As a caregiver with Home Instead Senior Care, I try and get to know my clients, their personal interests and find things that we have in common through conversation. By sharing mutual interests, I’ve found that I’m not only there to provide care for the senior, I’m finding pleasures in the things in life you forget you enjoy or take for granted. I truly enjoy the time that I spend with the 87 year old senior I care for. When I started as a Texas caregiver, I thought that I would only be interested in working a couple of days a week; but I am with my elderly client everyday for four hours and wouldn’t change that.

One of our favorite senior activities that we do together, some may find it strange, but we both share a love for houses and real estate; so to get out of the house, we often drive around different neighborhoods in Austin and discuss what we like and don’t like about the houses, the landscaping and other aspects of the homes. While driving along at 5 miles per hour, we chat about our mutual interest; meanwhile, paying additional attention to the traffic and street signs on the road around us to ensure that we both remain safe while pursuing our mutual hobby. For a little bit of extra excitement, we’re even planning a trip, with permission from my client’s family, to drive an hour and a half down to Johnsonville from Austin to tour different neighborhoods that are unfamiliar to us. Looking at houses is a great way to get out of the house; which gives us a change of scenery, something new and interesting to talk about, and promotes physical mobility for my client when getting in and out of the car.

It’s the simple things that we’ve learned to really appreciate when in one-another’s company. When running errands, we’ll stop for our favorite drinks, Coke or Dr. Pepper, instead of having them at home, so it makes for a great treat. Or we’ll pick up stale bread from Meals on Wheels and go down to the lake by my client’s apartment to feed the ducks. To keep activities at home fresh and interesting, I like to take my client to Toys R Us or other local craft stores to pick out activities she would like to do during our time together, like weaving or painting.

When I was initially hired to work with this client, who struggles with mobility and short-term memory, I thought I would just be there for company, for transportation to her appointments and for light-housekeeping. What I didn’t anticipate, is that we would become such great friends who have grown to enjoy each other’s company immensley. With a little creativity, and an effort to find shared interests; I think that any caregiver providing elder care can not only create, but have their own positive experiences from working with a senior. And for me, it’s also a chance to be grateful for the things I’ve had in life and think about how I’d like my life to be when I get older.

Mary Louise Polman: Home Instead Senior Care, Texas

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

Knowing when your loved one is demonstrating signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s can be one of the first steps to establishing a medical diagnosis and determining appropriate senior care. Read on to determine if the senior in your life could be exhibiting symptoms of dementia.

1. Memory Loss – everyone has brief memory lapses; it’s not unusual to forget the occasional name or date and remember it later, however, seniors with dementia may forget pieces of information that they are never able to recall.
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks – seniors with dementia may forget simple tasks, like how to turn on the stove.
3. Problems with language – sentences formed by a senior with dementia may be hard to understand, they may forget words or substitute inappropriate ones.
4. Disorientation – seniors with dementia may get lost when close to home because they are disoriented with time and place.
5. Poor judgment – seniors may have trouble making decisions, or dress inappropriately for the weather.
6. Misplacing things in strange places – seniors with dementia may put the milk in the bathroom or their keys in the fridge.
7. Mood changes – often seniors with dementia have rapid mood swings for no discernable reason.
8. Problems with abstract thinking – dealing with numbers may be especially difficult.
9. Personality changes – seniors with dementia may become fearful, suspicious and paranoid or demonstrate behaviors unusual for them.
10. Loss of initiative – seniors with Alzheimer’s may lack motivation on a regular basis; getting out of bed or getting dressed may require prompting.

Check out this resource for more information on Dementia

Sources:
1. Northwestern University
2. Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease

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

Gadgets for seniors have come a long way, and today’s elderly technologies benefit the lives of older adults by improving their safety and making day-to-day tasks easier for them. A number of new elderly equipment devices were unveiled at the 2009 Consumer Electronic Show in January.

Many of the electronics seem designed with the independently living senior in mind; devices like motion detectors and sensors can be installed in seniors’ homes in order to alert family members about falls and other in-home emergencies; other senior electronics like Clarity’s C900 mobile phone has a panic button that automatically dials 5 emergency contact numbers when triggered.

