Posts Tagged 'Elder Care Issues'

Caring for Seniors with Parkinson’s

Posted by admin on January 7, 2013

Caring for Seniors with Parkinson’s

As a neurological disease, Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects movement, balance, and muscle control. Parkinson’s is progressive with symptoms becoming more advanced over time. Parkinson’s is diagnosed more frequent in men than in women and is more typically diagnosed in 55 to 75 year olds. Due to this, Parkinson’s patients need added attention due to high fall risk.

With Parkinson’s patients, falls are a major concern. It is beneficial to install home devices that can prevent falls and help stability. Examples of home improvements include:

Purchase electric bed or mattress. Sliding boards are beneficial for improving the patient’s ability to slide out of bed.
Install rails for added support in hallways, bedroom and bathrooms.
Remove floor mats and floor clutter so the walking path is clear and debris free.
Utilize chairs with arm rests, straight backs, and firm seats.

It is more common that the disease is diagnosed through symptoms, more obviously observed when starting initial movement. Signs of Parkinson’s include slowness of motion, muscle rigidity, tremors in the arms, hands, face, and legs. As PD advances, patients may suffer from depression, memory issues and thought process loss, speech problems, along with difficulty eating, swallowing, and digestive issues.

Since Parkinson disease has no cure, treatment is focused on improving the quality of life, and minimizing symptoms. Exercise is beneficial and can impact rehabilitation positively. Utilizing physical therapy is important and usually involves both passive and active exercise, gait training, and practice to improve daily functioning.

Mental training is also beneficial to improve the quality of life for a PD patient. Encourage the PD patient to learn new hobbies to improve finger and hand mobility. New hobbies can include: playing cards, sewing, fishing, to carpentry. Practice deep breathing and relaxation exercise to help reduce anxiety, improve speech, and control tremors. Both the patient and family should consider therapy and support for loss of motivation and depression. Support programs can be beneficial for the patient and family. Also, speech therapy may be helpful for those who develop a monotone voice or suffer from a loss of volume. Therapy is needed to improve speech and to evaluate and monitor swallowing.

With early and mid-stage Parkinson’s, passive exercise is utilized to prevent muscles from shortening. To help improve mobility, exercise starts out with gentle and slow movement to overtime increase more intensely. Active exercises are used to help range-of-motion, speed, and improve coordination and balance. Patients need continual exercise and should make efforts to practice movement. Helpful exercise includes making circular arm movements, marching in place, and raising the legs up and down while sitting.

Gait Training Practice exercises for turning, walking, and standing to improve balance. Use the following tips:

Use small steps while turning.
When walking, take large steps, raising the toes at the forward step, and hit the ground with your heel.
Use a metronome or devices that keep a rhythmic beat. This may help to take longer steps and walk faster.
Do not wear rubber shoes because they grip the floor and may cause you to trip and fall.
When turning or walking, spread the legs 12 – 15 inches apart to provide a wider base of support.

Muscle Freezing Reduction The patient should daily practice strategies to reduce muscle freezing. Freezing occurs when a patient initiates movement or encounters a road block. The following tips may be useful:

Raise the toes if the legs seem frozen, lifting of the toes may free spasm in some patients.
Rocking back and forth can reduce muscle freezing.
Humming tunes to a march when getting out of bed. In fact, music has shown to help people move.
Being touched by someone else can ease tension and sometimes can release the muscle freeze.
Divide actions into separate movements. This may prevent freezing from trying to coordinate too many movements at once. For example, if the door is an obstacle, divide the action in steps: approach the door, halt at the door, open the door, pause, and then walk through the doorway.

For help with your loved one suffering from Parkinson’s, call us at (972) 658-4001

Approved In Home Care

Dallas, Plano, McKinney, Frisco, Richardson, Highland Park, University Park and 104 cities in North Texas.

Tags: caregiver, Elder Care Issues, Parkinson's

Posted in: Elder Care Issues, Home Care News, Zack's Blog

Leave a Comment (0) →

Time For Alzheimer’s Care?

