Senior Home Care Blog for South Shore Massachusetts

Cottage Caregivers Team is Growing!!

July 5, 2018 By Amy McDonnell

Cottage Caregivers is very excited to announce that Julie Morse has joined our team as Senior Client Care Manager. Julie has tremendous experience in the home care space and most recently served as the Home Health Aide Manager and Scheduler for a local home care agency.

Julie grew up with a family working in home care and hospitals. Julie received her Bachelors of Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she studied public health. Julie has a passion for helping people and has worked as a peer mentor and counselor, health educator and care coordinator for adults with mental illness.

Cottage Caregivers is also very excited to announce that Karen Carroll will serve as Managing Director of Cottage Caregivers. “Karen has been so instrumental in our overall growth and played a key role in managing every aspect of the business since we launched in 2015. Karen passion for helping both our clients and our caregivers is unmatched and has really helped differentiate our agency in a very competitive marketplace. We are so lucky to have such a dedicated, compassionate and positive leader driving Cottage Caregivers forward every day” stated Sean McDonnell, President of Cottage Caregivers. Karen Carroll recently completed her CNA studies at Quincy College.

About Cottagecaregivers.com

Cottage Caregivers, LLC is a locally owned business committed to providing professional, non-medical home care to the people of Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol Counties in Massachusetts. We provide customized, affordable, basic home care services, which allow individuals to maintain their independence and stay in the comfort of their own home environment.

Cottage Caregivers is a proud winner of the Best of In-Home Care Award from SeniorAdvisor.com, the largest ratings and reviews site for senior care and services in North America. This recognition represents the top tier of in-home care, assisted living, and other senior living providers, based on the online reviews written by seniors and their families. This exclusive designation places the winners in the top one percent of senior care providers according to those who matter most – the consumer.

The annual SeniorAdvisor.com Best of Awards celebrates the best of the best in home care and senior living across the United States and Canada. Of the nearly 100,000 providers currently listed on SeniorAdvisor.com, just over 1,000 were recognized with this award.

Cottage Caregivers is one of the only home care winners in Massachusetts, and has consistently ranked at the highest levels in family reviews across multiple online channels including Facebook, Caring.com. Care.com and the Better Business Bureau.

Cottage Caregivers has offices in Hingham and Marshfield, MA and serves

2018 List of Senior Discounts from Cottage Caregivers

March 27, 2018 By Amy McDonnell Leave a Comment

Please Check out the list of Senior Discounts Cottage Caregivers has pulled together. We hope you enjoy your day or night out!!

Applebee’s Senior Discount: 10-15% off (varies by location) MAY require Golden Apple Card (60+) verified
Arby’s Senior Discount: 10% off – Also reports of a free drink (55+) varies by location
A&W Senior Discount All American Food: 10% Senior discount varies by location verified
Backyard Burger: Free drink with purchase
Ben & Jerry’s: 10% off for seniors (60+) varies by location verified
Bennigan’s Senior Discount: Discount varies by location (60+)

Bob’s Big Boy: Discount varies by location (60+)
Bonefish Grill Senior Discount: AARP members 10% off verified
Boston Market Senior Discounts: Discount varies by location (65+)
Burger King Senior Discount: 10% off (60+) plus additional discounts on coffee and soft drinks
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company: 10% off for AARP Members, 10% military discount verified
Captain D’s Seafood: “Happy Wednesday Offer” Choice of 8 meals + drink for $4.99 or less- varies by loc. (62+) verified
Carrabba’s Italian Grill: 10% off entire meal for AARP Members- not valid at Kirby and Woodway locations in Houston, TX verified
Carrows Restaurants: Golden 55 Menu: Offers discounted breakfast, lunch & dinner (55+) verified
Chart House: 10% off for AARP members only verified
Chick-fil-A Senior Discounts: Chick-fil-A offers a free refillable senior drink, not including coffee. – Varies by location.
Chili’s Restaurants Senior Discounts: Chili’s offers a 10% senior discount (55+) verified

