Topics on May, 2010
Essential Tips for Home Maintenance & Safety
Posted by: | DateWHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?
Home maintenance is critical to seniors who want to remain comfortably at home for as long as possible. Our nurse’s home assessment will help you decide what you need to do. A fall with injuries can open the doorway to impaired mobility and decreased independence. A head injury can alter your cognition. Any injury that limits mobility can make the body more susceptible to infections.
1. Talk to your doctor home safety. Have a comprehensive home assessment by Care For Life’s nurse to help you with your long term plans for remaining at home.
2. Tell your doctor and your family when your medication makes you dizzy or lightheaded.
3. Install proper lighting throughout your home. Use night-lights in the hallways between the bedroom and bathroom.
4. De-clutter your home. Keep floor and stairs free of clutter & do not use small throw rugs. Check that stairs are in good repair and are slip resistant. If any stairs are broken, have them fixed promptly
6. WEAR PROPER SHOES inside and outside. Use a cane or walker for better balance.
7. Install grab bars in all bathrooms by the toilet and in the bathtub or shower. If you need extra support, get a shower seat. Install a hand-held shower device.
8. Consider getting a Medical Alert System to call for help if you fall
Five things that cause aged adults to fail at home Part III
Posted by: | DateThe following is Part III in our series on the five things that cause aged adults to fail at home. When families know the signs of decline in their loved one, they can takesteps to solve problems well before they become a crisis
In May, we talked about medication errors as one of the five things that can cause elderly people to fail. The others are nutrition, unaddressed medical problems and home safety & proper hygiene & home maintenance. Our caregivers empower the elderly to remain at home by offering solutions to these 5 problems. This month we will talk about the need for proper hygiene and home maintenance.
In May, we talked about medication errors as one of the five things that can cause elderly people to fail. The others are nutrition, unaddressed medical problems and home safety & proper hygiene & home maintenance. Our caregivers empower the elderly to remain at home by offering solutions to these 5 problems. This month we will talk about the need for proper hygiene and home maintenance.
“My Dad just isn’t taking care of himself, and the
house is cluttered. He gets upset when I ask to
help him get a bath. I need your help!”
Elders living alone are less likely to keep a schedule of dressing, bathing, and personal grooming. Widowed spouses often lose all motivation for home cleanliness and personal appearance.
Household tasks are postponed or abandoned.
Care For Life Solution:
A few hours of homecare several times a each week by a trained caregiver can help remedy this problem. Caregivers assist in keeping a routine in place for bathing, dressing and grooming. Light housekeeping assistance will help maintain the home and keep it safer. The aged person’s outlook on life will likely improve with a fresh start each day. Give us a call to discuss care for your loved one at 843-852-9090.
Tips for dementia patients
Posted by: | DateHere is another response to the question: My mother goes to bed around 8pm and wakes up in about an hour greatly disturbed and almost frantic. Can you give me some ideas on how to help her sleep better?
I always go to www.alz.org for tips on any kind of help I need for caring for dementia patients. I encourage you to subscribe to their seasonal newsletters. They are filled with GREAT info.
Here are 4 tips from page 6 of the Spring 2010 issue:
1. Plan more active days. Take a walk in the afternoon instead of letting her nap. Someone who naps throughout the day isn’t going to be able to sleep through the night. Slow the pace towards bedtime. Establish calm in the household if possible. Dim the lights.
2. Monitor diet. Restrict sweets and caffeine to the morning hours. Serve dinner early, and offer only a light snack or meal before bedtime.
3. Seek medical advice. Don’t suffer in silence. Describe your loved one’s behaviors and ask the doctor for help. He or she might be able to prescribe a sleep aide to help her relax for sleeping.
4. Change sleeping arrangements. Try a different bedroom or a favorite sofa or recliner. Partially light the room to reduce agitation that occurs when it is dark or feels unfamiliar.
Remember, that nighttime restlessness usually doesn’t last forever. In the meantime, be sure your home is safe if your mother gets up and wanders at night. Restrict access to certain rooms, use tall safety gates between rooms and consider door monitors on outside doors to alert you to her wandering.
When she is alert and upset, approach her in a calm manner. Find out if there is something she needs or if she thinks she is looking for someone. Gently remind her of the time of day. Avoid arguing or asking for explanations. Offer reassurance that everything is all right and everyone is safe. Distract to another activity or walk with her to another room in the home that she might prefer. Call the Alzheimer’s HelpLIne 800-273-2555 for more assistance. From Sheryl O’Neal, Care For Life, Elder Consultant
Dementia question
Posted by: | DateRecent question we received about Dementia.
Q: My mother goes to bed around 8pm and wakes up in about an hour greatly disturbed and almost frantic. Can you give me some ideas on how to help her sleep better?
A: Have you asked her why? Even though it’s hard to talk to loved ones with dementia, think about what you hear her saying when she calls out. Does she sound afraid? Might she be having nightmares? Is she afraid of the dark, a noise? What does she think will happen to her? One way to find out eliminate things it could be, like try leaving the light on instead of off.try sitting with her till she sleeps/try keeping her up longer during the day ( if it’s at all possible, sometimes you can’t control their sleep) I’d try to console her and ask her what she is afraid of…Talk to her like you would a child that’s afraid, Be gentle…by Rosemary in Duluth, MN
A: I was having the same trouble with my mom. What kinds of meds is she on? Mom has antidepressants, An anti-anxiety med might help during the day, and at night perhaps a prescription from her doctor to help calm her down. She now sleeps from early evening until 8am or later. Occasionally she’ll have a bad night, but for the most part, sleeps well. Her doctor is your best resource. When you describe her wakefulness he will know what to prescribe to help her sleep. She might be hallucinating and seeing things that scare her. This is all a part of dementia. Seek advice from her doctor first and foremost.Hope this helps. From Dee in Orlando.