Heat Taking a Toll on Seniors

Local Senior Care Company Advises Family Caregivers to Keep a Close Eye on Elderly during Heat Wave

Nobody likes extreme and prolonged heat, but such conditions can be deadly for seniors.  On average, more than 1,500 people in the U.S. die each year from excessive heat, according to NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).(http://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/heat.php). This number is greater than the 30-year mean annual number of deaths due to tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and lightning combined. 

The elderly are often the most vulnerable to severe heat, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/elderlyheat.asp).  Why? Their bodies do not adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature, they are more likely to have a chronic medical condition that changes normal body responses to heat, and they are often on a prescription medicine that impairs the body's ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibits perspiration.

If you are a senior or caring for an elderly individual, the following tips, from the local Home Instead Senior Care^® office, will help them combat the heat:

• Keep a glass of water in every room to quickly and easily access fluids. Drink plenty of fluids, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
• Go through the closet and remove all heavy materials, long sleeves and dark colors. Store them until fall.
• Set fashion trends. If you’re in need of new clothes, check out the latest fashion magazines. Look for short sleeves, lightweight rayons or cottons, and light-colored clothing that reflect the heat.
• Stay out of the sun during the hottest times of the day. Fill up your bird feeder in the morning and water the lawn at night. Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation that much more difficult.
• Put down that broom! Save household chores, particularly washing and drying clothes and operating the dishwasher, for evenings, when the weather is cooler.
• Take a nap during high heat times – between 3 and 5 p.m. in the afternoon, for instance – or find a good television program or movie to watch.
• While you’re napping or enjoying a movie, keep shades down and blinds pulled.  Keeping a house tightly closed is more energy efficient.
• Invite your friends over for an iced tea break. Replace coffee breaks with iced tea or lemonade breaks in an air-conditioned spot – not the patio. Staying in an air-conditioned dwelling during hot days is safer.
• Go on a shopping spree. If you don’t have an air conditioner, or if yours is broken, spend the afternoon at the mall. You can shop or just enjoy cool drinks and a good book.
• Put away that meat loaf recipe for the summer and track down new recipes for fruit and vegetable salads. Foods like proteins that increase metabolic heat production also increase water loss.
• If increased use of a central air conditioning system causes higher utility bills that are a problem for your budget, consider purchasing a fan or small window unit that can cool down a home at a lower cost. In fact, window fans provide an effective way to exhaust the day’s hot air during the night.  

For more information about the heat, visit the National Weather Service Web site at http://www.noaa.gov and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Web site at www.fema.gov. Or, to learn more about Home Instead Senior Care, log on to www.homeinstead.com

ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE

Founded in 1994 in Omaha, the Home Instead Senior Care^® network is the world's largest provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 875 independently owned and operated franchises in 14 countries and 15 markets, spanning four continents. Home Instead Senior Care local offices employ 65,000+ CAREGivers^SM who provide more than 40 million hours of client service each year through activities including companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, errands and shopping. Home Instead Senior Care founders Paul and Lori Hogan pioneered franchising in the non-medical senior care industry and are leading advocates for senior issues in America. At Home Instead Senior Care, it’s relationship before task, while continuing to provide superior quality service that enhances the lives of seniors everywhere.

888-294-6785

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Home Health Costs Flat While Nursing Homes, ALFs Increase

Keeping your parents in their own home could be the best deal, according to a recent Genworth study. The cost of a private room in a nursing home jumped 3.4 percent in the last year to a staggering $77,745 a year, according to Genworth’s 2011 Cost of Care Survey. Not far behind is a 2.4 percent jump in the cost of assisted living facilities, which is $39,135 a year. The bright light was on home health care, which held steady cost-wise.

At $18 per hour for homemaker services and $19 an hour for home health aide services, the national median hourly cost to receive care in the home remained flat over the past 12 months. “Understanding local caregiving expenses is an essential first step for families faced with rising care costs,” said Buck Stinson, president, U.S. Life Insurance Products at Genworth.

For consumers interested in learning more about the cost of care in their local market, Genworth offers an interactive map of long term care costs in 437 regions across all 50 states at www.Genworth.com/CostofCare. The site offers a range of resources:

·         Find specific cost information that matters to your family – by state and type of care setting for 437 cities and regions across the country

·         Compare costs across up to three locations including where your senior lives currently

·         Calculate the cost of care 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years out so you can plan well for your own future

·         Download the full survey report, complete with executive summary, and overviews of long term care services and financing options, or just download a specific state’s data

Industry surveys typically reveal that most seniors prefer to age in the comfort of their own homes. Surveys conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care^® network show the preference at nearly 90 percent.

And with home care costs so affordable, families can now consider that option to be one of the best. For more information, contact your local Home Instead Senior Care office at 570-586-3135 to find out how a CAREGiver^SM could help your senior loved ones.

Survey: Most baby boomers lack a plan to care for parents

A majority of Baby Boomers say they are likely to become caregivers for their parents, but only half can name any medications their parents take, a new survey shows.

