Tag: Minnesota

Coping with Alzheimer’s or Dementia? Join Our $10,000 Family Reunion Contest

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alzheimers contestIf you have a relative with Alzheimer’s disease, Home Instead Senior Care of Minneapolis would like to reach out to you. The challenges and emotional ups and downs involved in caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s are often quietly handled within the family. In this post, we’ll provide information on how you can share your Alzheimer’s story for a chance to win a family reunion package, as well as some special information on preserving memories of a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Deadline is January 31st!

Every family’s story is unique and different. What’s yours?

Home Instead Senior Care Network is running a January contest. To enter, simply share a bit of your family story in essay or video form by January 31st. By sharing your story, you will be entered to win a family reunion!

Finalists will be chosen by a Judge’s Panel and notified by February 15th, 2012. Online voting will occur from March 28th through June 30th, 2012. And the family that wins the Grand Prize will be revealed (after the family reunion event) on November 15th, 2012.

Visit the contest page on the main Home Instead website for complete details.


How to Preserve Your Special Memories

Memory sharing for people experiencing Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia can be a wonderful way to help your loved one engage with his or her meaningful past. It is important to find caring, non-stressful ways to help someone dealing with a decline in cognitive ability to share memories. Here are some tips to help you plan your memory sharing sessions:

1. Encourage memory sharing without putting your loved one on the spot.

In a group situation, such as a family get-together in Minneapolis or St. Paul, you can encourage your loved one to share a memory in a gentle way by asking a broad, open-ended question. And be patient for the answer. For example, you could ask if mom or dad has a special memory from one of your Minnesota family camping trips. But avoid more specific questions like, “Mom, do you remember what trip we took in 1989?”

dementia2. Share pictures and reminisce, without expectation.

Your loved one might enjoy looking at family photo albums, but may not recognize everyone in the pictures. Avoid quizzing him or her about photos of specific individuals. Instead, offer your own thoughts and allow your loved one to share thoughts and memories as they occur. For example, you might say, “Oh, I remember that day. You wore that pretty blue dress.” Allow time for your loved one to ponder and share too.

3. If recording, be patient and give your loved one time to reflect and share.

Recording video or audio is a great idea, but remember to leave plenty of time for the session together, and be okay with gaps and silence. With patience, you may be able to draw out some special memories. Remember that excess silence can be edited out later.

4. Make a list of general, open-ended questions, not specific dates and details.

Go into the memory sharing session without an expectation of recording an exact journalistic account of your loved one’s life. Bring a list of open ended questions with a goal to encourage your family member to talk about what he or she wants to remember and share.

5. Be conversational and invite thoughts to flow.

It’s important when speaking with someone experiencing mental decline to be conversational and ask a variety of questions, but without interrogating. It’s okay to probe a bit for more detail, but without putting the person on the spot or causing discomfort. Certain memories may surface with some gentle prodding in a light, conversational manner.

6. Be prepared to end the session at a natural stopping place.

Whether your memory sharing session is long or short will depend upon a number of factors on any given day, including how close it is to mealtime and whether your loved one is having a particularly good day. Be prepared to extend the session if the memories are flowing, or bring it to a close if your loved one seems fatigued, frustrated or eager to change the subject.
Did You Know? Our Staff is Specially Trained to Help People Living with Alzheimer’s

Our CARE approach (Changing Aging through Research and Education) can make a huge positive impact on the way people live with dementia. We utilize a unique CAREGiver training program to help our Home Instead CAREGivers provide the most caring, skilled support to families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or other dementia.

Our support services include:

  • Capturing Life’s Journey – With this memory care service our CAREGiver will gather past stories and experiences; doing so provides comfort and customized care while honoring the senior’s special past.
  • Techniques to Manage Behavior – By giving simple choices and redirecting, our CAREGivers help your family member to live safely at home.
  • Encouraging Engagement – Our CAREGivers focus on your loved one’s mental, physical and social well-being. Engaging seniors throughout the day builds self-esteem, enhances physical strength and reduces behaviors that might put the senior at risk.
  • Supporting the Family – Home Instead CAREGivers are to work closely with your family and have open communication, which results in quality care for the senior.

Home Instead Minneapolis CAREGivers who are trained in the CARE program receive ongoing classroom training, which the Center of Aging Research Education Services (CARES) at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill helps to administer. Our trained team not only has a full understanding of what to expect and how to treat dementia clients with care, but they also have a passion and desire to work with these clients and ensure quality of life.

