What to Look for in a Caregiver Job in Massachusetts

Being a caregiver is a rewarding job that allows you to care for older adults who need help while supporting and positively impacting your community in Massachusetts. It is challenging to work as an independent caregiver; that’s why most caregivers choose to work for a home care agency. If you are on the hunt for a caregiver job but don’t know what kind of agency to work for, here are some things to remember when applying and interviewing for your next caregiver job.

What to look for and ask your potential employer

1. An agency that sees the value of their employees’ hard work. These agencies offer competitive pay, bonuses, and the opportunity for a raise. They also put effort into recognizing outstanding performance with awards to exemplary employees.

2. An agency that cares for the well-being of its employees. They provide paid sick leave when you get sick and need to take some time off. They offer benefits such as 401K retirement programs and competitive health insurance plans. They are willing to work with their employees to provide them with a flexible work schedule or allow them to work part-time.

3. An agency with supportive management and staff who will encourage and support you throughout your career as a caregiver and be there for you when you have any questions or experience challenges with your clients.

4. An agency that provides on-the-job training to ensure its caregivers will be successful and ensure they understand the role and expectations of the job.

5. An agency that values its staff and invests in them by offering their staff training courses to further their knowledge and skill set.

The basic requirements of a caregiver

Finding your dream job is one thing. Getting hired for it is another, so you must ensure that you meet and exceed home care agency’s basic requirements. The best home care agencies strive to provide the best care to their clients by choosing the best caregivers to work for them. These agencies will likely require a minimum of one year of experience as a caregiver, including either caring for an elder in your family or having experience as a professional caregiver. Most agencies will require you to be either an HHA or CNA-certified caregiver.

Other conditions may include passing a background check, a TB test, the ability to speak, read and write English, and having good references. Good home care agencies will also choose compassionate employees dedicated to their job as a caregiver. Read this article to learn more about what home care agencies look for in caregivers.

Join our team today!

If you are looking for a rewarding job where you can provide comfort and assistance to seniors, have the support of a caring and experienced office staff, and have room to grow and develop your skills as a professional caregiver, we are the agency for you!

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton has been providing home care services to seniors in Brookline, Boston’s (Upper) Back Bay, Canton, Dedham, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Natick, Needham, Newton, Norwood, Roslindale, Stoughton, Watertown, Wellesley, Westwood, and West Roxbury, and neighboring communities in Massachusetts since 2004. We genuinely value our caregivers and provide them with the training and support needed to succeed in their careers. This could be the perfect fit for you!

If a caregiver job at Visiting Angels Newton/Canton is something you are interested in pursuing, we would love to meet you! Click this link to apply for a caregiver job today or call us at (617) 795–2727.

Keeping Your Senior Safe at Home After a Stroke

A stroke is a frightening and life-altering experience for seniors and their families. Depending on the severity of the brain attack, a stroke survivor may face difficulties with mobility, vision, speech, swallowing, emotions, cognitive functioning, and performing everyday tasks. When this occurs, it’s essential to have a home care plan to keep your senior safe.

After discharge from a hospital, a post-stroke plan may include hiring a non-medical in-home personal caregiver to provide long-term assistance with daily tasks such as:

• Bathing
• Grooming
• Dressing
• Toileting
• Light housekeeping
• Meal preparation
• Physical therapy exercises assistance
• Cognitive support (i.e., games, puzzles, etc.)

Personal care providers are different than home health providers, who typically offer short-term medical care during brief home visits under the supervision of a physician.

How Can Caregivers Help Stroke Survivors Stay Safe at Home?

Visiting Angels’ professional caregivers use stroke-specific training to understand signs and symptoms while providing non-medical, comfort-focused dedicated support. Caregivers can contribute to senior safety by:

• Reducing the risk of falling
  After a stroke, seniors may experience weakness and paralysis in their arms or legs. These mobility limitations — especially when combined with extreme fatigue during recovery — can increase the chances of a fall or household accident.
  
