Category Archives: Caregiver Corner

Series: Alzheimer’s in Other Countries

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on April 6, 2015 under Caregiver Corner | Read the First Comment

This is the third post in a series on Alzheimer’s disease in places beyond the borders of the United States.

COSMOS is an Australia-based science magazine that has a global reach. Today, they published an article called “An Ultrasound Cure for Alzheimer’s?” The article discusses how clumping proteins in the brain have been linked to Alzheimer’s, and how using ultrasound technology that can break up those proteins has shown intriguing results on mice with memory problems.

This research took place at the University of Queensland in Australia and is generating a lot of interest and buzz. You can read more about the study in the article on COSMOS.

Accidental Bowel Leakage Products

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 31, 2015 under Caregiver Corner, Resources | Be the First to Comment

The word incontinence refers to more than just bladder leakage: it can also refer to what is known in the medical world as fecal incontinence, but is now being termed as accidental bowel leakage (ABL). Some of the products that we sell on TotalHomeCareSupplies.com can be used for ABL – let’s take at products that work well for ABL.

There are products out there that are specific to ABL, but the Washington Post reports that most people have incontinence and bowel leakage, instead of just bowel leakage by itself. For that reason, we suggest trying First Quality’s Adult Briefs. They are excellent for urine incontinence, but they also feature a specifically targeted Fecal Containment Zone that eliminates odor by locking in loose stool.

Both of Prevail’s Bariatric Diapers (in sizes A and B) feature an Advanced Zoning System that has fecal containment zones right where they are most needed. These briefs work well with liquid stool, as they also have OdorGuard technology, meaning all liquid is absorbed and trapped before becoming an odor problem, and they have QUICK WICK™ with MaxSoft that pulls the moisture quickly into the core of the diaper.

For youths with ABL, Prevail offers the Youth Brief. This is also a great product for adult individuals who are petite or slender. Again, this item features the Advanced Zoning System, making sure the areas most affected by urine or fecal matter are extra protected against leaks.

Be sure to seek out medical treatment for your ABL if you have yet to do so.

Ingredients in Skin Care Products

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 30, 2015 under BladderMatters, Caregiver Corner, Resources | Be the First to Comment

At TotalHomeCareSupplies.com we sell many different types of skin care products. Each one of these contain ingredients that help with different skin conditions. So let’s take a look about what is in our products and what they can do for you.

Vitamin A:
Vitamin A, when used in a cream or an ointment, exfoliates skin. This makes it a drying agent, and can be used for treating acne. When used in conjunction with vitamin D, which is a skin protectant, it can be used to treat diaper rash and minor burns. Try Medline’s Vitamin A and D Ointment for these skin issues.

Vitamin D:
This vitamin, when applied as a cream, helps to slow down the too much proliferation of skin cells that can create psoriasis and skin dryness. For those with scaly skin, or for those who have a pressure point from a brace or other medical item, daily application of a cream with vitamin D might prove helpful. Try Bard’s Special Care Cream with vitamins A, B5, D and E, along with Aloe vera, safflower oil and glycerin.

Calamine:
Calamine is actually a mixture of two other ingredients, generally zinc oxide and ferric oxide. These ingredients are what makes calamine an anti-itching agent. This is why calamine is recommended for use on skin that has been exposed to poison ivy or oak, and some people find it helpful when they have a bug bite. For those who are looking for something that is helpful with itchy, dry skin, try FNC’s Medical Ca-Rezz Cream.

We’ll continue this series in another post. If you have any questions about skin care product ingredients, let us know in the comments below and we’ll try to address them next time!

Happy Certified Nurses Day!

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 19, 2015 under Caregiver Corner, Ostomy Care | Be the First to Comment

Every March 19^th, certified nurses are celebrated. This date was picked because it’s the birthday of Margretta ‘Gretta’ Madden Styles, who was an expert in nurse credentialing. Board certified nurses help their employers stay on top of the changing medical world and bring new perspectives to old problems.

