Home Healthcare

I recently read this article about downsizing from a large home to a smaller one and thought it might be a good topic to share. As many of us downsize our parents, grandparents, or even ourselves into smaller places it seems an overwhelming task to cull our possessions. In this article from HGTV’s Emily Henderson who is working with seniors at Sunrise Senior Living she gives some very savvy tips to make this task less daunting. Some highlights are:

• Buy multifunctional pieces - such as cocktail tables that can be stools, and ottomans that can hold storage.
• Don't have too many contrasting colors, because it makes the room busier and smaller.
• Keep the clutter down - nothing makes a space look smaller than a bunch of random knickknacks on surfaces.
• Use your wall space. If you don't have a ton of other areas for accessories, don't forget that you can hang objects that you love in shadow boxes as art on the walls.
• Consider round or oval furniture to keep the flow more open and airy.
•  

I think I’ll be keeping these in mind as I spring clean even my current home and will definitely be using them when I help my grandmother clean out her house this year.

Happy Mothers Day!

For the full article check out www.kansascity.com/2012/05/10/3604142/hgtv-hosts-decorating-advice-helps.html

 Dying with dignity. Who wouldn’t envision that for themselves? At the risk of broaching an awkward topic – how much are you willing to pay for that? What are you willing to do and not do? Depending on the source, the median net worth of the American at death ranges from $50K-$75K. That’s no one’s definition of great wealth. Related – and more concerning - is in 2009, the average end-of-life expenses incurred during a person’s last 90-days were between $30K-$40K – eating up more than half of a lifetime’s savings that might otherwise go to loved ones.

Prior to World War II, the most common place to die was quietly at home, often by the “physician’s friend” – pneumonia. The costs? Not much. We all know that today intensive care in a hospital can exceed $10K per day. While hospice offers some improvement in environment and cost, passing away at home remains the place of choice for most people. With a little advanced planning – wills, end-of-life care options and final arrangements can help that happen.

End of life planning tools: www.fullcirclecare.org/endoflife/checklist.html

 Activities for the elderly are an important part of making sure that our seniors’ minds are being engaged and brain cells are being stimulated. As children and/or caretakers of elderly people it is our responsibility to make sure seniors are being engaged! Participating in activities such as arts and crafts can help our elders maintain motor skills, hand eye coordination, concentration and self esteem, thus improving overall quality of life. Here is a list of potentially enjoyable activities that seniors could participate in:

Reading, painting, puzzles, games, woodworking, scrapbooking, knitting, sewing, playing instruments, writing/journaling, playing horseshoes, gardening, watching movies, working on genealogy…and so on.

Being actively engaged as a senior is an important part to overall health and quality of life. Make sure your loved ones are getting the stimulation they need.

What activities do your elderly loved-ones like doing?

 My grandparents are all in their nineties now, in fact the grandparents I just visited for Easter are 96 and 94. They live alone and with shaking hands they still cook and prepare our holiday feast of leg of lamb, fruit salad, and grilled asparagus followed by a homemade strawberry pie. All of this with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails before dinner along with a beautifully decorated table complete with candles and a full set of silverware. I am amazed at their ability to still put on such wonderful gatherings with little to no help from any of the rest of us. I am unable to contribute to the preparations or clean up without causing a huge argument (which I’ve decided causes more damage than it does help).

My other grandmother, just turned 98 and until a couple of weeks ago when she fell and broke her femur was still getting around pretty well.

I often wonder about how I can honor these wonderful people who have taught me so much and have helped shape the person I am today. How can I make them feel special and know how thankful I am that they are in my life. They have all of the material things they could ever want. They won’t allow you to give them money to buy the leg of lamb, or do the dishes or vacuum their floors. I could send flowers, or candies, or bring dust collecting trinkets… Or I can give them a true gift for which they truly would enjoy. TIME

I can take time out of my so called busy life and spend a few extra hours with these very special people. I can take a few minutes to write them a letter letting them know I am thinking about them and what they are up to. This gift I know they will truly appreciate. How do I know this? Because they just sent me a thank you card for taking the time to come see them for Easter….Take the time it takes to value those you love!

