All Valley Home Care provides senior home care services throughout the western United States and Michigan.

As a VIDA Certified Home Care agency All Valley is held to a strict set of standards including:

• Having someone on call 24 hours a day
• Being licensed, bonded and insured
• Conducting a thorough background screening of all employees
• Providing care giver training and insuring employees are certified in CPR and first aid
• Always personally introducing caregivers to the family
• Providing periodic onsite supervisory visits and weekly “Care Calls” to all clients

All Valley Home Care Agencies are committed to customer service.

Customer Service Commitments

• Providing the right resources for payment options
• Coordinating community resources free of charge
• Providing compassionate caregivers
• Continuous care coordination through effective oversight and communication
• Immediate face to face care assessments

Call All Valley today at 877-602-3191 and they will match you with a care giver who will provide your loved one the home care services they deserve.

Many people are confused about what senior home care services are and whether they are covered by Medicaid or Medicare. Senior home care is also often times confused with home health care & nursing.

What are Senior Home Care Services

Senior home care services are non-medical care services provided in the home by Home Care Agencies. These services can be covered by medicaid if certain eligibility criteria are met, but are generally not covered by medicare. Senior home care services are provided on 2 to 24 hour basis.

Senior Home Care Services Include:

• Respite care (family relief)
• Homemaker services
• Companionship
• Fall prevention
• Medication reminders
• Incontinence care
• Bathing & grooming

If you would like assistance or more information you can always call us at 1-866-775-0028, visit our Senior Home Care Agency Directory, or fill out this simple online form. Get Help Now!

Senior home care agencies provide caregivers to a person in their residence to assist with everyday activities. These activities include helping someone get up in the morning, showering, cooking, and cleaning. Seniors can utilize this help either for a short time while they are recovering from an ailment, or when things are just becoming too difficult to perform on a daily basis.

There are many cases when seniors can benefit from senior home care services.

• When family members are either gone at work or on vacation.
• When you just get back from the hospital.
• When you’re too busy to perform every household task.

Senior Home Care agencies are more than willing to work out a personalized and detailed plan of service. The office staff will go over everything the times and days of service, what is to be accomplished during those times, and what is to be expected from both parties.
Having someone come into your home might seem like a big step but when you see that it provides extra security for your family as a whole, you might want to consider home care services.

If you or your family thinks in home senior care might be a step in the right direction, you call and discuss the options with a Vida Senior Resource home care representative. They will go over the details with you and offer their knowledge, so you can make an educated decision regarding which route is best for you. If you or your family decides that home care is not the right path, our staff can point you in a direction that will best meet your needs, including assisted living placements.

If you would like assistance or more information you can always call us at 1-866-775-0028, visit our Senior Home Care Agency Directory, or fill out this simple online form. Get Help Now!

Denise Williams, Client Care Manger for All Valley Senior Home Care in Escondido, California shares advice about talking to an aging loved one about home care services. As a Vida Certified Home Care Agency manager, Denise educates and assists families with senior home care on a daily basis.

As our parents age and their ability to maintain their own independence steadily declines, it may become necessary to discuss the possibility of using home care services. The time may come when your loved one is going to need the supervision and care that you no longer have the ability to provide. Many people experience feelings of guilt when they consider outside care for their loved ones. These are normal feelings and despite them you must realize that you are looking out for your loved one’s best interests.

The decision to start in home senior care is usually a result of health or safety issues as well as a decline in a loved one’s quality of life. For some families, this can be a difficult topic to approach, particularly if the care recipient is resistant to accepting outside assistance. Their concerns may include fears regarding finances, trusting a stranger in the home or even the idea of the loss of independence.

The most common mistake that families make is not bringing up the topic with their aging loved one while their loved one is still able to comprehend what is happening and express any concerns they may have. Their fears should be addressed with complete understanding and prepared knowledge on several different care scenarios. The goal is to talk with them, listen to their concerns and open them up to the idea. It’s best to approach the topic gently and try not to anger or upset them to the point where they become defiant and oppose any idea of receiving help.

