News and Resources

Choosing between a licensed homecare agency and hiring caregivers directly involves weighing various factors, including cost, convenience, quality of care, and potential risks. In this comprehensive blog post, we delve into the pros and cons of each option to help consumers make informed decisions about personal care services for their loved ones. While homecare agencies offer professional oversight, back-up care services and employee training, direct hiring provides lower cost, more control and flexibility. The shift in responsibilities and liability from an agency to the client results in a lower cost and higher risk of hiring directly.  By understanding the risks and benefits of both approaches, individuals can determine the best fit for their unique needs, preferences, and circumstances.

As the demand for home care services continues to grow in California, finding the right home care agency for your loved ones requires careful consideration. This comprehensive guide aims to empower you with the knowledge needed to navigate the many options and make an informed decision. From understanding the specific needs for you or your love one to evaluating caregiver qualifications, we'll explore the essential factors that will guide you through the process of comparing and selecting a home care agency.  Click here for more information.

Providing homecare for the elderly is a crucial aspect of ensuring their well-being, but understanding the financial avenues to cover these services can be complex. In this blog, we explore a range of options available to pay for homecare services for the elderly, including government programs, insurance plans, and private financing. By delving into Medicare, Medi-Cal, long-term care insurance, veterans’ benefits, and other local resources in the Sacramento area, we aim to empower families with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions about financing the care their loved ones deserve.

Visiting aging parents during the holidays is an opportunity to reconnect, but it's also a crucial time to identify and address their homecare needs. In this blog we explore key aspects of recognizing the needs to ensuring a safe and comfortable environment for elderly parents.  As we discover gaps in care needs, this is an opportunity to consider and discuss the option of ageing in place with the support of homecare services from BrightStar Care.

Medication management and compliance are significant challenges faced by the elderly population. The complex nature of medication regimens, cognitive decline, physical limitations, and the lack of proper support contribute to medication-related issues. Frequently, seniors require the assistance from family or services to manage with the burden of medication management.  This article explores the common problems encountered by older adults regarding medication management and compliance. Additionally, it highlights the crucial role that home care agencies can play in addressing these challenges and ensuring the well-being of elderly individuals as well as restrictions imposed by state regulations that significantly limit what home care agencies can do.  Home health agencies have substantial latitude to assist with medication management under the orders of a prescribing physician.

Managing homecare services for aging parents can be a complex and demanding task for adult children. When Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis or stroke hit home, big changes are ahead.  Challenges include finding reliable homecare agencies, coordinating communication, ensuring continuity of care, and balancing financial considerations. Thorough research, seeking recommendations, and conducting interviews are essential in selecting reliable homecare providers. With all this being new, it is difficult to know what questions to ask.  Effective communication channels and technology can aid in coordinating care and managing schedules. Creating contingency plans and sharing detailed care plans with the homecare agency can help ensure continuity. Financial planning, exploring insurance coverage and assistance programs, and seeking professional advice are crucial for managing the financial aspects. With careful planning and coordination, adult children can provide the environment for quality homecare for their aging parents.

At BrightStar Care of Sacramento, Carmichael and Roseville we pride ourselves of ongoing, in-person training for our homecare caregivers.  While all caregivers are hired with at least one year of experience or Certified Nurse Assistance training, ongoing training is important to refresh their minds, especially in the case of specific clients that have fallen or are at high risk of falling.   We assist clients with activities of daily living, which includes ambulation support.  Many of our clients are at risk of falling.  We prepare our caregivers for those incidents.

Helping a client get up safely off the floor after a fall is a critical skill for home care aides and all caregivers. While the concepts of training can be obtained on the internet and by watching videos, there is no substitute for in-person training and live practice of these homecare skills.

Herein we provide detailed instructions on how to best assist a client if a falls occurs.

Homecare caregivers, or Home Care Aides (HCAs) as they are called in California, are authorized to provide a range of essential services to support individuals in their homes, particularly those who require assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). These services are governed by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and the Home Care Services Bureau (HCSB).   The list of activities includes Personal Care Assistance, Meal Preparation and Nutrition, Medication Reminders, Mobility Assistance, among others described herein.  Some activities are expressly not allowed including Diabetic insulin shots, Catheter care, Bedsore treatment, Physical therapy and Glucose readings (blood sugar) among others which require services from a licensed healthcare professional.

At BrightStar we pride ourselves of providing homecare for elderly individuals in the comfort of their own home. We do this with love and compassion as if it were our own parent.  But for adult children of the elderly, this can be a very conflictive time. Caring for aging parents presents adult tests emotional resilience and patience. Witnessing the physical and cognitive decline of once-vibrant individuals can be emotionally taxing. The role reversal, where children become the caregivers, is a profound shift that a huge adaptive effort.   Additionally, bridging the generational gap becomes a delicate task, requiring empathy and understanding. The emotional toll of witnessing a decline in health, coupled with the anticipation of inevitable loss, can lead to feelings of grief and helplessness.  Moreover, the demands of caregiving often coincide with the adult children's own family and professional responsibilities, creating a juggling act that induces stress. Navigating this intricate web requires support networks, open dialogue, and self-care strategies. 

BrightStar caregivers are at the forefront of providing compassionate and professional care to elderly and disabled individuals in need of homecare. Our commitment to ensuring the well-being and safety of our clients is evident in the tools and techniques we use, with gait belts being an essential part of our caregiving arsenal in the provision of homecare services.  Gait belts are simple yet invaluable devices designed to assist caregivers in safely transferring and mobilizing clients.  BrightStar caregivers are well-trained in the proper use of gait belts, making them an integral part of the care team. Gait belts play a crucial role in achieving this goal.  When clients need to be transferred from one location to another, such as from a bed to a chair, gait belts provide an extra layer of security.  Caregivers can assist clients in standing, walking, and repositioning while maintaining a firm grip on the gait belt.  Using gait belts is not only about the physical aspects of transferring and mobilizing clients; it's also about building trust and maintaining effective communication