How to Make a Senior’s Holidays Merry and Bright

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senior holiday

The hustle and bustle of the holidays may leave you feeling like you need a nice vacation in a tropical place, far, far away from Minneapolis. But for a senior, quite the opposite may be true. The lack of activity and involvement for retirees who no longer need to sprint from Thanksgiving to New Years can create a completely different set of challenges. And with their relatives even busier than usual, Minnesota seniors may have even less quality time and companionship than during the rest of the year.

In this blog we’ll share some tips for reducing holidays stress for yourself and the senior in your life, and finding ways to share quality time. Our Caregivers here at Home Instead Senior Care of Minneapolis incorporate these ideas into their time with clients.

Be Aware of the Holiday Blues

Holiday time can be a time of joy and splendor, but often our expectations can be set so high that it is difficult for the actual events to measure up. Add the challenges of aging, traditions and activities that may have come and gone, the loss of friends and loved ones, and you have a recipe for “holiday blues.”

Tips and considerations:

  • Be aware of sudden changes in mood. The symptoms of an elder’s mood swings can include a lack of interest in activities, difficulty sleeping or sleeping more than usual, or a loss of appetite. Ensuring that you check in regularly is key.
  • English: this images shows the use of light bo...In addition to holiday-related sadness, seniors can experience seasonal moodiness due to less exposure to sunlight. Called “seasonal affective disorder” or “SAD”, this type of depression affects many elderly people in the fall and winter months, especially in Minnesota. Keep in mind that anything more than a mild case of the blues is a reason to get a physician’s evaluation. There may be supplements or medications that can help.
  • Encourage your senior to talk about his or her feelings and memories. Just having an outlet for chatting about those feelings might make a difference.

  • Create opportunities for silliness. Laughter really is one of the best medicines. Watching movies together like “Grumpy Old Men” (filmed right here in Minnesota) can help you to have some laughs over the foibles of aging.

Cover of "Grumpy Old Men"

Schedule Simple, Fun Visits

The simple things matter. Factoring in even a brief get together to chat or do a fun activity can make a huge difference in the life of someone with few involvements.

Tips and considerations:

  • Put a regular time on your calendar to get together with your senior throughout the holidays season.
  • Take a coffee break together.
  • Decorate a small table top tree.
  • Write and prepare holiday cards for mailing.
  • Play a game of cards or work on a puzzle.
  • Bring your senior to your Minneapolis or St. Paul home for holiday dinner.
  • Invite Mom or Dad and their home care Caregiver to your child’s holiday program or party. That way, you and your loved one will get to participate in fun events.

Doing these activities will help you to slow down too. Scheduling a short break for some fun can help you relax, catch your breath, and even create some special memories that will help you feel more grounded and less frenzied.

Arrange for Safe, Stress-Free Outings

When preparing for an outing with your senior, be sure to pack along any necessary supplies to ensure that you account for the Minnesota weather, the senior’s health neds and unexpected situations.

Tips and considerations:

  • Slow down and remember that everything takes longer during the busy holiday season when more people are on the road and in the stores.
  • Ask your home health care company if your senior has a medication regimen or needs insulin shots at meal time, then make sure that you have these items on hand, along with a list of medications and the physician’s contact information.
  • If your senior needs special items like a walker, a cane or oxygen, make sure you plan for those items and the extra time needed for getting them in and out of your vehicle.
  • Bring warm gear and an emergency kit that can help you keep the senior warm and comfortable, in the event of a car stall, flat tire or accident, while you are waiting for assistance.
  • In icy or snowy conditions, be sure to have traction devices and items like a bucket of sand and a shovel to avoid sliding or getting stuck in the snow.

Create Pleasant Conditions

If you are bringing an elderly guest to a social engagement, such as a holiday party or a weekend with relatives, think about how to create pleasant conditions for the senior, both for travel and for the destination.

  • Bring a blanket in the car for staying warm. In very cold climates car heaters often cannot create a truly comfortable temperature for a senior.
  • Prepare the host or relatives for the arrival of the senior by ensuring that there will be a quiet place to rest if the gathering of the crowd, or the exuberant sounds of small children become overwhelming.
  • If your senior guest has any dietary restrictions, make sure that there will be appropriate fare at the venue.
  • Create a comfortable place for your senior to sit, even if most people are standing and mingling.
  • Invite involvement by asking the senior to share a special story or memory with others at the gathering.
  • Check in with the senior to determine when he or she has had plenty of excitement and is ready to leave the festivities.

Christmas gifts.

Save Time

With all the cooking and preparation going on, it may seem like you need more than 24 hours a day to get it all done. Think about ways to save time and consolidate activities.