It is important that you explain your concerns and include them in the decision process so the solutions can be made together. Take the initiative by preparing yourself, doing your homework and offering options. Getting your loved one to focus on and speak about this topic can be a very challenging process. Let them know you are concerned and that by discussing this topic, you are looking out for their best interests. Your goal is to answer the questions they may have and be able to provide insight regarding your concerns.

Ten Tips for Discussing Senior Home Care with a loved one.

• Choose the right time and place: Choose a quiet, private setting to begin this conversation where you know your loved one is comfortable.
• Ask permission of your loved one to have this discussion: Asking permission assures them that you will respect their wishes and honor them.
• Be honest regarding your concerns: Don’t make promises you can’t keep; be sure to take your loved one’s concerns seriously.
• If they refuse to discuss the idea, you don’t want to pressure your loved one. Be persistent and return to the topic another time.
• Involve them in the care plan. Be sensitive to their feelings and preferences. Acknowledge their desires even if they are different from your own.
• Be patient and calm. No matter how helpless a loved one appears, treating an aging loved one like a child can crush any remaining feelings of dignity or independence.
• Listen to their concerns: It is important for you to understand your loved one when it comes to their care, so spend most of the conversation listening.
• Stay positive and understanding: It is normal to encounter resistance the first time you bring up the need for home care services. Don’t be discouraged, plan to try again at another time.
• Maintain communication: Continue to treat them with respect, patience, sympathy and understanding.
• Include others in decision-making: Recruit other family members to offer their guidance and express their concerns as well.

During the discussion, it is helpful to distinguish what is most important when it comes to your loved one’s care. This should include input from many different sources including your loved one, family members, his or her physician, spiritual advisor, close friends or neighbors. They may have suggestions in recommending the best type of care to meet your loved one’s needs. Most parents don’t want to burden their children, and they will often respond to open, honest communication. Showing them that you are genuinely concerned about their well-being can make all the difference.

If you would like more information or need help with a loved one or friend you can always call us at 1-866-273-2995, visit our Senior Home Care Agency Directory, or fill out this simple online form. Get Help Now!

Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons has proposed a budget cut reducing the Medicaid Personal Assistance Services program by $3.00 an hour.

Impact on Seniors

Senior home care companies will be forced to either discontinue services to Medicaid clients because the rate is too low, or pass the rate cut onto the caregivers providing the services.  This means that both the availability and quality of senior home care services to the elderly and disabled will be drastically lowered.

What can you do?

Contact your Nevada Representative today! Let them know how this cutback will impact you and your loved one’s.

For more information or help contacting your representative you can either call us at 1-866-273-2995 or fill out this simple online form.

There are several factors to consider when choosing a Senior Home Care Agency.  These factors range from the quality of senior care a particular home care agency can provide, to their availability to be reached after office hours.  Some other essential factors included whether or not they are licensed, bonded, and insured and whether or not they provide on-call service 24 hours a day 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  No matter how an individual ranks the importance of these factors, the fact remains that they should all be considered when choosing an senior in-home care agency.

1. Are they Licensed, Bonded, and Insured?

The first thing to consider when choosing any non-medical home care or senior home health care agency is whether or not they are fully licensed, bonded, and insured, this ensures the agency is reputable and respected. At Vida we require all of our Certified In-Home Care Agencies to be licensed, bonded and insured.

2. Is someone on call 24/7, 365 days a year?

Another factor to consider when choosing a senior home care agency is whether or not it is possible to contact the agency after business hours.  There should always be someone on call before and after business hours that can answer questions, or assist someone in need.  These on-call hours include all weekends and holidays.  Every Vida Certified Senior Home Care Agency is required to have some one on call at all times.

3. Do they conduct reference and background checks on caregivers and office staff?

An important factor when considering senior home care services is whether or not the caregivers and office staff are fingerprinted and have an FBI background check performed on them.  This guarantees that no one with a criminal record can enter a your senior loved one’s home.  Every Vida Certified Home Care Agency is required to conduct background checks on their employees.

4. Does the agency strive to ensure continuity of care?

The last thing your senior loved one wants is inconsistency and constant change.  Your senior loved one’s caregiver will not only build a relationship with their client, but will need know things essential to the plan of care, such as, where cleaning equipment is, daily meal plans, and preferred bathing and toileting routines.  It is important to match a caregiver and client based on personality. Vida Senior Home Care Agencies strive for continuity of care between the caregiver and client, including matching the caregiver of your choice to work with your loved one.

