SEVERE WEATHER PROMPTS LOCAL COMPANY TO ISSUE DISASTER SAFETY PREP CHECKLIST FOR SENIORS

Home Instead Senior Care 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 Northeast Pennsylvania and the Greater Pocono Region.  “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. 

For more information about disaster preparedness for seniors, contact Home Instead Senior Care 570-586-3135 or visit homeinstead.com/nepa

Home Instead Senior Care network joins effort to detect Alzheimer’s early

The Home Instead Senior Care network has joined the Alzheimer’s Early Detection Alliance (AEDA), a group of corporations, nonprofits and government entities determined to make a difference in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Under the leadership of the Alzheimer’s Association, this alliance will work to educate people nationwide about the warning signs of Alzheimer's disease and the importance of early detection.

Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease and no method to prevent its onset. Early detection is our only management tool, allowing those living with the disease – and their families – time to plan for the future. This may include building the correct medical team, enrolling in clinical studies or investing in safety measures.

Many people struggle to determine if a behavior is a typical age-related change or the first sign of Alzheimer's disease. To help, the Alzheimer’s Association has created this list of warning signs for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Every individual may experience one or more of these in different degrees. If you notice any of them, please see a doctor.

1. Memory changes that disrupt daily life
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks
4. Confusion with time or place
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
8. Decreased or poor judgment
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities
10. Changes in mood and personality

To learn more about the 10 signs, please contact the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org/10signs or 877-IS IT ALZ (877.474.8259). As a member of the AEDA, the Home Instead Senior Care network will work to provide reliable information about Alzheimer’s disease and early detection during the upcoming months.

If you or a loved one is affected by Alzheimer’s disease, turn to the Alzheimer’s Association for support and services. Information is available online at www.alz.org or by calling the Association’s 24/7 Helpline at 1.800.272.3900.

Research: Exercise Slows Age-Related Mental Decline

Inactivity after the death of a spouse is not unusual. Why not suggest that your mother see her doctor to make sure her health conditions haven’t changed or that she’s not suffering from depression. Ask the doctor about her ability to exercise, because it could help.

Home Instead CAREGivers can encourage
 and assist seniors with their physical activity

A study published as “Online First” by Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, clearly points to new hope in a method of slowing age-related mental decline in women who had vascular or coronary risks.

Previous research has suggested that physical activity is associated with reduced rates of cognitive impairment in older adults. However, much of this research has apparently been conducted among individuals who are generally in good health.

Further, many of these studies rely on self-reports of physical activity, which are not always accurate; and focus on moderate or vigorous exercise, instead of low-intensity physical activity.

In the recent article, researchers from the Foundation of Public Health, Mutuelle Generale de l'Education Nationale, Paris, examined data from the Women's Antioxidant Cardiovascular Study, which included women who had either prevalent vascular disease or three or more coronary risk factors.

As participants’ energy expenditure increased, the rate of cognitive decline decreased. The amount of exercise equivalent to a brisk, 30-minute walk every day was associated with lower risk of cognitive impairment. So you can tell your mom that even a 30-minute walk a day would help her maintain good “brain” health.

 It sounds as though Mom could benefit from a little companionship. Why not try to interest her in activities she used to enjoy with your father or pastimes she liked at one time herself. Recommend she join a walking club, or take up gardening with a friend when the weather is nice.   

If she isn’t interested in doing anything with her friends, suggest a paid caregiving service. CAREGivers^SM from the local Home Instead Senior Care^® office often join older adults in activities, serving as companions as well as motivators.

For more information about Home Instead Senior Care, contact <<Insert Franchise Owner’s Full Name>> at <<Insert Telephone Number>> or go to homeinstead.com/nepa. For more about the study, visit http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/171/14/1244.

