Phoenix Health

When I was a kid, my dad used to stretch out on the sofa after supper. For his job he often drove all over the state, sometimes working long days.  Irregular hours were a part of his life. When he was home he’d often fall asleep during the news, waking when it ended or shortly thereafter.  It became so frequent we lovingly called it his “Nightly News Nap.” He’d catch up on the sleep he might have missed the day before, and awaken refreshed.  Ready to tackle the evening’s activities.

And you know what?

Dad was right.

Research shows that drivers who get less than 6 hours of sleep are 3 times more likely to have a car accident.

One of the recommendations to prevent this is a power nap.

What’s a power nap?

It’s a nap lasting about 20 minutes, usually in the afternoon.

How can power naps reduce caregiver stress?

Research shows power naps . . .

* Increase alertness . . .
* Reduce stress and . . .
* Improve your brain functioning.

Power naps increase your alertness so you can stay on top of everything.

When you’re a caregiver you often have your caregiver responsibilities on top of your regular responsibilities.

And in caregiving it’s important to be alert for subtle changes.

Your loved one may forget to tell you something important.  Or maybe she can no longer tell you she doesn’t feel well, she just loses her appetite or gets more irritable.

Whether you’re keeping track of multiple medications . . .multiple appointments . . .eating habits . . .or all three plus more — you need to be alert.

Power naps also reduce your stress.

Caregiver stress is a major risk of caregiving.

And one cause of increased caregiver stress may be fatigue from being up at night.  Maybe you’re caring for someone who doesn’t sleep well . . .or maybe just wakeful because you’re on alert listening for them.

Studies show that by mid-afternoon it’s normal to need a brief nap.  And if the person you’re caring for is napping or has another person caring for them, it may be the perfect time for you to grab a quick nap.

When you’re tired it’s easier to lose your patience.  And if you’re losing your patience for your family or the one you’re caring for, you may also have guilt for losing your patience.

Which creates a vicious cycle of exhaustion . . .anger . . .and guilt. All of which added together increase your caregiver stress.

And power naps can decrease stress helping you break that cycle.

Power naps can improve your brain functioning.

When you’re thinking clearly you can make better decisions . . .including knowing when to seek help.

Plus it’s easier to keep on top of your responsibilities . . .finances . . .and everything you need to do.

When you’re feeling stressed and tired from lack of sleep at night, maybe a power nap is your solution.

Are you feeling stressed and overwhelmed?

Click on this link to see how to easily and quickly Overcome the 3 Deadly Mistakes That Cause Stress, Overwhelm and Burnout.

Source: CaregivingwithPurpose.com

Keep knitting to your heart’s delight — or someone else’s,

Dr. Ina

Ina Gilmore M.D. (ret.)

“The Knitting Dr.”

Ambassador of Elder Care, HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

Founder, CaregivingWithPurpose.com and TheKnittingYarn.com

What is the Green House Model in Elder Care?

Traditional senior living options like assisted living and nursing home facilities are institutions that provide basic care, but don’t necessarily cater improving the quality of life for our aging and their living arrangements. The Green House Model in aging care focuses upon quality of life and comfort first. The care issues are a priority but are not not the center of being like in traditional institutions.

This model gives aging seniors the comforts of home that they are familiar with along with the conveniences of having care services around them 24/7. The Green House Model is less sterile and hospital like because they provide a warm and welcoming environment to only 6-8 older seniors. Their goal is to eliminate big institutions and move towards a elder care home model that gives quality of life and improves overall well-being. As older adults move less to a nursing home or assisted living facility, the U.S. elder care facilities will  adopt methods that allow independence and aging in place. The Green House Model might just be the future of elder care.

And the Eden Alternative’s principle-based philosophy empowers Care Partners to transform institutional approaches to care into the creation of a community where life is worth living. Led by our internationally-recognized founder, Dr. William Thomas, they apply 15 years of experience to guiding organizations through the journey of culture change.

Both the Eden Alternative and the Green House Model embraces a vision of eliminating loneliness, helplessness, and boredom. And they incorporate missions like improving the lives of the Elder and their Care Partners by transforming the communities where they live and work.

Traditional nursing home and assisted living facilities are large institutions that provide basic care, but don’t necessarily cater towards improving the quality of life for San Diego seniors based on their living arrangements. The Green House Model in eldercare focuses upon quality of life and comfort first, and care elements, while they are a priority, are not the center of being like they are in the large, traditional institutions.

