This podcast is for caregivers and families seeking advice and inspiration on caring for someone with a mental or physical disability. It is hosted by Best Care, a Minnesota-based home care agency that, since 2005, has provided home and community-based services. Join us to discuss ideas, tips, and educational resources to support caregivers and their families. The content on this podcast is for informational or educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice or ...
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How to Know When it’s Time to Quit Your Job to Care for Your Parent - Best Care
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It’s human nature to feel called to provide care for a loved one in need. Whether a sick child staying home from school or an aging parent, home care services are a part of all of our lives. When it comes to aging parents, at-home care usually begins with a weekly visit to see if they need to run an errand or to just spend time together. However, t…
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The Benefits of Gardening for People Living with Alzheimer’s - Best Care
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At Best Care, we strive to stay current on new information related to activities that benefit home caregivers, and while we focus on helping seniors, children, and individuals living with a disability find quality caregivers, home nurses and personal care assistants that are best suited to support their unique needs, we also like to provide ways to…
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Common Myths Regarding Home Health Care - Best Care
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There are many individuals in need of home care services who choose to avoid it because they have heard negative rumors about home health care agencies and personal care assistants. These beliefs are generally based on misconceptions and, while some of these myths may hold water, the majority are just that: myths. We here at Best Home Care want to …
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Getting the Best Home Care for People with TBI - Best Care
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Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are serious problems that can result in lifelong consequences. Though a person's return from the hospital due to TBI is often met with joy, as family members are reunited, caring for a family member with a brain injury has its challenges. *The content on this podcast is for informational or educational purposes only …
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The Dos and Don’ts of Being a PCA: Do Be Professional - Best Care
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Personal care assistants and family caregivers are lucky to have such a great job! Home care is a very rewarding career that allows an individual to make a valuable difference in the lives of others. Home caregivers are very important in providing home supportive services for those they provide. While it may be easy to fall into a day-to-day routin…
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How to be a Great Family Caregiver: Getting Started in Family Caregiving - Best Care
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A recent study from the Pew Research Center found that two out of every five adults in the U.S. currently provide home care for a sick or elderly relative. The researchers also found that the number of caregivers in the country increased by 10% from 2010 to 2013. Experts believe that this rise in family caregivers is due to more Baby Boomers requir…
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The Sandwich Generation: Home Caregiving for Kids and Parents - Best Care
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As baby boomers reach retirement age and beyond, their children are finding themselves as part of a growing community known as the Sandwich Generation. The sandwich generation is the generation of middle-aged individuals who are pressured to care for their aging parents and growing children. In addition to the physical and emotional support require…
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The Dos and Don’ts of Being a PCA: Don’t Try to Do Too Much - Best Care
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As any medical professional will tell you, proving health care is a lot of work. As a personal care assistant you have likely experienced this first-hand. From early morning medication assistance to late night emergency calls, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by everything there is to do. This feeling of being overworked will only get worse the more…
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Capture Music Therapy’s Many Benefits for Senior Home Health - Best Care
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Ask anyone you know what their favorite song is and you are sure to be in for a long-winded answer as they struggle to narrow it down to just one. From the songs you sang as a kid to that annoying radio hit you can’t get out of your head, music has, and will continue to be, a constant part of all our lives. For thousands of years, music has played …
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Healing After the Fall: Recovery at Home after a Hip Fracture - Best Care
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One of the major factors that lead to disability and loss of independence among the elderly is falling and fracturing one or both hips. Research suggests that recovery at home can reduce the extent of disability. *The content on this podcast is for informational or educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice or con…
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Caring for the Caregiver: The Powerful Benefits of a Helping Hand - Best Care
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When you provide a friend, family member, or other loved one with care services, you are helping that person to live a more comfortable, independent life. While that individual’s life becomes easier, the home caregiver’s life often becomes busier. Providing home care is a demanding, if fulfilling, responsibility, and one that may lead to burnout fo…
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Discover the Benefits of Starting a New Hobby for Home Care Patients - Best Care
