02.15.10
Posted in Home Health Care at 11:30 am by admin
Home Modifications
So you’ve decided to care for your loved one at home instead of a
Texas elder care facility, but you may be concerned about how to make it work. Will he be able to navigate our home safely? What if I can’t help him get into bed or in and out of the shower? Home modifications, simple or complex, depending on your loved one’s physical limitations or medical needs, may be the ticket to keeping him at home longer, providing a safe environment, and maintaining maximum independence and dignity.
Making modifications to your home may sound overwhelming and expensive, but may be as simple as rearranging the furniture, removing loose rugs, and installing night lights between bedroom and bathroom. These simple changes could go a long way to prevent a potentially dangerous fall.
The following tips and checklists will help you take stock of your home, your loved one’s needs, and sort through needed modifications:
Consider your loved one’s mobility issues, visual or physical limitations and challenges in everyday functions in your home. Does he need assistance getting out of bed? Is he having difficulty navigating your current furniture arrangement? If he reaches out to steady himself, will he have something sturdy to grab? Is he making trips to the bathroom at night? Simply tracking these kinds of things and other potential challenges for a day can be tremendously helpful in identifying and prioritizing necessary home modifications. Allowing your loved one to be a part of this process will help you identify problems and challenges you might overlook.
Here’s a checklist to get you and your loved one started on identifying his or her physical challenges in the home:
- Do you need assistance getting into or out of bed?
- Are you able to navigate getting to the bathroom during the night?
- Do you feel comfortable getting up and down from the toilet?
- Are faucets easy to turn on and off?
- Do you feel comfortable in getting in and out of the shower or bathtub?
- Do you have visual limitations or depth perception difficulties?
- Are all areas of the home appropriately lighted?
- Do you have difficulties with self-feeding?
- Are things you need arranged within your reach?
- Are windows, doors, cabinets easy for you to open and shut?
- Are light switches within easy reach?
- Are all rooms easily accessible?
- Is the phone in easy reach and at an appropriate volume?
- Are stairs easy and safe to navigate?
- Are all entrances easy to navigate?
- Is the furniture arranged to provide clear pathways and support as needed?
- Are outside pathways smooth and easy to navigate?
Complete a simple safety check of your home. Make careful observations as you walk through the house room by room during both daylight and nighttime hours.
- a. Check for adequate lighting in all rooms, outdoor walkways, and hallways. Note any extra lighting needed: night light, noise-response lighting (the Clapper), brighter bulb, new lighting installation, or motion sensor lights
- b. Make note of any changes needed to provide clear pathways, safe and easy access, and balance supports especially for outdoor walkways, entrances, hallways, and stairways: rearrange furniture, remove obstructions or loose rugs, provide additional seating, install non-slip surface, mark level changes with colored or reflective tape, add handrails, install ramp or stair lift
- c. Evaluate each room for functionality, potential hazards, or physical obstacles. Consider appropriate solutions.
bedroom getting in and out of bed – bed risers, grab bars, side rails, Hoyer lift (manual or hydraulic), adjustable hospital-style bed
accessing closet - reachable storage, clothing rods, shoe hangers, accessory organizers
accessing dresser – easy open drawers
getting to the bathroom – portable commode
keeping things accessible from bed - hospital-style bedside table (can be raised or lowered, wheeled, or locked), book rack
independent dressing – long handled shoe horn, button hook, velcro to replace buttons, extra seating
bathroom getting in and out of the shower – grab bars, non-slip mat, shower chair, walk-in shower and bath tub
using faucets – set water heater temperature to a maximum of 120 degrees to prevent accidental scalding, replace hard to turn faucet controls with more manageable handles.
sitting down and getting up from the toilet – raised toilet seat, grab bar
stairs potential fall hazard - make sure stairs are wide enough for foot and not too steep
mark edges of steps with bright tape or reflective strips position railing on both sides use safety gate at top of stairs install stair lift.
