Is Hiring a Butler Reserved for the Rich and Famous?

Most of us are not financially capable of hiring a butler, a housekeeper, a gardener, a maid or a chauffeur.  That is not to say that most of us could not use one. 

We are all so busy working and running households that we are constantly under stress to get everything done within the limited amount of time we have at our disposal.   

Cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, running errands, laundry, cutting grass, the list just goes on and on.  We could all use a butler.   Your employer expects you to work longer hours since some of your co-workers were let go.  During the recession, you don't want to be the first one out of the office and the last one in.  Plus, you have so much more work to do these days.  Your employer is not hiring anyone to replace your co-worker who is on maternity leave.   Don't you ever wish you were high earner and could hire someone to take care of all the mundane chores for you?  

Well, now you can thanks to Host & Care.  Http://hostandcare.com is a free social network application and a meeting place for students looking for free accommodations in exchange for care services. 

If you have a spare bedroom in your house that you have been cooling and heating all this time and never really using it, you now have a chance to go green and benefit in the process.  Enjoy the summer or the year and let a student or a graduate do the work for you.  College graduates will have really hard time finding jobs and might need a place to live while looking for work. Even when they find a job they would still need time to save up some money or get out of debt.  Working part-time in exchange for rent free living is a win-win situation for all.  You get your chores done for free and a student gets free accommodation in their desired destination.  Whether you are seeking home care assistance or home care employment host & care is a site for you.  Student volunteers are available to help you out with all your home care needs.

The same principle applies to childcare, elderly care, disabled care, pet care or tutoring.  One on one tutoring dramatically improves kids' performance at school but hiring a tutor is extremely expensive.  On top of that, you need to do driving to and from the lessons.  Having a college or graduate student on the premises takes care of homework battles, tutoring and childcare all in one. 

Hosting a foreign student would give your kid an extra opportunity to learn or improve a foreign language.  Knowledge of foreign languages will give your child a competitive advantage in the flat world we live in today.  At this day and age running a background and reference check is a very small expense and there are numerous companies offering services in that area.   When you take advantage of this opportunity you help yourself, you help another person and you help the world, two people at a time.    

Undoubtedly the best way to spend the senior years is to live at your very own home.  There is no nursing home or assisted living facility that can replace the comfort of your own house. 

If your elderly parent or parents are still staying in their own house, you may be concerned about their safety and their well-being, you don't know if they are taking their medications properly and if they are eating. You have no idea about their diet and how they get the food to the house.  You might need to hire live in care.  Live-in caregiver can help your parents with basic chores, make sure they take their medication, provide them with transportation, cook and even do light housekeeping. If need be, the caregiver can also help them with bathing and dressing. This can be a very expensive proposition.  On average, you have to expect to pay at a minimum $15.00 an hour.  However, chances are, your elderly parent lives in a family home with plenty of room to offer housing to care provider in exchange for care.  Conducting a background and reference check is easy, reliable and inexpensive. 

Host & Care is a community that connects students and travelers looking for free accommodations with families and seniors looking for care. You offer free room and board in exchange for getting live-in personal or home care.  The benefit of this type of exchange is tremendous.  You have no out of pocket expense and save a lot of money while at the same time you get the peace of mind.  If you are looking for options for taking care of your elderly parents, consider at home caregiver services. This enables older people to stay at home and gives caregivers an opportunity to work or study outside of the house. If you have siblings who also take care of mom or dad, you should discuss the possibility of getting a caregiver in to help out with caring for your parents.  Elderly neglect their health care: The effort of arranging transportation to and from the doctor's office, having prescriptions filled and picked up at the pharmacy, and understanding what the doctor tells her and who won't take the time to insure she understands, is enough to make anyone avoid the health care system altogether.  A live-in caregiver would take care of all these steps for you.  Elder caregiver will stay with your senior parent at the doctor's office to hear everything the doctor explains to mom. Although elderly won't admit it, she likely will never remember most of what she is told by the doctors and nurses. If the care provider weren't there with her, you can't explain anything to her and she is left to struggle with the prescription medications and forgotten advice. 

Senior caregiver also works as a confidant and adviser: elderly often won't admit to being hard of hearing, incompetent in buttoning her blouse, or forgetful of many normal daily chores that need to be done. Live-in care giver gently makes it obvious you are there for her anytime 24/7, and are more than happy to talk with her about troublesome issues. Just the promise of this availability is reassuring enough to her self-esteem.  Many times, just knowing that someone is there and available will prevent depression, anxiety, and the feeling of helplessness.

Nutrition issues: Seniors typically give up cooking foods like they used to do. It's a lot easier to pop a microwave dinner into the microwave now and then. Appetite is decreased as a result of less demand from a body that has little activity, less exercise, and less caloric requirements. Often a senior will pick one or two foods they like and only eat those daily. It results in lack of balanced nutrients, vitamins, and required proteins such as certain amino acids.

When mom does not live with you, you really don't know what her nutrition is lacking. A live-in caregiver will make sure that elderly has a bottle of good multivitamins, enough food ready to eat and drink in the fridge, and some red wine to sip on daily to supplement her nutrition.

