Learn the Facts about Blood Pressure

You can have high blood pressure, or hypertension, and still feel just fine. That’s because high blood pressure does not cause signs of illness that you can see or feel. But, high blood pressure, sometimes called “the silent killer,” is a major health problem. If high blood pressure isn’t controlled with lifestyle changes and medicine, it can lead to stroke, heart disease, eye problems, or kidney failure.

What Is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries. When the doctor measures your blood pressure the results are given in two numbers. The first number, called systolic pressure, measures the pressure when your heart beats. The second number, called diastolic pressure, measures the pressure while your heart relaxes between beats. Normal blood pressure is a systolic pressure of less than 120 and a diastolic pressure of less than 80.

Do You Have High Blood Pressure?
One reason to have regular visits to the doctor is to have your blood pressure checked. The doctor will say your blood pressure is high when it measures 140/90 or higher at two or more checkups. He or she may ask you to check your blood pressure at home at different times of the day.  If the pressure stays high, the doctor may suggest medicine, changes in your diet, and exercise.

Download our fact sheets about blood pressure.
Blood Pressure Explained
Blood Pressure Fact Sheet

Keep track of your blood pressure with our Blood Pressure Log.

Women's Day Caregiving Survival Guide

I am so glad that Woman’s Day has decided to make caregiving an annual theme; with baby boomers turning 65 at the rate of 10,000/day, caregiving will be an acute need in the next 10 – 20 years. This is the time for seniors and their families to sit down, discuss and plan for aging.

This year’s Woman’s Day article was excellent in providing an overview of questions to ask and options to consider, but five pages only begins to address the issues involved. I was glad to see a list of organizations to contact for help, but they forgot to list the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. NAPGCM website can assist caregivers to locate a professional Care Manager near them. A professional Care Manager has assisted thousands of seniors and their families navigate the aging journey. They can accomplish in few hours what it would take the adult child several weeks or months to accomplish by anticipating potential roadblocks and connecting the senior with local resources.

The article also discusses the need to collect medical, financial and social history. The professional Care Managers of Partners in Senior Care can assist with this data collection as well as assess the current strengths and abilities of the senior and then formulate an aging plan based on the senior’s aging wishes. If a senior just wishes to start collecting the information an adult child would need in case of an emergency, our Care Connector binder is the perfect place to start and more information regarding the binder and the professional services we offer can be found at www.partnersinseniorcare.com.

Heart Disease Prevention

Heart disease and stroke are an epidemic in the United States today. Many of the people who are at high risk for heart attack or stroke don't know it. The good news is that many of the major risk factors for these conditions can be prevented and controlled. Talking to your doctor about your heart health and getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked are important first steps to reduce your risk. Many other lifestyle choices—including eating healthy, exercising regularly, and following your doctor's instructions about your medications—can all help protect your heart and brain health.  Read More

Do you or a loved one have COPD or CHF who struggles with every day activities or needs help managing their disease? We can help.


Our COPD and CHF Care Plans focus on the individual needs of the client who is suffering from chronic bronchitis or emphysema which can include: light housekeeping, assistance with ADL’s, household management, shopping, meal preparation, proper nutrition, exercise, safety in the home, infection/air quality control maintenance, smoking cessation, medication reminders, pain/stress management techniques. 

Let us customize a care plan that fits you or your loved one’s needs.  Call for a free assessment at 847-548-1330.

10 Warning Signs Your Older Family Member May Need Help

 The Eldercare Locator has produced a guide of “10 Warning Signs” to help families and older Americans determine if help is needed. Any one of the behaviors listed may or may not indicate that an action should be taken and your family member’s physician should be kept informed of physical or psychological behavior changes.

Has your family member:

1. Changed eating habits within the last year resulting in weight loss, having no appetite, or missed meals? 
2. Neglected personal hygiene resulting in wearing dirty clothes, body odor, bad breath, neglected nails and teeth, sores on the skin?
3. Neglected their home so it is not as clean or sanitary as you remember growing up? 
4. Exhibited inappropriate behavior by being unusually loud or quiet, paranoid, agitated, and making phone calls at all hours? 
5. Changed relationship patterns such that friends and neighbors have expressed concerns? 
6. Had physical problems such as burns or injury marks resulting from general weakness, forgetfulness, or possible misuse of alcohol or prescribed medications? 
7. Decreased or stopped participating in activities that were previously important to them such as bridge or a book club, dining with friends, or attending religious services? 
8. Exhibited forgetfulness resulting in unopened mail, piling newspapers, not filling their prescriptions, or missed appointments? 
9. Mishandled finances such as not paying bills, losing money, paying bills twice or more, or hiding money? 
10. Made unusual purchases such as buying more than one magazine subscription of the same magazine, entered an unusual amount of contests, increased usage of purchasing from television advertisement?

source: Eldercare Locator web site at www.eldercare.gov

The Eldercare Locator is a public service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging and is administered by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging in cooperation with the National Association of State Units on Aging.

