We invite you to take a moment to relax and enjoy our stress relief photo and inspirational quote and share them with loved ones. This week's photo of summer flowers was taken at the Greenmarket in Lincoln Park in Chicago, Illinois. Thank you caregivers and certified nursing aides for your hard work and the care you provide for our seniors. More caregivers are always needed as seniors in America are living longer. You can learn more about becoming a senior caregiver and apply for a job near you. We hope you have enjoyed a happy holiday weekend and have a great week ahead. 

Senior caregivers can now use an easy method to assist the seniors they are caring for to eat more. Just switch to a blue plate. Remember the Blue Plate Special? This was a term used by restaurants to showcase a discounted meal special that would change each day. Research conducted by multiple studies, as well as at nursing homes, have resulted in the discovery that seniors will eat anywhere from 20% to 35% more food when their meal is served on a blue plate.

What do you think? Which plate for this meal appeals to your appetite more? We have to say the blue plate wins for us - just don't tell our Grandma her china didn't win!

For senior caregivers whose senior clients speak English as a second language, communication might be difficult. Sometimes, it might be easiest to try to communicate in their first language, whether that be Spanish, French or something different. The busuu app gives caregivers the ability to learn another language for basic communication.

When users first open the busuu app, they are given a list of languages to choose from. These include English, French, Spanish, German, Polish and more. Once users select the language they're interested in learning, they are taken to the home screen for that language. 

Senior caregivers may find it difficult at times to remember everything going on with their senior clients. From doctor's appointments to family visits to coordinating work schedules, it's easy for the dates and times to blur together. Coordinating with the senior client's family also requires effective communication. The TimeTree app gives caregivers the ability to easily create and share calendars with other people.

When users first download the TimeTree app, they need to create an account by creating an initial calendar. This can be for general events or for something specific, like doctor's appointments. Caregivers also need to select a color to easily color code the events associated with that calendar.

Once they've done that, caregivers can invite others to collaborate on the calendar with them. This is ideal for those who work closely with senior clients' families to coordinate events and work schedules. Family members can also go in and keep any doctor's visits and other appointments up to date. The invite to use the calendar will be sent to them directly via email.

Once caregivers reach the home screen, they can add an event to the calendar by clicking the giant plus sign on the bottom center of the screen. Users can then fill in the requested information, including event title, date, time, notification time and more. The notification will remind caregivers of the event, and they can pick how far in advance. The default is 15 minutes, but caregivers may want to change it to an hour in advance to allow plenty of time to get where they need to be.

California's caregiver registry was created as part of the Assembly Bill 1217 (AB1217) Consumer Protection Act requiring senior home care agency's to be licensed by the state and all professional caregivers working in homes to meet minimum requirements.

Caregivers must complete a training course that includes 2 hours of Orientation training, 3 hours of Safety Training and 5 hours of Core Competency caregiving skills training for a total of 10 hours of training in their first year. Then each following year caregivers must complete 5 hours of renewal training on core competency skills. Here is the California caregiver training course information.

The California Department of Social Services manages the licensing process and the Caregiver Registry.

California caregivers must pass a background check clearance and requires a signed declaration under penalty of perjury regarding any prior criminal convictions and to confirm they are free of active tuberculosis.

California Home Care Aides are also required to have a valid driver's license or state issued I.D. or a valid Alien Registration Card. Fingerprinting is part of the background check program to confirm a caregiver is the person they say they are and prevent identity theft fraud.

The California State Department of Social Services manages the California Home Care Aide Registry.

Become a California Caregiver by taking an online caregiver training course and submit your job application to be considered by a senior care company near your California town.

This week's stress relief photo was taken at the shore of Lake Michigan near Racine, Wisconsin. The colors of nature are always changing, and always something to admire. Caregiverlist invites you to enjoy the photo and share it with loved ones. At Caregiverlist we know the realities of caregiver stress. Thank you caregivers and certified nursing aides for your hard work and caring for our seniors. Please refer your friends to apply for part-time and full-time job positions on Caregiverlist.com and visit our career center for additional career tools. We hope you have a great week.

We hope you are enjoying the summer, and getting a chance to appreciate the beautiful outdoors. This week's stress relief photo was taken on the island of Stegesund, near Stockholm in the Swedish archipelago.  Please enjoy and feel free to share the photo and inspirational quote with loved ones. Thank you caregivers and certified nursing aides for your hard work and caring for our seniors. Senior care training assists caregivers to better manage a senior's care needs and manage caregiver stress. We hope you have a great week.

Delaware  nursing homes costs rank fifth in the nation, with an average room rate of $314 for a semi-private room, which is an annual cost of approximately $114,610.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Delaware’s estimated population as of July 2016 was 952,065, with 17.5% or 166,611 aged 65 and over. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 84.9% of nursing home residents are aged 65 and over, and 41.6% are 85 and over. Most seniors are referred to nursing homes after a hospital stay, particularly for rehabilitation services. Some seniors may require a longer nursing home stay beyond the 100 paid days from Medicare. In these cases, nursing home care will need to be private pay or paid by long-term care insurance.

Planning for senior care in Delaware requires an understanding of nursing home costs and how those compare to other alternatives, such as assisted living and home care. Research results from AARP show that the vast majority of Delaware residents desire to receive their long-term care at home. Most people, however, do not understand the costs of long-term care and often find themselves having to gather information quickly because of an immediate medical need.

Gaining an understanding of long-term costs for seniors is chief among the concerns of Caregiverlist® readers. For that reason, we regularly update our nursing home cost database and have just released the latest cost and ratings for Delaware nursing homes.

Caregiverlist® uses a proprietary rating system for nursing homes, taking into account the overall Medicare rating for the nursing home, the percent of short-stay residents with bedsores, the certified nursing aide (CNA) hours per resident per day, and the percent of residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased. The average Caregiverlist® Nursing Home Star Rating for Delaware nursing homes is 3.1 on a 5-point scale.

Total Number of Delaware Nursing Homes: 49

Average Single Room Price: $346

Average Double Room Price: $314

Average Caregiverlist® Nursing Home Star Rating: 3.1

Caregiverlist® Nursing Home Star Rating snapshot for Delaware:

5-Star: 5

4-Star: 23

3-Star: 16

2-Star: 1

1-Star: 4

The highest-rated Delaware nursing home for seniors is Manor House in Seaford, Del., with a rating of 4.6 stars (out of 5). There are 60 certified beds at Manor House, with the daily cost of a single room coming in at $325, which is 6.09% lower than the state average for a single room. The daily cost of a double room is $295, 6.31% lower than the state average.

For those seniors preferring to receive their care at home, especially if around-the-clock care is not a requirement, then in-home caregiving is an alternative. Says Darryl Hartz, director of operations for Senior Helpers, “We help keep ageing Americans safely in their own home, an environment that is comfortable and familiar. This can make all the difference, particularly when caring for someone with dementia. And we can provide this care at a fraction of the cost of a retirement community.”

Caregiverlist® offers a care plan to help seniors and their loved ones understand the costs of care and evaluate options. If you need to research nursing home costs and ratings in a state other than Delaware, please consult the Caregiverlist® Nursing Home Directory, the only resource providing this vital information.

We invite you to take a moment to relax and enjoy our stress relief photo and inspirational quote and share them with loved ones. This week's photo of kayaks was taken in Sanibel Island, Florida in the early morning. There is still dew on the boats and the sun is shining. Thank you caregivers and certified nursing aides for your hard work and the care you provide for our seniors. More caregivers are always needed as seniors in America are living longer. You can learn more about becoming a senior caregiver and apply for a job near you. We hope you have a great week.