Tips and considerations:

  • As you’re cooking, double up a batch here and there. Freeze casseroles and leftovers in small portions that can be warmed for an easy nutritious meal for your senior.
  • Writing cards? When writing cards to relatives and friends known by your senior, consider adding their greeting to your cards.
  • Wrapping gifts? Think about doing so while chatting or watching a movie with your senior loved one to share some time together.
  • Do one less thing. Maybe that last run to the store can be forfeited for a little relaxation time, a phone call or visit to your senior loved one, or some time singing holiday carols together.
  • Consider hiring home respite care which allows you a “break” and ensures that your loved one is and taken care of.

Create New Memories

Lingering memories can be wonderful and sometimes painful. If old traditions no longer happen due to physical limitations or loss of certain family members, it may be time to create some new special memories.

Tips and considerations:

  • Think about ways to revive some of the past traditions in a new way. For example, if you used to have a holiday ice skating tradition, perhaps you could go and watch the ice skaters and drink hot cocoa.
  • Do some window shopping and browse holiday window displays at big department stores.
  • Take a tour of beautiful holiday lights or ask your senior’s home care provider to oblige. You can usually find a Minneapolis neighborhood or two that really puts on a show.
  • Establish a “white elephant” gift exchange over tea to make gift giving pleasurable and low-stress.

Just remember that one of the most important gifts you can give an elderly person is the gift of time. Enjoying time together, whether for an hour or an afternoon, will bring the magical light of the holiday season into a senior’s life.

Brighten Someone’s Holidays! Be a Santa to a Senior

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Have you heard? Home Instead Senior Care Minneapolis is, once again, bringing Santa to seniors with the Be a Santa to a Senior® program. But hurry. You must choose your senior gift recipient by December 9th, 2011. In this blog post, we’ll share this exciting program with you and tell you how you can help. We know you’re busy, but we have good news: there are two great ways you can help. And they are both easy.

Facebook Home InsteadLike Us to Donate a Dollar

Home Instead Senior Care Minneapolis is donating $1 to Be a Santa to a Senior for every single new “Like” on our Facebook page during the month of November! So head on over to Facebook and Like us now. And be sure to share this easy click-to-donate campaign with your friends and family.

Join the Be a Santa to a Senior Campaign

The Be a Santa to a Senior® campaign is all about helping seniors who are alone or in need. The campaign, which first launched in 2006 by our parent organization, helps seniors to get a little TLC during the holidays. The Minneapolis office of the Home Instead Senior Care® network, the world’s largest provider of non-medical in-home care and companionship services for older adults, has partnered with local non-profits groups like Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly, Meals on Wheels and several Lunds/Byerlys, several nursing homes and low income housing to provide gifts and companionship to seniors who otherwise might not receive either this holiday season. It began with just one nursing home, and has since grown into a movement.

Here’s a little story that illustrates the impact this program can have on seniors’ lives. The year after its fledgling effort, Home Instead Senior Care volunteers returned to the first nursing home they had visited the year before and discovered their card to one of the residents still pinned to the bulletin board. They learned that the card and gift from Home Instead were the only ones she received that previous year, so the card continued to be very special to her.

Now you can help brighten a senior’s life too.

How to Participate in Be a Santa to a Senior

Senior Santa
Creative Be a Santa to a Senior display at Starbucks

Here’s how it works:
1. Head to any of the following locations:

  • Lund’s or Byerly’s stores with pharmacies in Minnetonka, St. Louis Park, Wayzata, Plymouth or downtown Minneapolis, MN
  • Starbucks 2661 Campus Drive, Plymouth, MN
  • Starbucks 16725 C.R. 24, Plymouth, MN
  • Starbucks 4175 Vinewood Lane North, Plymouth, MN
  • Starbucks 7802 Olson Memorial Highway, Golden Valley, MN
  • TwinWest Chamber of Commerce – 10700 Old County Road 15, Suite 170  Plymouth, MN 55441

2. Locate the Christmas trees, and choose any ornament with a senior’s name on it. You will find gift suggestions for that senior printed on the ornament.
3. Purchase the item(s) listed, put the item in a gift bag, return to the store with the ornament and deliver them to a store employee.
Your participation can make a difference!

About the Be a Santa to a Senior Campaign

Here’s how the program works. The Home Instead Senior Care network partners with local non-profit and community organizations. Together they identify seniors who perhaps live alone, do not have family members nearby, or are experiencing financial difficulties. The program targets many seniors who otherwise might not receive gifts or visits from family during the holidays.

Home Instead Minneapolis then works with local businesses and retail stores that are willing to help by placing trees and ornaments within their various locations. The involvement from busy stores gives the program visibility and provides a convenient way for shoppers to volunteer their assistance during the busy holiday season.

