Is Your Loved One Protected During These Hot Summer Months?

Most of us love being outside in the summer when the weather is warm and the sun is shining. With kids out of school, summer has unofficially begun. With the fun of the summer months also comes heat, which can be deadly, especially for seniors (as well as infants and pets).

Below are 3 tips to help you keep your senior loved one safe during these hot summer months.

Here are our suggestions:

1.    Make sure their air conditioning is working properly. If they don't have air conditioning, make sure they have plenty of fans where they live. Many seniors tend to be cold anyway, but you don't want their residence to be too hot.

2.    If they go outside regularly, suggest that they go in the morning or evening hours when the temperature is lower and the sun isn’t so hot. If they are out mid-day, make sure they dress appropriately so they don’t get too much sun exposure. We all love the vitamin D from the sun, but only with the proper protection for our skin! Make sure they have on a hat and loose, light clothing.

3.    Have them drink plenty of water. Did you know that the average person sweats about a quart of fluid every day? We would suggest that everyone drink plenty of water all year long, but it is especially important in the hot summer months when we sweat even more. You don’t want your loved one to become dehydrated.

At Assisting Hands® Home Care we make sure the seniors in our care are in the proper climate, whether inside or outside. If there is an issue with something like the air conditioning, our skilled caregivers would make sure the proper people were notified as soon as possible to remedy the situation. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight we can accommodate your needs. You will have peace of mind knowing that your loved one isn’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.

Health Risks You Should be Aware of with Veterans

Chances are that your dad, uncle, grandfather or a female relative has served in one of the armed forces. My dad was in the Army, stationed in Key West during the Bay of Pigs invasion. It may have seemed like a prime place to be stationed, but not so close to Cuba during those trying times! On behalf of everyone here at Assisting Hands® Home Care, we thank all Veterans for their service. We hope that they were not killed in the line of duty – the reason for the Memorial Day holiday; to remember those who were died while serving in the military.

As we remember those who have died defending our country, we focus on those veterans who are still alive. Below we identify the added health risks they may face. Most of these factors are prevalent whether the veteran you know is young or old.

• Higher Risk of Heart Disease. Veterans who suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) may have blood vessels that don’t expand as much as non-veterans, leading to a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. According to a researcher from the University of California, San Francisco, there needs to be more research into the relationship between mental health and cardiovascular disease.

• Suicides. Beginning in 2008, the rate of suicides in the Army outnumbered those of civilians. Almost one-third of suicides of military personnel involved alcohol or drug use. Depression and PTSD are suicide risk factors that should not go unchecked.

• ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). U. S. veterans have almost a 60 percent greater risk of contracting ALS than the rest of the population, according to the ALS Association. Researchers are still looking for the link between military service and this incurable disease.

• Cancers and Other Health Problems Associated with Agent Orange Exposure.Veterans who served in Korea or Vietnam and were exposed to Agent Orange are at an increased risk for several diseases, including cancers, type 2 diabetes, Hodgkin’s disease, heart disease and more. It is even more important that these veterans and their loved ones take care of them in the hopes of preventing one of these diseases.

At Assisting Hands® Home Care we take pride in helping our veterans, as well as civilians. They have done so much for our country; we are honored that we can be with them when you can’t be there. Our caregivers are trained to look for these symptoms and can get help quickly. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight we can accommodate your needs. You will have peace of mind knowing that your loved one isn’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.

Can Your Loved One Safely Drive a Car?

In general, senior citizens are less distracted while behind the wheel than younger adults. In fact, more senior citizens wear their seat belts (as drivers and passengers), drive slower and in better weather condition, and do not drive after drinking. With all of those good driving habits, one would think that accidents among with senior citizens would be rare, but that is not the case.

According to the CDC, more than 5,560 older adults were killed and more than 214,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2012. That equates to 15 older adults (of 92 total people) being killed in car crashes every day! Part of the reason that so many seniors are killed in car crashes has to do with the fact that they are more susceptible to injury, along with having other medical conditions that could become worse in an accident.

