According to the National Stroke Association, strokes are the fourth leading cause of death in America. They are also a leading cause of debility among older adults. Fortunately, 80% of strokes are preventable.
What is a stroke? A stroke is when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel, and this blockage cuts off blood supply and oxygen to the affected area. As a result, the tissue and organs in the area die. There are two types of strokes: ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic strokes occur when arteries are blocked by plaque or a blood clot. Hemorrhagic strokes occur when a blood vessel in the brain breaks and blood is leaked onto the brain, causing serious damage.
Fortunately, knowing how to recognize a stroke in a victim can literally be a lifesaver. Use FAST as a tool to remember the four warning signs of a stroke.
F – Face: Is one of side of their face drooping? Have the individual smile and look for any differences.
A –Arms: Ask the individual to raise both of their arms. Are they able to keep both up? Does one arm start to drift downward?
S – Speech: Is their speech hard to understand? Are they slurring words?
T – Time to Call 911: If they are exhibiting any of the above symptoms, call 911 and seek medical attention immediately.
According to the American Heart Association, there are some other symptoms that you can look for such as sudden numbness or weakness in the legs, an onset of confusion and difficulty understanding, trouble seeing, increased inability to walk or maintain balance and coordination, and severe headaches.
Showing posts with label elder care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elder care. Show all posts
Friday, May 10, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
Employers, Support Working Caregivers to Help Your Business
According to AARP, currently 61% of family caregivers work full-time or part-time. What’s even more surprising is that 19% of retirees stopped working because of their caregiving responsibilities, and an incredibly 68% have had to make work-place accommodations as a result of their caregiving responsibilities.
These figures are incredible. Furthermore, businesses will be affected because this figure is growing every single day. This is going to negatively impact businesses if they’re not prepared, and, at the same time, this is an incredible opportunity for employers to prove to their employees that their dedicated to their well-being. Employers can support their caregiver employers in multiple ways. Here are some suggestions for employers, from most basic to most comprehensive:
1. Employers should talk to their employees and try to understand what they’re going through. They should encourage them to communicate what is going on in their life with upper management and their immediate supervisors.
2. As much as their position allows, employers should strive to be flexible in scheduling. It’s important to understand that, for caregivers, a 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. job won’t allow them to meet some of their caregiving responsibilities and will add stress.
3. If employers know of multiple working caregivers within their organization, they can encourage any caregiver employees to talk to each other, as they both may have resources that will be beneficial to the other one.
4. If their caregiving responsibilities become too intense, employers can encourage them to explore their options within the company, such as FMLA.
The best option for a company is to find an outside eldercare expert to provide support and guidance to their employees. Employers should consider adopting an elder care support program, such as WeCare+. This option allows the company to support the individuals while realizing they may not have all of the tools able to support the individuals.
All of these are a step in the right direction, and will allow caregiver employees to continue working and to continue to provide support for their ailing or aging loved one. You can learn more about our program here.
These figures are incredible. Furthermore, businesses will be affected because this figure is growing every single day. This is going to negatively impact businesses if they’re not prepared, and, at the same time, this is an incredible opportunity for employers to prove to their employees that their dedicated to their well-being. Employers can support their caregiver employers in multiple ways. Here are some suggestions for employers, from most basic to most comprehensive:
1. Employers should talk to their employees and try to understand what they’re going through. They should encourage them to communicate what is going on in their life with upper management and their immediate supervisors.
2. As much as their position allows, employers should strive to be flexible in scheduling. It’s important to understand that, for caregivers, a 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. job won’t allow them to meet some of their caregiving responsibilities and will add stress.
3. If employers know of multiple working caregivers within their organization, they can encourage any caregiver employees to talk to each other, as they both may have resources that will be beneficial to the other one.
4. If their caregiving responsibilities become too intense, employers can encourage them to explore their options within the company, such as FMLA.
The best option for a company is to find an outside eldercare expert to provide support and guidance to their employees. Employers should consider adopting an elder care support program, such as WeCare+. This option allows the company to support the individuals while realizing they may not have all of the tools able to support the individuals.