Since its inception, the Be a Santa to a Senior has attracted nearly 60,000 volunteers throughout North America, and has provided 1.2 million gifts to over 700,000 seniors who are in need of assistance or companionship. Now you can join the movement and help a senior in your Minnesota community.

Need Further Information?

The Be a Santa to a Senior website, provides a locator tool that enables you to find a store by zip code.

10 Warning Signs a Senior’s Nutrition is in Danger

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Spaghetti all' arrabbiata
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Home Instead Senior Care of Minneapolis promotes the well-being of seniors living at home. As we shared in our Senior Mealtime Challenges blog post, senior mealtimes can be difficult due to cooking for one, eating alone and a lowered appetite. And the result of these challenges can be that important nutritional needs are not met. In this post, we provide 10 things to consider to help you assess whether a senior’s nutritional profile needs some help.

1. Depression.

Living and dining alone can be a lonely experience to the point of causing depression. Not only that, but poor nutrition can lead to depression as well.

Tips: Create routine ways for the senior to have companionship in general and to take part in congregational meals. These can be Sunday night dinners with family, senior centers, senior day care services, or church events.

2. Lack of appetite.

A number of things can impact appetite, including medications, depression and lack of exercise.

Tips: Consult with the senior’s physicians to determine if medications are impacting a desire for food. And be sure to factor in an exercise routine that is within the senior’s capabilities. Ideas include regular walks or a senior fitness class at your local senior center.

3. Scarcity of nutritious items in the pantry and refrigerator.

According to studies, nearly half of seniors who live alone do not consume enough fresh fruits or vegetables or milk products.

Tips: Shop together with the senior to choose fresh healthy items from the produce aisle or a local farmer’s market. Find a cookbook that provides simple food preparation recipes.

4. Illness.

Not only can illness cause poor appetite, but declining health and illness can be worsened by poor nutrition. So it is very important to think through the senior’s diet and find healthy foods the senior will enjoy.

Tips: Browse a picture-rich healthy cookbook together with the senior on a regular basis. Plan meals around dishes that are both nutritious and enticing to the senior. Making enough so that you can create easy warm-up containers is a great idea too.

5. Physical limitations.

One fourth of elderly people living alone cannot regularly get to the store to shop for themselves or prepare the food at home. Injuries and physical limitations can prevent seniors from getting nutritious food from the grocery to the table.

Tips: There are many ways to address this issue, including:

  • Arranging Meals on Wheels
  • Soliciting help from family members to help shop and prepare nutritious meals
  • Hiring companion care.

Contact our Home Instead Senior Care of Minneapolis office to learn more. We can help you sort out the options and determine whether it’s time to bring in outside help.

6. Outdated foods and a smelly refrigerator.

Food that has expired or is going bad can not only lose any nutritional value it once had, but it can be dangerous too.

Tips: Check for spoiled foods, items with expired dates and stored food that has not been closed up or packaged properly in the pantry, fridge and freezer. Label all perishables with clearly written labels and dates.

US Nutritional Fact Label

7. A grocery list lacking in nutritious items.

If you are shopping for a senior, carefully check the shopping list.  If the list is heavy on the simple carbs and non-nutritious foods, it needs an overhaul!

Tips: Make sure the list includes a balance of healthy items including protein foods, fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy carbohydrates such as whole grain breads and cereals.

8. Weight fluctuations or poor skin health.

Is the senior gaining or dropping weight? Have you noticed a change in skin tone? Sagging skin that does not look well hydrated or a change of 10 pounds or more in a six month period could signal trouble.

Tips: Schedule regular checkups with the physician to check blood sugar, weight, hydration and other signs of vital health.

9. An empty cupboard.

Events such as power outages and storms can trap a senior at home for an extended period.

Tips: Be sure the senior is stocked up with some shelf-stable meals or drinkable nutrition such as Ensure® in case it is not possible to get to the store.

10. Isolation.

Being alone for extended periods is one of the biggest threats to aging adults, especially those with physical limitations, memory challenges, mental health issues or depression.

Tips: Create a support network of family and friends who can help the senior on a schedule with outings, exercise, companionship visits, shopping, cooking and community or church involvement.

Resources

Senior Mealtime Challenges and a Fun Recipe Contest

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Our primary concern, at Home Instead Senior Care of Minneapolis, is the well-being of seniors at home. Mealtimes can be very challenging for seniors, especially for those who no longer cook for two or more. In this post we will provide the results of a study performed by the Home Instead Senior Care Network on what seniors perceive as the biggest mealtime challenges, along with ideas for how to make mealtimes a more positive experience for the senior in your life.

mealsAlso, look for recipe contest details at the end of this post. Hurry and submit your best family recipes. The contest ends on September 15th 2011!

