If you know someone who is a family caregiver, then it’s time to give something back to them this month for National Family Caregivers Month. The following are gestures they’re likely to appreciate year-round:

1. Give them a break – offering to provide respite care or hiring someone to step in can allow caregivers to relax or reconnect with friends and family

2. Remind local businesses what this month means – then encourage them to offer freebies or discounts for family caregivers in the area!

3. Lend them a hand with holiday preparations – the holidays can create added responsibility, so help a caregiver decorate for the holidays or put stamps on their cards

4. Get them laughing – go see a funny movie with them, or pick up tickets to a local comedy club. Laugher IS the best medicine!

5. Take over holiday hosting responsibilities – caregivers already have a lot on their plates; host Thanksgiving, Christmas, or another holiday celebration so the caregiver can simply focus on enjoying the company!

6. Sign the petition – there’s a petition to establish a stamp that recognizes family caregivers; sign it in their honor!

7. Create something personal – a personalized gift, like a calendar with family photos, will help them feel like they’re appreciated, and it will help them stay organized

8. Send them a token of appreciation – a bouquet of flowers or a card might not be a big gesture, but it will make caregivers feel appreciated and special

9. Connect them with caregiving resources – free seminars and other events take place to keep caregivers better informed and help them manage stress

10. Lend your support – give them an ear to talk to, or help them find a support group

Via: The Family Caregiver

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

“Love Thou Caregiver”

by Ursula Chester
October 2009

“Love Thou Caregiver” essay contest for family caregivers in Fort Bend County. The winner will receive 25 hours of free respite care.

This contest is in recognition of National Family Caregiver Month (November).

• Our Home Instead Senior Care office will take your essay the whole month of November.
• All essays must be postmarked on or before November 30th.
• The winner will be announced December 15th.

DETAILS
Let us know about your day-to-day experience of care giving: How you’ve embraced the roll of caregiver for a senior loved one, what impact it’s had on you, how you’ve inspired others.

Please feel free to nominate and respond for a family caregiver you know, but who is too busy (or to humble) to respond to this opportunity. Tell us their story. Win for them some much needed respite care. Your entry gives you a chance to win the GRAND PRIZE of 25 hours of respite care provided by Home Instead Senior Care – South Central/Fort Bend Office.

Call us at 713-774-2215

Mail typed essay or 500 words or less to:

c/o Essay Contest

Home Instead Senior Care

6065 Hillcroft, Suite 315

Houston, TX 77081

To enter the “Love Thou Caregiver” essay contest, you must be 18 years old or over, be providing non-professional care for a person 65 years of age or older, and be a legal resident of Fort Bend County.

Many seniors fall into a slump, allowing senior stereotypes to take over their lives and dictate their actions in older adulthood. Don’t let this be you, take control over your life and you will find that with these 4 ways to make the most of aging will improve your life:

1. Take a class – learning lasts a lifetime, so take advantage of the opportunities that you have in front of you in older adulthood. Take a college extension class or see what classes are offered at a local community center. You can take anything that interests you, whether it’s active, crafty or intellectual

2. Be social and seek support – don’t withdrawal from social activities like so many seniors have the tendency to do; no matter what’s going on in your life stay in touch with friends and family members with social activities, and get support from groups with any issues you’re dealing with

3. Live and laugh – they say laughter is the best medicine for a good reason, make sure that you do things that you enjoy that make you laugh and smile. Laughter is a great way to cope with grief, overcome stress, and gain a better appreciation of life!

4. Safety first – take the opportunity to look at how you can improve your safety so an accident doesn’t put a damper on your chosen lifestyle. Should you still be driving? Can you avoid busy driving periods or roads? Are there improvements you can make to your house? Are you aware of common frauds targeting seniors, and do you know how to protect yourself from them?

Via: Associated Content

Image: todaysseniorsnetwork.com

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Watching someone you love virtually forget who you are is ranked amongst the hardest things you’ll have to do in your life without a doubt, and while it can be easier to retreat and limit interaction in order to cope; don’t forget that your loved one deserves the opportunity to enjoy themselves to. Spend time together trying some of these fun activities great for seniors with dementia:

1. Reintroduce old favorites – reintroducing seniors to games and activities that they once enjoyed can activate old memories and nostalgia, and they are generally enjoyable. Try tic tac toe, checkers, cards, or large piece jigsaw puzzles.