Other innovative technologies for seniors help them with Activities of Daily Living; smart pill dispensers remind seniors when to take their prescription medications and ensure that they take the prescribed amount; and robotic vacuum cleaners take away the strain of housekeeping by automatically cleaning up floor surfaces within a senior’s home. Seniors can also receive around-the-clock health monitoring with technological devices that monitor vital signs and alert family or medical practitioners when the status of their health changes. The Vital Jacket by Biodevices is a new fashionable senior gadget which is designed to monitor vital signs without bulky equipment, and while it is not yet available on the market, it hopes to improve medical care in homes and hospitals around the world.

Sources:
1.   InventorSpot.com
2.    Business Week
3.    Tender Hearts

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

Hearing loss is a hard reality for many seniors which can greatly complicate ease of communication with their family, friends, caregivers and other professionals. When communicating with a senior, don’t underestimate the benefits of using body language to ensure the older adult understands the message you’re delivering.  Visual cues and non-verbal forms of communication can help seniors better grasp the meaning in the conversation, since hearing impairments can make it to difficult to rely upon the spoken word alone.

When caring for the elderly or engaging with a senior in communication; talk with your hands and use expressive body language as visual cues. Point to objects you’re referring to; use thumbs up or thumbs down; use your hands to describe the size or location of objects; and laugh or smile so they can grasp the nature of the conversation. Make sure there is nothing physically in the way that stops seniors from interpreting your body language, maintain eye contact, and avoid fidgeting which could cause seniors to misinterpret your non-visual cues.

Remember caregivers and family members, while at times communicating with a senior who struggles with their hearing may be frustrating, the elderly are dealing with issues that can be life-changing.

Sources:
1.    Public Health Agency of Canada
2.    TenderLovingEldercare.com

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

Talking to your senior parents about estate planning can be an uncomfortable subject, because many adult children don’t want to feel like they’re interfering with their parents’ personal affairs. Estate planning typically includes a legal will that outlines distribution of assets; a financial power of attorney which dictates who will look after a senior’s finances when they become unable; a medical power of attorney, the person responsible for carrying out a senior’s medical wishes; and a living will, which establishes a senior’s healthcare wishes if they become unable to speak for themselves. Discussing your senior parents’ estate early on with them ensures that you understand the role that they expect you to play after their deaths or during a medical emergency so that their wishes are carried out.

Talking to your elderly parents about estate planning becomes more important if they have not completed the necessary steps to protect their assets and secure their wishes. When approaching the topic of family estate planning, make sure that your siblings and immediate family members are involved so they don’t perceive your interests in your parents’ estate as self-serving. Ensure your parents understand you do not need to have the division of assets explained; it doesn’t matter how much they are planning on leaving you. What’s important is that they put the legalities in place to ensure they control what happens to their assets, even once they loose the ability to represent themselves.

Sources:
1. SeniorJournal.com Robert Valentine
2. FamilyEducation.com

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

As a family caregiver, one of the best ways to prepare for the safety and comfort of your aging family member is to think about caregiving proactively. Many in-home accidents occur when families and seniors exercise reactive versus proactive thinking. Instead of reacting to potential hazards after accidents have already happened, caregivers need to think proactively and anticipate potential dangers to seniors that are present in their home, by installing safety equipment, removing tripping hazards, and evaluating the day-to-day tasks that are difficult for a senior independently.

However, proactive thinking by a caregiver doesn’t have to stop at home safety; even before your elderly family member reaches a stage where home care, family caregiving or residence in a long-term care home is needed, family members can be proactive and begin to discuss the senior’s wishes with regards to care assistance. When involved with the care decisions of an elderly parent, you can learn what role they would like you to play in a crisis and you can assist them in preparing the necessary legal paperwork required for making senior medical decisions. As family caregivers and concerned family members, it is our job to help plan for our seniors’ futures; by arming ourselves with knowledge and thinking proactively, we can ensure that they receive quality caring throughout their elder years.

Sources:
1. StrengthforCaring.com

2. Answers4Families.com

3. AARP: (Olympia Dukakis)

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

Prescription costs for seniors without healthcare and prescription coverage may find that their medication costs make up a substantial part of their daily living expenses, and during the recession an increased number of seniors may be choosing to go without their required medication to keep money in the bank.