Mealtime Challenges

According to research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care Network, seniors described their top 10 mealtime challenges. The following is the result of the Home Instead study, starting with the most reported mealtime challenge, along with ideas and tips for helping the senior in your life to have a more positive mealtime experience.

1. Lack of companionship during mealtimes (62%)

Tip: If you can’t be there to dine with your loved one regularly, look for alternative options such as friends and neighbors. Look into activities at churches, senior centers, and resource available at your local Area Agency on Aging and your local Home Instead Senior Care network.

2. Cooking for one (60%)

Tip: You can freeze almost any kind of leftovers, including sliced and seeded fruit, by placing it in plastic containers or freezer bags. Think about creating one-serving warm-up meals from left-overs, and finding healthy, low-sodium one-serving meals.

3. Eating nutritious meals (56%)

senior shoppingTip: Buying fresh produce, when possible, is a healthy choice and is also motivating. Alternatively, buy frozen fruits and vegetables, which retain nutrient content better than canned and processed foods. Plant a garden if your senior has the ability to tend to it.

4. Grocery shopping for one (56%)

Tip: Evaluate transportation choices or grocery delivery services to help your senior get the groceries needed for healthy meals. Make a shopping list of items that work well for making small meals. And consider contacting your local Home Instead Senior Care network regarding assistance that may help your senior with activities such as shopping and cooking.

5. Eating three meals a day (49%)

Tip: Create routine around mealtime. Set mealtimes to the clock. And, because so many medications must be taken at certain meals, it is helpful to coordinate mealtime with the medication plan.

6. High expense of cooking for one (45%)

Tip: Encourage your senior to share meals, check out the local senior center which may offer affordable meals for seniors, and look into Meals on Wheels.

7. Relying too much on convenience food (43%)

Tip: Your senior may need some guidance in reading labels and choosing healthy foods. Encourage your senior to meet with a nutritionist to learn how to read labels and make healthy choices.

nursing home8. Loss of appetite (41%)

Tip: Make mealtimes special and fun. Cook up a favorite recipe, help the senior create a favorite meal, and even put out the nice china and some nice décor.

9. Eating too much food (38%)

Tip: Help the senior to establish the right portion sizes, based on activity level. Make sure at least one or two of the items on the plate are fresh vegetables and fruits for overall health.

10. Eating too little food (35%)

Tip: As much as possible, ensure that the senior is getting exercise, which will encourage a healthy appetite. If not eating continues to be an issue, contact your senior’s doctor to discuss supplemental products to ensure proper nutrition.

Contest Details

Many family recipes come with a great story. Now here’s the chance to share yours. If you’re a family caregiver, get your mom or dad’s cookbook and pull out that favorite family recipe to enter in the Homemade MemoriesSM Recipe Contest. Then tell us in a short story what makes this dish so special. Visit www.facebook.com/cookingwithgrandma to learn more about the contest and how your recipe could be a cash prize winner. The contest runs until September 15, 2011.

Senior Medication Management Tips and Tools

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senior medicationIf you have a senior in your care, you may be overwhelmed by the number and variety of medications you must manage. And you are probably also aware that overdoses and drug reactions are fairly common as well.

As we reported in the Home Instead Senior Care of Minneapolis June 2011 blog on Preparing for Senior Emergencies, there are a number of things you can do to thwart emergency situations for seniors. Managing medications is among the top priorities, since over 25% of senior hospitalizations are directly related to adverse reactions to drugs.

In this post we’re focusing specifically on everything you need to know to manage senior medications. Some good preparedness strategies can go a long way toward helping you to track and manage medications and watch for warning signs of medication overdose.

What is Considered a Medication?

First, it is important to note that the term “medications” refers to any pharmaceutical prescriptions the senior is taking, as well as all over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Both prescribed and OTC medications should be monitored carefully for reactions and/or interactions with one another. Be sure to also ask the senior’s primary care physician to review the senior’s vitamin and supplement regimen as well.

What are Some Basic Daily Strategies for Managing Medications?

