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!
Photo Credit
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Jun 28, 2014 | Alzheimer's and Dementia, Caregiving, Uncategorized
When a loved one lives with Alzheimer’s disease, members of their family often worry if there is a genetic link. Watching someone you love suffer with dementia makes that concern inevitable. While the cause of Alzheimer’s disease continues to elude researchers, some clinical trials are shedding light on possible links between health problems and the disease. One medical condition that has interested scientists for some time is a possible link between older adults with anemia and the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Exploring the Relationship between Alzheimer’s Disease and Anemia
A study published in Neurology magazine last year explored the idea that patients who were anemic were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. They hypothesize that because people who are anemic have fewer red blood cells, they have less oxygen reaching their brain. Can that somehow contribute to the plaques and tangles believed to lead to Alzheimer’s? In this trial, 2,552 participants who were dementia-free were evaluated and followed. 392 of them had anemia at the start of the trial. Over the course of the 11 year study, participants who had anemia were 40% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Even though that is a very significant percentage, scientists aren’t ready to say for certain there is a causal relationship. Instead they want to investigate the relationship more and examine what, if any, impact anemia prevention might have on the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Talking with a Senior Loved One’s Physician About Anemia
If you are worried the Michigan senior you love might be at risk for anemia because of a poor diet or another health concern, share your concerns with their physician. They can make that diagnosis. If your hunch is right, their physician can help develop a plan to improve it. The bottom line is that even though these are preliminary studies, it is yet one more reason older adults need to adopt a diet rich in vitamins and nutrients, and to take advantage of community-based senior nutrition programs for support.
Photo Credit
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.
Photo Credit
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Jun 20, 2014 | Caregiving, Uncategorized
For older adults who call a Michigan assisted living community “home,” part of the sense of belonging comes from being surrounded by fellow residents and staff who care for one another. When a resident receives the news that they have a life-limiting illness, their community of friends can offer a strong support system. When the time comes, hospice services can be brought to them to provide an additional layer of care and services.
The Medicare Hospice Benefit
The Medicare hospice benefit has four levels of care. Most people are more familiar with “routine care.” It is when hospice services are provided in whatever setting the patient considers home. That could be their private home, the home of an adult child, or an assisted living community. A senior loved one can receive the same hospice services in their assisted living apartment that they would if they were still in their own home.
In addition to routine care, there are several other levels of care hospice offers to meet each patient’s unique needs. For example, if a high fever or infection leads to complications that require more support, hospice can increase services to what is known as “continuous care.” It is a short-term solution that provides more concentrated care until the crisis has passed. In most cases, the hospice patient can remain in their assisted living apartment and have the additional support come to them.
The Services Hospice Brings to an Assisted Living Community
The Medicare Hospice benefit will pay for a variety of services, medications related to the life-limiting illness and any necessary medical equipment. The services hospice will bring to the resident of an assisted living community include:
- Skilled care of nurses and nurse aides
- Spiritual care support for the resident and for family members
- Pain and symptom management
- Alternative therapies that range from massage therapy to art therapy
- Social work support
- Dietary counseling
To learn more about the Medicare Hospice benefit, download this publication from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Jun 18, 2014 | Caregiving, Dear Donna, Uncategorized
Dear Donna:
My 91-year old father lives just outside Holland, Michigan. He lives alone in a home he and my mother bought when they were first married. Since her death three years ago, his health has really declined. In the last six months, he has fallen four times. My family and I leave in Kalamazoo so it isn’t easy to get to him quickly. He has had to use his medical alert pendant to call for help each time. His house is old and not very senior-friendly. Despite the home improvements we’ve tried to make to keep him safe, he just isn’t. I’ve tried to convince him that moving to assisted living would help him and me, but he is very stubborn. He thinks he will have to give up his privacy and that he will be forced to play games. I am worn out and stressed out from trying to juggle my family’s needs and his while also working full-time. Do you have any advice?
Alice in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Dear Alice:
We hear stories similar to yours almost every day. Giving up the home he has lived in for decades is surely hard for your father. Doubly so given the memories he no doubt has of your mother there. It obviously doesn’t help that he has some big misconceptions about what a Michigan assisted living community is really like for residents.
