ASSESSING CAREGIVER STRESS

Q1 – What is the Stress Assessment Tool, and how can I access it?

A1 – The Stress Assessment Tool is an informative way for caregivers to learn about how their caregiving impacts their other responsibilities, their personal stress levels, and how they could benefit from additional help. The Stress

Assessment Tool is an online questionnaire which consists of a series of simple multiple choice questions, and can be accessed at http://www.caregiverstress.com/assessment.html.

Q2 – Who created the Stress Assessment Tool, and can it be used as a medical diagnosis?

A2 – It’s important to know, that while this questionnaire was developed by eldercare experts and caregiver stress experts, this is an informative tool only and should not be used for diagnostic purposes. If you require advice from a medical expert, please ensure that you contact your physician.

Q3 – What kind of questions does the Stress Assessment Tool ask?

A3 – The 20 multiple choice questions included on the Stress Assessment Tool ask questions relating to your caregiving responsibilities, assistance at hand, and impacts of stress. Examples include, the amount of time you spend caring for a senior, your proximity to the senior, the type of assistance your care recipient requires, the assistance you receive from friends and family, the impact your responsibilities have upon your relationship with a loved one, the impact upon your immune system, changes in your sleep patterns, and effects upon your mood and family.

Q4 – What if the test recommends that I need assistance, who can I turn to?

A4 – Home Instead Senior Care New Braunfels provides in-home, non-medical senior care; or if possible you can request help from friends or family.

Q5 – What else might the results of the test tell me?

A5 – The results of the Stress Assessment Tool will provide feedback about your family caregiving and tips to help maintain low levels of stress and general well-being.

Elders and seniors in New Braunfels, Canyon Lake, Seguin, and San Marcos want to be healthy. Home Instead Senior Care offers more tips for aging seniors to age gracefully - Call us if you need personal assistance at home in New Braunfels at (830) 624-8380.

Elders and seniors in New Braunfels, Canyon Lake, Seguin, and San Marcos want to be healthy. Home Instead Senior Care offers more tips for aging seniors to age gracefully - Call us if you need personal assistance at home in New Braunfels at (830) 624-8380.

Diet & Exercise Tips

• Many seniors are on the right track – in order to eat better they reduce their intake of fats and red meats

• Others take risks by using dietary supplements, which allege weight loss without a need to change diet or exercise routines. If you choose to use one of these products, request clinical or medical research documentation to support claims, and review any concerns with a physician or professional nutritionist

• Engage in an exercise routine that includes 30 minutes of cardio, strength training, stretching and balance exercises

• Select foods that have high nutritional value, and ensure that you maintain a well-balanced diet

• As people age they may lack certain nutrients, such as vitamin B6, zinc, and calcium – select foods rich with these nutrients or utilize vitamin supplements

Resources

If you are considering beginning a new diet or exercise routine, you should always consult your doctor in advance in order to discuss any factors relevant to your personal health. However, in order to help you determine how to become more active, the following books may prove beneficial.

• The Quick Series Guide to Exercise for Seniors, by Luxart Communications
• Walking for the Health of It, by Jeanne Ralston
• The Easy and Effective Exercise for People over 50
• Safe Therapeutic Exercise for the Frail Elderly, by O. Hurley
• Senior Fitness, by Ruth Heidrich
• Developing a Fitness Program for the Frail and Well Elderly, by Christian Thompson
• Investing in Your Health, by G. Siegfried Kutter
• Successful Aging Through Fitness and Nutrition
• The Little Blue Book of Fitness and Health, by Gary Savage, Tony Jarvis, and Sara J. Henry
• 393 Common-Sense Tips to Help You Achieve Optimum Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Health

http://seniorliving.about.com/od/exercisefitnes1/a/seniorfitnessbo.htm
http://www.essortment.com/all/slowagingproc_rtjz.htm

Elders and seniors in New Braunfels, Canyon Lake, Seguin, and San Marcos want to be healthy. Home Instead Senior Care offers more tips for aging seniors to age gracefully - Call us if you need personal assistance at home in New Braunfels at (830) 624-8380.