According to a study completed by The Society of General Internal Medicine in 2001, pre-recession 8% of seniors were not taking some or all of their prescribed medication, as a result of the costs, when paying out of pocket without prescription coverage. With the Commonwealth Fund projecting that healthcare costs for seniors will be as great as $5,000 by 2011; funding medical and senior prescription costs is becoming increasingly more unaffordable for seniors without benefits living on a fixed income. During these tough recessionary times, many elderly people may be more fearful that their retirement income will not last; so they might be hesitant about taking on even necessary medical costs like prescriptions. According to Kenneth Schafermeyer, Director of Graduate Studies at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy “for some [seniors], it’s either eating, or paying the mortgage, or paying for healthcare” and that is an unfortunate reality of the economic situation today. Seniors are forced to make tough decisions that impact both their health and their livelihood.

Sources:  CourierJournal.com

Self-Restriction of Medications Due to Costs in Seniors Without Prescription Coverage

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

Most seniors and their families have heard of Meals on Wheels, but many don’t understand specifically what it does or exactly who is eligible to receive assistance from the program. As one of the original food delivery services for seniors, Meals on Wheels makes sure that all seniors receive nutritious healthy meals at home when their medical status prevents them from preparing their meals themselves.

The Meals on Wheels meal delivery program for seniors is available in most major cities across the US and Canada. Many will deliver hot or cold meals to senior’s homes to ensure that their physical and medical limitations don’t prevent them from eating well. Many of these programs do accept suggested donation amounts for their meal services for seniors, but will continue to operate and provide meals whether or not seniors’ income levels enable them to contribute. For those who are not medically bound to their homes, Meals on Wheels also provides regular meals to seniors at a community setting, like community center, or community living facility for older adults.

Those seniors who live independently at home still struggle to manage the responsibilities of daily living, can continue to rely on meal delivery services like Meals on Wheels, but should also consider receiving assistance from a professional caregiving organization like Home Instead Senior Care, to help out with the non-medical responsibilities of home care.
Source:  Meals on Wheels (Wikipedia)

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

Eating healthy on a budget at any age can be easily accomplished; a limited income doesn’t have to limit the variety of foods that you consume at any age. While junk foods many seem convenient, they are not budget friendly for seniors. Instead, seniors should work with their families or caregivers to plan their meals for the week, choosing ingredients which are rich in nutrients and vitamins like lean meats, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

When the elderly go to the grocery store, they should ensure that a grocery list is in hand based on their healthy meal plans. Buying fresh fruits and vegetables in season is a great way to save money, while ensuring they maintain a well-balanced diet; when their favorite produce is more expensive and not in season, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are an economic way to get the nutrients needed in every senior diet.

Seniors and their caregivers can also shop for inexpensive non-perishable items that are convenient for quick meal preparation; including beans and lentils, brown rice, pasta, frozen or canned sources of proteins like lean meats and fish, and many condiments which can make even the most economic meal taste gourmet and flavorful.

When preparing meals, seniors can also make extra portions which can be frozen and heated up for fast and wallet-friendly meals. Older adults eating on a budget don’t need to sacrifice health or taste; by planning meals in advance, and making economic healthy food choices; seniors can have it all.

Source:  Eating Healthy on a Budget Author Rebecca Pratt

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

Every year when March rolls around, so does National Nutrition Month which is sponsored by the American Dietetic Association. National Nutrition Month focuses on encouraging the media and ADA to inform the public about healthy living through nutrition education and the importance of fitness.  National Nutrition Month is meant to educate people of all ages about how making simple healthy food choices, according to the USDA Food Guide Pyramid, can improve health and well-being when combined with physical activity.

While National Nutrition Month doesn’t focus upon educating people about nutrition and fitness for any specific age group; seniors in particular need to pay attention to their diet and lifestyle in order to maintain a healthy weight, keep their immune system strong and help prevent the onset of illnesses and chronic diseases.

As spring approaches, there’s no better time than now to start incorporating healthy eating and regular physical activity. You may not be worried about getting back your bikini body to hit the beaches as you were in your 20’s; but health is about much more than just appearance; it’s about living. National Nutrition Month is just the beginning; aging doesn’t mean your life stops, so seniors get out there, get active and make healthy lifestyle changes that really will change your life.

Sources: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/nutrition_4920_ENU_HTML.htm
http://www.dietitians.ca/public/content/eat_well_live_well/english/nutritionmonth/index.asp
http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=2&tax_subject=256&topic_id=1348

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