210-614-1132
What exactly is Swine Influenza? Learn the facts about the virus that’s catching the
attention of the news media and concerned citizens all over the US from The Center of
Disease Control and Prevention website and share your thoughts.
1.) How should this outbreak be handled?
2.) What can adults and seniors do to prevent exposure?
Please comment below with your opinions!
Image Source:
-New York Times
To be a caregiver, you don’t have to live in the same city, or even in the same state as your elderly family member. Many family caregivers care for loved ones from long distances by coordinating care services, making care related decisions and monitoring the care being provided to their elderly family member from afar. While many long distance caregivers do rely on home care professionals or other members of the family to provide day-to-day care for the senior when necessary; long distance caregivers still play a substantial role in senior care.
What can you do as a long distance caregiver for your loved one?
• Assess the care needs of your loved one by talking to them, other family members and friends nearby
• When visiting, look for signs that they may be struggling to live independently. Signs may be exhibited on them personally or by looking at their home. Go with your instincts
• Coordinate senior care services if necessary – hire a professional non-medical caregiver, arrange for transportation, meal preparation and medication reminders to help the senior live on their own
• Keep a phone book for the senior’s local area, and a list of friends, family members and other people that you could call on in an emergency to help the senior
• Offer to help with financial matters, or be appointed Power of Attorney to look after the senior’s assets or medical wishes should the situation arise
• Learn about the senior’s condition
• Be a supportive ear when they need to talk
Sources:
1. Caregiver-Connect.ca
2. HowtoCare
Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.
Choosing a caregiver for an elderly relative or parent is not a task that anyone can take lightly. While you want to make the best decision to ensure your San Antonio senior receives the highest quality of eldercare and remains satisfied with the decision you make for their in-home care, it’s hard to know what to look for in a caregiver. Well, worry no further, because we’re about to tell you about the qualities and skills every San Antonio in-home caregiver should have.
1. Experience – the amount of experience a caregiver should have depends on the level of care a senior requires. If a caregiver is strictly there for companionship, they may not need direct eldercare experience, but ensure you check references from previous employers to learn about personality and depedability. If a caregiver will have higher levels of responsibilities, consider looking for a caregiver with more direct experience in eldercare.
2. Commitment – choose a caregiver with a track record of committing to their care recipients. It’s easier on your senior to have just one main caregiver once you find one you like.
3. Emergency Training – While a caregiver doesn’t need a medical background, some level of CPR or first-aid training can be beneficial, so they know how to assist a senior in an emergency while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
4. Driver’s License – a senior caregiver with a license is a must for running errands, going to appointments, and responding to emergency situations!
5. Good personality – a senior caregiver must be dependable, patient, and demonstrate compassion, but above all; their personality must be a good fit with that of a senior.
Sources:
1. Associated Content
2. AMazines
Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.
A major component of San Antonio home care involves ensuring that a senior remains safe in their own home, and since stairs present a major risk for in-home falls and accidents, this is one area that should be focused on for immediate senior safety. When looking at stair safety for the elderly, San Antonio caregivers and family members should focus on both the hardware and structure of the stairs, as well as the décor and lighting that surround the area. Complete the following checklist to ensure that your elderly loved one will be safe on their stairs.
Safe Stair Structure Checklist:
• Steps are at least 11 inches deep and each step is even
• Steps are not slanted or loose
• Stair surfaces have slip resistant treads
• Handrails are on one side of the stairs, if not both sides
• Handrails are strongly fastened and supportive
• Handrails and banisters are no thicker around than 6.25 inches so they can be easily grabbed
• Indicators installed on handrails let seniors know when each step is coming to an end
Safe Stair Surrounds Checklist:
• Stairways are well-lit
• No objects are present on stairs
• Tops and bottoms of stairways are free of rugs and mats that might slip
• Assistive devices have been considered to help with mobility on stairs where appropriate
Sources:
1. Ezine Articles Daryl Lanhker
2. Canada Safety Council
Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.
For many San Antonio seniors, arthritis is one of the unfortunate realities of getting older. Fortunately, there are arthritis therapies that can alleviate some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and the associated pain that seniors experience and tools which can assist with the physical challenges that can occur. Simple arthritic therapies can be incorporated into the daily life of a senior, like an exercise program as recommended by a doctor or therapist; using thermal therapies and ice therapies with ice packs or heating packs to relieve local pain, tension and muscle spasms; and rest using splits or supports, or laying down in bed. An occupational therapist can also help seniors to learn techniques to cope with their arthritis and complete tasks hard on the joint safely.
While San Antonio elder care professionals or family caregivers can assist seniors with day-to-day tasks, seniors who live independently at home and suffer from arthritis may benefit from use of assistive devices to help with tasks that are made to difficult by the arthritis like grasping, holding, getting dressed, walking, sitting, standing, climbing stairs, walking and driving. Assistive devices and gadgets are available online from websites like Comfort House, Dynamic Living, and Ableware.
Arthritis may create additional challenges for independent seniors, but with knowledge and understanding, it can be managed without a great impact on a senior’s chosen lifestyle.
Images: www.aidsforarthritis.com
Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.
Too Close for Comfort? Intergenerational Living Presents Special Challenges
It’s happening in the White House! It’s happening in your home! San Antonio Seniors living under the same roof with at least one other generation is news that’s happening in households coast to coast. Grandmother’s moving back home!
The challenges that can arise from intergenerational living prompted Home Instead Senior Care to develop tools that help families determine if combining households is the best option for all involved.