One suggestion might be to try to get him to consider a trial assisted living stay, officially known as respite. Some families have found that telling an aging loved one they will be out-of-state for an event makes it easier to convince their senior loved one to agree to a respite stay. It can be a non-threatening way to try assisted living. Your father may be willing to try this if you tell him, for example, you will take him on Thursday and pick him up the following Wednesday. By giving him a definite date to return home, he may not feel abandoned or at risk of being “forced” to stay.
Once he agrees you can work closely with the staff at the assisted living community to make sure the experience is a positive one. You can plan his trial stay around events or activities at the assisted living community that may be of special interest to him, match him up with other residents that he has things in common with, and help him review dining options and menu items ahead of time. While respite suites are usually furnished, you might want to bring just a few family photos and treasures to make him feel more at home. Not too many though. You don’t want him to be suspicious! Once he sees how much easier life can be in an assisted living community and that he won’t be forced to join in any activities he isn’t interested in, you might find him to be more open to the idea of moving. It might take him a few respite stays to be convinced, but it will be worth it knowing he is safe.
I hope this idea works for you, Alice! Please contact us if you need help setting up a respite stay for your Dad.
Donna
Photo Credit
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | May 30, 2014 | Caregiving, Uncategorized
Warning Signs for Michigan Caregivers to Recognize
Michigan caregivers deal with stress every day. Many have busy careers, in addition to caring for children of their own. Juggling all of these responsibilities often leaves caregivers feeling exhausted and stressed out. That can put a caregivers own health at risk for developing conditions such as back problems, high blood pressure, migraines and more.
So how can you tell if you are suffering from caregiver burnout? Ironically, caregivers are often so overwhelmed they fail to recognize the symptoms.
Recognizing the Signs of Caregiver Burnout
Do any of these sound familiar?
- Fatigue beyond just being tired and sleepy
- Feeling the need to take a nap during the day
- Increasingly frequent headaches
- Insomnia or difficulty staying asleep
- Stomach pains or cramping
- Short-tempered and easily agitated
- Feeling overwhelmed with even the smallest of tasks
- Unexplained anger
- Back pain
- Resenting the loved one for whom you provide care
- A new bad habit such as drinking or smoking
- Losing touch with friends and loved ones
- Withdrawing from social activities
- Failing to make time for exercise
- Poor diet including too much fast food
- Failing to maintain physician appointments and health screenings
Answering “Yes” to more than just a few of these symptoms might mean you are experiencing caregiver overload and need to make some changes.
Caregiver Support
There are a few factors to consider as you are trying to simplify your schedule and better manage stress. First, take time out to schedule a physical with your primary care physician. It’s important to enlist their help in managing your health and stress.
Next, explore what help is available to assist you with some of the responsibilities you are juggling. That assistance might include:
- Talking with other family members to see who else can help. It might be by providing support with transportation or grocery shopping or picking up prescriptions. Asking for help is the best way to keep yourself and your loved one healthy.
- Consider using adult day programs or in-home respite care for your loved one. Having the senior enjoy a respite stay in an assisted living community for a few weeks can give the caregiver time to rest and recover.
- Talk with your church or synagogue to see if they have any programs that help families. Some have volunteers that make friendly visits to seniors to help around the home or just provide companionship.
- Don’t overlook the resources of your local Agency on Aging. They can help you connect with support in your community.
Finally, explore ways to manage stress. Caregiving is emotionally and physically draining. Finding support to cope is important. A few ideas to consider are:
- Join an online caregiver support group of your peers. The Family Caregiver Alliance and Caring.com are both good sources for connecting with one.
- Consider yoga, Pilates or meditation. Each of these has well known physical and mental health benefits. Even a daily 5 minute meditation can help.
- Make time for friends, family and fun. Even one or two gatherings a month to share a good laugh can help to reduce your stress.
We hope these tips make your role of caregiver more manageable and less stressful.
If you are a caregiver and think we’ve missed something, please share it in the comments below!
