Since last month was all about love, it made me think… what comes to mind when I think of March? The first thing I thought of was happiness. I mean, how could one not be happy when winter is almost behind us, all the beautiful spring colors are popping, and the weather is warming up!
Which leads us into one of our favorite times of the year… Daylight Savings. Now I know this semi-annual ritual can be a bit of a nuisance (springing forward costs us an hour of sleep) and it affects people one way or the other. But the silver lining is we get more daylight which gives us more time for outdoor activities, and we could all use some Vitamin D.
Below are some reminders and tips to help prepare for the transition on March 13th. While the loss of an hour’s sleep Saturday night can affect everyone differently it hits older adults a little harder than most. Sleep problems already are a struggle for many older people, and an additional disruption to their schedules can be more than a little inconvenience. With a little thought and preparation, you can handle the time change with little disruption.
Sleep patterns: These are a concern for all of us, but if naps are taken during the day, make sure there are some changes to this schedule. Over napping to make up for the short overnight just prolongs the adjustment time and any accompanying disorientation.
Driving: Nobody is safe behind the wheel when they’re sleepy. Some studies have looked at whether traffic accidents, and in particular fatal accidents, increase significantly following the start of Daylight Savings Time. Whether a cause-and-effect relationship is there, or if other factors play a role, it’s always a good idea to check our own readiness – and that of those in our care – before we take to the roads.
Meal times: It can be a struggle to convince yourself to take a meal when they’re not hungry. But skipping the breakfast or lunch routine even for a day or two can encourage other eating decisions throughout the day that are less favorable. Even if you decide to go with lighter fare for the first couple of meals, maintain the regular pattern as closely as possible.
Medication times: Taking prescribed medicines and performing other doctor-directed activities at the appropriate times throughout the day is an important part of any health and wellness care plan. Some directives, like taking a specific medication at meal times, may be easy enough to adjust, but many older adults rely on electronic medical reminders throughout the day. Make sure the time is adjusted appropriately on this equipment to avoid getting off schedule.
Timers: Speaking of timers, in modern homes, many more devices have built-in clocks than ever before. Things like phones and television tuners often update automatically, but others like light timers, cook timers, coffee makers, video recorders may not. It is important to double check all devices around the home.
Battery check: The American Red Cross and other safety officials also remind us that the semiannual time change is a good time to test and replace the batteries in smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and other safety equipment.
Thanksgiving is a great occasion to get together with family members, young and old. It’s one of the most enjoyable holidays of the year, but it can also bring its share of challenges. With some advance planning, it can be a very special time for you and your loved ones.
Regions around the country are starting to experience their first tastes of the cooler temperatures and shorter days fall has in store for them. Don’t miss this quick essential checklist for seniors looking to safeguard their health and safety this season.
The feeling of being out of breath (dyspnea) is a sensation that is well known to those who suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Although it is common for those experiencing shortness of breath to use oxygen therapy (oxygen tanks) to cope, the downsides can include fatigue, headaches, and dry or bloody noses. Further, when depending on oxygen tanks as a primary oxygen supplement, there exists a severe risk: the body can learn to actively suppress its natural respiratory system. Following is a list of 5 natural ways to improve your oxygen levels that should help in reducing your dependence on tanks.
Lisa Bailey is a kindergarten teacher and caregiver to children and her husband who is undergoing cancer treatment. She shares her top coping strategies in this article for living a balanced life as a caregiver. You may find some of these strategies helpful in your own journey.
Summer greetings from the Home Care Aide team! In June 2019 our department celebrated the retirement of our Hiring Recruiter, Angela Spinelli. She will be greatly missed, but we wish her all the best with her retirement. We are excited to announce that her position has been filled by Racheal Gonzalez. Racheal is doing a wonderful job as our new recruiter and is continuing to hire fantastic caregivers.