If you haven’t heard about it yet you must be living under a rock. The Hunger Games, a book series turned into movie, was released last weekend and has been a smashing success. But the hype doesn’t end with the movie. We are seeing Hunger Game games, Hunger Game reenactments, and even a specific fashion trend following that of Katniss Everdeen’s “girl on fire” style. What really stands out in the healthcare world, however, is the newly introduced “Hunger Games Workout”.

The Hunger Games work out is being offered around the country and is currently especially popular with models and actresses seeking to lose weight and get in shape fast. This work out is set up using the Hunger Games as an outline to mix different styles of exercises. It begins with a cornucopia set up that the participants are instructed to charge and fight for just as the tributes would in the actual hunger games. Once each participant has claimed their weapon and is given a character. The instruction then reads out a series of events for each character. Typically the training is a mix between combat training and cross-fit training. Also included are box jumps, sprints, rope climbs, and sandbags.

The most popular classes being offered in the USA at this time are being offered by New York Sport’s Clubs. It is the perfect mix of role playing and exercise that allows fantasy fans to indulge while getting a great workout.
For more information check out this short video on the work out:

www.youtube.com/watch

Have you participated in this work out? Has it worked for you?

A living will is an important part of end of life planning. A living will is a legal document that dictates a person’s wishes for life-prolonging medical treatments. This document only goes into effect if you are incapacitated and any chance of recovery is hopeless. Your living will speaks for you when you are unable to speak for yourself. Discuss life-prolonging medical treatments with your doctor to make sure you understand the implications. The following are common treatments you may want to discuss with your doctor:

• Resuscitation. Restarts the heart when it has stopped beating (cardiac death). Determine if and when you would want to be resuscitated by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or by a device that delivers an electric shock to stimulate the heart.
• Mechanical ventilation. Takes over your breathing if you're unable to do so. Consider if, when and for how long you would want to be placed on a mechanical ventilator.
• Nutritional and hydration assistance. Supplies the body with nutrients and fluids intravenously or via a tube in the stomach. Decide if, when and for how long you would want to be fed in this manner.
• Dialysis. Removes waste from your blood and manages fluid levels if your kidneys no longer function. Determine if, when and for how long you would want to receive this treatment. mayoclinic.com

Finally, make sure family members are aware of your living will and what your will dictates. This may be a difficult task but it will lessen the stress and burden of future situations when your family knows what you want beforehand.

For some they are our best friends and constant companions. They offer loyalty, love, and friendship. Pets are loved by many but do they actually contribute to our mental and physical health as well?

Originally I was going to write this post about the effects of pet ownership on senior citizens. However, while doing research on this topic I found enormous results for the health benefits on not only senior citizens but for just about every person of every age. It has been widely known that just the simple act of petting an animal alone can reduce your blood pressure. But did you know that having a pet can even reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and decrease the amount of visits you may make to a doctor in one year?

There are many different theories on how owning a pet can contribute to your health. Some believe that the strong bond between owner and animal may eliminate stress for the owner. Others propose that the enhancement of social interactions between other people with pet ownership is key. Either way the importance of companionship, be it animal or human, cannot be ignored. According to www.nps.gov companionship can have these positive effects on a person:

• Greater reduction of cardiovascular stress.
• Decreased pulse rate, increased skin temperature, and decreased muscle tension.
• Enhanced hormone levels of dopamine and endorphins association with happiness.
• Reduced levels of stress hormone cortisol.

As seen in the above listed effects pets can not only boost your physical health but have been known to have an even bigger effect on mental health. According to the article “Pet Ownership and Mental Health: Pooches Not Prozac” A 1999 UCLA study, for example, demonstrated that men with AIDS were less likely to have depression if they owned a pet. To read more on this topic check out the article: www.healthinsurancerates.com/84-pet-ownership-and-mental-health.html

Going back to senior citizens and pet ownership it is important to realize the positive effects that an animal can have. Even if a senior citizen is not physically or mentally capable of taking care of a pet on their own studies have shown that bringing in pet visitors can significantly reduce stress and loneliness. So if you have a friendly pet that you are willing socialize with others why not stop by the nearest senior home or visit your grandparent or parent?
Have you ever taken your pet to visit an elderly citizen or have you personally seen the positive results of pet ownership? Share your story on our Facebook page.

