It’s often the family who recognizes the signs that an elderly loved one may need help with daily living tasks.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that your loved one has to move to an assisted living or a nursing home, but it could be a sign that they require some extra help. If they insist “everything is fine,” how do you know if they need support in their home?

Here are signs that may indicate your loved one needs help at home:

Declining Physical and Mental Status

• Unexplained weight loss or poor eating habits
• Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
• Changes in mood or extreme mood swings
• New diagnosis of dementia or early onset Alzheimer’s Disease
• Undermanaged or exacerbation of once managed chronic illnesses
• Grieving a recent loss of a life partner
• Disoriented to time, calling at odd hours of day
• Noticeable decline in grooming habits or infrequent bathing
• New incontinence suspected or difficulty with toileting hygiene
• Clothes are tattered, stained or ill-fitting or loved one Is wearing the same outfit over and over
• Word finding issues or becomes easily frustrated when communicating

Safety Concerns

• Trouble getting up from a seated position
• Broken home appliances or forgetting to turn off the stove after cooking
• Difficulty with walking, balance, mobility or recent falls
• Unexplained bruising or recurrent hospitalizations
• Lives alone with limited supports nearby to check in
• Empty or untouched prescription bottles in the home
• On high-risk medications such as blood thinners or narcotics and concerns they might not be taking regularly or taking too much
• Unexplained dents and scratches on their car
• Getting lost of forgetting how to get home

Declining Ability to Manage the Home and Finances

• Little fresh food in home or old or expire food in fridge and cupboards
• Clutter and trash accumulating in the home
• Stacks of unopened mail or an overflowing mailbox
• Late payment notices, bounced checks and numerous calls from bill collectors
• Electricity, phone, gas services have been disconnected
• Uncertainty and confusion when performing once-familiar tasks like dressing, cooking, doing laundry
• Failure to return phone calls or keep track of important appointments
• Grocery shopping or driving has become a taxing effort
• Frequently losing keys, purse, wallet, or getting locked out of the home

We know you have specific questions based on your unique needs. Give us a call anytime, seven days per week, and a member of our local team will help you to understand how our services can help you through this difficult time.

Care can begin within 24 hours in most cases. For all new clients a Registered Nurse will perform a free in home assessment to create a custom plan of care. Once there is agreement with the plan of care, we will assign the most appropriate caregivers based on their skills, personality and availability to meet our new client’s needs.

The hourly cost can vary depending on the type of services provided and for how many hours a week. Give us a call and we can discuss your particular situation and the best options for moving forward.

In order to begin service, one of our Registered Nurses will perform an in home assessment and create a customized plan of care. Then a security deposit based on the estimated first two weeks of service is needed.

There is a minimum of 12 hours per week with a six hour shift minimum.

All caregivers have been thoroughly screened initially including:
– Massachusetts CORI Search
– 10 Panel Drug Screening
– Nationwide Criminal Search
– Social Security Number Trace
– Alias Search
– Sex Offender Registry Search
– Global Criminal Watch List Search
– National Federal Criminal Search
– Nationwide Wants and Warrants Search

At Guided Living our caregiver interview process involves a phone screening, multiple in person interviews, and a final skills assessment and evaluation. We only hire those who are genuinely caring and share the same values as our founding team.

Yes, anyone who would ever enter a client’s home is both bonded and insured by Guided Living’s insurance policies. All of our staff are also full employees meaning we handle payroll taxes and workers’ compensation. Additionally, they have been thoroughly screened by an extensive background check, drug screening, written examination and skills assessment.

Every client has Registered Nurse oversight supervising caregivers. All caregivers are thoroughly oriented to the plan of care and are accountable by logging activities after every shift. If at any time a caregiver needs support, a registered nurse who is familiar with our client is on call.

Clients and their families also have 24/7 access to Guided Living staff on call to answer any questions or address concerns.

Absolutely! Our caregivers can drive their own car or a client’s car to appointments, errands, shopping, or any other activities. Guided Living requires all drivers to be fully insured and the company also carries an additional blanket auto insurance policy.

If a caregiver will be driving a client’s own car, we are required to have proof of insurance for the vehicle and a valid driver’s license on file. Guided Living has systems in place to ensure all insurances and licenses are up to date.

With 24-hour care, our client is in need of round-the-clock attention. They would not be left alone in a room unattended and a caregiver is always awake and on duty. Service is fulfilled by more than one caregiver.

With live-in care, a client is in need of attention during the day when awake but not 24/7. When the client retires for the night, the caregiver is off duty and able to return to a room at the caregiver’s house for the evening. Guided Living currently does not offer live-in care services.

Yes, sometimes our clients whose home is an assisted living facility need a bit more help with their day-to-day activities. Our caregivers are welcome in Assisted Living Facilities.

For non-medical schedule requests, we ask for seven days notice to change regularly scheduled shifts so that our caregivers can be rescheduled. We’ll do everything possible to accommodate our clients’ scheduling needs.