non-medical home care franchise - Senior Home Care Franchise

Study Shows Blood Pressure Drug Reduces Alzheimer’s Risk

A recent study led by Johns-Hopkins shows that taking certain blood pressure medications reduces the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease, a devastating condition that affects more than five million people in the United States.

Blood pressure drugs that reduce the risk for Alzheimer’s disease

The research team analyzed data previously gathered on 3,000 elderly Americans. The researchers found that people over the age of 75 with normal cognition who used certain blood pressure drugs had half the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. The drugs include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, commonly known as ACE inhibitors, and angiotensin-1 receptor blockers, or ARBs for short.

Diuretics, commonly known as “water pills” also proved beneficial in those whose minds were still sharp. Additionally, the researchers found diuretics reduced the risk for Alzheimer’s disease in those who were already showing signs of mild cognitive impairment. Other blood pressure drugs, particularly beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers, did not show promise for reducing the risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Indentifying new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia is critical to improving the health and well-being of an increasing number of older Americans. Alzheimer’s is a common cause of social and intellectual decline that substantially decreases the quality of life for the elderly.

Senior citizens living at home alone or in an assisted living facility should always take medications as directed to get the most out of drug therapy. Sometimes these treatments deliver more benefit than they had advertised.

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Fall Prevention Checklist for Non-Medical Home Care Workers

Senior care patients who choose to remain in the home experience more independence, while still remaining healthy and safe. However, home care business workers should keep a close eye on their patients’ environments for anything which might put a patient at risk for falls. Among the elderly, falls are the most frequent cause of injury-related death, but they can also lead to reduced mobility and a decreased sense of security. Here is a brief checklist of hazards for non-medical home care workers to help keep their patients safe from falls:

Perception Problems

Seniors often experience hearing loss, vision problems, mental confusion, and decreased feeling in their feet, which can all cause them to misjudge situations when moving around the house.

Medications

Medications such as vasodilators, anti-hypertensives, sedatives, or pain medication can have side-effects which affect perception. Be aware of what types of medication the client is taking.

Physical Conditions

Many chronic conditions and disorders like osteoporosis and arthritis can make moving around difficult.

Previous Injury

Prior falls and previous injuries can make it difficult for seniors to navigate environments which previously gave them no trouble.

Improper Footwear

Shoes with rubber soles, slippery soles, or heels greater than 1.5 inches can cause problems. Avoid these types of shoes, and suggest walking shoes with elastic laces.

Floor Hazards

Scatter rugs, uneven surfaces, bathroom rugs, and thick plush carpet can all cause problems for seniors. Where possible, suggest they repair damaged flooring and install more consistent surfaces.

By keeping a lookout for falling hazards, non-medical home care business employees can keep their clients safe in their homes.

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Manage and Motivate Your Non-Medical Home Care Franchise Employees

Whether you’re just starting a home health care business, or you’ve been operating a non-medical home care franchise for some time, it’s likely that you realize your staff is your main product. Because home care franchises are often small businesses, the loss of one employee can really put your operation at risk. Because your home care staff is crucial to your success, it’s important to help your employees feel motivated. Here are a few tips to help you motivate your greatest asset:

Think Like a Larger Company

While your home care business will start small, it’s important to recognize key factors which make larger companies successful. In medium and large companies, there are policies for employee time off, performance evaluations, and salary reviews. Similar policies in your smaller operation could make your employees feel confident that they are being treated fairly.

Transfer Your Knowledge to Your Employees

While you and possibly your spouse or business partner have been trained by your franchisor regarding the ins and outs of the home care business, your employees have had no such advantage. It’s up to you to provide training to your employees. You’ll want to be able to rely on each member of your team, but you can only do so if each of your employees is familiar with his or her role in your company.

Establish Accountability for Each Employee

It’s easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day operations of your home care franchise that you fail to hold your employees accountable for performing their duties properly. As the owner of a small business, you will need to make time to evaluate employee performance, offer coaching in areas of weakness, and help employees set goals.

