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 Western Hennepin History Center 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 Long Lake, MN 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.
“I am a current client of this provider Always Best Care comes in to help my”
“I am a current client of this provider Always Best Care comes in to help my dad a shower at night. When the guy came out to interview, he was really good and helpful, but it was just hard to find someone to help with dad been a little bit bigger and heavier. They like the person that they had come out a couple of times. The caregiver is good.”
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 Long Lake 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 Primo or visit Veterans Memorial, 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 Long Lake, MN, 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 Long Lake, MN 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 Long Lake, MN 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.
BATTLE LAKE, MINN. – As the sun rose over West Battle Lake one morning last week, the temperature read minus 24 outside the Shoreline Restaurant, a restaurant/bowling alley/institution in this Otter Tail County town since 1949.The cold bit hard, the most trying part of life on the windswept prairies of west-central Minnesota. Cold like this makes most Minnesota resort towns hibernate, roll up their sidewalks and wait until tourists return for the May fishing opener.Inside the restaurant, though, 14 townies sipped coffee t...
BATTLE LAKE, MINN. – As the sun rose over West Battle Lake one morning last week, the temperature read minus 24 outside the Shoreline Restaurant, a restaurant/bowling alley/institution in this Otter Tail County town since 1949.
The cold bit hard, the most trying part of life on the windswept prairies of west-central Minnesota. Cold like this makes most Minnesota resort towns hibernate, roll up their sidewalks and wait until tourists return for the May fishing opener.
Inside the restaurant, though, 14 townies sipped coffee together, celebrating the town’s newfound winter successes and plotting for more. A candlelight walk at adjacent Glendalough State Park the previous weekend brought out 400 people.
A conscious effort from restaurant owners to stay open through winter — Battle Lake, population 857, has a dozen restaurants in or near town, with the majority now open year-round — has turned the town into a regional foodie destination even in frigid months.
And an annual ice-fishing derby this weekend will bring more than 1,000 people to the 5,600-acre lake. They’ll fish for modest cash prizes ($100 for the largest angled walleye) and impressive raffle prizes (like a $30,000 fish house). The event is purposely family-friendly.
“That’s our goal — our town needs families and kids," said former Mayor Gene Kelm.
Even a huge, destabilizing ice heave can’t keep Battle Lake down. The ice-fishing derby was simply moved to the other side of the lake.
“We came up in winter once and we drove through Battle Lake around 2000, and it was just, wow — nobody here," said Brian Wyneken, who moved to his longtime cabin here after retiring. “The only restaurant had a 10-year-old waiting tables. We were the only people in there. We thought, ‘This place really goes pooey in the winter.’ Now? It’s dramatically different.”
Battle Lake likes to call itself the “Heart of 1,000 Lakes,” a nod to its central location in the Minnesota county boasting more lakes than any other. Summer lake life is one of the things that most define Minnesota — Kelm guesses the town’s population increases to 8,000 in summer — but Otter Tail County’s lakes are not top of mind when Minnesotans hunker down for winter.
But aided by the work-from-home (or work-from-cabin) life of COVID, Battle Lake has flipped its wintertime narrative.
“After COVID, we saw a big increase in traffic, and it just stayed rolling all the way through the winter,” said Mike Naumann, who owns the Shoreline Restaurant and puts an ice bar on the frozen lake, which he moved to the parking lot this winter courtesy of the ice heave.
“There’s just more people around. I have some young bowlers in our league who moved up here because they wanted to live rural and get out of the city. It’s the appeal of the niceties of a small town.”
This is not to say Battle Lake is suddenly a winter tourist destination on the scale of Lutsen Mountain and Giants Ridge for downhill skiing, or the Gunflint Trail for Nordic skiing, or Mille Lacs and Lake of the Woods for ice fishing.
Battle Lake’s winter ambitions are more modest: To make sure its tourist-driven economy doesn’t settle down for a long winter’s nap.
This winter push was built atop of the quintessential resort town’s overall momentum.
“In 2008, Battle Lake was dying,” said Dan Malmstrom, a native who for decades worked in tech in Fargo while living in Battle Lake and has become one of its biggest boosters. “The storefronts were all for sale. They were destitute and dilapidated. We all wanted to build a community.”
Town leaders came up with a vision: Instead of focusing on job creation, focus on making the town attractive to families. Business would follow.
The adjacent Glendalough State Park was struggling; in 2010, only 40,000 people visited, and it was looking at reduced state funding. A new 12-mile trail system opened in 2014 and connected Battle Lake to the park and its five lakes. Now a cycling destination, the park attracts 125,000 annually.
Town leaders see the trails and the trail center, where you can rent snowshoes and cross-country skis, as the spark to the town’s overall growth, pointing to more than 30 new businesses that have started since the trail opened.
Battle Lake worked to extend its warm-weather tourist season past the usual 2½ months from where kids aren’t in school, encouraging fishing- and hunting-focused tourism.
“That season has doubled,” said Mayor Richard Bullard. “A lot of people who’ve purchased lake homes want to enjoy that lake as early as they can and as long as they can.”
A community group called Network Battle Lake raised $800,000 for a new child care center, which serves 40 kids. A downtown sidewalk-widening project enabled more foot traffic. Public artwork was installed: Bike racks, large fish sculptures in a previously vacant alley, mosaic benches built by volunteers.
Last year, the $9 million Hatchery Row opened, a three-story downtown development with 14 apartment units and 18,000 square feet of commercial space. (Another two dozen housing units have risen the past couple of years.) Voters recently passed a $30 million bond referendum for school renovations, no small feat for a district whose graduating classes have stabilized around 30-35.
“This really is foundational to the question about winter,” said Lisa Malmstrom, Dan’s wife. “In 2008 I don’t think there would have been any momentum to create community events like a fishing derby on West Battle. Now there is this positive force.”
Kelm, the former mayor, has been ice fishing these lakes for decades. He brags about Minnesota Vikings like Carl Eller and Jim Marshall fishing in his ice house. He still fishes for crappies until 2 a.m. while watching James Bond movies in his ice house.
He wanted to share Battle Lake’s beauty — “God’s country,” he calls it, “the gem of Otter Tail County” — so he helped start the ice-fishing derby in 2017.
Left: Gene Kelm stands inside his ice house on frozen West Battle Lake in Battle Lake. Right: Art and decorative fishing poles on the wall of Gene Kelm’s ice house. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
The first ice-fishing derby was magical, he said, with fireworks over the lake: “Every road you looked at was packed. When you see fireworks in winter, with all the snow reflecting it, it’s amazing.”
Sara Boyum did not expect this when she moved back to her hometown and, hungry for dining options beyond cheeseburgers, opened Stella’s in 2007, with brick-oven pizzas, a wine list and craft cocktails.
“People told me a thousand times I was going to fail,” she said.
Now, she has a clothing store, Neverwinter Clothing Co. + Gifts, and a fast-casual health food place, Neverbetter Market + Wellness, with fitness classes, sauna and massage therapy.
In summer, they’ll serve lunches nonstop for five hours. Winter is slower but not slow enough to close. Boyum even finds herself rooting for cold, snowy winters, because they’re better for business.
“Last winter was too warm,” she said. “When it’s 35 degrees in January, it was no big deal to go to Minneapolis, to go to Alexandria. That hurt our business. ... When there’s no snow, no cold, there’s no snowshoeing, no skiing, no ice-fishing — that’s what we need to bring people to town.”
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