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There is an increased need for health care aides today
By Anita Stratos
W ith baby boomers rapidly reaching their golden years, the need for health care aides is increasing faster than positions can be filled. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the health care aide category is expected to become the second fastest-growing job group in the nation over the next decade. This is good news for those needing to supplement their incomes, and the influx of new health care aides is also good news for senior citizens.
 | | Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey |
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Home Instead Senior Care in Eatontown (www.homeinstead.com) provides caregivers for senior citizens living at home, in assisted living facilities, and in nursing homes throughout Monmouth County. For these seniors, caregivers offer three levels of help: companionship, home help and personal services. The families of seniors in need of such services find peace of mind knowing their loved ones are being cared for when they can't physically be there.
The main focus of Home Instead's caregivers is to improve their clients' quality of life and help them maintain their independence. Seniors who can no longer drive need not feel housebound any longer; Home Instead caregivers can drive them wherever they need to go, including to the supermarket or on other errands, to doctor appointments, to visit with friends, or even out to lunch or dinner. Caregivers can also help around the house with cleaning, organization, meal preparation, laundry and more. Although caregivers can only assist with nonmedical chores, they can remind their clients when it's time to take their medications and provide certain levels of Alzheimer's care. The companionship so desired by many seniors is provided through reading, playing cards and games, and watching movies, and other activities.
 | | Home Instead Senior Care |
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Sometimes seniors only need temporary assistance; for example, those who move into an assisted living home may need support during their transition period. A caregiver can provide the help and companionship needed to make them feel comfortable in their new surroundings. Post-illness or post-surgical temporary help is also available for seniors who only require assistance until they're able to participate in daily activities again.
Phyllis Venancio of Home Instead looks for caring, energetic people of all ages to work as caregivers — she has even hired some "dynamos" in their 60s and 70s.
"A big heart is a must; my employees have to be reliable, dependable and honest," Venancio said. "We screen our applicants and do background checks. I would only hire someone I'd want spending time with my own mom and dad. This job isn't for everyone — it takes a special someone to do this special job."
Similar qualities of compassion, patience and care describe nurses and aides employed by the Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey (VNACJ), which serves Monmouth, Middlesex, Burlington, and Gloucester counties; in joint venture with Robert Wood Johnson, it also serves Somerset, Union and Mercer counties. VNACJ's programs are focused on helping people safely remain independent regardless of their age or condition.
One such program is Tele-heath, an in-home monitoring system that transmits a patient's vital signs directly to a nurse. Any significant variance in patients' vital signs triggers an alarm that results in a call from a clinician to the patient. Patients also answer five to 10 questions that indicate any changes in their condition.
"It's very easy to use — patients in their 90s have no trouble using it," said Ashley Wharton, chief operating officer. "This is an effective way of preventing patients from going back into the hospital. It's resulted in an 85 percent reduction in patient rehospitalization."
The Lifeline Medical Alert Service is a round-theclock service that allows seniors who live on their own to immediately notify a family member, neighbor, friend or emergency response unit that they need help. By pushing a button worn on the wrist or around the neck, seniors and their families gain confidence that help can be summoned in an emergency.
VNACJ also offers a private duty, personal-care program that provides a home health aide, homemaker service or highly skilled registered or certified nursing care, depending on the patient's condition and needs, from simple showering and dressing to more intensive medical help. These services can also be coupled with Tele-health or Lifeline services. VNACJ can create a customized program to help seniors with issues such as fall prevention by going into their homes and making sure the living area is safe. Rehabilitation therapists provide mobility and safety care; all services are customizable to the family's needs.
More information on VNACJ can be found at www.vnacj.org.
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