Tag Archives: home health

Elder Care Skills for Family Caregivers

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Skills Needed for Advocating for your Loved One:

Educate yourself regarding your loved ones illness/and or disability.
Communicate efficiently and succinctly with healthcare professionals.
Recognize you are a healthcare consumer and deserve quality healthcare.
Understand you are an important member of the healthcare team.
Give input and ask questions.
Pick your battles and don’t sweat the small stuff.
Realize that sometimes it is the squeaky wheel which produces results.

We all go through varying stages of emotions when our lives have been transformed by becoming a family caregiver. Research has shown there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. All of these emotions are part of the framework which makes up our learning to adjust and cope to our life as a family caregiver while we watch someone we love struggle with chronic illness.

On occasion some become sufficiently angry and search for ways to deal with their anger by channeling it into a constructive endeavor and caring enough to become activists for a much larger cause. Sometimes we will find the energy and passion not only to advocate for our loved one’s well-being but for all family caregivers.

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

NJ Respite Help for Family Home Health

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New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides senior care, home care & live-in care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

Just a few years ago, workers were likely to need time away from work for parent-teacher conferences, running kids to medical appointments, and staying home to nurse sick children.

Today, workers are more likely to miss work because of the needs of their parents. “Elder care has begun to rival child care as a workplace issue, and companies have started to realize that such support props up not just workers but also the bottom line,” according to the Dallas Morning News.

The National Alliance for Caregiving estimates that one in six American workers cares for an older relative. Caregiving usually adds 18 hours to the 40 hours most workers clock at the office. That means that those workers are working a job-and-a-half. Some companies are now hiring geriatric care managers as resources for employees bewildered by the demands of parents who are no longer capable of living independently. Estimates are that one in five caregivers quits or looks for a less demanding job. And that makes businesses’ responsiveness to employees’ caregiving needs more than a nice thing to do; it makes it an essential thing to do

New Jersey Caregiving for Elderly Relatives

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New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

Just a few years ago, workers were likely to need time away from work for parent-teacher conferences, running kids to medical appointments, and staying home to nurse sick children.

Today, workers are more likely to miss work because of the needs of their parents. “Elder care has begun to rival child care as a workplace issue, and companies have started to realize that such support props up not just workers but also the bottom line,” according to the Dallas Morning News.

The National Alliance for Caregiving estimates that one in six American workers cares for an older relative. Caregiving usually adds 18 hours to the 40 hours most workers clock at the office. That means that those workers are working a job-and-a-half. Some companies are now hiring geriatric care managers as resources for employees bewildered by the demands of parents who are no longer capable of living independently. Estimates are that one in five caregivers quits or looks for a less demanding job. And that makes businesses’ responsiveness to employees’ caregiving needs more than a nice thing to do; it makes it an essential thing to do.

 

Dementia in New Jersey Elderly

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Dementia in the elderly can take on two different forms; reversible and chronic. When symptoms are reversible, the short-term dementia has been caused by other illnesses or diseases. The National Institute on Aging has classified 100 conditions that can cause short-term dementia. These are often called “pseudodementias”, and are treatable. Some examples include:

Adverse reactions to Medications- Side effects mimicking dementia are most commonly caused by antiarthritic medications, anihypertensizes, neuroleptics, hypnotics, and sedatives. Make sure your doctor is monitoring all your medications, including over-the-counter.

Emotional Distress- Seniors face a tremendous amount of changes in their lives, sometimes abrupt. Retirement, loss of a loved one or pet, divorce, change in location; all of these can cause depression, anxiety, and can damage physical and mental health. Make sure your physician is informed of these stressors in your life.

Metabolic Disturbances- Electrolyte imbalances, hypoglycemia, hypercalcemia, hepatic diseases, pancreatic disorders, renal failure, or liver failure can also cause confusion and effect sleep, appetite, and emotional balance.

Read the full story.

Tips to Build Strong Family Bonds for Caregivers

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Reinforcing Family Bonds

Caregiving responsibilities can get in the way of family relationships because new roles are formed; stresses may cause strain in family and bonds between caregivers and their care recipients may feel clinical. Whether it is a spouse providing care for their elder partner or an adult child providing care for a parent, families need to make the effort to maintain ties that do not relate to care duties.

The following methods will help caregivers maintain strong bonds with their care recipients that stem beyond their responsibilities as a provider.

• Sit down and look over family photos and reminisce about past memories
• Get together with other members of the family regularly
• Make time for activities that you once enjoyed together
• Discuss your relationship regularly, and do not hesitate to voice any concerns
• Continue to offer your care recipient as much independence as possible, you are there to help them with their care, but don’t want to make them feel like you are interfering in their life
• Maintain intimacy with your spouse or partner
• Don’t remain in a relationship that has survived out of obligation
• If the care structure is creating too much tension, step back and allow another relative, friend, or professional to take over
Source: http://arthritis.about.com/cs/sex/a/sicknesshealth.htm

Safety tips

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New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

Tips for Making the Aging Relative Safe - Make the Home More Comfortable and Safe

Many simple changes can be made to your home to make it a safer and more comfortable place for your loved one. Most of the products needed for these modifications can be purchased at your local hardwear store. Notable alterations include:

1. Install handrails on both sides of all steps inside and out

2. Secure all carpets and area rugs with double-sided tape

3. Install easy-to-grasp handles for all drawers and cabinet doors

4. Use brighter bulbs in all settings

5. Install nightlights anywhere night activity takes place

6. Add reflective, non-slip tape on all non-carpeted stairs

7. Install lever handles for all doors

8. Place a bench near entrances for setting materials and resting

9. Install closet lights along with adjustable rods and shelves

10. Install rocker light switches. The illuminated versions may be very helpful in certain areas.

These small investments could not only make life easier for those involved but could potentially save lives as well.

