Guest Blog: 4 Ways You Can Find Affordable Homecare

Home care is often preferred by seniors. An overwhelming 90% of seniors want to age in place. It is also affordable compared to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. However, hiring a caregiver may still be out of reach for many families.

1. Home Care Agency

A popular option for hiring a caregiver is through a home care agency. Hiring a caregiver through an agency allows seniors to have personalized one-on-one attention and flexible pricing (choosing less hours means saving on costs). You are also not responsible for any employer obligations like payroll tax and being held liable for any injuries that happen at home. However, this means that agencies pass administrative costs to the family which may still be unaffordable.

2. Family Caregivers

Did you know that there are an estimated 40 million unpaid family caregivers in the United States? Family caregivers perform a wide range of duties like paying bills, running errands, and helping with light household chores. Many family caregivers dedicate on average 20 hours a week towards providing care and some take time off work as well—resulting in a loss of earnable income. While being a family caregiver can save you money, your loved one may have needs that go beyond what you can support.

3. Local Classifieds

You can hire a caregiver directly through your local classifieds or online directory. Hiring a caregiver directly, and not through an agency can provide more affordable home care for your loved one, but there are some extra hurdles. You will need to personally interview and screen potential candidates. This involves meeting with the caregiver, verifying their references, and performing a background check. If your loved one needs care immediately, this process may be difficult and time consuming to do properly.

4. eCaregivers

After learning about using eCaregivers, you can find private caregivers with rates starting at $10-$14/hour for care, versus $20-$24 with an agency, helping you save thousands of dollars in a year while still ensuring quality home care for your loved one. All of the caregivers on eCaregivers have passed a background check so you have a peace of mind that you’re hiring a vetted caregiver for your loved one.

About the Author

Peter Kang is a writer for eCaregivers. He is inspired by his caregiver experience with his late grandfather and role model, a Korean War veteran, to help families find affordable care for their loved ones. Follow Peter on Facebook and Twitter.

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By Jim|2025-09-03T11:44:03-05:00September 30th, 2025|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Guest Blog: Tips for Caregivers Helping Seniors with Anxiety

Taking care of seniors with anxiety requires special attention and understanding. As a caregiver, providing the necessary support and creating a nurturing environment for seniors to manage their stress effectively is essential. This article offers practical tips for caregivers to help seniors cope with anxiety and improve their overall well-being.

Understanding Anxiety in Seniors:

Various factors contribute to anxiety in seniors, including health issues, life transitions, loss, loneliness, and cognitive changes. Understanding these causes can help caregivers identify potential triggers and provide appropriate support. Anxiety in seniors may manifest through physical symptoms (e.g., restlessness, fatigue) or emotional signs (e.g., excessive worry, irritability). Recognizing these signs enables caregivers to intervene and provide appropriate assistance. Empathy and effective communication create a safe space for seniors to express their concerns. Caregivers should listen attentively, validate their emotions, and show understanding to build trust and facilitate open dialogue.

Creating a Calm and Supportive Environment:

A. Establishing a routine and predictable schedule:

Seniors benefit from a consistent routine that provides structure and reduces uncertainty, which can contribute to anxiety. Caregivers should create a schedule that incorporates regular activities, meals, and relaxation time.

B. Providing a safe and comfortable living space:

A peaceful and relaxing environment is essential for seniors with anxiety. Caregivers should ensure that the living area is organized, clutter-free, and offers security.

C. Reducing environmental stressors and promoting relaxation techniques:

Caregivers can minimize ecological stressors, such as excessive noise or bright lights, and encourage relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercises, meditation, or gentle music to help seniors relax and alleviate anxiety.

Active Listening and Emotional Support

Caregivers should actively listen to seniors, paying attention to their verbal and non-verbal cues. Showing empathy and understanding validates their feelings, fosters trust, and encourages open communication. It is crucial to create a safe space for seniors to share their anxieties and worries. Caregivers should encourage them to express their emotions and actively engage in supportive conversations. Seniors often seek reassurance during anxious moments. Caregivers can provide validation, empathy, and gentle reminders of their strengths and abilities to help alleviate their anxiety.