Reliable Resources for Seniors and Caregivers

• Caregiverstress.com - while family caregiving is often a very rewarding and bonding experience, it can also be stressful and cause tension within families. Caregiverstress.com is an educational program designed to help family caregivers take care of themselves while taking care of their senior loved one. For more information, visit caregiverstress.com
• Too Close For Comfort? - a resource that helps adult children and their aging loved one answer the question, "Should we or shouldn't we live together?" This program includes information on the emotional, safety and financial aspect of intergenerational living. Visit makewayformom.com for more information.
• The 40-70 Rule - helps adult children begin positive conversations with their aging parents before a crisis or emergency occurs. The program and emotional support services are offered to develop open discussions between families relating to providing care to parents and other topics. Visit 4070talk.com for more information.
• Cooking Under Pressure - healthy eating is essential for people of all ages, but for many seniors, a well-balanced diet is the key to feeling their best. A variety of issues, from medications and illnesses to memory problems and physical constraints, can jeopardize a senior's ability to maintain a balanced diet. This program is arming seniors and family caregivers with nutrition resources for healthy aging. For more information, visit foodsforseniors.com
• Stages of Senior Care - to help children of seniors adapt to their parents' changing lives, Home Instead Senior Care founders wrote a special book - Stages of Senior Care: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Best Decisions. It can help adult children make the best-informed, most confident plans and decisions when it comes to caring for senior parents, family members or any older adults in their lives. For more information, visit, stagesofseniorcare.com
• Get Mom Moving - lack of activity can lead to a downward spiral of poor health resulting in frailty, a condition that threatens the mind, body and social life of older adults. Information designed to keep seniors engaged and fit can be found at getmommoving.com
• Caring for Your Parents: Education for the Family Caregiver- a support series for caregivers that addresses senior resistance to care, featuring a variety of topics such as choosing an in-home care provider, the signs of aging, long distance caregiving and communicating with aging parents. Materials and videos can be found on caregiverstress.com
• Breaking Point - experts say even seniors who simply don't know how to part with their possessions are vulnerable. The risks are many from slipping on loose papers to the threat of fire to mold and mildew. Clutter can also interfere with family relationships. And that may leave adult children wondering if the only inheritance awaiting them is a big mess. More information can be found on homeinstead.com
• The 50-50 Rule- provides practical support services to develop open discussions between adult siblings in an effort to help them improve communication skills, develop teamwork, make decisions together and divide the workload in caring for aging parents. Visit solvingfamilyconflict.com for more information.
• Answering the Call - a senior emergency can help ensure that family caregivers have fast and easy access to important information about loved ones in case of an emergency call. For more information, visit senioremergencykit.com

What Our Caregivers Are Saying...

Some of our CAREGivers share what it means to be a Home Instead Senior Care CAREGiver:

Being a caregiver allows me the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life. I really enjoy helping out others and knowing that what I do is important to them.

I really don’t believe there is one special thing that we do for our client. Everything that we do for our clients is important, whether it’s taking them to the grocery store, or accompanying them on doctor visits, or just sitting and listening to their stories. Everything we do is important to our clients.

If I had to describe my job in one word I would have to say that it’s rewarding.

The best part of my job would have to be the smile that I receive when I arrive at a client’s house. It’s just such a friendly welcome that they give you. They’re just so excited to see you. I think that’s the best part of being a caregiver.

I was with a client for almost four years. In the beginning she used to tell her son, “Tell her to go home. I really don’t need help.” The last six months of her life we would sit down on the bed when she’d get ready for bed. She would hold my hand and put her head on my shoulder and say, “I’m so glad that you’re here to be with me. I’ll never be alone.”

I think the most important thing that I do is give them companionship, keep them safe and secure, and make them know that they’re not alone, that they always have someone to be with them and help them.

I think if I was going to describe my job in one word it would have to be rewarding because it’s so powerful to see these people and know that they appreciate what you’re doing and you’re really helping them and keeping them safe and happy.

Craving Companionship

It’s dinnertime, and what your senior parent is likely craving the most is to share a favorite family meal with you.

That’s according to research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network, which revealed that lack of companionship is the biggest mealtime challenge for seniors.* The local Home Instead Senior Care office is encouraging family caregivers to dig into the family recipe box to find that favorite dish, and prepare and share a meal with their senior loved one.

Then enter that recipe and the story about what makes the dish so special to your family in the Craving Companionship^SM Recipe Contest between July 15 and September 15, 2011. The contest is part of the Craving Companionship program at www.mealsandcompanionship.com launched to help seniors stay connected socially and eat more nutritiously.

“Many seniors need help planning and preparing nutritious meals,” said Bob Vielee, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Clarks Summit. “But that’s only part of the story. So many seniors want to relive a time around the dinner table when they are sharing their lives with the people they love most. Home Instead Senior Care network research reveals that seniors who live alone want good-tasting, nutritious food and stimulating conversation when they share home-cooked meals with family and friends.”