Daily medication management strategies are important, whether you are managing medications for one senior or for many. Daily strategies include the following:

A patient having his blood pressure taken by a...
Image via Wikipedia
  • Follow exact dosage instructions for all prescriptions and over the counter (OTC) medicines.
  • Use one pharmacy for all prescriptions and OTC medicines, and ensure that the pharmacy has a complete list of all medicines on file.
  • If the senior sees more than one physician, ensure that all doctors have a list of all medications.
  • Read all medicine precautions and potential side effects, and know what to watch for.
  • Follow any precautions with regard to alcohol use in combination with medicines.
  • Dispose of expired medications and any medications your physician has told you to discontinue.
  • Use a pill organizer to organize medications by dose and time of day.
  • Never take medications that were prescribed for someone else.
  • Contact the senior’s primary physician regarding any side effects such as nausea, depression or sleep problems.

What Tools Can You Use to Manage Senior Medications?

Managing prescriptions and over-the-counter medications can be a daily challenge because every medication has its own regimen instructions for how and when it should be taken. Using tools such as the following will help you to manage these regimens.

1. Use the Medication Tracking Sheet from Caregiverstress.com to document all medications, dosages and instructions. Be sure to:

  • Record a date on the sheet each time you update the prescription list.
  • Bring the updated tracking sheet to every doctor’s appointment, and ensure that the senior’s medications are reviewed for potential interactions.

2. Use reminder and medications management tools and applications that integrate with your computer and smart phone. For example, you might want to consider the Caregiver’s Touch iPhone and iPod app. This app lets caregivers track and manage medications for up to 600 individuals. For a list of available tools see the Senior Health Tracking Tools blog post from Caregiverstress.com.

What Are the Symptoms of Drug Reactions or Drug Overdose?

Be aware of potential side effects and what symptoms may signal an overdose or drug reaction. The following are the most common symptoms to watch for:

  • Confusion or delirium
  • Mood swings or psychiatric problems
  • Dizziness, loss of coordination, or falls
  • Incontinence
  • Sleep problems
  • Loss of appetite or energy
  • Sudden memory loss
  • Headaches

Call the senior’s primary care physician right away if you suspect a drug overdose, or the senior experiences a minor reaction. Use your best judgment. Most importantly, in the case of a life threatening overdose or a severe drug reaction, immediately call 911.

More Resources

There is always more to learn, when it comes to senior care. Here are some additional resources for you in your quest to be “in the know” with regard to senior medication management.

  • See the Caregiverstress.com Give and Take blog post for tips on communicating with the senior’s physician(s) about the medication regimen.
  • Learn more about when to seek medical help from the eMedicine Health guide to drug overdose.
  • Review the medication management tools provided by the National Council on Aging, which include fact sheets and learning modules.

Preparing for Senior Emergencies

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Adult children of elderly parents know that emergencies can happen, and some may even lie awake nights wondering what may happen, and when. At Home Instead Senior Care of Minneapolis, we’ve found that some knowledge and preparation can go a long way toward preventing emergencies and helping caregivers to better handle senior emergencies if and when they do happen. Meanwhile, if you are a caregiver of a senior living in their home, these steps will help you to obtain some peace of mind.

senior emergency kitWhat do you need to know? How can you prepare? Read on for three key topic areas:

  • Understanding Medication Risks and Managing Senior Medication Regimens
  • Implementing Senior Health Tracking Tools
  • Creating a Senior Emergency Kit

Understanding Medication Risks and Managing Senior Medication Regimens

If you are caring for a senior, you may encounter a baffling array of bottles and pills that would seem to require a degree in pharmacology to manage. There are pills to be taken with food, pills that must be taken in combination with other pills, and some that must be taken alone.

The careful management of medications is critical because of potential drug interactions and overdosing. According to the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP), 28% of senior hospitalizations are due to adverse reactions to drugs. And the result of medication mishaps can be dire, from hospitalization to disability and even death.

senior medicationIn this segment, we’ll provide some tips on managing medication regimens and how to watch for warning signs of medication problems such as overdose.

Tips for Managing Medications:

  • Follow exact dosage instructions for all prescriptions and over the counter (OTC) medicines.
  • Use one pharmacy for all prescriptions and OTC medicines, and ensure that the pharmacy has a complete list of all medicines on file.
  • If the senior sees more than one physician, ensure that all doctors have a list of all medications.
  • Keep an updated Medication Tracking Sheet of all OTC and prescribed medicines.
  • Bring your updated Medication Tracking Sheet to each doctor’s visit.
  • Read all medicine precautions and potential side effects, and know what to watch for.
  • Follow any precautions with regard to alcohol use in combination with medicines.
  • Dispose of expired medications and any medications your physician has told you to discontinue.
  • Use a pill organizer to organize medications by dose and time of day.
  • Never take medications that were prescribed for someone else.
  • Contact the senior’s primary physician regarding any side effects such as nausea, depression or sleep problems.

