be a great home care provider.  It takes being  

Zack-how did you get more confident about what you do?

Devon-share that his eye opening experiences shaped his passion and confidence as a home care provider.

Zack-I asked Devon what makes him different from other home care providers.

Devon shares thorugh 10 years of experience he has become an information center.

Zack:  One thing Devon does that is very important is that he encourages you to meet with him before you make any decisions.

Devon advocates meeting in a sofa visit or a free consultation.

Zack:  What should a family be looking for?

Devon:  Clear communication and honest.

Zack:  What should a family do when they are caring for someone who is showing some cognitive impairment.

Devon:  Family members should seek professional advice from agencies and doctors.  Do not battle with them.  Refrain from using terms like "remember" or "dementia"  or "sundowning".  Don't be in denial.  Accept what is going on. 

This was Episode 32. Join us for Part 5, the final episode in this series talking about hiring a caregiver to help you care for a family loved one.  

Thank you for listening to the Raising 'Rents podcast. If you have any questions or feedback, please go to our website www.raisingrents.com and click on the "Contact" tab.  Let us know about any topics you want covered.  You can also find the show notes and references to anything we talked about.  Until we talk again, remember that our parents raised us, the least we can do is help raise them. Talk to you later.

References:

Devon Williams

ComForCare Danbury CT

Phone: (203) 702-1181

Fax: (203) 702-4458

Address:

155 Main Street
Suite 201
Danbury, CT 06810

FACEBOOK

Sources used in this episode:

Intro/outro music: Arthaiz

Other music:   bensound-acousticbreeze bensound credit e7

Daughter Anastasia Demopoulos does the opening voice over

• Website created and managed by Philip Golden

Host Zack Demopoulos recently attended a ComForCare national conference and had the opportunity to speak with quite a few owners and operators  of ComForCare home care agencies from all over this continent. He shares some great tips from these passionate providers that come from their experience of hiring many caregivers in these series.

 In this episode he interviews Alois and Wilbert Smith who own and operate a ComForCare home care agency in Saginaw Michigan.  

 This show is sponsored by ComForCare, a national home care provider that will help you live your best life possible. 

In previous Episode 26 and Episode 27   Zack discussed hiring home care to help you care for a family loved one so that they can continue to live at home independently and safely.  Home Care is Day 17 of the 30 Day Preparation Plan to care for an aging adult.   

Alois begins talking about how important honesty and trust is when hiring a caregiver and an agency.  

Integrity and trust are not the only values and experiences Alois and Wilbert bring into their agency. They have real experiences caring for many family members of their own.  Caregivers who have experience caring for their own family tend to be some of the best caregivers and home care providers I have come across. These experiences inspired Alois and Wilbert to start their own home care agency.  

Wilbert and Alois did not know about the home care industry and Alois found out through a SBA career coaching session when they conducted a personal background evaluation, they found they were a good match for this industry.  They have helped care for two grandfathers, three great grandmothers, and three grandmothers.  

Alois talks about Wilbert's mother who had end stage Alzheimers compounded with a UTI and then hospitalized and placed in a rehab refusing to eat and drink.

Fortunately Wilbert's mother had a directive which guided her children on how to handle situations like this.  

Alois share that a directive was in place that legally gave the children directions on how to handle decision on her behalf in case she couldn't.  

Zack asks  Alois were there any signs that she saw back then or now after the fact that might help caregivers look for?  Alois shares how Wilbur's mom was a meticulous recordkeeper used a notebook on a monthly basis and a calendar on a daily basis to keep records.

Zack asks Wilbert how does he think family members can find home care providers like them, people with family experience, but also care a lot about what they do. Wilbert suggests that you meet with a home care agency in person and you can determine if they really care by the way they communicate with you and take in what you are sharing with them.  

Wilbert says that eye to eye is the best way to interview a home care agency and caregiver, not over the phone.

Wibert says that the best question to start off an "eye to eye" conversation is "What do you do?".  Are they meticulous about hiring caregivers, do they have a process that they expose the caregiver to make sure they meet their standards, they have a resemblance of integrity that though they are not there watching them, they are going to do the right thing.

Wilbert advises in order to avoid a crisis, be observant in the (care recipient's) environment and look for things as simple as trip hazards to prevent falls.  

Alois:  Being observant is critical.  We could have intervened earlier with Wilbur's mom if we had seen how about her notebook taking had gotten.

Wilbert:  You need to have another family member with you because they may see something you missed.

This was Episode 31. Join us as we continue the series for the next episode where we continue talking about hiring a caregiver to help you care for a family loved one.  

Thank you for listening to the Raising 'Rents podcast. If you have any questions or feedback, please go to our website www.raisingrents.com and click on the "Contact" tab.  Let us know about any topics you want covered. You can also find the show notes and references to anything we talked about. Until we talk again, remember that our parents raised us, the least we can do is help raise them. Talk to you later.