The program offers family caregivers tips and practical advice to encourage companionship and easy healthy meals. For more details about the contest including guidelines and prizes, visit www.mealsandcompanionship.com. Selected recipes and stories will be posted online as well as in the Homemade Memories^SM Cookbook, which will be available for purchase in time for the 2011 holiday season. Proceeds will go to the non-profit Home Instead Senior Care Foundation to benefit North American seniors.

Craving Companionship is geared to helping families support a nutritiously vulnerable population – older adults who live alone. In the United States, approximately 40 percent of the population age 75 and older – 6.7 million people – lives alone, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Craving Companionship program and contest are incentives for families to find time to help their loved ones prepare the foods they’ve always loved and enjoy those dishes with them. “Who likes to eat alone?  Nobody,” said Sandy Markwood, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), expert source for the Craving Companionship program.

 “We know from the popular home-delivered meals program, also known as “Meals On Wheels^®,” that companionship is among the most important needs of local seniors. Older adults often look forward to the delivery driver as much as the meal,” Markwood noted. “We share the Home Instead Senior Care mission to help older adults live with confidence at home for as long as possible by providing the support they need.  Because when a senior is isolated, it’s indicative of bigger challenges that person could be facing.”

Two of five seniors who live alone (44 percent) have at least four warning signs of poor nutritional health**. According to Home Instead Senior Care network research, the most common of these warning signs and their incidence rates are:

§  Eating alone most of the time (76 percent)

§  Taking three or more different medications a day (71 percent)

§  Eating few fruits, vegetables or milk products (46 percent)

§  Having an illness/condition that prompted a change in diet (31 percent) 

§  Not always being physically able to shop, cook or feed themselves (25 percent)

Furthermore, the research confirms the value of mealtimes. An overwhelming majority of seniors (85 percent) say that having someone to share their meals makes those times more satisfying for them. In addition, nearly one-half (48 percent) say their mealtimes are more satisfying if they have someone prepare their meals for them. 

Sadly, these same seniors say that several factors can get in the way of their mealtime companionship. The most common obstacles that prevent these seniors from sharing more meals are family/friends don’t have enough time (28 percent) or they live too far away (20 percent).

“That’s no surprise since we know from experience families often lack the time to help their aging parents,” Vielee said. “But 59 percent of seniors who live alone say they eat more nutritiously when family and friends are around. They really enjoy having that connection with someone, whether it’s a family caregiver or a professional caregiver.”

*The Home Instead Senior Care network completed 600 telephone interviews with seniors age 75 and older in the U.S. who live alone in their own homes or apartments. The sampling error is +/-4.0% at a 95% confidence level.   

**The warning signs of poor nutritional health were previously identified and published by the Nutrition Screening Initiative.

Seniors Turn to Prayer for Better Health

The latest on the topic of health comes from the spiritual realm rather than the medical field. Praying for better health dramatically increased among American adults over the past three decades, rising 36 percent between 1999 and 2007, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association. The study focused on new data comparing 2002 to 2007 that found senior citizens are by far more likely to turn to prayer in coping with health issues than younger people.

Not surprisingly, too, seniors had a smaller percentage increase in those saying they prayed recently, because their numbers were already so high. One suggestion from the researchers is that a previous study found that as pain becomes more chronic, people are more likely to turn to prayer.

Some key findings:

·         A significantly greater proportion of women prayed compared with men; 51 percent of women reported praying in 2002 and 56 percent in 2007, in contrast with 34 percent and 40 percent, respectively, among men.

·         African-Americans were more likely to pray for their health than Caucasians, with 61 percent of African-Americans reporting having done so in 2002 and 67 percent in 2007, compared with 40 percent and 45 percent for Caucasians during the same periods.

·         People who were married, educated beyond high school or had experienced a change in health for better or worse within the last 12 months were also more likely to pray about health concerns, the study found.

The study did not reveal the type of prayer people used, or which occurred first – prayer or the health issue.

The support of a professional caregiver can be of help as well, particularly if you need assistance around the house. CAREGivers^SM from your local Home Instead Senior Care^® office can help take some of the fear from the issues of aging and growing older by providing a variety of non-medical and companionship services. CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured.  

To learn more about the research, visit http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2011/05/praying-health.aspx.