  Visiting Angels’ caregivers can assist older adults as they move around the home, navigate stairs or the bathroom, and get into and out of bed. A Fall Prevention Program helps caregivers and care coordinators identify areas of concern in the home and recommend modifications to reduce fall risk.
• Assisting with household tasks
  Stroke survivors may have physical or cognitive issues that prevent them from driving or managing tasks such as laundry, cooking, shopping, or housekeeping. Visiting Angels’ caregivers can provide or arrange transportation to appointments, run errands, prepare meals, and handle light household duties.
• Giving reminders for medication, exercise, and appointments
  Your loved one’s post-stroke care may involve taking medications, performing physical or occupational therapy exercises at home, and/or attending medical appointments critical to recovery and long-term health. Although Visiting Angels’ caregivers cannot provide medical care, they can remind seniors when it’s time to take medication, exercise, or prepare for home health or in-person medical visits.
• Following dietary recommendations
  Difficulties in eating and swallowing can happen following a stroke. To avoid choking and other complications, a senior may have to temporarily or permanently follow a special diet. Due to medication interactions, seniors may also need to avoid or limit certain foods.
  
  A Visiting Angels’ caregiver can prepare foods per a prescribed diet and support older adults during mealtimes, so they receive the necessary nutrition. An in-home caregiver can also remind seniors of speech therapy appointments and encourage them to practice prescribed speech and swallowing exercises.
• Watching for signs of a second stroke
  Nearly 1 in 4 strokes occur in people who have had a previous stroke, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Statistics show that stroke patients who arrive at the emergency room within three hours of their first symptom have less disability three months into recovery than those who received delayed care.
  
  Visiting Angels’ caregivers can identify signs of a second stroke and call dial 911 for help if necessary — which could save a loved one’s life. A caregiver can also direct paramedics to a senior’s emergency medical file that contains vital health and medical information for paramedics and hospital staff.

Reduce Hospital Readmission

When a loved one has suffered a stroke, professional senior care services can help significantly. In-home professional caregivers will support stroke survivors and reduce stress for family caregivers. Visiting Angels provides a “Ready, Set, Go Home” program that helps seniors successfully transition home after hospitalization through a customized approach that begins at the hospital. The program also includes home visits to promote a safe recovery by lowering the risk of hospital readmissions related to falls and other accidents.

If your loved one needs in-home care following a stroke, Visiting Angels’ case managers are available to discuss the care required, set up a free in-home consultation, and work on a care plan with you.

About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton MA is an award-winning home care agency providing high-caliber in-home care services for seniors and people with disabilities for over eighteen years. Countless families have benefited from our at-home living assistance, senior companion support, in-home respite care, personal care, live-in and 24-hour home care, dementia, and Alzheimer’s care, transitional aid, and in-home elder care services in Brookline, Watertown, Stoughton, Natick, Wellesley, Dedham, Needham, Canton, Jamaica Plain, Newton, Norwood, Roslindale, Upper Back Bay, Westwood, and neighboring communities in Massachusetts. The non-medical assistance provided by Visiting Angels Newton/Canton home care can significantly impact your loved one’s happiness and quality of life.

How to Reduce the Risk of Rehospitalization for Seniors

Nobody enjoys being admitted to the hospital. Whether it’s an overnight visit or an extended stay, the time away from the comforts of home can negatively affect a senior’s physical and mental health.

Readmittance soon after discharge from the hospital is difficult for seniors and their loved ones.

Unfortunately, this scenario is a sad and familiar reality for many individuals over 65. Roughly 20% of seniors on Medicare end up back in the hospital within 30 days of their last visit due to preventable factors such as:

• Medication issues
• Not following diet recommendations
• Falls and accidents
• Missed medical appointments
• Certain diseases such as heart issues, diabetes, stroke

Reduce hospital readmission risks by learning what questions to ask and understanding why professional in-home care can be vital for seniors after a stint in the hospital.