Posted by admin on December 6, 2012

Checklist:

When is it time for

Alzheimer’s Care?

As so many have experienced, Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease. Symptoms vary with some people experiencing signs in their 40’s, however worsen unpredictably and gradually over time. My mother started having signs of Alzheimer’s in her 60’s, and due to the slow progression, she was able to live alone at home until her 80’s. Research has found that people with Alzheimer’s live from three to even 20 years, experiencing a gradual loss in different skills over time.

In early, stages of Alzheimer’s, when symptoms are milder, many people function well enough to live by themselves or with regular visits by family and friends, just as my mother lived. However, eventually, the disease progresses and Alzheimer’s patients will need round-the-clock care in order to maintain their health, cleanliness and safety.

Has the time come for your family member to receive extra care? This checklist can help:

· Can your family member prepare meals, buy groceries, and maintain personal hygiene? (Refusing to bathe?)
· Is the home disorganized and dirty? (Stockpiling newspapers?)
· Does she forget when take medications, eat, or to turn off the stove? (Cooking incidents?)
· What is her doctor’s assessment? (Go with Dr. visit to ask questions…)
· Can he or she still drive safely? (Or, can’t find the car at the mall?)
· Is the person able to evacuate home independently in case of a fire or other emergencies? (Strange sleeping habits?)
· Has your loved one expressed fear or anxiety about continuing to manage on her own or is asking for more help? (Dependent upon neighbors for rescue?)
· Are you and other family members worrying and becoming increasingly stressed about your loved one?

Each case is unique depending on the stage and family dynamic. Several factors to consider when creating a care plan include cost and feasibility for the person to continue living in her current home. Some families are able to move the relative into an extra bedroom to save money. Others have an extensive support group nearby that can offer meals on wheels. However, most families due to busy schedules turn to Approved in Home Care for an experienced caregiver to help relieve the stress and allowed their loved one to stay at home as the symptoms worsen.

Even when family is available, not everyone has the ability to cope emotionally and physically with an Alzheimer’s patient. Many adult children find it challenging to perform daily care like bathing a parent or helping with toileting. Also, many Alzheimer’s clients feel uncomfortable receiving personal care from their family members.

Call Approved In Home Care at (972) 658-4001 for help.

Tags: Alzheimer's, caregiver, Dementia, Elder Care Issues, memory care

Posted in: Alzheimer's and Dementia, Elder Care Issues, Home Care News, Zack's Blog

Leave a Comment (0) →

6 Red Flags – Things that Cause Seniors to Fall

Posted by admin on September 20, 2012

6 Red Flags

Things that Cause Seniors to Fall

Falls are the leading cause of death, injury and hospital admissions among the elderly population. In fact, one out of every three seniors falls every year. Several factors contribute to the fact that seniors fall so much more frequently than younger people:

1. Lack of physical activity. Failure to exercise regularly results in poor muscle tone, decreased bone mass, loss of balance, and reduced flexibility.
2. Impaired vision. This includes age-related vision diseases, as well as not wearing glasses that have been prescribed.
3. Medications. Sedatives, anti-depressants, and anti-psychotic drugs, plus taking multiple medications are all implicated in increasing risk of falling.
4. Diseases. Health conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and arthritis cause weakness in the extremities, poor grip strength, balance disorders and cognitive impairment.
5. Surgeries. Hip replacements and other surgeries leave an elderly person weak, in pain and discomfort and less mobile than they were before the surgery.
6. Environmental hazards. One third of all falls in the elderly population involve hazards at home. Factors include: poor lighting, loose carpets and lack of safety equipment.

However, falls are not an inevitable part of growing older. Many falls can be prevented, by making the home safer and using products that help keep seniors more stable and less likely to fall.

Caregivers can do several things to make the home safer for their senior mom or dad.

