Family Care Home Health & Hospice of Lake Havasu

What a fun day Celebrating National Ice Cream Cone Day! You are very welcome Gems Assisted Living

You are very welcome Serenity Assisted Living Of Havasu hope you all enjoyed your yummy treat!

Today is National Ice Cream Cone Day 🍦

Family Care will be out delivering ice cream in the Lake Havasu City Area, if your facility would like for us to stop by please Go Like our page, Share this post and Comment below your facility name!

See you later today with some yummy 🍦

Tips on Breathing Techniques That Can Help Alleviate Shortness of Breath

• Pursed lip breathing
• Diaphragmatic breathing
• Energy conservation techniques
• Home breathing exercises
• Awareness and practice to overcome crisis breathing

Give us a call today at (928) 302-3338 to hear more about our services ☎️

Family Care Home Health Agency has a program called “Cardiopulmonary Disease Management” below is what our program is all about.

This program was created as an intervention for Heart and Lung disease patients, particularly for patients with Chronic Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), Pneumonia, Acute Myocardial (AMI), and Chronic Heart Failure (CHF).

Treatments and Therapy Include:
• We work with your doctor(s) to discuss goals
• Medication intervention (MDI, Aerosol)
• ADL Management
• Simple therapy at home to move to higher level of functionality
• Oxygen Supplementation

Pulmonary intervention techniques at bedside, all in the comfort of your home.

Please feel free to contact us at
(928) 302-3338 to learn more about our programs we offer.

FYI...if you are transporting meals to a loved one, use a muffin tin! Perfect portions for seniors! So much easier than multiple containers! And they can just throw the tin in the toaster over to heat through or spoon individual servings onto a microwave-safe dish, heat, and serve! EDIT as this post is going viral: this post was meant to promote ease in transporting food to others. If you are concerned about safety or reheating issues, please use your best judgment and assist those in the reheating process.

via Jennifer Melnick Carota

Excessive Heat Warning is in effect today thru Sunday for the Mojave Desert Region. High temps today range between 106° and 116° F for most sites. Take precautions to avoid heat illness.

September is “𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐇“ with that being said our Liaison Devin White will be available to bring you ”Hunger Bucks” to your place of business to sell to raise awareness. Family Care is a big supporter to our local Food Bank please reach out if you would like to have Devin deliver Hunger Bucks to your place of business!

Remember that September is Hunger Awareness Month.

On August 30, National Grief Awareness Day recognizes the time it takes to heal from loss doesn’t have a prescribed course and is a reminder closure comes in many forms. When a loved one dies, the void they leave affects everyone differently. Throughout the day, take stock of those in your life who have been affected by a form of loss.
As it pains us to see the families and friends of our patients go through the grief of losing a loved one, we are grateful to have resources readily available for them to use.
We proudly introduce our bereavement team and honor them today! Vina, Bereavement Coordinator for all of our servicing areas. Ben, Chaplain for Kingman, Lake Havasu City and other greater surrounding areas. Annette, Chaplain for Bullhead City, Fort Mohave and all river cities.
Thank you, for all that you do!

24/7 Mobile Lab company will come to you!

Thank Serenity Assisted Living Of Havasu for having us! Loved celebrating these ladies and Bingo 😊

𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒕 Prestige Assisted Living At Claremont 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑹𝒐𝒐𝒕 𝑩𝒆𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒐𝒐𝒏! ت

Because we care about you!

Meet Brittany Brown our Lake Havasu City Physical Therapist

Brittany Brown received her doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Saint Augustine in 2012. Brittany has been practicing Physical Therapy in Lake Havasu City for the last 10 years. She has an extensive experience working with orthopedics, neurology, chronic psi and even pediatrics. Brittany is a well rounded Physical Therapist who strives to always put her patients first. She strongly believes in patient centered care and places an emphasis on education. Brittany’s goal is always to get the patient back to their highest level of function.

We at Family Care Home Health and Hospice appreciate and feel honored to have Brittany as part of our team!

Benefits of Hospice Services

1. Support Services for patients and their family wherever you call “home.”
2. Emotional and Spiritual Support
3. Personalized Care Plans
4. Lessens the financial burden to patient and family
5. Provides a sense of dignity to the patient and family

If you have any questions about Hospice Service please reach out to our Community Liaison Devin White she would be more than happy to assist you.

(928) 208-5360

Photos from Family Care Home Health & Hospice's post

We had an awesome time this morning getting a refresher on wound care, compression wrapping, and wound vacs! Thank you Western Arizona Regional Medical Center Wound Care Clinic for this hands on training!