Promoting independence and “successful aging” is a laudable goal for many. But it’s not the reality for people caring for anyone diagnosed with a terminal illness or a relative who struggles to manage day to day as a result of debilitating health conditions and growing frailty. Most people would prefer to talk about wellness rather than illness, so we tend to avoid planning for advanced illness and ultimately death. One valuable, often overlooked, and generous Medicare benefit for those caring for a family member or friend is hospice care.
Although life expectancy has more than doubled since 1900, our “mindspan”—how long we stay cognitively healthy—hasn’t kept pace. Forgetfulness, slower processing and feeling less sharp plague most of us as we age. One in five people develops mild cognitive impairment, a decline in thinking skills beyond normal aging, which may or may not advance to dementia. After 65, your odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease are one in 10. It doesn’t have to be that way, mounting research suggests.
For many older adults, mobility limitations, health issues and low energy can keep them from the social engagement they once enjoyed. Especially in seniors who live alone, social isolation can lead to loneliness, depression and poor physical health. Pet therapy has been shown to benefit seniors by improving depression and anxiety symptoms, increasing self-care, and even improving heart-health. It turns out giving and receiving unconditional love is literally good for your heart.
Many caregivers are perpetually tired from the demands that result from caring for their loved one. Just the thought of your normal routine plus decorating the house, attending special events, shopping for gifts, and preparing special food for the holidays can be overwhelming.
We find ourselves in a world-wide genealogy craze, as a variety of DNA testing options have become available and increasingly affordable, and a wide array of genealogy websites invite those who are mildly curious about their ancestry to dive in—sometimes hooking them into a life-long passion. But what many people discover when they begin their genealogy research is that the most important source of information about your family is your living relatives’ memories—of their own family experiences as well as the stories passed down to them through the generations. Increasingly our Greatest Generation is passing on, taking vital information about relatives and our family stories with them.
A trip to the emergency room made me realize why caregivers are advised to organize heath information. When Mom broke her hip, I called an ambulance. When it arrived, I confidently recited Mom’s Medicare number. When asked what medications she took, I pulled out our basket of pill bottles. At the hospital, the questions got more complicated. Still, I knew enough to fill out the forms.
Of the many challenges that family caregivers must face on a daily basis, perhaps the greatest—and least addressed—is the mental and emotional health of the caregivers themselves. Self-care is often the last thing that caregivers address, and living with stress, a sense of overwhelm, and bouts of depression seem to come with the job description. But self-care is not something to ignore. Just as a parent is instructed on the airplane to put the oxygen mask on themselves before their child, we must build self-care into our routine, not only for our own well-being, but for the ultimate benefit of those we care for.
When Kay Olson checked her husband, John, age 66, into Lakeview Ranch in Dassel, Minnesota, caregivers greeted both of them with a hug. They immediately helped John into the bathroom, washing him gently. He came out crying what he told Kay were “happy tears.” John, who suffers from dementia, was kicked out of his previous facility for aggressive behavior. He would strike out at staff members, especially if someone tried to back him into a corner to force him to take medicine. That doesn’t happen at Lakeview, where caregivers sit with residents, holding their hands or tucking them into bed at night. Since John’s eyes are often closed and he rarely talks, touch “comforts him and makes him know he’s not alone,” Kay says. Judy Berry, founder of Lakeview Ranch, says touch is an integral component of her care. She is one of many who have seen the positive impacts of touch. A growing body of research is demonstrating the merits of this basic approach.
There are obvious reasons to declutter. Safety: Clutter can trip us up. Efficiency: With declining eyesight, it gets hard to find things we use everyday. Focus: Messy environments can make it hard to process information.
No one wants to think about dying, but it’s going to happen to each of us sooner or later. While approaching the topic of death and dying may be difficult for caregivers, family members as well as the elderly should try to organize and prepare for the end ahead of time, to reduce the stress, confusion and the necessity of making serious and sometimes confusing decisions regarding the care and disposition of a loved one.
