Vancouver Home Health Care Agency

  • 8885 SW Canyon Rd. Suite 220 Portland, OR 97225-3455
Request care

February 2022


How to Handle the Different Care Needs of Your Parents

Leave a Comment / Elder Support, Senior living, Services / By

Image via Pexels   How to Handle the Different Care Needs of Your Parents What will you do if your mom can live independently but your dad requires nursing care, or vice versa? When your parents have different care needs, it can put a strain on your family’s relationships. These tips will help you choose a suitable nursing home for your mom or dad to make sure your family remains connected. Vancouver Home Health Care Agency can provide skilled and compassionate home care for your senior loved one. Call (360) 975-7070 to learn more about our services. Find the Nursing Homes in Your Neighborhood    You can ask your relatives, friends, neighbors, or doctors about good nursing care providers they know. Searching websites such as A Place For Mom and Caring.com can ease the burden of visiting and comparing the care providers in person. Compare the Quality of Nursing Homes  Comparing the services and amenities provided by various nursing homes is essential to selecting a suitable place for your parent. Most nursing homes offer specialized care, such as ventilator support and stroke recovery, so analyze your parent’s care needs and find a facility that provides those services. Visit the Facility After shortlisting the available nursing homes, you should visit the facilities in person. Clear all your doubts and ask questions to assess whether it will be a good fit for your parent. Paying for Senior Care Services Putting a parent in nursing care can be expensive. Before you start searching for a nursing home, it’s smart to decide on a budget you and your parents can afford. By doing so, you won’t waste your time exploring facilities that won’t work for your budget long-term. According to a survey conducted by Genworth, skilled nursing care costs between $7,700 and $8,800 per month. Here are some options to help you reduce your financial burden: Medicare and Medicaid  Medicare covers costs associated with short-term stays in nursing homes or rehabilitation centers. Your parent can get a covered prescription from the long-term care pharmacy if they have Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage. They can also qualify for Medicaid if they have a low income. Most health care expenses are covered if your parent qualifies for both Medicare and Medicaid. Long-Term Care Insurance  Long-term care insurance can help pay for skilled and unskilled care. Some policies may cover all care services, including assisted living, adult daycare, and medical equipment, while others may cover only nursing care expenses. You can continue your parent’s dental and medical care even after they’ve moved into a long-term care facility. Downsizing If one of your parents is going to be in senior care, the other one may want to consider downsizing to a smaller place. You can sell your parents’ current house and help them shift closer to the nursing home. By selling the house, your parents can free up some cash to cover the nursing home expenses. Before finalizing your decision, calculate the present value of their assets to assess the financial resources they currently own. The home’s equity can be calculated by subtracting the mortgage amount still owed from the current market value of the property. Instead of purchasing a new home, they can rent an apartment. Apartments can be ideal for seniors looking for accessibility because they often have elevator service, especially in larger cities. You can also fine apartment within Clark county Washington that specialize in senior living for your love one, view online listings and filter by cost, size, and amenities your parent needs. Some websites even allow you to take virtual tours of potential apartments. Help Your Parents Throughout the Transition Process Transitioning one parent to a care facility can be difficult for the whole family. Stay compassionate and empathetic to help both parents throughout the transition process. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our Business.

