Firstlight Resources

New Year’s Strategies for the Family Caregiver

From our Care Blog

By Beth Bourgault, Caregiver, FirstLight Home Care of Salem, Mass. FirstLight Home Care 2016 Caregiver of the Year Being a family caregiver is both a rewarding and challenging role. Becoming a primary source of care – when you used to be a daughter, son, sister, brother, wife, husband, friend – can be overwhelming. And it can place a strain on your most valued relationships. As a FirstLight caregiver, I work with many clients who are fortunate to have a loved one also providing support and participating in their care. While each situation is different, many of the challenges are the...

Learn More about New Year’s Strategies for the Family Caregiver

Working Family Caregivers: Managing a Delicate Balance

From our Care Blog

The challenges of the family caregiver are gaining more visibility. But there's one part of the family caregiving story that still needs much more attention: the struggles of the family caregiver who's also maintaining a job. New data is giving us a clearer picture of the impact of caregiving on work-life balance, as well as employee productivity and performance. Let’s review that data, and explore opportunities for family caregivers to get more support during their 9-to-5. Working family caregivers are in good company. An estimated one-fifth of today’s working Americans are also family caregivers, which means they are, in essence,...

Learn More about Working Family Caregivers: Managing a Delicate Balance

FirstLight Home Care’s Winter Safety Tips for Seniors

From our Care Blog

No matter where you live, FirstLight Home Care caregivers can help implement cautionary practices using these winter safety tips for seniors.

Learn More about FirstLight Home Care’s Winter Safety Tips for Seniors

Give Your Loved Ones the Gift of Memories This Holiday

From our Care Blog

One of the joys of aging is sharing stories. For many older adults, stories are a connection to the past and evidence of a life well-lived. And for the families of these historians, stories are a way to preserve memories for years – and generations – to come. With so many family activities during the holidays, it’s an ideal time to capture these treasured stories. But when it comes to building this type of family history, where do you begin? Following are some simple steps you can take to plan, capture and archive treasured stories from the older adults in...

Learn More about Give Your Loved Ones the Gift of Memories This Holiday

Holidays and the Elderly: Help Older Adults Savor the Season

From our Care Blog

As you consider the holidays and the elderly people in your life, being prepared is always a good thing. Try these tips!

Learn More about Holidays and the Elderly: Help Older Adults Savor the Season

Moments of Thanksgiving

From our Care Blog

It’s difficult to capture in one blog post all the things we’re thankful for at FirstLight Home Care. For us, it’s about the clients who trust us to help them achieve independence and live happier lives. The family caregivers who invite us to be a part of their caregiving journeys. The partners who help us deliver the best home care services. And the referral sources who introduce us to the people who will become such a central part of our lives. But just as much as we’re profoundly grateful for the people who allow us to live out our mission...

Learn More about Moments of Thanksgiving

50 Ways Home Care Can Support Family Caregivers

From our Care Blog

For so many family caregivers, the story is familiar. “I don’t know where to turn for help.” Or, “I’m exhausted. I don’t think I can do this on my own anymore.” Or, “There has to be a better way to care for my loved one.” These are the words of an untold number of family caregivers who are struggling to provide care and support for loved ones, while at the same time maintaining some balance in their own lives. The good news is there is somewhere to turn for help. You don’t have to do it alone. There’s a way...

Learn More about 50 Ways Home Care Can Support Family Caregivers

A Helpful Dozen: 12 Online Resources for Family Caregivers

From our Care Blog

A recent report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine concluded that there’s more to caring for the older adult population than services and support for aging individuals. An equally urgent need is resources for the family caregiver who is so integral to their care. The report found that nearly 18 million Americans care for a relative older than 65. And that those providing support are often thrust into the family caregiving role without the preparation, services, support and information they need. The Academies said “the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the most significant challenges”...

Learn More about A Helpful Dozen: 12 Online Resources for Family Caregivers

Caring Is Our Calling: What It Means To Be a Caregiver

From our Care Blog

“Going the extra mile for somebody, you can’t teach that. It has to be inside you already.” DeShawn Joiner, FirstLight Home Care 2016 Caregiver of the Year November is an important and treasured month for FirstLight Home Care. Each year, we observe National Home Care Month, as well as National Family Caregivers Awareness Month. While we’re always grateful for the important role we play – caring for our clients and supporting family caregivers – November is an opportunity for us to truly reflect on just what it means to be a caregiver. Caring Is Our Calling FirstLight was created with...

Learn More about Caring Is Our Calling: What It Means To Be a Caregiver

Hit the Books: FirstLight Book Picks for Caregivers

From our Care Blog

Caregiving – especially when the person you’re caring for is a loved one – can be a complex journey. Whether you’re a family caregiver or an individual who provides care professionally, finding resources that can help you understand the changes, challenges and stressors of a person needing care can be invaluable. And it can help support, comfort and inspire you as a caregiver. As we close out October – which happens to be National Book Month – and look toward National Home Care Month and National Family Caregivers Awareness Month in November, FirstLight Home Care shares the following picks for...

Learn More about Hit the Books: FirstLight Book Picks for Caregivers