All of these are a step in the right direction, and will allow caregiver employees to continue working and to continue to provide support for their ailing or aging loved one. You can learn more about our program here.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Rising Cost of Nursing Homes
This year, Genworth Financial released their 9th annual Cost of Care
Survey. The results serve as a perfect microscope to examine the cost of care
state by state, and to understand emerging trends in the cost of care. One of
the most striking figures is the cost of a nursing home and their expected
increase in price.
In the study, the facilities are broken down into three categories: assisted living facility, nursing home(semi-private room) and nursing home (private room). For this article, we are just focusing on nursing home stays in a semi-private room. Nationwide, the average nursing home costs $200 a day. This figure has increased 3.63% in 2011, and over the next five years it is expected to grow 4.5%.
Across the United States, it looks like this trend stays true for each state, with some regions being more expensive than others:
What does this mean for caregivers? Already, more and more family members are fulfilling the role of caregiver due to the cost of healthcare. With the costs of facility focused care expected to increase at an average of $15,300 a year, more and more family members will become caregivers because facility based care is just too unaffordable.
You can compare costs in your state and others at Genworth’s website, here
In the study, the facilities are broken down into three categories: assisted living facility, nursing home(semi-private room) and nursing home (private room). For this article, we are just focusing on nursing home stays in a semi-private room. Nationwide, the average nursing home costs $200 a day. This figure has increased 3.63% in 2011, and over the next five years it is expected to grow 4.5%.
Across the United States, it looks like this trend stays true for each state, with some regions being more expensive than others:
- The North East has some of the most expensive care. In Massachusetts a nursing home stay costs $322 a day, and $117,530 a year.
- The cost of care in the West Coast is cheaper than the North East, but is still above the national average. In California a nursing home stay costs $224 a day, and $81,760 a year.
- Nursing homes in the South are slightly above the national average.
- In Florida, a nursing home stay costs $215 a day, and $78,475 a year
- The Midwest also is slightly below the national average, with a nursing home in Indiana costing $187 a day, and $68,255 a year.
- The most expensive nursing homes can be found in Alaska, with a nursing home costing $273,750 a year.
- The cheapest nursing homes can be found in Texas with nursing homes costing $47,450 a year.
What does this mean for caregivers? Already, more and more family members are fulfilling the role of caregiver due to the cost of healthcare. With the costs of facility focused care expected to increase at an average of $15,300 a year, more and more family members will become caregivers because facility based care is just too unaffordable.
You can compare costs in your state and others at Genworth’s website, here
Friday, September 28, 2012
Why is caregiving relevant to employers?
It’s hard to understand how much of an impact caregiving
will have on businesses because baby boomers are just beginning to retire. In
order to understand how businesses will be affected, we need to first
understand how many individuals will become caregivers.
In 1997, AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving teamed up to research the impact of caregiving in the U.S. They found that about 22.4 million households they contacted provided some sort of caregiving, and of this, 51.8% of these individuals were employed full-time[i]. In 2009, AARP conducted this same research, and there were 42.1 million caregivers. Of this number, 58% are employed either full-time or part time[ii]. According to MetLife, the number of caregivers has tripled in the past 15 years. That is an incredibly high number of caregivers, and, with this number tripling, many businesses will be affected by this.
How does all of this impact employers? In AARP’s Report, “Valuing the Invaluable: 2011 Update,” they found that nearly seven in ten, or 69%, of caregivers have to make work accommodations because of their caregiving responsibilities. These work place accommodations include things such as working from home, creating a more flexible schedule, staying late to make up missed hours and using sick time for caregiving responsibilities.However, these work place accommodations do not always provide the best type of support for caregivers.
While these changes can provide caregivers with more time to attend to their caregiving responsibilities, they do not address some of the emotional stressors involved with caregiving. In addition to being confusing and overwhelming, caring for an ailing or aging loved one is extremely emotionally taxing. As a result, caregivers work at the office can be impacted by anxiety, depression, fear and some of the other emotions associated with caregiving.