Safety issues: Elderly tend to fall down as a result of poor depth perception, fading vision, weakened leg muscles, and lack of attention to their surroundings. It's a great help in prevention of falls if you eliminate rugs they can trip over, furniture that becomes unstable with use, moving items to lower shelves where older ladies can easily reach them, give away her shoes with leather soles, install bath and shower bars as well as hand rails at any place she must go up and down steps, make latches on doors easy to open, and remove any items that can fall on her from high up storage spots.  Having student volunteer live in the house with an elderly person will alleviate the danger. 

Money worries: For seniors money is a constant worry. When their bank account gets low, then they start skipping doctor appointments and eat less. Make sure their money is readily available to them while mom is still alert, clear minded, and oriented to time and place.

Hidden trauma problems: Seniors do not want others to think they are deteriorating to a point where they are unable to take care of themselves. They hide the bruises, cuts, and abrasions that occur and others might perceive as incompetence. Pain, stomach aches, bad headaches, arthritis of joints with decreased range of motion, and they'll also keep you from noticing.

The mental side of aging: The most traumatic problem mom's face is the thought that their mind is no longer clear or stable. One of the first symptoms to show up is losing track of recent memory, people's names, and dates. Forgetting to take medications or to take them at proper intervals can be very serious-under-dosing, and bad health problems return-over-dosing, and suffer bad side effects seems somewhat common in elderly folks.

Care provider will organize mom's medicines for her is a great help to her as well as being a smart way to avoid overdosing problems. Or, just checking how she organizes her meds and takes them. Nursing homes are well known for medication errors, missed doses, and patient care neglect. So, when possible, check out these things thoroughly.

Emotional connections: When senior is well established in her residence, way of life, friends she sees daily, fun events she enjoys locally, and has a well established comfort zone, it is unwise to yank her out of there and force her to live with you or near you.

It does is destroy all her relationships, disrupts all her familiar surroundings which have given her mental comfort, and exposes her to all the insecurity she has been trying to avoid at this time in her life.

Seniors dementia can either be a slow process or it can be really fast.  This coupled with honoring the loved ones wishes about staying at home can create a dilemma.  Hiring home-care-services can be very expensive.  

However, Host & Care social network connects students, singles, unemployed and travelers looking for free accommodations with families and seniors looking for care. Young people provide volunteer elderly or home care in exchange for free accommodations.  The solution is win-win for both parties: elderly gets home care and student gets free room or free room and board, depending on the arrangement. 

In case a full time elderly caregiver is needed you can hire a couple of volunteers to take turns or single parent who will be willing to work longer hours in exchange for housing for two.  For those who are physically close to the person affected with dementia it can be hard to recognize the progress of the disease. The progress of the disease is generally slow and the day-to-day changes are slight. Some people get caught up in the denial approach where one would rather look the other way and rationalize the changes as "just aging". 

Change usually is noticed from someone who has been absent and re-enters into an elderly's life only to realize the significant changes in their loved one's ability to manage daily activities. It is difficult to determine when a senior affected with dementia should be placed in a memory center. The level of eldercare the senior is receiving or requires along with safety play a major role in this determination. In the event that everything is going well and the older person is not in danger at home, there are certain precautions that should be taken to prevent a major crisis. Most people wait until a major incident has happened before taking action which may result in harm, even death to their loved one. Wandering is a common symptom of the disease and can take place at any time. Dementia does not have a pattern for one to follow and changes can happen quickly with no indicators. It is not uncommon for the person to flee when the spouse is napping or asleep for the night. A few suggestions would be: ·ID tags should be sewn into the person's clothing. In the event the person is found, this can help public officials return the person back home. Your local Alzheimer's Association has a "safe return" program to help out in this area. ·Report to the local police department the address of your loved one and the disease. A patrol officer could identify your loved one and then return them back home. ·Install door alarms that will sound if the door is opened when activated. Local hardware stores or security stores will have these alarms. ·Place a stop sign on exit doors. 

Obtain a DNA kit from the local police department and preserve a sample. In the event the person is confused or in the case of death this can be used to identify the person. As the disease progresses, simple tasks may become overwhelming for the affected person. A couple of tips to consider are: ·Purchasing a telephone with large numbers and speed dial buttons. Label the speed dial button with names (not numbers) of people commonly called. For police label the button as POLICE, not 911. ·Make a sign to hang on the bathroom mirror stating the daily morning routine such as shaving, brushing teeth, bathing and washing the face. ·When working with appliances have the dials marked with arrows indicating the normal settings. This could be the washer and dryer, thermostat, microwave, stove, etc. ·Disabling the stove by unplugging it or tripping the breaker. ·It is not uncommon when replacing an appliance such as a microwave that the person cannot learn how to operate it. When conversing with the individual the key is to "keep it simple". The person you are talking with may be able to process only one simple thought at a time. ·Offer only one alternative such as when preparing a meal "Would you like a hamburger or soup?" If going to the store, "Would you like to go to the store at one or two?" For bathing "Would you like to take you bath now or after we eat?" ·If helping a person with a task requiring multiple steps such as doing the laundry, break the task into very small steps such as, putting the clothes into the washer, add the detergent, close the lid, turn the dial to wash. ·Always speak to the person face to face. Conversations from behind or the side can be confusing. ·Use short sentences with simple words. Rather than saying, "Remember that place we picked strawberries outside of town last year? Let's go and see if they are ready", simply say, "Let's go and pick strawberries today." . Personal hygiene will deteriorate. Having to tell your loved one that they have severe body odor, their breath is offensive because of poor oral hygiene, toes and finger nails that are unsightly, or their clothes are filthy can be very difficult for the spouse or adult child. You may want to consider: ·Having an outside professional help assist with bathing can preserve the individuals dignity and embarrassment for a family members. ·Taking the dirty clothes when the person is in bed and washing them, or putting them in the wash and placing a clean set of clothes in their place. ·Find a local service to do the nails. It is likely the nails are thick and difficult to care for. Professionals have the proper equipment and training for nail care.