Install safety bars, grab bars or handrails in the shower or bath.
Put no-stick tape on the floor in the tub.
Use a stool riser seat to make getting on and off the toilet easier.
Install at least one stairway handrail that extends beyond the first and last steps.
Make sure stairs are sturdy with strong hand railings.
Be sure that stairwells are well-lit. Consider making the lighting in your home brighter to aid vision.
Make sure rugs, including those on stairs, are tacked to the floor.
Remove loose throw rugs.
Avoid clutter. Remove any furniture that is not needed. All remaining furniture should be stable and without sharp corners, to minimize the effects of a fall.
Change the location of furniture, so that your elderly parent can hold on to something as they move around the house.
Do not have electrical cords trailing across the floor. Have additional base plugs installed so long cords are not necessary.
Have your parent wear non-slip shoes or slippers, rather than walking around in stocking feet.
Make sure all rooms have adequate lighting. Consider motion-sensitive lights that come on when a person enters a room. Use night lights in every room.
Keep frequently used items in easy-to-reach cabinets.
Use a grasping tool to get at out-of-reach items, rather than a chair or stepladder.
Keep the water heater thermostat set at 120 degrees F, or lower, to avoid scalding and burns.
Wipe up spills and remove broken glass immediately.

The following are some products that caregivers can use to keep their elderly loved ones from falling.

Monitors/sensor pads. Sensors work well for the bed, chair, or toilet. The pads electronically detect the absence of pressure, which in turn sends an electronic signal to the monitor setting off an alarm. Used on a bed, the pressure pads can be under or on top of the mattress. They are very thin, so they do not disturb sleeping and are plugged into the monitor via a telephone type line. Chair and toilet sensors work in the same way.
There are also pad/monitors that detect and sound an alarm if a person steps on the pad (detects pressure). This type of pad can be used beside the bed, in a hallway or in front of a chair while the person is seated.

Fall mats. Fall mats are used in areas where a person could be injured from a fall on a hard floor such as the side of a bed, by a toilet or in front of a chair. They are cushioned floor mats of various sizes 1-inch or 2-inches thick with beveled edges. They cushion the fall and prevent injuries.

Anti-slip mats. Install these on the bath tub or shower floor. The hard rubber material prevents the elderly person from slipping and provides stability.

Grab bars. Install them near the toilet, in the bathtub and shower.
Shower chair or transfer bench. When getting in and out of the tub, transfer benches provide stability and help the caregiver get the elderly in and out of the tub safely, without injuring the elderly person or the caregiver.

Lift slings. Lift slings are used to move an elderly person who is unable to move themselves from bed to a wheelchair or chair. There are 3 common reasons that caregivers may need a lift: if the elderly parent is too heavy to be transferred without assistance; to prevent injury to the caregiver; and to prevent the elderly person from injury or falling.
Canes and walkers. They help seniors feel steady on their feet. Make sure the mobility device you choose is the correct height for your elderly parent, and has rubber tip or other traction on the bottom, for safety.

Socks, shoes and slippers. Wearing properly fitted, low-heeled, non-slip footwear for walking and transferring provides traction and is much safer than going barefoot. Many socks and shoes are available with non-skid treads on the bottom, to keep your elderly parents safe and help reduce slipping accidents. Avoid slippers that can easily slip on and off.

How do I go about finding a caregiver for my loved one who needs assistance?
Approved In Home Care provides care to seniors, please contact us at 972-658-4001.

Approved In Home Care provides care to seniors and the elderly. We work with individuals suffering from senior related conditions and diseases. For help or more information, please contact us at 972-658-4001.

Please share your comments and experiences on this topic.

Tags: caregiver, CNA, Elder Care Issues, Parkinson's

Posted in: Elder Care Issues, Uncategorized, Zack's Blog

Leave a Comment (0) →

Helpful Tips to Control Incontinence

Posted by admin on August 30, 2012

How to Control Incontinence

With the advice and guidance of your Doctor, it is common that incontinence can be treated and possibly cured. With new advances, there are more treatment options today for urinary incontinence than in the past.

