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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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Apr 8, 2014 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
If you’ve ever brought a child or teen to visit an aging loved one in an assisted living community or nursing home, you’ve likely noticed how popular they quickly become. Seniors enjoy interaction with the younger generation. Many aging experts believe that friendships between these two age groups can help prevent depression among older adults, especially those with mobility issues that keep them from getting out and about in the community. What can you do to encourage these relationships between your child and the older adults in your life?
Activities for Children and Seniors to Enjoy Together
There are a wide variety of activities that can help build intergenerational bonds depending upon the senior’s abilities and the child’s age. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Arts and Crafts. The great thing about arts and crafts as an intergenerational activity is that they can be as simple as you need for them to be. It could be putting together a scrapbook of family photos and events or enjoying simple coloring book time with small children. Another fun and easy activity is to create a Family Handprint Tree.
- Break Out the Board Games. With so many board games available for almost every age group, these are easy go-to activities. Whether it is Monopoly, Operation, Candyland or Hedbanz, having a game day or night is a great way to relax and spend time together.
- Create Masterpiece Cookies. Frosted sugar cookies are always a hit with kids of both generations! You can make the dough ahead of time and have the kids help cut them out in a variety of fun shapes. Then the younger ones can help bake and frost them. If that sounds like a little too much work, you can buy frozen, pre-baked cutouts at many grocery stores. Then all you have to do is thaw and decorate!
- Make a Fairy Garden. Fairy gardens are likely to capture the imagination of even the youngest of children. Fortunately, they are very popular right now. That means supplies are easy to come by even at discount stores. You can create an indoor or outdoor fairy garden together. Use fun containers like a wagon or wicker basket to make the fairy gardens more mobile.
- Make a Movie. Most digital cameras and cell phones have video capabilities. Take advantage of that to make an intergenerational movie together. Teens will no doubt be the experts at how to do this. Pick a topic like “School Days” and let the older and younger generation each talk about what their day at school involved.
If you are looking for more project ideas, Grandparents.com is a great resource. They have themed activities around holidays like Christmas or Valentine’s Day for both generations to enjoy together.
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Mar 31, 2014 | Caregiving, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Dear Donna:
My mother has been in and out of the hospital over the past 9 months for a variety of injuries and illnesses ranging from the flu to a badly broken wrist. She usually only spends one or two nights, but she is just worn out from it. Before this started, she was always on the move! She played in several card groups, enjoyed working in her yard during warmer months, and was a real social butterfly. Do you have any advice that can help us? We are trying to figure out a way to stop this cycle and get her back on her feet again.
Barb in Holland, Michigan
Dear Barb:
I’m so sorry to hear about all your mother has been through lately! But you are right in thinking of it as a cycle. Unfortunately, a serious illness or injury can take a toll on our senior loved ones. They are at greater risk for a variety of reasons ranging from mobility problems to impairments caused by a chronic illness.
To help your mother get back on her feet and avoid another trip to the emergency department, here are a few suggestions I can offer:
- Consider employing in-home care to help support her daily activities. Private duty aides can help her with grocery shopping, meal preparation, personal care and more. That may help her rest and regain her strength while giving you peace of mind that she is getting well-balanced meals and support around the house.
- Assisted living communities offer short-term stays for situations like your mothers. She could stay for just a week or two up to one month. She will receive all of the benefits a long-term resident does including meals, personal care, housekeeping, life enrichment activities to join, and more. An advantage in selecting this option is that it would help her test the waters and see if she might enjoy life in a senior living community!
- You could also talk with her physician to see if she would also qualify for skilled home health care during this time. That would allow physical therapists and skilled nurses to visit her at home or at an assisted living community to work with her on a recovery program. If she qualifies, these services would be covered by her Medicare benefit.
I hope these suggestions help you develop a plan that will keep your mother healthy and safe and out of the hospital! Please let us know if you have any more questions or would like to consider a short-term stay for your mother at a Heritage Senior Community near you.
Donna
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