According to AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, caregiving can directly affect productivity in six ways:
Replacement costs to cover employees who quit as a result of caregiving responsibilities
Absenteeism
Presenteeism costs
The costs associated with work day interruptions
Costs as a result of eldercare crises
The costs associated with supervising employed caregivers
What can employers do? Employers can support their employees through specific programs, such as WeCare+, that are designed to guide caregivers through this process. In addition to providing resources, we will provide guidance and support after conducting an on-site needs based assessments. A field clinician will then follow up with the caregiver and their family to provide support and guidance. To learn more about WeCare+, visit our website here: http://www.longtermsol.com/programs/wecare
In 1997, AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving teamed up to research the impact of caregiving in the U.S. They found that about 22.4 million households they contacted provided some sort of caregiving, and of this, 51.8% of these individuals were employed full-time[i]. In 2009, AARP conducted this same research, and there were 42.1 million caregivers. Of this number, 58% are employed either full-time or part time[ii]. According to MetLife, the number of caregivers has tripled in the past 15 years. That is an incredibly high number of caregivers, and, with this number tripling, many businesses will be affected by this.
How does all of this impact employers? In AARP’s Report, “Valuing the Invaluable: 2011 Update,” they found that nearly seven in ten, or 69%, of caregivers have to make work accommodations because of their caregiving responsibilities. These work place accommodations include things such as working from home, creating a more flexible schedule, staying late to make up missed hours and using sick time for caregiving responsibilities.However, these work place accommodations do not always provide the best type of support for caregivers.
While these changes can provide caregivers with more time to attend to their caregiving responsibilities, they do not address some of the emotional stressors involved with caregiving. In addition to being confusing and overwhelming, caring for an ailing or aging loved one is extremely emotionally taxing. As a result, caregivers work at the office can be impacted by anxiety, depression, fear and some of the other emotions associated with caregiving.
According to AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, caregiving can directly affect productivity in six ways:
Replacement costs to cover employees who quit as a result of caregiving responsibilities
Absenteeism
Presenteeism costs
The costs associated with work day interruptions
Costs as a result of eldercare crises
The costs associated with supervising employed caregivers
What can employers do? Employers can support their employees through specific programs, such as WeCare+, that are designed to guide caregivers through this process. In addition to providing resources, we will provide guidance and support after conducting an on-site needs based assessments. A field clinician will then follow up with the caregiver and their family to provide support and guidance. To learn more about WeCare+, visit our website here: http://www.longtermsol.com/programs/wecare
Thursday, September 20, 2012
A Day in the Life of a Working Caregiver
According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, 65 million people provide an average of 20 hours of care to ailing or aging loved ones in the United States. With about 10,000 baby boomers reaching retirement age every day, this number is expected to increase drastically. This dilemma is worsened by the fact that few resources are available for working caregivers and that each caregiving situation is highly unique.
Who are these caregivers? According to statistics provided by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, the typical caregiver is a 49-year-old woman who is married and employed. She provides care to her mother, who does not live with her.
Why are caregiving situations so stressful? Caregiving situations are incredibly stressful because they are emotionally and physically taxing. The best way to understand the amount of stress caregivers are under is by living through a caregiving experience, but looking at a typical day for a caregiver can provide a lot of insight.
This is what life is like as a working caregiver:
Kelly is a 49-year-old woman who, like the typical caregiver, is married, has children, and is providing care for her aging mother, Mary. Mary is mostly independent, but she recently had to have surgery after falling and breaking her hip. She is fortunate enough to be able to stay at home during her recovery.
5:45 a.m. Kelly wakes up to start getting her two children ready for school. She prepares breakfast for the entire family, makes two lunches, and packs the children’s backpacks.
7:00 a.m. She brings the children to the bus stop, and gets them on their way to school. She quickly stops back at her house to get ready for her day at the office.
7:30 a.m. While driving to work, Kelly calls to check on her mother, Mary. Mary says she is doing well, but that she’s concerned about the physical therapist coming to see her. She lives alone, and is somewhat hesitant about letting a new person into her home. She requests that Kelly be there when the physical therapist arrives. Kelly agrees to go over on her lunch break to see her mother then.
8:00 a.m. Kelly arrives to work, and sits down at her desk. She begins to go through her emails and missed calls from the past weekend.
10:00 a.m. Kelly notices a missed call on her cellphone. It’s from her mother. She calls her back to find out that her mother is becoming increasingly anxious about the visit from the physical therapist, and isn’t sure what paperwork she needs to have prepared or what identification she needs. Kelly talks to her for a half an hour, trying to calm her down. She does some quick online research to give her mother direction about what documentation she will need.
