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

We know you appreciate everything that your long-term caregiver does for your aging family member, and believe that sometimes it’s appropriate to say thank you with a gift. If a family caregiver is responsible for senior care, sometimes the best gift to give them is a break. By providing them assistance with their responsibilities, they will have the opportunity to focus on themselves for a change. Everyone deserves a break; so offer to take your elderly relative shopping, prepare a meal. Another welcome gift for family caregivers is to pre-pay for a service that is typically an expense from their own pocket; buy a gift certificate for grass cutting, or house keeping to save them the expense.

If you want to show a senior caregiver hired from an agency that you appreciate them, first check with the agency for their policy on gift-giving. Many senior care agencies do not allow their caregivers to accept monetary gifts, but a small token of your appreciation; like flowers, a gift basket or a gift certificate for a nice meal can be great ways to say “thank you” to a long-term senior caregiver if they can accept the gifts.

Whether a caregiver who cares for an elderly family member is paid for their services or not, it’s important to remember how great their impact is on enhancing the lives of seniors; it doesn’t take much to say “thank you”, even if only in words.

Sources:
1. Area Agency on Aging
2. Caregiver’s Care Station

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Most Americans understand the importance of saving money to fund their retirement once they stop working, however, most do not know just how much they’ll need to pay for their basic living expenses or fund the retirement lifestyle they desire.

There is no magic retirement amount that will allow seniors to survive financially during their retirement. According to financial planners, the amount of savings needed for retirement all depends on lifestyle, standards of living and goals during retirement. Since life expectancy rates are increasing in North America, seniors should estimate their retirement funds based on life expectancy to age 90.

So how much do seniors need to put away for their retirement during their careers? Retirement financial planners say that 15 times your regular income should fund your bare bones expenses up until age 90; however, you can’t expect to have any money left in the bank or live the luxurious retirement lifestyle you’ve dreamed of. For those seniors who hope to travel, or maintain a less-modest lifestyle during retirement, and still have money left over; at least 22 times your regular income is required.

Financial planners say that retirement planning should start as early as the 20’s or 30’s, so that a sufficient amount of money is available to fund retirement when the time comes, and only a small portion of monthly income needs to be put aside in order to reach retirement goals.

Source:  Retirement Cash: Will You Have Enough? (Stuart Foxman)

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefes to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

“Longevity risk” is the term used to describe the increased lifespan of baby boomers which can ultimately result in them outliving their assets and funding for retirement. Not only are baby boomers living longer into their senior years than previous generations, but unlike their parents who had pensions to support them into old age; only 70% of baby boomers will retire with pensions today. Is it possible for seniors to live longer with fewer assets and income available to them?

According to a recent study by Ernst & Young, there is a very real risk that baby boomers and future generations who live longer will outlive their retirement funds. The study showed that 3 in 5 seniors middle-class retirees who maintain the lifestyle they have prior to retirement will run out of money before they die. While many seniors may dream of vacationing during the winter months and living extravagantly to celebrate their senior years; they may in reality have to sacrifice these dreams in lieu of a more modest lifestyle, saving the hard-earned money they made during their working years to provide for the regular costs of living both before and during retirement.

Younger generations should start planning today to provide for their senior years by saving a percentage of their earned income in a retirement plan to provide for retirement living; and some baby boomers who have yet to save need to act fast and adjust their lifestyles so they have the money to fund their futures.
ConsumerAffairs.com: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/10/longevity_risk.html (Fred Yager)
Consumer Affairs.com: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/07/retirement_savings.html

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

For many seniors, a trip to the doctor’s office for a checkup or prescription refill can be a laborious task. Physical limitations, illnesses, aches and pains and lack of access to transportation can make even a routine doctor’s visit a challenge. For these older adults, home visits by a physician can be the best way to get the medical care that they require. Many healthcare agencies around the United States specialize in home doctor’s visits for elderly patients. The staff of these house call organizations are medically trained doctors and nurses, who often have had specific expertise in geriatric care. The idea of in home doctor’s visits is to bring all the medical services a senior would typically receive at their physician’s office, without ever leaving home.

