Category Archives: Caregiver Corner

Hobbies and Activities for Seniors

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on September 24, 2014 under Caregiver Corner | Read the First Comment

One of the more amazing things about aging is that sometimes the things a person didn’t like as a younger adult are the exact things they love as an elder. So be sure to offer new activities to an elderly person every so often, just to see they’ll take you up on it this time. Here are a few suggestions.

Painting
In their youth, many people are intimidated by the talents of others. Sometimes this leads to a feeling that they themselves are not creative. But as time goes by, shyness begins to disappear and, occasionally, whatever was holding someone back years ago disappears. There are stories of the elderly that have never painted before but started painting late in life, all because someone introduced them to the materials and they no longer have that that little voice that says “I can’t.”

The Radio
Televisions are a ubiquitous part of everyday life, and you’d be hard pressed to find a retirement home without one parked in the main gathering area. But sometimes television can be too hard to concentrate on: too many images, too many options, too much violence. Don’t underestimate the power of simply turning on a baseball game and sitting quietly with your senior while the runs are scored.

Tai Chi
Tai Chi is that activity that you see people doing in the park, often in large groups, that looks like very slow karate mixed with yoga. It’s a meditative form of exercise that can be both relaxing and practical. Check out this list from Inside Elder Care that names twelve benefits of Tai Chi, including improving balance, something very helpful for those seniors who are a fall risk.

What are your favorite hobbies? We here at TotalHomeCareSupplies.com would love to hear about them and how they’ve changed over the years.

Help with Building a Care Team

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on September 19, 2014 under Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

A care team for an elderly person consists of the people who are interested in the health and well-being of that person, and are an active part of their life.

Who is in a care team?
The main caregiver and the senior are the focus of the team. But as a caregiver, you’re still a part of it: communication needs to happen between yourself and the rest of the team, and of course the senior. In addition, there is also the main doctor and the specialists. The physical therapists and pharmacists are in there, too. And then if there are secondary caregivers, or elder daycare helpers, they’re part of the team as well. Include anyone who is in regular contact and communication with the senior about their health.

What is the goal of the team?
The goal of a care team is to keep the senior as healthy and as comfortable as possible. Happiness is also a good ideal, but may not always be possible. The way they accomplish these goals is through communication. In the best cases, each team member would be in contact with one another. But it may not be possible for the dentist to be in contact with the physical therapist to let them know that they may be less focused at their next session because of some residual tooth pain. Or the secondary caregiver may not be in contact with the primary doctor to discuss a change in incontinence products. That’s why the caregiver has to be the main input and output of information. And that information has to be explained in a way that is clear enough to them for them to be able to share it with others.

Remember, if someone in your care team makes either the caregiver or the caree uncomfortable, there’s nothing wrong with reevaluating whether or not that person should be there. Everyone should feel able to communicate freely within the team. We here at TotalHomeCareSupplies.com would love to hear about your best practices in a care team, and we wish you and your teammates much luck!

Different Types of Care-es

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on September 16, 2014 under Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

In a recent blog post, we highlighted the different types of caregivers out there. This time, we thought we’d talk about the people who need the care those caregivers provide.

Those with Intellectual Disabilities
Individuals out there with ID may be unable to properly care for either their basic needs or non-essential needs. They may need a live-in caregiver, a day caregiver or just specific help during certain tasks. Intellectual disabilities can vary from birth (such as some iterations of cerebral palsy) or happen because of an accident later in life.

Those with Physical Disabilities
Physical disabilities can make a surprising amount of activities more difficult. For instance, did you know that there are fifty pairs of muscles involved in chewing? Many physical difficulties can be overcome with the right equipment or physical therapy, but sometimes a caregiver does need to step in.

The Elderly
Many elderly individuals do just fine on their own for many years. But with old age, illness can often be close at hand and sometimes those illnesses can be more debilitating than they would be for a younger person. The elderly may need someone there who can help with basic needs (such as using the bathroom or help with incontinence products). Or someone who’s just there to make sure they’re safe (not leaving the stove on or wandering). Some caregivers of the elderly are more of a friend than a caregiver, someone to socialize with. Others may have to help with more intensive tasks, like lifting their caree out of bed.

All caregivers to these carees should be thanked for all they do. And the cares should be given the respect they deserve as individuals. Here’s a nod of thanks and respect to both.

What is: Cerebral Palsy?

