5 Tips to Make the Most of the Holiday Season

Some people look at this holiday season as a joyous time; others look at it with dread. Buying gifts, putting up decorations, cooking, baking, entertaining – there is a lot to do. Do these things sound fun or frustrating?

If you are a family caregiver for a senior loved one, you might dread having to do all of these extra things because you are already overwhelmed. Caring for your loved one takes time – cooking meals, feeding, grooming, medicating…the list could go on and on. That is on top of everything else you have to do – spouse, kids, activities, friends, career. The list of activities never ends! Then add all the hustle and bustle of the holidays on top of it and you might find it hard to keep afloat.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Especially at this time of the year, we all should have gratitude for the things we have. Finding peace, even in the small things, is not impossible. Although there may be some added work, the holidays can still be joyous.

Here are 5 tips to help you make the most of the holiday season:

·         Make a list and check it twice.  If it works for Santa, it can work for you too! Do you need to shop for gifts? Identify who you are shopping for, what they want and where you will find it. Do your homework online before you go. If you are so inclined, get your shopping done online and save yourself the trip to the mall. Is there extra baking and cooking to get ready for company? Pull out your recipes, check your ingredients and make sure you have what you need. This will save you from having to make multiple trips to the grocery store. The time you save from making fewer trips to the store can be used for doing something fun with your family instead.

·         Get the family involved in baking or cooking.  Did your mom used to make special Christmas cookies? Or was there a special dish that she made for dinner? Get your loved one involved with a holiday activity. Let your mom measure flour, use the cookie cutter to stamp out cookie shapes, or put icing/sprinkles on the special holiday cookies. This gets mom involved in the activity while being engaged with you or even the grandkids. Why not let them help as well and create new memories and traditions! It’s a win-win.

·         Go to a holiday event.  Almost every town has some sort of holiday event happening in the next few weeks. Is there a parade, light festival, concert, bazaar or other event happening nearby? Do your kids have school concerts or parties where family members are invited? Find something the whole family can go to and enjoy the time together. Make sure to mark the occasion with a couple of pictures that you can print for your loved one as a memento of the time together.

·         Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect!  No one said that every cookie has to be perfectly iced, every ornament in exactly the right place or every package wrapped with the perfect ribbon and bows. Sometimes the most memorable events are the ones when things aren’t perfect. “Remember when Uncle Joe spelled mom’s name wrong on the package?” “Remember when mom let us put the ornaments on the tree and we each divided up our sections?” Those were the good ‘ol days!

·         Remember the reason for the season. In the whole scheme of things, it’s okay if there is one less cookie or perfectly-wrapped package. If you can spend more time with your family sitting by a fire, singing a carol, or watching a classic movie, your holiday season will be a success!

At Assisting Hands^® Home Care, our goal is to provide our clients with the help they need to keep them safely in their own home for longer. We also provide a respite for a family caregiver who needs a break from their caregiving duties or who can’t manage all those duties by themselves any longer.

Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, our at-home care can accommodate your needs. You will have peace of mind knowing that they aren’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100. To learn more about our in home senior care, click here.

10 Reasons Why You Should Quit Smoking Cigarettes

Saturday, November 19^th is the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout event. Smoke from across the nation can use this day as a way to finally decide that they should quit smoking, or have it be the day when they actually quit. Either way, the goal is to create more non-smokers.

According to the CDC, as of 2014, approximately 17% of American adults smoked cigarettes. That equates to about 40 million adults. There have been many studies done showing the harmful effects of cigarettes, yet many adults continue to smoke.