References:

Alois and Wilbert Smith

ComForCare Great Lakes Bay Region, Michigan

Phone: (989) 752-5501

Fax: (989) 752-5503

Address:

515 North Washington Avenue

#404

Saginaw, MI 48607

FACEBOOK

Sources used in this episode:

Intro/outro music: Arthaiz

Other music:   bensound-pianomoment WARM CREDIT BENSOUND

• Daughter Anastasia Demopoulos does the opening voice over
• Website created and managed by Philip Golden

Host Zack Demopoulos recently attended a ComForCare national conference and had the opportunity to speak with quite a few owners and operators  of ComForCare home care agencies from all over this continent. He shares some great tips from these passionate providers that come from their experience of hiring many caregivers in these series.

In this episode he interviews Su Madan, owner and operator of a ComForCare home care agency in Canton, Massachusetts..  

This show is sponsored by ComForCare, a national home care provider that will help you live your best life possible.  https://comforcare.com/

In previous Episode 26 and Episode 27   Zack discussed hiring home care to help you care for a family loved one so that they can continue to live at home independently and safely.  Home Care is Day 17 of the 30 Day Preparation Plan to care for an aging adult.   

Su shares with Zack about her family and how it shaped who she is today.

Su took care of her grandfather who lived up to 99 years old in India.  She knew the right step in home health to take when she came to this country from India.

Su refers to her home care providing experience as getting an extra family member to help out when someone is unable to be there.

She emphasises before placing someone in your own home for caregiving, make sure person coming into your home has been vetted and has insurance.  For example workers compensation in case they get injured on the job. They need to be fully screened. And they need to be compassionate.

Su shares that you will know if someone has compassion or not by the way they greet you, shake your hand, look into your eyes and smile.  

Su stresses that you should do your due diligence with an agency--check their referral sources, do they do do anything for their community besides their services, speak to some of their current clients, and check with the Council of Aging for how good their reputation may be.  

Su best advice for family caregivers is to be proactive and try to help mom and/or dad avoid that fall is very important.

She also warns about caregiver burnout which Zack has seen many times with the families over the past years.

This was Episode 30. Join us as we continue the series for the next episode where we continue talking about hiring a caregiver to help you care for a family loved one.  

Thank you for listening to the Raising 'Rents podcast. If you have any questions or feedback, please go to our website www.raisingrents.com and click on the "Contact" tab.  Let us know about any topics you want covered. You can also find the show notes and references to anything we talked about. Until we talk again, remember that our parents raised us, the least we can do is help raise them. Talk to you later.

References:

Council of Aging

Su and Summit Madan

ComForCare

Phone: (781) 821-2800

Fax: (617) 356-8294

Address:

399 Neponset St, Suite 208

Canton, MA 02021

Sources used in this episode:

Intro/outro music: Arthaiz

Other music:   bensound-acousticbreeze bensound credit e7
Daughter Anastasia Demopoulos does the opening voice over
Website created and managed by Philip Golden

Host Zack Demopoulos recently attended a ComForCare national conference and had the opportunity to speak with quite a few owners and operators  of ComForCare home care agencies from all over this continent. He shares some great tips from these passionate providers that come from their experience of hiring many caregivers in these series. 

In this episode he interviews Tom Bolonder, owner and operator of a ComForCare home care agency in Annapolis Maryland right on Chesapeake Bay.   

This show is sponsored by ComForCare, a national home care provider that will help you live your best life possible.  https://comforcare.com/

In previous Episode 26 and Episode 27   Zack discussed hiring home care to help you care for a family loved one so that they can continue to live at home independently and safely.  Home Care is Day 17 of the 30 Day Preparation Plan to care for an aging adult.   

Tom share:

•  what they do as a home care provider. The right agency has to be hiring the right caregivers.  
• Gives an example of a client and what his caregiver does for them.  
• Caregivers are usually referred by other caregivers.  A good agency will treat them well, invest in training,  have a mentor program
• Tom and his wife hire for heart, like the Chic Fil A model.  
• Talks about the importance of doing reference checks on that caregiver with clients they have cared for in the past. 
• How to hire for heart: Sit down and talk with them, you can tell when you sit down and talk with them, genuine care. Have they taken care of their own family?  Volunteered?

 Tom shared questions you should be asking a home care agency in hiring a caregiver for their family loved one:

1. What are the minimum hours?      
2. Will it be the same caregiver for all shifts?  
3. What kind of training do the caregivers go through?  
4. How do you vet your caregivers?  
5. What is the cost?  
6. Can you get references?  
7. Do they drive to appointments? 
8. Do they cook?  
9. How often will you report back to us?

Thank you for joining us for Episode 29.  Join us for the next episode where we continue our series on hiring a caregiver to help you care for a family loved one.  

Thank you for listening to the Raising 'Rents podcast. If you have any questions or feedback, please go to our website www.raisingrents.com and click on the "Contact" tab.  Let us know about any topics you want covered.  You can also find the show notes and references to anything we talked about.  Until we talk again, remember that our parents raised us, the least we can do is help raise them. Talk to you later.

References:

Tom and Sue Bolander
ComForCare

Phone: (443) 906-6282

Fax: (443) 906-6284

Address:

846 Ritchie Hwy, Suite L-2

Severna Park, MD 21146

FACEBOOK PAGE

Sources used in this episode:

Intro/outro music: Arthaiz

Other music:   bensound-acousticbreeze bensound credit e7
Daughter Anastasia Demopoulos does the opening voice over
Website created and managed by Philip Golden