5. Does the Senior Home Care Agency provide Quality of Care Supervision?

The final piece of the puzzle when choosing an in-home senior care agency is quality of care supervision.  This includes a personal introduction between your loved one and the office staff of the agency every time there is a new caregiver, weekly phone calls to both the client and caregiver, and periodic on-site visits to your loved one’s home.  At Vida we require our home care agencies to call both the client and caregiver after the first three visits to confirm that everything went well and ensure there are no questions or miscommunications.  Additionally, all Vida agencies call every client and caregiver once a week just to check in, and make sure there are no problems of any kind.  The office staff also conducts periodic visits to the client’s home to speak face to face, and visually check the quality of care being provided.  These steps enable the  staff to answer and solve any questions or concerns before they become a problem.

While there is no all-encompassing formula for choosing a senior home care agency, these things can help someone decide which agency will be able to help them the most.  You can always call us at 1-866-273-2995 or visit our Senior In-Home Care Agency Directory for more assistance and information.

Many people ask the question; “How do I pay for senior home care services for my family member?” The answer may be with senior grants. In addition to Medicaid, there are a number of grants that give money to seniors specifically for in-home care. They range from assistance for people who do not qualify for Medicaid, to respite for the family taking care of the senior. The grants available vary depending on age, disability, and the area in which the person needing assistance lives. Since this can be confusing, VIDA Senior Resource Staff encourages anyone to call so we can assist with explaining, and applying for these grants. The Vida staff has experience with the application process, and they understand the requirements for eligibility.

Respite grants differ from senior grants in that even though the grant benefits seniors, it is technically for their family members. These types of grants offer respite (a break), to the family members taking care of the senior. They do this by furnishing money to pay for care the family would normally provide. This enables the family to go out for a night, or take a vacation, without worrying about leaving their parent or grandparent alone without help. Once again, the Vida staff will gladly assist in the application, and explanation of any requirements for these grants.

The staff of VIDA Senior Resource is a resource to be used, and their first-hand experience will make the application process for any grant much easier. Please feel free to call for any help or information at 1-866-273-2995 or browse or directory of Senior In-Home Care Agencies.

I recently assisted a lady who was seeking Senior Care for her mother. As we spoke I found myself explaining the difference between in home senior care, (non-medical in home care) and Home Health Care (skilled care). Patiently I weaved my way through her confusion regarding medicaid and medicare providing her guidance and direction choosing the care her mother required.

As I am both the webmaster of VIDASeniorResource.com and the author of our Senior Care Blog it was clear that my next blog post would serve the same purpose of the phone call I took earlier that day.

Its a scenario our in home senior care agencies often encounter.

“Ring Ring Ring…”

“All Valley Home Care, this is Matt how can I help you.”

“Yes my mom has a wound on her rear and I need a nurse to come help her. She is bed-bound and has bed sores that have turned into bleeding wounds.”

Although this request may sound straight forward and simple, the complexity of care that may follow is not.

Lets start with the wound and the request for a nurse. The care of this wound will require skilled care, which is provided from a Home Health Care Agency; This care is generally covered by medicare.

Medicare will pay for the nurse to come visit and provide the wound care, that is it. That could be as little as 2 hours a visit, 3 times a week.

This will merely treat the problem, but will not prevent the reoccurrence of the wound.

The source of the wound is the mother being bed bound causing the bed sources which are leading to the bleeding wound.

This is where Senior Home Care agencies come in. With a much lower cost per hour ($20-30) the caregivers provided by our agencies can do what the skilled care can not; Prevent the wound in the first place.

With both the companionship and support of the caregiver the wounds the mother is experiencing are not only prevented, she is also provided a means to staying and thriving independently in the comfort of her home.

With the many options available for the care of Seniors it is understandable how confusing helping your loved one find the care that best fits their needs can be. Our Care Managers and Care Consultants are trained to help you find this care, even if our services are not the answer.

If you require assistance or are just looking for information feel free to call us any time at 1-866-273-2995, locate an agency near you using our In Home Senior Care Directory, browse our Senior Care Advice pages, or email us.

