HomeCareForTheHolidays.org website alerts family members about signs to look for during holiday visits indicating that their aging mother, father, relative, or friend may need home care to live safely and stay healthy.
New Providence, NJ (PRWEB) December 20, 2011
"The holidays are a time to get together with family and friends. Unfortunately, it’s also become a time when adult children may find their elderly parents may be in need of home care. Our goal is to help families understand the warning signs when home care may be needed and provide information to help them make informed decisions about home care," says CAHC Executive Director Barbara Cording.
The campaign can be found at HomeCareForTheHolidays.org and features virtual pamphlets with information including:
- 4 things to look for when visiting mom or dad this holiday season
- 7 steps for speaking with your family about home care this holiday season
- 10 questions to ask your home care provider
- What types of home care services are accredited
Many people are able to achieve and maintain an optimal level of health, activity and independence at home by utilizing home care services. Sometimes professional services are required, such as those of a registered nurse or physical therapist. At other times, the services most needed are those of paraprofessionals, such as New Jersey Board of Nursing certified homemaker-home health aides to provide and assist with personal care.
In New Jersey, many families opt to find home care services through the non-profit Commission on Accreditation for Home Care (CAHC) that accredits agencies throughout the state. Accreditation means that a provider has demonstrated compliance with the standards of care of the Commission. It is a voluntary process in which the provider has allowed an independent, outside entity to evaluate its program before earning the "seal of approval."
Did you know?: 23% of family caregivers caring for loved ones for 5 years or more report their health is fair or poor; American businesses can lose as much as $34 billion each year due to employees' need to care for loved ones 50 years of age and older. (Source: Caregiving in the United States; National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with AARP; November 2009.)
Once accreditation is granted, the provider must undergo annual surveys to ensure ongoing compliance with the accreditation standards of care before accreditation is renewed each year - certainly an added safeguard for families already making a tough decision on behalf of their loved one.
To learn more about home care accreditation, please visit http://www.cahcnj.org - for more information on signs you should look for in your loved one this holiday season, visit http://www.homecarefortheholidays.org
The non-profit Commission on Accreditation for Home Care was founded in 1986 to protect home care consumers by holding agencies accountable for meeting organizational, personnel and clinical standards. Accreditation is awarded only to those agencies that demonstrate consistent compliance with those standards.
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Barbara Cording or Lita Talbot
Commission on Accreditation for Home Care (CAHC)
908-508-1200
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