When dealing with a cognitive impairment such as dementia it is difficult for spouses and adult children because of the emotional strings that are attached and/or family dynamics. Elder care professionals who work in the field of dementia can give objective advice.

Do you need help around the house but do not have the money to hire help to do it for you, especially with the current economic recession? Be it house cleaning, gardeniing or caring for seniors, there is one unique way on how to get help with these that is both affordable and life-enriching. Host and Care is a innovative website that introduces a new way of creating equally benefiting bonds between various people with various needs. The website creates an online community that can connect those with certain needs with people who can provide for these needs. As a result, members benefit from the mutual exchange and create lasting relationships with one another.

All over the world, household needs abound. Families need help taking care of kids or seniors, or perhaps need someone to watch the house or their pets while they travel. With the economic crisis affecting families from all over the world, along with several other problems such as unemployment, foreclosures, financial shortage, and the likes, it is hard to find help for such things even despite the availability of professional providers. Also, as an effect of tightening budgets, most parents often need to start earning for the household, but a lot of mothers are torn since hiring babysitters would cost them a lot and would offset the extra earnings they manage to get. But Host and Care has found a way to help households find answers to their needs without having to shell out a lot.

The first benefit of being a host in Host and Care is that you get free services that meet your needs without the need to pay large amounts of money. Help and services can come in the form of free house sitting, free child care, free senior care, free pet care, and whatever else, all offered in exchange for free accommodation. Service providers can even provide tutorials for your kids or even language lessons, the most common of which are provided for ESL learners. Commonly, the service and care providers are students or new graduates who move to different cities to look for job opportunities. The cost of accommodation plus the challenges of unemployment and of finding a job can be a heavy burden for them, so they are often willing to trade a few hours' work for free lodging. Some, however, may also be travellers who need affordable long-term homestay so they can travel around a single place for extended periods. As a potential host, if you need some help around the house and have extra space to spare for another occupant, Host and Care is the perfect conduit to make the connection.

Aside from the obvious benefit of being able to save on some important needs in the household, hosts can also benefit a lot from the opportunity to extend help to others, which is an important thing especially in challenging times. Though such relationships usually begin with a business aspect, more often than not, host and provider are able to create a bond that enriches them both and provides a memorable experience. On top of that, the knowledge of being able to help others out who are in need is certainly one of the most enriching feelings one can have in life.

With the goal of forging meaningful relationships that benefit all parties involved, Host and Care provides the perfect community for meeting people you can help and who can help you. 

If you need care services you can barter your spare bedroom for care services offered by providers through Host and Care. The most popular is free child care service offered by members who are willing to babysit part-time in exchange for free accommodation. Child care is one of the most important services for families nowadays, especially since most couples now both have jobs in light of the current economic recession. Free child care for military families and single parents can also be found through the site. This offer is also particularly helpful during the summer when kids do not have school and need someone to care for them at home while parents are at work.

A very beneficial service that can be found through Host and Care is senior care. Sometimes, this service is taken up by families who do not have time to take care of their elderly. However, in some cases, there are elderly people who also live alone and may need accompaniment in exchange for free accommodation. There are several ways to benefit from such free care services for seniors.

Also, if you have pets but do not have enough time to provide sufficient care for them, you can also provide free accommodation for someone who can help you care for your furry friend. Pets need regular care and attention, and some people may not have enough time to devote for this. Fortunately, through Host and Care, you may be able to connect with someone looking for accommodation in your area who also likes animals and would be willing to provide free pet care.

Free house care is also available. This is also a unique way to go on a vacation, aside from the fact that it is also highly affordable. Vacations usually cost a lot mainly due to the high accommodation rates, but this can be arranged through Host and Care so you don't have to spend too much. Through Host and Care, you may be able to find a family you can swap houses with. This way, both families can vacation someplace new, have someone watch over their houses, and also save a lot of money.

And perhaps you need someone to tutor your kids or you want to learn a new language? You can certainly receive tutorial without paying for it. All you have to do is provide free accommodation to someone who can teach you a new language or provide your preferred tutorial.