Kitchen
accessibility – check for well marked appliances (stove settings), place commonly used items in easy to reach cupboards, install easy open drawers, purchase or make your own modified utensils (wrapped in foam for better grip), sturdy arm chair
Living Room
clear path - rearrange furniture, remove fragile items, and unsteady furniture
close, organized storage solutions – sturdy stand with place for remote, magazines, books, drinks, etc.
Additional wheel chair modifications:
- ramps
- lifts
- smooth pathways
- wide doorways
- wide hallways
- electric door opener
- table, counters, sinks, adjusted to appropriate height
Other handy accommodations:
- reach extender
- walker
- cane
- walking stick
Some of these home modifications may be accomplished with a quick trip to Walmart or Lowe’s. For other medical equipment needs, check out Edge Medical Supply located at 1331 S Beckham Ave. in Tyler. Used medical supplies such as walkers may also be located in local thrift stores or on Craig’s List. Other more elaborate home modifications may require a friend or even a contractor to help you install them.
Financial Assistance
Always check with your insurance to find out what equipment and modifications they will cover. For installation or construction not covered by insurance, check with local non-profit volunteer organizations such as Faith in Action or Habitat for Humanity. Many of these organizations have developed relationships within the community with contractors, builders, and handymen, or have other qualified volunteers to help with such needs.
Jack Wilson, COO
Habitat for Humanity of Smith County, Inc.
822 W. Front Street
Tyler, TX 75702
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For more information on assistance for home repair or modifications for the elderly please contact
The Area Agency on Aging of East Texas
3800 Stone Rd
Kilgore, TX 75662
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11.15.09
Posted in Home Health Care at 1:10 am by admin
How to Help your Dependent Senior Live more Independently
Transitioning from family relationships into the roles of caregiver and care recipient can dramatically change the relational dynamics. A common mistake most caregivers make is doing too much for their loved one. Encouraging your loved one to maintain independence as much as possible while maintaining reasonable expectations will relieve your own burden, improve her sense of dignity, and encourage her physical mobility. Here are a few ways you can do this.
- Maintain reasonable expectations. Expect your loved one to participate in her own care as much as she is able. It’s tempting to rush in and help immediately, but unless your loved one is in trouble, giving wait time can convince her she can handle the task at hand herself. This can be difficult especially if your loved one is feeling helpless or frustrated with her loss of ability, but successful independence even in little tasks will add to her overall sense of autonomy. Encourage and applaud every success and effort.
- Provide something for your loved one to tend or care for like a pet or a plant. Some studies have shown that having something depend on you can prolong life. Just be sure she is really able to provide the necessary care and it will not become another task you need to add to your to-do list.
- Rearranging the home and using assistive devices may help your loved one move around with greater ease independently without the use of traditional Texas elderly care like assisted living, and nursing homes. Move her to a bedroom closer to the bathroom, add a hand railing in the hallway, a chair lift on the stairs, a shower chair or raised toilet seat in the bathroom. Even the simpler devices, like a button hook, or velcro closures on clothing and shoes could make a major difference in allowing your loved one to dress herself.
- Planning outings and social interaction is essential to preventing depression and feelings of isolation, or worthlessness. Allow your loved one to choose locations, and schedule regular visits with family and friends. Asking them to put a date on the calendar and following up with a phone call a day before is a great way to make sure they remember.
- Encourage good hygiene and personal maintenance, such as shaving and regular hair cuts. This is important to your loved one’s sense of dignity.
- Regular exercise will go a long way to maintaining mobility and independence. Consistency is more important than intensity or length of workout. Work toward increasing large muscle movement, but recognize that even small movements on a regular basis will help your loved one to maintain and improve overall muscle tone, allowing her to do more on her own.
- Allowing your loved one to make her own choices as much as possible will give her a sense of control and autonomy. Encourage her to choose bed time, clothing, hobbies, reading, entertainment, and activities.
These simple choices and responsibilities can make a huge difference in the life of an aging loved one. They can help fend off the sense of helpless and depression that can so easily creep in.