2. Bond over magazines – looking through magazines like Reminisce or Good Old Days are a great way to share stories; or simply pick up any publication a senior enjoys  for an entertaining way to pass the time and create conversation

3. Reminisce with photos – get out the family photo albums to remind seniors of cherished memories or family members. This is also a great way to start sharing stories and memories of great times with loved ones

4. Get online – for a senior who loves to learn, get online and browse travel destinations, look up information about activities or facts that interest the senior, or simply use it to look at pictures. If your senior is feeling really adventurous, you can even get them signed up on Facebook or Twitter

5. Share a treat – a great activity can be as simple as going to a local bakery or ice cream shop to bond over a sweet treat. Or, it can be made at home and enjoyed there

6. Get outside – don’t underestimate the power of fresh air and sunshine for a senior, get out there!

Via: Suite101

jupiterimages.com

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

It might seem impossible to get the recommended number of fruits and vegetables into your diet everyday, but you’re already aware of the benefits that they have, especially in older adulthood that go far beyond nutrition, so you know just how crucial it is. Here are some tips for ensuring you get at least the recommended number of fruits and vegetables everyday.

1. Visit a Houston farmer’s market – instead of visiting the grocery store, check out a local farmer’s market where all of the in season fruits and vegetables will be available often at a more budget-friendly price. Plus, seeing the produce in a different environment might inspire you to try something new.

2. Mix color – try to ensure that you incorporate fruits and vegetables from every color group into your meals everyday to get the ultimate nutritional and health benefits.

3. Get creative with cooking – if there are vegetables that you don’t enjoy as much because of the textures or tastes, try blending them into a soup or stew so you don’t miss out on the nutritional benefits.

4. Try smoothies or juice – in order to increase the number of servings of fruits and vegetables you get in a day, blend them into smoothies or juices.

5. Buy frozen – frozen fruits and vegetables still offer the same nutritional benefits. Frozen berries are versatile; blend them into a smoothie, or thaw them in the morning to add to your cereal or oatmeal.

6. Add fruit – breakfast is the perfect meal to add some fruit. Add bananas or strawberries to your cereal, or instead of plain pancakes, add the fruit too!

7. Maintain good habits when eating out – when you’re eating out, make sure you get at least one serving of fruits or vegetables.

8. Be open to salad – you don’t need to stick to traditional salad ingredients. Start with deep green lettuce and add any vegetables you have on hand that seem appealing. The more colorful, the better! Add  bell peppers, tomatoes, beets, or avocado. Drizzle your salad with lemon instead of fatty dressings for a vitamin C boost.

9. Go with stir fry – stir fry recipes are a great way to incorporate a wide variety of vegetables into a meal. Start with a bed of rice, flavor with garlic or ginger, and then include a vegetable from every color group.

10. Analyze your meal – when you sit down with a meal that has a wide variety of vegetables, notice if you favor one color group over another, and make a point to add more of the others to your next shopping list.

Via: Body and Health

Image: buylocalfood.org

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Despite the fact that high cholesterol has a proven link to dementia, research has shown no evidence that cholesterol lowering drugs, statins, play a role in preventing dementia later in life. It’s known that having high cholesterol during midlife can greatly increase the risk of having dementia 30 years later; but in a study of 25,000 older adults, statins played absolutely no role on in changing or improving cognitive functions.

Statins may not play a direct role in preventing Alzheimer’s and dementia, but it is possible that by taking them during midlife when cholesterol is found to be high, lowered cholesterol could in turn decrease the risk of cognitive impairment later in life. So while the impact might not be direct, a long-term study over decades might just find that statins do play a bigger role in cognition, just as we originally thought!

Sources:

1. MSNBC

2. Cognifit

Image: HomeInstead.com

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Choosing to bring a caregiver into the home of someone you love is a big decision. It’s hard to trust someone else to take proper care of someone that means so much to you. But with Home Instead Senior Care, all caregivers are thoroughly screened and trained, so you never need to worry about leaving your senior in the hands of our caregivers. To ease your mind, here are some details about how we select our Houston caregivers and the training aspects that are focused upon:

The traits of  Home Instead Senior Caregivers:

• Dependability - work history and employment reference checks are completed for all staff members
• Honesty - drug test and background checks are completed by HISC
• Experience – personal or professional experience in the senior care industry or dealing with senior citizens is considered
• Compassion – a sense of compassion for giving seniors a better quality of life is looked for during the interview process
• Motivation – someone who is motivated in everything they do is better suited to ensuring that seniors are provided the highest quality of care

HISC also has a Caregiver Leadership Training Program that focuses on creating a fantastic caregiver experience by focusing on the following elements:

• Treating CAREGivers with dignity and respect
• Nurturing positive relationships
• Showing appreciation
• Humanizing and professionalizing the caregiving journey
• Connecting CAREGivers to Home Instead, its mission and other CAREGivers
• Dealing with issues openly and honestly.