Neglected or absent from home healthcare discussions are plans for care in the event of a natural disaster. Prudent folks today have a 3-day or 7-day supply of food and water in case utilities are affected and water, sanitation, natural gas or electricity are off line. While the media has focused on food, drinking water, batteries and even chain saws, sanitation systems are often the first to go stop functioning. Flooding from swollen rivers or hurricanes or disruptions from earthquakes can overwhelm a sewage treatment system very quickly. In 2008, Hurricane Ike thankfully struck Houston with less than feared force. But while the media focused on the massive-scale of the evacuation headed inland, the first casualty was the municipal sewer system. While emergency and portable generators temporarily restored lost power and lights, providing interim, alternative sanitation became Job One. In institutional healthcare settings, stored caches of emergency supplies can tide patients over in ways more adaptable than casual or informal healthcare providers can. As planning is made for immobile patients at home, wisdom suggests making provision for human waste handling including isolating waste, short-term storage and odor mitigation

Dehydration can happen quickly and can be very serious if left unattended, it can even cause or contribute to heart attack. I’ve experienced 3 separate episodes with aging loved ones over the past year or so where the root of the problems they were experiencing had to do with being mildly to severely dehydrated. All of these experiences were stressful, scary and traumatic. However, what is most important to get across is all of these experiences were preventable.

“From puberty to 39 years of age, total body fluid is about 60% of body weight in men and 52% in women; after age 60, total body fluid decreases to about 52% of body weight in men and 46% in women. Women have a higher percentage of body fat and less muscle mass than men do and therefore less total body fluid.” (www.globalaging.org/health/us/2006/dehydration.htm)

Dehydration can happen to any of us. However, it is especially true for older people. Often the medications that they are taking can cause them to lose fluids more rapidly, or because it is harder for them to move around its simply too hard for them to get up and get a glass of water. Normally, the first sign of dehydration is thirst which tells our brains we need to drink something. According to the study done by the Global Action on Aging in 2006 “The thirst response, which is the body’s primary mechanism of signaling the need for fluid, becomes blunted with age.” With the thirst response blunted, often times people don’t even realize they are dehydrated. The following are signs of mild dehydration: dry or sticky feeling in the mouth, feeling sleepy, dizzy, light headed or have a head ache, sometime muscle weakness can occur.

It’s important as care givers that we pay attention to signs that our loved ones may not be getting enough fluids. If dehydration becomes extreme it can lead to much worse outcomes. In addition some studies show that properly hydrated individuals are healthier in general and can prevent falls, and other complications. I found an excellent resource online while researching the topic at : www.caring-for-aging-parents.com/dehydration-in-the-elderly.html  here they have tips for prevention as well as treatments and tests for dehydration.

Thanks for reading and remember Hydration=Happiness!!

Sleep is important for our minds and bodies to function normally. If you regularly get less sleep than your brain requires, then you are, by definition, sleep deprived. Long term sleep deprivation can lead to a list of health problems like more rapid aging, being more susceptible to colds and flus, and an increased risk of accidents due to sleepiness and poor coordination. It can cause you to feel irritable and experience mood swings, forget important information, and have a reduced ability to deal with stress. In addition to all of that sleep deprivation can also increase your risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. If that’s not enough to make you want to take a nap, I don’t know what is

The moral of the story: If you have ever found yourself with your arms extended moaning braaaaains, or muttering the top 10 reasons why you don’t want to be out of bed, remember that the way you feel while awake hinges on how well you sleep at night. So if you want to leave behind your life as a zombie and be more productive, mentally sharp, emotionally balanced, and full of energy get the sleep your body needs.



If you are having a hard time falling asleep, here is a link to WebMD’s 10 tips to getting better sleep:www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/10-tips-to-get-better-sleep


If you are curious how much sleep you need, here is a link to the national sleep foundation’s website answering that exact question:  www.sleepfoundation.org/article/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need.


Now go get your sleep on!!