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on September 11, 2014 under Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

Many caregivers out there are caregiving for children, teens or adults with cerebral palsy. And many caregivers of other individuals may wonder: just what is cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy is essentially a term for all disabilities that come from damage to the part of the brain that controls motor skills. It varies wildly in each diagnosed individual. Cerebral palsy is not a disease, it is not contagious, it is not hereditary and there is no cure. There is no way to prevent the disease as it is usually caused by an accident of some type. Regular prenatal checkups are always a good idea, but generally cannot prevent the types of accidents that cause CP.

It’s entirely possible that you could know someone for years and never know that they were diagnosed with cerebral palsy. And someone you think has CP could have a different disability entirely. Each person is affected differently, from a simple issue like hard-to-read hand writing to being fully paralyzed. Some people have trouble with speech, some have trouble with cognition, some have trouble walking, while some experience immense pain.

Because there are so many ways CP can affect someone, it’s hard to tell what they might be capable of later in life, with therapy. Physical and other types of therapy can make all the difference with CP and, in general, the earlier the diagnosis the better.

There is very little known about CP, unfortunately. There are some options available out there for helping beyond therapy, including stem cell transfusions, surgery and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). While these may make movement and cognition easier, again, there is no cure. But many with CP are living very full lives. TotalHomeCareSupplies.com thanks their caregivers for all they provide. And a shout out to everyone showing cerebral palsy who’s boss!

Great Products for Special Needs Kids

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on September 8, 2014 under BladderMatters, Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

In most ways, special needs kids are just like other kids. They need food, shelter, entertainment and a few creature comforts (and of course love!). The products listed below are some ways to make their lives a little easier, more independent and accommodate those special needs.

Adaptive Utensils
These utensils can range from silverware with larger gripping areas to having special handles attached. The business end of the spoon or fork may be tilted one way or the other (depending on whether the user is right or left handed, or if they are being fed by someone else).

Weighted Blankets
This Forbes article talks about the benefits of weighted blankets for more than just special needs kids. Basically, anyone who has sleep issues may find them helpful. These blankets have been around for years but are becoming more popular now.

Sleep Overs Pull-Ups
Your child may still be wetting the bed at night, but they don’t need everyone to know. These pull-ups come in sizes up to 140 pounds and are very discreet. Now asking your kids to change into PJs while guests are over won’t be a “thing.”

A Tablet
Tablets are quite expensive, but if you can justify them as a therapeutic tool, you may be able to deduct the item on your taxes. There are many apps available for special needs, including a variety of speech apps. See this site for help with Tax Strategies for Parents of Special Needs Children for more information about deductions.

What products have you found most helpful for your special needs child? We’d love to hear from you!

Caregiving Blogs – September Highlight

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on September 4, 2014 under Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

At the start of the new month, we’d like to take some time to highlight some caregiver bloggers. These bloggers are raising awareness of the difficulties their loved ones live or lived with and helping others to know they’re not alone.

http://caregivingelderlyparents.com/
“Sometimes it seems that no matter how much I do, I still feel guilty. How do we live with that juggling act? That is what I want to write about.” That’s how Dauna Easley describes her reason for blogging. Her co-blogger is Marky Olson. They have written a book together called “Caregiving for Your Elderly Parents.” They tell their personal stories with warmth and humor.

http://birtchbaby.blogspot.com/
Jill’s son John was born at just over 24 weeks gestation, making him a micro-preemie. At only a few days old, he experienced a brain bleed that gave him long-term disabilities. Through lots of hard work and John’s own determination, he walks with a walker and leads an almost entirely normal life. Every year, John, his family and his friends take part in a fundraising walk for other preemies. John has a very positive personality, and his little sister is a sprite!

http://alzheimersandmomblog.blogspot.com/
Karen was a caregiver to her mother with Alzheimer’s for years, until her mother passed away in 2011. Karen continues her blog to help other caregivers and past caregivers. In her older posts she shares the joys and struggles of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. In her recent posts, she discusses Alzheimer’s support, life in Arkansas, and moving on from caregiving.

Do you write a blog or know of one that you’d like TotalHomeCareSupplies.com to highlight? Please provide us with a link in the comments. And if you’re a regular reader of any of these blogs, let us know and give them a shout out!

Group Vacations

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on August 27, 2014 under BladderMatters, Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

Summer vacations are coming to a close, but the fall is a great time to travel as well. Lower temperatures and fewer travelers can mean better deals and better experiences.

As a caregiver, you may find yourself longing for a vacation, but wondering how it’s possible to leave your charge. Or, perhaps your charge (your parents, child, sibling or other) has been asking to take a trip. How can you pull off taking a vacation with so many care issues to think about?