CiCi’s Pizza: From website “Many of our stores do offer (senior) discounts” varies by location verified
Claim Jumper: 10% off for AARP members verified
Corky’s Homestyle Kitchen & Bakery: Offers special senior menu AND a Senior’s Frequent Diner Card (buy 9 get 1 free) (55+) verified
Country Kitchen: Great Senior Menu (55+) verified
Culvers Corner: 10% off senior discount (60+)
Dairy Queen: 10% off for seniors (15% for coaches) varies by location (free small drink at some locations)
Denny’s: Senior discount varies by location, 15% off for AARP members verified

Dunkin’ Donuts Senior Discount: AARP members receive a free donut with the purchase of a large or XL beverage (at participating restaurants) verified
Einstein’s Bagels: 10% off (60+)
El Pollo Loco: 10% senior discount (60+), 15% military discount verified
Fazoli’s: Join “Club 62” for special senior menu items (62+) verified
Friendly’s Restaurants: 10% off meal w/ free coffee at breakfast or free small sunday during non-breakfast hours verified
Fuddrucker’s Senior Discounts: 10% off any senior platter (55+)
Gatti’s Pizza: 10% off (60+)

Golden Corral: Senior discount varies by location verified
Hardee’s: $0.33 beverages everyday -also reports of 10% off (52+)
IHOP: Great discounts on senior menu items (55+) verified
Jack in the Box: up to 20% off (55+)
KFC: Free small drink with any meal (55+)
Krispy Kreme Senior Discount: 10% off (50+) (age and discount varies depending on location). Free donut with purchase of coffee Feb 6-28, 2017 verified view details
Landry’s Seafood Senior Discounts: 10% off for AARP members (50+) verified
Long John Silver’s: Various discounts at locations (55+)
McCormick & Schmick’s: 10% savings on food and beverages (excluding alcohol) for AARP members (50+) verified
McDonald’s: Discounts on coffee everyday (55+)
Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+)
The Oceanaire Seafood Room: AARP members receive 10% off of food and non-alcoholic beverages (every day). verified

Outback Steakhouse: 10% off AARP members for meals (alcohol excluded) verified
Old Country Buffet: Daily discounts for seniors (55+) verified
Papa John’s Senior Discount: Papa John’s says to check with your local stores (meaning no standard senior discount policy). Try coupon codes GET40 or 25OFF. AMAC members receive 25% off, enter code “25SAVE” verified
Perkins Senior Discount: Fifty-Five Plus menu Offers special deals (55+) verified
Polo Tropical: 10% off (50+)
Ponderosa Steak Houses: Senior Discounts Vary- Senior menu available (60+)
Rainforrest Cafe: 10% off for AARP members (50+) verified
Richie Roman’s Barbecue: 10% off (52+)
SaltGrass Senior Discounts: Save 10% for AARP members (50+) verified

Sizzler: Offers “Honored Guest Menu” (60+) varies by location verified
Subway: 10% off (60+) varies by location verified
Sweet Tomatoes: Senior Meal deals Mon-Thu 2-5pm $7.99 all u can eat incl. fountain bev. and/or coffee. All other times 10% off (60+) verified

Souplantation Senior Discounts: Senior Meal deals Mon-Thu 2-5pm $7.99 all u can eat incl. fountain bev. and/or coffee. All other times 10% off (60+) verified
Taco Bell: 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+)
TCBY: 10% off (55+)
Tea Room Cafe: 10% off for seniors (50+)
The Old Spaghetti Factory: Spaghetti Factory “Senior Menu” offers discounted list of menu items verified
Traditions Restaurant (East TX): Senior platter meal for $4.71 (50+) verified
Uno Pizzaria & Grill: “Double Nickel Club” 25% off on Wednesday (55+) verified
Village Inn: 10% off (60+)

