Home fires are a concern for people across the U.S., especially older adults. According to the National Fire Protection Association, one home fire is reported every 85 seconds. While home fires can happen anytime, they generally occur more during cooler weather. Because of this, we observe National Fire Prevention Week every October.

This awareness campaign is designed to prevent home fires and save lives. It also serves as a reminder to review your emergency preparedness plan with every member of the family. If you are the adult child of or caregiver for a senior, take time to help them do the same.

Understanding how to prevent home fires is particularly important for seniors, especially those who live alone. From vision loss to mobility challenges, older adults may have trouble evacuating quickly in the event of a fire. The good news is many fires can be prevented by following a few solid safety tips.

Home Fire Safety Tips for Seniors

It’s a good idea to do a room by room fire safety assessment a few times a year. Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Kitchen Safety

• Don’t leave the kitchen while food is cooking on the stovetop, even for a short time. If you must leave the room, set a timer that can be heard throughout the home.
• If you are worried that a senior loved may neglect to turn off burners or forget they have something cooking, consider having an automatic shut-off device installed. These turn the stove off if movement hasn’t been detected in a pre-determined amount of time. CookStop is one with good reviews.
• Avoid wearing loose-fitting tops while cooking. Billowy sleeves may drop against a burner and ignite. Instead, opt for short or close-fitting sleeves.
• Don’t hang towels or curtains too close to the burners on a stove. Like loose-fitting sleeves, they can pose a fire hazard.

2. In the Bedroom

• Find a place to store essential items by the bedside and help family elders do the same. Include anything they’ll need to reach quickly if they need to escape. A cell phone, eyeglasses, and assistive devices such as a cane or walker are a few.
• Keep the bedroom door closed while sleeping. This improves chances of escaping if there’s a fire in another area of the home.
• Never smoke in bed or if you are feeling drowsy.
• Turn off and unplug space heaters before going to bed.

3. Around the House

• Every level of the home should have a smoke alarm. This guide from the National Fire Protection Association will help you learn more about installing and routinely testing smoke alarms.
• Make sure all furniture, curtains, and other flammable items are kept at least three feet away from any heat source, especially space heaters.

Have an Escape Plan

Map out at least two evacuation routes to follow in the event of a fire. Practice them regularly. The goal is familiarizing everyone in the home with both routes so they know how to quickly use one when under stress.

If you or an older family member has a mobility impairment or vision or hearing loss that might make escaping more difficult, contact your local fire department. They may have programs to track households where residents have special needs.

Fire Safety at Heritage Senior Communities

At Heritage Senior Communities, resident safety is one of our leading priorities. That includes smoke detectors and a sprinkler system. You can learn more by calling the Heritage community nearest you today!

When an aging parent is no longer safe living alone, adult children often experience a rollercoaster of emotions. Guilt, resentment, stress, fear, and doubt are just a few. It can be a difficult transition for both the senior and their family.

While most people say planning before a crisis occurs is essential, the majority of families don’t prepare. Adult children may find themselves struggling to juggle a parent’s sudden medical crisis with worries about where they will live after leaving the hospital. Families often become heated when everyone has a different idea about what is best.

 

An Emergency Plan for Changing Needs

 

If your senior loved one is resistant to planning for their future care, a less threatening approach may be to suggest creating an emergency plan together. Reinforce the idea that you may never have to use it, but it is better to be prepared.

An important part of planning ahead will be learning what types of senior care are available. There are great resources online that can help you understand the different types of care, including home care, assisted living care, and a nursing home. If you know your options before you need them, you will be more confident you are making an informed decision.

 

Coping with Difficult Emotions

 

As families investigate senior living options for a parent or other family elder, they often struggle with the idea that their loved one is getting older. It might be the first time an adult child has admitted to themselves that a parent is getting frail and needs help.

Accepting this change is a major life event for most of us. Psychiatrists use the term “anticipatory grief” to explain this feeling of loss. Adult children may begin to realize their role in a parent’s life has come full circle. They are now the decision maker and guardian of their parent’s best interests.

For family members who have been fulfilling the role of caregiver, this transition can cause guilt, fear, and worry. It isn’t easy to turn a loved one’s care over to someone else, especially when it requires them to leave their home.

