News

Meet Jose, Sheridan’s Caregiver Of The Month!

Meet Jose - Caregiver of the month for July 2018

"The most rewarding thing about being a caregiver
is the feeling when you have  made a difference in someone’s life."

Jose returned to caregiving after decades away as he wanted to do something meaningful again. Having worked as a nurse he has worked with a variety of clients including individuals with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, paralysis, cancer, heart disease, dementia and stroke. Jose speaks English and Spanish fluently.

Jose was chosen as our caregiver of the month because he has received excellent feedback from all of his different clients. Our Care Managers speak of his relentless work ethic, flexibility and his commitment to truly making a difference in the lives of our clients.

Jose has extensive experience caring for clients with memory diseases. The majority of dementia clients are afflicted with a wide range of behavioral disturbances, such as verbal or physical aggression, depression, hallucinations, anxiety and disinhibition and according to his experiences, Jose says it may be difficult to engage with these clients at first.

This requires great social and psychological skills as well as the caregivers knowledge and understanding of these situations. His advice for all caregivers and family members is to try to put yourself in their position, have patience, be confident and stay calm. It is easier to handle these difficult situations when you are prepared and have the necessary skill set.  At the end of the day, just use your best judgment and be patient.

The most rewarding times for Jose are when his clients understand that he is there to help, and the ice is broken. ” I know the trust is there when they ask for my help - that is my happiness”.

Sheridan Care is happy to have him on our team and we continually welcome more professionals like him!

Read more:

- behavioral disturbances

- aggression and anger 

related to Alzheimer’s and dementia.

We are committed to providing our clients with the most professional caregivers in the area. In order to ensure this, we look for warm, honest, caring people, and help educate and guide them to become the best caregivers around. Sheridan caregivers are compassionate and love working with the elderly. In our over 18 years of experience providing care, we chose only the people that we would want taking care of our own loved ones.

Meet Onny, Sheridan’s Caregiver of the Month!

Meet Onny - Caregiver of the month for June 2018

 Onny's caregiving career began by providing care for a private client and working in a nursing home. Onny has worked with Sheridan Care since 2011. During her years with Sheridan, she has worked with several different clients and has always received excellent feedback. She has provided care for clients with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Parkinson’s, cancer, paralysis, diabetes and other medical conditions, just to mention a few. She is also multilingual and has had opportunities to work with clients that speak English, Mandarin and Thai.

We are able to match Onny with any one of our clients anytime and even in emergency situations as she is able to adapt quickly. She is a brilliant example of what Sheridan Care strives for in hiring the A-list of caregivers for her relentless work ethic, providing excellent care, and the professional representation of Sheridan Care.

Onny has a special place in her heart for a client relationship from her past. She took care of a client who was in her 90’s and had a memory disease. Onny points out that working with this type of client requires a great deal of patience and you must have the ability to adapt to the progression of the disease. She learned a lot over the years; “You are not only taking care of the client but also supporting the family and your caregiver team”. She underlines that caregiving is so much more than just a job:

“We love our job and we always want to do what is best for the client”.

Sheridan Care is happy to have her on our team. Onny consistently is requested by many clients and we continually welcome more professionals like her!

We are committed to providing our clients with the most professional caregivers in the area. In order to ensure this, we look for warm, honest, caring people, and help educate and guide them to become the best caregivers around. Sheridan caregivers are compassionate and love working with the elderly. In our over 18 years of experience providing care, we chose only the people that we would want taking care of our own loved ones.

Did you know CA Caregivers are regulated by law?

Caregiver = personal attendant, personal care aide, home care aide, home care attendant, in-home care aide. The official term for caregiver is a Home Care Aide (HCA)

Home Care Agency/Organization: An agency that arranges for non-medical in-home care services such as bathing, meal preparation, dressing, ambulation assistance, shopping and companionship.

Whether you are a home care aide or thinking about hiring a home care agency to take care of your loved one, you should know the following: Effective January 2016, California established a new law binding home care aides and home care agencies. According to the law, all home care aides and home care agencies must be licensed through the supervising authority, The California Department of Social Services and the registry holder, The Home Care Services Bureau. These 2 bureaus work together to regulate the Home Care Consumer Protection Act (AB 1217). All Home Care Organizations must be licensed and registered with the Home Care Services Bureau. All home care aides must register, submit their fingerprints through the Live Scan process, provide non-active Tuberculosis test results and complete annual trainings.

After registering, all home care aides (HCA’s) are provided with a Personal ID # and the agencies that they work for can search the public registry to ensure that they are cleared. Registered caregivers have a 10-digit HCA ID number and licensed agencies have their Home Care Organization (HCO) number.

Find more information regarding the requirements and detailed instructions on how to become HCA registered HERE.

How to Start the Care Conversation with Your Loved One?

Starting a conversation with a senior parent about home health care may be difficult. At the end of the day, it is a big step for many of us to admit the need for help. Sheridan Care has over 18 years of experience providing care for seniors. We are happy to assist with any questions when it comes to living confidently and the well-being of your loved one.

1. Before approaching a senior parent to discuss bringing in a home health care worker, put yourself in that senior’s shoes. Think about what that senior is most frustrated about and be empathetic. Understanding the situation is extremely important in relating to the senior’s emotions, and timing is crucial in setting the stage. Choose a time when tensions are low and there is plenty of time for a discussion.
2. To make the conversation the most productive, focus on the senior’s safety and helping them maintain independence. Concentrate on why and how an in-home health care worker can actually make life easier and safer.
3. Recognize the senior’s right to make their own life choices, especially if a home care worker is coming to the house. The senior is likely to be more agreeable if their concerns or wishes are respected during the decision-making process. The sooner you begin conversations with an aging parent about how they can remain safe and maintain independence by using home care, the easier it will be to approach the topic over the long-term, before any major safety concerns are presented.

Our mission is to help seniors live confidently and age gracefully in their own homes for as long as possible.  We choose to make a positive difference in the lives of mature adults and their families who love them.