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10.07.09
Posted in Elder Care, Home Health Care at 3:39 pm by admin
When choosing a Respite Care service, there are many considerations to
take into account. Here are 3 important ones:
What level of service does my loved one need?
How many hours per day do I need a Respite Care service?
How much will the service cost?
If you prefer your loved one to be cared for at home, you need to
decide whether you need a Nurse, a Home Health Aid or a Companion.
Nurses are, of course, trained and ready to help your loved one deal
with all of the issues that arise from living with illnesses. In
addition to helping with bathing and dressing issues, they can
administer medication and act in precisely the same ways Nurses in a
health facility could. They generally cost upwards of $25 per hour.
Home Health Aids are often Certified Nursing Assistants, trained to
provide many of the same services offered at nursing facilities. They
can help your loved one dress, walk around the house, bathe, take
medication, etc. Home Health Aids are ideal for seniors who are
currently battling illnesses and need basic health care assistance.
You can expect to pay between $20 and $25 per hour for their services.
Companions, on the other hand, are better for seniors who need
supervision but are not sick or too feeble. They are not trained to
give basic aid in activities like bathing or dressing. Companions, who
are sometimes called Homemakers, are ideal for Alzheimer’s patients
who need conversation and supervision, as well as a hand in making
lunch and taking walks. You can expect to pay them between $15 and $25 per hour.
The costs for home respite care can add up quickly. The out-of-pocket
costs could easily reach $200 per day for even basic services. If you
just need a break for a few hours, this is a fine option. Otherwise,
you would be wise to consider an Adult Day Service.
Adult Day Services (often called “Adult Day Care”) are generally far
less expensive, costing around $65 per day on average. These services
are generally open all day Monday through Friday, offering care for
many different patients in a community-rich environment. These
facilities are common for Alzheimer’s patients, and seniors who are
sick but not immobilized. The staff will almost always include
Registered Nurses and all kinds of aids who together are well equipped
to handle bathing, dressing, and all kinds of medical needs. And best
of all, the staff and patients should provide plenty of companionship.
There are around 4000 Adult Day Care facilities in the United States.
Despite the benefits, most people prefer Home Care. This is probably
because Medicare usually covers at least part of the cost of home
health care but usually does not cover adult day care. The type of
care, of course, is the determining factor. Before making any
decisions be sure to visit Medicare’s website or talk to an advisor.
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12.18.08
Posted in Advertising, Assisted Living, Assisted Living Facilities, Assisted Living Referral Service, Dialysis Assisted Living, Elder Care, Elderly Care, Home Health Care, Marketing, Nursing home, Texas Elderly Care Services, care at home at 2:32 pm by admin
We have a comprehensive list of all the Houston elder care businesses and elder care services, and elderly care facilities in the Harric County and Fort Bend county areas. You can search by keyword in the elderly care directory below to find the type of elder care facility you are looking for. For instance, Assisted Living Type A facilities are for elderly people that can still take care of most of their daily needs and routines but would like the convenience of laundry service, meals, house cleaning, and activities. The type of facilities get progressively more specific like alzheimers care facilities, nursing homes, kidney dialysis assisted living in Houston and more. Browse or search our directory below.
Houston Elder Care Directory
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08.29.08
Posted in Caregiver, Elder Care, Elderly Care, Home Health Care, Nursing home, Taking Care of a Loved One at 11:00 am by admin
Facing Death is a fearful thing and it is important that the family and friends are around. If you have a loved one that is facing death be there for that person. Don’t withdraw yourself. Talk to him or her no matter how fearful or awkward it is. Even if it appears that he doesn’t understand you. Keep him comfortable. He may need help turning in bed and getting comfortable. Help him. Don’t leave him alone unless he is getting overwhelmed with visitors. Give him a chance to say what he wants to say. Tell him what you need to tell him, whether it’s getting something off your chest or sharing God’s love and salvation with him. No matter how long he has been in your life if you have not shared Christ with him now is the time. Do it before it is too late.
