Karla Schenk
Gables In-Home Care, Area Director of Utah
Caring for others comes naturally for Karla Schenk as she grew up with a brother with down syndrome. She loved being involved with him and caring for his needs. The Special Olympics had a special place in her heart, and she enjoyed being involved in his activities. It brought happiness not only to her brother, but Karla also. She felt privileged to help care for her brother throughout
his life, and it brought her much satisfaction and joy. Karla was excited to join the Gables in January 2020 after being a full-time caregiver for 7 years, to her son who had been in a devastating accident. After owning her own Hair Salon Business for 30 years, she closed her doors so she could care for her 21-year-old son. The marathon of caring for his needs took several years because he was left almost blind and had completely lost the English Vocabulary. Karla understands the challenging role of a caregiver. She says, “Being a caregiver can be extremely exhausting and I wish I would have known about In-Home Care Services as it would have helped me tremendously.”
Karla is thrilled to be working with the Gables so she can offer these valuable services to others. She shared, “Having some ‘free time’ is so crucial for the caregiver, so they can keep themselves emotionally, mentally, and physically healthy while taking care of their loved one.”
Karla and her son feel honored to have talked at over 80 public functions, inspiring others and giving hope to those going through their own challenges. She knows the importance of having a positive attitude and being able to see the good in all things.
Part 4. Respite Care Benefits for the Patient.
-Caregivers that provide for your loved one have only one purpose and that is to make sure that your loved one is taken care of. This means they have their complete attention and quality care.
-Allows for Personalized, One on One Care.
-Provides more variety and relationships for your loved one.
-Reduces feelings of social isolation and depression.
-Provides opportunities for growth and development.
-When family caregiver cannot be there, it ensures your loved one is getting all of their needs met.
-It’s a breath of fresh air for everyone including your loved one.
-Respite care helps your loved one with the transition into respite care. Example: In-home caregiver’s can help with housekeeping, laundry, and then over time they get to know and trust the caregiver, and the caregiver can assist with companionship and more.
Part 3. Benefits of Respite Care for the Caregiver.
Respite Care is Not Selfish. It Is Necessary!
-Reduces the stress associated with caregiving.
-Boosts the immune system by giving the body, mind and spirit a much needed break.
-Improves the caregivers level of patience.
-Restores the caregivers energy.
-Provides the caregiver with balance in their life so they can attend to other responsibilities.
-Allows caregivers to rest and rejuvenate so they can return to their duties refreshed and ready to give their best.
-Improves their ability to cope with daily responsibilities of caregiving.
-Helps with the issue of social isolation and depression that can set in.
-Allows the caregiver to engage in his or her own life, so they can care for their own family and maintain friendships.
-Provides opportunities for outings, vacations etc.
-Helps keep the family unit in tact, reducing the stress that can be put on a whole family.
Moving into an assisted living or memory care facility will undoubtedly have a significant impact on not just the individual moving into the facility, but their entire support system including family members, friends, and any professionals involved in their care. Adding memory issues including Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia into the mix can potentially create extra complications, especially during the first few days and weeks after moving into the facility. Most families have little to no experience helping a loved one make the move to assisted living and may feel apprehensive about this specific part of the process. But with the proper education, and a little (or a lot) of guidance, it is not impossible to overcome these potential problems. Carmen, from Encompass Health shares some great tips to help during the transisition and beyond.
Part 2: Why Is Respite Care Important?
Respite care gives a caregiver a needed break from the daily challenges of caring for a loved one.
Studies reveal that people who act as caregivers for a family member are at a higher risk for stress-related health conditions such as depression and chronic diseases. According to CaringToday.com, “Family caregivers suffered a chronic condition at more than twice the rate as non-caregivers” and “Stress from providing care can take as much as 10 years off a family caregivers life.”
Respite care should not be considered a luxury, but instead an important component of being a caregiver.
Regular scheduled respites are important so that you are not waiting until you are on the verge of burn out before you get help. Often, caregivers give of their time and effort selflessly, but their energy and happiness can be depleted if the emotional welfare of caregiver is not taken care of.
We hope you will join us in a designated moment of silence on October 8 at 3:30pm to honor residents and staff lost to COVID-19. Thank you AHCA/NCAL for reminding all of us to take time for this, while efforts to protect lives continue. Thank you to all the care teams for their tireless work.
Did you know we offer Companion care services in your home. Companion care is primarily emotional support and companionship for seniors, who want to remain independent while living at home. Our caregivers, go to their home to help make sure needs are met and are living comfortably. The services we offer can help you live more independently. Providing safety and engaging in meaningful conversations. When an outside outlet is provided, this gives clients something to look forward to on a daily or weekly basis. Companion care focuses on seniors in their homes, it can be provided to those in nursing homes and assisted senior living facilities also. Contact us today for more information on our In Home Care services 208-357-3323 or visit our website at www.thegablesfamily.com
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Distant doesn't mean absent ✨ We are still out here, treating patients and providing care 😷
The best part is... we come to you 🏡
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Reassurance is so important to those with memory impairments. Here is a great article explaining why it is important and how to best show reassurance.
https://www.thegablesfamily.com/why-reassurance-is-so-important-to-those-with-memory-impairments/
THEGABLESFAMILY.COM
Why Reassurance Is So Important To Those With Memory Impairments - The Gables
Care assessments help provide The Gables with a better idea of the Senior’s current needs. This will help determine the proper plan of care for each individual resident.
Assessments are essential for any senior – whether they are living at home or moving into a community. The evaluation of your loved one helps to paint a picture of what services they require and how they can best be supported through in-home care or assisted living. Contact us today to schedule your free in home assessment. 208-357-3323
The Gables is committed to providing the highest quality of care, compassion and comfort to our clients in their own homes. It is our pledge to ensure consistency in the services we provide and to address both the physical and emotional needs of our clients.
The Gables offers Personal Care Services (PCS) in your home. We have extremely hard-working caregivers with many of them being certified nursing assistances. Our goal is to keep you at the home you love.
You can contact us at any time with questions or for a free in-home assessment. We can identify your wants and needs then give you further instructions on how to get started.
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