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Home Care Assistance has the industry’s most qualified caregivers While home care is the oldest form of health care (think house calls before the advent of our modern hospital system), it was very limited in its scope until approximately two decades ago. Before then, home care was exclusively an interim solution or a short-term service for older adults recovering from hospitalization. Today, home care can serve as a comprehensive alternative to an institutional setting like a nursing home or assisted living facility. Studies show that nine out of ten older adults would rather remain in their own home if they can. Home Care Assistance works closely with family members to provide older adults with quality care that enables them to live healthier, more independent lives at home. Our services are distinguished by the caliber of our caregivers, the responsiveness of our staff and our expertise in Live-‐In care. We embrace a positive, balanced approach to aging centered on the evolving needs of older adults.
Home Care Assistance features three specialized areas of home care: Balanced Care There is no single explanation for how and why some people live much longer than others. But in Okinawa, Japan, people live longer and healthier lives than on any other place on earth. Scientists have studied this population to see if we could learn to live a longer and more productive life. The Balanced Care Method™, based on these lifestyle choices, is the basis and inspiration for the caregiver training methods and home care philosophy of Home Care Assistance. It changes the focus away from maintenance care and toward healthy longevity. “These lifestyle methods are good for all of us to implement, no matter how old or young, healthy or unhealthy,” says Margalit Tocher, President of Home Care Assistance of Greater Chicago.
Dietary Factors A major factor in the extraordinary health enjoyed by Okinawan elders is their distinct diet. The Balanced Care Method™ encourages a high fiber, plant-‐based, low protein diet that mimics the best practices of the Okinawan elders by emphasizing fruits, vegetables, and foods rich in omega-‐3 and flavonoids, along with limited sweets and alcohol and plenty of hydrating water and tea. Exercise Factors Okinawan elders have lifelong routines of moderate exercise and physical activity. They walk most places they go, keep up daily tasks like housework and gardening, and practice the soft martial art of tai chi. The Balanced Care Method™ promotes staying active and encourages doing as much as possible for oneself.
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Regular physical activity and mental stimulation help to delay memory loss and muscle loss and encourage independence. Stress & Lifestyle The Okinawan people’s lives are also low stress, socially rich, purposeful and spiritual. The Balanced Care Method™ encourages a calm and purposeful lifestyle with continued engagement in favorite topics, hobbies and activities, including making social visits. The more preferred activities and social networks are kept, the more active, healthier, and happier people can be.
transition home to promote effective rehabilitation there. It begins with a consultation and development of a personalized Care Plan, followed by close monitoring the first 72 hours at home which are critical for post-‐hospitalization patients. Recovery is a gradual process, typically following a six-‐step progression and requiring anywhere from a few weeks to months, depending on the cause of hospitalization. We will help you evaluate your own strength and confidence, and guide you through each step, from Dependence to Full Independence, to make sure you are ready before moving along to the next one.
Older adults receiving this method of care avoid many pitfalls of other forms of senior care, which often encourage dependency for the convenience of staff or make it difficult to maintain social ties or beloved hobbies because of transportation or space considerations. The Balanced Care Method™ is a way of viewing aging as a rich and meaningful part of life. Each element – fostering independence, encouraging the maintenance of social ties, remaining active – supports and reinforces the others. The best lesson we can learn from the elders of Okinawa is to embrace and celebrate aging and approach it with a sense of balance and reverence. Hospital to Home One of the leading causes of hospital readmission or slow post-‐hospitalization recovery is the lack of proper support following a hospital discharge. Whether you are transitioning directly home after a hospitalization or moving through the care continuum via a rehabilitation or medical care facility, in-‐home care is a key resource for a safe and successful recovery process. This is where Home Care Assistance’s Transition Home™ Package can help families. The leading experts in post-‐hospitalization, we provide a seamless
Cognitive Therapeutics In line with our focus on healthy body, mind and spirit, Home Care Assistance recently introduced our innovative Cognitive Therapeutics Method (CTM), an activities-‐based program designed to help clients stay mentally sharp, slow the progression of dementia, and delay onset of new symptoms.
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The Method is unique in several ways. First, HCA is the only home care company to offer cognitive stimulation therapy. Our team of renowned experts who developed the program are constantly making updates based on cutting edge research. Many people associate dementia with memory, but in fact there are five domains that are affected by dementia: memory, executive functioning, attention, language, and visual-‐spatial perception. Trained caregivers administer the activities in the home so that clients maintain their privacy. And by offering the 20 activities one-‐on-‐one, caregivers can adjust the program to the client’s cognitive level and needs, including if the client is not participating, or if she/he is struggling with it. Expert-‐designed to be engaging and interactive, the cognitive tasks, such as visual puzzles (visual-‐spatial perception), conceptual ordering (executive functioning) and block tapping (attention), are not only highly effective but also fun. Contact Us Home Care Assistance of Greater Chicago, located in Kenilworth, was founded by clinical psychologists and a geriatric care manager. Diligent screening results in compassionate caregivers who are genuinely and personally committed, enabling seniors to stay safely at home. All caregivers trained in the Balanced Care Method™ support our mission of improving the quality of life of our clients. Our care expertise includes Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, cardiac, and cancer care. Call 847-‐853-‐7777 to schedule a complimentary assessment with a Care Manager, or to request a copy of “Choosing a Home Care Agency,” our checklist of the most important questions to ask a potential home care provider. You can also visit www.HomeCareAssistance.com for more information, interesting articles, and a list of the books available in our healthy longevity book series.