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Teachers work endless hours caring for our children! Not only are they educators, they are emotional support people, guidance, love, advocates, and so much more!

Please nominate a local tristate area teacher (or 10😍) and tell us how they have made an impact on a child’s life!

Family Care in partnership with New Image Primary Care will be donating (2) $500 gift card to 2 teacher nominated for their classroom needs!!! Deadline for nominations are July 31st at 8 AM.

Drawing will be July 31st at noon!
Share & Nominate PLEASE ♥️♥️♥️♥️

1. Home Health is Skilled Nursing in the comfort of your “Home” offering hospital like level of care

2. Home Health can reduce Falls and Hospital Readmission

3. Home Health provides Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy

4. Home Health provides relief to Family Caregivers

5. Home Health is covered by Medicare 100% along with most Commercial Insurances

Call us today with any questions. Our Community Liaison Devin White is happy to assist you (928) 208-5360

I arrived at a home where the patient was actively dying. I knew she had a very short amount of time left, an hour at most. She was having labored breathing and some agitation, which those at the bedside were struggling with. I suggested a combination of Morphine and Lorazepam, which as I have said before, works really well when taken together. They were afraid that this would “kill” her and wanted to hold off. Was she suffering? No, I don't think she was. I think she was going through the dying process in the way that the body knows how to do. Could it have been a little gentler? Yes, and that was my goal.

One thing I try to always be mindful of, is the reminder that most people are not as comfortable with these medications as I am, and it is not fair for me to push something that causes fear, for anyone. So, I took my time and explained what the medications could do, the comfort they could bring her, and the gentle and compassionate way they could help her to have a softer landing. My first book, “Soft Landing,” talks about this… which is my desire to do whatever I can to ensure that when someone dies, they do it as peacefully and with as much grace as possible.

So, after I took the time to explain the medications, and the way they would work with her symptoms, and the comfort they could bring her, the family agreed. Her breathing and her body calmed, which also brought a sense of calm to the room. She had a few moments of apnea, which is common, took one last deep breath, and died peacefully.

I talk about this a lot because the fear of medications is real. Education is always important. It is also important for me to remove the idea of the medications “killing” someone. Could they die after taking them? Yes. But my definition for this, is that the medication comforts the body so much that it succumbs to what it was already going through and gives it permission to finally let go. The diagnosis and the disease process is what ended their life, not the medication.

What would Gabby say?
The amount of medications we use in this instance is small, and as clinicians we know this. But those who are not, don’t. Educate those at the bedside, help them to find comfort in the medications. And by doing this, you can help change their take-away.

xo
Gabby

My new book, "What would Gabby say?" Is fllled with many of these kinds of posts. You can find it here:
https://www.amazon.com/Would-Gabby-Gabrielle-Elise-Jimenez/dp/B09XBL8KKJ/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1657768538&refinements=p_27%3AGabrielle++Elise+Jimenez&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Gabrielle++Elise+Jimenez

Family Care nurses provide education in the home to help patients and their caregivers take care of wounds and change dressings. Working along with the physician, we develop a wound care treatment plan to assure wound healing.

Our team of nurses, therapy services, and home health aides follow doctor's home health orders in treatment plans. We provide a wound care specialist to establish, define, and monitor wound care treatment and progress as well as provide assessment and oversight of wound care and progress.

Our skilled nurses educate patients and caregivers in measures to manage and treat wounds as well as education for prevention of complications and infection control. This skilled observation and assessment of the wound help with continuity of care and communication with the healthcare physicians.

Hospice vs Home Health

Photos from Serenity Assisted Living Of Havasu's post

Lots of fun with these creative residents at Serenity Assisted Living Of Havasu! 4th of July paintings 🇺🇸

Our Local Food Bank is in need of food donations. Pictured is our Community Liaison Devin White donating items. We at Family Care strive to give back to our local community. We are happy to help out our local Food Bank.

If you have any items you would like to donate you can drop off food donations at 1980 N. Kiowa Blvd.

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Thank you Family Care Home Health & Hospice for their generous donation to Make Bullhead Better. We were able to give the Catholic Charities Community Services shampoo,conditioner & body wash and in shower dispensers which will be a huge help. Right now they have been using little travel size shampoo/conditioner as well as bars of soap (the soap is a one time use and gets stuck in the drain and clogs them so having an easily fillable dispenser is a huge help.)