Download this Fact Sheet

7 Questions to Ask When Your Doctor Prescribes a New Medication

1. What is the name of the medication?
2. How often should I take it?
3. Why is it being prescribed?
4. Is it replacing a medication I am currently taking?
5. Will it interact or affect other medications I am taking?
6. When can I expect to see results?
7. What are the possible side effects & what should I do if they happen?

Would you like a free copy of these questions on a card for your purse or wallet?  Click here to request yours now!

Emergency Preparedness Tips

Take these important steps to keep an aging loved one safe and healthy during an emergency

With near record breaking heat this summer throughout much of the U.S., along with severe weather conditions including floods, fires, and earthquakes, being prepared for an emergency, especially a weather emergency, is crucial when caring for an aging loved one or adult.

Partners in Senior Care has several tips for emergency preparedness, including:

• Identify what kind of resources you use on a daily basis and what you might do if they are limited or not available. Make a checklist of these resources and try and have extra supplies on hand.
• Plan to make it on your own, at least for a period of time. It's possible that you will not have access to a medical facility or even a drugstore.
• If you must evacuate, take the senior’s pets with you, if possible. However, if you are going to a public shelter, it is important to understand that animals may not be allowed inside.
• Encourage electronic payments for federal benefit recipients. Keep in mind a disaster can disrupt mail service for days or even weeks. For those who depend on the mail for their Social Security benefits, a difficult situation can become worse if they are evacuated or lose their mail service. Switching to electronic payments is one simple, significant way people can protect themselves financially before disaster strikes. It also eliminates the risk of stolen checks. The U.S. Department of the Treasury recommends two safer ways to get federal benefits:
• Direct deposit to a checking or savings account is the best option for people with bank accounts. Federal benefit recipients can sign up by calling 800-333-1795 or at www.GoDirect.org.
• The Direct Express® prepaid debit card is designed as a safe and easy alternative to paper checks for people who don’t have a bank account. Sign up is easy. Call toll-free at 877-212-9991 or sign up online at www.USDirectExpress.com.
• Purchase or create an emergency supply kit (

  Tip: Partners in Senior Care’s Family Resources Page has an emergency supply kit checklist you can download for free.)

  that contains:

• Water.
• Food.
• First aid materials.
• Whistle to signal for help.
• Dust mask.
• Moist towelettes.
• Garbage bags.
• Can opener for food.
• Local maps.
• Cell phone with chargers or solar charges.

• During extreme heat conditions, remember the elderly do not adjust to the heat as well as younger people do. The elderly are also more likely to take medication that impairs the body’s ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibits perspiration. Heat stroke is one of the most serious heat-related conditions an aging person can experience. Warning signs include:
• A body temperature over 103 degrees.
• Red or dry skin that is not sweating.
• Throbbing headache.
• Dizziness.
• Nausea.

An elderly person can also experience heat exhaustion. Warning signs include:

• Heavy sweating.
• Weakness.
• Nausea.
• Headache.
• Fainting.
• Fast, shallow breathing.
• Cool, moist skin.
• Fast or weak pulse.

To protect the elderly against heat-related illnesses, make sure they drink plenty of water (no alcohol) regardless if they are being active or not, and that they remain indoors, if possible. If someone does experience a heat-related illness, you should:

• Get the person to a shade-covered area.
• Cool the person with cool water and/or wrap them in a cool, wet sheet.
• Get medical assistance as soon as possible.

For more geriatric care tips and advice, e-mail me at PMenoni@PartnersInSeniorCare.com or call me at 866-203-7290. I would love to hear from you.