The Green House Model tries to give seniors the comforts of home with the conveniences of having care services around them 24/7. The atmosphere is less sterile and hospital like because they try to provide a warm and welcoming environment where only 6-8 seniors are living. The goal of The Green House Model is to eliminate big institutions and move towards this model that focuses on quality of life to improve overall senior well-being. As more and more seniors are dreading moving to a nursing home or assisted living facility as they get older, the elder care structure is adopting methods that allow for senior independence and aging in place. With this in mind, The Green House Model might just be the future of elder care.

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.

If your loved one is approaching a point where you and your family members decide that they are not able to function independently and may need in home care, you will have legal issues to discuss. Here are a few important points that need to be discussed:

* Who will be in charge of managing your senior’s personal affairs while they are still alive

* Who will manage their personal care, such as in home care or home health care, and make medical decisions

*  Arranging for payment of long-term health care

* Protecting the family assets: making sure that the patient’s spouse are adequately protected

* The distribution of the person’s assets on his or her death.

Get an Attorney immediately. The maximum number of planning options will be available while the patient still has the legal capacity to make his or her own decisions. The question of their capacity can be a gray area, and needs to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

If you sit down and discuss these steps with your family before the actual meeting when these issues are discussed, it may alleviate some of the stress involved with discussing these sensitive topics. Being united is always the best way to help your parent, and to keep the peace while going through this difficult time in seeking legal help and home care.

Yoga has been increasingly popular. It may seem like a trendy exercise activity, but it’s actually been around for some 5,000 years. Many doctors are recommending patients to try yoga for its extensive health benefits, and the fact that it’s an easy introductory exercise for most who are inactive.

Health benefits of yoga for seniors include:

• Reduced incidence of chronic back pain

• Improved mood and ability to get a better night’s sleep

• Better sense of well-being

• Improved quality of life

• Improved cardiovascular health which improves heart conditions

• Helpful for rheumatoid arthritis

• Assists overall health for seniors with Type 2 Diabetes

• Improved flexibility and general physical fitness

• Improved balance and increased mobility which are specific issues that seniors face

From the Sex Talk to the Driving Talk

Author’s Note: A hard topic for any family because the senior is losing their independence and signals losing control of life. Driving for most is like eating… something we do everyday, and have taken away can be devastating, so be easy when bringing this topic up.

The good news is that despite your seemingly irrational rambling during “the talk”, it proved successful, despite the fact that your child probably giggled their way through the entire conversation.

The bad new is asking a senior driver, your mother or father to consider retiring from a long and successful driving career is guaranteed to be a very sensitive, emotional, and uncomfortable conversation.

Keeping Us Safe’s “Senior Driver Intervention 101”:

1. Not wanting to face the fact that a loved ones disease is getting worse or that the aging process is beginning to take its toll.

2. You may delay having these conversations because you want to avoid confrontation or presenting a challenge your parent’s authority.

3. You are already overloaded with responsibilities and are concerned that you will be forced to take on more.

4.   You are afraid that you will offend or insult the elderly driver.

5. You are guilt-ridden at the thought of depriving a loved one of their driving independence.

6.   For many other reasons, you may also experience feelings of frustration.

Clearly the above list helps illustrate the point that emotions and perceptions may play a role in distorting a family’s evaluation of driving abilities, however unintentional that distortion may be.

Sooner or later, this topic will come up on almost every family’s “Top 10 List” of delicate family issues.  To complicate matters, this sensitive issue not only involves the possibility of restricting the independence of a loved one, but also deals with the ever critical issue of highway safety.

Put another way…a family’s way of handling (or not handling) this matter could ultimately mean the difference between life and death, not only for your loved one, but also for an innocent motorist.

Keeping Us Safe has developed a program designed to un-complicate some of the complexities of this issue.  The “Enhanced Self-Assessment Program” was designed specifically for elderly drivers and provides an objective, professional, third-party approach in assisting the senior driver and/or his or her respective family in making decisions about the individual’s driving future.

If it is determined that the best course of action involves restricting certain driving habits, or even a complete retirement from ones driving career, the program will assist the individual and his or her family in finding acceptable transportation alternatives with a goal of maintaining the individual’s independence, and most importantly maintaining the dignity and personal pride of your loved one.

To learn more about this unique and innovative program and how we can help YOU, please visit Keeping Us Safe at www.keepingussafe.org or call us toll-free from anywhere in the U.S. at 877-907-8841.

In this article we discussed some reasons why a family’s perception of the problem may not be a completely accurate assessment. In part 2 of this 3 part series, we will be discussing the topic of “who” should actually do the talking in an article aptly titled “Not It!”.