Warning Signs of Medication Overdose or Drug Interaction:

  • Confusion or delirium
  • Mood swings or psychiatric problems
  • Dizziness, loss of coordination, or falls
  • Incontinence
  • Sleep problems
  • Loss of appetite or energy
  • Sudden memory loss
  • Headaches

Additional resources:

senior careImplementing Senior Health Tracking Tools

Utilizing tracking tools and systems can help you stay on top of a senior’s medication regimens, important medical history information and critical contact information in case of emergency. Our recommendations include:

Additional resources:

home careCreating a Senior Emergency Kit

Tracking and managing all the data associated with a senior’s health profile is an excellent step toward fully managing a senior’s health and being prepared for emergencies in their home. The next step is to keep your tracking paperwork in one place along with other important documents. An accordion file, with label tabs, is an excellent way to keep your documents organized and ready.

The Home Instead Senior Care Network has developed a Senior Emergency KitSM complete with worksheets and checklists, in conjunction with Humana Points of Caregiving®. We are proud to be able to offer this resource to Minnesota seniors and their caregivers.

To assemble your own emergency kit, use this handy checklist to collect these documents in your accordion file:

  • Contact Names and Numbers Sheet
  • Medication Tracking Sheet
  • Allergies and Conditions Tracking Sheet
  • Record of Doctor Visits
  • Copy of Medicare/Medicaid Card
  • Insurance Policies
  • Healthcare Proxy
  • DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) Order
  • Advance Directives forms, such as Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney
  • Will and Testament
  • Organ Donor Card
  • List of Valuables

If you would like a hard copy of this kit, or have questions regarding senior care, please contact our Minneapolis office at 763-544-5988. We will be happy to help you.

When Families Feud, Senior Parents Lose

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Children of elderly parents today may find themselves in a caregiving role, and often must share that role with their brothers and sisters. What happens between these siblings can be smooth or tumultuous, depending upon a number of factors. And according to research performed for the Home Instead Senior Care Network®, the ramifications of rocky sibling relationships can have a negative impact on the quality of care for the senior.
Dementia care can be particularly trying for sibling relationships. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can be tricky to identify in the early stages, and the siblings may not agree on the senior’s capabilities, current condition, or need for at home care. Minnesota is home to an excellent array of home care services, enabling families to obtain personal care and companion services for senior loved ones. Making this choice provides respite care that can allow the sibling caregivers to smooth troubled waters in their family relationships.
The Home Instead Senior Care Network of Minnesota acts as the go-to resource for Minneapolis home care services, not only for Alzheimers care but for all levels of need, from an occasional home health aide to round-the-clock care. In this post we’ll cover some of the challenges that commonly occur in families with seniors who are experiencing declining mental or physical well being. Addressing these challenges through family therapy, legal counsel and respite care can make an enormous difference for both the family members and the senior.

How to Identify Family Challenges that Affect Senior Care

The most common challenges we see between siblings play out in familiar ways, including the following.

“It’s like we’re right back in childhood.” If you feel this way, you’re not alone. Adult siblings of seniors often have the same frictions crop up that they experienced as children. A desire to prove your point or a feeling that you are not being heard or respected may be a sign that your relationship with your sibling has not healed from challenges of the past.

“Mom can still take care of herself!” Some siblings may advocate assistance or enforced restrictions on a senior parent’s activities, such as driving or taking walks alone, while others feel these restrictions are demeaning to the parent and unnecessary. Some may worry that the parent is an accident waiting to happen while others feel more protective of the parent’s emotional well-being than fearful of any real or perceived dangers.

“Who is going to pay for that?” Adult siblings very commonly disagree over issues regarding estate planning, the topic of inheritance, and other financial concerns. All of these issues may crop up especially in a family where there are income disparities, perceptions that one sibling is a “favorite”, and of course anytime money and expenditures are a concern.

“When are you going to do your part?” One of the most common ailments in sibling relationships when a senior needs in home care or companion care is an inequity in the division of labor. This phenomenon, known among experts as “burden of care,” can go on for years, creating ongoing and deepening conflict among adult children who do not see eye to eye on how to shoulder the responsibilities of caring for mom or dad.

Strategies and Solutions for Feuds and Addressing Senior Needs

The challenges we’ve described, while difficult, are not insurmountable. Understanding that feuds and rivalries of this kind are common is a first step. The next step is to identify strategies to help.

