Commonwise Home Care

It’s easy to feel alone when caring for an elderly parent. Despite the fact that 17% of adults find themselves in the position of caregiver to their mother or father, it’s a stunning and difficult thing to need to go through.

Most seniors are happy to age in place in the homes they have always lived in. However, when health issues take over, it may be time for assisted living — whether it’s in a senior care community or in the home of an adult child.

Over 40 million people are providing unpaid elderly care in the United States.

Life can become a bit of a rollercoaster when you have elderly parents to take care of. You want to offer them the best care and assistance possible, but at the same time, you’ve got your own life to live and can only do so much. 

According to recent statistics, there are about 1.5 million Americans currently living in nursing homes.

For many families, it is time to start looking for senior care in South Carolina or in Virginia. The question is, how do you determine which care service is best?

Did you know that between 2015 and 2050, the number of people 60 years and older will rise from 12% to 22%? Are you looking for fun activities for seniors with limited mobility?

According to the government, elderly people should pay special attention to certain areas of their diet and ensure that they are getting good amounts of vitamins and minerals like calcium and B12.

Did you know that the term “self-care” didn’t become mainstream until 2016? Wellness and a healthy lifestyle aren’t new ideas, but the concept of self-care introduces another layer.

As you approach your older years, it’s important to look past the trials and tribulations of age related changes and search for the positives of how to embrace aging.

Are you an elderly person struggling with your mobility? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, it’s estimated that one in five elderly adults struggles with mobility issues

When it comes to daily exercise activities for seniors, there are certain things you should know. Here is our guide on the CDC exercise recommendations.

Why do elderly parents become mean sometimes? Physical and mental health problems that lead to cognitive change also often lead to behavioral changes.

Learn about the common types of dementia, risk factors, and how to best support your brain during the aging process with Dr. Alexandra Geneser.

While maintaining a strong core is essential to your overall health and stability, explore the best core exercises for seniors no matter your level of mobility.

Aging presents its own unique set of challenges for our loved ones. Explore some of the most engaging indoor activities for the elderly to stay active.

 For the inaugural event of the Commonwise Living Long and Well Speaker Series, Dr. Alexandra Geneser will present Brain Health: How to Support Your Brain in the Aging Process on Wednesday, April 29th at 12:00 PM via Zoom, exclusively for Boars Head members. Have you ever wondered: How early in life signs of dementia […]

Ensuring your loved one is receiving the in home care they need, explore how elder care helps seniors combat loneliness and offers caregivers peace of mind.

No matter your age, it’s never too late to begin an exercise routine to promote a healthy lifestyle. Explore the benefits of free exercise videos for seniors.

Have you ever experienced caregiver guilt? Or caregiver remorse? Learn 5 tips to help you manage negative feelings and move toward healthier thoughts.

Are you looking for some first day of work advice for your new job as a caregiver? Here’s a complete guide on what you need to know.

Are you interested in learning about the unique benefits of senior support groups? We’ve got a complete guide for you here. Click to learn more!

Most seniors want to continue living in their own homes instead of relocating. Here’s how an elderly phone service can give family members peace of mind.

Your grandparents have seen more advances in their lives than any other generation. Here are some good questions to ask your grandparents.

Bingo is commonly thought of as a game for the elderly, but did you know it’s beneficial to their health? Learn more about the benefits of playing bingo.

Why be a caregiver? Well, do you love taking care of people? Learn if you would be a good caregiver for the elderly.

Do you have someone in your life that needs elderly care due to their declining health or wellbeing? Read the benefits of keeping them cared for at home.

How does home health care cost compare to the pricey medical bills for a loved one’s end of life care in a hospital? Find out here.

Bad leg circulation in the elderly is a common health issue as their body ages. Learn how to improve blood circulation in old age.

Did you know that you can get paid to take care of family? Learn more about how you can become a paid, at home family caregiver.

When recovering from a stroke, gaining mobility, strength, and learning to walk again is your first step to independence through rehabilitation.

Technology has touched nearly every cornerstone of our lives, lending a hand with the best memory games for Alzheimer’s patients to play.

Searching for in home care to help a loved one is an important task and should be carefully considered. Learn about the essential qualities of a professional caregiver.

Considering a rewarding career as a respite care provider? While requirements vary, explore the qualifications and steps to become a professional caregiver.

