Senior elder care Illinois (IL), Elder Care, Senior homecare & In elder care management Illinois (IL), Working Caregivers, EAP Elder Care By The Senior Site

What’s all this about brainfitness…. ?

Jo — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:55:34 +0000

Geeps, my dad would just do a cross word puzzle or play canasta – isn’t that good enough? No, no, and no…. why, because it doesn’t work all the different aspects of the brain – cognitively-speaking, if I may? Short term memory, visio-spacial, word problems (remember them from math?), actual math and so on. With Dakim, the content is from the person’s earlier life, the long-term memory part!! It’s high quality, well thought out, and I have to say, after presenting at many, many groups, incredibly well received. A few months ago, the way to enjoy the brain exercises was to purchase the unit and it’s license fee. Now – the home computer software makes it’s debut. All for $249.95 plus shipping and handling of just over seven dollars. Granted, it’s not touch screen, and it’s presently just for a single user, but what better way to get into the swing of things? It’s a gift that literally keeps on giving – and, we are authorized to market and sell it! Watch for the contest offer…………….another great father’s day gift!!!

How would you choose Home Care?

Jo — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:12:07 +0000

If I had a dime for each time this question was posed of me … well, I’d have a dime for each tie this question was posed for me. Matter-of-factly, all companies have the bases covered, quality (yes, expect nothing less); trained (truly?); we work with you (uh-huh) . You get the picture? When I’m vetting a company to whom I would refer my clients I look for those bits and pieces that make them stand out in the crowd.

True caring and ddication … when was the last time you saw the CEO of a hospital come into your mother’s room and plump her pillows because the night shift RN called in sick? Well, I’ve seen it here in Illinois. Time and time again, BrightStar owners have gone in, stayed up, worked late, served as – because that’s what they do. 24/7 MEANS 24/7 – you get a person answering the phone.

There are other differentiators that put Bright Star in a league of their own – this is just ONE. Stay tuned for the others.

Employees Caring For Older Relatives Cost Employers $13.4 Billion Annually

Jo — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:07:59 +0000

Trying to minimize the costs of care for parents or loved ones? You might be saving costs but your employer is not. Employees in the U.S. who are caring for an older relative are more likely to report health problems like depression, diabetes, hypertension or heart disease, costing employers an estimated average additional health care cost of 8% per year, or $13.4 billion annually, according to the MetLife Study of Working Caregivers and Employer Health Care Costs. The report, produced by the MetLife Mature Market Institute® with the National Alliance for Caregiving in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Aging, also found that younger caregivers (ages 18 to 39) cost their employers 11% more for health care than non-caregivers, while male caregivers cost an additional 18%. The survey found that:

Younger caregivers (18 to 39 years old) demonstrated significantly higher rates of cholesterol, hypertension, COPD, depression, kidney disease, and heart disease in comparison to non-caregivers of the same age.
Employed caregivers find it more difficult than non-caregivers to take care of their own health or participate in preventive health screenings. For example, women caregivers were less likely to report annual mammograms than non-caregivers.
Employees with eldercare responsibilities were more likely to report missed days of work. Overall, 10% of caregivers missed at least one day of work over the past two weeks because of health issues compared to 9% of non-caregivers. Differences were mostly driven by the much higher absenteeism among younger caregiving employees, age 18 to 39.
It also found that eldercare may be closely associated with high-risk behaviors like smoking and alcohol consumption.

“While this news may be distressing, our research points out that coordination of eldercare services and wellness initiatives may open new avenues of innovation to benefit both employees and employers,” said Sandra Timmermann, Ed.D., director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute. “Employers can provide support to their employees and, at the same time, reduce their health care costs by anticipating and responding to the challenges of eldercare.”

According to Gail Hunt, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving, “Caregivers have more unplanned absences. Their performance on the job is also compromised by a lack of focus on their work due to distractions, like phone calls and care coordination, that occupy their time. They need solutions so they can be healthier and perform better.”