Waffle House Senior Discounts: 10% off every Monday (60+)
Wendy’s Senior Discount: Senior age and special offer will vary depending on the restaurant location. Please ask the restaurant for details. verified
Whataburger: Free drink w/ purchase of a meal- varies by loc. (55+)
White Castle: 10% off (62+)

Keys Things to Consider When Choosing Non Medical Home Care Solutions

January 26, 2018 By Amy McDonnell Leave a Comment

There are so many options families need to review before choosing the right home care solution for their loved one. Below you will find a quick & easy grid which breaks down the keys items you need to consider when choosing the right fit for your family. Please reach out if we can answer any additional questions and hope you find this information useful. Good luck in your search!

Comparison of 3 different non-medical home care solutions

	Agency – Aides are W-2 employees (Cottage Caregivers)	Agency – Aides are independent contractors	Privately hired caregiver
Background checks	Provides all background checks & criminal history investigation	Varies. Most provide some form of background check & employment verification	Must be done by family. Most families do not have access to criminal history information & must depend on caregiver to provide it. All reference checks must be done by family.
Training	Provides on-going training for all caregivers.	None	None
On-site supervision	Provides on-site supervision with periodic visits by qualified supervisor. Visits may be scheduled or unscheduled (surprise visits).	None.	None.
Payroll taxes	Provides for all employer/employee tax withholding and reporting.	None. Family is responsible for all payroll tax withholding & reporting.	None. Family is responsible for all payroll tax withholding & reporting.
Substitution	Assures smooth substitution should the caregiver be ill or should the family wish to change caregivers.	None.	None.
Insurance & Bonding	All caregivers are fully insured & bonded.	None.	None.
Cost	Best value based upon factors noted above MA state average is $26-$28/hour.	Hourly rate is usually that of the private caregiver plus a “fee”	Cheapest rate based upon the factors noted above Range: $20-$23/hour

Cottage Caregivers opens a second office in Marshfield, MA

November 15, 2017 By Amy McDonnell Leave a Comment

Cottage Caregivers agency has announced expanded services to provide senior home care, personal care and live-in care to elderly clients in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. The company has hired more staff including management and a number of employee caregivers while adding a new office in the Town of Marshfield. The growth move is part of the agency’s charter to provide the best quality care including Alzheimer’s and dementia care services for seniors in need of home health aides or non-medical home care companions.

More information can be found at: https://cottagecaregivers.com.

Cottage Caregivers LLC provides personal and professional hourly and live-in home care throughout the South Shore, MA area. The agency assists elderly seniors, disabled adults and other people in need throughout Marshfield, Norwell, Duxbury, Scituate and Hingham among other municipalities.

Plymouth County seniors in search of home care for afflictions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s can also contact them. A non-medical companion caregiver or home health aide from Cottage Caregivers will help aging seniors with activities of daily living such as preparing nutritious meals, providing supervision with the client’s hygiene, doing laundry, basic housekeeping, transport to doctors’ appointments and other helpful tasks.

The Cottage Caregivers leadership team has more than 25 years of nursing experience on the South Shore of Massachusetts and their caregivers can provide their senior clients a variety of services to make living at home easier, more convenient and more enjoyable.

Whether people need live-in home care or hourly companion services, Cottage Caregivers has the experience and know how to create and implement a plan of care expertly customized to the requirements of elderly seniors. The agency has a skilled team of dependable caregivers and is a local leader in the field of senior home care.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) A rated agency was recently designated a recommended provider on www.ElderCare.Expert, a community of top rated elder care providers in the United States. Seniors in Plymouth County including Marshfield, Norwell, Duxbury, Scituate and Hingham can contact them for professional, high quality home care services.

Complete details about Cottage Caregivers can be found by following the company URL above. Interested parties may contact the Marshfield, MA office at (781) 430-8599.

Cottage Caregivers Award Ceremony for Caregiver of the Year!!

