The Flood In North Dakota

Many of you know that Partners in Senior Care is a family owned home care and geriatric care management agency, but what many do not know is that we lived for 9 wonderful years in the small town of Minot, North Dakota.

People often ask why we loved Minot so much (we readily admit we don't miss the 25 below zero winters), but we say we love the people. The Menoni girls rode on a float in the ND State Fair and the float says it best - "The Pride of North Dakota is its People".


I was pregnant in 1979 - the year after we moved to Minot. The last 6 weeks of this pregnancy was spent on bed rest. Our three girls were 9 and under and grandparents were over 900 miles away, but the women of Little Flower Church brought us dinner every night for 6 weeks. I did not know many of these women and when I asked "how can I ever repay your generosity?" I was told "Next year it will be your turn to help someone." The people of North Dakota understand and live the principle of "People helping People". Or as a recent movie said "Pay it Forward." It is a lesson I learned from the ladies of my church, one my daughters learned from the people and one we continue to try to live by.

The people of Minot, North Dakota have paid it forward time and time again. Recently, the city of Minot has been flooded by the Mouse River. Over 11,000 people have been displaced - 25% of their population - and likely will lose their home. Imagine if it were your home in the photos below. Many people we know have lost the homes they lived in, raised their children in, and played with their grandchildren in.


We are asking for your help.
We have been in contact with Roger Reich from the Minot Commission on Aging and he is communicating to us what immediate needs the seniors in the area have and Partners in Senior Care is working to help them.

Lucille Levine, with Disposables Delivered, has made available to us various supplies needed such as latex gloves, incontinence supplies, personal wipes, bleach cleaning wipes, and Ensure at cost. The cost per case varies and that includes next day delivery. I am going to place an order with her on Friday and Tuesday to be sent directly to the Commission on Aging in Minot.

If you would like to participate, please fill out the attached form and fax to Partners in Senior Care. 100% of what you send is going to the supplies Minot needs and we will cover the processing fees for the credit cards. If you are interested in helping, please complete the attached order form, fax it to us, and we will take it from there.

Thank you for your help. We hope you have a safe and happy 4th of July.

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

Summer Travel Tips

Learn how to vacation with an aging loved one or feel comfortable having them stay at home

Summer is finally here and that means BBQs, fireworks, baseball games, and travel. Summer is a great time to get away with your family. And while summer travel can be a fun experience for an aging parent or loved one, especially if that trip is to see grandchildren, seniors may not be as mobile or energetic as they were in years past. Partners in Senior Care has several tips for a successful summer trip with an aging parent or loved one including:

· Obtaining medical clearances from a physician to ensure the trip is realistic and appropriate.

· Gathering necessary paperwork and documents, including insurance cards, medication, physician’s phone number, medical records, etc.

· Know where to find a physician in another city, including where to get chemo if leaving during treatment, etc.

· Choosing the right mode of transportation. For example, most airlines offer priority boarding for senior passengers, as well as onboard wheelchair availability and priority check-in for wheelchairs and mobility devices. Also be sure to allow for longer connection times between flights and arrange for wheelchair transportation between terminals or gates. Better yet: Try for direct flights rather than layovers even if that means spending more money on the ticket. Ideally, trips should be single destinations rather than a series of visits. Train travel is another option. Amtrak provides oxygen equipment. And if driving, rent a car or van that provides plenty of space and accessible features.

· When flying, minimize carry-on luggage but be sure to carry on all medicines with you. Also bring a note from the senior’s doctor regarding all of their medications in case airport security asks to see prescription validation and information.

· Deciding if your budget allows for a professional skilled eldercare aide to travel with you.

· Sticking with the familiar – vacation to familiar places that the senior enjoyed or is accustomed to.

· If the senior has dementia, make sure they are wearing an identification bracelet that cannot be misplaced.

· When going to a special event, such as a wedding or graduation, arrive a day or two before hand to allow rest time before the event.

· Have a contingency plan in place that allows you to leave early if the senior becomes ill, agitated, or wants to go home.

If you are staying at a hotel with an aging parent or loved one, consider these hotel tips:

· Alert the hotel to any special needs for the senior.

