Senior Care Options

It has been proven that offering a senior a caregiver will increase the quality and enjoyment of their life, as well as the lives of the people around them. Penelopes People is one of the leaders in providing phenomenal NY senior care. They serve the entire Greater New York Metropolitan Area, providing trained and attentive caregivers to offer companionship, care, and assistance to those in need, providing exemplary care to any person who is no longer able to fully care for his or her own daily needs.

Penelopes People offers the following from their Senior Care Placement New York Agency:

Senior Care Companions who will talk, laugh, play games, take walks, watch movies, read books, and take part in any and all daily activities with seniors. This includes going to events such as concerts, spectator sports, and lectures.

Home Attendants and Household Helpers will shop, run errands, manage mail and even make runs to the pharmacy for the senior. Additionally, they will provide basic housekeeping services with the intention of maintaining and improving a pleasant living environment.

All of our NY Senior Care Companions, Home Attendants, and Senior Helpers and highly qualified and trained to serve as live-in caregivers, guaranteeing a wonderful experience for your loved one.

How to Choose Your Nanny

Always hire from a nanny agency. ALWAYS. Websites, personal ads, even recommendations from acquaintances pale in comparison to the peace of mind hiring from a nanny agency brings. A good nanny agency will conduct a full background check, including police records, history of alcohol or drug abuse, and even petty thefts… serious concerns for anyone looking to bring a complete stranger to work in their home.

Make sure to keep it local, however. If you need a nanny in New York, call a NY nanny agency. If you need a nanny in California, call a CA nanny agency, etc. The more local your nanny agency is, the more expertise they are likely to have.

The next step is to interview the nanny. Just because a nanny agency approved of them doesn’t mean they’re right for you. Additionally, it is not considered unorthodox to conduct the interview in front of your children, because it’s important EVERYBODY feel comfortable with the person that you hire. Surprisingly, the children often have a better instinct than their parents over who is a more friendly person.

And finally, monitor the status and performance of your nanny. Interviewing well and doing the job well are two different things. Take a few weeks, or even a month or two, to keep a careful watch over your new nanny to guarantee they are everything that you were expecting.

Also, as silly as it may sound, don't forget to listen to your kids. If there are any complaints, minor or serious, that your nanny is unable to explain, consider immediately letting them go.

Maintaining A Lasting Relationship With Your Nanny

In the previous post, we looked at how to adjust to a new nanny from your NY nanny agency. Here are some tips for fostering and maintaining a lasting relationship with your nanny after those first few months of settling in.

It’s important that nannies and parents keep the lines of communication open at all times. Be honest with your nanny, and if something is troubling you, raise it. It's often preferable to work through any disagreements or misunderstandings rather than being tempted to just change nannies.

Don’t be afraid to give your nanny feedback on his or her performance; in fact, this is a must. By giving feedback, you can show your nanny what they are doing well and where you’d like to see changes or improvements.

If your nanny goes above and beyond what you expect, then thank them to show you’ve noticed and appreciate their hard work. You and your child could collaborate on a gift for your nanny and present it together.

If you want to know how your nanny from your nanny agency divides his or her time each day, consider a daily log book. A log book can help you assess your nanny’s strengths and weaknesses in all areas and is useful for providing feedback.

Adjusting To A New Nanny

After you and your nanny agency have found the perfect person to take over your household duties while you’re away, you may have some trouble integrating this new person into your child’s life, especially if your little one is shy or have a hard time with change and transitions.
Here are a few tips to help ease your child into the new transition as seamlessly as possible:

1) Brief your nanny on all of the customs and procedures in your household. If possible, have your nanny visit your home on several occasions to show her what a typical day with your child consists of. Show her where first aid materials, toys and games, cooking supplies, and other essential items she would need during the day are located.

2) Try some fun outings to introduce your nanny and the child in a natural, fun setting. Try a park outing or a lunch meeting where you can all sit down and enjoy each other’s company.

3) In the first few months, try and visit during your lunch hour or at least make it a habit to phone and check in with your child. This will let them know that you’re just a phone call or car ride away, and to let loose and feel comfortable around this new person.

For a Nanny agency NY with the best nannies available, visit PenelopesPeople.com!

4 Stimulating Activities for Your Senior Parent

If you’re looking into NY senior care for your aging parent, you should also consider engaging them in stimulating activities to keep their minds sharp and bodies active. Senior care placement New York is a great way to engage your elderly parent and here are some activities that you can suggest to your caregiver or can do yourself.

1)    Puzzles- Whether they’re crosswords, word searches, or jigsaw puzzles, engage your senior parent in this enriching activities that are helpful in stimulating brain function.
 
2)    A Diary- Encourage your senior relative to start a diary or journal. Invest in a nice book and pen to start. Also, remind them of all the great things they’ve done and suggest to them that they write about projects or things they want to do. Thinking about tomorrow, even if its something small like a to-do list, can really help alleviate depression.
 
3)    Laugh a lot- Laughter truly is a great medicine! Think about maybe opening up a Netflix or Blockbuster account for your senior relative so they can rent some of their favorite films that make them smile, and watch them together.
 
4)    Volunteering-Aging is a scary thing for many adults because they feel as if they’ve lost their sense of purpose since they can no longer work. Think about getting them involved in a volunteer program where they are needed and can regain that sense of accomplishment.

Are Nanny Cams Right for You?

Over the past few years, nanny cams have gained a huge momentum in the world of childcare and NY senior care. International spy retail chain, Counter Spy Shops, reported a 25 percent increase in nanny cam sales over the last five years. If you’re hiring your nanny from a NY nanny agency, you can have more peace for mind that your nanny is reliable, trustworthy, and an asset to your household. But if you are thinking about hiring a nanny on your own, you may want to consider getting a nanny cam.

If you are hiring a nanny on your own, a nanny cam can give you the peace of mind you need to know that everything is going as it should in your home. Nanny cams are discreet and most models are wireless. Nanny cam prices can fit in anyone’s budget. For about $100 you can get a basic camera offering remote computer access. This can be helpful because you can view the happenings from work or any other computer. The more high-end models are digital. They can run around $500 and have the ability to send video images live via computer or cell phone.

Don't Miss Out on Kid’s Sports

With all that is on many parents plates these days, getting their kids involved in activities like sports often takes the back-burner. It takes a lot to get them from school to practice, games, and other team-related events. But if you’re not involving your child in activities outside of school, like sports, you should consider consulting a nanny agency. If your child doesn’t have an after-school activity, they are missing out on something very important. Hired help from a NY nanny agency can get your child involved in sports or in other after-school activities, while still allowing you to handle your busy work schedule.

Here are 5 benefits of kid’s sports according to YouthSportsPsychology.com:

-Kids who participate in sports attend school more, are more civic minded and tend to get in less trouble
-Sports instill leadership skills in kids
-Sports teach kids the value of teamwork
-Social skills develop when kids play team sports
-Kids really get a sense of discipline from the coach-team dynamic on teams

If you fee like your child is missing out valuable experiences with sports, or any other after-school activity because you simply don’t have enough time, you should really talk to a nanny agency about hiring help.