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05.29.08
Posted in Alzheimer's Disease, Assisted Living, Assisted Living Facilities, Assisted Living Referral Service, Assisted Living Safety, Caregiver, Depression, Dimentia, Elder Care, Elderly Care, Home Health Care, Nursing home, Nursing home alternative, Senior Citizen, Taking Care of a Loved One, Texas Elderly Care Services, care at home, dementia, forgetting to take medication at 6:05 pm by admin
Do your mother and/or father need to be moved from home to an assisted living? Do they need to be moved from an assisted living to a nursing home? Or are they at a facility that you are not happy with? Moving your parents can be the best thing that you can do for them, but it can also be the worst thing.
Moving is a dramatic change for an elderly person, especially one with Alzheimer’s disease. A move from home to a nursing home may be the best option but look into getting care at home. Moving can confuse and depress an elderly person. If your mother or father is able to, let him or her be a part of the decision.
When an elderly person is familiar with a facility or the staff at one assisted living or nursing home it’s usually best to keep him there. An elderly person is more likely to willingly receive care and feel comfortable with care attendants and nurses that he or she knows as opposed to a stranger. Also when elderly people are familiar with a facility, such as knowing where the dining room, medicine, activities, and their apartment is, they are usually emotionally stable longer than if they are moved from facility to facility and getting disoriented and confused.
However, when you see your loved one needing more care than what the facility gives, you need to act quickly. There are nurses that come to where your parent is and give care to him. Some facilities have care packages that start at minimal care (such as reminders to come to meals and take medicine) and maximum care packages (such as bathing, transferring from bed to wheelchair and feeding). If the facility that your loved one is does not offer more care and getting a nurse to come and care for him or her is not an option you should not leave him or her there, moving would be a must in that situation.
If your parents are at a facility and you are not happy with the care that they are receiving, talk to the management about your complaints. They may not be aware that your parent is being neglected. Also talk with the care staff and let them know that you care about your parents and want the best care for them. Politely tell the care staff your complaints (i.e. moms hair needs to be brushed, I noticed dad lost his dentures). Visit your parents often. Keep the care staff accountable by making visits at different times of the day or maybe spend a night there if possible. If the quality of care still does not improve make a complaint to DADS (Department of Aging and Disabilities Services) and move your parents to a more quality facility.
Most importantly make sure your parent is taken good care of and is happy.
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02.28.08
Posted in Assisted Living, Caregiver, Elder Care, Elderly Care, Home Health Care, Nursing home, Nursing home alternative, Senior Citizen, Taking Care of a Loved One, Texas Elderly Care Services at 11:21 am by admin
Spring is coming right around the corner; with that said make sure your loved one has a variety of clothes fit for the weather. Be sure to leave some long sleeves and jackets for those chilly days. The warm weather will be here shortly and mom and dad don’t need to get over heated so change out their wardrobe. Take mom out to get a new spring dress for Easter. She’ll like that.
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Posted in Alzheimer's Disease, Assisted Living, Caregiver, Depression, Elder Care, Elderly Care, Home Health Care, Nursing home, Senior Citizen, Taking Care of a Loved One, Texas Elderly Care Services, arthritis, dementia at 10:45 am by admin
This morning the sunrise looked like sunshine was gently stroked with a paintbrush onto the pale blue and pink sky. There’s something therapeutic about sunshine. I believe that it helps calm and uplift a person to a degree. When a baby is born the doctor tells the mother to sun bathe the baby by bringing the infant in direct sunlight for a few minutes to half an hour. Everyone, not just babies, could use some sunlight. The elderly however aren’t able to get out much and maybe don’t have a good view out the window. Not getting sunlight may be a factor of depression. Statistics have shown that there are more suicides in places that don’t get much sunlight such as Alaska’s winters. So if your loved one is battling depressing from alzheimer’s or has been cooped up for too long take them out for a walk and a picnic. Your loved one will enjoy your company as well as the fresh air and sunshine.