If you head over to Twitter and search for #CertifiedNursesDay or #CertifiedNursesRock, you’ll find all sorts of smiling faces, fun photos and enthusiasm.

There are a staggering number of credentials and certifications that a nurse can receive. Wikipedia has quite an extensive list, but they admit it is incomplete. Just a few of those different types of nursing certifications include Certified Health Education Specialist, Licensed Practical Nurse and a WOCN: a Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse, who recently had their own shout-out here on the TotalHomeCareSupplies.com blog.

For all you certified nurses out there: thank you so much! We know you do so much to care for your patients. Check out the fun video below from American Nurses Credentialing Center:

#ElderCareChat

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 17, 2015 under Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

On the first and third Wednesdays of every month OurParents.com and Caregiving.com host a Twitter discussion called #ElderCareChat. TotalHomeCareSupplies.com has been participating in these chats for the last few months and we’d like to give you an idea of how the chats work and what they’re about.

The chats take place at 1PM Eastern Time and last an hour. The two hosts co-moderate on differing weeks between @OurParents and Denise, who has the @Caregiving Twitter handle. On occasion, a guest moderator will be invited who is an expert on that week’s topic!

Past topics have included “Legal Issues,” “Self-Care and Accountability in Caregiving,” and “Finding the Joy in Growing Older.” Generally, seven or eight questions are asked to the group, signified by, “Q1,” “Q2” and so on. When the participants of the chat answer, they put “A1” or “A2” into their answer, along with #ElderCareChat so everyone participating will be able to see their answer. At the end of the chat, participants are invited to tweet links to relevant sources or their own sites.

Getting to participate in and observe these chats is very rewarding and educating. Sometimes the questions are ones to think about and process – other times the answers are easy and fun to give! Even if the question seems overwhelming or personal, there’s always at least one participant who has the perfect answer.

The next #ElderCareChat takes place tomorrow, and the discussion topic is “Solving Caregiving’s Financial Conundrums.” You can find more information here and we hope to see you tomorrow on Twitter!

Conflicts in Caregiving: Accepting Help

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 10, 2015 under Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

Caregiving is an exhausting endeavor. Being responsible for another human who has their own life can be quite the task. There are appointments, therapies, tips to remember, behaviors to accommodate and much more. So why is it that so many caregivers are reluctant to ask for help or to accept help that has been offered?

There are several reasons, and more than we can list or identify here. There’s pride. There’s the notion that taking the time to explain to someone else how they can help would take longer than time they’d be able to actually help. There’s fear that if something goes wrong when someone is helping that it is your fault.

Allowing someone to come in and take over caregiving duties can be daunting. So if you’re having trouble accepting help, maybe start with peripheral tasks. If someone is offering help, but isn’t sure what that should do, have them stop by the grocery store for you, or pick up the dry cleaning. See if they’re willing to come over and just be with you and your caree for a meal – even better if they’re willing to cook!

Maybe once you see them handle a few of the simpler tasks, you can slowly show them more and more of the daily tasks it takes to be the caregiver of your caree. Keep in mind how important it is for you to take breaks from caregiving, for your own mental and physical health. And don’t forget that none of us is infallible – if you were temporarily incapable of doing your caregiving duties, is there someone who would be able to come in as your backup?

Accepting help isn’t about weakness – it’s about the strength to know your own limits and what’s best for you and your caree.

Spread the Word to End the Word Awareness Day

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 4, 2015 under Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

The word we’re talking about here is the R-word, “retard” or “retarded.” And those who are asking for pledges to stop using the word are families, celebrities, kids, all with or without special needs. The request is about respect: giving respect to everyone around you by no longer using that word, even when only used as slang. It’s a hurtful word no matter what the context. Even in a medical “diagnosis” or state law. That’s why organizations like r-word.org have been working to get this word replaced in medical and law books. Last year, the Supreme Court stopped using the term.

