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Often the children of aging parents have concerns about their elderly mom or dad and many times they are trying to constantly diagnose their living conditions and overall health. Although some families provide home care for elderly parents themselves, there are times when it benefits everyone to chose a home care provider to help take care of mom or dad. One of the most obvious of these instances is when the children of an elderly parent are living out of town.
Here are a few tips to help assess the well being of a loved one over the phone. Remember that asking gently worded questions or “back door” questions will allow you to keep the conversation light while giving you much of the information you need. Whether you live down the street or out of town consider these three areas when talking to your aging parents or loved ones.
Social Activites – Questions like “Did you make it to church today?” or “Did you play cards with the girls?” These will help make sure that they are still maintaining their social outlets. Withdrawal from these activities could be a preliminary sign of an overall decline in health and depression.
Healthy Eating – Asking simple questions about what was for lunch or breakfast that day will let you know if they are eating well balanced meals. If your loved one is having trouble remembering what they ate that day, it could be a sign of early memory loss.
Personal Hygiene – Simple questions about visiting the barber or beauty salon can give you an idea about whether they are still concerned with personal hygiene. A question about the water pressure in the shower can give you an idea about regular bathing.
These simple questions during the course of regular conversations can help you detect the early warning signs of a loved one in need of help. If you feel as though your loved one is in need of care or you are just looking for more information please contact us.
Home health care is often the last thing on someones mind until the very moment they need it. Because of this, the decision of which agency to use is often made under a cloud of stress and uncertainty. These conditions are not the best to screen a home care agency. How can this be avoided? Make a plan for the care of a loved one before you are faced with the immediate need for home care services.
The best way to begin would be to call your insurance provider to check your coverage and ask who are the agencies participating in their plan. Also, look in the phone book or online to find the listing of all home care agencies in your area. Remember that there are many companies in Tennessee that provide home care services. Do not pick one and go with them. Make sure you weigh all of your options. If you are being discharged from the hospital, they are required to provide you with a list of home health care providers as part of your discharge. This list should make clear the agencies that are associated with the hospital and also which agencies are providers of Medicare and Medicaid services.
After identifying the providers in your area of Tennessee, there are many things to consider. First, you need to find out the reputation of the agencies you are interested in. This can be done by research on the internet and by asking a trusted physician or friend. Look for testimonials from patients who have used their services in the past. Also you will need to be clear on what services are provided by each agency. You may need skilled nursing care, physical therapy or speech therapy. Most companies provide a wide range of services from in home nursing care all the way to companionship and home making. Be sure to check and see how long the company has been in business and if they are licensed and insured.
Next you want to check the quality of the caregivers. Ask about the hiring process of the nurses or caregivers. Things like background checks, reference verification and bonded employees are important to know. You may also want to ask how often the caregivers are supervised while giving care and whether or not care is available 24 hours a day.
After obtaining all of the information you can, sit down with your family and make the best decision for you and your loved ones. Who you choose for home health care is a big decision and should be made with the help of your doctor, family and insurance company to make sure that all of your bases are covered.
If you are in Tennessee and would like to find out more information about CareAll, click here to find the office closest to you.
Most seniors do not spend their winters in destinations such as Florida or Arizona. If you are spending this winter at home, somewhere cold, you might find that getting through the cold is a bit more challenging than it used to be. If so, then you’ll appreciate these tips for staying happy and healthy until April showers spring may flowers.
Think Safety First
Don’t be afraid to ask children, relatives and neighbors for help, independent living doesn’t mean that you have to “go at it alone.” Most will be more than willing to lend a hand and you should arrange for someone to look in on you often.
Lifting bags of salt or just scraping ice off of the windshield can ad un-necessary stress to your body and mind, if you are struggling with this, don’t attempt it. Keeping your sidewalks free of snow and ice is hard work and can be dangerous. If you can’t find anyone who can help, make sure to take your time on these tasks to avoid overexerting your heart.
Keeping Warm
Dressing in layers offers protection from the harsh climate. Be sure to cover all exposed skin including the head, face, earlobes, hands and feet, to limit your time outdoors, and to keep dry. Water resistant outer layers and boots will help.
When inside, take extra care when using fireplaces, wood stoves, candles, and space heaters as they can cause fires and fill interiors with smoke or carbon monoxide. Place fresh batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors at the onset of cold weather.
You can conserve interior heat by keeping windows and doors to rooms you aren’t using closed. You can also cover windows with draperies, place towels along cracks at bottom of doors. And always have plenty of dry wood inside in case you can’t get out.
Eating Right
Vegetable-laden stews and soups made with reduced sodium broths and warm sweetened beverages can warm you on a cold day and provide your body with beneficial nutrients. Limit alcohol, caffeine and cigarette smoking as they decrease the body’s ability to conserve heat.
Staying active
You probably won’t be doing many outdoor activities during this time of year but it is important to try and maintain some social contact. As often as possible, continue going to church, volunteering, and getting together with friends and family. Also consider signing up for any of the activities that interest you that you see posted at community centers, health centers, the YMCA and other locations offering senior services.
Tips For Preventing Falls Among Seniors
Many falls can be prevented and are not just the result of getting older. Falls are usually caused by a number of things. By changing some of these things, you can lower your chances of falling.
By doing these things you can reduce your chances of falling :
1. Begin a regular exercise program.
Exercise is one of the best and easiest ways to reduce your chances of falling. It makes you stronger and helps you feel better day in and day out. Exercises that improve balance and coordination (like Tai Chi) are the most helpful.
Lack of exercise leads to weakness and increases your chances of falling.
Be sure to ask your doctor or health care provider before beginning an exercise regimine.
2. Reduce risks at home by following these few tips.
About half of all falls happen at home. To make your home safer:
- Remove things you can trip over (such as papers, books, clothes, and shoes) from stairs and places where you walk.
- Remove small throw rugs or use double-sided tape to keep the rugs from slipping.
- Keep items you use often in cabinets you can reach easily without using a step stool.
- Have grab bars put in next to your toilet and in the tub or shower.
- Use non-slip mats in the bathtub and on shower floors.
- Improve the lighting in your home. As you get older, you need brighter lights to see well. Lamp shades or frosted bulbs can reduce glare.
- Have handrails and lights put in on all staircases.
- Wear shoes that give good support and have thin non-slip soles. Avoid wearing slippers and athletic shoes with deep treads.
3. Have your doctor or pharmacist review your medicines.
Have your doctor or pharmacist look at all the medicines you take (including ones that don’t need prescriptions such as cold medicines). As you get older, the way some medicines work in your body can change. Some medicines, or combinations of medicines, can make you drowsy or light-headed which can lead to a fall.
4. Have your vision checked.
Have your eyes checked by an eye doctor. You may be wearing the wrong glasses or have a condition such as glaucoma or cataracts that limits your vision. Poor vision can increase your chances of falling.
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/spotlite/falltips.htm#1
