Finding care for the Dementia or Alzheimer's sufferer

An Alzheimer’s or dementia diagnosis is a scary proposition.  Moving into a memory care center creates more stress for someone who is slowly losing themselves.  A loving and less stressful alternative is seeking out skilled Alzheimer’s home care.
  When a senior with dementia begins to lose their ability to organize their finances, keep their home clean, cook meals, or is not caring for their personal appearance, having a skilled home care provider can not only help an elderly loved one perform these tasks, but they can also brighten their day.  Alzheimer’s home care is actually a continuum of services provided by home care agencies.  Personal care agencies can help with companion services, dressing, bathing, light house work, shopping, eating and assist in reminding Alzheimer’s patients to take their medication.  As the disease progresses, home health care agencies can provide therapeutic care and activities as directed by the patient’s doctor.
  Prior to hiring a home care provider, there are steps follow to assure the needs of the sufferer are met:

•     Make a list of needs.  Be specific in both the needs and what the expectations are for how those needs will be met.  If the family expects breakfast and lunch to be prepared, light housework, medication reminders and assistance with bathing, they must outline these needs and how they expect them to be carried out.

•     Always screen the agency by phone first.  This not only ensures that the agency provides the type of  home care needed, but allows the family a first look at the customer service of the agency. How helpful are they over the phone?  Do they completely answer questions or provide vague responses?  First contact can be indicative of the overall attitude of the agency.

•     The majority of home care agencies will come to the patient’s home to do an on-site assessment at no charge.  Review the list of needs with the agency.  Families may want to have a few members present during the assessment so they can review the assessment afterward to see if the agency is a good fit for their loved one.

•   Make a list of routines. While this may seem trivial, we take for granted how we go through our daily activities, and we typically follow a daily pattern.  For a memory sufferer, having a consistent routine can be comforting.  Writing it down will help the incoming caregiver to continue this routine and put the sufferer at ease.

  Once a home health agency has been hired, be sure to share the loved one’s memories.  This allows the agency’s caregivers to form a bond with the patient.  The stronger the bond becomes with the senior, the happier they will be.  Sharing personal preferences, photos and accomplishments will aid in the bonding process as well.

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!

VA Benefits - Aid & Attendance

 Hardly a week goes by that our office doesn't get a call from the family of a veteran needing care.  When these calls come in, the first question we ask is

"Have you inquired about Aid & Attendance?".  Almost without fail, the answer is "No, what's that", "We don't quality", or "We applied but never got anything".  Unfortunately, lack of knowledge about the benefit is what usually leads to these answers.
  So, what is the Department of Veterans Affairs Aid & Attendance benefit?  To quote, "The Aid and Attendance Pension provides benefits for veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist in eating, bathing, dressing and undressing or taking care of the needs of nature. It also includes individuals who are blind or a patient in a nursing home because of mental or physical incapacity, as well as assisted living facilities". Information on the benefit can be found by clicking on this link to the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs Website.
   Even with the information found on the web, what the benefit consists of, and how to apply, are not clear.  And that's where we can help.  As part of our commitment to give back to our Veteran's, Home Helpers of LKN & Central NC is dedicated to assisting families in navigating the process to apply for this pension. Simply give us a call and we will gladly offer instructions on what you need to do.  The benefit is well worth the effort to apply, it only takes a few minutes, and there is zero cost involved.
 Finally, if you're a veteran or spouse needing care, and you don't apply for this benefit, it's a sure bet that you'll never get it!

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!

Tips for Renovating a Home for Aging in Place

If your family isn’t dealing with the challenges of a family member’s aging needs now, chances are you will be soon. With the number of old projected to outnumber the young by the year 2020 for the first time in history, taking care of the elderly (if only our own elderly selves) is something most of us will be faced with. Nearly 90% of seniors say they want to live at home for as long as possible, so making your home accessible now is in your best interest.  With that in mind, we'd like to offer 8 quick tips to accommodate aging at home...