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02.23.08
Posted in Assisted Living, Assisted Living Facilities, Assisted Living Safety, Caregiver, Depression, Elder Care, Elderly Care, Home Health Care, Nursing home, Nursing home alternative, Taking Care of a Loved One, Texas Elderly Care Services, Uncategorized, medication at 4:05 pm by admin
Staff members, even when there is a good ratio of staff and residents, can get overwhelmed with their jobs. If you are a care worker communicate with your coworkers and employer any concerns you might have with your job. Also encourage other care workers that work along side of you. It’s not a one man show. Communication doesn’t just mean complaints or demands. Comunicate with your coworkers when there is a shift change. When you come in to work ask if there are any new duties (i.e. Mr. Williams doctor prescribed him some new medication that he needs to be reminded of before he goes to bed, or Ms. Johnson had a fall and needs her dinner brought to her room). When leaving your shift make sure you don’t leave a job half done and make the next shift aware of any changes. Always look into someone’s eyes when he/she is speaking and repeat back what has been communicated so that it is understood. If we would communicate, work together and everyone do their part there would be a lower turn over in care staff.
If a fellow care worker calls in sick do not become angry and wonder if he/she is faking but at the same time voice to your employer that you can’t always “pick up the slack”. There should be a call-in care worker for such cases. There is no reason that you should have to continue to work double shifts. There may be emergency cases that you will have to work a double shift. On the other hand if you are sick you should give as much notice as possible to your employer. Do not come to work as a care attendant/CNA sick. You cannot be caring for the elderly that have low immune systems when you are contageous.
Be honest and encouraging to your co-workers.
“his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.”
-I Corinthians 3:13
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09.28.07
Posted in Alzheimer's Disease, Assisted Living, Caregiver, Dimentia, Elder Care, Elderly Care, Home Health Care, Nursing home, Nursing home alternative, Senior Citizen, Senior Citizen Fathers, Taking Care of a Loved One, care at home at 3:29 pm by admin
When illness turns family members into caregivers there is often strong emotional experiences that the caregiver goes through.
Sadness: It is disturbing to see a loved one rendered physically helpless, particularly if the injury had a sudden onset. But the advent of cognitive deficits, causing changes in the patients personality and behavior, are generally found by researchers to be far more wrenching for families. When even so simple a task for the caregiver as sharing the events of one’s day and being understood is precluding by a patients dimentia, the loss of companionship is profound. Decreases in functioning, especially intellectual capacity, will often force patients who were working to retire, creating economical hardships for the family. When other family members shift to shoulder the bread-winning burden while also assisting the patient more at home with daily activities, they suffer dramamtically increased workloads and drastically reduced personal time. Some caregivers find relief in tears and take solace from sharing their mornful feelings with others who respond understandingly. Many caregivers however feel uncomfortable about expressing sadness and shame. They typicallycite several objections: 1-”I don’t want to feel sad because it will make me depressed.” 2-”I don’t want to express sadness because other people will think that I’m weak.” 3-”What do I have to feel sad about when I’m not the one who is disabled?” or 4-”I’m afraid that if I express sadness, it will make my loved one feel worse.” Generally though empathizing with the caregiver’s sadness is one of the most effective ways that a patient can give back something meaningful to the person who has made sacrifices on his behalf. When a caregiver is willing to take the risk of expressing sadness to a loved one in a non-blaming way, it most often results in a greater feeling of comunion or shared mission between the two that helps them both feel better understood and supported.
Anger: Caregiver anger depends mostly on the relationship between the patient and the caregiver before the illness. At its simplest, it takes the form of blaming the patient for bringing the tragedy upon the family. The sting of being unjustly trapped often lies at the root of anger. Sometimes the anger isn’t toward the patient but at God. Anger must be dealt with promptly or it will turn into bitterness.
Worry: Every family member of one who is suffering worries. But a caregiver must be careful not to worry him or herself too much or he/she will get burned out.
Guilt: Many family members feel guilty that their loved ones have become ill as if it is their fault. A family member might feel guilty that he or she hasn’t visited a loved one in the nursing home. Also there may be guilt because a relationship went soar before the illness took place. It is never too late to love. Visit that family member in the nursing home. Start talking and praying for him or her.
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