Trisha

Last-Minute Father’s Day Gift Ideas for an Aging Parent

Check out our list of Father’s Day gift ideas that are age-appropriate for the dad in your life

In Honor of Father’s Day, we thought we would share some age-appropriate gift ideas for your dad that will not only help him feel honored this Father’s Day, but will also help him age successfully. As fathers age, many have special concerns like hearing loss, poor vision, cognitive disabilities, and more. Find your dad a gift that he can use to make his life better and more enjoyable.

· A decorative bag to attach to a walker, including bags that depict golf or outdoor scenes.

· Battery-operated electronic games like Solitaire or Bridge that can stimulate his mind.

· Ergonomic writing pens to ease writing for dads with arthritic fingers.

· An extra-long shoe horn to avoid bending when putting on shoes.

· Hand-held magnifying glasses to ease eye strain.

· A “big button” TV remote control for easy viewing and use.

· Nail clippers with an over-sized, soft grip for older hands.

· A “memory” photo album or a digital photo album that does a photo slide show. You can scan old photos from your dad’s childhood, including wedding photos with your mom and photos of you as a child, and turn them into JPEG files if you go the digital photo album route. Be sure to also include new photos of any grandkids, and maybe throw in some photos of a destination your dad enjoyed visiting or hopes to visit someday.

· A user-friendly CD player and some of his favorite music, including jazz, Broadway tunes, Big Band, and more.

· Pill bottle magnifiers that enlarge prescription bottle labels.

· Pill organizers designating morning, noon, evening, and bedtime to alleviate confusion regarding which medications to take and when.

· Gift certificates for haircuts, toe-nail clippings, or a personal historian to record his memoirs.

Of course the best gift of all is your time. Taking your dad out for a meal or to a local botanical garden or a nearby sculpture park for a walk can mean so much. You could also take your dad for a scenic drive or to a concert or to church. The time you spend with him, especially as he ages, is truly the best gift of all.

If you have any gift ideas for an aging parent that you would like to share, including ideas for birthdays and the holidays, I would love to hear from you. Please e-mail your ideas to PMenoni@PartnersInSeniorCare.com or call me at 866-203-7290. I will post them in one of my upcoming blogs.

Trisha

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

March 17^th was always a special day for my mother. She would play Irish records on the stereo (do our grandchildren even know what that is?) and they would play all day. Dinner was always Corned Beef and Cabbage and as children we always got “a little green” from the pot of gold!

Thoughts of my mother remind me how important family events were to her. Even as she aged, she wanted to be part of all those events; weddings, graduations, reunions, etc. She was fortunate to have all her adult children nearby. In the beginning, my sister and I shared caregiving responsibilities when it came to these family events: If my child was getting married, my sister assisted Mom buy a new dress, send the gift and then accompanied her to the wedding. If it was my niece getting married, it was my turn to coordinate Mom’s needs. As Mom aged, it was necessary to provide her with the assistance of caregivers to be by her side at all times when she attended events, but she continued to attend those events. In fact, the last family reunion was held only 3 months before she died.

My mother-in-law celebrated her 90^th birthday last September and still travels monthly to see children, grandchildren and great grandchildren living in 10 states (including Alaska) and Canada! She is fiercely independent; walking about 3 miles every day and still driving. However, 8 years ago she needed heart surgery and 2 grandchildren were getting married. She realized that she could not attend, but she also did not want to “be a burden” to her adult daughters who had children getting married. Our caregivers provided Nonna with personalized care and gave my sisters-in-law the “peace of mind” they needed. We were able to have Nonna give her toast via the phone and shared the video tape of the wedding with her when we returned!

As a family owned agency, we understand how very important family events can be to our clients and their families. Ideally, it would wonderful if adult children could always be there for their parents. That isn’t always the case, but Care Managers and caregivers can assist seniors in attending family events or give the adult child or caregiving spouse peace of mind when they need to leave town to attend a wedding or graduation. We have a Care Management Retainer program that provides professional back up when family members do not live nearby or need to leave town. Additionally, we have a number of caregivers that are available to travel with our clients to attend out of town events (e.g. weddings or graduations). This extra assistance allows everyone to enjoy the function knowing a caregiver can take the Grandma to the bathroom or back to a motel room when the she is ready. I want our clients and their families to enjoy all of life’s important events just the same way our family does, so if you or someone you know can benefit from these services, please give Kate a call at 847-548-1330 and she will arrange it for you.