Treatment choice depends on the type of bladder control problem, the seriousness, and the best fit to incorporate into one’s daily routine. Common sense suggests trying the simplest and safest treatments first.

Training your bladder – Your doctor may suggest, initially, to start to train your bladder to get back bladder control. By implementing daily bladder training, one can change how the bladder empties and stores urine. The following is an overview of some suggestions for improvement:

Start Kegels and daily pelvic muscle exercise – The pelvic muscles are the ones used to stop urine flow or keep from passing gas. Your Doctor may discuss starting pelvic muscle exercise to strengthen the muscles that you use to stop urinating. Improving the strength of these muscles, helps avoid accidents by holding urine in the bladder for longer periods of time. The exercises your Doctor may suggest are easy to start immediately. Pelvic muscle exercises can lessen or improve stress and urge incontinence.

Typically Doctors suggest that you hold the pelvic muscles for a specific count, and then relax them. Then repeat holding the muscle a number of times. For best results, doing this exercise several times throughout a day improves bladder control. Your doctor will advise you on the best exercise for your concerns.

Diet Plays a Factor – Certain foods and drinks may worsen incontinence such as alcoholic beverages, acidic foods such as citrus juices and fruits, caffeinated drinks and foods, spicy dishes, and carbonated beverages. Chart when urinary incontinence worsens, and what foods or drinks taken, and consider eliminating that food or beverage, or at least cut back on these items.

Track Fluids Taken – Consider keeping daily water intake to a quart. This is a simple suggestion. But, you need to talk to your doctor before making any changes to your fluid intake.

Lifestyle Changes - You can make some changes to diet, or eliminate triggers that can improve bladder control.

Drink Additional Cranberry Juice – Cranberry juice has been known to improve bladder function due to the acidic nature.

Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine – Drinking alcohol and caffeine drinks can lead to incontinence issues. Also, you may be drinking too many fluids a day, instead of water. Consider cutting back on fluid intake if you are drinking too much daily.

Biofeedback – Biofeedback helps one become more aware of body signals. Biofeedback may help one regain control over the bladder and urethra muscles.

Chart Leaking to Determine Pattern – By charting leaking and urination, you may determine a pattern. Once a pattern is identified, go to the bathroom prior to those times to empty the bladder before a leak occurs. When combined with pelvic muscle exercises and biofeedback, these suggestions may improve ability to control urges.

Prescriptions – There are prescriptions a doctor can prescribe for improved bladder control. These varieties of drugs can prevent bladder contractions, and some medications relax muscles so the bladder empties completely during urination. Other prescriptions help to tighten muscles in the bladder and urethra to avoid leakage. However, sometimes, these prescriptions can cause side effects including urine buildup, eye problems, or dry mouth.

Medical Procedures – Try starting diet changes and pelvic exercises. However, if you see no improvement, go to your doctor for advice.

Urethra Implant – To help reduce stress incontinence, your doctor can inject an implant to add bulk into the area around the urethra. Keep in mind, injections may have to be repeated because they are slowly eliminated from the body.

Pessary – Some doctors may advise women to use a tampon-like urethral plug; a throwaway patch; or a vaginal insert to improve stress incontinence.

Surgery – If incontinence is caused by bladder position or blockage due to an enlarged prostate, surgery is sometimes an option. Typical surgery for incontinence pulls the bladder up and secures it. When stress incontinence is serious, the surgeon may use a wide sling, to narrow the urethra and hold up the bladder to prevent leakage.

Tags: Elder Care Issues

Posted in: Elder Care Issues, Uncategorized, Zack's Blog

Leave a Comment (0) →

Caring for Elderly Parents Checklist

Posted by admin on August 20, 2012

Checklist – Caring for Elderly Parents

This guide and checklist will help families caring for elderly loved ones. We have included important to-do items that will help in dealing with the issues seniors and their families face. This article covers: Determining needs, Receive Permission, Handy information to access, Knowledge of senior concerns, and Taking a break and Caring for yourself.