The decision to move to hospice services can be intimidating for many people and their loved ones. It represents a major transition in the patient’s care. Stigma around hospice often conjures the image of people “waiting around to die.” However, the goals of hospice services are more compassionate than that, and more personalized to each patient’s needs.

This article describes what exactly hospice is, what services are provided, and what a person can expect when transitioning to hospice. Only you can make the decision of whether hospice is the right choice for you or your loved one, but understanding exactly what it entails is a great way to start.....

To read more on this article, visit our website at the link below⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

https://www.familycarehha.com/blog/what-does-it-mean-to-enter-hospice-care

Today was a honor to be invited to Prestige Assisted Living at Claremont to celebrate a very special man’s 100th Birthday.

Happy 100th Birthday from all of us at Family Care Home Health and Hospice! Enjoy your very special day 🎊

Happy National Pizza Party Day 🍕

Family Care enjoyed making Snow Cones for everyone. Thank you for having us apart of your event

Thank you Gems Assisted Living for delivering yummy treats to our nurses! We appreciate you all 🍿

Happy Mother’s day to all of the mothers, past and present! 💕💕💕💐

If you have lost a mother, especially recently, Mother’s Day can be an emotionally distressing day. You may feel particularly upset, and may feel like not celebrating or avoiding the holiday altogether. While it’s difficult to imagine celebrating Mother’s Day without your mother physically there, there are still several ways you can remember, celebrate, and honor your mother this Mother’s Day.

Share stories of her, do something that reminds you of her, but most importantly recognize and understand your grief.

Happy mothers to the mothers present today and the ones who have passed 💕❤️

Cinco De Mayo fun with some of our favorite seniors in our community.

Share your Cinco De Mayo fun with us in the comments below ⬇️

Today is World Creativity Day 👨‍🎨

We wanted to share some memories with some our Creative Seniors in our community.

What a beautiful way to start off this Friday morning. Easter Crafts with some of our favorite ladies 🐣

Thank you Serenity Assisted Living for having Devin White for crafts!

Family Care had a blast taking the Easter Bunny around to visit our friends at Assisted Livings in Lake Havasu City!

Thank you to the following Asissted Livings for allowing us to come in and visit! The smiles and enjoy warms our hearts!

Prestige Assisted Living at Lake Havasu
Prestige Assisted Living at Claremont
Serenity Assisted Living
Casa Grande Assisted Living Home
Gems Assisted Living
Neighbors Assisted Living

Huge thank you to David and Stephanie Lane and Sue Reed for volunteering to make this happen. We appreciate you all!

Happy Easter 🐣

Photos from Serenity Assisted Living Of Havasu's post

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When should we start hospice?

Q.
Dear Gabby,
My mom was just told that she only has a few months left to live, maybe longer, but that is uncertain. The doctor said she should start on hospice, but I am afraid that will just make her die faster. Hospice is where people go to die, and I don’t want her to feel like I have given up hope or that I want her to die sooner. How long can I wait to start her on hospice?

A.
Dear…
The first thing I want to tell you, is that you should not wait to start her on hospice. I know this is hard for you and for her but trust me when I tell you that starting her on hospice does not shorten her time, in fact, I truly believe it gives her a little more quality to the time she does have left. If you start her now, a team can come together to support her, they can be there to address any symptoms or changes she might experience.

I always wish for people to start hospice sooner rather than later for many reasons. Some people wait until they are days away from dying, after dealing with weeks or months of pain and suffering, and I know in my heart that if they started sooner, we could have found a way to reduce the discomfort to allow them a little more peace in whatever time they have left. Many times, I will meet a patient a few days, sometimes even hours, before they die, and I see their family broken from the exhaustion and heartache. If only they came on sooner, we could have helped them in so many ways.

I see so many families having a difficult time caring for their dying loved one; not having the tools or education, and not knowing how to provide care. But we do, that is what we do, and why we are here for you. We know what to do, we know how to manage symptoms, we have the tools and the team to help you navigate this difficult time.

Starting hospice sooner does not mean you are giving up hope, we encourage hope, and we want you and your mom to feel supported. Everything we do, is set with the intention of making the dying and grieving process a little less stressful, a little less painful, and always done with compassion and kindness. You deserve that and so does your mother.