10:30 a.m. Kelly sits back down at her desk, still somewhat worried about her mother’s mental state. She wishes she could go to be with her mother now, but she has to stay at work until her lunch break and she already has some catching up to do after the phone call with her mother.
12:00 p.m. Kelly takes her lunch break, and goes to see her mother and the physical therapist. When she arrives, she finds that her mother is not very happy about having someone come into her home. She talks with her mother before the physical therapist arrives and calms her down.
12:15 p.m. The physical therapist arrives, and she is very kind and helpful. Mary goes through with her scheduled appointment, but it runs a little late because Kelly has a lot to discuss with the physical therapist about her mother’s health, insurance, and her exercises. She has to keep track of this information because her mother will easily lose or forget it.
1:00 p.m. Kelly arrives back to work, and sits down to try to finish her work before she has to leave to pick up her children. She apologizes to her manager for taking a long lunch break.
2:55 p.m. Kelly receives a phone call from her mother. With all of the commotion of the day, her mother didn’t prepare any dinner. She asks if Kelly could bring her over some food after their family dinner. Kelly agrees to take her mother dinner after she sits down with her family.
3:00 p.m. Kelly has to leave work to pick up her children from school. She brings the kids back home, but has to go back to the office to work on a project she wasn’t able to complete earlier because of her mother’s physical therapy appointment.
5:00 p.m. With only an hour to go before dinner, Kelly rushes out of the office and stops by the grocery store to pick up food for the family.
6:00 p.m. The family sits down to eat, and Kelly realizes she has to help her son with a math project that is due the next day. She puts aside some dinner for her mother to bring to her later.
7:00 p.m. Kelly drives over to her mother’s house to bring her dinner. Her mother is somewhat lonely, so she talks to Kelly about her day and the children for an hour.
8:00 p.m. Kelly comes home to help her son with his math project. It takes about two hours.
10:00 p.m. Kelly finally has an hour or two to herself. She takes out her laptop and tries to work on that project she didn’t finish today.
11:00 p.m. Kelly finally decides it’s time to go to sleep, and she isn’t able to do much work on her project anyways because she’s worried about her mother.
As you can see, a working caregiver’s hours are primarily devoted to caring for their ailing or aging loved one and providing care for their family. Kelly barely has any time for herself, and, she spends most of the day racing between appointments and trying to provide support for her family. In addition to physically spending time with her mother, Kelly spends a lot of time struggling with the emotional aspect of caregiving. She is worried, upset, and saddened by the situation. Work is the last thing that Kelly can worry about while she’s caregiving. All of this affects Kelly's productivity and her ability to focus on her work.
How can employers support caregivers? At Long Term Solutions, we’re trying to do that. We have a unique program, WeCare+ that is designed for employers. With WeCare+, Long Term Solutions provides support to working caregivers. To learn more about WeCare+, please click here.
Who are these caregivers? According to statistics provided by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, the typical caregiver is a 49-year-old woman who is married and employed. She provides care to her mother, who does not live with her.
Why are caregiving situations so stressful? Caregiving situations are incredibly stressful because they are emotionally and physically taxing. The best way to understand the amount of stress caregivers are under is by living through a caregiving experience, but looking at a typical day for a caregiver can provide a lot of insight.
This is what life is like as a working caregiver:
Kelly is a 49-year-old woman who, like the typical caregiver, is married, has children, and is providing care for her aging mother, Mary. Mary is mostly independent, but she recently had to have surgery after falling and breaking her hip. She is fortunate enough to be able to stay at home during her recovery.
5:45 a.m. Kelly wakes up to start getting her two children ready for school. She prepares breakfast for the entire family, makes two lunches, and packs the children’s backpacks.
7:00 a.m. She brings the children to the bus stop, and gets them on their way to school. She quickly stops back at her house to get ready for her day at the office.
7:30 a.m. While driving to work, Kelly calls to check on her mother, Mary. Mary says she is doing well, but that she’s concerned about the physical therapist coming to see her. She lives alone, and is somewhat hesitant about letting a new person into her home. She requests that Kelly be there when the physical therapist arrives. Kelly agrees to go over on her lunch break to see her mother then.
8:00 a.m. Kelly arrives to work, and sits down at her desk. She begins to go through her emails and missed calls from the past weekend.
