Some wonder if Alzheimer’s patients really live out their lives at home and, also, whether it’s a good idea. I believe strongly that it is because structure and familiarity are important in the life of someone with Alzheimer’s disease. Also it’s good to keep your loved one with Alzheimer’s involved in day-to-day life. The easiest place to do that is at home.
We’ve had many, many clients with a cognitive deficit. The overwhelming majority of them have stayed in their home until the day they died. At the end we’ve brought in hospice services to help them. Many clients are walking around up to a day or two before they pass away.
My experience is that someone with Alzheimer’s does better staying at home because they are familiar with the routine and the space. Alzheimer’s patients don’t do well with change and have reduced ability to adapt to a completely foreign environment.
They have a greater level of independence because their home is in their long term memory. It’s not something they have to actively figure out, which comes into the short term memory.
If they get good homecare that includes physical activity, they have an advantage. Activities can be as simple as helping with the weeding in the garden. At least they are doing something, using energy and feeling involved. We keep our clients up and moving. We don’t like to see them sleeping during the day because this can lead to sleepless nights which can wear out a family caregiver.
If you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s, please look into homecare options so they can live their life to the fullest in their own home. And if you’re in the Greater Philadelphia Area, give us a call at 610-254-9440.
As we age our bodies can start to lose the ability to keep themselves warm efficiently. Normally our bodies burn calories, taken from our healthy diet, and use them to create heat. But there are many things that interfere with this natural process. Ill health is another reason why the body’s natural balance may be upset.
No matter what we eat and how efficiently our calories are being burnt off, it is common sense that sometimes, especially over the winter period, we will get cold and there are two ways to address this situation.
The first is to adequately cover the body. By this we mean that, if in bed, you have good, clean and warm bedding material. If you are up and about then this means you have on the suitable clothing. A quick note here is that the word ‘clean’ is very important. Dirty material, clothes or bedding, tend to lose their insulating abilities. If you are feeling the cold then ask your caregiver to have a look at what you are using to cover yourself with and make sure you have the right materials (some bedding is meant for the hotter months, for example) or make sure that your clothes or bedding are clean and in good condition (materials become thinner through everyday use and become, again, less insulating).
The second way to become warmer is to be in a warmer environment. What this means is that you simply place yourself somewhere warm. For example, if you are going to bed, make sure the heating is on in the bedroom and that the room is adequately insulated – no draughts coming in through ill-fitting windows or lack of overhead insulation. Or, the same goes for being away from your home, simply make sure the room/environment you find yourself in has some form of heating so whilst you are in it you don’t feel the cold.
It is obvious when you feel cold … you actualy feel the cold on your body, but the problem arises when the body becomes cold and by this I mean you start to shiver (which is the body’s way of trying to burn more calories to heat itself). When the shivering starts it is time to take serious action and get yourself somewhere warm or put on more clothes.
Tags: Safety
Animals make great companions. Most animals show a lot of love and friendship towards their owners. Pets make great company and give the individual a sense-of-being by having a loving friend nearby them all the time. But by owning an animal comes a sense of responsibility and sometimes the duties involved in keeping a pet can be too much when it comes to people with ill health or disabilities and it is in this bracket of people that the elderly fall into.
A caregiver is not a vet, but if you are a senior and you are receiving home care then a caregiver can be there to help you look after you and your pet.
Pets need exercise and if you have mobility issues then a caregiver can make sure that a walk in a park, or around the neighbourhood, is a safe walk.
All animals need feeding. By having a caregiver provide you with home care you both together can organise the shopping lists to include anything extra for your pet.
It is not just us humans who have to visit the doctor, occasionally pets become sick as well. A caregiver can help you both get to the vet for professional treatment or can help call a local vet to do a house call to assess the situation.
Caregivers are not medical professionals but they can consult with doctors or nurses in times when there might be doubt over the safety of owning an animal. For example, owning pets involves a great deal of responsibility regarding hygiene and some illnesses effect your immune system. There are cases of allergies developing. If the senior is using any form of equipment which involves wires or tubing then there can be safety risks if the pet is a cat or dog.
Tags: caregivers, home care
Owning your own home, no bank payments necessary, in today’s age is a huge blessing. It is also a very fragile one as well. It does not take much of a life changing experience – a change in the economy or ill health, for example – to be in a position where you can find yourself losing your property.
The elderly are at as much of a risk of this happening as any other age group and in fact certain things can make them more vulnerable. Seniors are less likely to be in a position, due to their age and illnesses, to be able to earn any form of extra income should the need arise. Also, a pension or other form of state or corporation ran income is at risk when there are fluctuations in the economy.