Questions to Ask During a Hospital Discharge

The hospital discharge practice often feels onerous, and seniors and their caregivers may leave confused. A smooth process — and getting clear instructions — can help reduce the odds of hospital readmission.

Here are some questions to ask before your senior loved one leaves the facility:

What do I need to know about their condition before discharge?
Make sure you get all information about your loved one’s condition from the hospital staff. Understand what they have been diagnosed with and what kind of care they received in the facility. Learn which symptoms will require follow-up from a medical professional.

Are there any changes to medication?
Medication errors are one of the main reasons seniors get readmitted to the hospital. Ask the hospital staff to provide you with a list of prescribed medications. Make sure you understand the dosages and recommended times. Also, confirm which medications your loved one should no longer take.

What upcoming appointments are needed?
Get a list of upcoming medical appointments and mark them on your calendar. Follow-up appointments will help a doctor confirm recovery is on track and prevent a return trip to the hospital. If possible, try to attend these appointments with your loved one.

What additional support is recommended?
Many seniors need non-medical support — such as help with mobility, bathing or dressing, and other household tasks — following a hospital stay. Ask hospital staff what kind of in-home care support your loved one requires. Also, find out what tasks they should do on their own. Not being able to do these tasks could be a sign of worsening health.

Can the hospital provide written, step-by-step discharge instructions?
Make sure to get clear, easy-to-understand, documented instructions from the hospital before discharge. If you can’t comprehend the instructions, review them with the staff. Make copies so both you and your loved one have the same information and, if necessary, rewrite them so they can be easily followed.

In-Home Care Program for Seniors After a Hospital Stay

Many family caregivers underestimate the support needed for seniors to continue on their road to recovery. As a result, the care at home may end with a return to the hospital or an emergency room.

With proper support and planning, you can reduce the risk of re-hospitalization. Consider enrolling in the Visiting Angels Newton/Canton’s From Hospital/Rehab to Home Program for extra assistance. This specialized service helps seniors transition from a hospital to a home setting safely and effectively, enabling your loved one to recover comfortably in familiar surroundings.

Experienced caregivers will provide seniors with:

• 24/7 in-home care
• Monitoring and reporting changes in condition
• Medication reminders
• Arranging and attending medical appointments
• Preparation of nutritious meals to meet dietary requirements
• Assistance with activities of daily living

Schedule a free care consultation to discuss your loved one’s needs during and following a hospital stay.

About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton MA has been providing high-caliber in-home care services for seniors and people with disabilities for over eighteen years. Countless families have benefited from our companion care, personal home care, live-in and 24/7 home care, dementia and Alzheimer’s care, fall prevention, respite support, transitional aid, and at home care services in Wellesley, Natick, Dedham, Needham, Newton, Watertown, Brookline, Stoughton, Canton, Jamaica Plain, Norwood, Roslindale, Upper Back Bay, Westwood, and neighboring communities. As a result of our exemplary home care service, Visiting Angels Newton/Canton has won the Best of Home Care Leader in Excellence Award; the Best of Home Care Provider of Choice Award; and the Best of Home Care Employer of Choice Award from the national client satisfaction survey firm, Home Care Pulse, for six years. We have been honored to receive the Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work award for seven years and one of the ten best places to work in Massachusetts in 2021 based on diversity and inclusion. Our dedicated and well-trained caregivers love their HHA jobs and CNA jobs.

How Much Home Care Does My Senior Loved One Need?

When your senior loved one chooses to age in place, it’s essential to take proactive steps to keep them safe, comfortable, healthy, and happy. For many families, hiring professional in-home care services is the best solution. But how much care does your loved one need?

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton provides in-home care services with flexible schedules depending on the level of need. We offer customized hours to suit the needs of seniors and their families. Professional caregivers fill in gaps — providing care only when a senior needs it, so families don’t have to pay unnecessary home care costs. Clients and families can add, remove, or adjust hours as needed.

Popular Home Care Options

RESPITE CARE

Respite care is typically provided hourly to give family members a break from caregiving duties. It can cover evenings, weekends, holidays, and regular business hours. Respite care can be customized to unique circumstances, providing short-term, temporary care as needed, which can come in handy during a family vacation or other personal obligations and responsibilities.