· Use room service the night you arrive for your meal to make things easy and less stressful.

· Take nightlights with you for the bedroom and bathroom.

It is important to keep in mind that seniors who exhibit the following behaviors should avoid overnight travel, including:

• Becoming physically or verbally aggressive.
• Becoming confused during or after social outings.
• Awakening at night confused.
• Having poorly managed incontinence.
• Requiring special assistance or equipment with feeding if public dining rooms will be used.
• Resisting or arguing with caregiver’s instructions.
• Wandering or pacing.
• Are easily frightened, confused, agitated, or wanting to go home.
• Are unable to communicate their needs to others.
• Having unstable medical conditions.
  
  

If an aging parent or loved one is not able to travel with you and needs to stay home, many retirement homes offer temporary care. Another option is to arrange daily home care visits to aid in washing, dressing, and meal preparation such as Partners in Senior Care’s Geriatric Care Retainer Program that lets family members utilize a caregiver on an as-needed basis. This program can also be used if an aging parent or loved one is visiting you. If the senior does stay home when you travel, you could Skype with them while you are on the road and tell them about your trip. This way the senior feels connected to you and your adventures.

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

Webconference: Hiring Home Care Workers: Avoiding Tax and Legal Risks

The National Private Duty Association is sponsoring a live interactive program that will provide advice on avoiding tax and legal risks when hiring home care providers.

The web conference topics include:

• Hiring guidelines
• Tax and legal issues
• Identifying risks
• Independent contractor issues

This is free of charge to participants.

For more information click here.

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.

The Ultimate Caregiving Guide

I was recently waiting in the grocery store checkout line, glancing at the magazines and noticed that the March issue of Woman’s Day had a cover story entitled “The Ultimate Caregiving Guide.” Since I am a professional geriatric care manager, I picked it up, curious to see just how “ultimate” it was. The article far exceeded my expectations. Here’s why:

• The first part “tender loving care” told the story of caring for a loved one from the perspective of three generations: the Grandmother who needed assistance; the Daughter providing the assistance; and the Granddaughter who provided the necessary emotional support to her mother. This section addressed the struggles, frustrations and joys of the caregiving experience -- and any family in the midst of caring for an elder person could relate to these women. Unfortunately, in my experience, most of my clients’ adult daughters are not able to move closer to their parents to assist them as they age. One solution to this, especially for the “sandwich generation” who are taking care of both their own children and their parents, is to hire a geriatric care manager (generally a nurse or social worker) who can provide back-up support to an adult child who lives far from their parents, or can allow the caregiving child to take a vacation. Information regarding geriatric care management and how to locate one in your area can be found on the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers Web site: www.caremanager.org.

• The second part “the finances of caregiving” by Mary Hunt did an excellent job of identifying the legal documents we should all have. Additionally, her explanation of the difference between Medicare and Medicaid, what they pay for, and how they overlap was superb. Elder law attorneys are indeed the best resources for assisting seniors and families sort through the maze of paperwork. This section also addressed long-term care insurance and the CLASS Act provision in the healthcare reform legislation. Wartime Veterans and their spouses may also qualify for money to assist with paying for care either at home or in an assisted living community or skilled nursing home. This benefit is referred to Aid and Attendance benefit. Many Elder law attorneys can assist in filing the paperwork, and the big plus is they may not charge for this service.

• The third part “care package” was written by Gail Sheehy, author of Passages in Caregiving. Gail was her husband’s caregiver for 17 years so she has “walked the talk” and has been on the front lines of the caregiving process. This article is an excellent synopsis of the caregiving journey and should only encourage a family caregiver to read Passages in Caregiving. Gail also provides three websites that provide excellent resources for family caregivers. Both in this article and her book, Gail speaks of the need for caregivers to take a break even if it requires a hiring professional caregiver. The National Private Duty Association (www.privatedutyhomecare.org) and the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (www.nahc.org) provide information on how to choose a caregiver, as well as how to locate a reputable caregiving agency in your area.

You can read the article, here, or pick up a copy. The March issue of Woman’s Day should be on newsstands through March 15.

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.