A new client said Celestial Care should describe it’s services as “Personal Health Coordinators”.  That is an accurate description of what we do in addition to providing “Exceptional Private Nursing Services.”  Our nurses regularly communicate with our client’s other health care providers and can minimize the number of times that the client visits the doctor.  Further, our clients are rarely readmitted to the hospital.

We are getting several high quality, experienced registered nurses applying for employment with Celestial Care.  Most of the applicants are referrals from our existing registered nurse team.  We are extremely grateful for their support and confidence!

Choosing a homecare provider for your loved one can be a stressful decision.  When faced with many choices in agencies, it is sometimes difficult to know why one is better than another.  We are excited to share with you the news that Celestial Care was recently honored with a “Best of HomeCare” award!

What does it mean to win a “Best of Home Care” Award?  Simply put, a “Best of Home Care” award means that we have proven that we care about quality in both our client and caregiver interactions.

It is important to us that we truly go beyond making statements about “quality and satisfaction” and put them into action. We wanted to share this exciting news with you and hope that it helps you understand how much we care about your experience and your loved one’s quality of life.

Click on the link below to view the award.

Celestial Care “Best of Home Care” Award

We revisit that CMS report on health care spending in America and see that, while spending in general was steady or down, a few sectors still had surprising growth rates. Like home health and hospital care, for example.

As we previously noted, while CMS found business and private health care spending rates grew slowly or remained level between 2007 and 2010, government health care spending — especially at the federal level — went up.

When money was spent, though, what was it spent on?

Home health, for one thing — it was “one of the fastest-growing services in the National Health Expenditure Accounts in both 2009 and 2010,” says the report. It reached a $70.2 billion total spend in 2010 — a 6.2 percent rise, though down from its 7.5 jump in 2009.

Physician and clinical services, on the other hand, grew more slowly, at a record low rate of 2.5% in 2010. (Clinical services, the report notes, “account for a growing share of total physician and clinical expenditures.”) Retail prescription drug spending grew by just 1.2%, in part slowed by the reduced number of doctor visits.

Roy Edroso (excerpted)

The holiday season is supposed to be the happiest time of the year, yet for the elderly it can become one of the most depressing times.  Loss of mobility, independence, family and friends can contribute to the holiday season not being the same as it once was.  Traditions may not be upheld because of physical restrictions and the sense of loss is magnified during such an important month.

Fortunately, there is a way to beat the holiday blues.  With Celestial Care private duty nursing, our clients are able to overcome their physical restrictions and spend the holidays with loved ones.  Our RNs, LPNs and CNAs work around the clock during the holidays and give the gift of celebration to our clients.  They care for our clients during family and religious functions and help the clients overcome the compromise between their health and their traditions. So, don’t give up hope on holiday traditions and make this a happy holiday season with Celestial Care!

Happy holidays from everyone at Celestial Care!

* Information received from the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation (www.gmhfonline.org)

This November the Celestial Care office team participated in the 2011 Walk to End Alzheimer’s.  Employees, friends and family came out to support the cause for the 3 mile walk on Saturday, November 5th. The Alzheimer’s cause is very near to Celestial Care’s heart with 5.4 million people affected in the United States.  Celestial Care provides care for elderly clients with Alzheimer’s.   Our care givers receive special training in order to provide the very best care for those suffering from the disease.  Everyone who participated in the walk enjoyed raising money for such a great cause and is looking forward to growing the team for next year!

*Information received from www.alz.org

It’s October and that means great weather is on its way for the Phoenix Valley!  The cooler temperatures are the perfect time for seniors to get outside and get some fresh air.  According to a study done by Dr. Paul Lips, Vitamin D is imperative to a senior citizen’s well being. The biggest source of Vitamin D is received from sunshine and the elderly population as a whole does not get enough.   In fact, Vitamin D deficiencies can cause secondary hyperparathyroidism, high bone turnover, bone loss, mineralization defects, and hip and other fractures.  Fortunately, the Phoenix area provides many fun outdoor activities to increase Vitamin D.

Here are some great outdoor attractions in Phoenix:

• The Desert Botanical Garden – This sprawling 50 acre garden has one of the world’s greatest collections of desert plants.  With over 139 unique plant species, the Desert Botanical Garden is a great way to enjoy the beauty of the desert.
• International Gem & Jewelry Show – This International trade show comes to Scottsdale at Westworld October 28 – 30.  They have diamonds, rubies, opals, gold and silver, as well as watches, earrings, necklaces, rings, settings and on-site sizing and repairs.
• Old Town Farmers Market – This farmers market is for chefs and civilians alike.  Watch cooking demonstrations or purchase Arizona wine, coffee, vegan desserts, cheese, crostini, pasta, candy, tamales, hummus, frozen entrees and bread from more than 20 farmers.  This delicious delight is open on Saturdays from 8:30 am – 1 pm in Old Town Scottsdale.
• Kierland Commons – Need a little retail therapy?  Kierland Commons is an indoor/outdoor mall with over 75 shops and restaurants.  This 38 acre extravaganza will give you plenty of sunshine and entertainment.

At Celestial care, our care givers will always accompany you to whichever event you would like to attend.  We pride ourselves in providing world-class care while letting our clients keep their independence.  So come on, it’s time to get some sunshine and Vitamin D!

Study received from http://edrv.endojournals.org

For aging seniors there is a large selection of medical care available in today’s health industry.  Nursing homes, assisted living, retirement communities, and family care are a few of the options available to seniors.  A growing trend amongst today’s elderly is utilizing care in their home.  Home healthcare is a reliable and desired form of healthcare.

According to Net Industries Medical Encyclopedia, there are numerous benefits to receiving high quality care in the home:

• Healing – According to recent studies, patients heal much better in their homes as opposed to any inpatient facility.  The familiarity and comfort of their surroundings have a physical effect on how quickly and fully they are able to recover.
• Quality – Due to shrinking budgets at hospitals, time spent in recovery in the hospital has been cut drastically shorter.  Many patients are discharged before they are fully healed and sent home without the correct level of care for them to continue healing.  Home healthcare agencies are a great addition to any hospital recovery because they ensure the continuity and continuation of care for the patient at home.
• Independence – Many seniors have a hard time moving from their home into a nursing home or other type of long term care facility.  Instead of drastically disrupting the lives they have always lived, home healthcare helps seniors to maintain their independence of living at home while receiving the quality of care they need.
• Comfort – Because let’s be honest, there really is no place like home!

Information received from http://medicine.jrank.org/.

Celestial Care was founded in the late ’90s by two highly experienced registered nurses with a deep passion for exceptional patient care. They recognized a need for a company that would provide a quality of home nursing care and diverse services that formerly had been limited in availability in the Valley of the Sun.

In order to meet the specific needs of their clients, they determined that three distinct levels of service would be provided by Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants. They were resolute that the common denominator would be – and to this day still is – uncompromising, competent, highly dependable and compassionate care.

As the lay leader of our dedicated team of private nursing specialists, and the individual who directs the business, I take to heart my personal responsibility to see that the high standards of care and the original vision upon which Celestial Care was founded are dutifully maintained and faithfully served.

It is my pledge to ensure our clients that the exceptionally high quality of service that has come to be expected by them and our many community supporters will always be honored.