It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Dunsmore House gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Waterloo, IA is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“Always Best is OK but doesn’t seem to make up hours very well. When the”
“I knew a lady who works for Always Best Health Care that's why I chose”
“Always Best is OK but doesn’t seem to make up hours very well. When the caregiver is sick, nobody comes. I would think that they need a little more back up than they have right now. They give me a schedule, and billing is paid by Medicaid.”
“I knew a lady who works for Always Best Health Care that's why I chose it. The caregiver is very good with a very good attitude. They were able to provide the caregiver for myself immediately. She accompanies me to shopping.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Hope Martin Memorial Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Cappella Magna or visit First Log House in Waterloo Historical Marker, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Waterloo, IA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Waterloo, IA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Waterloo, IA 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
A new Iowa law is going to affect whether or not you get clocked by a traffic camera.The Iowa Department of Transportation now has the power to approve and disapprove of whether or not cities can use traffic cameras on Iowa roads.Any towns or jurisdictions that wanted to use these types of cameras had to apply for a permit by July 1st, 2024. Out of the 348 requests from twenty-eight different cities, 154 were approved while ...
A new Iowa law is going to affect whether or not you get clocked by a traffic camera.
The Iowa Department of Transportation now has the power to approve and disapprove of whether or not cities can use traffic cameras on Iowa roads.
Any towns or jurisdictions that wanted to use these types of cameras had to apply for a permit by July 1st, 2024. Out of the 348 requests from twenty-eight different cities, 154 were approved while 194 were rejected, according to the Iowa DOT.
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Since over half of the traffic cameras did not get approval, these cameras are now inactive. They were turned off on October 1st, according to reports.
The cities with traffic cameras were told on September 30th whether or not their cameras were approved. The cameras that were not approved have been shut off and cannot issue tickets to motorists.
If the town does not agree with the DOT's decision, then they can make an appeal.
This appeal must include a written explanation and any supporting info to the director of the Iowa DOT.
Out of the forty-five traffic cameras in Waterloo, only fifteen of them are actually still up and running.
The majority of traffic cameras in Cedar Rapids were turned off as well. You can read more about that here.
Here is a full list of all of the Waterloo traffic cameras that were NOT approved and were shut down on October 1st.
Now, there will still be some traffic cameras that will remain active since the Iowa DOT approved the specific permit application.
This is based off of the criteria "that a system is appropriate and necessary and the least restrictive means to address the critical traffic safety issues at a location."
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Here are just some of my favorite strange and cool rental properties that you can check out in Iowa!
Trying to stretch a dollar these days is incredibly challenging, and a big chunk of that dollar needs to go towards food.And food ain't cheap these days!Between 2022 and 2023, there was a five percent increase in the annual food-at-home price for the average American family,...
Trying to stretch a dollar these days is incredibly challenging, and a big chunk of that dollar needs to go towards food.
And food ain't cheap these days!
Between 2022 and 2023, there was a five percent increase in the annual food-at-home price for the average American family, according to the USDA. This was actually a bit of a falling off compared to previous years.
This same study found that this price growth slowed in 2023. The increase between 2022 and 2021 was 11.4 percent.
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If you're anything like me, going out to eat isn't necessarily about the food but the company. Heading out for a bite to eat with some friends, co-workers, or your own family is a great way to get out of the house.
So, if you are looking for a bigger bang for your buck in the city of Waterloo, there are a few popular spots you can hit up, and I suggest you do!
I did some digging and found a list of the best cheap eats in Waterloo according to Yelp.
In this instance, when I say something is "cheap," I'm not saying that the food or service is of bad quality. Instead, I'm referring to the fact that you can enjoy a quality meal without breaking the bank.
How many of these eateries have you gone to check out?
If you're feeling like going out for a bite to eat, but want to save some money maybe check out these Waterloo eateries!
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Also, do not forget to follow the station across all social media platforms for the latest news and entertainment updates.
In honor of Ghostbusters’ 40th anniversary, Krispy Kreme has four new Ghostbusters donuts. We ate them all.
Two dozen gardeners in Waterloo are blending gardening techniques to feed their community. Despite the obstacles they have faced, their harvest leaves plenty to share.Justin Songe waters what look like fluffy pastel clumps on his Highland Park Community Garden plot. They toss peppery pollen in the air as they shake; it smells almost smoky. In Congolese French, he hollers for a neighbor’s help in pinning down what it tastes like in English.He's watering amaranth, one of seven native Congolese crops that he and his commun...