Federal Older Americans Act Older Americans Act & Aging Network – develops a comprehensive, coordinated and cost-effective system of home and community-based services that helps elderly individuals maintain their health and independence in their homes and communities.

National Family Caregiver Support Program – Administration on Aging

Family Caregiver State by State Guide The Family Caregiver Alliance Program - This state-by-state resource is intended to help you locate government, nonprofit, and private programs in your area. It includes services for family caregivers, as well as resources for older or disabled adults living at home or in a residential facility.

National Family Caregiver Association – The National Family Caregivers Association educates, supports, empowers and speaks up for the more than 65 million Americans who care for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability or the frailties of old age.

The National Alliance for Caregiving is a non-profit coalition of national organizations focusing on issues of family caregiving.

Family Caregiving 101 Web site. – If you’re caring for a loved one who is ill or disabled, this site was created for you. It’s a great place to find assistance, answers, new ideas and helpful advice — for you and your loved one.

AlzOnline provides information, education and support to caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s and other progressive dementias.

Medicaid – Know your options – There are many discount health plans and low cost health insurance plans that may meet your healthcare needs.

Official Medicare Site for all your caregiving needs

Centers for Medicaid and Medicare – All the information you want to know about Medicaid and Medicare.

How can I cope with my emotions?

Talk to your family. Caregiving is hard work and sometimes we make a mistake thinking we should not burden others with our feelings. But talking about the illness and how you feel can help relieve stress. If your loved one is unable to participate, be sure to talk with other family members or friends who can provide support.

Educate yourself about elder care. Find out all you can about how to care for an elderly loved one, their health, medical treatments (if any), medications, and side effects. Being informed helps you regain a sense of control. Your loved one’s doctor, support groups, the Internet and libraries are good resources for more information.

Join a support group. Support groups give you the opportunity to share your feelings and experiences with people who are going through similar situations. Your doctor can suggest ways to find a support group, or you can contact these websites for more information.

Elder Care Locator A public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging connecting you to services for older adults and their families. Call 1-800-677-1116.

Alzheimer’s Association CareFinder This site assists those who care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease in finding good care in their community.

ARCH –The National Respite Locator Service This service helps parents, caregivers, and professionals find respite services in their state and local area that mach their specific needs.

Family Caregiver Alliance This site features information on programs at national, state and local levels that support and sustain caregivers.

Visit National Area Agency on Aging for more resources.

Sometimes it’s helpful to talk with a counselor about how you’re feeling. This is not sign of weakness.Recognizing that you need help takes a lot of strength and courage. Talk to your doctor. He or she can help you or refer you to a doctor or therapist who specializes in counseling.

While there has been a long-standing misconception that the best place to provide care for a Phoenix senior suffering from Alzheimer’s is in a nursing home or assisted living facility, the reality is that not only would these seniors prefer to stay in their own homes, they receive greater benefits by living in a familiar environment. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can be overwhelming, and require you to make sacrifices in your work and family life in order to keep up with the senior’s growing needs. However, there are other options available to help keep seniors with Alzheimer’s living with some level of independence in their own home environments.

Home Instead Senior Care offers home care services which can help seniors deal with the areas of daily living that they struggle with, or with tasks where safety may be an issue due to the Alzheimer’s or dementia. Caregivers can help seniors with dressing, cooking, cleaning and more to preserve their safety and ensure their needs are being met. For those seniors who are suffering from more advanced Alzheimer’s and dementia, Home Instead Senior Care even have caregivers that are trained to deal with the specific needs presented by someone with Alzheimer’s, so families can rest assured that their elderly loved ones are receiving the highest level of care available.

Sources:

1. Web MD

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.

Q – My dad in Phoenix has had to give up driving. I don’t live close enough to be able to take him on errands or to appointments. Are there any services available to help with transportation in his area?

A – In-home senior caregivers can help seniors with transportation to appointments, errands, and virtually anywhere else they want to go. At Home Instead Senior Care, we check all of our caregivers driving records with the DMV to ensure they are licensed to drive and have a good driving record. Caregivers can transport senior clients in the seniors vehicle, or in their own vehicle if the senior does not own a car. However, if they use the caregiver’s car, then transportation fees do apply.

While many communities do offer free transportation services for older adults that are similar to public transportation on buses, they do not offer the same level of flexibility or allow seniors to stick to their own schedule or routines. By having a caregiver to drive them, seniors can do everything on their own time without making sacrifices.

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.

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