10:00 a.m. Kelly notices a missed call on her cellphone. It’s from her mother. She calls her back to find out that her mother is becoming increasingly anxious about the visit from the physical therapist, and isn’t sure what paperwork she needs to have prepared or what identification she needs. Kelly talks to her for a half an hour, trying to calm her down. She does some quick online research to give her mother direction about what documentation she will need.
10:30 a.m. Kelly sits back down at her desk, still somewhat worried about her mother’s mental state. She wishes she could go to be with her mother now, but she has to stay at work until her lunch break and she already has some catching up to do after the phone call with her mother.
12:00 p.m. Kelly takes her lunch break, and goes to see her mother and the physical therapist. When she arrives, she finds that her mother is not very happy about having someone come into her home. She talks with her mother before the physical therapist arrives and calms her down.
12:15 p.m. The physical therapist arrives, and she is very kind and helpful. Mary goes through with her scheduled appointment, but it runs a little late because Kelly has a lot to discuss with the physical therapist about her mother’s health, insurance, and her exercises. She has to keep track of this information because her mother will easily lose or forget it.
1:00 p.m. Kelly arrives back to work, and sits down to try to finish her work before she has to leave to pick up her children. She apologizes to her manager for taking a long lunch break.
2:55 p.m. Kelly receives a phone call from her mother. With all of the commotion of the day, her mother didn’t prepare any dinner. She asks if Kelly could bring her over some food after their family dinner. Kelly agrees to take her mother dinner after she sits down with her family.
3:00 p.m. Kelly has to leave work to pick up her children from school. She brings the kids back home, but has to go back to the office to work on a project she wasn’t able to complete earlier because of her mother’s physical therapy appointment.
5:00 p.m. With only an hour to go before dinner, Kelly rushes out of the office and stops by the grocery store to pick up food for the family.
6:00 p.m. The family sits down to eat, and Kelly realizes she has to help her son with a math project that is due the next day. She puts aside some dinner for her mother to bring to her later.
7:00 p.m. Kelly drives over to her mother’s house to bring her dinner. Her mother is somewhat lonely, so she talks to Kelly about her day and the children for an hour.
8:00 p.m. Kelly comes home to help her son with his math project. It takes about two hours.
10:00 p.m. Kelly finally has an hour or two to herself. She takes out her laptop and tries to work on that project she didn’t finish today.
11:00 p.m. Kelly finally decides it’s time to go to sleep, and she isn’t able to do much work on her project anyways because she’s worried about her mother.
As you can see, a working caregiver’s hours are primarily devoted to caring for their ailing or aging loved one and providing care for their family. Kelly barely has any time for herself, and, she spends most of the day racing between appointments and trying to provide support for her family. In addition to physically spending time with her mother, Kelly spends a lot of time struggling with the emotional aspect of caregiving. She is worried, upset, and saddened by the situation. Work is the last thing that Kelly can worry about while she’s caregiving. All of this affects Kelly's productivity and her ability to focus on her work.
How can employers support caregivers? At Long Term Solutions, we’re trying to do that. We have a unique program, WeCare+ that is designed for employers. With WeCare+, Long Term Solutions provides support to working caregivers. To learn more about WeCare+, please click here.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Work-Life Balance and Doctor's Appointments
There has been a lot of discussion about work-life balance for mothers, but does work-life balance exist for all caregivers?
One responsibility that caregivers regularly assume is bringing loved ones young and old to medical appointments. For caregivers caring for an aging or ailing loved one, these medical appointments can happen extremely frequently. This can cut into work hours, and the commute can sometimes be the least distracting part of the trip. Caregivers have to figure out how to transport their aging or ailing loved one, how to get them ready for the medical appointment, how to assemble all of their medical information, think of questions to ask the medical staff, determine how to navigate any inaccessible buildings, and more. Caregivers have to juggle all of these concerns in addition to working full-time. What can be done to help?
Here at Long Term Solutions, we understand that even with these options, caregivers are still stressed. We help working caregivers achieve this balance. Through our signature program, WeCare+, we will work with families to assess their situation, develop a plan of care and guide them to resources that will support their needs.
Do you know anyone struggling with work-life balance as a caregiver? What kind of support and advice can you offer to them?