Justin Songe waters what look like fluffy pastel clumps on his Highland Park Community Garden plot. They toss peppery pollen in the air as they shake; it smells almost smoky. In Congolese French, he hollers for a neighbor’s help in pinning down what it tastes like in English.
He's watering amaranth, one of seven native Congolese crops that he and his community are raising on the several acres they farm. He pokes around a low cluster of cuddling sweet potato vines. For them, the garden is necessary for the health of the community.
“We have to think about how we can eat something very biological,” Songe said. “That’s why we do the garden. To save our lives and our family’s lives.
Songe and the other Congolese farmers want to grow native crops to share with their families, but it’s been a process bringing African crops into their Iowa garden. For one, the climate of the Democratic Republic of Congo and northeast Iowa couldn’t be more different. Until recently, things hadn’t been growing.
Shaffer Ridgeway, a conservationist with the USDA, has helped shape community gardens in eastern Iowa for years. He worked with the Congolese farmers in Highland Park to raise their crops.
“Some of them are tough to grow here," Ridgeway said. "It’s cold so late, and then suddenly it gets hot, but it doesn’t stay hot long enough for the plant to reach maturity.”
The DRC has a mostly tropical climate, roughly 80° year-round. It’s a world away from the Midwestern state that prides itself on near-monthly climbs and tumbles up and down the thermometer. On average, only three months each year in Iowa meet the temperature requirements for Congolese crops.
Songe has seen that firsthand. He checks the tassels of African corn fit for a folk tale. This year, it’s 20 feet tall with ears the size of footballs, but it hasn’t always been.
“Last year, I tried to grow it at home, but it didn’t give me fruit," he said. "It went up, but no corn. Because it was from my country, we didn’t know how to grow it.”
To get the corn to grow, Songe had to learn to work with his new soil. The Congo Basin is mostly clay, making it good for rugged cash crops such as coffee and rubber, but very little else.
Northeast Iowa on the other hand, is known for what it can grow.
“The traditional Iowa soil is very black and great, especially here in this part of the state," said Steven Eilers with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. "A lot of the African crops are designed for sandier soil, so that very good, black, hard soil we have here isn’t always good for a lot of their crops.”
That creates a paradox for the farmers: the soil is almost too good to get anything growing.
On top of that, the farmers face a steep language barrier as newcomers to the United States, so they have relied on sharing the farming experience they bring from Congo with each other. Eilers said that experience often runs deep.
“These aren’t people who’ve never grown anything before," he said. "These are lifetime gardeners — generations of gardeners, farmers. They have their own techniques; they just need to learn how to do it here."
Subsistence farming is a way of life for millions of families in the DRC. More Congolese families in Waterloo are bringing their knowledge to the Highland Park Community Garden. Songe said the community has helped him expand what he can grow.
“We’ve got some people who already know how to plant from my country," Songe said. "If we have difficulty, we ask them how we can plant vegetables like we did this year.”
Those people are bringing farming traditions from the Congo and mixing them with techniques closer to Iowa.
Zachary Couture runs Global Greens, a nonprofit that provided ongoing agricultural education to the Highland Park gardeners. He stands over a huge patch of flourishing greens and scattered gourds under cover of agriculture’s famous “three sisters.”
“The main three are corn, beans and squash," Couture said. "And there’s spacing techniques you can use to get more of a harvest of corn or beans, but people do, like, 60 sisters here.”
The farmers at Highland Park have adopted the technique and added their own crops to the mix. Tucking low-growth Congolese greens underneath those domestic vegetables has provided moisture retention for Congolese crops, bringing growing conditions closer to those in the Congo Basin with enough regular watering.
There’s also just enough room for flowers.
Julie Molisho planted some of the first seeds in Highland Park two seasons ago. Her plot is dotted with marigolds for pest control. She avoids spraying insecticides since she’ll end up eating many of the leaves of the crops, not the roots.
In addition to what they eat themselves, the farmers have sold around 15,000 pounds of produce to the area’s food banks this year. Molisho credits that success to the experience traded between farmers over those two years.
“I feel like they’ve been helping them to grow some foods, and just teaching them the gardening techniques here in America,” Molisho said.
At a potluck celebrating the season’s success, Molisho unrolls tinfoil from a dish of fragrant amaranth, sweet, stewed cassava leaves and small, ivory eggplants roasted so slowly they look asleep. The fruits of her labor.
“Everything here grew there," she said. "Today, I can eat amaranth, tomorrow spinach and the day after cassava leaves.”
And most importantly, there’s plenty for everyone.
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