Family Relationship Strategies

Dr. Ingrid Connidis, Ph.D., a sibling relationships expert at the University of Western Ontario, worked with the Home Instead Senior Care Network to develop the 50-50 RuleSM  public education program for sibling caregivers. “It’s hard on elderly parents to know their children are in conflict,” Dr. Connidis said. When a family is falling apart at the seams, the senior may be the one who suffers the most. Dr. Connidis highly recommends engaging parents in their own caregiving options as much as possible. Hold family meetings and involve third parties as needed. Professionals to consider as impartial advisors may include doctors, geriatric care managers, and attorneys specializing in family legal matters.

Senior Care Strategies

Obtaining in home care is another step to consider. Again, many resources exist in the state of Minnesota. Consider calling the Home Instead Senior Care Network of MN. Or perform an internet search on terms such as “senior care Minnesota,” “Home Care Plymouth,” and “in home care Minneapolis.” Whether home care for Alzheimers related symptoms is needed, or obtaining part time attendant services can help relieve the stresses on sibling caregivers, creating a workable strategy will help to maintain well being and quality of life for the senior.

Sharing Senior Care

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Tips to Help Sibling Caregivers Plan and Work Together

Brothers and sisters don’t often share. Mind blowing…right? How can siblings who once couldn’t agree on household chores now be expected to create a fair plan for taking care of their now senior mom or dad in their Minnesota home? The answer…they’re not expected to tackle caregiving alone. Home Instead Senior Care of Minneapolis can help.

According to research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network, sharing the care of elderly parents can put a strain on the relationship between adult siblings. In 43 percent of U.S. families, one sibling has the responsibility for providing most or all of the care for Mom or Dad, according to a survey of family caregivers. In only two percent of families did the siblings split the caregiving responsibility equally.*

“Senior caregiving can either bring families together or cause brother and sister conflict,” says sibling relationships expert Ingrid Connidis, Ph.D., from the University of Western Ontario. “In some cases it can do both. These issues can be very emotional.” Connidis has worked with Home Instead Senior Care to develop the 50-50 RuleSM public education program to help siblings deal with the many issues of caregiving. Following are tips on how siblings can better share the care.

1.      Talk and listen. Research shows that seniors are so concerned about maintaining independence that they forfeit getting support. That’s why it’s important to communicate, preferably before your family is in the midst of caregiving.

Talk with mom or dad about what they need and want as they age. Would they prefer to stay at their Minnesota home? What type of home care would they like? Do they have a will or medical directive? All of these issues are better handled before a crisis occurs. To begin, schedule a meeting or telephone conference. Listen to each other’s questions and concerns then list the resources that your family will need through this journey.

2.      Research options. When you and your siblings have identified the types of services, interventions or care options that your senior needs, research elder organizations and resources in the Minneapolis community that can help. Try to divide the tasks so everyone has input and the opportunity to share their ideas. A good place to start is by doing online research on websites such as http://www.IHLCaregiver.com and www.caring.com.

Those sites can help you identify resources in your Minneapolis are community such as volunteer networks and senior service providers. Your parent’s doctor or a geriatric care manager can be of assistance as well. Contact us to get a copy of the book “Stages of Senior Care: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Best Decisions,” for more resources and information about the changes you can expect to see in your elderly loved one.

3.      Plan ahead. Once home care needs and senior care resources are identified, you and your siblings will have a better idea what will be required of your family. For example, if your loved one wants to stay at home, consider whether someone in the family will be supplementing that care or if you will divide those duties among siblings. If you will be contracting for outside resources for your dad such as meals on wheels or in-home care, not as much hands-on care will be required of your family, but someone will need to coordinate that schedule. Remember that inheritance issues and estate planning disagreements also can lead to family conflict so contact a professional in those areas.

4.      Be flexible. Needs of a senior change as they age. Your family’s lives will change too. If dividing caregiver tasks equally isn’t feasible, consider a division of labor that takes into account each family member’s interests and skills, as well as their availability.

5.      Be honest. Even siblings who live in the same Minneapolis community can find it difficult to stay in touch and be candid about what’s happening to their senior loved one. It’s important to remain in regular contact with your brothers and sisters to avoid miscommunication and hard feelings. If you have become the primary caregiver and it’s getting to be too much, make sure your siblings know that you need help. Discuss specific tasks they can help you with such as grocery shopping or running errands. If you don’t live in Minnesota, check in often with the primary caregiver to see how it’s going. A geriatric care manager can serve as an important third-party mediator if conflict arises and an in-home care company such as Home Instead Senior Care can provide respite and hands-on support.

* The study, conducted by The Boomer Project, included 711 adults in the U.S. ages 35-64 with living siblings or stepsiblings, who said they either currently provide care for a parent or older relative, or did provide care in the past 18 months.