Determining Senior’s Needs – Caring for Elderly

• Is your parent in need of assistance with shopping, cleaning, laundry, making beds, or yard work?

• Is your parent in need of assistance with bathing, dressing or grooming?

• Is she in need of assistance with grocery shopping, or meal preparation?

• Is your parent experiencing difficulty with memory, hearing, vision, or movement?

• Is it safe for your parent to drive or use public transportation alone?

• Does your parent have difficulty residing at home? Would modifications help improve safety?

• Is your parent in need of assistance with paying bills or managing finances?

• Does your parent need help with making legal and other important decisions?

Receive Permission

• Appoint a trusted family member for financial power of attorney to handle paying bills and financial decisions

• Identify a close relative to handle health care decisions with a medical power of attorney

• Discuss and execute a living will to define future life-support preferences

• Identify legal documents, policies, and accounts and have safety deposit box access

• Document your senior’s wishes: funeral preferences, songs, cremation, finances, medical preferences

• To make legal decisions, utilize a durable power of attorney

• Consider who to add to mortgages and deeds

Handy information to access when Caring for Elderly

• Copies of identification records: including, driver’s license, social security, and military ID numbers

• Copies of Insurance documents: including medicare, or medicaid info, supplements, long-term care policy

• Document medical history: include known allergies, medications, past surgerys and procedures

• Geriatric doctors: contact information including names, address, phone numbers

• Locate vital records including: birth certificate, marriage license, spouse death certificate, divorce decree

• Identify trusted providers, including: financial advisor, lawyer, accountant, clergy

• Update address list of family, friends, neighbors, and religious members

• Document financial records, including: checkbook, account numbers, tax records, investments

• Contact insurance agent for review on medical, life, homeowner’s, long-term care, auto

• Review and update legal documents inlcuding: powers of attorney, will, health care directive

• Locate deeds on properties including home, vehicles, or boat title

• Identify household records, including: mortgage, tax records on property, apartment lease

• Discuss final wishes including: burial, funeral pre-planning, organ donation, estate distribution

Senior Concerns

• Your parent wants to continue to make as many decisions possible

• Your parent wants you to respect her independence

• Your parent wants to talk to you about their desires, concerns, and frustrations

• Your parent wants you to have reasonable expectations of what can be done independently

• Your parent wants you to be patient, loving, and show compassion while you are being responsible

• Your parent wants you to make good decisions that are in the best interest of your parent’s needs

Take a break…and care for yourself

• Take a break and do something you find enjoyable for yourself

• Recognize when you are getting tired and you need to take a break

• Don’t feel guilty when you take a much needed break

• Utilize other family members, support groups, and experienced caregivers

For a detailed assesment about caring for elderly, take our senior-elderly needs assessment.

For a information about a personal emrgency button for seniors visit MyBuddyButton.com

Tags: caregiver, Elder Care Issues

Posted in: Elder Care Issues, Zack's Blog

Leave a Comment (0) →

Caregiving, Seniors with Cancer

Posted by admin on April 13, 2012

The incidence rate of cancer rises so dramatically with age, the World Health Organization lists ageing as a fundamental factor in the development of cancer as over 75% of all cancer diagnoses in the US come from people aged 55 and older. So how can you prepare for caring for seniors with cancer diagnosis at an advanced age?

Caregiving – Seniors with Cancer

The National Institute on Aging recommends scheduling regular screening tests for several cancers including breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, throat cancer, prostate cancer, and skin cancer. Screening exams including pap tests, mammograms, colonoscopies, and prostate specific antigen tests certainly ought to be included in every senior’s medical routine as when cancer is detected early treatment is likely to be far more effective.

It is also important to be aware of rare cancers that seniors are at an extremely high risk for. Pleural mesothelioma, for example, only affects about 3,000 people a year in the United States but because it has a latency period of 20-50 years before it begins to enter metastasis, it affects seniors almost exclusively. Even worse, because it’s symptoms- which include difficulty breathing and a fluid build-up in the lungs- are so commonly associated with other diseases seniors commonly face it often is not diagnosed until the cancer has spread through-out the body, making early detection even more invaluable.

