Does this sound familiar? You’re tired, anxious, possibly in pain and now you need to make a very important decision with very limited information. Either you need a caregiver for yourself because you are recovering from injury or illness, or you are tasked to find one for a loved one.

“Often people think their only choice is a nursing home or similar facility,” said Claire M. Maestri, Director of Senior Care Services at MBF Agency (“Mothers Best Friend”), which assists clients in the Park Cities and Dallas in hiring caregivers, personal assistants, in-home chefs, housekeepers and other household staff.

“Most people would prefer to be at home if possible, but they worry their care is too extensive or they are nervous about finding someone they like and trust. Recent news stories of abuse, neglect or flat-out criminal behavior by some caregivers make the stakes even higher.”

Maestri sees these family issues every day as she helps families find home caregivers who will provide greater independence for the person needing care, and peace of mind for the family that their loved one is in good hands.

“Many families are pleasantly surprised to find out that a home caregiver can handle a wide range of medical situations, which allows more people to stay at home rather than in expensive facilities,” adds Maestri.

She offers these points to consider when determining when selecting the best caregiver for your situation.

How much medical support do you need?

A caregiver supports someone who can’t take care of himself or herself because of illness, injury or general decline. Their job descriptions vary, but often they include personal care such as help with dressing, bathing and grooming, and housekeeping. They cook meals, do the grocery shopping and can drive you or your loved one to doctor appointments.

A certified nursing assistant (CNA), performs these duties as well, but they have extra medical training – a minimum of 75 hours of instruction. All provide basic medical support like administering medications and injections, taking blood, tracking blood pressure and care for wounds and bedsores. They generally cost more because of their extra training.

What about dementia? “Caregivers are qualified to assist patients with mild dementia as long as the client has no medical conditions,” notes Maestri. “A CNA is typically chosen for anyone with diabetes, a previous heart attack or stroke, or ambulatory problems.”

Is your agency as rigorous as you are?

“This is not the time to try and do everything yourself,” says Maestri. “A professional agency will remove the stress and do the legwork for you. Be sure they are as rigorous as you would be if you had the time to sift through hundreds of applications.”

1. Nationwide background and criminal checks. Criminals tend to move around so don’t just settle for a local check.
2. All references checked. “You’d be surprised how few employers actually conduct background checks,” notes Maestri. “When they do, many will stop at one or two and possibly miss important information. We check all past employers whether they are given as a reference or not.”
3. DMV checked. “If this person is driving you to appointments or to the store, you want to make sure they don’t have a lot of violations on their record,” adds Maestri.
4. Sex offender search.
5. Drug and health screening.
6. Credit check.
7. Verification of Social Security and other legal documents. “With identify theft so rampant, you want to make sure your caregiver isn’t actually ‘borrowing’ someone else’s good reputation,” cautions Maestri.
8. In-person interviews. You don’t just want someone who looks good on paper. They need to be presentable and personable if they are going to spend long periods in your home.

Be sure to also to ask for their references as well as the potential caregiver’s.

“Regardless of whether you choose a caregiver or a certified nurse assistant, these helpers are companions as well as support,” notes Maestri. “It is as important to find a personality fit as it is to find competence. With the agency thoroughly vetting the candidates, chemistry and ‘fit’ into your family is the part of the process for you to determine.”

Many Park Cities families who hire a home caregiver rely on Mom’s Best Friend Agency. MBF provides one-on-one customer service, personalized matching and the highest-caliber candidates. All caregivers receive first aid and CPR training as well as attending a professional development class.

Mom's Best Friend
972.446.0500

momsbestfriend.com

Dear Neighborhood,

One of the amazing things about being a female of Generation X is that we were always told we could succeed at any career and live our lives with less cultural restraint than the Baby Boomers had at our age. The irony is that we are now expected to “do it all”. Let’s be honest, Boomers and Generation Xers are facing the challenge to “do it all”. Under that very broad umbrella includes caring for aging parents, grandparents and great grandparents. 