With the Great American Smokeout just around the corner, we want to share 10 reasons why you should quit smoking cigarettes today:

1. The smoking rate has declined in the last 10 years; 21% in 2005 to 17% in 2014. More people realize the harm smoking does to their bodies.
2. Even with the drop in number of people smoking, almost 500,000 deaths each year can be attributed to smoking. This is 1 in every 5 deaths.
3. Smoking can hard almost every organ in your body and can cause many diseases.
4. Smoking is the cause of over a dozen cancers, including esophagus, lung, stomach, liver, kidney, cervix, bladder, colorectal and more.
5. Smoking causes 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths.
6. Smoking causes almost 2 dozen chronic diseases, such as stroke, cataracts, heart disease, pneumonia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, reduced fertility, arthritis and more.
7. Smoking may increase your risk of stroke and heart disease by 2 to 4 times.
8. Smokers are 12 to 13 times more likely to die from COPD than nonsmokers.
9. Within 2 to 5 years after you quit smoking your risk of having a stroke could fall to the same level as a nonsmoker.
10. Within ten years after you quit smoking your risk of lung disease drops by half.

If you haven’t seriously thought about quitting smoking in the past, now is as good a time as any. There are deadly consequences to people who continue to smoke. As each year goes by once you quit, you start to reverse the negative effects smoking had on your body. We have seen first-hand what a lifetime of smoking does to the health of a person. Use the Great American Smokeout event on November 19^th as your reason to quit.

At Assisting Hands^® Home Care, our goal is to provide our clients with the help they need to keep them safely in their own home for longer. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, our at-home care can accommodate your needs. You will have peace of mind knowing that they aren’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100. To learn more about our in home senior care, click here.

Will you need long-term care in the future?

Everyone thinks about the future to some extent. Where will you go for vacation? Should you change jobs? How much money do you need to retire?

But have you thought about long-term care? Regardless of how old you are, you should think ahead about this type of care. The services we provide at Assisting Hands^® Home Care fall under long term care. They include things like personal care, meal preparation, light housekeeping, grocery shopping and companionship.

 

‘I’m fine. I eat right and exercise. I won’t need those services.’

You may be thinking, ‘I’m fine. I eat right and exercise. I won’t need those services. That’s for someone else.’ We hope so! But you would be surprised. We have clients from all walks of life and health conditions. They might not have thought in their 40’s that they would need assisted living services, but circumstances change. One fall or other type of accident and you may find yourself needing an extra set of hands to help you, even for a short period of time. Regardless of your age today, think about this type of care for your future self.

Did you know that Medicare does not provide coverage for this type of long-term care services? Medicare will cover medically necessary care, such as physical therapy to help a person regain function on a short-term basis. Many private insurance plans have similar types of coverage. There are other types of coverage, such as long-term care insurance to protect you or your loved one. But those policies are easier to get when you are younger and healthier (and not necessarily thinking about these types of needs).

 If you haven’t thought about long-term care before, here are a few facts:

 

·         Almost 3 of every 4 people turning 65 today will need some type of long-term care service and support.

·         Women will need care for longer than men (3.7 years versus 2.2 years respectively)

·         Twenty percent of seniors will need long-term care services for more than 5 years

·         Two-thirds of seniors have some sort of in-home care versus about one-third having care in an outside nursing or assisted living facility.

At Assisting Hands^® Home Care, our goal is to provide our clients with the help they need to keep them safely in their own home for longer. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, our at-home care can accommodate your needs. You will have peace of mind knowing that they aren’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100. To learn more about our in home senior care, click here.

3 Tips for Stronger Bones and Healthier Joints

Our bones and joints keep us upright and mobile. If they begin to degrade, we become less able to do the things we love to do and our quality of life begins to suffer. According to the Bone and Joint Initiative, more than one in two Americans over the age of 18 – and almost three of every four adults over age 65 - are restricted in some way by a musculoskeletal disorder, such as arthritis, back pain, fractures, osteoporosis, sports trauma or other issues.

The cost of treatment for these diseases continues to increase even more than other common health problems, partly because these musculoskeletal disorders generally involve long-term pain and physical disability. Did you know that treatment and lost wage costs just in the United States was almost $900 BILLION from 2009 to 2011? These healthcare costs will only continue to increase as the U.S. population continues to age.