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If you could do anything for the rest of your life, what would it be? This is a common question to determine what we feel is most important and what activities we enjoy the most. These interests typically have nothing to do with our daily work, but instead are things we do out of a personal passion.. *The content on this podcast is for informationa…
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Seniors Waiting for a Long-Term Care Facility Benefit From Transitional Home Care - Best Care
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Any family that has gone through the process of selecting a senior living community knows it can be lengthy and difficult. Long wait lists can leave seniors in limbo for months or even years while the need for care continues to grow. This is where transitional home care comes in. *The content on this podcast is for informational or educational purp…
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Lonely Seniors: The Psychological and Emotional Benefits of Home Care - Best Care
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A personal care assistant plays many roles in the life of a senior. Perhaps one of the least appreciated aspects of their service is the psychological benefit they provide for their clients. Isolation, boredom, depression, and vulnerability can make a senior’s emotional life difficult and even lead to serious medical issues. *The content on this po…
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Arey ou interested in receiving PCA Services? In order to receive PCA Services in Minnesota, you will first have to meet with a Public Health Nurse in your county to have a PCA Assessment. To schedule a PCA Assessment, you must contact the Public Health Department for the county you live in. For county contact information, you may contact a Minneso…
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Cooking for Seniors: Support for Safe and Independent Meals - Best Care
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The ability to prepare food is one of life’s most basic activities, and can be a wonderful hobby for improving the home health of seniors. Cooking is a rewarding activity that doesn’t require much physical exertion and a great way for seniors to maintain a sense of independence.By Best Care MN
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Smart Home Care Options for People with Parkinson's Disease - Best Care
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As parents and loved ones grow older, most people are prepared to see some changes, but these changes can still come as a surprise and a challenge. Parkinson's Disease is a degenerative nervous system disorder that impairs movement and cognitive function, making everyday life more difficult. The symptoms often show up gradually, worsening with time…
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Spine Disorders and Home Health Care - Best Care
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Spine disorders are caused by several factors. Ankylosing spondylitis is the result of progressive arthritis that causes inflammation of the spine and the joints of the spine and pelvis. Degenerative disk disease is caused by wear and tear on the discs between the vertebrae of the spine, which act as shock absorbers. Spinal fractures are caused by …
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Rotator Cuff Tear and Proper Home Treatment for the Elderly - Best Care
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The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons in the shoulder that help in movement while making it strong and stable. Due to wear and tear, the rotator cuff weakens and this may lead to related conditions like impingement, tendonitis and rotator cuff tears. Everyone can suffer these ailments not only while playing sports or any intense physic…
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At Best Care, we believe that everyone deserves the best care that aligns with their wants and needs. That could change over time, meaning you could need to change caregivers. If you’ve been working with a caregiver for a while, it might seem difficult to change your current situation. However, there’s no reason for it to be any more stressful than…
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Massage Therapy and Home Care Services: The Perfect Combination - Best Care
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Sure, it will help you relax. But massage therapy can do much more than that, especially for extended home care clients experiencing common complications associated with growing older. With the rise in the number of Baby Boomers, massage therapists are developing techniques for a new group: the PCA program clients of premier home care agencies like…
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Ready to Start Homecare Services? - Best Care
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There are many benefits of receiving homecare services. You get to enjoy the comfort of your own home while receiving quality support to perform daily tasks from a loved one or experienced PCA (personal care assistant). But how does the process of getting started with PCA services begin? In this podcast, we’d like to provide a few simple steps on h…
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Weight Management Tips for Senior Homecare Clients - Best Care
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Providing home care to a parent or grandparent is often a full-time job. In addition to you helping your loved one perform daily tasks and feel more independent, you also want to ensure he or she is eating well and making better decisions when it comes to daily health and nutrition. In fact, one major health concern that seniors experience is weigh…
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How Home Care Workers Help Individuals with Muscular Dystrophy - Best Care
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Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a group of inherited muscle disorders in which there is skeletal muscle weakness and muscle tissue loss. The cause can be a mutation of a protein which is responsible for muscle strength or some other reasons such as nutritional defects during pregnancy. MD is passed down and can run in families but some types develop out…
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Kids With ADD/ADHD Should Receive Excellent Home Care Services - Best Care