So what has this to do with caregivers or receiving home care? Well, any situation that involves the ownership of a house, or all forms of income, involve mail, emails, paperwork, etc. Also these situations rarely happen overnight. A caregiver can help a senior (at their request, due to the financial sensitivity of the information involved) organise any paperwork or information that comes in regarding their housing.
The help of a caregiver can be more important when health problems involving the memory or a state of confusion are involved. Important paperwork or information can be misplaced, dates for payments or installments can be missed or a state of apathy can set in when faced with daunting financial decisions.
A caregiver, or a home care provider, is not an accountant or accountancy company but having a friendly face sat there helping you organise paperwork or use the calculator can be very comforting. Another thing the caregiver can do is notify any friends or family of the elder should they notice any important correspondence.
Tags: caregivers
Keeping oneself clean is an important task at any age but as we get older it becomes more so. As we age our immune system weakens and we become more susceptible to illnesses and infections and by being dirty we are helping the germs do their work.
There are three main areas of ‘cleanliness’.
The first and most obvious area we must keep clean is ourselves, our own bodies, and by this we mean you must bathe yourself on a regular basis. Individuals with mobility issues can use the help of a caregiver to access the bathroom. Our caregivers are extremely sensitive when it comes to helping an individual bathe themselves and they help maintain dignity and respect at all times.
Another area of cleanliness we must take care of is what touches our skin. This means our clothing and our bedding must be washed regularly as well. Caregivers can help organise wash days and routines whereby laundry is carried out and fresh clothing and bedding is always made available. A thing to note here is that is it is wise to note any allergies one might have to the various detergents available today and discuss this with a loved one or caregiver.
The final area of cleanliness is the environment we live in. It is no good having a bath, putting on some fresh clean clothing and then going into a dirty messy kitchen for a sandwich. We must keep the place we live in clean. The two most obvious areas are the kitchen and the bathroom. If you find yourself, due to a lack of mobility, not being able to adequately clean your home then you must ask for help from a loved one or a caregiver because all these three areas of ‘clealiness’ are useless on their own, they must all be done together.
When it comes to safety and Alzheimer’s disease, one-size doesn’t fit all.
I’ll give you an example. I had client who’d had a career as a large engine mechanic. He worked on fire trucks, buses and large dump trucks and more– all vehicles with huge engines. He was very strong until late in the progression of dementia. He could actually pick up a large TV and move it.
And because he had this interest in taking things apart, if there was any window that was not was not secured, he would attempt to open it, finding an implement to jimmy it open or discovering a way to unlock it. If it was a lever window, he would try to take that mechanism apart. So in a situation like this maybe the TV should be suspended from the wall but up high so that the no one can get to it.
We were able to guide this client and his family to make several modifications to their home. They had an L-shaped combination room, one with a kitchen, dining and family room. They installed a stair railing along the wall to give them balance. Along the long wall we placed pictures up above the railing, fairly large scale, simple, family photos to provide face recognition. Nothing was expensive.
In the bathroom they installed a toilet with a raised seat and a walk in shower. It had a ledge you could sit on and also allowed for a roll-in shower chair.
By making these modifications to their home and employing our homecare services, the couple was able to live a long life at home.
That’s our mission. We use our expertise in healthcare to make it possible for hundreds of people to live their lives at home where they are most comfortable.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease and almost all of them are over 65. And nearly half of people who reach the grand age of 85 are battling the disease. Alzheimer’s is the leading reason for placing elderly people in institutions such as nursing homes. Since I am a proponent of helping people to live a long life at home, these sad statistics started me thinking about some of the things we recommend, besides homecare, to prepare for living life at home with Alzheimer’s.
Having worked with many Alzheimer’s and other dementia patients, I know that as the disease progresses, the individual becomes significantly less aware of safety issues, their protective reflexes are diminished, and their judgment becomes more impaired. In certain types of dementia, specifically Lewey Body dementia, the senior becomes increasingly rigid and less mobile. They eventually get into almost a bunny rabbit position. Their elbows and knees curl up. It’s a lot harder for them to sit up correctly and maintain balance. Along with positioning issues come the issues of skin breakdown and everything that goes along with that.
When I go to their homes, I’m very aware of safety issues. I recommend clearing debris and knick knacks because someone with Alzheimer’s is not going to have as much of awareness of the need to move around them. They are not aware that edges are sharp, that corners come up quickly. Also, they are like small children. They might pick something up and put it in their mouth, nose, ears or even their eyes.