Sometimes people can come off hospice because their symptoms were managed and their disease process was made more tolerable, allowing them to have more time. This doesn’t happen often, but it does happen, and it is a good example of the kind of care you can receive when you are on hospice. It may not lengthen your time, but it will bring you the support, the comfort, and the care that every human being deserves to have when they are dying.

xo
Gabby

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Thanks to Family Care Home Health & Hospice sponsoring the “Seniors Helping Seniors” program these amazing teens for the past year have been helping Senior Citizens in our community with pulling weeds, cleaning, technology questions, dog walking and more. Such a great way to bridge the gap between different generations and give back to the community.

Q.
Dear Gabby,

We just brought my mom home with hospice and I was wondering if you could answer a question. This was a very difficult decision and I am struggling with it. We are of course making her comfortable as possible. I am speaking to her and engaging in some conversation, but I am at odds with another family member who believes that will stimulate her and prolong the situation. Advice please if you can.
Thank you

A.

Dear ...

Please forgive me for being blunt... but do not listen to that other person. Whether your mom has hours or days, your talking to her, engaging with her, or even ignoring her and stepping back will not speed things up or slow things down.

Imagine that she hears, which I believe she does, and imagine if she knows where she is, what she is experiencing and who is there. Whether or not she has a voice or even shows facial reactions, I believe she hears you. If it were me, I would want her to hear my voice, to feel love until that very last breath. I would want her take-away to be that she was alive until that last breath, and treated as well as possible, knowing that she was (is) loved. She is alive... she deserves love, kindness, and compassion... keep doing what you are doing!!! I believe that all human beings deserve dignity. Talking to her and engaging her is honoring and caring for her well.

Whether someone has a voice or not, if they are at the end of their life, always assume they hear and feel. Talk to them, be resepctful and gentle. Say all the things. ❤️

xo
Gabby

Q.
My mom started on hospice, and I just found out that they will not be providing caregivers. I am so upset and do not know what to do. I feel like I was promised something I am not going to get, should I try another hospice agency?

A.
Dear …
I hear this a lot and I am constantly trying to find a way to get the information out there of what hospice does and does not provide. Hospice does provide a lot. I will tell you that hospice does not (usually) provide in-home full time caregivers. Hospice does provide a social worker who comes to you with many resources, one of which will be a list of caregiving services that they recommend. Caregiving would come out of pocket. Your social worker can also help you with finding respite care, which can sometimes be provided through your insurance, and help with researching financial assistance, and/or resources that are affordable and available to you. Hospice also offers volunteers, which can come sit with the patient a few hours each week for 1-2 hours at a time. Even those small breaks are helpful, and this is something that is no cost to you and brings much comfort.

I have created a list of what most hospice’s cover. (Not all hospices supply these items, so you would need to communicate with your team)

Medical equipment: hospital bed, bedside table, bedside commode, shower bench, wheelchair, walker, Hoyer lift, oxygen concentrator, portable oxygen tanks, nebulizer, and a suction machine.

Medications: Usually hospice only covers the symptom relief kit and medications related to the diagnosis. All other medications would need to be discussed with your case manager and Doctor.

Incontinent supplies: Diapers, diaper liners/poise pads, wipes, disposable bed protectors (chux), and gloves. Some also provide bathing cleansers, zinc-based creams/skin protectors, lotions, and mouth care supplies. Please note not all brands of supplies are provided, so if there is something specific you might want, it would be out of pocket.

Wound care supplies: Most, but not all, wound care supplies are provided.

Team: (not all hospices have the same availability)
Your doctor can come if needed but is available to you and will communicate with the team.
Your case manager will come once a week for about an hour, more often if needed.
If your case manager is unavailable, a visiting nurse can make the visit.
Your social worker can come once a week for about an hour, more often if needed.
Your spiritual counselor can come once a week, for about an hour, more often if needed.
Your home health aide can come a few times a week for bathing and are usually only there 1-2 hours, which is determined at admission, or during visits with your case manager.
A volunteer is someone that usually comes 1-2 times a week, for 1-2 hours. You can discuss this with your social worker or case manager.
Most hospices offer a 24/7 triage line that will connect you directly to a nurse who can assist you with questions relative to your care and send a nurse if needed.

Not all hospices are the same, some offer more than others, some offer different schedules and availability.

I hope this information is helpful.
Always reach out to your team and ask the questions. Hospice is a team that collaborates to ensure that you and your loved one are provided with the care, education, and tools to better navigate the end-of-life journey. Never hesitate to ask, and if we don’t have the answer, we will find someone who does. We are here for you and want you to feel well supported.

Xo
Gabby