Therefore, Home Instead Senior Care is pleased to offer resources and ideas that make the decision for grandmother or grandfather move home with the kids easier and less stressful for all members of the family:
1. Take a family partnership perspective. Keep everyone informed about household arrangements.
2. Set expectations right away. Clearly outline key roles and responsibilities.
3. Ask for help. Either from other family members or a professional caregiver service.
4. Make family unity key. Strive for routines and rituals to bring the family together.
5. Keep lines of communication open. Recognize the need for private time. Visit www.4070talk.com.
6. Distinguish between private space and shared space. Make clear rules regarding the private spaces set aside for member of the household.
Call today for your free handbook, “Too Close for Comfort?”, available from your local Home Instead Senior Care Office at 1–800–4 SENIORS. This handbook addresses the emotional, financial, and comfort and safety aspects of intergenerational living. Or, you may visit our website at www.homeinstead.com for more information about caregiver stress and intergenerational lifestyles.
When moving an elderly parent or senior relative into your home so you can provide caregiver assistance, you might be doing it to benefit the level of eldercare they receive, but don’t forget to consider your needs as well as theirs.
In order to allow a senior to have some independence in your home, make sure they have their own personal space, whether a room fully equipped with a TV, bathroom and sleeping quarters; or a basement apartment with their own kitchen, depending upon what’s appropriate for the senior’s capabilities. If you live in a smaller home, ask the senior to contribute that way your family can purchase a larger space that will allow the family and the senior to have the space they need.
Remember, when living with a senior it’s important to provide for their safety in the home. Ensure that furniture in the main areas of the home is arranged to allow ample space for a senior to walk through without tripping, and try to reduce additional clutter. Senior safety devices can also be installed in bathrooms for assistance with mobility, like grab bars, bathtub transfer benches and raised toilet seats. Also keep in mind that while you may have moved your elderly parent in to act as their main caregiver; you deserve a break to, so take advantage of San Antonio home caregiver services in your area for some respite.
Sources:
1. Ezine Articles
2. Seniormag
Image: pro.corbis.com
Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.
Elder care emergencies can happen at anytime day or night. Unfortunately, senior care issues and medical emergencies just don’t operate on a standard 9-5 schedule. So what do you do if your elderly relative requires care assistance outside of regular business hours?
Many San Antonio senior home care providers offer live-in senior care, which ensures there is a caregiver available to address a senior’s every need 24/7. Others, like Home Instead Senior Care, guarantee that a caregiver is available on call when a senior needs them 24 hours per day. If you believe that the level of care required by a senior loved one requires the availability of 24 hour eldercare, make sure you do your research and ask the right questions when selecting a senior caregiving agency. Look at the rates closely, as some may charge a much greater cost for caregivers who work outside of normal business hours; and if your choice is to hire a live-in caregiver, ensure that background and reference checks are completed so you have a greater guarantee that they are trustworthy.
Obtaining 24 hour care for a senior in San Antonio is a big decision, so don’t take it lightly! Involve your elder in the decision process as appropriate, and be thorough!
Sources:
1. Home Instead Senior Care
2. ForElderCare
Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.
This Mother’s Day, celebrate with your senior mother or grandmother with fun and inexpensive activities that are enjoyable for you to do together in San Antonio, or purchase a special gift that you know she’s been dying for. Mother’s Day is about making a female relative feel special and appreciated, and seniors are a demographic who can appreciate your efforts the most. When planning Mother’s Day activities for you and your senior, or shopping for the perfect Mother’s Day gift, keep these ideas in mind.
Gifts:
• The perfect gift for each senior, varies upon personal taste, but consider one of the following ideas depending upon interest and budget
• Improve their home – providing a San Antonio senior with independence they feel they’re loosing can be one of the best gifts – install personal safety devices in the bathroom and kitchen, or place a walk-in tub in the bathroom
• Provide help – hire an in-home caregiver, or someone to clean their home or take care of the landscaping. You can even offer assistance from you for caregiving assistance on a budget in order to allow a senior to remain at home longer
• Senior-friendly reading – for those seniors who love to read, enroll them in a large-print book club
• Functional clothing – buy clothing that has minimal snaps or buttons which can cause dexterity challenges
• Send her away – if she’s always wanted to take a trip, purchase a prepaid ticket to her destination of choice
• Pamper her – purchase a spa service so she can be pampered
Sources:
1. Associated Content Rose Alexis
2. Chiff
Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.
One of the greatest advantages of modern digital processing technology is the ability to forever store and edit images. Current media is prime for transforming your memories and relics of childhood, first loves, and marriage into a format that is easy to access and forever safe.
Several months ago, one of our CAREGivers, upon the request of a client prepared, a DVD movie including music, chapter separation, and interviews for the client’s family. When the client passed away recently, Home Instead was able to present to the family several copies of the DVD at a special memorial service that the CAREGivers who knew their grandma so well were able to attend.
The DVD was presented along with a framed portrait done by another Home Instead CAREGiver. The CAREGivers were not hired for their abilities as artists or digital media gurus, rather as trained and compassionate companions. However, Home Instead was not surprised to find out that the people they had hired were so multi-facetted and willing to give of themselves.
At this dinner, the family alongside their beloved mother’s CAREGivers, was able to watch the story of her life and their own special places in it. For this group, it was a truly special opportunity to share and love alike.
In your own family’s future, consider the opportunity to have a Home Instead CAREGiver chronicle and record your past. This can be a wonderful way to celebrate the lives of those around you while they are with you and afterward.
Prepared by Denise Thomas, Home Instead Senior Care Austin
Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.