 

The survey of 600 adults ages 45 to 65, conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care network, also found:

•31% don't know how many medications their parents take.

•34% don't know whether their parents have a safe deposit box or where the key is.

•36% don't know where their parents' financial information is located.

Nurse practitioner Mimi Mahon recommends putting health care information on 3-by-5-inch notecards and keeping copies in the medicine cabinet and the car, and encouraging aging parents to carry a copy.

"The majority of caregivers we work with have done no advance planning,'' says Jeff Huber, president of Home Instead Senior Care, a company that provides non-medical care services. "It is not important until it's urgent. So much stress and uncertainty down the road can be prevented."

Lack of planning can lead to serious complications when decisions need to be made quickly, says palliative care nurse practitioner Mimi Mahon, an associate professor at George Mason University in Virginia. "It's vitally important to plan ahead and have these conversations with parents, or families can act out of fear and make mistakes when emergencies arise."

Prescription drugs are of particular concern. In the survey, 49% couldn't name a single drug their parents took. Ask parents about their medications and, if necessary, do research, experts say. Find out the dose, what it's for, who prescribed it and why. People 65 and older account for about a third of all medications prescribed in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health, and older patients are more likely to have long-term and multiple prescriptions, which could lead to unintentional misuse.

"It's kind of a never-ending process for caregivers," says Sandy Markwood, head of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. "It gets further complicated when there is more than the family practitioner. A parent might have several specialists. It's a lot for a caretaker to keep up."

Markwood says the Administration on Aging, also under HHS, has been encouraging better record-keeping by seniors and stronger communication between seniors and caretakers since Hurricane Katrina. "Then you had a situation when seniors were evacuated without their medications and no one knew what medications they were on," Markwood says. "Doctors had to start from scratch."

One must-have answer for caretakers: What drugs can parents go without and which ones must be taken on schedule. For instance, blood pressure and anti-depressant medications cannot be missed, Mahon says.

The bottom line, she says, is being a staunch advocate for your parents' health care starts with "having conversations and putting plans in place."

Fat-to-Fit Program Can Help Seniors Lose Weight

Fitness expert and author Carole Carson lost more than 60 pounds at age 60. She now works with AARP, which recently launched the third annual “Fat-to-Fit Summer Weight Loss Challenge,” an online program challenging and supporting people to make positive, permanent life changes to improve their health.

Studies show people are more likely to stick to exercise plans when they have support. The Fat-to-Fit program focuses on personal interaction with both Carson and other participants through the Fat-to-Fit online community of more than 18,000 members.

Challengers will be able to access free diet and fitness tips, Carson’s columns and blogs, videos, recipes and more. They are urged to post frequent updates and to exchange ideas, encouragement, recipes and moral support.

And registrants have a chance to win $2,000. Official registration, rules and details are available at www.aarp.org/fat2fit.

“Most of us know what we need to do, but we need help making lifestyle changes,” Carson said. “The Fat-to-Fit community will help you make new friends as you learn how to incorporate exercise into your schedule. You’ll find an exercise that fits your specific needs and cuts calories, leading to a longer, healthier life.”

The challenge runs through July 9, 2011, and visitors to AARP’s Website (www.aarp.org) can register to join throughout the duration of the challenge.

Carson will select weekly small-prize winners and, at the end of the program, she will select three overall winners. Winners will be chosen based on three criteria: serving as a role model for the entire community, facing and overcoming challenges, and demonstrating the principles of the Fat-to-Fit program.

DISASTER SAFETY PREP CHECKLIST FOR SENIORS

With severe weather season upon us in the U.S., older adults may be among the most vulnerable victims when disasters strike.  That's why Home Instead Senior Care, the international caregiving company with more than 800 locations in 15 countries, has issued a disaster safety preparation checklist to help prepare seniors for the possibility of natural disasters.

“We know that a disaster can be deadly for some seniors because of physical and other limitations,” said Bob Vielee, owner of the Home Instead Office serving Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, Wayne and Wyoming counties. “That’s why the sooner the better for families to talk with their senior loved ones and begin preparing in advance for any kind of emergency that could threaten their health or safety. Consider this checklist as you help your older adult get ready."

Home Instead Senior Care's Disaster Prep Checklist For Seniors:

 

____Tune in.  Contact the local emergency management office to learn about the most likely natural disasters to strike your area.  Stay abreast of what’s going on through your local radio or television. 

____Take stock.  Decide what your senior can or can’t do in the event of a natural disaster.  Make a list of what would be needed if a disaster occurred.  For example, if your loved one is wheelchair-bound, determine an evacuation strategy ahead of time. Prepare for whatever disaster could hit the area.

____ To go or to stay?  When deciding to evacuate, older adults should go sooner rather than later.  By waiting too long, they may be unable to leave if they require assistance.

  

____ Make a plan.  Schedule a family meeting to develop a plan of action.  Include in your plan key people – such as neighbors, friends, relatives and professional caregivers – who could help. 

____More than one way out.  Seniors should develop at least two escape routes: one to evacuate their home and one to evacuate their community.  The local emergency management office can tell you escape routes out of the community.