DIET AND EXERCISE FOR HEALTHY LIVING

Many seniors, especially those who live on their own, may have difficulty with meal preparation, grocery shopping and deciding upon what ingredients to use in a meal.  As a result, it is not surprising that many seniors are not receiving adequate nutrition:  

• 50% rely on pre-prepared frozen, packaged or takeout meals
• 64% make mealtime more enjoyable by dining with a distraction such as reading, watching television, or working

Many seniors also use the age old excuse for avoiding exercise and not eating properly; “too much to do, and not enough time to do it!”  While exercise can become more difficult as an individual ages, due to changes in balance, and an increased risk of injury, it remains just as important that a senior receives an adequate amount of physical activity in order to maintain their overall health, balance, flexibility, muscle strength and reduce frailty.

http://seniorliving.about.com/od/exercisefitnes1/a/seniorfitnessbo.htm

Elders and seniors in New Braunfels, Canyon Lake, Seguin, and San Marcos want to be healthy. Home Instead Senior Care offers more tips for aging seniors to age gracefully - Call us if you need personal assistance at home in New Braunfels at (830) 624-8380.

Cholesterol Drugs Beneficial in Older Stroke Patients

Taking a cholesterol lowering drug after a stroke or mini-stroke reduces an older person’s risk of another stroke as much as it does in younger patients, according to an American Academy of Neurology news release . 

“Even though the majority of strokes and heart attacks occur in people who are 65 and older, studies have found that cholesterol-lowering drugs are not prescribed as often for older people as they are for younger people,” said study author Seemant Chaturvedi, M.D., of Wayne State University in Detroit and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. “These results show that using these drugs is just as beneficial for people who are over 65 as they are for younger people.”

The study involved 4,731 people age 18 and older who had a recent stroke or mini-stroke. The 2,249 people age 65 and older were in one group, and the 2,482 people under age 65 made up the other group. About half of each group received the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin and about half received a placebo. The participants were then followed for an average of four and a half years.

Levels of “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were reduced by an average of 61 points in the elderly group and by 59 points in the younger group. Stroke risks were reduced by 26 percent in the younger group and by 10 percent in the older group, the study found.

Estimates show about 20 percent of the U.S. population will be 65 and older by 2010, so it’s important to identify ways to reduce the burden of strokes in this group, Chaturvedi said.

Elders and seniors in New Braunfels, Canyon Lake, Seguin, and San Marcos want to be healthy. Home Instead Senior Care offers more tips for aging seniors to age gracefully - Call us if you need personal assistance at home in New Braunfels at (830) 624-8380.

• Avoid overexposure to the sun and the cold.
• If you drink, moderation is the key.  And when you drink, let someone else drive.
• Keep personal and financial records in order to simplify budgeting and investing.    
• Keep a positive attitude toward life.  Do things that make you happy.

If you are a couple, encourage one another to live a healthy life. For instance, remind each other about the great exercise benefits of walking, whether it’s a jaunt around the block when the weather is nice or a stroll to the neighborhood corner market.

Another very important part of a healthy aging plan is companionship and socialization.  If you don’t participate in many activities with family or friends, see what you can do to change that.  Organize a family dinner or coffee with the neighbors.  Once you start the habit of socializing with others your age, you may then be more comfortable initiating more activity

If you are not warm to these ideas, consider hiring a companion from Home Instead Senior Care.  Our local CAREGivers are matched with seniors of similar interests to accompany you on many of the pursuits that you enjoy, and to help you discover new adventures.  Many of our CAREGivers – who are bonded and insured – are seniors themselves who also are seeking the companionship of others their age.

Home Care New Braunfels, Seguin, San Marcos, Canyon Lake, Schertz - Home Instead Senior Care at 830-624-8380.

Kick Off Healthy Aging Month with Exercise

Regular exercise is even more important for seniors than other age groups because the risk of disease and lost mobility is greater, and the positive effects are realized more quickly.  That’s according to the Healthy Aging Web site, the official site of the Healthy Aging Campaign — a national ongoing health promotion designed to broaden awareness of the positive aspects of aging and to provide information and inspiration for adults, age 50+, to improve their physical, mental, social and financial fitness.

September is Healthy Aging Month.  Here are tips for getting started on an exercise program:

• Choose an exercise you like and stick with it.
• Use the buddy system. Arrange to have a friend meet you - It’s harder to say no to exercise when you exercise with a friend.
• Walk, swim, climb, bicycle, dance, fish!
• Join a walking group or visit your local Y, recreation center, park, church, or senior center.

For more information, log on to www.healthyaging.net.

Obesity in later life does not make a substantial difference to the risks of death among older people, but it is a major contributor to increased disability in later life, according to a study from Peninsula Medical School in England. This scenario, researchers said, creates “a ticking time bomb” for health services in developed countries.

The research team worked with 4,000 participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing who were 65 and older. Each participant had his or her weight and height measured and body mass index (BMI) calculated. A follow-up in five years compared people with a BMI of 20 to 24.9 (recommended weight) to those with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 (overweight), 30 to 34.9 (obese) or 35 and over (severely obese).