Preventative care measures are extremely important, as many seniors are no longer engaged in an active lifestyle. Regular exercise and a healthy eating plan can not only prolong your life, but, along with abstaining from heavy amounts of alcohol and smoking, are among the best ways to work to prevent cancer from occurring.

A serious concern of taking care of senior diagnosed with cancer is that because seniors have fewer and less effective nerve cells they are far more susceptible to chemotherapy-induced neuropathy and nerve damage than younger people are. This nerve damage is most common in the extremities such as the arms and legs and can cause a tingling, pain, numbness, or less sensitivity to touch.

Fortunately several simple tasks such as walking can help to circulate the blood can reduce this neuropathy. Regardless it’s important to keep sharp objects such as razors, knives, and scissors out of the hands of seniors with chemotherapy-induced neuropathy may not feel a cut until it becomes serious, and avoid extreme temperatures as these may further damage nerve cells and cause pain and agitation.

In the end, thousands of seniors are diagnosed with cancer each day marking the beginning of a devastating and life-threatening journey for both them and their caregivers, but the best chances for a healthy recovery is to be aware of the dangers and continue to receive regular scheduled screenings so that a tumor, if found, is found early. To contact us “Click Here”. Caregiving, Senior with Cancer.

Tags: Alzheimer's, caregiver, Dementia, Elder Care Issues, memory care

Posted in: Elder Care Issues, Uncategorized, Zack's Blog

Leave a Comment (0) →

What is Normal Aging vs. Dementia?

Posted by admin on March 9, 2012

We all forget things, especially if we are low on sleep or high on stress, but we start to worry when aging loved ones exhibit forgetfulness when life is good. Is it Alzheimer’s, we ask ourselves, or dementia? By becoming familiar with the varying forms and symptoms of dementia, we can understand the differences between normal and abnormal brain function in aging friends and loved ones. What is Normal Aging vs Dementia?

Normal Aging vs Dementia

What is Dementia?

A long time ago “senility” was a word used to describe the loss of mental capacity in the aged. Today, dementia is the term used to describe a host of symptoms that include the diminishing ability to remember, solve problems, or perform other cognitive tasks.

The following is a list of symptoms we may observe in the early stages of dementia:

• A change in mood or levels of anger

• Difficulty finding the right word

• Trouble completing everyday tasks like housework or balancing the checkbook

• Losing a sense of place

• Inability to make sound decisions

• Becoming suspicious or frightened without cause

If these early symptoms continue and are accompanied by worsening symptoms, it is important to make an appointment for a physical evaluation. These worsening symptoms might include:

• Inability to carry out basic daily hygiene

• Poor, disrupted, or flipped sleep cycles

• Aggression or lewd behavior

• Hallucinations

There are many possible causes for dementia. Strokes, thyroid conditions, and deposits of plaque or the presence of Lewy bodies can all cause the symptoms of dementia. Quick attention to symptoms can often lead to a rapid diagnosis and treatment, greatly reducing the severity of the impairment.

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease makes up over 50% of all dementia cases. It is a progressive disease that slowly incapacitates the cognitive functioning of sufferers. It is a disease related to age and usually strikes after the age of 65. It is currently an incurable disease—most patients survive for about 10 years after they are diagnosed.

Like many progressive diseases, Alzheimer’s has many stages. Physicians will help friends and loved ones understand how to support the sufferer through each stage. Many outstanding support groups exist to aid families and friends and as well as the Alzheimer patient.

It is not uncommon for someone of advanced years to mislay keys or forget the right word. By becoming familiar with the signs and symptoms of age-related brain diseases such as dementia we can recognize the difference between the normal effects of aging and brain disease. This knowledge will enable us to give the best of care to our loved ones. Normal Aging vs Dementia.

Normal Aging vs Dementia.