Encouraging Social Engagement and Support

Physical activity has proven benefits for mental health. Caregivers should encourage seniors to engage in exercises suitable for their abilities, such as walking, gentle stretching, or chair exercises. Regular physical activity releases endorphins, reduces stress, and promotes overall well-being.

A balanced diet is essential for controlling anxiety. According to carers, seniors should have access to nourishing meals that contain a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats. Additionally, caregivers should encourage seniors to stay hydrated as dehydration can exacerbate anxiety symptoms. Promoting adequate sleep and relaxation techniques. Sufficient sleep is essential for seniors’ mental health. Caregivers should help establish a bedtime routine that promotes relaxation, such as avoiding stimulating activities before bed and creating a comfortable sleep environment. Additionally, caregivers can teach seniors relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercises, meditation, or listening to soothing music to help them unwind and reduce anxiety.

Providing Cognitive and Behavioral Strategies

Seniors can quiet their brains and lessen worry by engaging in deep breathing exercises, meditation, and mindfulness practices. Seniors can be assisted in using these strategies by their carers, who can also gently remind them to do so when their anxiety levels are at their highest.

Seniors can question negative beliefs and reframe them more positively and realistically by using cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) approaches. Seniors can receive caregiving support by being encouraged to recognize destructive thinking patterns and swap them out for more powerful and positive ones.

Seniors can benefit from the problem-solving and stress management skills that carers can teach them to deal with worry. Seniors can be given the tools they need to take control of their anxiety and discover practical coping mechanisms by being encouraged to recognize stressors, break difficulties down into manageable stages, and investigate viable solutions.

Seeking Professional Help and Support

Caregivers caring for seniors need to recognize when elderly may require professional intervention for their anxiety. If anxiety significantly interferes with daily life, causes distress, or persists despite other efforts, caregivers should encourage seniors to seek help from mental health professionals.

Self-Care for Caregivers

To effectively help elderly patients who are experiencing anxiety, carers must put their health first. Maintaining physical and mental health requires engaging in self-care practices, including exercise, relaxation methods, and hobbies, and asking for help from other carers or support groups.

Connecting with other carers who have gone through similar things may be a great support system. Insights may be shared, help can be sought, and carers can feel more at ease knowing they are not making this trip alone.

Caregivers should recognize and manage their stress levels by implementing stress-management techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or engaging in enjoyable activities. Allocating time for personal well-being helps caregivers recharge and approach their caregiving responsibilities with renewed energy and compassion.

Conclusion

Ongoing support and understanding are crucial in helping seniors manage anxiety. Caregivers can create a nurturing environment that fosters seniors’ mental well-being by being attentive, patient, and compassionate. Elders’ life can be significantly improved by carers’ efforts, who play a crucial role in helping elders who are experiencing anxiety. Carers may help seniors who suffer from pressure by using these suggestions and techniques to show compassion and improve their general well-being.

By Jim|2025-09-03T11:42:27-05:00September 17th, 2025|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Guest Blog: Hiring an In-Home Caregiver: What You Need to Know

When looking for an in-home caregiver for your loved one, it’s a given you would prefer someone they can get along with really well and will do a great job of taking care of them. However, finding this home care option for your senior loved one can be challenging at times.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of tips you can follow to ensure you find the perfect person for the job. The following tips should get your search off to a fantastic start:

Create a clear job description

To come up with a clear job description, identify what your elderly loved one’s needs are. A clear and specific job description can help you determine the flexibility needed, the number of hours they’ll be looking after your loved one, and how much you are likely to pay.

Be flexible when hiring independently

If you want to find great candidates, you need to be flexible about the pay. It is also recommended that you offer the going rate in your area. Otherwise, you might not find applicants with the care skills you are looking for.

Conduct multiple interviews and a trial period

To get more insights about a candidate, consider conducting three interviews:

A short screening interview over the phone to ensure they meet the necessary requirements.
An in-person interview if they pass the phone screening.
An in-person interview where the top 2 candidates can also meet your elderly loved one.