A lot of stories and fun photos have been shared on the above site, r-word.org and their Twitter page.Every year, Ellen from the blog lovethatmax.com writes an eloquent and often hilarious post about ending the word, and this year is no different.

The campaign was started in 2009 by the Special Olympics. This summer, the Special Olympics will be in Total Home Care Supplies’ area in Los Angeles!

Below, you’ll find a fun video about doing the “R-Word Stomp” that we retweeted to our Twitter page earlier today:

Series: Alzheimer’s in Other Countries

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 2, 2015 under Caregiver Corner | Read the First Comment

This is the second post in a series on Alzheimer’s disease in places beyond the borders of the United States.

Chidai: That is the term for dementia in China, where the brain disease is currently affecting about six million people. That’s a problem for any country, but in China, this news is particularly troubling: as life expectancy in the country increases, so will the dementia rates; because of the one-child policy, caring for both parents will be left up to working adult children; and the remoteness of many of the villages where the elderly live means lack of services.

This article from Bloomberg Business outlines many of these issues and introduces readers to 71-year-old Shi Anquan, caregiver to his wife who suffers from Alzheimer’s.

When Should Seniors Stop Driving?

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on February 19, 2015 under Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

Just yesterday, a news story broke about a 92-year-old man who hit nine cars during his attempt to leave a parking lot. In Wisconsin, where this event took place, the DMV renews driver’s licenses every eight years. The difference between someone who is 84 and 92 is fairly significant, so it’s up to the family and the caregivers to help keep an eye on those seniors who are still driving, not only in Wisconsin, but everywhere.

If you are concerned that your senior is a danger to themselves or to others, that is enough to at least start talking to them about the issue. If they are willing to listen, great! First thing to talk about is if there is a reason for the changes in their driving. Age alone is not an indicator; it’s all about how they are doing. Are they on a medication that makes them drowsy or otherwise impaired? Are they currently ill and sickness may be affecting their driving? Are they seeing okay? Has their depth-perception changed? Are their driving issues caused by slower reaction times? Is that just because of aging or is there a different reason?

If you’re only just starting to be concerned, you can look into other areas to see if your concerns are valid. Is the auto insurance rate for your senior going up? Have they received any traffic tickets? Are there any new nicks or dents on the car?

If none of these issues have come up yet, now is still a great time to have a discussion. Talk to them about what their plan would be if they did stop driving in the next few months or year. Get them thinking about the idea and the alternative plans it would involve. The future is less threatening than the present.

Look for another article next week about what you can do if your senior is not willing to talk about the idea of stopping driving. And be sure to leave a comment if you have any experience with this issue!

Caregiving Glossary

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on February 17, 2015 under Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

This post was inspired by Ai-Jen Poo, MacArthur Award recipient, co-director of Caring Across Generations and author of The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America. In a recent interview, she said that caregivers with children, who are often called The Sandwich Generation, should be called the “Panini Generation,” since they’re being squeezed so much by both their kids and their parents. What other definitions are out there that caregivers deal with every day?

Caree/Charge – The person the caregiver is caring for. But if it’s their husband, wife, father, mother or sibling, that is the title that should come first.

Carer – Another term for caregiver.

Caregiver Burnout – What can happen to a caregiver when they are over-burdened or do not take enough time to care for themselves.

#CaregiverMonday – A hashtag that’s used across social media platforms to call out caregivers on the first day of the workweek.

Caregiver Syndrome – “Caregiver Stress Syndrome is a term used to describe the physiological and psychological changes experienced as the result of chronic stress due to ongoing caregiving activities,” as defined by HubPages.

IEP – An Individualized Education Program/Plan is a term you might here a caregiver/parent for a disabled child use. It helps the parent/caregiver, aides, teachers and school determine what the child is currently capable of, what their goals should be and how to accomplish those goals.

Self-care – Taking time for one’s self that is necessary for the mental and physical health of the carer.

Do you have any suggestions for additions to this glossary? Let us know – we’d love to post another list of caregiving definitions!