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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a type of developmental disorder which affects between 8-12 percent of children. It is characterized by behavioral problems such as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is a subtype of ADHD and lacks the hyperactive or impulsive features of ADHD. *The cont…
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Caregiver Tips for Buying Groceries on a Budget - Best Care
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Family caregivers juggle multiple responsibilities, and one of these tasks is often handling grocery shopping for home care recipients. With inflation and soaring food costs, it's become even more important to navigate buying groceries on a budget while ensuring nutritional value and affordability. *The content on this podcast is for informational …
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When Should a Person with Dementia Stop Driving? - Best Care
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The ability to drive is significant, offering independence and freedom. But what happens when dementia begins to cloud the mind of someone we love? As we spend time with aging loved ones, we might observe subtle shifts in their cognitive function. This decline can change many things, including their ability to drive safely. The question is hard to …
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Taking care of loved ones at home takes immense love and dedication. It allows those we care about to stay in a familiar environment while receiving the support they need. We often hear terms like Personal Care Assistants (PCAs), Family Caregivers, Companions, and Home Health Aides, but what exactly do each of these roles entail? It's important to …
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How to Protect Your Health from Dry Air - Best Care
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When we consider protecting our health during winter, we often think about outdoor threats, like cold temperatures and icy sidewalks. However, the air inside our homes can also pose challenges, especially if that air is dry. Can dry air cause a sore throat? Can dry air make you sick? Indeed, dry air can lead to several issues affecting our well-bei…
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Spina Bifida in Adults: What You Need to Know - Best Care
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Spina bifida is a complex condition that affects every individual differently. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons: "Spina bifida is the most common, permanently disabling birth defect. The Spina Bifida Association conservatively estimates that 70,000 people live in the United States with the condition." *The content on t…
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Homemaker vs. PCA: What's the Difference? - Best Care
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Some terms are often used interchangeably when describing the roles and responsibilities of people who provide in-home care. Today, we'll cover the differences between a homemaker and a Personal Care Assistant (PCA). Though both play pivotal roles in ensuring the well-being of those they care about, their responsibilities and required skills vary. …
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Alzheimer’s Disease Made Easier With Home Care Services - Best Care
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Although Alzheimer's disease is a common condition for most families, dealing with a loved one's diagnosis can still cause uncertainty, anxiety, and feelings of being overwhelmed. Late-onset Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of the disease, meaning the symptoms begin after the age of 60, although early-onset Alzheimer's can occasionally o…
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Home Care Services Can Help People Injured By Lead Poisoning - Best Care
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Lead poisoning is a serious medical condition that causes a growing concern about environmental pollution and occupational safety measures. Lead is a heavy metal that does not perform any useful function within the human body, but it causes a variety of harmful effects. Old water pipes, car battery factories, certain types of paint and other indust…
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Personal Care Assistance Lowers Limitations When Faced With Anxiety Disorders - Best Care
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Anxiety disorders affect 40 million Americans, with cases ranging from mild to severe, all playing a role in how you function in society. Examples of anxiety disorders include panic disorders, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and specific phobias. Anxiety disorders can lead to physical illnesses, including …
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Ways to Become an Effective Caregiver - Best Care
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Seniors are often faced with the prospect of living alone. Their children have moved out and are raising their own families. Aside from the psychological effect of having been left behind by loved ones, they also struggle to cope with running errands and activities of daily living. *The content on this podcast is for informational or educational pu…
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In-Home Care Removes Barriers For People With Quadriplegia - Best Care
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Quadriplegia involves paralysis in all four limbs. Typically caused by a spinal cord injury, this condition leaves individuals needing to rely on a wheelchair for the rest of their lives. Performing everyday activities can be frustrating, tiring and depressing. In-Home care services for people with this condition can make life easier in a variety o…
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Walking Can Do Wonders for Seniors - Best Care
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Walking is one of the most straightforward exercises for seniors. Unlike other forms of exercise, it does not require expensive and bulky equipment or a lot of effort, so seniors who are wary of physical activity need not worry so much about starting (or failing) an exercise regimen. *The content on this podcast is for informational or educational …
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Home Care Opportunities Abound For Delusional Disorder Sufferers - Best Care
