What You Need to Know About Care Plans from Visiting Angels Annapolis

When dealing with a professional home care agency like Visiting Angels Annapolis, one of your key concerns is most likely the services that are available for your loved one. We recognize that each senior has unique requirements as we have been serving Anne Arundel County since 2002. A senior with a chronic illness, for example, may need more hands-on care than a senior who is generally well. That is why, when working with families in Annapolis, Glen Burnie, Millersville, Pasadena, Crownsville, Arnold and the surrounding regions of Maryland, we will build a care plan depending on the care your loved one needs.

You may be apprehensive about how a care plan works if you've never had to work with a professional caregiver for a loved one. What does a care plan include? How can I modify a loved one's care plan? How can I tell whether my loved one's plans need to be changed?

We can teach you all you need to know about care plans, including how to collaborate with our staff to make any necessary changes.

Getting Started with a Care Plan from Visiting Angels Annapolis

What is Care Plan?

A care plan outlines the home care services that your loved one will receive, as well as the dates and times that our caregivers will visit. This not only informs our team on the kind of support your loved one needs and when they require it, but it also informs your family about the steps Visiting Angels Annapolis is taking to keep them safe and happy in their own home.

What Home Care Services Does Visiting Angels Annapolis Provide?

We focus on helping older adults with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Seniors often benefit from this degree of support since some age-related difficulties make daily duties difficult or impossible to do alone.

Our care plans often include services like:

• Personal hygiene care
• Toileting and incontinence care
• Meal preparation
• Medication reminders
• Light housekeeping
• Transportation assistance
• Help with grocery shopping and running errands
• Mobility assistance
• Companionship

We also provide the Senior Life Care Navigation program to seniors who need a more specialized approach to in-home care. For example, our palliative care services assist chronically ill seniors in regaining hope and comfort. We also offer dementia care, end of life care, fall prevention and other services.

How Does Visiting Angels Annapolis Create Care Plans?

Our staff will take the time during an in-home consultation to understand the degree of care your loved one needs to age in place. In order to offer your loved one with the complete home care they need, we will consider their physical, emotional, spiritual and social requirements. We will also talk about your loved one's schedule so that our caregivers can offer care that enables them to keep up with their normal routine. We will assist you in selecting a caregiver who can offer the care your loved one needs once their care plan has been developed.

How Can I be Sure the Caregiver is Following the Care Plan?

Our supervisors will check in with clients and caregivers on a regular basis to verify that care plans are being implemented correctly. We realize how difficult it is for families to see their elderly loved ones; therefore, we go out of our way to ensure that your loved one receives the care they need as outlined in their care plan.

Changing Your Loved One’s Care Plan

Why Do Care Plans Need to be Updated?

The circumstances of your elderly loved one will change over time. They may be OK with occasional professional caregiver visits for the time being, but what if they get diagnosed with a chronic illness? What if they need hospitalization? A good care plan should be adaptable, providing the client with the assistance they need as their circumstances change.

When Should My Loved One’s Care Plan be Updated?

It is not always evident that your loved one's care plan needs to be adjusted. If you are unable to remain at your loved one's side 24 hours a day, you may overlook common signs that they need more extensive care.

Some events may necessitate modifications to their care plan, including:

• Medical diagnosis – If your loved one has a chronic disease, their care plan will need to be adjusted to assist them in managing new symptoms or behaviors.
• Changes in the family’s ability to provide care – If you or another family member have been caring for your loved one, adjusting the hours in your loved one's care plan might be useful if you need to take a break from caregiving responsibilities.
• Health emergency – If your loved one has recently been injured or requires surgery, quick changes to their care plan may be required to enable them to recover at home after being released from the hospital.

Are you unsure if your loved one’s care plan should be modified? Our experts may be able to assist. While providing care for a loved one, our caregivers may serve as a second set of eyes and ears for your family. If they see any changes in your loved one's general well-being, they will notify their supervisor, who will call your family and discuss options.

We may recommend changes to their care plan if we notice:

• Changes in their physical or cognitive health
• Worsening age-related issues that impact their mobility, eyesight, motor skills or ability to swallow
• Worsening symptoms of a chronic illness
• Growing safety issues

How Can I Adjust My Loved One’s Care Plan?

It is easy to update your loved one's care plan with Visiting Angels Annapolis. All you have to do is contact our office. Our staff will go over your loved one's care plan and make any necessary changes to ensure they continue to get the in-home care they need. We may adjust how long the caregiver stays, how often they visit, what services the caregiver will provide, precise instructions for providing these services and more.

A personalized care plan from Visiting Angels Annapolis will provide your loved one the assistance they need to age in place safely and comfortably.

Call Visiting Angels Annapolis today at 410-505-5141 to learn how our home care services can help your loved one!