In an era of increasing age throughout the US, health care is becoming an increasing concern. How will I be treated? Where will I be treated? These are a couple of questions that many seniors ask themselves. Fortunately, as medicine has improved over the years the quality of life continues to progress. Many seniors healthy enough to live at home are starting to receive the care they need from in-home caregivers. It is important to note that not all seniors are able or should receive home care but for a vast majority it can be realistic. The reality comes from understanding a few benefits of senior home care which are: coping, easily accessible, and one-on-one interaction. 

Coping

A myriad of seniors prefer to live at home while they get treatment for numerous communicable diseases or even routine checkups. The reasons for this are endless but for anyone who has seen a loved one go through the aging process it is easy to see why coping with it is difficult. For many of us when we go through hard times it is nice to have friends and loved ones close by to be able to interact with them. It is no different with seniors when they have their loved ones near by the quality of life can improve. Also, it’s far more comfortable for them to be in their own home rather than in some office or other care facility.

Easily Accessible

Almost any senior has access to a home care company due to the fact that they go to them. Those usually 65 and older don’t have to find someone to drive them to the hospital or clinic to get their regular checkups which makes it not only easier for them but for family and friends as well. 

One-on-One Interaction

Finally, the amount of interaction that is able to take place between the patient and medical advisor is improved. When a patient is able to receive home care rather than going to an office they are able to ask more questions and receive better feedback.  The reason for this is that time spent between the two is increased.  As communication increases between the two the overall experience is enhanced because the patient is able to obtain better understanding of their health status.  

These are just a few benefits of home senior care but there are many more reasons to see if it could be an option for you or your loved ones.  Call us at today 1-866-273-2995 or browse our directory of Certified Senior Home Care Agencies.

Marisol Trejo, Administrator of Above and Beyond Home Health Care in Nampa, Idaho, shares the story of helping a client and her family through the last months of her husbands life.

In February of 2007 we received a phone call from a frantic wife stating that her husband was very ill and she did not know what to do.   She explained to me her son had just got back from Iraq and had suffered a tragic leg injury; The outlook was that they were going to perform a double amputation.  She sobbed as she explained she had relied upon her son to be her strength.  We rushed to meet with her and her husband; When we arrived we found that he had been diagnosed with cancer just three days prior.

We began providing senior in home care for her husband seven days a week.  We located the most loving, patient caregiver to place in the home.  On the second week while performing a routine “Care Call” the wife asked us if it would be okay if she gave the caregiver a gift in the form of a card.  The caregiver brought the card in exemplifying the statement, “Thank you so much for being my strength over the past few days.  Also, many thanks to that nice girl who came out to help clean the mess my husband was in.”  This nice girl happened to be our fantastic human resources director.

We had introduced hospice to the husband and wife, but they both were not in any position to entertain the slightest idea of this type of care.  Throughout the months we had again approached the idea of hospice with no change.  During the fifth month we again introduced hospice and the family was receptive.  The family chose a hospice agency at the recommendation of a family member, as he had a long-standing relationship with that particular agency.

Five months had come and gone, and the husband grew weaker and weaker.  The wife had called the office to increase the number of hours for the caregiver to work.  Soon we were working 24-hour shifts.  We worked long hours with this family for three weeks when family had been called in from out of town.  As the family began to spend more time with their ill father our hours working with the family decreased (24 hours to 12 hours to 6 hours to 4 hours to 0 hours to PRN).

It was late on a Saturday night when we received a phone call the from wife.  She explained as she was crying, there was no family at the home and her husband was dying and she did not know what to do.  She was breathing heavily when she managed to ask the on-call person to contact their Hospice nurse.

At this point in time, the caregiver who had been working with this family for the past few months had gone over to the home and spent the last 12 hours with this family.  The caregiver volunteered her time to bring peace and comfort to the family.

Two weeks after the husband’s death the wife called the office trying to locate the caregiver.  She was attempting to schedule a lunch date with the caregiver.  They met and the wife had presented a plaque to the caregiver stating, “Thank you for being my strength.  Thank you for being my friend.  It was you who brought me peace when my world was coming to an end.”