Here are 4 things you can do to make sure your senior loved one can stay safe behind the wheel:

• Make sure they get regular eye exams. A senior’s eyesight could change dramatically from year to year. By having a regular exam, you can feel more confident that they can clearly see where they are going and any obstacles around them.
• Have their primary physician or pharmacist review their prescriptions periodically to make sure there are no harmful interactions that could impair driving.
• Have them get some physical activity as often as possible. If your loved one is physically in good shape, it is less likely that a minor fender-bender would be life-threatening.
• Pay attention to their mental cognition. If you find them repeating themselves more often or if they can’t remember where they’ve been, you might want to have a cognitive check done. You do not want your loved one to be confused when they are driving.

Driving is a privilege that very few people will willingly give up. Even if your loved one has their hands at 10 and 2, their seat belt on and radio off, it is important that they stay safe on the road in other ways.

At Assisting Hands Home Care we can provide your loved one with safe transportation to and from doctors and other appointments, grocery shopping or other errands. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, we can accommodate your needs. You will sleep better knowing that your loved one isn’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.

How Can Your Senior Loved One Eat Healthier?

Your eyesight might not be what it used to be or the dinners that you once made without needing the recipe are harder to remember. As people age, their needs become a little greater, even with things that they once took for granted.

But it is very important, especially as we age, that we be aware of what we are eating. As we close out National Nutrition Month, we want to share 5 tips to healthier nutrition for seniors:

• Limit Processed Foods: It might seem easy to load up your loved one’s freezer with ‘healthy’ frozen dinners, but those meals are likely loaded with salt and sugar. Just because a package says ‘healthy’ doesn’t mean it really is. Instead, make a recipe for your loved one once a week and divide it into single servings that can be heated in the oven or microwave. This way you can control the ingredients and you will know they are healthy.
• Eat More Fruits and Vegetables: Fruits and vegetables have a lot of vitamins and fiber, are lower in calories, and are generally unprocessed (beware of canned fruits and vegetables). Instead of buying chips and dip, make sure your loved one has plenty of cut up vegetables and hummus or ready-to-eat fruit available.
• Be Wary of Hidden Sugars: They are everywhere – in condiments like BBQ sauce and ketchup to cereals, yogurt and sodas. Find cereal that is low in sugar and get plain yogurt without added sugar. Your loved one can add the cut up fruit (see above point) to it to give it a great flavor. 

Eating too much sugar can increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. When you buy packaged food for your loved one, look at the ingredients to see where sugar is listed (keep in mind sugar goes by a lot of names like glucose, high fructose corn syrup, etc). If it is listed at the top, skip it. If it is listed toward the bottom or not at all, it should be okay.

• Be Wary of Salt/Sodium: Even if a product is low in sugar, don’t forget to see how much sodium it has. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure. Instead of using salt as a seasoning, substitute with other herbs and spices to create a great tasting meal that is low in sodium.
• Eat More Whole Grains: Your loved one doesn’t have to skip bread altogether; instead get whole grain instead of white bread. The same holds true for pastas and rice – get whole wheat pasta and brown rice instead of white. As with other processed foods, be wary of products that claim they are whole grain, but they are not. 

As with a lot of processed foods, packaging can be misleading. Read the ingredient label to be sure you are getting what you really want for your loved one. If your loved one isn’t eating healthy yet, take these changes one at a time. If done correctly, they may welcome the change. It is never too early to start eating better; healthy habits can last a lifetime.

At Assisting Hands Home Care we can provide your loved one with healthy meals and daily activity to keep their mind and body in as good a condition as possible. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, we can accommodate your needs. You will sleep better knowing that your loved one isn’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.

Are your elderly parents getting the sleep they need?

Have you ever tried to fall asleep but just couldn’t? Or have you fallen asleep just to wake up in the middle of the night and then you can’t fall asleep until just before the alarm goes off? Are you staying awake to care for elderly parents? Sleep is such an important factor in our lives; it controls how we behave, our mood, our energy level, healing and growth.

While we are in National Sleep Awareness Week, we thought we would look at 6 things you can do to get a better night’s sleep.

