Nursing Insights: Our Blogs

In a recent blog article, we discussed how caregiver burnout was becoming more frequent because of the growing number of unpaid family caregivers. The need for senior care is increasing because members of the aging Baby Boomer population are retiring at roughly 10,000 people per day. As a result, the demand for senior care providers has not been able to keep up.

According to the Population Reference Bureau, the older generations of Americans (65+) are “projected to nearly double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060.” This increase could lead to “more than a 50 percent increase in the number of Americans ages 65 and older” that would require nursing home care.

But what does all of that mean for the state of senior care and home health care heading into 2020?

Many of us experience burnout at some point in our lives. Getting an education, raising children, and working long hours can lead to burnout. But how do we address caregiver burnout from taking care of a family member as they age or need assistance?

According to the Pew Research Center, “there are 40.4 million unpaid caregivers of adults ages 65 and older in the United States,” and roughly nine out of ten of those caregivers are caring for a relative.

Read on to find out how to spot the symptoms of caregiver burnout and how to prevent them from continuing.

An injury, trauma, or surgery may require orthopedic care, but knowing where to look for in-home orthopedic rehabilitation can be stressful. You or your loved one deserve the best orthopedic care plan, and orthopedic rehab is an integral part of that care plan.

When looking for orthopedic care, you want to make sure you find the right team that will bring quality care and service into your home. At MediQuest Staffing & Homecare, we have a team of healthcare professionals who have been serving the Lancaster County community for over 17 years. Not only do we specialize in home care services, but we also want to help educate our clients to best serve their needs.

When you’re unable to drive for any reason, temporarily or otherwise, finding ways to get around can be challenging—even in our modern world of rideshare services and accessible mass transit. If you or someone you care about cannot find transportation from a family member at the moment it’s needed, it can be a distressing situation, especially if there’s an emergency.

This is why we offer transport assistance services here at MediQuest. You or your loved one should never have to stress about how you might get urgent medical care, if needed, or even go to the grocery store across town for your weekly restock of household supplies and food.

Have a special family event coming up like a wedding or milestone birthday party? We can help you get there and back again, too.

Today’s post gives you what you need to know about our service offerings for transportation, as well as shows how this way of traveling is much more comfortable and convenient than alternative options in our local Lancaster, PA area.

LANCASTER, PA. (September 20, 2019) – MediQuest Staffing, Inc., a high quality, privately-owned home healthcare service agency in Lancaster County, PA., is urging current family caregivers of loved ones with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease to discover how they can find help and support. September is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and MediQuest wants to bring attention to memory care as a way to mark this special time.

It’s true that robust demand for home care services like those we provide here at MediQuest Staffing & Homecare is fueling an unprecedented shortage of qualified home healthcare workers. There just are not enough nurses and certified nursing assistants to go around—and the problem is getting worse as more members of the Baby Boomer generation retire every day.

Getting into the field now is undoubtedly a smart career move, but many prospective new caregivers are often unclear of what jobs actually exist, and what education and experience requirements they will face to obtain these in-demand jobs.

Today’s blog post highlights a few of the main types of home healthcare professions you can pursue as a compassionate individual seeking a fulfilling career. And, for those considering whether home care is right for their or their loved ones’ needs, these are the types of caregivers MediQuest can help you choose.

While not particularly common, Alzheimer’s Disease can take hold in people much younger than its typical victims, who are generally over age 65. For reasons that medical science is still attempting to determine—though genetics seems to play a major role—some individuals as young as 40 can begin to exhibit Alzheimer’s or dementia symptoms.

Called Early or Younger Onset Alzheimer’s, the disease experience is particularly tragic for both the diagnosed person and his/her family and friends because it strikes during prime adulthood, when many people are busy parents, spouses, and employees—and they may even be providing care for older relatives with Alzheimer’s or dementia themselves.

Luckily, there are many resources available to help both patients and loved ones—in the form of support groups, educational opportunities, medical therapies to help alleviate symptoms, and in-home care/assistance with daily living tasks from qualified caregivers at MediQuest Staffing.

Today’s post offers insight to some of the signs to look for if you or a loved one has been exhibiting troubling memory loss or personality changes regardless of their age.

No one likes to think about getting old. We especially don’t want to think about when we may need help dressing, eating, or bathing.

However, because seventy percent of all seniors will need such assistance, everyone should develop a long-term care plan. Waiting until care is necessary to think about your long-term care is too late.

Among other benefits, creating a plan early helps to ensure that funds can be set aside to cover the inevitable expense of care. It is also easier to evaluate care options now—before a medical or aging crisis—than it is during a crisis. Long-term care planning also gives peace of mind to loved ones because plans take the guesswork out of others’ difficult care decisions.

Today’s post addresses four crucial components that every effective long-term plan should contain. These include identifying where a senior wants to live when they need daily assistance, what funding and insurance are available to cover care costs, how to know when living at home may no longer be feasible, and who is authorized to make care decisions when the patient can’t.

Are you currently caring for a family member or loved one with increasing care needs? It may feel overwhelming at times, especially if you—like many family caregivers—wear multiple other hats in your daily life, like full-time employee, homeowner, parent, grandparent, etc.

You wish you had more time to dedicate to your loved one’s needs, but there are only so many hours in the day. Here at MediQuest Staffing and Homecare, we deeply understand this. You need help. And the good news is, home care services can provide the support you require with a variety of options to improve your and your loved one’s unique lives.

Today’s post introduces some of the most helpful home care offerings you may not have yet discovered, especially if you’ve just begun the caregiving journey. We’ll also answer a few of the big questions you likely have on your mind about home care. Continue reading What to Know About Different Home Care Services You Can Choose →

Two separate crises are facing senior adults “aging in place” at home, and the problem is worsening. Here in 2019, there are the dual issues of few families being prepared to help loved ones with care needs when they can no longer care for themselves, as well as a troubling shortage of paid, professional caregivers.

So, who will care for our senior friends and loved ones when the need arises? Naturally, there will continue to be skilled and compassionate home healthcare workers available, but their ranks simply aren’t growing to meet expanding demand. Today’s blog post offers a closer look at the caregiver shortage problem and some of the ways the home care industry is rising to meet the challenges. Continue reading What the Shortage of Caregivers in the USA Means →