How does Veterans Directed Home Based Services, also known as "Independence Plus" work? 1. The veteran, working with family, and usually an advisor from the state, develops a Care Plan outlining the services, supports, supplies and estimated...

The Veterans Directed Home and Community Based Services program, sometimes referred to as "Cash and Counseling for Veterans" or as "Independence Plus", is designed to allow veterans who are potential candidates for nursing home placement to receive a comparable...

I came across this article last week. Given the awareness of this week's Veterans Day, I thought it appropriate to essentially republish this information... On November 11, we honor our Nation’s veterans for their service to America. What better...

Home care extends life. Studies by nursing schools and government agencies have found that home care extends life. Visits by home care personnel often provide emotional as well as medical support. When confronted with the necessity of...

Why do seniors, our elderly parents, and family members prefer home care services at home? - Home care is delivered by a special group of people. Caring staff members don’t work in the home care industry for the...

Here are some protocols seniors and their family caregivers should follow when it comes to managing their medications: • Toss out any expired or discontinued prescription medication. No need to have expired meds floating around the house. Too...

Do your elderly parents manage their own medications? Many seniors are fully capable of managing proper dosage and timing. However, most seniors working with our agency, Home Care Partners, need additional supervision and reminders on what pills...

It is estimated that 38 million older Americans suffer drug complications every year, about 180,000 of which are life-threatening. Do your elderly parents understand their medications?? My Mother certainly does not. She will take pills as given...

Are our seniors medically over-prescribed? The average 65 - 69 year-old fills 13.6 prescriptions per year. Upon reflection, this seems too many. And elders in the age range of 80 - 84 years have an average...

Here are some tips suggested by the Mayo Clinic that family caregivers can take to reduce the likelihood of elderly parents or loved ones becoming malnourished: - Encourage regular physical activity. (See Home Care Partners previous blog entries on this...