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Home Care Houston Northwest serving older adults in Humble, Katy, Spring, Cypress, and Tomball - call 281-440-5160.

Q – I recently moved to Houston with my daughter, who is my primary caregiver and has been since I was in my mid-70’s. We have limited finances, though my daughter takes on all expenses herself, and I would like to find out about the programs offered here in Houston that can help us out through the eldercare process. Where can we look?

A – How wonderful of you to try and assist your daughter by finding resources in eldercare. Here are 3 places you can look in order gain access to the senior care resources that you require:

1. Find out what local eldercare services are available in your area – contact the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 so you know what’s available near your loved one’s Houston home and how you can get in touch to arrange services.
2. Know which services your senior qualifies for – NCOA has developed an online questionnaire which allows caregivers and seniors to take a survey that helps them determine which services and benefits that they may qualify for. Visit www.benefitscheckup.org to learn about eligible benefit programs for prescriptions, utilities and health care.
3. Understand seniors rights and know how to get assistance – whether you are helping a parent or senior loved one prepare a will, dealing with a situation where a senior has been abused or neglected, or simply want a professional to help explain the legal rights of seniors, knowing where and how to get legal assistance is crucial. Many organizations provide pro bono legal representation for seniors. Contact the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging or use the Eldercare Locator to find other resources.

Via: The University of Vermont

Image: pro.corbis.com

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Home Care Houston Northwest serving older adults in Humble, Katy, Spring, Cypress, and Tomball - call 281-440-5160.

Families in Houston all struggle with the decision of when it’s the right time to get help for an aging relative. No one wants to admit that someone they love is getting older, because that brings them face to face with the concept of mortality and the idea that the important person in their life might not be part of it for much longer. However, by suggesting home care when the time seems right, families can give their loved ones the benefit of safety and health in their own homes. There is no definite equation for when it’s the right time for home care, but some ideal situations can be used as signs that it might be time to start talking about it.

Situations when Home Care is Ideal

• Seniors who struggle with Activities of Daily Living – seniors who struggle with dressing, bathing, preparing meals, taking their medications, or keeping up with chores around the home are ideal candidates for in-home senior care

• Seniors with declining mobility – seniors who are having changes with their balance and mobility may be at a greater risk of falling or having an accident in the home when trying to perform ADLs . By hiring a caregiver, safety issues can be addressed and prevented through additional help

• Seniors who have had to give up driving – seniors who no longer drive for whatever reason, would greatly benefit from the help of a caregiver who can take them to run errands or to appointments

• Seniors who don’t have family nearby – seniors who have the above problems but do not have family nearby to help them can benefit from in home care when there’s no one else out there to help them

• Seniors who have come out of the hospital or rehab – after seniors have been released from the hospital or rehab program and are in recovery, it’s better for seniors to have the help of a caregiver so they don’t put too much of a burden on their bodies by trying to care for themselves or their homes

• Seniors who suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia – safety may be an issue for seniors who struggle with their memories

Sources:

1. Elder Issues

Image Source: pro.corbis.com

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Home Care Houston Northwest serving older adults in Humble, Katy, Spring, Cypress, and Tomball - call 281-440-5160.

Since family caregiving is so common today, with more seniors and their families opting for home care instead of traditional nursing home care, people often fail to see the risks that can come with it due to improper training in senior care techniques. Although agencies like Home Instead Senior Care in Houston don’t provide medical care, they are better trained than most family caregivers. Professionals are well versed in caregiving techniques, home safety, and specific care for Alzheimer’s, and they are trained to identify potential signs of illness.

When family caregivers are selected over professional senior caregivers, there are a number of risks that can be presented to the health and safety of a senior. Their homes may be ill-equipped for their level of physical mobility, and safety hazards in the home may be left unidentified, leaving more room for in-home accidents. When helping seniors with mobility around the home, family caregivers may not be aware of proper techniques for lifting or moving seniors, which could potentially put the senior at risk of injury. Very few home caregivers think they need to know CPR, believing that help is only a phone call away; while this might be true, training in basic first aid is essential, and this is a reassurance that can be provided by Home Instead Senior Care’s professional non-medical caregivers.

Sources:

1. Seniors Daily
2. Home Instead Senior Care

Image Source: pro.corbis.com

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Home Care Houston Northwest serving older adults in Humble, Katy, Spring, Cypress, and Tomball - call 281-440-5160.