HOURLY CARE
Visiting Angels Newton/Canton’s caregivers can provide support on a routine, hourly basis, enabling seniors and families to customize the length and frequency of visits. For example, your loved one may need help in the morning, assistance with their evening meals, or a bedtime routine a few days a week. Maybe they need two full days of care per week or during the weekend. Whatever their needs, an hourly plan offers flexibility.

FULL-TIME CARE

A full-time home care option is available for seniors who need 9-to-5 assistance on weekdays. This 40-hour-a-week service is ideal for multigenerational households that need senior care during the day when family members are at work or school.

24/7 CARE

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton’s caregivers provide around-the-clock support for seniors, offering a reliable alternative to nursing home care. 24/7 care is also ideal when families live far away or cannot provide consistent in-person caregiving support. Seniors receive one-on-one attention from several caregivers who work 8- or 12-hour shifts. This schedule ensures a senior’s routine is not disrupted.

OVERNIGHT CARE

Many older adults benefit from having a trusted caregiver with them overnight — particularly if they are living with dementia, insomnia, or experiencing anxiety or loneliness at night. Caregivers can assist seniors with bedtime habits, offer companionship, and provide a sense of security during the overnight hours.

Home Care Cost Savings

When considering senior care options, it’s important to remember that an in-home personal caregiver may be able to meet your loved one’s care needs for a fraction of the cost of full-time nursing home care. Visiting Angels Newton/Canton’s clients only pay for services when they need them, which provides significant savings compared to 24/7 care in a nursing or assisted-living facility.

If you think in-home personal care might be the right choice for your loved one, schedule a no-cost, no-obligation in-home care assessment. A case manager will visit you at home to learn your unique needs and then design a personalized care plan for you. We provide home care for seniors with dementia, companionship, light housekeeping, meal preparation, medicine reminders, dressing and grooming assistance, and much more for a loved one living alone.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation!

About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton, MA has been providing high-caliber in-home care services for seniors and people with disabilities for over eighteen years. Countless families have benefited from our personal home care, live-in and 24/7 home care, dementia, and Alzheimer’s care, companion care, respite support, transitional aid, and home care services in Wellesley, Natick, Newton, Watertown, Brookline, Dedham, Needham, Stoughton, Canton, Jamaica Plain, Norwood, Roslindale, Upper Back Bay, Westwood, and neighboring communities.

As a result of our exemplary home care service, Visiting Angels Newton/Canton has won the Best of Home Care Leader in Excellence Award; the Best of Home Care Provider of Choice Award; and the Best of Home Care Employer of Choice Award from the national client satisfaction survey firm, Home Care Pulse, for six years. We have received the Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work award for seven years and one of the ten best places to work in Massachusetts in 2021 based on diversity and inclusion. Our dedicated and well-trained caregivers love their CNA jobs and HHA jobs.

Onboarding Your New Home Caregiver

In any new relationship, there is an adjustment period. A relationship between your senior loved one and a new caregiver is no different. It may take some time to develop. It can be a little awkward for your senior loved one and a new professional caregiver to get used to each other. A good and trusting relationship takes time to develop. But this is an integral part of your loved one’s life and hitting the ground running is essential. Follow these tips, and you can set the foundation for a successful and long-lasting connection.

Involve everyone in the family

Setting caregivers up for success starts before you meet them or contact a home care agency. This is a big decision in the life of your loved one and yours. This person will spend time alone with your senior in their home, so you need to gather the whole family or everyone involved in their care and include them in the decision. Then ask yourselves some questions:

What are your senior loved one’s home care needs?

Is it medical care? If so, in-home assistance may not be the right option. Does your loved one need a little help around the home with housework? Do they need support with personal care like bathing and getting dressed, or even just getting around the house? Does Mom or Dad require companionship? Isolation in seniors can often lead to further difficulties. Make a list of your loved one’s needs and be ready to share them with the agency so you can determine what kind of care you need.

