CARE BLOG

Start the New Year with a New Career Do you have what it takes to be a great professional caregiver? “Caregiving is so much more than a job - it’s truly a calling,” said Teresa Steinfatt, vice president of business performance at the HomeCare Advocacy Network (HCAN). “Our caregivers are very special people who are committed to making a difference [...]

Working While Caregiving Have you ever had to cancel an important work meeting because it conflicted with your aging mom’s doctor’s appointment? Do you use your lunch hour to check on your dad and make sure he took his medication?  Are you worried that your supervisor’s patience is wearing thin because you have so many unexpected family emergencies? If you [...]

Bickford Home Care Now Serves Families Living in the Chicago Suburbs With offices in Crystal Lake and St. Charles, Bickford Home Care is now serving families in the northwest Chicago suburbs.  “For years, area families have trusted Bickford Senior Living to care for their aging loved ones in our communities,” said Colleen Lesher, divisional director at Bickford Senior Living. “We’ve [...]

Brain Boosters for Your Senior Loved Ones It’s no secret that regular physical activity is one of the keys to healthy aging, but did you know it’s just as important to make sure the brain gets a daily workout? “Exercising the mind is just as important as exercising the body - especially for seniors because it’s often critical to maintaining [...]

More Seniors are Embracing Technology When it comes to technology, older adults say they want devices that are simple, practical, and affordable - that’s the conclusion of a new Link-age Technology survey of nearly 2,400 people age 55 to 100. “Over the past decade, we have seen a steady increase in the ownership of many types of technology with older [...]

Survey Reinforces the Growing Need for Home Care and the Incredible Opportunity for Senior Living Providers An overwhelming majority of seniors say they want to age in their homes but, according to a new survey, many expect to eventually move to a senior living community. That’s why, at the HomeCare Advocacy Network (HCAN), we believe senior living providers are missing [...]

Ten Tips to Help Siblings Have Positive Caregiving Discussions When you visited over the holidays, you noticed things weren’t quite right with your mom - there was spoiled food in the refrigerator, stacks of unopened mail, and stains on her usually very nice clothes. It’s clear to you that she needs a little extra help at home… but your siblings [...]

Five New Years Resolutions for Family Caregivers Did you make a New Year’s resolution? If you’re caring for an aging loved one, you may be tempted to forego resolutions this year. After all, why would you want to add to your already long to-do list? Instead of vowing to lose 10 pounds, consider the following resolutions that may improve your [...]

HCAN’s Year in Review by Mark Goetz, co-founder, and president of the HomeCare Advocacy Network As we wrap up 2021, all of us at the HomeCare Advocacy Network look back with gratitude and ahead with anticipation. It was a busy, inspiring, and very fulfilling year - here are a few of the highlights. Announced Franchise Partnerships with Bickford Senior Living [...]

Winter Safety Tips for Seniors It may not always feel like it, but winter is here. “The cold weather months present some significant challenges for older adults,” said Sierra Goetz, co-founder, and operations manager at the HomeCare Advocacy Network (HCAN). “As temperatures drop, seniors are more at risk for falls, hypothermia, and the flu. It’s important to be aware of [...]

Battling the Holiday Blues For most of us, this is the most wonderful time of the year. Unfortunately, for many seniors, it’s the worst.  “Instead of joy and excitement, the holidays can trigger bouts of sadness and loneliness for seniors - especially if they live alone,” said Teresa Steinfatt, vice president of business performance at the HomeCare Advocacy Network (HCAN). [...]

Ten Travel Tips for Seniors Holiday air travel is almost never easy - airports are crowded, flights are overbooked and tempers can be short. For families traveling with seniors, there may also be other unique challenges along the way. “Many seniors haven’t traveled in a while, because of COVID-19,” said Sierra Goetz, operations manager at the HomeCare Advocacy Network (HCAN). [...]

Balancing Family Life and Family Caregiving You missed an important meeting at work because your mom fell in her shower. You left your son’s big soccer game to take your dad to a doctor’s appointment. You forgot to make cookies for your daughter’s school bake sale because you were busy making dinner for your aging parents. If this sounds like [...]

Holiday Gift Ideas for Seniors Still searching for the perfect holiday gift for your senior loved ones? We know that coming up with holiday gift ideas for older people can be challenging - especially if they insist they don’t need anything. So, we’ve compiled a list of useful items that might help them with everyday tasks and challenges - allowing [...]

Survey Confirms Senior Living Providers Can Compete in the Homecare Marketplace When an aging loved one needs a little extra help, where do most families turn?  At the HomeCare Advocacy Network (HCAN), we conducted a survey that shows the vast majority of family decision-makers would prefer engaging in-home supportive services before moving their loved ones to a senior living community. “Our [...]

Signs Your Aging Loved Ones May Need Help at Home When you visited mom over the Thanksgiving holiday, you noticed something was off. Maybe she was a little more forgetful than usual or she struggled to get out of a chair. Perhaps you spied an unopened stack of mail or an unexplained dent in her car.  Although subtle, these can [...]

Talking to Your Kids About Alzheimer’s One day Grandpa knows the kids’ names… but the next day, he doesn’t remember. The unpredictability of Alzheimer’s can be confusing and sometimes very scary - especially for children, and explaining the disease to them can be particularly challenging. If it’s time to talk to your kids about a loved one’s diagnosis, these tips [...]

The Promise of a Better Tomorrow When Mark and Sierra Goetz founded the HomeCare Advocacy Network (HCAN), they did so with a vision of arming today’s spectrum of caregivers with hope, high-impact resources, and the promise of a better tomorrow.  One way they’re doing that is through HCAN’s new Family and Friends Dementia Education class - a high-touch approach designed [...]

Welcoming American Baptist Homes of the Midwest into the HCAN Family We are very proud to announce that we have teamed up with American Baptist Homes of the Midwest (ABHM) to launch a new service line designed to successfully deliver in-home care to ABHM’s current residents as well as seniors in surrounding communities. “We are thrilled to welcome American Baptist [...]

Life Experience Fuels Sarah Pappas’ Passion for Caregiving Native Nebraskan, Sarah Pappas, learned about the power of love and the importance of duty toward others at a young age through experience. “My paternal grandparents emigrated from Greece and opened a restaurant, The Continental, in downtown Lincoln in 1920,” she said. “It was a thriving family business, and I began working [...]

Ten Ways to Honor Older Veterans This Veterans Day Few people deserve our respect and gratitude more than the brave men and women who served in the military. At the HomeCare Advocacy Network, we’re proud and privileged to care for older veterans and their family members - giving them the care and support they need to age safely and with [...]

Self-Care for Family Caregivers Your mom is the one with Alzheimer’s, but it’s your health that’s suffering.  That’s something we hear a lot. That’s because, while caregiving is extremely rewarding, it can also be incredibly difficult, and many family caregivers pay a high emotional and physical price for what they do.  “It’s National Family Caregiver Month - a great time [...]