 

Tips for a Smooth Transition

 

Try to remind yourself you’ve researched and made the most informed choice you can. Here are some suggestions to help you find your way:

• Make it look like home: Work with staff at the assisted living community to determine what furniture and belongings will fit in your parent’s new apartment before moving day. Having your loved one’s favorite things surrounding them will help them feel more at home.
• Move before selling: If possible, try to make the move to the assisted living community before the house goes up for sale. That will help avoid the stress of being forced to downsize, pack, and move in a hurry when the house sells. It will also prevent the senior from having to leave the house during often inconvenient realtor showings.
• Hire an expert: If the very idea of downsizing the senior’s home and packing up overwhelms you, consider hiring a senior move manager. These professionals are accustomed to working with families dealing with the details and emotions of this transition.

Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself or your family members. These will be emotional days for everyone. Accept that there will be tearful times and stressful days. You’ll need to be kind to and patient with one another.

 

Heritage Senior Communities Is Here to Help!

 

If your search for assisted living includes Michigan or Indiana, we hope you will consider Heritage Senior Communities. A family-owned business, we have been serving seniors for four generations. Call the Heritage community nearest you with any questions you have about assisted living!

Dear Donna:

My mother is in the process of selling her home in Florida and relocating to Michigan to live with me. While she is excited to make the move, I know it won’t be easy for her. She has a lot of friends in her active living community. Moving will mean starting over.

How can I help her meet people her own age once she arrives? Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thank you for your help!

Steven in Saginaw, Michigan

 

Making Friends During Retirement

 

Dear Steven:

Maintaining a close circle of friends is essential at every age. From encouraging healthy habits to lending a friendly ear on difficult days, friends play a role in our quality of life.

Like your mother, older adults often move during retirement. Rebuilding their social circle might feel intimidating. Here are a few tips you can share with your mom after she’s settled in:

• Volunteer for a nonprofit: One avenue to help your mom meet like-minded people is to volunteer. Help her choose an organization that matches her interests and talents. Her local United Way might be a good place to start searching for a volunteer opportunity.
• Enroll in a class: Another way your mom can meet new people while also giving her brain a workout is a class. Parks, libraries, art museums, bakeries, and community colleges often offer workshops and classes. Some might give older adults a discount.
• Connect with a fitness group: Friends often influence your health, for better or worse. Helping your mom find a group of fitness-conscious seniors to spend time with may keep her healthier and
• Find a hobby-related club: Connecting over common interests is a great way to grow a friendship. If your mom is a gardener, for example, explore local garden clubs together. Think about her favorite pastimes and research them before she arrives.
• Explore spiritual organizations: It’s common for older adults to take a greater interest in spiritual activities. Your mom might appreciate it if you help her find a church or synagogue. It will allow her to nurture her spirit and meet new people.
• Join a senior center: Most cities and counties have senior centers. These nonprofit organizations host programs and activities for members every day. Getting involved will allow her to quickly expand her social network after the move.

With a little effort, your mom will likely find a host of ways to make the transition to Michigan go smoothly. Best of luck to both of you, Steven!

Kind regards,

Donna

 

Make New Friends at Heritage Senior Communities

 

Senior living communities are a great way for older adults to stay actively engaged in life. Formal and informal opportunities for connecting and staying active abound. Call the Heritage community nearest you and ask for a copy of a resident activity calendar. You’ll find activities for every hobby and interest!

You may have heard the phrase sandwich generation and wondered what it meant. This term was coined to classify adults sandwiched between caring for aging parents and raising a family of their own. Many do this while working outside the home. These sandwich generation caregivers live hectic, often stressful lives.

Nearly half of all people in their 40s and 50s qualify as sandwich generation caregivers. They are the primary caregivers for—or beginning to care for—a parent while having their own children living at home. As baby boomers retire at a rate of 10,000 per day, the sandwich generation continues to grow.

July is Sandwich Generation Caregiver Month. In honor of this designation, we are offering advice to weary caregivers. From stress relief to senior care, here are five ways to survive these challenging years.