Approved In Home Care, provides non-medical care and support for seniors. We provide compassionate care and assistance in a private residence, hospital, rehab, assisted living, retirement home or healthcare facility. We offer packages including: dependable and affordable in-home assistance, care, companionship, homemaking, and errand services. We appreciate your referrals. We hope you enjoyed “Tips for a Healthy Senior Lifestyle”. To contact us “Click Here”. Normal Aging vs Dementia.

Tags: Alzheimer's, caregiver, Dementia, Elder Care Issues, memory care

Posted in: Alzheimer's and Dementia, Elder Care Issues, Uncategorized, Zack's Blog

Healthy Senior Lifestyle

Posted by admin on March 1, 2012

Tips to a Healthy Senior Lifestyle

Caring for an elderly friend or relative usually means being especially vigilant about health-related concerns. Yearly checkups, flu shots, and proper nutrition are usually our prime concerns. Surprisingly, there are four simple, but extremely important tips of a healthy senior lifestyle.

Tip #1 – Exercise Aging Muscles

While it might seem counter intuitive to suggest that an elderly relative who awakens to aches and pains every morning get out and get moving, nothing could be truer. At your aging friend or relative’s next doctor visit, discuss what appropriate exercises might be beneficial and safe for them to participate in.

Swimming and pool-based exercise are often the perfect solution for the elderly seeking to maintain health through exercise. The water relieves pressure on joints while also providing gentle resistance; the perfect conditioning environment for joints and muscles feeling their age.

Tip #2 – Brain Aerobics

A nimble mind is the product of mental exercising. Consider some of these great ways to get your elderly friend’s brain moving:

Play games such as Scrabble or checkers.
Play Sudoku.
Do crossword puzzles together.
Read mysteries and try to solve them.

Listening to or reading good books is a great way to keep the mind alert. Books on tape are great for those having difficulty with their vision.

Tip # 3 – The Benefits of Friendship for the Aging

As we age, we often find ourselves staying close to home or even becoming housebound. When the elderly cannot leave their homes, they often feel isolated from their life and friends they once enjoyed. This isolation is damaging to physical and mental health.

Encourage family members and friends to visit, run errands with, and call their elderly loved ones. Introduce them to the Internet and the many new ways to connect socially such as video teleconferencing and chatting.

The elderly have spent a lifetime gaining knowledge and wisdom. Help them find ways to share their valuable talents with others. Older friends and relatives have a lot to share and can mentor grandchildren and much younger friends.

Tip #4 – Seniors and Dental Visits

Many who care for aging parents are shocked to find that their family member’s oral health has deteriorated. While most elderly people visit the doctor regularly, the dentist lags far behind when it comes to routine visits and care.

Equally surprising for caregivers is the amazing bounce in health the elderly experience when their teeth and gums are properly treated and their dental health restored. Many report a new lease on life.

Gum health is directly related to cardiac health. Infections wear down the elderly and gums are often an overlooked hiding place for such threats to overall health and vigor. Teeth should be cleaned every 6 months and gums carefully examined. Regimens for improved gum health should be strictly adhered to.

Don’t let the elderly get bored with life. Help them maintain a vigorous mind and healthy body and help them stay connected and engaged.

Tags: caregiver, CNA, Elder Care Issues

Posted in: Elder Care Issues, Uncategorized, Zack's Blog

Leave a Comment (0) →

Choosing the Right Doctor for Seniors

Posted by admin on February 9, 2012

Choosing Your Doctor – Download – Checklist Choosing the Right Doctor for Seniors.

Everyone’s version of the right doctor is different. There are many highly skilled physicians, and many of them have very different personalities and styles of practice. How do you find a health care partner who’s right for you?

Our convenient checklist can help you through the process, “Click Here for Checklist”

The worst time to search for a doctor is when you need one. Establishing a primary care physician ahead of time and continually using that same doctor allows you to know the doctor’s hours and practice. The doctor will know you and become familiar with your medical history. Find someone that you feel comfortable with asking questions and sharing concerns.

Selecting your doctor is a big decision. Find the right primary care doctor before you have a problem.

Checklist – Finding Your Doctor for Seniors – We recommend the following “Quick Checklist” for choosing a doctor.

“Click Here for Checklist”

Other things to consider when selecting your doctor include hours of operation, location, hospital affiliation, accepted health plan/insurance, education and licensing, sex of doctor (if it is important to you) and if there is an urgent care facility available.

Tags: caregiver, Elder Care Issues

Posted in: Elder Care Issues, Zack's Blog

Leave a Comment (0) →

Caring for Seniors with Parkinson’s and Dementia

Posted by admin on January 31, 2012

Parkinson’s disease is associated with dementia or may lead to dementia. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disease that affects many middle-aged and older adults. The disease includes symptoms such as tremors, stiffness, slow movement, and impaired balance.

Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms: Dementia

Some Parkinson’s Disease patients experience dementia, or impairment of mental functioning.

As many as 65% of people with Parkinson’s may develop dementia symptoms as the disease progresses. Sometimes these dementia symptoms are just considered part of the disease, but sometimes a separate diagnosis — for instance, of Alzheimer’s disease — may be made. There is also a great deal of overlap in the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and Lewy Body dementia, for instance. Physicians use a variety of techniques and tests to make a correct diagnosis.

A wide range of symptoms can be exhibited by those with Parkinson’s disease and dementia, from mild to severe, as well as a host of medications to help treat Parkinson’s related dementias. Severe dementia is rare for those patients who do not exhibit signs of dementia at the onset of their Parkinson’s disease symptoms.

Challenges for Caregivers

In a recent study, the Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) found that Parkinson’s Disease caregivers spend an average of 96 hours per week, or 14 hours per day, caring for their loved ones. They have higher levels of depression than other caregivers, more of them are caring for spouses and many are suffering from medical conditions, including diabetes and heart disease. The physical demands of caregiving also are higher among PD caregivers. The FCA found that 45 percent of those cared for in the study require help eating, 69 percent need help bathing, 71 percent need help dressing, 65 percent need help toileting and 67 percent need help transferring (bed to chair, etc.).

Parkinson’s Disease caregivers also get less sleep than other caregivers, with 56 percent regularly being woken at night to care for their loved ones. In the regular caregiver population, that number is 40 percent. Add to that the emotional rollercoaster that dementia creates and it’s easy to see how providing care for a PD patient stricken with dementia can take its toll.

Tips for Caregivers

1. Don’t try to get them to be logical, rationale and reasonable. This is expecting too much.

2. Don’t try to get them to make agreements. They aren’t in a position to make agreements.

3. Don’t always tell the truth. Sometimes being honest isn’t the best choice. For instance, if your loved one needs to be on an antidepressant to alleviate anxiety or a sleeping medication so that the caregiver can get some rest, it may be in both the caregiver’s and the patient’s best interest to say the medicine is for your memory or some other acceptable symptom if the person would have trouble accepting a pill that is for depression.

4. Don’t make complex requests. Remember to use one command at a time. If you say, “Go upstairs and change your clothes,” you’ve just given five commands: get up, go to the stairs, walk up the stairs, take off your clothes and put your clothes on. That’s probably too much for a person with dementia to remember.

Dealing with Difficult Behaviors

1. Remember that it’s the disease talking and that your loved one’s brain cells are not communicating properly. Try not to think things like, “This must be what they really thought of me all along and never told me.”

2. Know that a person with dementia has no control over what they are doing or saying. Don’t get angry or hold it against them. They cannot help their behavior.

3. Use distraction as a way to get the person off of being negative or accusatory. Fighting back won’t solve anything and will just make them angry.

Tags: Alzheimer's, caregiver, Dementia, Elder Care Issues, memory care, Parkinson's

Posted in: Alzheimer's and Dementia, Elder Care Issues, Uncategorized, Zack's Blog

Leave a Comment (0) →

Page 1 of 4 12 3 4