When it comes time to make living arrangements for an aging loved one in need of support, explore the benefits of memory care assisted living.

End of life care for a loved one is the hardest to research. Learn the difference between hospice and palliative care so you know which is needed.

A deteriorating memory is a common sign of the aging process. Learn how to care for a loved one with Dementia or Alzheimer’s and how the diagnoses differ.

24 hour elderly care provides a solution to aging adults and their families who don’t want to transition a loved one into an assisted living facility.

Do you need a break? Respite care provides short-term relief to primary caregivers from the constant care they provide to elderly adults in need of assistance.

Total patient care is a model of care overseen by a registered nurse who provides one-on-one care to patients. Learn if total care is the right level of care for your loved one.

One of the primary services people search for in relation to home care is senior medication management. The difference between medication management and medication reminders is significant, but often not understood…

After surgery home care is necessary for seniors due to the increased risk of complications that can occur.

After a long period of hospitalization or immobility, patients can find it difficult to move freely and safely without assistance. Transfers and ambulation are helpful techniques to know for caregivers but should be treated with great caution and require professional training.

Falling, to some degree, is a natural part of life. We fall learning how to walk, ride a bike, play sports, etc. and are taught to simply brush it off and get back up again. As we age, casually “getting back up” is no easy feat and the recovery time after a fall takes longer and longer. For the elderly, falls can be fatal.

Mental illness is a serious subject to discuss at any age and can take on a variety of forms over the course of a person’s life. Depression is not simply “feeling sad” or “off” on certain days and anxiety is more than just “being worried.”

National Preparedness Month is all about preparing for disasters—natural or not—before they happen. Seniors especially need assistance during emergencies because they aren’t as agile and healthy as younger individuals.

September is a beautiful time of year on the East Coast. The sweltering hot, humid weather from summer starts to cool off, and fall is in the air.

A collection of untidy items lying around the house not only creates chaos for seniors, but too much clutter can become a safety hazard. Clutter can lead to misplaced or unpaid bills, forgotten medications, and increase the risk of falls.

Approximately 30% of people who are diagnosed with Psoriasis will develop Psoriasis Arthritis (PsA). Unfortunately, seniors are not often diagnosed as quickly as they should be with Psoriasis.

August is Cataract Awareness Month, and as one of the dominant eye problems in the senior population, we want to provide more information on this condition.

Severe weather can strike at any time, during any season. In the case of a hurricane, tornado, or another natural disaster, caregivers should prepare seniors with a plan of action. Home care services can assist seniors in getting ready for these disasters and staying safe in the process.

Eating right and having balanced nutrition can be hard for anyone, no matter their age. Over time, nutrition tends to fall to the wayside. Eating at least one healthy meal a day can be a struggle, let alone three.

With summer in full swing, the temperatures are tipping the scale and reaching triple digits. While summer means BBQ’s, beach trips, and late sunsets, it can also be hazardous to the senior population. Older adults are more prone to heat-related health problems and should be carefully monitored.

As a caregiver, it can be hard to spot dehydration symptoms in the elderly. Older individuals do not tend to get thirsty as quickly as someone younger, making the signs a challenge to identify. Learn the signs of dehydration and how to keep older adults hydrated in the warmer months.

As summer quickly approaches and temperatures heat up, hydration plays a big role in our health and well-being. Outdoor activities make it easy to forget to regularly hydrate, which can be detrimental. For the elderly population, staying hydrated is increasingly vital.

Did you know June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness month? We put together a guide to help you and your loved ones understand the importance of brain health.

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. The focus for this month is on supporting those living with Alzheimer’s and/or Dementia.

June is National Safety Month so it only seems appropriate to talk about elderly fall risk and prevention. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 out of 4 adults (65 and over) will have a fall; 1 out of 5 falls will lead to a serious injury.

Medication Safety is an important topic to cover during National Safety Month. As we age, we tend to add more and more medications to our drug regimen. Adding medications may increase the risk of drug interactions. The older we are, the harder it is on our bodies to break down and process these medications.

For the past 6 years, the clinical care at Commonwise has been overseen by one dynamic Registered Nurse, Amber Best Roberts, and a litany of gifted Care Managers and Caregivers. To say we appreciate our nurses is a tremendous understatement. Happy nurse appreciation week!