The results showed that the higher an older person’s BMI, the more likely he or she was to develop mobility problems or to develop difficulty carrying out everyday tasks. 

“This research is important because a growing proportion of the population is aged 65 and older, and more and more of these older people are overweight,” said Dr. Iain Lang, who led the study.  “In fact, in most developed countries, middle-aged and elderly adults are more likely to be obese than people in any other age group.”

The research team recommends older people talk to their doctor or other healthcare professional about their weight, and take their advice regarding slimming down if they are overweight.

The findings are significant, as increasing numbers of older people and higher levels of being overweight will put an immense strain on health and social services, Lang said. They also are an indication of the client base Home Instead Senior Care may be serving in the future - 830-624-8380.

Physical Activities - Helping Aging Seniors in New Braunfels and San Marcos live healthly and safe lives at home. Home Instead Senior Care New Braunfels - 830-624-8380.

Inactivity increases with age. By age 75, about one in three men and one in two women do not engage in physical activities. As summer begins, talk with your clients about enjoying a physical activity outside to benefit their health.

Gardening and walking are the two most popular physical activities among adults over the age of 65.  With such simple exercise routines, older adults could: 

·         Reduce their risk of falls and fractures

·         Possibly reduce their blood pressure if they have hypertension

·         Reduce symptoms of anxiety or depression by improving their mood

·         Help keep their bones, muscles and joints healthy

Tips for Avoiding Activity-induced Injuries “Success doesn’t come to you… You go to it.” by Marva Collins

Read the full report and more go to CDC.gov - Keeping the following tips in mind can help prevent common injuries associated with participating in physical activity.

• Listen to your body and monitor your level of fatigue, heart rate, and physical discomfort.
• Be aware of the signs of overexertion. Breathlessness and muscle soreness could be danger signs.
• Be aware of the warning signs and signals of a heart attack, such as sweating, chest and arm pain, dizziness, and lightheadedness.
• Use appropriate equipment and clothing for the activity.
• Take 3–5 minutes at the beginning of any physical activity to properly warm up your muscles through increasingly more intense activity. As you near the end of the activity, cool down by decreasing the level of intensity. (For example, before jogging, walk for 3–5 minutes increasing your pace to a brisk walk. After jogging, walk briskly, decreasing your pace to a slow walk over 3–5 minutes. Finish by stretching the muscles you used-in this case primarily the muscles of the legs.)
• Start at an easy pace—increase time or distance gradually.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day to replace lost fluids (i.e., at least eight to ten 8-oz. cups per day).
• Drink a glass of water before you get moving, and drink another half cup every 15 minutes that you remain active.

So, you see that our brand of non-medical care can have significant positive effects on health, safety, and quality life for seniors, and in many cases, their loved ones, as well.  For instance, a recent study led by Purdue University researchers indicated that for older adults living on their own, receiving just a few hours of help a day with basic activities of daily living can markedly reduce their likelihood of being admitted to a hospital or nursing home.  Now, this is the kind of positive outcome that benefits not only our clients, but also their families and friends.

Home Instead Senior Care New Braunfels is ready to serve at any time as a resource for you on caregiving, senior or aging related issues.  If you’d like to learn more about our services, or if you’re interested in employment as a Home Instead CAREGiver, please contact 830-624-8380 - a local, independently owned and operated Home Instead Senior Care franchise.

Home Instead Senior care New Braunfels, San Marcos, Seguin, and Canyon Lake gives family members of elders more information on “what is Non-Medical Care”?  Call us if you have questions about caring for an elder.. 830-624-8380.

Home Instead Senior care New Braunfels, San Marcos, Seguin, and Canyon Lake gives family members of elders more information on “what is Non-Medical Care”?  Call us if you have questions about caring for an elder.. 830-624-8380.  To read the full story go to our post date September 1. Thank you.

So, it’s not surprising to find that most family caregivers struggle to balance the task of caring for an aging parent or relative with other major life responsibilities.  This often means that these caregivers have little time left to care for themselves – which can result in their experiencing high stress levels and resultant health problems.  In fact, according to this same survey, 55 percent of family caregivers appear to have average or significant levels of stress.

The problem, of course, is that when caregivers neglect self care, they end up incapable of assisting those seniors who need their help in the first place.  For example, Home Instead Senior Care and Caring Today Magazine recently held an essay contest – one that, not surprisingly, had the theme of caregiving.  One prize-winning entry put it succinctly: “A worn-out caregiver is good to no one.”

We will conclude our post and explanation on non-medical care in New Braunfels in a day.