As Bone and Joint Health Action Week comes to a close, we want to share tips to keep your bones and joints in top shape:

• Be Active – that could mean taking a walk, doing chores around the house or even dancing. Whatever you can do to keep from being sedentary, do it. If you can’t walk outside, walk in your house or go to a local mall and walk around it. Just have fun! The more you enjoy what you are doing, the more you’ll do it.
• Strengthening Exercise – Don’t think of a body builder when you hear strength training! You could even use cans of food from your pantry to lift if they are heavy enough for you. But strength training helps to strengthen your bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
• Aerobic Exercise – Whether you run, walk, climb or dance, aerobic exercise can get your heart revved up and will help build bone and keep joints healthy.

Make sure you consult with your physician before beginning any kind of exercise regimen.

At Assisting Hands® Home Care, many of our skilled caregivers are physical therapists and can help the seniors in our care keep active. We don’t want them to just sit in front of the television; we would rather have them enjoying themselves and staying as active as they can be. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, our at-home care can accommodate your needs. You will have peace of mind knowing that they aren’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100. To learn more about our in home senior care, click here.

3 Tips to Prevent In-Home Falls

Falls are the leading cause of injury death among individuals over 65 years of age, according to the CDC. Illnesses, medications and environmental factors can all affect strength and balance contributing to a fall. If someone you love has fallen once, there is data to suggest that 75% of those who fall, do so again within 6 months. Beginning at the age of 63, the number of deaths from falls starts to increase with dramatic increases at the age of 70. But shouldn’t we expect seniors to fall as they age due to balance and strength conditions? In fact, falls are not a normal part of the aging process. They can be prevented.

Assisting Hands has some timely advice to help prevent in-home falls:

First: talk with your doctor about falls and about improving management of any medical conditions including reviewing medication types and amounts with your physician. Take your medications and follow medication dosages closely. Using medication incorrectly may lead to dizziness, so be especially aware of medication changes and talk with your doctor about symptoms. Most importantly, don’t stop medications without consulting your doctor!

Ask your doctor about exercise, vestibular and balance training and increasing physical activity, a good place to start is an evaluation by a Physical Therapist and Audiologist.

Second: Be sure your home is as safe as possible by changing adverse environmental factors.

Take some practical steps such as:

• Wear shoes with nonskid soles (not house slippers or sandals).
• Be sure your home is well lit in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and stairways so that you can see things you might trip over and use night lights in your bedroom, bathroom, hallways and stairways.
• Remove throw rugs and tack down loose carpet edges.
• Keep your floor clear, and remove electrical cords across pathways.
• Install grab bars in your bathtub, shower and toilet area.
• Install handrails on both sides of stairways.
• Don’t climb on stools and stepladders. Get someone else to help with jobs that call for climbing, such as a caregiver.
• Keep your floor clean of liquids and don’t wax your floors.

Third: Think about home care, especially if you have fallen before and have trouble getting out of bed or up from a chair. You may want to consider an in-home caregiver to help with transfers, climbing and walking (the cost of a caregiver is typically 1/3 the cost of a nursing home.) Or you may want to talk with a Physical Therapist about starting a strengthening program and home safety screen. All of Assisting Hands’ home aides are specially trained in fall prevention through the Fall Prevention Centers of America.

Illnesses, medications and environmental factors can all affect strength and balance contributing to a fall. The best predictor of a future fall is a history of falls. Talk with your doctor, begin exercising with professional guidance and consider hiring a caregiver from Assisting Hands to help with risky tasks.

4 Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Alzheimer's

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are 5.4 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s; over 99% are 65 years or older. That means over 10 percent of senior citizens have Alzheimer’s disease. Currently Alzheimer’s is the 6^th leading cause of death in America, behind heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, accidents and stroke. It is also the only cause of death in the top 10 that cannot be prevented or cured.

There are many people around the world working hard to determine what causes Alzheimer’s so it can be prevented in the future. As recently as August 2016 scientists from the University of Cambridge discovered a gene signature in healthy brains that pinpoints the origins of Alzheimer’s disease. We will have to wait and see if this breakthrough will lead to preventative treatments for individuals who are considered high-risk for contracting this disease.

