Month: April 2016

There are many senior care agencies in Utah, but none like Aspen Senior Care.  We’re different!  Gary Staples founded Aspen Senior Care over 11 years ago because of his genuine love,  enthusiasm and admiration for seniors and his desire to provide a much needed to service to seniors who want to stay at home in their final years.

Gary chose a team of office staff and caregivers who share his vision of helping seniors in their homes. In an industry with high employee turnover, Gary has creaWP_20160310_15_04_52_Proted a company where no one wants to leave! Most of the office staff have been with Aspen over 8 years, and a many of the caregivers have been with Aspen 5+ years, with a few dating back to it’s very beginning.

Here’s what some of our clients have to say about their experience with Aspen:

“Dear Aspen Senior Care: Thank you so much for the loving care you gave to our mother, LaRae, since she was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor last August. It is impossible to list the many people and services that were provided, but please know how much each and every one of you was loved and appreciated by LaRae and our family… we give special thanks to Juli who became not just a caregiver, but a dear, dear friend to our mother. She truly went the extra mile in every way.” ~ u201CPretty in Pinku201D Tea Party 029

“I appreciate how we have had really good caregivers, it has been amazing that the substitute caregivers have even been great. Aspen Senior Care has worked with us to find unique and caring caregivers that fit our family’s needs. Aspen…has been an enriching experience for us.”  ~ Bonnie  C.

“What impressed me the most about the caregivers from Aspen Senior Care is that they have developed a strong relationship with my mother and that demonstrates that they truly care about her.” ~ Helen S.Aspen 5 years

Aspen’s mission statement is to help seniors stay in their homes for as long as possible and treat each client as family. We have a big Aspen family and there’s always room for more!

If we can help you or a loved one with caring companionship, house-keeping, medication reminders, personal care, dementia care, night care or errands, give us a call at 801-224-5910. We’d be happy to visit with you.

 

Ask Questions When Interviewing Senior Care Agencies

In-home care agencies allow seniors to stay in their homes longer and enjoy more freedom and independence, so it’s important to ask questions when hiring a senior care agency.

There are so many agencies now and the quality of care varies greatly. Just because a caregiver is employed by an agency doesn’t necessarily mean they have the training and experience to care for an elderly person.

Allowing and trusting a stranger into a private home can be risky and challenging so it’s really important for families to research agencies carefully when considering in-home care.

Ask questions such as these when interviewing senior care agencies:

  1. How long has this agency been in business? 
    • Use a company that is well known. It doesn’t need to be large or a franchise. Make sure to ask for references.
  2. How does the company recruit caregivers? 
    • Some hire anyone who walks through the door.
    • Do they run federal or state background checks as well as reference checks?
  3. What skills and certifications are required and how does the company assess each caregiver’s skills?
    • Do they know the caregiver’s strengths, weaknesses and interests? This is important when matching caregivers with clients.
  4. Are employees insured and bonded through the agency? 
    • Are they covered by Workers Compensation insurance and does the company pay their payroll taxes.
  5. Does the agency send the same person rather than a new caregiver each visit?
    • It is a good idea to have 2 or 3 caregivers on a team in case one becomes ill or leaves.
  6. If a caregiver isn’t a good fit, will the agency provide someone else quickly?
  7. Does the agency provide a quality of care evaluation regularly and who does this?

At Aspen Senior Care, we have hired a third party, Home Care Pulse, to conduct monthly interviews with our clients, to find out how we are doing and where we can improve. We are serious about providing the best care possible.Family Caregivers need to know the Difference between 24-Hr Hourly Care and 24-Hr Live-in Care

Aspen Senior Care…

  1. is well established in our community with over 11 years of service in Utah County.
  2. carefully screens and runs background checks on potential caregivers. We conduct lengthy interviews and check all references of potential caregivers.
  3. requires caregivers to be either CNAs or Certified Companion Aides (CCAs). Our caregivers are also trained in dementia and hospice care.
  4. is bonded and insured, provides Workers Compensation insurance and pays all payroll taxes.
  5. strives to be consistent with a team of caregivers so that clients will have familiarity with their caregivers.
  6. listens to client concerns and always tries to find the best caregiver fit.
  7. does on-site evaluations of caregivers and alternate with a home visit and a phone call to our clients every other month. These visits and calls are done by our field supervisors.

Call us at 801-224-5910 and see if we can answer these questions to your satisfaction. We are passionate about providing quality care to seniors. We consider our clients and caregivers to be part of our Aspen family and we’d love to have you be a part of it!

Aspen's Scheduling Team

Aspen’s Scheduling Team

 

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it”
— Charles Swindoll

Did you know that our communication with others, especially those we care for, can impact how we feel and think?  While the words we speak can have a negative or a positive affect on those around us, they also affect us.

We are always creating “realities” around us when we communicate with others and others do the same with us.

Holly Whiteside at AgingCare.com gives the following example:

‘Imagine yourself visiting your loved one in the hospital. You are walking down the hallway when you overhear two people talking. One of them points at a nurse coming down the hall and tells her friend, “That one has a lousy attitude.”

Later, you meet that nurse in your loved one’s room. Do you feel good about her caring for your loved one?’

Subconsciously, you probably have already formed an opinion of her and will now notice how she does everything with a poor attitude.

We are constantly being “infected” by others’ words and actions, but do we notice how our own thoughts and words affect how we are feeling?  Words describe feelings but they can also CREATE feelings in ourselves and in others, which is why we should choose our words carefully.

Many types of communication in ordinary life are common, such as “venting” or “sharing.”   However,  caregiving is not ordinary life! As a caregiver, your energy and attitude need to be safeguarded at all costs.

Many of us know people who drain the emotional energy from us. It’s hard to be around people like that. But if we are saying negative things to ourselves about our situation it can be just as draining.

Saying to yourself that “Caregiving is hard” has a slightly negative tone about it, but if you change the phrase by saying  “Caregiving is a challenge” it makes the tone a little more hopeful.

Of course, we all need to vent at times, but Holly Whiteside recommends setting a limit to this. It’s helpful to talk about difficulties, but then move on to more constructive communication.

If we are always creating our realities, with practice we should be able to create something positive!

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Here at Aspen Senior Care we value each and every one of our clients and their families!  Each client is unique and we design our services to match their needs.   If you are in need of assistance or have any questions about our services please give us a call at 801-224-5910 or visit our website at aspenseniorcare.com.