Ask all the important questions during the interview

Asking all the right questions can help you find someone responsible, compassionate, and trustworthy. It would also be a good idea to ask what they’ll do in a specific situation. For instance, what they would do if your elderly loved one refuses medications or does not cooperate.

Check their references

Even if you find a candidate very impressive, it is ideal that you still do a background check. You can do this by calling the work references they have provided. You can ask if they do a good job and if they’ll hire the candidate again.

Conclusion

While finding the best in-home caregiver can be challenging, it can be done. As long as you prepare accordingly and cover all the essential bases, you’ll find the right person for the job with ease.

By Jim|2025-03-24T19:47:12-05:00April 21st, 2025|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Guest Blog Self-Care Tips For Caregivers

Self-care is defined as caring for ourselves physically, psychologically, spiritually, and socially. Because when we are focused on those things outside of ourselves it is so easy to overlook our own needs, self-care is a concept that applies to everyone.

For example, imagine that your boss lays a new project in your lap with an impending – and almost impossible – deadline. You put everything aside because the project requires all of your energy. So, you don’t do those stretches that keep your low back pain at bay. You don’t return non-professional emails, texts, or messages. You reschedule every appointment that doesn’t apply to this project.

In the end, the project does get done, but you find yourself completely exhausted, and in serious need of a break. The truth is, any of us can find ourselves in this situation at any time, but especially when we undertake the care of a dependent other.

People who rely on us for their daily living cannot be put on the back burner. Maybe they need help getting dressed, making meals, taking a bath, or just getting out of bed. (In some cases, the care may mean just being turned in bed to avoid developing bedsores.)

For caregivers, the work never ends. Every single day they are a requirement to another person and it is simply not possible to call in sick when someone else depends on you more than you need a day off.

The result is that caregivers are often the worst at self-care. When this happens, they can end up feeling exhausted, irritable, resentful, and hopeless. And the quality of care they can provide suffers. For caregivers, quality care starts and ends with consistent self-care.

Remember The Why

Tony Robbins is famous for always asking for the WHY. The reason for this is because when we have a why, we can find a how. This becomes monumentally more important when what we are doing is hard, long-lasting, and with little gain.

It is these times when it makes the most sense to give up because the energy we put out can seem out of proportion to what we get back. But this is also when it is so important to stop and ask ourselves why we got into this work in the first place. What was it about caring for others who depend on us that attracted us? Why did we choose this profession over others? And why do we keep at it despite the long, exhausting hours?

Answering questions like this will bring us back to the fundamental reasons for our decision to go into caregiving. It will also bring us back to a fundamental human need – which is to have a purpose.

To be content with our lives, we must feel that what we do has meaning. We must feel like we matter in one way or another, and that what we do makes a difference. Whatever our why is, it carries us forward when times get challenging. It reinforces us, stabilizes us, gives us solid ground on which to stand.

Find Something To Be Grateful For

Gratitude is such a powerful emotion that even just keeping a daily gratitude list has been shown to have a dramatic effect on many measures of our lives – from happiness and wellbeing to creativity and productivity.

While gratitude can be described as a “top end” emotion that is most effective when everything else in our life is going well, in many cases, it is just the opposite. It is through being grateful that we find a way to get through things that confound us, challenge us, overwhelm us, and make us want to quit.

For caregivers, gratitude is especially effective because not only is caring for another person inherently hard, when they are dependent, it is without end. It is at these times that our psychological systems most need bolstering, and on a daily basis.

What gratitude effectively does is bring us out of the dreariness of our daily lives and into a new perspective where things look different. And when we begin to see differently, those things we see begin to change. The sunrise looks brighter, the trees greener, the flowers brighter, and the people more kind.

Make Humor A Part Of Your Daily Life

Humor is a wonderful resource that has been associated with feelings of wellbeing, happiness, vitality, creativity, and even cognitive functioning. Humor is something that has also been demonstrated in a variety of species and seems to play a central role in bonding. But perhaps most importantly, humor acts like a tonic for the brain.