 

5 Survival Tips for Sandwich Generation Caregivers

 

1. Ask for and accept help.

It’s unrealistic to manage so many roles without help, yet many sandwich generation caregivers do. Even when a friend or loved one offers assistance, a family caregiver may resist. Give yourself permission to ask for and accept help. It’s essential for preventing a serious case of caregiver burnout. Here are a couple reasons why it’s important to accept help:

• Protect your health: Weary caregivers are stressed caregivers. Chronic stress weakens the immune system, which can put you at higher risk for a variety of illnesses. If you fall ill, who will be able to care for your family members?
• Recover with rest: Accept that you will be a better caregiver when you get a good night’s sleep or even take a nap. You will be less likely to make mistakes when well rested.

2. Have open and honest communication.

One challenge sandwich generation caregivers face is worrying about a parent’s financial situation. This can be especially difficult if you took on the role of caregiver as the result of your parent’s sudden illness or injury. The two of you might not have had an opportunity to discuss how to handle their monthly finances.

While it might not be easy, have an honest conversation with your parent. If they don’t use online bill payment options, setting them up may help. It can make things easier for both of you.

3. Review or create legal documents.

Make sure you know which—if any—legal documents your parent has in place. In most cases, an older adult typically needs:

• A will or trust
• A living will
• Advance directives
• A durable power of attorney
• A health care proxy/power of attorney

If some are missing, work with a trusted attorney to create them.

4. Explore senior care resources.

Most cities and counties have a wide variety of senior care resources available. From home care to assisted living and memory care, they provide families with many options to choose from. If you aren’t familiar with those near you, call your local agency on aging office. Most have staff that can educate families on which types of care best meet their needs.

5. Make time for self-care.

Pushing yourself to the point of mental and physical exhaustion is never a good idea. It puts you at high risk for a variety of mental and physical health concerns. Make time each day to unwind and de-stress. Maybe it’s a 10-minute meditation before bedtime or a morning stroll around the block. Many caregivers find journaling therapeutic. The goal should be to focus on your own wellness for a few minutes every day.

 

Care for Every Need

 

At Heritage Senior Communities, we have a type of senior care to meet every need. From independent living for the active older adult to assisted living and memory care for those who need a helping hand, we invite you to learn more. Find the community nearest you and call today!

A challenge shared by many caregivers is the loneliness the role often creates. As their loved ones’ need for assistance increases, many people find themselves cut off from friends when they need emotional support more than ever. This situation can easily result in caregiver depression.

According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, 40-70% of caregivers meet the criteria for depression. Of those, 25% meet the criteria for major clinical depression. It’s a serious condition that typically requires medical intervention.

As a caregiver, how can you stay connected when you aren’t able to leave home very often?

Technology has made it easier to find a solution. Here are a few easy-to-use, inexpensive avenues to explore:

 

Stay Connected While Caregiving

 

1. Use a video chat service to talk with family and friends.

Video chat services aren’t just for keeping in touch with faraway loved ones. For isolated caregivers, they can provide a way to talk face-to-face from across town or the country. FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, and others allow lonely caregivers to get emotional support, especially on difficult days. Most are easy to access from a smartphone or tablet device.

2. Play games and hang out virtually.

During the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, many people sought new ways to spend time virtually with loved ones. Playing games across the miles is possible with the help of apps like Houseparty. Loved ones can challenge each other to games like Chips and Guac, Heads Up!, and Pictionary.

3. Talk via social media channels like Facebook.

If you haven’t joined Facebook, now might be time. You can connect with family members through your regular News Feed or set up private groups. Another popular feature is Facebook Live, and it’s not just for businesses. If you can’t leave home, this could be a way to read bedtime stories to the grandkids. You can control and limit who sees your feed, providing you with privacy.

4. Join an online caregiver support group.

As the number of family caregivers in the US (currently estimated to be about 40.4 million) continues to climb, avenues for support are growing too. One is online caregiver support groups. They are easier to find than ever before. These groups give caregivers an opportunity to connect with others who understand and share their struggles.

While in-person support groups are an option for some, caregivers who aren’t able to leave a senior loved one alone can join one online. The flexibility and convenience they offer is good for a busy caregiver’s schedule.

 

Is It Time for a Senior Living Community?

 

When a senior family member’s needs become tough to manage at home, it might be time to consider assisted living or memory care. I’m Here For A Family Member offers resources to help you learn more about each type of care. Call the community nearest you to learn more today!