We have figured out how to “do it all” by spreading out the responsibilities, it’s the only way that we can manage. We depend on homework helpers, nannies, create carpools, iPhone apps, master color coded computer calendars with automatic alerts, and most of all our spouse or partner. So where does that leave room for the additional surviving generation with whom we want to spend quality time? Our guts cringe at the thought of a smelly “nursing home.” However, there are great retirement living options, especially in DFW!  And of course there are senior care caregivers who can help at home.

There is a lot of guilt associated with the “do it all” mentality. I know that on many days I don’t feel like one area of my life received my full attention. There is also even more guilt when we are not emotionally prepared to face the issues that come with age. There are a number of needs, mostly physical, that we are not comfortable with providing such as: changing adult briefs and feeding someone pureed food. Medical professionals are accustomed to providing these services and often have unrealistic expectations for families. 

The best way to spread this responsibility without carrying guilt is to set realistic expectations, set clear boundaries and spread the responsibility to a hired caregiver on whom you can depend and trust. Know ahead of time what you are able to do, and unable to do and ask for help! Do not let others, be it doctors, friends or family members, guilt you into more than you can handle. The time with your aging loved one should be enjoyable, for you and your loved one. A Mom’s Best Friend Senior Care caregiver can carry the burden of the work and provide you with a happy, healthy parent or grandparent.

Claire Maestri
Director of Senior Care Services

Mom's Best Friend
972.446.0500

momsbestfriend.com

Last Thursday I had a little time to kill before picking up my kiddos from school. I decided to run into a large chain department store and take a gander at the childrens’ spring play clothes. While approaching the Childrens’ department, I could hear a woman speaking loudly on her cell phone. I first walked by a large fixture of socks and as I rounded the corner, I ran into the toes of a wheelchair. I looked up and saw a woman seated in that wheelchair who I could tell was facing a long term need for assistance. She was wearing a purple jogging suit and tennis shoes without socks. Her left side was drawn into a palsy, indicating paralysis, and she leaned heavily on the arm of the chair. When I saw her face, I smiled and with great effort, she strained to look up at me and gave me a slow, large grin.

It was at that moment that I realized, the continuous phone conversation I could hear was her “caregiver”. She was easily identifiable, not because she was close to the woman, engaging her or even acknowledging her; but instead she was wearing Scooby Doo Valentine scrubs. Then her conversation caught my attention because she was openly discussing her financial situation regarding her paycheck and her pay for caring for the woman in the wheelchair. Yes, in front of the client and everyone in the Children’s department.

I was so bothered by the whole situation and thought long and hard about finding the good in the situation. After all, the caregiver had brought this woman on an outing. Then the reality of the indignity overtook my thoughts and I became enraged at the caregiver’s lack of respect for her client. 

I began to think about my list of caregivers and asked myself, would a Mom’s Best Friend Caregiver do this?  I was proud to confidently and quickly answer “No”. Our caregivers are well trained in the area of client dignity and care, as this caregiver was clearly uneducated regarding neglect and exploitation. Mom’s Best Friend takes careful time to teach our caregivers about client perception and how our clothing, mannerisms and behavior are a direct reflection on the type of care we provide.  We place provisions in our client’s service plan to identify appropriate outings that address the interests of the client and that achieve the highest benefit. And most of all, we provide continued support to our caregivers in the event that they need access to resources for personal concerns.

We all face challenges when looking for the right candidate to care for our loved ones. I hope that Mom’s Best Friend becomes a resource for you and your family.

Best,

Claire Maestri
Director of Senior Care Services

Mom's Best Friend
972.446.0500

momsbestfriend.com

When looking back on the impact Steve Jobs made, we see a number of amazing products on the market that have greatly impacted our daily lives. When I have run into trouble, be it product malfunction or user ignorance, I consistently return to the Mac support system. I do this for one reason: No one knows how to utilize a Mac product better than a Mac employee.  Why? Specified training.