1.      Have a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day. By creating a routine, you body’s biological clock will get used to it and you will sleep better.

2.      Track your sleep. Write down when you go to bed, how you feel, if you wake up – and how long and how many times. Also track what you did, ate or drank close to bedtime. This may help you identify certain foods or activities that could be affecting your sleep.

3.      Wind down. Don’t go from fully active to bedtime in a couple minutes. Take time to prepare yourself: have your things together for the next day; brush your teeth, hair, etc; relax in bed or practice some deep breathing/meditation.

4.      Skip alcohol before bed. When the alcohol levels in your body start to drop, it signals your body to wake up. So even though you may think alcohol will help you fall asleep, it won’t keep you asleep for long.

5.      Create ‘white noise.’ Buy a ‘white noise’ machine, CD or MP3 download that will block outside noises or distractions from within your own home. This will help you clear your mind and focus on falling asleep.

6.      Don’t let your pets sleep with you. Cats are especially active in the late night/early morning hours and may want you to be awake when they are. Have you ever been nudged in the middle of the night for no reason except they wanted you to know they were there? That doesn’t help your sleep. It may be time to have Fluffy or Spot find another sleeping space away from yours.

When you are the primary caregiver for a loved one that needs help throughout the night, you can’t get the sleep you need to take care of yourself because your focus is on your loved one.

At Assisting Hands Home Care we want to take that burden off of your shoulders. If you can get the rest you need, you will be able to take better care of your loved one, yourself and your family – in addition to a job or other activities that you have. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, we can accommodate your needs. You will sleep better knowing that your loved one isn’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.

When Is It Time For A Daily Money Manager?

By Wendy Einspar

Think of the mail coming into your home, the bills that need to be paid, the calls or emails that should be made about your insurance, wills, retirement planning and more. Now imagine handling all this with impaired eyesight, decreased hearing, arthritic hands, or failing memory.

Many of us wish we had someone to handle the day-to-day personal paperwork, bill paying and interactions with advisors. Daily Money Managers can fill that role. However, the support of a Daily Money Manager (DMM) is even more critical for seniors.

A DMM for busy professionals often works alone in the clients’ homes (or virtually from theDMM’s office) while the clients are at work. DMMs for seniors, more often than not, work with their clients in their homes and have special skill sets to help their clients navigate between dependence and independence. In addition, the DMM for seniors needs to have an incredible array of resources available to guide the senior and the senior’s family to the right decisions about legal documents, long-term care planning, housing options, care management, financial asset management, household management, and more.

 Signs That a Daily Money Manager Is Needed By a Senior:

• Complaints of too much paper
• Bills not being paid
• Medicare, secondary insurance, and medical bills are piling up and not being addressed
• No Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy, Advance Directives in place to provide back up for the senior when he or she is no longer able to handle his or her own affairs
• A spouse has passed away and the widow(er) does not know how to settle the deceased spouse’s affairs and/or does not know how to handle the finances going forward
• Estate planning needs to be done, but there is no clear information about what assets are involved
• A sense of confusion is communicated in conversations
• Letters are coming in from the IRS that taxes have not been filed
• Rent, mortgage and/or insurance has not been paid, electricity is about to be shut off
• Medicaid may be needed, but the process of getting everything together to apply is overwhelming

Early on, DMMs need to sort through accumulated papers: locate bills that need to be addressed immediately; identify important documents and file appropriately or note which documents need to be collected. DMMs help organize and file estate planning, tax and financial documents for the client; work with doctors and insurance companies to sort out what needs to be paid by the insurance company or the client; and prepare budget and spending reports.

How Do I Finding a Daily Money Manager

Search on the website of the American Association of Daily Money Managers(www.aadmm.com) – click “Find a DMM” and search by zip code. In the same area of the website, you can find a list of excellent questions to ask when hiring.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Wendy Einspar for a free consultation at:

Phone 630.728.1257

Email – wendy@einspardmm.com

Internet – www.einspardmm.com

Richard Ueberfluss, PT

www.assistinghands.com/naperville

630.305.9100