One responsibility that caregivers regularly assume is bringing loved ones young and old to medical appointments. For caregivers caring for an aging or ailing loved one, these medical appointments can happen extremely frequently. This can cut into work hours, and the commute can sometimes be the least distracting part of the trip. Caregivers have to figure out how to transport their aging or ailing loved one, how to get them ready for the medical appointment, how to assemble all of their medical information, think of questions to ask the medical staff, determine how to navigate any inaccessible buildings, and more. Caregivers have to juggle all of these concerns in addition to working full-time. What can be done to help?
- Keeping an open line of communication between the caregiver employee and their manager
- Flexible hours
- The option to work from home
- An eldercare support program
- Supporting them with access to resources and support
Here at Long Term Solutions, we understand that even with these options, caregivers are still stressed. We help working caregivers achieve this balance. Through our signature program, WeCare+, we will work with families to assess their situation, develop a plan of care and guide them to resources that will support their needs.
Do you know anyone struggling with work-life balance as a caregiver? What kind of support and advice can you offer to them?
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Berries Delay Memory Decline
Here’s another
great reason to incorporate fruit into your diet: berries may delay memory
decline. In a recent study, researchers found that consumption of berries
slowed cognitive decline in women 70 or older. In some cases, the cognitive
decline was slowed for up to 2.5 years.
Blueberries contain an extremely high amount of flavonoids. These flavonoids are able to cross the blood brain barrier into the hippocampus, which is that part of the brain that is responsible for forming memories and learning. Interestingly, many medications aren’t able to cross this blood brain barrier.
So, be sure to put blueberries on your shopping list this week! You can read the full report here.
Blueberries contain an extremely high amount of flavonoids. These flavonoids are able to cross the blood brain barrier into the hippocampus, which is that part of the brain that is responsible for forming memories and learning. Interestingly, many medications aren’t able to cross this blood brain barrier.
So, be sure to put blueberries on your shopping list this week! You can read the full report here.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Caregiving and the Importance of Getting Outside
Caregivers are constantly being bombarded with things they should and shouldn’t do to help process the incredible amount of stress involved with caregiving. One thing is frequently overlooked, and it is probably one of the easiest things to do: get outside!The health benefits of sun exposure and fresh air are incredible. First, it’s important for caregivers because sunlight is a necessary part of the production of Vitamin D. Vitamin D has been credited with reducing the risk of cancer, increasing bone health, reducing the risk of developing osteoporosis, and it is associated with better moods and increased happiness.
Aside from the health benefits, going outside will give you an opportunity to take a break from caregiving. If you incorporate 15-30 minutes of alone time outside, you will see both mental health benefits as well as physical health benefits! As always, be sure to wear sunscreen while outside, and only moderate amounts of sun exposure is recommended!
Click here for a list of 25 health benefits of sun exposure.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Caregivers: Dealing with Wandering
The stress of caregiving for an aging loved one can be made even worse by wandering. There are multiple health conditions associated with wandering, and even the most capable caregivers can’t keep track of their loved ones at all times. It’s important to remind yourself that, as a caregiver, you can’t prevent wandering entirely, but you can take some preventative measures.
Here are some tips from our LTS clinicians:
- Enlist neighbors and friends: Ensure that your neighbors and friends are aware that your loved one is prone to wandering. Provide your neighbors and friends with your contact information and ask them to alert you if they see your loved one outside alone.
- Locks: You don’t have to spend exorbitant amounts of money replacing locks and installing fences. A simple hook and eye lock will help prevent wandering. Simply install the lock on any doors, and put it out of your loved one’s reach.
- Alarms: You can install door alarms to alert you if your loved one tries to leave the house. If you don’t feel like installing alarms, set up some kind of bells or chimes to alert you when your loved one opens the door.
- Project Lifesaver: Enroll your loved one in Project Lifesaver. People enrolled in Project Lifesaver are given a small personal transmitter that emits a tracking signal. If your loved one wanders off, you can call your local Project Lifesaver agency and an emergency team will respond to find your loved one. http://projectlifesaver.org/Lifesaver
For more tips, here is a great list from Alzheimer’s Reading Room: Tips to Prevent Wandering
- Enlist neighbors and friends: Ensure that your neighbors and friends are aware that your loved one is prone to wandering. Provide your neighbors and friends with your contact information and ask them to alert you if they see your loved one outside alone.