____Meet up.  Designate a place to meet relatives or key support network people outside the house, as well as a second location outside the neighborhood, such as a school or church.  Practice the plan twice a year. 

____Get up and “Go Kit.”  Have an easy-to-carry backpack including three days non-perishable food and water with an additional four days of food and water readily accessible at home.  Have at least one gallon of bottled water per person per day.  Refresh and replace your supplies at least twice a year.  And don’t forget the blanket and paper products such as toilet paper.

____Pack extras and copies.  Have at least a one-month supply of medication on hand at all times.  Make ready other important documents in a waterproof protector including copies of prescriptions, car title registration and driver’s license, insurance documents and bank account numbers, and spare checkbook.  Also take extra eyeglasses and hearing-aid batteries.  Label every piece of important equipment or personal item in case they are lost.

____Your contact list.  Compile a contact list and include people on a senior’s support network as well as doctors and other important health-care professionals.

____If you can’t be there.  If you’re not living close by to help your loved one, enlist the help of family or friends, or contact a professional caregiving company. 

The Top Eight Medication Pitfalls for Seniors

Seniors on multiple medications begin a slippery slope that can lead to disaster if their medications are not properly managed, according to a representative for the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP).

On average, seniors ages 85 and older take 34 prescriptions, including refills, per year, according to the ASCP. The average number of unique prescriptions for that group is 6.3. The 75 to 84 demographic is nearly as high with an average of just over 33 prescriptions per year and 6.7 unique prescriptions.

“Adverse drug reactions are very common and not always recognized by patient or physician as drug side effects,” said Thomas Clark, RPh, MHS, CGP, director of Clinical Affairs for the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists and the ASCP Foundation who served as expert source for the Answering the Call^SM program. The program is designed to help adult children be better prepared for an emergency with their senior loved one.

The Home Instead Senior Care^® network worked with Humana Points of Caregiving^® to develop the Senior Emergency Kit^SM, an information management tool to help older adults and their families track medications in an effort to prevent problems. This toolkit provides family caregivers with everything they need to be prepared for an emergency. Following are the common types of medication-related problems from the ASCP:

1.      Untreated conditions – The patient has a medical condition that requires drug therapy, but is not receiving a drug for that condition.

2.      Drug use without indication – The patient is taking a medicine for no medically valid condition or reason.

3.      Improper drug selection – The patient’s medical condition is being treated with the wrong drug or a drug that is not the most appropriate for the special needs of the patient.

4.      Subtherapeutic dosage – The patient has a medical condition that is being treated with too little of the correct medication.

5.      Overdosage – The patient has a medical problem that is being treated with too much of the correct medication.

6.      Adverse drug reactions – The patient has a medical condition that is the result of an adverse drug reaction (ADR) or adverse effect. In the case of older adults, ADRs contribute to already existing geriatric problems such as falls, urinary incontinence, constipation and weight loss.

7.      Drug interactions – The patient has a medical condition that is the result of a drug interacting negatively with another drug or a food.

8.      Failure to receive medication – The patient has a medical condition that is the result of not receiving a medication due to economic, psychological, sociological or pharmaceutical reasons.

For more information, visit the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists at www.ascp.com. Check out www.SeniorEmergencyKit.com to learn more about the management tool, or contact your local Home Instead Senior Care office.

Home Helper Could Assist Patients Discharged from Hospital

A recent study has identified an unusual phenomenon. For senior citizens, hospitalizations actually may cause temporary memory loss and difficulty in understanding discharge instructions, according to a Northwestern Medicine study. 

The seniors go back to normal one month after the hospital stay, the study found. But immediately following a hospitalization is a critical time in which seniors may need extra support from healthcare professionals and family, according to Lee Lindquist, M.D., the lead author of the study, published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

 “A helper on the day of discharge could make sure a senior understands discharge instructions and help her get home and follow instructions safely,” Lindquist said. “If a patient is by herself the day of a hospital discharge, it’s possible that she won’t comprehend complicated medical instructions, increasing medication errors and chances of re-hospitalization.”  

More than 200 seniors, age 70 and older, who lived on their own in the Chicago area and were not diagnosed with dementia or other cognitive problems, took part in the study. At the time of discharge, cognition tests were administered to examine mental status. Almost one-third had low cognition that was previously unrecognized. One month later, 58 percent of those patients no longer had low cognition. They had significant improvement in areas of orientation, registration, repetition, comprehension, naming, reading, writing and calculation.

“When the senior is no longer sick enough to be in the hospital, it doesn’t mean they’re 100 percent ready to be on their own,” Lindquist said. “It’s a critical time and they need extra support and understanding from healthcare professionals and family.”

Help ensure that your mother is safe by providing extra assistance for the days and weeks after she returns home from the hospital. If you or another family member can’t be with her the entire time she’s recuperating, contact your local Home Instead Senior Care^® office at 888-294-6785.

A Home Instead CAREGiver ^SM can serve as a second set of eyes and ears to assist your mom with such activities as companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping and medication reminders. All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured.