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Always in Touch

Introducing Always in Touch - a free telephone reassurance program that provides a friendly voice each weekday for seniors and disabled adults. Always in Touch provides daily socialization and the reassurance that the senior "is not alone."

http://ping.fm/RU0M3

Always In Touch

Introducing Always in Touch....Anyone can fall or become ill during the night. If someone lives alone, a fall or illness during the night can be disastrous. Who will know? When will help come?

Introducing Always in Touch - an absolutely free telephone reassurance service sponsored by Always Best Care Senior Services.

We provide a daily "safety check" phone call and peace of mind to seniors who live alone.If you or a loved one would like to receive a free phone call every day, Monday thru Friday, contact us today!

http://www.always-in-touch.com/

For an interesting article:

Dementia Bingo: Easier to play, and it may help patients

http://ping.fm/Pfast

Six Ways to Help Seniors Deal with the Heat

Although the “dog days” of summer are dwindling, many cities still experience highs temperatures and low in precipitation. For some, this is only a minor inconvenience that requires a little planning and extra protection. But, for the elderly population the stress of intense heat can affect them a little differently.

Heat stress is a serious condition that can affect the body’s natural ability to deal with hot temperatures and regulate homeostasis in the body. Heat stress can include different levels of heat related illness. Two of the most common types of heat stress are heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illnesses that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. Heat stroke is the most serious heat related illness. It is identified by the body’s inability to control the body’s temperature, primarily by sweating and cooling the body down. The sudden spike in the body’s temperature can result in serious injury or even death if emergency medical assistance is not provided.

According to the Center for Disease Control, elderly people are more prone to heat stress than younger people for several reasons related to the aging process. Two common reasons are they more likely to have chronic medical conditions that change normal body responses to heat, and they are more likely to use prescription medications that impair the body’s ability to regulate its temperature and possibly inhibit perspiration. Listed below are some ways to help elderly friends, family members and even neighbors to protect themselves from the heat:

1.) Make sure they are in an air conditioned environment -- if transportation is a problem, offer a ride to an air conditioned environment.

2.)Discourage the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

3.)Check to see if they are consuming an adequate amount of non-alcoholic beverages as appropriate to their medical conditions.

4.)Offer to provide support in the form of a phone call or a ride to doctor to help clarify the adequate amount of fluids with current their prescribed medications or health condition safely. (Some seniors are on “water-pills” or have fluid restrictions for chronic illness management.)

5.)Visit or check on older adults personally or with the support of family and friends at least twice a day at designated times. If possible, create a set schedule, and have a written safety plan in place with the elderly person in case they do not answer so they know what to expect.

6.)Consider using a senior service company to check on the elderly person if you live far away or do not have the family and friends available to provide this kind of support.

Overall, following these basic guidelines can help create a safer environment for our older loved ones and neighbors.

by Angela T. Graczyk, RN

Important Community Services for Long Term Care

Listed below are 14 areas of private sector advisors or providers supporting long term care. We believe the average American is not aware of many if not all of these important services.

These are the specialists, advisers or providers that can make the difference in allowing someone needing care or his or her family to have a choice in care options. Without help, they family may not always choose the best care settings. Without help, untapped sources of government or private funding to pay the costs of care may go unrecognized. Much of this advice and many of these services will also help improve the condition or the environment of someone needing long term care.

Families that are prepared for care in advance and understand the services available are going to be significantly more successful than families that use a last-minute "do-it-yourself" approach. As a general rule, using a professional will save help conserve assets, uncover unknown sources of funding and relieve stress on family caregivers.

Here is a list of these services

1. Geriatric and Professional Care Managers or Geriatric Specialists
2. Geriatric Medical Services
3. Medical and Non-Medical Home Care Services
4. Home Maintenance, Transportation & Chore Services
5. Home Disability Support and Medical Alert Systems
6. Elder Law and Estate Planning Advice
7. Elder Mediation Services
8. Guardianship and Trust Administration
9. Financial Services Specialists
10. Reverse Mortgage Specialist
11. Seniors Relocation and Real Estate Specialist
12. Hospice Care Provider
13. PrePlanning, PreNeed Funeral Providers
14. Veterans Benefits Consultant

To learn more about these services and how they support family caregivers please contact Always Best Care Senior Services at 619-757-1114.

Recognizing the Need for outside Help in Caregiving

Caregivers often don’t recognize when they are in over their heads, and often get to a breaking point. After a prolonged period of time, caregiving can become too difficult to endure any longer. Short-term the caregiver can handle it. Long-term, help is needed. Outside help at this point is needed.

A typical pattern with an overloaded caregiver may unfold as follows:

• 1 to 18 months--the caregiver is confident, has everything under control and is coping well. Other friends and family are lending support.
• 20 to 36 months--the caregiver is taking medication to sleep and control mood swings. Outside help dwindles away and except for trips to the store or doctor, the caregiver has severed most social contacts. The caregiver feels alone and helpless.
• 38 to 50 months--Besides needing tranquilizers or antidepressants, the caregiver's physical health is beginning to deteriorate. Lack of focus and sheer fatigue cloud judgment and the caregiver is often unable to make rational decisions or ask for help.

It is often at this stage that family or friends intercede and find other solutions for care. This may include respite care, hiring home health aides or putting the disabled in a facility. Without intervention, the caregiver may become a candidate for long term care as well.

It is also important to use outside professional help in a caregiver setting. A financial planner, care funding specialist or a reverse mortgage specialist may find the funds to pay for professional help to keep a loved one at home. A care manager can guide the family and the caregiver through the maze of long-term care issues. The care manager has been there many times the family is experiencing it for the first time.

An elder law attorney can help iron out legal problems. And an elder mediator can help solve disputes between family members. Having competent advice can often make the difference between allowing a loved one to remain in the home or being forced to seek out government welfare assistance.

Due to pride or sheer determination some caregivers allow the situation to go beyond their control. They have gotten to a point where depression and fatigue have clouded their judgment. At some point the caregiver will have to admit that he or she can't handle it alone and a better solution must be found.

As Boomers Age, the Need for Trained Care Providers Becomes Urgent

Article submitted by Marion Karpinski, RN, President of Medifecta HealthCare. For more information call 1-888-846-7008 or visit their website - www.medifecta.com.

The age wave we hear so much about today has been building for a century. Between 1900 and 2000, the number of people over 65 rose from 3 million to 33 million. In the next 30 years the number of people over 65 is expected to double.
It’s true that “old simply isn’t what it used to be” as gerontologist Ken Dychtwald says. People are living longer; many remain healthy longer, eating a good diet, getting plenty of exercise and remaining involved in their communities. The time of life when people become frail has been pushed back, but eventually people move from young-old to old-old. This group, 85 and older, is expected to reach at least 7 million in 2020. It is at these advanced ages that many people require help with activities of daily living. The 85+ group will double yet again in 2040, when the first baby boomers reach 85.
Currently, family caregivers and friends provide 80% of all elder care in the home, but that will change as baby boomers age. Not as many family caregivers will be available to care for baby boomers because boomers had fewer children and 12% had no children. Boomers are also more likely to be divorced and to live alone as they become elderly. With their interest in social change, boomers are likely to come up with some creative solutions, such as sharing the care with groups of friends to help replace the missing family members.
But the dwindling source of family caregivers does indicate that the demand for paraprofessional caregivers such as home health aides and personal home care aides will become even more urgent in coming decades. According to Department of Labor statistics, by 2020, the number of trained in-home caregivers needed will nearly double.
The current approach to health care education, which focuses primarily on training individuals with CNA (Certified Nurses Aide), LPN, and RN credentials, is destined to come up short. Although credentialed health care practitioners are greatly needed, they will not be providing the bulk of home care. That responsibility falls mainly on family, friends and private duty home care agencies.
The personal care attendant who has been invisible in our health care education system as well as our health care system is the new entry-level health care worker. They must be recognized as such and receive the appropriate training that provides them with the professional and behavioral skills they need to be confident and effective providers of home care.
If we don’t act soon to offer appropriate training for all home care providers, we will undoubtedly see greater incidences of elder abuse, neglect and a general decline in the quality of life and conditions of the elderly, while we grasp at straws to solve this healthcare crisis.

Visiting Our Aging Parents for the Holidays:

What to look out for Holiday visits with our aging parents have evolved. For boomers, our parents may be showing signs of aging in ways beyond their physical appearance. The time to simply visit, assuming that our parents are okay is over for some of us. The assumptions are replaced by the need for a vigilant look at how our aging parents are really doing.

The following changes may indicate the need to take action to ensure your aging parents’ safety and good health:

1. Weight Loss
One of the most obvious signs of ill health, either physical or mental, is weight loss. The cause could be as serious as cancer, dementia, heart failure or depression. Or it could be related to a lack of energy to cook for a loved one or just themselves.

2. Balance
Pay close attention to the way your parent moves, and in particular how they walk. Pain can be a sign of joint or muscle problems or more serious afflictions. And if unsteady on their feet, they may be at risk of falling, a serious problem that can cause severe injury or worse.

3. Emotional Well-Being
Beware, too, of obvious and subtle changes in your loved ones’ emotional well-being. You can’t always gauge someone’s spirits over the telephone. Take note for signs of depression, including withdrawal from activities with others, sleep patterns, lost of interest in hobbies, lack of basic home maintenance or personal hygiene. The latter can be an indicator not only of depression, but also of dementia or other physical ailments including dehydration.