1) Install grab bars in the shower. All bathrooms can benefit from the added security a grab bar provides. Be wary of the suction type when attaching to tile.  The tiles don't always provide a secure anchor point, and can pull from the wall!!!
2) Install a shower seat.  A foldable shower seat can give a needed rest, and can be stowed away when not in use.
3) Replace doorknobs with lever handles. Lever handles are much easier to operate than traditional doorknobs for those with arthritis and other hand ailments.
4) Replace traditional light switches with rocker or touch switches. As with doorknobs, a traditional toggle switch can be too small to handle, or even too small to see. A rocker or touch style is much simpler to operate.
5) Use easy-to-operate hardware for windows. Everyone needs fresh air once in a while, but some windows are harder to open than others. You may want to research the pros and cons of different window hardware options.
6) Install recessed lighting that illuminates cabinets and countertops. Installing task lighting to brighten workspaces in kitchens, laundry rooms and closets is a great way to improve living spaces for elders.
7) Install lever handles for sink faucets. Lever handles on sink faucets make them easier to operate for all users.
8) Install sensor lighting at each entry. This is a good safety feature for any house, but can especially help older occupants with impaired nighttime vision feel secure at home.

Most all of the above products can be found in local home-improvement stores.  And if you're not up to doing it yourself, ask the store if they have contractors that can help.

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!

Medication Safety For Seniors

Did you know that seniors 65 and older, represent approximately 14% of the population but consume 40% of prescription medications and about 35% of all over the counter meds? The average number of medications a senior takes is between 12 and 18 prescriptions a year. That is a lot of medication to manage. Adverse drug reactions and non-compliance with medications is one of the leading causes for hospitalization in the elderly. With these statistics it’s important to make certain we are doing all we can to keep our seniors safe at home.

Some things to remember:
- Keep an updated list of your medications, dose and frequency in your wallet. Don’t forget to add any new medications
- If prescribed a new medication make certain to understand the name of the drug and its purpose
- How long to take the medication and side effects or warnings associated with the drug
- Fill prescription medications at the same pharmacy, their computer software can alert the pharmacist to any contradictions
- Over the counter medications should be discussed with a physician, some non-prescription meds can be potentially harmful

For those having trouble managing their medications we offer several options to assist.
- Direct Link medication dispensers,
- Nurse visits to help manage medications
- Employees escorting seniors to doctor appointments can bring current med list for the MD to review
Lastly, we can be in the home when family can’t, to remind seniors how important it is to take their medications as prescribed.

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!

Remember Dad on Father's Day

A quick poem to remember dad...

 Daddy, I love you
 For all that you do.
 I 'll kiss you and hug you
 'Cause you love me, too.

 You feed me and need me
 To teach you to play,
 So smile 'cause I love you
 On this Father's Day.
     Author Unknown


Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!

Communicating with Dementia & Alzheimer's sufferers

 Our office works with countless families that are dealing with Alzheimer's or dementia.  While not contagious, both of these conditions have a huge impact on the family, not just the sufferer. 

Communication in these cases is crucial in that it can have a direct impact on sufferer's demeanor,  attitude, mood, etc.  With that in mind, we offer some tips on how to make this task easier:

1. Don’t say “remember”. Many times they will not be able to do so, and you are just pointing out their shortcomings. That is insulting, and can cause anger and/or embarrassment. Remove this word from your vocabulary!
2. Turn negatives into positives. For example say “Let’s do this” instead of “Stop doing that”.
3. Tell them what you are going to do before you do it. Particularly if you are going to touch them. They need to know what is coming first so that they don’t think that they are being grabbed.
4. Make eye contact. Always approach them face-to-face and make eye contact before speaking. It is important that they actually see you and that their attention is focused on you.
5. Do not stand or hover over them – it is intimidating and scary. They can’t focus on you and what you are saying if they are frightened.  Being at their eye level is a friendlier approach.
6. If you have questions, only ask one at a time. And let them answer it before you move on to another.
7. Always speak in a calm manner. If you sound angry or agitated, they will often mimic that mood, and it's likely to stay with them for a while!
8. Do not argue as it gets you nowhere. It's better to validate feelings, by saying "I understand how you feel”.  Then redirect by asking them to tell a story that they are fond of sharing.  For instance, lead them into the topic by saying "Tell me about the time..."

 These simple techniques can help ease an Alzheimer's & dementia sufferers anxiety tremendously.  Give it a try.

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!