- Locks: You don’t have to spend exorbitant amounts of money replacing locks and installing fences. A simple hook and eye lock will help prevent wandering. Simply install the lock on any doors, and put it out of your loved one’s reach.
- Alarms: You can install door alarms to alert you if your loved one tries to leave the house. If you don’t feel like installing alarms, set up some kind of bells or chimes to alert you when your loved one opens the door.
- Project Lifesaver: Enroll your loved one in Project Lifesaver. People enrolled in Project Lifesaver are given a small personal transmitter that emits a tracking signal. If your loved one wanders off, you can call your local Project Lifesaver agency and an emergency team will respond to find your loved one. http://projectlifesaver.org/Lifesaver
For more tips, here is a great list from Alzheimer’s Reading Room: Tips to Prevent Wandering
Friday, April 27, 2012
LTS Weekly News Roundup
Caregiving in the News:
AAFP: Caregiving Affects Health of Three-Quarters of Caregivers, According to National Survey
A national survey conducted by the American Academy of Family Physicians has found that caregiving has negatively impacted the health of 72% of caregivers across the U.S.
Psychology Today: Man the Fixer, Woman the Nurturer – the Caregiving Gender Gap This article explores the gender gap that occurs in caregiving and debates whether or not women are predisposed to caregiving as a result of fulfilling traditional maternal duties.
Elder Health in the News:
TIME: Brain Food: Berries Can Slow Cognitive Decline According to a recent report in the Annals of Neurology, women who frequently ate berries slowed down their brain decline by 1.5 to 2.5 years.
New York Times: The Faces of Alzheimer’s Cathy Greenblat, a professor of sociology at Rutgers, decided to challenge the way the U.S. views Alzheimer’s through a series of photographs and a book titled “Love, Loss and Laughter: Seeing Alzheimer’s Differently.”
AAFP: Caregiving Affects Health of Three-Quarters of Caregivers, According to National Survey
A national survey conducted by the American Academy of Family Physicians has found that caregiving has negatively impacted the health of 72% of caregivers across the U.S.
Psychology Today: Man the Fixer, Woman the Nurturer – the Caregiving Gender Gap This article explores the gender gap that occurs in caregiving and debates whether or not women are predisposed to caregiving as a result of fulfilling traditional maternal duties.
Elder Health in the News:
TIME: Brain Food: Berries Can Slow Cognitive Decline According to a recent report in the Annals of Neurology, women who frequently ate berries slowed down their brain decline by 1.5 to 2.5 years.
New York Times: The Faces of Alzheimer’s Cathy Greenblat, a professor of sociology at Rutgers, decided to challenge the way the U.S. views Alzheimer’s through a series of photographs and a book titled “Love, Loss and Laughter: Seeing Alzheimer’s Differently.”
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Caregiving and the Importance of Laughter
“Laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” – Lord ByronAs a caregiver, you can experience emotions such as depression, anxiety, sadness and hopelessness on a daily basis and it's easy to become bogged down. How can you avoid being swept up in all of this emotion and lift your spirits? Laughter! Laughter and caregiving is something that we have touched upon in past posts, but we want to reiterate for a couple of reasons.
It’s important for you to have a sense of humor while caregiving. Full-time caregiving can be a rollercoaster of emotion, and, that being said, you experience very emotionally charged and intense situations. However, throughout the day, there will always be an opportunity for laughter and joy. We don't mean laughing at the expense of your loved one, but being able to recognize the comedy in a situation can be a great opportunity to diffuse some of the stresses involved with caregiving. Something that creates stress in your life now could be a good opportunity for laughter.
If you find that you aren’t finding any opportunities to laugh during the day, find a way to create laughter during your day. You can put on your favorite t.v. show, search on to YouTube, browse social media sites for something funny, or call up a funny friend. Why? It’s incredibly important and good for your health.
Laughter can do all of this and more:
Reduce stress hormones
Lower Blood Pressure
Increase blood flow
Increase infection-fighting antibodies
Relieve pain
Put laughing every day on your list of things to do, and you’ll feel the emotional and physical benefits.
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