Blizzard of 2011

I am in Florida now, feeling a bit guilty that I was not in town for the “Blizzard of 2011”, but grateful for the wonderful team at Partners in Senior Care. Everyone pulled together to make sure our clients received care. That meant that some of our caregivers ”slept over” with clients that only receive daytime care. Some caregivers were on duty 24 hours before the next person arrived to relieve them! We have several condo buildings with more than one client and they shared the services of one caregiver to make sure each person had bathes and meals.

We have a Disaster Plan for our Agency and every year our Administrative Team reviews it. Often we wonder why. I am so glad that we do! Not only does our office have emergency information for every client, but we have that information in the client’s home as well in case of the need to evacuate. Fortunately, no one lost power or heat and there were no evacuations necessary. We also have the phone numbers for the nearest hospital, fire and police department for each of our clients as part of their individual disaster plan.

It made me stop and consider about those seniors that do not have our services. Have they or someone close to them put together the information they need in case of an emergency? Minimally, a senior, or anyone for that matter, should have a list of their medications, primary doctor, emergency contact person (other than their spouse) on their refrigerator or other easily accessible place in their home, purse or wallet, and glove compartment of their car. We have forms on our website that can assist seniors and their families as well as our Care Connector Binder that adult children find invaluable when assisting their parents in an emergency.

Handling Sibling & Family Criticism During the Holidays | Caregiving & Holidays

You’ve put your life on hold. You’ve given until it hurts. You’re doing everything you can to help your aging parents live a quality life. And, for the most part, you are succeeding.

Until the holidays, that is. That’s when your siblings will come to see the parents they haven’t seen all year. They’ll come with their advice about how you could better manage your time and do more for Mom. They’ll come with their advice on how you could better control Dad's medications. They’ll come with their veiled (or not so veiled) criticism about how you are managing your elder's assets, even though your parents are still calling the shots on most financial issues.

It’s enough to make a saint swear. Where were they when you had to figure out someone to stay with your sick child so you could take Dad to the emergency room? Where were they when Mom blithely signed up and paid a full year in advance (because it was cheaper than monthly) for a gym/spa combination that neither she nor Dad could possibly use? Where were they when your husband needed surgery and help recovering, but Dad still needed weekly trips to the clinic to have his blood tested because of his medications?

It seems they were really busy with work. They have so many responsibilities, you know. And Junior is playing varsity football and they really need to be there to root him on. Oh, your Jane is first chair clarinet in band? How nice. Well, missing a band concert now and then isn’t so bad. It’s not like you cheer or anything.

Read More

The Perfect Holiday Caregiver: It’s all a state of mind

The holidays are always a wonderful time of year for family gatherings, reflection on what we have and the spirit of giving. The television is packed with specials showing relationships and families coming together for the holidays.

But the holidays can also be a time of stress and sadness for those who are caring for family members that are struggling with health problems, frailty, dementia and loss. Those who care for these individuals may feel overwhelmed, frustrated, depressed or resentful as they watch “perfect” families enjoying the holidays. There are many surveys and documents that show that caregivers are highly susceptible to these feelings. If you are a caregiver, there are measures you can take to avoid this.

First; Remember, that you are not alone.

If you are new to caregiving or have been caring for someone for a very long time, remember that the perfect family on television is not reality for many Americans. You are not the only one with these challenges. A recent study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP found that 44.4 million Americans age 18 or older are providing unpaid care to an adult.   In fact according to the survey provided by the National Family Caregivers Association:

• The typical caregiver is a 46-year-old Baby Boomer woman with some college education who works and spends more than 20 hours per week caring for her mother who lives nearby.
• Female caregivers provide more hours of care and provide a higher level of care than male caregivers.
• Almost seven in ten 69%) caregivers say they help one person.
• The average length of caregiving is 4.3 years.
• Many caregivers fulfill multiple roles. Most caregivers are married or living with a partner (62%), and most have worked and managed caregiving responsibilities at the same time (74%).

Second; Find help.
There are many resources available to a caregiver. Some of these include family members, friends, a local religious group, elder care agencies and homecare providers. The internet provides many great resources and help. The National Care Planning Council offers many articles, brochures and local referrals to help caregivers find the help that they need.

