Finding the right care for your loved ones is at times an overwhelming endeavor. It is difficult and time intensive evaluating the people who are actually going to interact with your loved one, finding the organization that best fits for your particular needs, and managing to negotiate a price point that’s not going to consume everything you have. Are you getting stressed out already? We understand. And we have been through this process with countless families in the greater Philadelphia region over the last 30 years. Partnering with you in this process of match-making for elderly care or special needs care is more than just our job, it is our passion. Let’s discuss some of the options available to families in this area.

Deciding to hire in home care help for a beloved relative is a big decision to make. In the greater Philadelphia area, there are literally dozens of options for home care, ranging from national franchises to nurse registries. But how do you tell the difference, and how do you decide which options are best for your own family situation? Here are some resources we have compiled that can help you to answer these questions:

We’re happy to share that Pennsylvania Agency of Nurses is celebrating 30 years of serving families in the Philadelphia area (1987-2017). PAN is a nurse-owned and nurse-operated home care agency, which makes us unique in the area. Our service offering includes In Home Care, Registered Nurse Geriatric Care Management, and Alzheimer’s Care, among other offerings. We had the opportunity to sit down with Janice Guckin Barry, founder and CEO of PAN, to ask some questions about her company and why they may be a good fit for the loved ones in your family. She has a pretty inspiring story of getting this business off the ground and to where it is today. Let’s get started!

The American Baby Boomer generation is getting close to retirement age, and this brings with it different dynamics when it comes to taking care of oneself into the golden years. For most of human history and in cultures around the world, multiple generations of a family would live under the same roof. This meant that grandparents, adult children, aunts, uncles, and children could all support each other in various ways as part of one family unit. In America today, however, cultural practices have changed, and most families are now spread over large parts of the country. This means that beloved elderly family members may find themselves alone or isolated from possible support systems. Let’s discuss some steps that your family can take now to prevent a beloved elder from becoming an “elder orphan.”

As we age, the likelihood that a fall can cause serious damage to a person increases quite a bit. Elderly adults are at an increased risk of injury when a fall – even a relatively benign one – occurs. In addition to the actual injuries sustained during a fall, seniors may develop a fear of falling, which can lead to a less active, more sedentary, and reclusive lifestyle. This in turn can lead to feelings of loneliness, isolation, and/or decreased quality of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults.” For these reasons, it’s important that caregivers and family members alike educate themselves as to fall prevention…and protecting their loved ones at home.