How Seniors Can Look and Feel Great in the New Year

Leave a Comment / ageing, Alzheimer's & Dementia, Self-Care / By

Image via Pexels How Seniors Can Look and Feel Great in the New Year Regardless of your age, the new year signals a fresh start and can have an impact on all sorts of things — including how you look and feel. Whether you want to lose weight, tone up, practice more self-care, or achieve another goal, it’s never too late to start doing something new to help yourself feel your best. The following tips brought to you by the Vancouver Home Health Care Agency can help you begin the new year on the right foot in terms of your physical appearance and your health and well-being. Exercise Regular exercise is a great way to feel good. Find an activity you enjoy, whether it’s walking, jogging, or exercising at home — whatever works best for you and your comfort level. If you’re having trouble starting an exercise routine on your own, join a gym or attend a yoga class at your local community center in Vancouver. Support from others can give you added motivation and accountability as you work toward your goal. Self-Care Everyone needs a little extra pampering now and then, whether it’s a long soak in a warm bath or an evening out with friends. These activities are often seen as time-consuming luxuries — but self-care isn’t frivolous. It can improve your well-being because it allows you to practice mindfulness. Eat Well Eating well is a great way to look and feel your best. Eating plenty of fruit, vegetables, and protein can help you gain or maintain a healthy weight. Eating healthier doesn’t mean giving up tasty food. There are plenty of healthy recipes that are delicious and nutritious. Start a Hobby You’re never too old to start a new hobby! Hobbies are a great way to relax, but they also provide opportunities to try new things. This year, set aside some time each week (or month) to learn a new skill or pursue an old passion. Participating in activities can help keep you motivated while enhancing your life. Take a Trip So you’ve made your resolutions and set some new year’s goals, but how do you follow through? Try planning a trip that allows you to achieve several of those goals in one adventure. For example, if you want to lose weight and eat better, take a food-based trip where you can sample new restaurants every day. If your resolution is about taking more risks or exploring more of your city, book an adventure vacation. Treat Yourself There’s no shame in treating yourself, whether it’s with a new piece of clothing or some fun accessories. Buy yourself something you like, and feel good about the way you look — which is likely to make you feel better about yourself overall. Consider buying a gemstone necklace, such as a tiger’s eye necklace. The alternating bands of color in a tiger’s eye appear to reverse as the stone or light source is moved, creating a fascinating image. Bringing your best friend on a shopping spree or hitting the spa can be both relaxing and enjoyable. You can even do an afternoon of window-shopping, or see a movie by yourself. Look and Feel Great Feeling great is possible if you put in some effort. Self-care, eating well, and exercising are a few ways to get started. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our Business.

Shocking Disparities in Health Care

Leave a Comment / CDC, LGBTQ / By

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash   Shocking Disparities in Health Care A healthcare disparity, according to Healthy People 2020, is “a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage.” These disparities greatly affect groups of people who have routinely experienced more obstacles in health care based on many factors, such as race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomics, age, disability, gender, sexuality, geographic location, or anything that sets someone apart from someone else. Further, the CDC claims that disparities are preventable differences in health care commonly experienced in socially disadvantaged populations. If they are preventable, why are they still happening, and what are the exact disparities? What can be done to remedy the situation? The Factors Behind Disparities Health outcomes, even when care is given equally, varies due to a range of factors: underlying genetics, social and environmental factors, health behaviors, and access to health care. These are only the basics in discrepancies. Social issues, such as racism, also play a large part. In fact, healthcare disparities are often the result of opinions on race and ethnicity, but they still occur in many different dimensions, such as: Gender Language Geography Socioeconomic status Age Citizenship status Disability status Sexual identity or orientation When considering age, research has proven that disparities also occur over a lifetime, from birth, to middle age, to old age. Basically, anything that makes a patient different from a caregiver has been cited as a reason for health disparities. Current Status of Disparities Before the COVID19 pandemic, underserved groups, such as people of color, had already faced numerous longstanding health disparities. Larger recognition of this issue began two decades earlier, with two Surgeon General’s reports discussing disparities in access to mental health care and tobacco use by ethnicity and race. While changes were made and the studies had some effects, other disparities have not only persisted, but have grown. Studies completed before the pandemic proved that people of color fared worse than whites in the following: Infant mortality Prevalence of chronic conditions Pregnancy-related deaths Overall physical and mental health status Further, low-income patients report lower health status than those with money, while the LGBTQ+ community has experienced health challenges at increased rates. Addressing the Issues It’s apparent that these are large issues in healthcare. The COVID19 pandemic highlighted these issues when a disproportionate amount of people of color began suffering more than their white counterparts. The Federal government has taken notice, with several executive orders focusing on advancing health equity. Following suit, the NIH launched the UNITE Initiative to face inequities in research. The CDC declared racism a serious threat in 2021, promising to lead efforts in confronting systems and existing policies that resulted in injustices. This is only the beginning; other agencies at different legislative levels are expected to follow. Policies will be reviewed, and changes will be made to ensure a more equitable healthcare system for all. The COVID19 pandemic is tough on all of us. However, it has brought out a longstanding issue in healthcare – serious disparities. While the issue has been recognized for decades, it is finally getting necessary legislative attention. In the future, the American healthcare system will enjoy a healthcare system full of equity. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our Business.

Scroll to Top