Care Giver Competency Review and Quiz
The PA Department of Health, the entity that licenses Silver Lining to operate, is now requiring proof of how competent all our wonderful caregivers are.
Welcome to the Silver Lining online training program that will help to brush-up on your current skills and offer information to learn new skills. It is important to participate in each module because the exam at the end will include questions from each of the modules. You can spend as much time as you like reviewing the information provided in each of the modules.
This is an honor system. Please take the test on your own, with no assistance from other resources. At the end of the training, there will be an online test. The test will have 50 questions. You will need to score 80 percent or above. In order to score 80 percent, you must get 40 questions correct. You can take the test as many times as it takes to pass. When you do pass and I am confident that you will, download your certificate, take a clear picture of it and text it to 215-806-5190 or email it to time@slhomecare.com. This requirement must be completed on or before August 1, 2023. No extensions will be granted.
If you have any questions, please contact our office Monday to Thursday 9 am to 4pm and will fill be glad to assist you.
Good Luck! You will do Great!
Helping to navigate the doctor visit
The practice of medicine in the US has changed dramatically in the last 75 years. Many people over 50 years old remember the doctor making house calls when we developed a virus or were physically in some form of distress.
Home visits became a thing of the past when pay-as-you-go fees were replaced by health insurance. Administrative costs and malpractice insurance forced doctors to enter group practices to manage workload and costs.
Particularly for seniors, having gone through the transition of a changing medical system: busy waiting rooms, long waits, and a sterile exam room is still a big adjustment. The growing impersonal nature of visiting the doctor’s office, often becomes a deterrent for “seeing a doctor”. Many older people still have a hard time accepting that the doctor can only spend 15-20 minutes with them even if all of their concerns have not been met or questions answered.
If you are responsible for getting someone in your care to an appointment, try to be understanding if you are sensing resistance. It can be a frightening experience regardless of whether it is a wellness visit or something more serious.
If you are a full-time caregiver and have a close relationship with the patient, you may be aware of specific medical issues your client is dealing with. If so, try to do some research to be better informed and thus sensitive to their fears and needs.
Hopefully, the doctor has an established relationship with the patient. Doctors specializing in geriatrics are usually more tuned in to senior sensibilities and are frequently more accommodating. Specialists who see a patient less frequently may be less involved, so remembering to take along medication lists and some of the patient’s history can help to make it a more productive appointment.
It is also helpful to make note of any instructions and keep all paperwork organized in a convenient location for your client or family members to access.
As lifespans increase, the medical community continues to evolve in an attempt to meet the needs of the elderly. Stay informed to help the senior who is in your care, stay healthier and age more gracefully.
Millions More Long-Term Care Workers Needed
Good News for Home Health Caregivers
According to a new study, at least 2.5 million more long-term care workers will be needed to look after older Americans by 2030,” said Robert Preidt. “This demand will remain even if there is a major shift from institutional care to home care, according to the researchers.
Study author Joanne Spetz, a professor at the Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California, noted that “Filling these jobs will be a big challenge under any scenario.”
The researchers estimated that 20 percent of Americans will be aged 65 or older by 2030. Nineteen million adults will require long-term care by 2050. That number was just 8 million in 2000.
“In terms of sheer numbers, the greatest need is going to be for home health and personal care aides, with well over 1 million additional jobs by 2030,” Spetz said.
The study was published in the June issue of the journal Health Affairs.
Read the full article — www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_152960.html