Humor allows us to temporarily escape our reality, to transform our situation is a way that brings us levity and lightness. When we can stop to laugh, we can, for the moment, suspend any negative emotions we might otherwise be feeling. We can, momentarily, make our situation and ourselves feel different.

For caregivers, humor is an essential resource because it acts like a reset button. Performed regularly, humor doesn’t just make every day better, it makes the tough ones survivable.

Caring for another person may be one of the most challenging jobs we can choose. But it is also one that is essential. By remembering why we choose to become caregivers, finding things to be grateful for and incorporating humor into our daily lives, we can keep ourselves at our best for ourselves and those who depend on us every day.

By Jim|2024-02-01T14:36:04-05:00April 3rd, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

How to Take Care of Yourself When You’re Caring for a Loved One

As a caregiver, you’re no stranger to physical and emotional exhaustion. But if you’re like many other caregivers, you may have come to accept that living in a relentlessly drained state is just part of your role. But what if it wasn’t? What if there were realistic ways to foster your own health and well-being and recharge each day?

Fortunately, there are! And practicing self-care not only helps you, but it will also allow you to provide your loved one with better care. Consider these practical self-care tips from Senior Care Central to help you start your new life:

Delegate Household Tasks

When you are a caregiver, your home should be a peaceful retreat to which you can go after a long day. That applies whether you live with your loved one or not. The problem is, if you are busy, trying to fit in all of your household tasks to keep your home well-maintained can stress you out. Rather than let that happen, think about services that you can hire out to others.

Socialize on the Regular

Caregiving can be extremely isolating. And you might feel like you don’t have time to spend with other important people in your life. However, as a social being, it is critical to interact and maintain relationships with close friends and relatives. Try to carve out time in your schedule for others, and it will improve your overall quality of life.

One option is planning fun outings either for just you, or for you and your loved one. These could include a trip to the park or a museum, or perhaps a baseball game where you can sit and relax in the fresh air. For instance, you can browse ticket prices for the Dodgers well in advance, and you don’t have to worry about hidden fees getting between you and that stadium hot dog.

Focus Your Nutrition

This is probably no surprise to you, but it’s worth repeating, your diet matters a great deal. Try eating clean foods for a month and see if you don’t notice big changes in how you feel. You can start simply by basing your diet around lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Exercise Every Day

One of the most effective ways to reduce stress in your life is to work out on a regular basis. There are countless physical activities that can help you break a sweat and get those endorphins flowing! Don’t be afraid to try everything from running to cycling, from weightlifting to yoga. And try to exercise outdoors whenever possible to get the added benefits of sunshine.

Do Breathing Exercises

There are many different types of breathing exercises that can benefit your mental health. But one of the easiest ones to start with is breath awareness.

Sit in a comfortable position on a cushion or chair, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. You will probably have distracting thoughts, but keep focusing on your breath and they will pass. Then, take a slow breath through your nose for five seconds, hold your breath for five seconds, and exhale for five seconds. Do this repeatedly for ten minutes, and you will notice a deep relaxation come over your mind, body, and soul.

Sleep and Relax

When you’re stressed out, it can be really difficult to sleep. But there is no way you can be an effective caregiver and maintain your quality of life long-term if you live in a sleep-deprived state.

Be conscious of the caffeine you consume and the food you eat after lunch and find relaxing activities you can do before bed that will help you unwind. Pick up a print book, take a long bath, or do some light yoga stretches. And make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool.

If you want to be the best caregiver you can be without sacrificing your mental health in the process, it’s essential to practice self-care. The ideas above can get you off to a great start, but keep looking for other ways you can foster your health and wellness as you carry out one of the hardest jobs in the world. In no time, you’ll find yourself feeling better, becoming more patient, and getting more out of your everyday life!

By Jim|2023-12-22T12:13:46-05:00January 5th, 2024|News Posts|Comments Off

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