How often does your loved one need in-home care?

Does Mom or Dad need someone to visit every day? Would a few hours a week be enough to help your loved one with what they need? Would morning shifts be more appropriate, or would it be better to schedule night visits?

Hiring a professional caregiver to help can give you a much-needed break. But leaving your loved one can give you a sense of guilt: It shouldn’t. Be honest with yourself about what you need and communicate your requirements to your family and home care agency.

Talk to Your Loved One

Remember that talking to an elderly loved one about bringing in a professional caregiver can be an emotive topic. Your mom or dad may be fiercely independent, and it can be hard to bring this person around to the idea of daily assistance. For more help, check out these tips on talking to a parent about care.

Consult the Professionals

Once you have worked out what your loved one’s requirements may be, it’s time to contact an agency. Agencies should offer a free consultation. They can talk to you about your loved one’s needs and whether they align with what the agency can offer. The agency should give you an estimate of the cost of home care services in Greater Boston, and they may also be able to provide you with some advice on options available for funding in-home care.

Choosing the Right Caregiver

Once you’ve identified an agency, here are questions to ask when considering a caregiver:

Is this caregiver’s personality compatible with your loved one?

Talk to the caregiver to assess — you know your loved one best. This will be an essential person in your loved one’s life, and ensuring compatibility is vital.

Do this caregiver’s skills and experience align with what your loved one needs?

If your loved one has dementia and one caregiver has professional training in caring for seniors with dementia, that’s a solid match. If you’re worried about your loved one falling, look for a caregiver with a fall-prevention qualification.

Does this caregiver’s availability match your loved one’s schedule?

Availability can easily be overlooked. If your loved one needs assistance in the morning and the caregiver only works evenings, that won’t work. If your loved one requires care five days a week and the caregiver is fully booked on three of those, you’ll need alternative options.

Develop a Home Care Plan

The best home care agencies will take your concerns and use them to build a care plan. Be clear about what you will be doing as a family and what you expect from this caregiver. Make sure everyone involved in support of the senior knows their role: If everyone knows their responsibilities, then you can ensure that your loved one’s care is as seamless as possible.

Introduce Your Loved One to the Caregiver

Arrange a meeting between your loved one and the caregiver. Be there to introduce them and to help them bond. When your loved one seems settled, leave them to get to know each other and go to the kitchen or somewhere else out of the room. Your loved one will know that you’re close if they are not comfortable, but you’ll also give them space to bond.

Communicate

Caring for your loved one is now a shared responsibility. It is essential to keep the agency and professional caregiver abreast of any changes you’ve seen in the health and behaviors of your loved one, and they should do the same with you. Take advantage of their training and experience: They may pick up on subtle differences you may not notice. That’s when you know you’ve genuinely retained superior home care.

If It’s Not Working, Act

Give it a short time and see how things go. Talk to your loved one. Is Mom or Dad happy? Are they receiving the help they need? If it’s not working out for your loved one, contact your care manager and discuss your concerns. There are times when a caregiver can be given additional training and guidance to improve their ability to provide the best support possible. Inform your care manager if a change in caregiver is clearly necessary so they can arrange to introduce someone new to your loved one, you, and your family. This could be a long-term relationship for your loved one, and it must be with the right person.

About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton MA has been providing high-caliber in-home care services for seniors and people with disabilities for over eighteen years. Countless families have benefited from our private duty care, companion care, respite support, dementia and Alzheimer’s care, live-in and 24/7 home care, transitional aid, and home care services in Wellesley, Natick, Newton, Watertown, Brookline, Dedham, Needham, Stoughton, Canton, Jamaica Plain, Norwood, Roslindale, Upper Back Bay, Westwood, and neighboring communities. As a result of our exemplary home care service, Visiting Angels Newton/Canton has won the Best of Home Care Leader in Excellence Award; the Best of Home Care Provider of Choice Award; and the Best of Home Care Employer of Choice Award from the national client satisfaction survey firm, Home Care Pulse, for six years. We have been honored to receive the Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work award for seven years and one of the ten best places to work in Massachusetts in 2021 based on diversity and inclusion. Our dedicated and well-trained caregivers love their HHA jobs and CNA jobs.

