by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Jul 20, 2014 | Caregiving, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
July is often referred to as “the dog days of summer” in many towns and cities across the state of Michigan. When the mercury soars, seniors can be at greater risk for developing a heat related illness. In some cases, those conditions can be life-threatening. If you are planning an outdoor event this summer or if the aging loved one you help provide care for enjoys the outdoors, you should be proactive in keeping them safe. Here are a few tips we think can help.
Summer Sun Safety Tips for Seniors
- Layer on the sunscreen. Two common mistakes people make are putting too little sunscreen on before heading outdoors and then failing to reapply it throughout the day. This is even more important as we age and our skin becomes more fragile. Keep your senior loved ones stocked up with sunscreen and remind them to use it. A rule of thumb dermatologists share is that you should apply the equivalent of one shot glass full of sunscreen every two hours.
- Review your loved ones medication list. Some of the medicines commonly prescribed for seniors make them more sensitive to the sun. This Sun Sensitive Medications list from WebMD can help you determine if one of your aging loved one’s are a potential problem. Being aware of their risk can help them prevent a variety of illnesses including sun poisoning and heat stroke.
- Encourage hydration. Make sure your senior loved one knows to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water each day during the summer heat. Some foods can also help improve hydration. They include melons, cucumber, and leafy greens.
- Knowing the warning signs of heat related illnesses. Early intervention is critical to getting help when someone experiences heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Remember that heat related illnesses may occur quicker in older adults than they do in younger people. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has a tip sheet that can help you learn the warning signs in seniors.
We hope these help you and your aging loved one stay safe in the summer sun this year!
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Jul 1, 2014 | Caregiving, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
We’ve shared information and safety tips on senior citizens and driving before in our blog. In Exercises for Older Drivers in Michigan, we talked about a few fitness programs designed specifically to help improve flexibility in older drivers. Today we thought it would help if we shared some of the equipment and tools you can use to help modify a senior loved one’s car to make driving a little easier for them.
Equipment to Support Older Drivers
Here is a list of driving aids that can help keep your aging driver safer getting in and out of the car, as well as once they hit the highway.
- Swivel Seat Cushion. Seniors experience the greatest percentage of driving related falls as they are entering and exiting their car. These cushions are placed on the driver’s seat and swivel a full 360 degrees. It makes it easier and safer for an older driver to get behind the wheel.
- Support Handles. These are another type of aid that makes getting in and out of the car a little safer. They attach to the car’s door frame so a senior or an individual with a disability can use it to pull themselves out or hold on to as they are sliding in to their seat.
- Seat Belt Handles. Arthritis and other degenerative diseases can make reaching over the shoulder to grab a seat belt painful. These handles give the senior an additional four to six inches of reach. That makes it easier to pull the seat belt closed.
- Mirror Adaptors. There are a variety of products that adapt the car’s mirrors to make them easier for seniors to see. One type of product is a panoramic mirror that clips on to the rear view mirror and widens the view. Another mirror product is one that attaches to side view mirrors so older adults can see if anyone is in their blind spot.
- Foot Pedal Extenders. This helpful aid extends the length of the vehicle’s pedals. It makes it easier for older adults to reach the pedals while also keeping them from having to sit too close to the wheel. Most of these products that are currently on the market range offer an additional one to four inches of extension and have a non-skid surface.
If you know of a senior driving safety tool that we’ve missed, please feel free to share it in the comments area below!
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Jun 24, 2014 | Caregiving, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
When you are a caregiver for a Michigan senior, the many safety issues you face can feel overwhelming. You worry about how well they manage their medications, if they are eating right and their overall health. And it isn’t just the cold Michigan winter that puts seniors at greater risk. Hyperthermia is just as much of a concern as hypothermia.
Our aging loved ones are often at higher risk for heart-related illnesses because of health conditions like high blood pressure or heat disease. Even some of the medications seniors take have side effects that make them more susceptible to sunburn and sun poisoning. In this week’s article, we thought it would be helpful to share the warning signs of dehydration and heat stroke in an older person.
Many caregivers have the misconception that a senior needs to be out in the sun for an extended period of time before they are at risk for a heat-related illness. In fact, dehydration and heat exhaustion can quickly lead to heat stroke if left untreated. How hot and humid it is makes a difference, as does how much hydration the person has been taking in and how physically active they are in the sun.
Knowing the warning signs of dehydration can help prevent a serious heat-related illness or even heat stroke. Here are a few symptoms to be on the lookout for this summer:
- Dry, sticky mouth
- Feeling tired and fatigued
- Decreased urine and lack of sweating
- Muscle weakness
- Headache
- Rapid heartbeat
- Fever despite how hot it is outdoors
- Slow or low blood pressure
- Confusion and disorientation
- Problems speaking or putting together sentences
If you or a loved one you are a caregiver for exhibits any of the symptoms above, seek medical assistance immediately. Don’t delay calling 911 to see if they feel better. Heat-related illnesses that are detected early can be treated before they cause permanent damage.
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | May 22, 2014 | Dear Donna, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Dear Donna:
My mother will be undergoing hip replacement surgery at a hospital in Saginaw, Michigan in late June. Her surgeon has advised us that she will likely need to go to a rehab center for a few weeks of therapy after she leaves the hospital. We are trying to figure out if Medicare will pay for that and how to choose the best one for her recovery. Can you help us understand what this means?