“When my husband’s stepfather was released from the hospital in December of 2009, he called us to give him a ride home. Once he was home, we quickly realized that he was not able to care for himself at all. He lived alone and we found ourselves driving back and forth three or four times a day to assist all of his needs. It was overwhelming and frightening to suddenly become a caregiver to a man we weren’t even that close to. With my husband working full time days, I became his primary caregiver. I would pack up my two little girls every day to come with me to take him to the doctor, do his laundry and feed him his meals, do his grocery shopping and help him with his bills. I had no idea what his finances were like or how to pay his medical bills. He was too sick to care or even understand what I was saying to him.  I quickly realized I was going to have to find help. First I called his children. They were sympathetic, but gave all kinds of excuses as to why they could not help.   Next, I went to the internet. I went to the website for National Care Planning Council www.longtermcarelink.net and found and contacted a Care planner in my area. The Care Planner came to my stepfather’s house and met with the two of us. They helped me get organized and set up time to meet with someone to explain his Medicare services and what my next steps would be. It was such a relief to have a plan and to know what to do.” MH- Salt Lake City, Utah

Most family members are willing to help, but just don’t know what to do. Many caregivers feel that they are the only one who can give the best care. It is important to communicate with other family members about what kind of help you need and let them know specifically what they can do.

A number of organizations and private companies will give you advice and guidance -- many for free. If your care recipient has a very low income, you might get free help from your local Area Agency on Aging. A lot depends on available funds. Click here for a nationwide list of agencies.

A good source for professional advice is the rapidly growing business of non-medical home care companies. Most will offer free consultations and will provide paid aides to help you with your loved-one with such things as bathing, dressing, shopping, household chores, transportation, companionship and much more. These people may also help you coordinate adult daycare or other community services.

You may wish to pay for a formal assessment and care plan from a professional geriatric care manager. Even though it may cost you a little money to hire a care manager, this could be the best money you will ever spend. Care managers are valuable in helping find supporting resources, providing respite, saving money from care providers, finding money to pay for care, making arrangements with family or government providers and providing advice on issues that you may be struggling with.

Lastly; it is important to take care of yourself first in order to give effective and loving care.

Stephen Covey tells a story in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People about a man who is sawing a tree. A woman approaches and asks the obviously exhausted man how long he has been sawing the tree. He tells her that he has been there for hours.

She says “Well, I see that your saw is dull, if you would just sharpen your saw you would be able to saw it much faster and with less effort.”

He replies, “I don’t have time to stop and sharpen my saw, I need to chop this tree down now!”

It seems pretty silly that the man just doesn’t stop for a few minutes to make the work easier. It is common for caregivers to do the same thing. They focus on caring for their loved one and run themselves down instead of stopping to “sharpen their saw”.

Covey states that “sharpening the saw” is to take care of yourself by keeping your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self balanced. There is joy and respite in balancing all of these areas in our life. This is what makes us efficient and happy. Here are some ways for you as a caregiver to sharpen your own saw:

• Maintain a positive attitude. Take time to be grateful for everything that is good in your life. There is always something. Adjust your expectations for the holiday season. If you aren’t expecting that perfect holiday family picture, then you won’t be angry and frustrated that it isn’t something you have right now. It is always possible to change your attitude and perceptions, but it is not always possible to change your circumstances.
• Eat healthy food and be sure to get some exercise. Do this in small increments if it is too overwhelming to plan menus. Drink more water, cut down on sugary snacks, pick up some vegetables and fruit to grab.  Walk or do marching in place. Run or walk up and down stairs if that is all the time you have right now.
• Forgive and let go of frustrations, anger, resentment and guilt. These are common feelings for caregivers. The best thing a caregiver can do for their own emotional health is to clear out these negative thoughts and feelings. Get counseling, talk to a friend or family member or simply write down the negative feelings to get them out of your system. Never take your anger and frustrations out on those you care for.
• Take time to do something you enjoy and give yourself a little bit of rejuvenation everyday. Laughter is a great stress reliever. Find something funny to read or get on the internet and find a funny video to watch.

During the holidays, be easy on yourself. If you enjoy holiday activities, then get out there and do them. Ask someone to help with your caregiving duties even if it is just for an hour or two to shop or to see a concert or movie. There are day care facilities or home care services available for short term care. See www.longtermcarelink.net for a service in your area.
Being a “perfect” caregiver during the holidays does not have to look like the perfect on-screen holiday family. How you handle your circumstance will be the key to creating your own peace, happiness and cheer during the holiday season. The holidays can be a time of reflection on good things. Your attitude and a little care for yourself can make a big difference in the care that you give in the coming year.

Source: National Care Planning Council
http://www.longtermcarelink.net/article-2010-12-8.htm