4. Home Environment
Attention must also be paid to surroundings. If you discover excess or unsafe clutter and mail that has piled up, a problem may exist. Scorched cookware, for example, could be a sign that your parent forgets if the stove is on. An overflowing hamper could mean he or she doesn’t have the strength and/or desire to do laundry. Check prescription bottles for expiration dates; and make note of all prescriptions your family member takes and place that information in your personal files as well as the elder’s wallet in case of emergency.

There may be other areas of concern, specific to your family member. Should this year’s holiday visit open your eyes to current and potential problems or negative changes in your parent’s physical or emotional state, then its time to put a plan of action in place. To follow are some steps you can take over the holidays.

1. Initial Conversation
Have a heart-to-heart conversation with your elderly loved one about their present circumstances, concerns and the measures they’d like taken to make things better. Introduce the idea of a health assessment appointment with their primary care physician. Would they feel more at ease if a home health aide visited a couple times a week? Maybe they have legal questions and would greatly benefit from an appointment with an attorney. Or they may need help with housecleaning or bill paying.

2. Identify Resources
While you may want to keep things light during the holiday seasno, do take this opportunity to collect all necessary information now to avoid frustration and confusion in the event of a crisis down the road.

Try to find a directory of senior resources and services by checking with a library or senior center for lists of resources. This list should also include friends, neighbors, clergy, local professionals and all others who your family member has regular contact with. In fact, if you haven’t already, take the time to visit with those friends and neighbors and make sure you have their current contact information and they have yours.

3. Prepare a To-Do List
Now is the time to begin compiling a to-do list to be implemented over a period of future visits. Medical information should include your loved one’s health conditions, prescriptions and their doctor’s names and contact numbers. A financial list should contain property ownership and debts, income and expenses, and bank account and credit card information. You should also have access to all of your parent’s vital documents that could include their will,power of attorney, birth certificate, social security number, insurance policies, deed to their home, and driver’s license.

Always Best Care Seniors Services meets with our families, assesses each families needs, sets up tours and accompanies the families on the tours to find the right community for our seniors. An article recently helps explain the industry and the right way to help a family. http://ping.fm/j4OD8

Understanding the Roles of Formal and Informal Caregivers

Formal caregivers are typically paid providers but they may also be volunteers from a government or nonprofit organization. Where care is being provided in the home there is often a mix of formal and informal care provided. And the trend is towards using more formal care since, unlike the past, more informal caregivers are employed. They choose to remain employed but must juggle limited time between caregiving and maintaining a household and a job.

These added responsibilities often make it necessary to hire non-medical home care aides to provide supervision and help when the primary caregiver cannot be present. Or as adult day services become more common, caregivers may pay for this form of formal caregiving to get rest or to allow for maintaining some employment.

When care is no longer possible in the home, then formal caregivers come into play on a full-time basis. This may be in the form of a congregate living arrangement, assisted living, a continuing care retirement community or a nursing home. It is at this point that long term care can have a significant impact on the finances of the care recipient and a healthy spouse living at home.

Care facilities are quite expensive and the cost for maintaining a spouse in such a living arrangement may rob a healthy spouse at home of an adequate standard of living. It's quite possible the healthy spouse may end up with food stamps and subsidized housing where, before the need for a care facility, this may not have been the case.

Or it is more often the case that the couple recognizes this dilemma of splitting living arrangements in two locations and an attempt will be made to keep the spouse needing care at home as long as possible. This may help with the finances but often results in destroying the physical and emotional health of the caregiver by creating a situation where the caregiver has difficulty coping with the responsibilities and physical demands.

Another reality of providing informal care services in the home is the increasing need for physical and emotional support that often goes unrecognized until too late. As care needs increase, both in the number of hours required and in the number or intensity of activities requiring help, there is a greater need for the services of formal caregivers.

Unfortunately, many informal caregivers become so focused on their task they don't realize they are getting in over their heads and they have reached the point where some or complete formal caregiving is necessary. Or the informal caregiver may recognize the need for paid, professional help but does not know where to get the money to pay for it.

Other members of the family should be aware of this burden and be prepared to step in and help their loved one who is providing care recognize the possibility of becoming overloaded. It is also the job of a care manager or a financial adviser or an attorney to recognize this need with the client caregiver and provide the necessary counsel to protect the caregiver from overload. The advisor can also likely find a source for paying for formal care that the caregiver may not be aware of.
An overloaded caregiver is likely to develop depression and/or physical ailments and could end up needing long term care as well. The consequences of not being able to cope with the burden of caregiving might even result in an early death for the caregiver.