Early Signs of Heart Disease

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What are the Early Symptoms of Heart Disease?

Heart disease is the number one health problem in the U.S. today. It is the number one killer of both men and women.

However, heart disease can actually mean one of several health problems. For instance, there is coronary artery disease, which is what most people think of when they think of heart disease.
There are also other health issues in the heart disease category, including things like abnormal heart rhythms, heart failure, heart valve disease, congenital heart disease and vascular disease.

All of these can be serious health problems if not treated.

One of the things that can be an early symptom of heart disease are the risk factors for people who are more likely to get heart disease. These health risk factors include being male, at an older age, having a family history of heart health problems, being a post-menopausal woman, and being of the African American, Native American or Mexican American race.

If a person has one or several of these risk factors, it can be an early symptom of heart disease or heart health problems.

Other risk factors include smoking, high cholesterol, a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight and having uncontrolled diabetes or stress.

One of the most common signs of heart health issues is angina. This is pain, discomfort, heaviness or aching in the chest, or in the areas of the shoulder, arm or jaw.

Read full article.

NJ Holiday Blues – Depression in the Elderly

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New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides senior care, home care & live-in care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

“HOLIDAY BLUES – DEPRESSION IN THE ELDERLY.”

“The holiday season is quickly coming upon us.  If you are a caregiver for an elderly loved one, you may notice a change in your loved one’s mood as the holidays approach.  Perhaps you are one of many, who visit elderly parents and family during the holidays who live a distance away.  When you visit you may notice that loved ones are not as physically active, or they show symptoms of fatigue or sadness and have no interest in the holiday or in their surroundings.…” read the entire article by going to the link below

Please go to the following URL for the entire article and previous articles: Either click on the link   http://www.planforcare.org or copy and paste the following into your browser:  http://www.planforcare.org

New Jersey Home Care – Helping Senior Clients Get Quality Sleep

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New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

Q. Senior clients tell me they have difficulty sleeping. What can they do to get a better night’s sleep?

A. No matter what your age, getting the proper amount of sleep is essential to physical health and emotional well-being; it is just as important for seniors as it was when they were younger.

Difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep (insomnia) is a frequent concern for seniors. Levels of growth hormone, which promotes deep sleep, and melatonin, which regulates sleeping and waking cycles (circadian rhythm), decrease with age.

Other causes of sleep difficulties may include certain health conditions, medications, consumption of alcohol or caffeine and a decrease in bladder size. A reduction in activity and exercise levels, not spending enough time in the sun, psychological stress, and sleep disorders such as Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), may also be challenges to getting and staying asleep.

Try the following suggestions for a good night’s sleep:

  • Keep to a regular sleep schedule, every day; even on weekends.
  • Expose yourself to sunlight. At least two hours of bright sunlight each day increases the body’s production of melatonin.
  • Separate yourself from noises. Try earplugs.
  • Adjust your bedtime to concur with when you feel like going to bed.
  • Develop bedtime rituals. Try a relaxing bath.
  • Check with your doctor to see if your medications may be interfering with your sleep.
  • Take care of your psychological health. Try meditation or relaxation techniques.

For more information check out the following; http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_aging.htm and http://www.statssheet.com/articles/article29583.html.

Home Care & Elder Law – Senior Planning in New Jersey

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Expert Home Care in New Jersey - (800) 848-2336, recently interviewed Mr. Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. at The Law Office of Donald D. Vanarelli, located in Westfield, New Jersey, providing a broad range of legal services for the elderly, the disabled and their families. They successfully guide clients through the complex areas of estate tax law, public benefits law, and court procedures.

We know that many NJ seniors often wonder “what is the difference between elder law attorneys and attorneys?” This can be confusing and many families and seniors wonder if both professionals are the same.

We interviewed Mr. Vanarelli last week and asked him to please tell us what, if any, are the differences. Mr. Donald D. Vanarelli helped to clarify the confusion for some of us who are often confused. Being a board certified elder law attorney since 1998, we thought he would be the best to help us understand “what elder law is”. 

According to The National Elder Law Foundation defines elder law in more detail, saying it encompasses each of the following areas:

  • Health and Personal Care Planning
  • Pre-Mortem Legal Planning
  • Fiduciary Representation
  • Legal Capacity Counseling
  • Public Benefits Advice
  • Advice on Insurance Matters 
  • Housing Counseling 
  • Income, Estate, and Gift Tax Advice
  • Counseling with regard to age and/or disability discrimination in employment and housing
  • Litigation and Administrative Advocacy

What Makes Elder Law Unique?
Elder Law is the only area of law defined by the clients served rather than the areas of law in which the attorney practices.

What is a Certified Elder Law Attorney?
Elder Law is a legal specialty which has been formally recognized by New Jersey’s Supreme Court through the American Bar Association’s accreditation of legal specialties program.

To learn more, please visit The Law Office of Donald D. Vanarelli.