Also, things like glass tables are a significant ‘no no’. You also need to look at the positioning of tables, dressers and bureaus in rooms so that when you enter or exit a room you don’t immediately have to make a turn as soon as you walk into a room in order to avoid running into a sharp corner.
Because an individual with Alzheimer’s can wander, at Liberty In Home Care we look at how they could enter and leave their home. If they’re quite active or if they don’t sleep well, which is quite often the case, they will wander. So it’s important to determine if they can they get in and out of the house without you knowing. You can safeguard against this by installing some type of a warning system. It could be a bell or a lock in an odd location on the door, way up high or down low, where they wouldn’t normally notice it. Or it could be a keyed lock where they don’t have access to the key.
We also like there to be few or no steps. Ideally I like to see Alzheimer’s patients residing on one floor during the majority of their day, or for all of their life, so there is less chance of them falling. It’s also important to remove all area rugs to prevent tripping.
This is the first in a series of three Alzheimer’s posts. Stay tuned.
Tags: Alzheimer's, elderly
Only the sickest of seniors or people with sever mobility problems need to stay at home. Many elderly folks are actually able to enjoy a decent vacation and spend some time away from home. However, there are obviously many things to consider before taking the long dreamt of trip to the Caribbean!
Vacations can be classed as two types, assisted and unassisted.
On an unassisted vacation there is no caregiver or medical professional escorting the senior. This means that the family or friends travelling with the elder must be fully aware of the medical needs of the individual concerned. This includes medication, allergies, mobility issues and, importantly, who to contact in case of a medical emergency.
An assisted vacation will involve a caregiver or nurse accompanying the senior to the vacation destination and remaining with the ‘group’ to ensure a trouble free time. This option is obviously more expensive than going alone but it offers a huge peace of mind to fellow travellers and ensures that the senior is in capable hands no matter what situation may arise.
No matter who is accompanying the elder there is another issue involved in going on a vacation – choosing the right location.
It might be stating the obvious that some places are just not suitable for seniors to visit, for example -
- places with extremes of temperature, be it hot or cold.
- consider the hygiene of the country and resort you are staying in. A simple stomach infection to an elder can be quite a severe situation.
- look at mobility issues of the resort/location. Is it sandy, rocky, slippery ice, etc.
- you don’t have to go far from home to need various vaccines, is the senior viable for these considering current medication and age.
A family member or the friends going with the senior on vacation can even ask at the travel agency for the details of destinations which have ‘elderly friendly’ resorts.
When we become older our bodies degenerate and back pain in the elderly is a common problem. Some people suffer from minor aches and pains, whilst other find the pain extremely debilitating. It is possible though to age healthily with proper preparation and reduce the probability of severe back pain later in life.
Here is a list of conditions created, or worsened, by the aging process:
- Osteoporosis creates weak and porous bones.
- Vertebral fractures are a common result of osteoporosis in elderly patients.
- Osteoarthritis can create pain in many areas of the body, including the spine. Bone spur formation in the vertebrae may lead to neurological impairment or mechanical pain.
- Degenerative spondylolisthesis is sometimes a result of severe spinal arthritis.
- Degenerative disc disease is a normal part of aging. It is often not symptomatic, but can create pain in some patients.
- Spinal Stenosis is common in elderly people. Stenosis may or may not cause pain. Spinal stenosis can also cause neurological impairment.
- Pinched Nerves can be caused by spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, bone spurs, orspinal curvature.
- Adult scoliosis is often a result of aging and osteoporosis.
Whilst the above list is quite large it is by no means a complete one.
Despite the long list above there are ways for you to help fend off the potential onset of back pain.
- Eat healthy - Include proper nutrition, including calcium, magnesium and vitamin D for strong bones. If you are in doubt as to a healthy diet then ask your caregiver or your doctor who will be able to contact a nutritionist.
- Stay active - Regular exercise at all ages in life is important for strong bones and muscles. If you have mobility issues then, again, ask your caregiver to help you perform suitable exercises.
- Do not abuse your body – Drugs and smoking are bad for you. Alcohol in large quantities is also detrimental to your general health. Caregivers are always aware of your medical needs, even though they aren’t medical professionals, and they can monitor your intake of alcohol or other substances (cigarettes) and advise you when things are becoming problematic.
Here is a fact filled and interesting story by news channel CBS.
Please allow time for the video to load, thanks.
Tags: Home health care