This leads me to then broaden the scope of this idea to senior care. When looking for a good caregiver, it is important to find a candidate who is specifically trained to work in your loved one’s home. The senior care community has inappropriately placed Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing caregivers in the private residences of those who desire to stay at home. This sets both the client and caregiver up for failure.  Caregivers who have worked in Long Term Care have a support system in that facility. There is a plethora of other staff that they rely on to provide other services beyond the basic dressing, bathing and grooming for which the caregiver is responsible. These caregivers have developed an incredible skill set in this area, but for the most part, their knowledge is limited to assisting with those basic needs.  So, when a caregiver with this skill set is placed in a home setting, they have not been trained or developed the skills to then assist with more general household tasks like meal preparation, wardrobe selection, proper transportation techniques and home repairs.

Mom’s Best Friend has recognized this problem and addresses the issue with an intensive training program. We provide a 40 hour online training program and an in house training program. The 40 hour online training addresses general concepts like home/environmental safety, good mobility, promoting independence, the aging process, cultural differences and nutrition/hydration. The in house training extends to luxury level care. This training includes: executive transportation, fine meal preparation and meal service, home revitalization, pet care, concierge engagement and administrative assistance.

When Mom’s Best Friend caregivers complete our training program, they build on previous job experience and skills to develop into someone you can rely on heavily as a family.  If you are looking for a caregiver or assistant to ensure the safety and happiness of your aging loved one, give us a call at 972-446-0500 x 224.

Sincerely,

Claire Maestri
Director of Senior Care Services

Mom's Best Friend
10440 N. Central Expressway Suite 1030
Dallas, Texas 75231

972.446.0500

momsbestfriend.com

I grew up behind the counter of a family owned pharmacy in a small east Texas town.  My father had inherited the pharmacy business from his father, along with a strong sense of Emotional Intelligence and always “Doing what is right!” 

Each trip to the store offered me exposure to regular customers who were usually in their mature years. They would shuffle in on a walker or cane with great effort, avoiding my spry skips as I approached them with a “sick” Cabbage Patch or new tiara from the toy department.  They would smile and talk to me, pleased that they were not invisible and important.  It was through this joy that I grew a great fondness for the elderly.

Growing up, I also had three grandparents that lived close by.  My mother’s parents were highly involved with picking me up in carpool and taking me to after school activities.  I traveled with them, and was greatly influenced by their interest in history, genealogy and religion.  I listened to more NPR between first and fifth grade than I did New Kids on the Block.

As they aged, my grandfather lost his ability to walk and ambulate freely, while my grandmother lost her ability to see, hear and eventually developed dementia.  The errands, doctor visits and meal preparation began to fall heavily on my mom, all the while my father’s mother was also aging and needing intense assistance.  Where my grandparents had been a huge support for my mom before, now their needs were as demanding as her three children.

After a late night of dance lessons and a trip to Luby’s for dinner, we dropped my grandparents at their home and got them settled for the evening.  While unloading the transport wheel chair from my mom’s car, I began to wonder what happened to people who age without children nearby.  Mom and I talked about this, and at the young age of 12, I knew that when I grew up, I was going to help “old people.”

By the time I was driving in High School, the tables had turned; my siblings and I were helping my mother run the “fossil ferry”, as she called it.  Seeing how one less trip to my grandparents ‘ house gave my mom a few minutes more at Target or a less rushed visit with a friend, I saw the value in having help.

When entering the work force after college, I was fortunate to start working on the cusp of the population aging.  I knew as a kid that this was my calling.  The aging population has brought new challenges to our country’s social recipe, but in the end this extended generation ads richness and spice.

I'm Claire Maestri and I am the Director of Senior Care Services at Mom's Best Friends Senior Care. This is my passion. I have been doing it for 10 years and I look forward to assist and care for your loved ones. 

Sincerely,
Claire Maestri

Mom's Best Friend
972.446.0500

momsbestfriend.com