Inevitably, when navigating care for parents, adult children ask me whether they should purchase policies for themselves.

When opening a policy, your provider may ask you what you want to do with the assignment of benefits (AOB). You have two options: assigning to yourself or the home care provider. There are pros and cons to each.

When the time comes, either you – or one of your adult children – will need to open your policy to receive reimbursement. Make sure you have kept track of your paperwork, policy numbers, and managed your POA accordingly.

As the Commonwise Home Care (Charlottesville) Director of Nursing, I recently had the opportunity to help a client return to his home after he had spent almost half the year in facilities. I quickly realized what an honor this was and that watching him become reacquainted with his home will now and forever be a highlight in my nursing career.

Like any insurance, the quality of your coverage depends on the type of policy you purchased. However, there are a few constants that are important to know as you begin the process of opening your policy and setting up care. Here are three items common to every policy that you should familiarize yourself with.

A heartwarming example of compassionate care and the lasting impact it can have on our neighbors.

This is the first post of a five-part series intended to share more about the complex world of long term care insurance and its impact on home care consumers.

Charleston is a beautiful place. A temperate climate, beautiful beaches, excellent restaurants and cultural offerings keep the city relevant and dynamic. When the tourists melt away, those of us lucky enough to live here get to explore Shem Creek, Middleton Plantation, boutiques on King St., and the cobblestone alleyways South of Broad year round.

As word of our excellent caregivers and reputation for providing premium home care has continued to spread, Commonwise is excited to announce that we have opened our newest branch in RVA!

While there are many wonderful aspects to life in the low country, extreme weather can certainly be stressful and frustrating. When the winds start blowing and the flood warnings flash, families and clients are left with difficult decisions about whether to stay put or evacuate.

The Commonwise team has grown in the last six months. As a refresher for our seasoned staff and in order to align the newcomers, we are taking time out of every weekly meeting to review one of our core values. On Wednesday we discussed “integrity.”

It’s hard to find anyone these days who hasn’t seen a loved one need home care. I’ve had several family members need care; the very best and very worst of caregiving. I know how incredibly transformative excellent home care can be.

Since becoming a national holiday in 1870, the Fourth of July has been celebrated with many traditions, including backyard games, neighborhood barbecues, and the symbolic fireworks shows.

We are proud to share this inspiring story from “UVA Today” about Rebecca Abdul.

Longtime Commonwise Care Team member Nami Rosado reported in for a regular day of caregiving and ended up saving a life.

Commonwise believes in the therapeutic power of music.

11 letters of recommendation were written on behalf of Commonwise caregivers in 2017.

A new guide to managing in-home care efforts has been authored by Commonwise client Leslie Eckford, LCSW.

Support for your loved one (and family) in their final days.

After a year of consistent, reliable and high-quality care, a former client’s daughter shares her appreciation for the exceptional personal care and emotional support her parents received from the Commonwise care team.

Earlier this year, we faced a new, but welcomed, challenge: We were receiving too many caregiver applications!

Meet Diane, an exceptionally gifted caregiver who felt called to home health work.

Valeria Niehaus searched diligently for in-home care for her in-laws.

As machines grow increasingly sophisticated, we are compelled to ask: What can a human do that a robot can’t?

The average American underestimates the cost of in-home long-term care by almost 50%, according to the Genworth 2017 Cost of Care study.

Adam Parker made the difficult decision to bring his mother home to spend her final weeks with his family. It turned out to be a decision he will forever cherish.

Jonathan Dickinson is one of our exceptional caregivers. When he learned that his friend and client John had a favorite place to visit, he went out of his way to make a little riverside trek possible.

Every family has the kind of story that expands and embellishes over time.

A haunting article by reporter-at-large Rachel Aviv, published in The New Yorker, shows how court appointed guardians can sell the assets and control the lives of senior citizens without their consent—and reap a profit from it.

Commonwise Home Care has created a new option for reduced-cost training for home care workers: Trinity CNA training

In service training for caregivers provides on-the-job experience and consistency across all of our care providers.

Unlike most home health care agencies, Commonwise Home Care has stringent caregiver qualifications. We value your family like they are our own.

As the majority of aging Americans want to stay in their own homes, the need for in-home caregivers is escalating.

Employees in the home care industry deserve higher wages than the industry standard. Learn why Commonwise chooses to pay caregivers more.