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Home care for a person suffering from delusional disorder is a complex task due to the nature of the condition. Delusional disorder is a mental problem in which a person experiences non-bizarre delusions that are persistent and negatively affect interactions with other people in their daily lives. A delusion is a false belief that cannot be effecti…
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Medication Compliance in Older People is Still a Huge Challenge - Best Care
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Perhaps you have missed taking a pill or multivitamin for some reason. However, older people are particularly notorious for not sticking to their medication schedules. After all, they take more drugs than any other age group. According to Harvard Medical School, as much as 75 percent of the elderly population in the United States are non-compliant.…
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Home Care For People Suffering From Bipolar Disorder - Best Care
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Bipolar disorder affects everyone slightly differently. With the right healthcare considerations, medications, and lifestyle changes, many people with bipolar disorder can manage to live successfully and independently. For some people, however, seeking home care services is a helpful step that helps keep their lives on track and running smoothly. P…
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Humor Heals: The Benefits of Laughter for People with Chronic Conditions and Their Caregivers - Best Care
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While caring for a loved one with a chronic health condition is a serious endeavor, remembering to laugh and interject humor into your daily lives benefits both the patient and caregiver. *The content on this podcast is for informational or educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcar…
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Living with Lupus: The Challenges for Patients and Caregivers - Best Care
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The most challenging thing about living with lupus is the cycle of symptoms flares, which tend to be unpredictable. When you need it during unexpected flares, depend on a PCA to be there. *The content on this podcast is for informational or educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcar…
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Choosing the Right Home Health Care for Your Family Member - Best Care
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When faced with a situation we did not expect, most of us either panicked or steadfastly declared that we could do it all, regardless of the burden. Asking for help is sometimes not that easy and not that cheap. When the need arises to get more people involved in the care of the loved one, you need to know what is available and the appropriate care…
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Home Care Winter Safety: Preparing for a Winter Storm - Best Care
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A week after the snow stopped falling, the majority of the east coast is still digging out from one of the largest blizzards in U.S. history. The record-breaking storm dropped as much as three feet of snow in areas throughout the Mid-Atlantic States and left hundreds of thousands of people without power for days. Blizzards like this can leave a win…
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It’s normal to hang onto sentimental keepsakes and memories from our lives, and this is even more true for older adults and seniors who have more precious times to remember! However, when it goes too far and leads to people living in extremely cluttered or dirty living situations, it could be a sign of hoarding. Here’s what hoarding is, what makes …
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The Magic of Reading for Home Care Patients - Best Care
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Smartphones, TVs, computers, and tablets consumer our daily lives. In fact, Americans spend an average of 10 hours a day staring at a screen. Whether used for work or entertainment, technological devices have quickly become an integral part of our daily lives. Part of the allure of these devices is their ease of use and accessibility to nearly any …
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Is a Pet Right for Your Homecare Patient? - Best Care
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Best Home Care specializes in helping seniors and persons with disabilities or special needs find their ideal homecare services. With our expertise, network, and resources, we can help you find the best home healthcare services in Minnesota. *The content on this podcast is for informational or educational purposes only and does not substitute profe…
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Approaches for Helping Seniors Navigate Technology - Best Care
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Caregivers can help improve the lives of seniors by helping them achieve a longer period of independence and self-sufficiency. One way caregivers can do this is by teaching them how to navigate the world of technology. Technology doesn’t need to be frustrating for an older adult. It can actually improve their quality of life! For example, staying c…
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Home Care Winter Safety Preparing for a Storm - Best Care
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We’ve been fortunate this winter not to have any major storms hit the Twin Cities area. However, we all know the headaches a major winter storm can cause and the importance of planning ahead. A plan for winter storms is especially important for individuals who depend on daily in-home supportive services. Here are some ways personal care assistants …
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How to Obtain Power of Attorney for Your Elderly Parent - Best Care
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If you have elderly loved ones who are in need of home care, you might also need the ability to make legal, financial, medical, and business decisions on their behalf. To protect them and their interests, obtaining power of attorney rights is the first step to being able to advocate on their behalf and support them for whatever lies ahead. *The con…
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