While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s or magic pill to prevent it, there are things you can do to put yourself at a lower risk of getting it as you get older. Reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease and staying social may help lower your risk.

Since September is World Alzheimer’s Month, we want to share 4 tips you can do today that may reduce your risk of getting Alzheimer’s:

• Eat Healthy: A lifestyle of less sodium, sugar, and processed foods, and more fruits, vegetables and lean meats may also help protect the brain. This healthy nutrition lifestyle also helps to lower high blood pressure and reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

• Be Physically Active: Regular physical activity can increase blood and oxygen flow to the brain benefiting the brain’s cells. Although you should talk to your doctor before starting any type of exercise regimen, a brisk walk is a great start. Exercise will also help to lower high blood pressure and reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

• Be Socially Active: Social interactions may help stimulate and strengthen the connections between nerve cells in the brain. As we age, it is important that we do not isolate ourselves from others. Having ongoing social contact is important for our mental and emotional well-being.

• Be Mentally Active: You may still be working, so your brain is ‘in gear’ throughout the day. But once you retire you need to find something to keep you mentally active. Whether you like to play games, do Sudoku or crossword puzzles, or learn something new, find the activity that will keep your mentally stimulated.

 At Assisting Hands® Home Care, our skilled caregivers provide companionship for their seniors and make sure they are eating right and getting the appropriate physical activity. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, our at-home care can accommodate your needs. You will have peace of mind knowing that they aren’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100. To learn more about our in home senior care, click here.

4 Ways to Manage Chronic Pain

According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, 100 million Americans live with chronic pain every day. In fact, chronic pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined! Older adults tend to be affected by chronic pain more than younger adults. These conditions may include migraines, low back pain, arthritis pain, and cancer pain and more. That is why it is important to talk pain awareness since September is Pain Awareness Month.

While some chronic pain may go away over time, other pain may not. Here are 4 things you can do to manage and relieve your chronic pain as much as possible:

• Learn.  Learn everything you can about your physical condition and why you have chronic pain. Through your research you may discover other traditional or non-traditional treatments that might help relieve your pain that you were not aware of before. Are there exercises you can do, even minimally, to help relieve some pain? Even if you do not discover something new, by knowing everything you can about your condition, you are putting yourself in a position where you know that you, and your healthcare providers, are doing everything possible.

• Be Realistic. Understand what you can and cannot do within your physical limitations. Don’t set a goal to run a marathon when you should only be walking. Don’t expect to play 18 holes if your back or shoulders aren’t ready for it. Also be realistic with your treatment. Based on the knowledge you gained when you learned all you could about your condition, you probably already know if your pain will subside over time or if you have to live with it forever. Don’t ‘hope’ it will go away. Hope is not a strategy. Make a realistic plan and do what you can to reach your goal.

• Relax. Pain can get worse when you are stressed out. Through visualization, yoga, deep breathing and other relaxation techniques, you can release some stress and hopefully some pain as well.

• See the Big Picture. Don’t just focus on the pain. Focus on all of the things you are able to do. As you put your plan in place to try to relieve some of your pain, you will regain control of your body, emotions and mental state. With more clarity, you will be able to determine how you can live a normal live even with your chronic pain.

The American Chronic Pain Association has much more information about pain and pain awareness.

At Assisting Hands® Home Care, our skilled caregivers help our seniors manage and/or reduce their pain based on the advice of the appropriate healthcare team. They will make sure their seniors are taking appropriate medication and doing exercises as instructed. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, our at-home care can accommodate your needs. You will have peace of mind knowing that they aren’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100. To learn more about our in home senior care, click here.

Is Your Loved One Ready for Autumn?.

This is the time of year when parents load up their kids with the supplies they need to be successful in school. I may mean multiple trips to several stores. If you are a parent, you probably know what I mean! Classes, projects, after-school activities…binders, pens, paper, tablets, instruments, sports gear. The list goes on and on. But you make a list and check it off as you get your kids set for the year.

But what about your senior loved one? Even though they are not in school, you should take this time to make a list and be sure their needs are being met as well.