One option is to create a group to go on vacation with you. If there are more people than just you to help take care of your charge, there’s less for you to worry about. Are there siblings that can help out with your elderly parents? Can your parents help out with your special needs child? Coordinating times and destinations can be tough, but with the right planning, all parties can find enjoyable activities and alone time.

Another option is to participate in a pre-planned trip. Cruises have always been popular, but these days they are catering more and more to the aging population. Some cruises now provide help to their elderly passengers. Such a trip can provide the perfect setting: you as the caregiver get to make sure your parents’ care needs are being met, and there are opportunities to relax. And leaving the country isn’t necessary: river cruises mean less travel time to the boat and more scenery while on the ship.

Whether you decide on a private or group vacation, make sure to pack all supplies your charge needs in advance. TotalHomeCareSupplies.com has all the incontinence products you need for a great trip! Bon voyage!

Caregiving in Other Countries

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on August 19, 2014 under Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

The ways in which older adult caregiving differs between countries depends on that culture’s view of the elderly. Are they respected? Are they ignored? Are there laws in the country that require children to regularly visit their parents? These issues and more can influence how caregivers interact with their charges.

In several Asian countries, the elderly are held in high regard. In Korea, the celebrations for 60^th and 70^th birthdays are a huge event. In China, they recently passed a law that says children of the elderly must visit their parents, or face fines and even jail time. In Japan, most old folks live with their children. Japan has a comparatively large elderly population, meaning most adults have their parents living with them. There is such a huge aging population, in fact, that adult diapers in Japan now outsell baby diapers.

Italy has an influx of Ukrainian caregivers, who may be leaving their own families, that come take care of Italy’s elderly. Because of this, Ukrainians make up the fourth-largest immigrant population in Italy, according to the Christian Science Monitor.

In India, the smaller villages often have few opportunities for young people, who move away to cities or overseas. A company called UberHealth has recently offered a way for the children of India’s elderly to monitor their parents’ health. These long distance caregivers are able to use the software UberHealth provides to keep up with their parents’ medical records and even order cars to take them to doctor’s appointments, all from a computer thousands of miles away.

No matter which country caregivers and their charges are living in, there needs to be more support for caregivers, and there are several international organizations who are trying to provide that support. We here at TotalHomeCareSupplies.com would love to hear about any experiences you may have with caregiving outside of the US.

Veterans and Caregivers

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on August 14, 2014 under Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

Caregiving is difficult no matter your relationship to the charge or the reason why the person needs caregiving. But different challenges face each of those relationships and reasons. Veteran caregivers have a specific set of challenges, hardships and rewards.

One of the challenges is trying to understand the mountains of paperwork it can require for a veteran to get care. Of course, this can be a challenge for all caregivers, but as the news has shown over the last couple months, the VA system is a particularly rough road to travel these days. This trouble can be mitigated by keeping a close and organized watch on all paperwork related to the veterans care. But that still doesn’t mean that they’ll be able to get an appointment any faster than otherwise.

As for the hardships, there are many. Again this is true for other individuals with disabilities, but oftentimes veterans have problems that are not apparent on their body. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) or a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) often don’t leave outside marks. This means that the veteran and their caregiver have to deal with outside people treating them like everything is fine, even when it isn’t. That can be a blessing, but also can mean having to explain more to strangers than one would like.

But being there for a veteran can be tremendously rewarding. As the parent, spouse or friend of a veteran, that person is taking part in an effort larger than themselves. They are part of what makes that veteran function every day and they should be thanked, just as veterans are thanked.

So thank you, from us here at TotalHomeCareSupplies.com, for your service as either a member of the armed forces or as a caregiver of one. We are grateful for you.

National Health Center Week

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on August 12, 2014 under Caregiver Corner | Be the First to Comment

It’s National Health Center Week (August 10-16). A health center is generally a clinic that serves areas that have less medical care than the community needs. What can a community health center do for you?

Health centers provide immunizations, vaccinations, primary care and dental care.
Health Centers focus on more than just the health of your body! They also provide services like job training and housing assistance.
Free health fairs and other events are hosted by health centers, especially during Health Center Week.

At TotalHomeCareSupplies.com, we’re committed to keeping you as healthy as possible, so we encourage you to learn more about the services available to you. To find a health center in your area, see what events are happening this week or learn more about health centers, you can visit http://www.healthcenterweek.org. And check out the infographic below!

Quality of Care Provided by Health Centers