When physician’s and nurses pay house calls to seniors who are homebound, they are prepared to complete routine checkups to assess the elderly patient’s health. They are also able to write prescriptions, manage IV’s, complete lab work, administer x-rays and EKG’s and assess and monitor illnesses.

Medicare does offer coverage for in home medical care for those who receive Part A benefits. In order to receive Medicare benefits for doctor’s visits at home, seniors must be classified as homebound, due to specific limitations that relate to physical and mental capabilities. In some cases, Medicare will provide coverage for patients who are not isolated to their homes, provided their situation justifies in home care by a medical practitioner. Doctors who also specialize in providing house calls to the elderly also mention that Medicare covers services documented due to immobility, the need to assess in home caregiving and safety in the home, and other reasons that may prevent a senior from going to a medical office.

Medicare will not cover home visits by a physician for senior assistance with Activities of Daily Living or for those who are chronically ill. Those who do not qualify for coverage of home visits by a doctor should consider hiring an in home, non-medical caregiver for assistance with the Activities of Daily Living that they’re finding to be too much for them.

Sources: http://www.aahcp.org/homebound.shtml
http://www.seniorresourcesonline.com/articles.iml?category=Medicare
http://www.drshomevisits.com/services.html
http://www.housecalldoctorstexas.com/services.asp

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Today we are continuing our discussion about how to organize your home for someone with memory problems, dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.  Our last post focused in making sure the bathroom was organized well to prevent injuries, confusion or falls, today we will focus on bedrooms.  The goal here is to maximize functioning, so that your elderly loved one can take out and put away clothes, dress and do other daily functions in the bedroom for as long as possible.

Solutions for the Family:

1)Only use drawers at waist level for easy access.  If possible, latch them to the chest so they cannot tip all the way out.

2)Make sure the closet clothes bar is at chest level for easy access. Encourage your senior to fold items over the bar if they can no longer use hangers.

3)Limit the amount of clothing in the closet and in drawers.  This avoids confusion.  Store less frequently used items in another room.

4)Encourage a spouse who shares the bedroom to put their personal items in a different room to reduce  confusion.

5)Store items they like to use in drawers with easy access.  Bed rails are usually unsafe for someone with memory problems, dementia or Alzheimer’s disease because they may try to climb over them and possibly fall.

6)Put a railing along a wall beside the bed if this would help them get in or out.

Source:  Home Instead Senior Care - Alzheimer’s CAREGiver Training Program.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Today we are continuining with our topic of keeping aging adults safe in their homes and will talk about some common problems and possible solutions for the bathroom area.  Many seniors have accidents in the bathrooms and often as result of this avoid taking baths or showers out of fear of falling or hurting themselves.

This problem is particularly prevelant amongst those with physical limitations but someone with memory loss or dementia can be even more at risk.  Home Instead provides training and tips to its caregivers through a multi-phased training program, which includes information about home safety and potential problem areas throughout a senior’s home to be adjusted or avoided where needed.

If your loved one has moderate to severe cognitive impairment and needs verbal cues and some assistance with toileting and bathing, the bathroom needs to be as accessible as possible to maximize independence.

Solutions for the Family:

1)Remove dangerous chemical and aerosols.  Don’t use automatic cleaners in the toilet.

2)Install grab bars by the toilet and and in the shower.

3)Install a hand-held shower nozzle.  People with Alzheimer’s disease reach better to hand-held showers rather than overhead showers.

4)Install lever-type faucets on the sink with easy-to-see hot and cold symbols.

5)Make sure water temperature is not too hot for independent use.

6)Warm the bathroom to body temperature, but avoid floor level space heaters.  These can be very dangerous if they are in an elderly persons reach.  Use room-size rugs for warmth, but avoid rugs that could trip your elder loved one.