Here are 5 areas to check:

•  Food. It may be time to think about preparing some casseroles and soup that can be frozen for your loved one and ready for them when the weather turns colder. Even on a warm day a nice bowl of soup may be soothing. It is also time to go through the pantry and refrigerator/freezer to see what foods are old and/or expired. You don’t want your loved one to eat something that will make them sick. 
• Weight Loss or Gain. Has your loved one gained or lost weight recently? We think of weight loss as a good thing, but for an older adult sudden weight loss could point to other issues such as muscle loss, depression, medication side effects, medical conditions (like cancer or thyroid disorder), Alzheimer’s disease or even a dental problem. Some of these conditions could lead to a fall, and then there are a host of other issues to deal with! If their clothes are suddenly too tight or falling off, it may be time to schedule a doctor’s appointment to see if there is anything out of the ordinary. A little preventive care can go a long way. By the way, if they have lost or gained weight, make sure they have clothes that fit them properly. They may not ask about getting new clothes, but it is little things like that go a long way to keeping their dignity.
•  Safety. When was the last time you changed the batteries in the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors? Why not take the time to switch them now. If the detector starts to ‘chirp’ in the middle of the night, you do not want your loved one on a step stool trying to remove a battery.
• Rugs. Have you checked the kitchen, bathrooms or hallways lately? Remove any throw rugs as they can be trip/fall hazards. Instead, make sure your loved one has house shoes with traction on the soles to keep from slipping but will still keep their feet warm.
• Bath. Make sure the non-slip surface on the shower or tub has not worn off. Also check to see if the shower or tub is clean. A dirty base can become slippery and again create a slip/fall hazard. Determine if it is time to add a grab bar to the shower for added safety.

At Assisting Hands® Home Care, our skilled caregivers will make sure the seniors in our care are eating and exercising appropriately. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, our at-home care can accommodate your needs. You will have peace of mind knowing that they aren’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100. To learn more about our in home senior care, click here.

Is Your Loved One Social?

You hear over and over how important it is to be physically active. But do you hear that it is also important to be socially active? People who are socially active have better mental health as well as cognitive function. They feel like they belong and are more connected to the world around them. Those who do not spend time others have a higher risk of developing depression and possibly dementia.

Since July is Social Wellness Month, we want to share 4 tips to help your senior loved one stay more socially active:

• Volunteer. Give your loved one the opportunity to give back to the community through volunteer work. Maybe they can help stuff envelopes for a mailing for a non-profit, help in a soup kitchen or even socialize with cats or dogs at a local animal shelter. Studies show that volunteering can lead to better health and mental cognition. It also gives people a sense of purpose as they do good for their community.
• Find or Continue a Hobby. Does your loved one like to paint, draw, play bridge, take pictures, fish or golf? If so, help them expand that hobby. There may be classes or events at a local park district or YMCA where they can get involved. There they can make friends and interact with other people who have the same passion.
• Catch Up with Old Friends. Does your loved one only talk to the same family members or a couple close friends? Why not reach out to other family members or friends they haven’t seen in a while and let them reconnect. If they can build a bigger social network, they won’t feel isolated.
• Interact with a Pet. Did your loved one have a cat or dog growing up or as a younger adult? If they can care for it, why not get them a pet that would be easy to take care of. (Cats are pretty self-sufficient.) If they don’t get a pet of their own, see ‘Volunteer’ above. If they are able, maybe they could volunteer at a local animal shelter a couple times a month. Psychology Today reviewed a number of published studies and found that pets do make excellent therapists. In fact, when looking at studies involving Alzheimer’s, development disabilities and even schizophrenia, the patients who interacted with therapy animals saw beneficial results.

At Assisting Hands Home Care, our caregivers can provide your loved one with safe transportation to activities so they can continue to have outside social interaction, as well as to and from doctor and other appointments, grocery shopping or other errands. Whether you need someone to be with them during the day, in the evening or overnight, our at home care can accommodate your needs. You will sleep better knowing that they aren’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100. To learn more about our in home senior care, click here.