Diane in Adrian, Michigan
Diane:
It is a definitely a good idea to tackle all of this before your mother’s surgery. That will help her make a smooth transition to the skilled nursing and rehab center and then, eventually, back home.
Here is how the Medicare Skilled Nursing & Rehab Benefit works:
- Your mother will qualify for the benefit if she spends three nights at an inpatient level of care in the hospital.
- Once she transitions to the skilled rehab center, Medicare will pay for the first 20 days in full.
- Beginning on the 21st day, she will be liable for a co-payment amount. In 2014, that is $152 per day. If she has a secondary insurance, it may cover this amount.
- If she still isn’t back on her feet after day 100, she will be liable for the entire cost of the stay. But don’t worry. Most seniors are back on their feet and home long before this!
As far as finding the best provider, Medicare has a few tools that can help. One is the Nursing Home Compare rating system on Medicare.gov. It allows you to review each provider’s state survey results and (if applicable) complaint surveys from residents and their family members. Medicare also has a Skilled Nursing Facility Checklist you can download to help you compare one community with another.
Finally, our best piece of advice is to tour every community you are considering for your mother. It would probably be a good idea to have a list of 2 or 3 options. That way if one or two of them are full, you still have another option that your family has already visited and approved of to turn to for rehab.
I hope this helps, Diane! Best of luck to your mother in her surgery and rehab.
Donna
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | May 8, 2014 | Caregiving, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Now that the snow is finally behind us for another year, it’s a great time to head outdoors and get moving again. Older adults often see the numbers on the scale creep up during winter months. It’s often because they avoid going outdoors during a Michigan winter for fear of falling on the ice and snow. A less active lifestyle often results in weight gain. Walking has both physical and mental health benefits, as well as the added benefit of helping you safely drop those extra pounds.
Here are a few tips on how to get started with your own walking program.
Tips for Older Adults Beginning a Walking Program
- As with any form of exercise, check with your family physician before starting. Ask for their approval and any advice they can share. They will likely encourage you to begin slowly and build up your endurance.
- Invest in a good pair of walking shoes that support the structure of your foot. Everyone’s foot is shaped a little differently. If you are flat-footed or have a high arch, for example, make sure the shoe is designed to support that. It may be worth a trip to sports store at your local mall to have your foot measured and fitted.
- Set manageable goals for yourself. Unless your physician has indicated otherwise, you might want to start out with a daily 10-minute walk. Add 5 minutes at a time until you are up to about 20 to 30 minutes most days of the week.
- Be sure to stretch and warm up your muscles before you head out. This video offers some good pointers on how to warm up before and after walking.
- A pedometer or sports watch that measures heart rate and distance can help you track your progress.
- As your physician may have shared with you, the rule of thumb on how fast to walk is referred to as a “walking pace.” That means you have elevated breathing but can carry on a conversation.
- Watch your posture as you walk. Keep your head up and your shoulders back and relaxed. Your arms should hang comfortably at your sides.
- Find a buddy or two to walk with you. It is safer and more fun!
- If you are walking alone, be sure to bring your cell phone and a photo ID with you and to avoid walking in isolated areas.
After you’ve been walking for a few months, you can reevaluate your success and talk with your physician about increasing the distance or pace of your walking if you feel like you need more of a challenge.
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Apr 16, 2014 | Caregiving, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
The Medicare Wellness visit is one of the many benefits the Affordable Care Act (ACA) brought to seniors. Despite being launched in January of 2011, however, many primary care physicians and their patients are still not utilizing the benefit. For physicians, the visit provides them with an opportunity to develop a preventative plan for each patient on an individual basis. There is financial incentive for physicians to be sure their Medicare patients schedule the wellness visit – it pays nearly three times the rate of a typical Medicare patient visit.
So why are many seniors still not taking advantage of the benefit? Most are simply unaware of it and what it entails.
The Medicare Wellness Visit
The once-a-year benefit is a wellness visit provided at no cost to seniors. The focus of it is to develop or update prevention plans and evaluate chronic health conditions, such as diabetes or asthma. The physician will talk with the patient about their health, lifestyle and overall fitness regime. In addition, the physician will likely:
- Measure height, weight, and body mass index
- Check blood pressure
- Perform a simple vision test
- Evaluate cognitive function
- Assess the patient for their risk of depression
- Other routine testing based on patient and family medical history
- Refer patient for further testing or evaluation by specialists if necessary
Based on their discussion with the patient and the results of the physical examination, the primary care physician will develop a personalized preventative care plan that includes timelines for health screenings. They will also make recommendations for any lifestyle improvements they believe will contribute to the patient’s overall health and wellness. It might be nutrition counseling, a smoking cessation program or suggested physical activities.
Medicare Welcome Visit versus Wellness Visit
There is some confusion among patients because Medicare also allows a one-time Medicare Welcome Visit. This appointment is for new Medicare recipients. It must take place within the first year of receiving Medicare Part B benefits.
Medicare Part B Wellness Visit Costs
Because one of the goals of the Affordable Care Act is to reduce health care expenses by focusing more on prevention, there is no cost to Medicare Part B recipients. Patients are entitled to one wellness visit every 11 months. One important thing to note is that while the visit is at no cost to patients, any recommendation testing or follow-up may not be.
If you are the caregiver for an older adult in Michigan, be sure to speak with their physician about scheduling an appointment to take advantage of this benefit.
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