Accept Feedback

Remember that each employee has something to contribute, and be willing to accept suggestions and feedback from them.

Treat Employees with Respect

Whether you have one employee, or one hundred, it’s important to respect everyone who works for you, not only as employees, but also as individuals. People want to feel appreciated. Remember to provide positive feedback on employee performance, and not just focus on where they need to improve.

Employees look to the owner of the franchise for both leadership and motivation. If a home health care franchisee gives his or her employees a clear idea of their duties, as well as training, feedback, appreciation, and respect, it’s likely the employees will be motivated to perform to the best of their abilities.

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Six Most Common Non-Medical Home Care Responsibilities

When you first start your home care business, you may be doing all the jobs yourself, from handling incoming calls, to going out into the field as a non-medical home care provider. Here is a short list of responsibilities non-medical home care workers provide as part of the business:

Companionship

Non-medical home care primarily provides companionship. An ideal home care aide does offer assistance with daily tasks, but also builds a relationship with the client, and helps him or her participate in activities both in and outside the home.

Meal Preparation

Depending on the visitation schedule, a home care provider may be required to prepare a number of meals and snacks for the client, and usually does cleanup afterwards.

Errands and Transportation

Grocery shopping, pharmacy pickups, taking pets to the vet, transporting the client to appointments, taking the client shopping or to the post office are all examples of typical errands a client may require.

Mail Sorting and Light Bookkeeping

A home care provider can help sort through the mail and help the client decide what must be kept or thrown away, and which bills need to be paid, as well as what to do with any other personal correspondence. Often, depending on what the client and the family have decided, the care provider will assist with check writing and balancing the checkbook register. Unless any other services have been designated legally, most home care workers will not be required to get more involved in the client’s finances.

Housekeeping

Some tasks can be done by the care worker, such as vacuuming, dusting, making beds, laundry, cleaning bathroom and kitchen, and changing light bulbs. Other tasks will require the home care worker to assist the client in arranging for professional services.

Personal Care

Most responsibilities in this category include assisting with bathing or showering, oral care, assisting the client in and out of the bathroom, hair care, dispensing medication, and dressing.

Naturally these responsibilities can vary, depending on the client’s needs and the specific nature of the home care franchise or business. It is important to agree on these responsibilities in the beginning of the relationship with the client, as well as the fee schedule and the times these services will be required.

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Safety and Non-Medical Home Care

The wide array of duties that a home care aide performs can mean that sometimes he or she will come across safety concerns. As a home care franchise owner, it is important for you or your manager to devise and implement policies and procedures necessary for the safety of both the field staff and the clients of your home care business. Careful employee assessment is necessary to ensure that your field staff is qualified and capable of dealing with any safety issues which may arise, and careful patient assessment procedures should be employed to ensure that the client is receiving the level of care he or she requires. Here are some safety considerations your non-medical home care franchise employees may encounter.

Personal Safety

Non-medical home care workers must first protect themselves before they can adequately care for others. This includes being trained in proper body mechanics to safely move and lift patients without injury to themselves or the patient. Home aides must wear proper clothing and shoes, and should be provided with gloves and masks. They should be cautious in unfamiliar neighborhoods and when working late at night.

Patient Health Issues

Aides who are responsible for helping with medication management must ensure each patient receives the correct medications on time. They also must protect their patients from common home injuries, like falls and burns, so any spills must be cleaned up and careful monitoring of any electrical or flammable appliances must be observed. If an aide suspects that a patient is experiencing more serious health problems than he or she is trained to handle, the health problems should be reported to the patient’s family or primary medical professionals. Confidentiality is especially important when discussing a patient’s health, and patient health information must never be communicated to anyone who isn’t authorized to receive it.

By devising and implementing appropriate safety policies and procedures, you can reduce the chances of accidents or problems in your home care business. Properly trained employees and a good management and support team are vital to keeping your business running smoothly and safely.

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Please refer to our most recent Franchise Disclosure Document for important details.