How to be Proactive in Caring for Your Elderly Parent

It is not uncommon for families and friends to live a great deal of distance from each other, including their elderly parents.

Whether you have relocated for work or your loved one has retired to an adult community, you likely do not get to spend as much time with your parent as you would like. A visit every few months and a daily phone call can show your loved one that you care, but you may be missing crucial signs that they need more in-home living assistance than you realize.

A small dent in their car, a refrigerator full of spoiled food, or a bruise from a fall they are too proud to admit could all be warning signs of underlying problems that you cannot see over the phone or via Zoom.

Face-to-face interaction tends to remove the veil that is masking independence. That is why most home health care providers are hired at or around the holidays. But in many cases, underlying issues don’t begin during the holidays. That’s just when most people become aware that their loved ones require support.

Staying On Top of Your Elderly Parent’s Care

Many people’s fine motor skills will decrease as they age. The changes can happen slowly or rapidly. This could make it hard for a senior to do everyday tasks that they have taken for granted, such as preparing food or dealing with fasteners on clothes.

Here are a few other variations you can’t see over the phone, but all of which could be signs that your loved one needs more care to live safely, comfortably, and happily at home:

• Changes in sleep — more or less
• Changes in eating — skipped meals and lost weight
• Changes in clothing — wrinkled, mismatched, backward, or misbuttoned shirts
• Changes in grooming and personal hygiene — unpleasant body odor, bad breath, strong smell of urine in the house or on the clothing
• A decline in household maintenance — dishes piling up, unopened envelopes, unpaid bills
• Trouble standing up from a seat
• Failing to take their medications at the correct time or forgetting to take their medications
• Dropped pills because they can be difficult for a senior to spot and pick up (and missing doses of prescribed medication can cause even minor health problems to worsen)

Hire Professional Caregivers to Help

Senior home care is an increasingly popular way to help your parents maintain their independence in their own home. The one-on-one caregiver will inevitably build a relationship with your loved one through the actions of going into their home to help with daily tasks — like assistance with hygiene, dressing or toileting, as well as meal preparation, light housekeeping, and grocery shopping.

If your loved one loves to cook but has trouble standing that long or carrying in groceries, a caregiver can help with that, too — driving to the grocery, carrying the bags in, and assisting in the kitchen.

The caregiver can be an additional part of your care team, so you can have peace of mind about your senior loved one’s health from afar.

Even if you live close to your elderly loved one, it may be that a professional caregiver can spot warning signs that an untrained eye might miss, mainly related to dementia. There are small signs that can indicate problems, like little memory lapses or difficulty with numbers.

Being proactive with your elderly loved one’s care now can help keep them safe and continue to live independently in their home. And in doing so, you will have more quality time and peace of mind during the holidays.

About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton MA is an award-winning home care agency providing high-caliber home care services to the elderly and adults with disabilities for over seventeen years. Countless families have benefited from our senior companion care, dementia and Alzheimer’s home care, live-in and 24–7 care, transitional aid, respite care services, and in-home care services for seniors in Watertown, Brookline, Dedham, Needham, Stoughton, Canton, Jamaica Plain, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Norwood, Westwood, Upper Back Bay, Roslindale, and neighboring communities. The non-medical assistance provided by Visiting Angels Newton/Canton HHA and CNA-certified in-home caregivers can make a significant impact on your loved one’s happiness and quality of life.

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton follows all CDC and Massachusetts safety guidelines and precautions. We will require all of our employees to be vaccinated or in the process of receiving vaccination by October 1, 2021 — except those with special religious or health reasons. Those who cannot be vaccinated will have regular testing and will follow rigorous safety protocols. We are committed to the health and safety of our clients and employees.