7)Use a fan to avoid fogging the bathroom.

8)Install a shower chair to aid balance and use a non-skid mat.  Discourage seniors from sitting directly in the bath tub.  It may be too difficult for him or her to get up.

Source:  Home Instead Senior Care - Alzheimer’s CAREGiver Training Program.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Ensuring a safe, comfortable and organized environment for seniors.

Most elder loved ones feel the safest and most comfortable in their own homes, but we must consider the risk factors involved for Aging Adults suffering with Alzheimer’s or Dementia. For these older seniors, home is not always the safest as it once was, since their illness. To ensure seniors are happy and well-adjusted, you must establish a safe and comfortable environment for them.

Making appropriate changes to an aging adult’s home environment so it is safe and supportive, is not easy but is vital for an elder living with Alzheimer’s. The family of an a senior citizen can help in making suggestions in establishing a positive environment for their elder loved one. Maintaining these safety guidelines increases a senior’s ability to function and decreases difficult behaviors. This is an important issue that should not be overlooked concerning the aging population showing signs of Alzheimer’s or Dementia.

Aging adults may have had things the same way for more than 50 years and do not want change. A physical environment can greatly impact a Senior’s life. If well-done, surroundings can enhance what’s happening every day. On the other hand, a disorganized or unsafe physical environment can acutually inhibit the activity of everyday life and leave an elderly who lives with Alzheimer’s in turmoil.

Some suggestions to consider:

-Increase lighting levels
-Add bright accents and paintings
-Declutter the rooms, especially walkways
-Install lever type doorknobs
-Install secure railings on both sides of stairways
-Declutter closets - organize clothes by day
-Use safety latches on drawers and doors
-Chairs should have arm rests and be at elbow height

Your loved one’s physical environment can greatly impact their lives. Keep their homes organized and safe.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

WEAR RED DAY (1st Friday) of this month

This is the day when people are encouraged to wear red to show their support for heart disease awareness in women. The Red Dress is the national symbol and it helps alert women about their personal risk factors for heart disease. To learn more, visit goredforwomen.org.

A Home Instead CAREGiver can help clients transition home from the hospital if they’ve had a heart attack. Oftentimes their doctor limits what activities they can do around the house - a CAREGiver can help with laundry and other light housekeeping. They may also be weak, so it’s good to have someone around.

If clients haven’t had a heart attack CAREGivers can help prevent one by assisting with a walk around the block, transporting them to an exercise class or trying a new activity. A CAREGiver can also remind them to take their cholesterol, blood pressure or other vital medication, or plan and prepare nutritious, heart-healthy meals.

The Red Dress is a trademark of DHHS.

Sources: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute;
National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

It’s important to understand if you are at a higher risk factor for glaucoma, in order to ensure you are taking the appropriate steps to care for your eyes and prevent severe optic nerve damage that can lead to blindness. Even if you do not experience any symptoms, if you answer yes to any of the below criteria, speak to an eye care professional in order to setup regular testing to prevent and diagnose glaucoma.

• You are over the age of 60; individuals in this elder age group are four to six times more likely to develop glaucoma than younger generations. 2.2 million Americans over 40 suffer from glaucoma, and many of them are seniors
• You are aware of your family history as it relates to eye diseases. You understand that that open-angle glaucoma in particular is hereditary and that family history increases the risk from four to nine times
• You are African-American, Asian or Hispanic and are aware that the risks of glaucoma are greatly increased
• You have spoken to a medical professional if you have hypertension, high myopia diabetes, or take steroid medications because glaucoma is more likely to occur
• You receive regular tests for eye care after receiving injuries to your eyes, or if you have had eye surgery. The same applies if you have a central cornea thickness less than 0.5mm; because these factors can be some of the causes of glaucoma
Sources: http://www.glaucoma.org/learn/are_you_at_risk.php
               http://www.ahaf.org/glaucoma/about/risk.html