November 11, 2017 By Amy McDonnell Leave a Comment

Cottage Caregivers recently celebrated Janice Dayton for winning the high distinction of the Caregiver of the Year Award. Jan is the epitome of compassionate care and that’s what Cottage Caregivers is all about. We say Cottage Caregivers is like family when family can’t be there, and Jan is the perfect example of this. One tremendous example of this would be when we received a referral call from a potential client and we asked how they heard about Cottage Caregivers. They said they had seen Jan working with a client in the common area at a facility we have a client in and at first thought the person calling thought Jan was a family member based upon the compassionate interaction they witnessed. After

seeing this on several occasions they noticed the Cottage Caregivers badge and then called us based solely on watching Jan interact with a client. That says it all and it the benchmark of how we want to work with every client, family and caregiver from our company.

Our clients all remark that Jan is a trusted member of their family, wholly dependable, and that she is trusted and adored by them. We’re grateful for the example Jan sets, her contributions to the families who depend on her, and the leadership she provides to our entire Cottage Caregiver network.

Jan selflessly puts others first and goes out of her way for both clients and
caregivers. Dependable and experienced, she is always there to lend a helping hand or share her wisdom. Jan listens carefully, provides advice and genuine heartfelt emotional support, and displays the utmost respect to clients and caregivers.

We are honored to have Jan Dayton on our team!!

Chances Are You’ll Need Home Care As You Get Older

September 26, 2017 By Amy McDonnell Leave a Comment

South Shore MA Home Care News

How likely is it that you will remain independent for your entire life? If you live a long life, the odds are decidedly against it. Research shows that if you live to age 65, there’s about a 7 in 10 chance that you will need someone to take care of you at some point in your life. Where the care will take place may be very much up to you.

If you’re like most people, chances are even greater – about 9 in 10 – that when the time comes, you’ll have the chance for the care to take place where you are most comfortable: in your own home. [Read more…]

A Look At One MA Home Care Client’s Experience

August 23, 2017 By Amy McDonnell Leave a Comment

The family, all of whom lived at least an hour away, had been on her for some time now. “Grandma” was in her mid-80s, and although she was still in fairly good health, they kept telling her it was time to call a south shore Massachusetts home care agency. She needed to have someone stay with her, they said, even if it were for only a few hours a day. A non medical home care aide would help her take care of things around the house, make sure she was eating right, remind her to take her medication, and give her someone to talk to and keep her mind active. [Read more…]

Use Of MA Home Care Services Can Minimize Risk Of Falls

August 23, 2017 By Amy McDonnell Leave a Comment

MA Home Care Services News

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

An estimated 25 percent of Americans ages 65+ fall every year (a number that increases as people age).
Every 11 seconds an older adult is treated in a hospital emergency room for a fall and every 19 minutes an older adult dies from a fall.
Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of non-fatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults.
Falls result in more than 2.8 million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths.
Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among adults aged ≥65 years (older adults).

[Read more…]

Home Care #1 Choice for Senior Care in Plymouth, MA

July 26, 2017 By Amy McDonnell Leave a Comment

Plymouth MA Home Care News

caregiver with wheelchair bound woman in Plymouth, MA When it comes to senior care, one thing is indisputable: a vast majority of people, including our local seniors here in Plymouth, MA, prefer to remain at home to receive care as they age. This preference for home care remains strong among all seniors, even with those who struggle with their basic health and mobility. After all, as surveys show, they want to live amid the comfort and familiarity of what they’ve known for years, for as long as they can. [Read more…]

Home Care for Cohasset Senior Best Solution After Hospitalization

July 22, 2017 By Amy McDonnell Leave a Comment

MA Home Care News & Bits

When his 89-year-old father fell at his Cohasset, MA home and fractured a hip, Bob and his wife Janet were concerned that the elderly man might never leave the hospital. Over the years, Bob’s father had weathered other storms: he had survived prostate cancer, a heart attack and a minor stroke, but his son and daughter-in-law were worried that this latest health episode might be more than he could handle. [Read more…]