Now You Know What It Feels Like

Jo — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:16:59 +0000

Now You Know What it Feels Like – hmmmppph! OR Five ways to empathize with your aging patient

Ever hear that? Fell down on the black ice – hurt my, ahem, bottomside (what side is that anyway, doesn’t it matter which way you land?). Anyway – so I call my friend, and say ‘I really hurt my hip and my back goes ‘squeak’’ to which she replies, ‘see, now you know what it feels like.’ I guess she means that she always has hip and back pain and I’m just not tuned in to it.

It’s difficult sometimes to know what someone is going through if you’ve never been there before. We, as caregivers, can get frustrated by this at times. So, here’s five ways to empathize with your aging patient:

Put on really thick gloves and write your name, or better yet, open that pill bottle.
Put some soap on your glasses and write your name, or read those instructions one more time.
Here’s something I did as a kid, but it works here too…. Take a hand mirror, place it in front of you like a tray and walk through your rooms looking down into it.
Wear your sunglasses at night, inside your house and sort out your aspirin from your non-aspirin.
And lastly, if you have a long bathrobe, put it on, don’t grab hold of it, and try walking down the stairs.

So, now that you can’t pick anything up, (1), or see because it’s fuzzy (2) or really, really dark (4) – and you’re hungry, but can’t seem to make it to the kitchen because your perception is a bit off and you feel a little imbalanced (3), or truly can’t quite make it down the stairs (5), Now You Know What It Feels Like!

I always center myself with a few deep breaths, and calibrate my feelings when I know I’m going to visit “Alice” – these little reminders work like a charm.

Alzheimer’s Speaks

Jo — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:24:49 +0000

As with the progression of many diseases, voice can be lost. Communication as we know it evaporates. This is the very essence for which Alzheimer’s Speaks was created. To bring voice back to the disease in many formats and fashions; while encouraging, assisting and engaging those in need of tools, services, concepts and products.

Alzheimer’s Speaks was developed as a resource for professionals and public alike, to have easy access to a variety of services, tools, concepts and products when dealing with the disease. www.alzheimersspeaks.com.

With Lori LaBey’s permission – please check out this extraordinary website filled with fantastic information, including information on Naomi Feil’s Validation Method, www.vfvalidation.org which The Senior Site teaches to personal and professional caregivers alike.

Senior Spirit – Living Longer and Loving It

Jo — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:15:18 +0000

Our February E-Newsletter from Kane-DuPage Triangle Service and Respect Alliance. Enjoy reading.

Senior Spirit – Living Longer and Loving It

Kane-Dupage Triangle January Edition!

wbassman — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:31:03 +0000

Please click here to read. Enjoy!

If it’s not broken, should you break it?

Jo — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:59:30 +0000

Mom’s doing fine – dad’s trudging along… They’re still living in their Chicago bungalow on the northwest side of town. I keep hearing adult daughters and sons say to me, ‘they’re doing fine’ and ‘it’ll just upset them if I bring up moving to a senior living place.’

Here’s my response – how much time do you spend planning your wedding, your graduation, your vacation (okay, pre-orbitz/travelocity/hotwire)? Ideally, that’s what you should allow for planning a move such as this. Just because it isn’t broken, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t break it!! Start discussing options with your folks, start having lunches/brunches at various places to get a feel for the community-life-pulse.

As a senior advisor, my worst day is Thursday. Do you know why? That’s the day before the weekend, when hospitals typically review any pending discharges and make decisions. Then on Thursday I get the call …. brrrriinnngggg………..’hi, my name is x, my mom is being discharged from y and I was told that she can’t go back home, now what do I do’? Now of course we know that there was a chance this situation was apparent earlier than Thursday, but denial and hope are sometimes sisters.

So, do me a favor, even if it’s not broken, break it…. start with an open, non-threatening conversation and give me a call for guidance.

Senior Scams and much more!

Jo — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:23:51 +0000

As a member of the Central Kane County TRIAD, I learn about the crazy, ‘new’ scams that unscrupulous people try to pull on our elders. This events leave our seniors SCARED, SCAMMED, AND SUSPICIOUS…. how about trading in those ‘S’ words for SMART, SECURE, SAFE? The purpose and goals of TRIAD:

To increase awareness of crimes against senior citizens.
To sponsor programs for senior citizens to reduce fear of crime and educate older citizens about preventive measures they can take to protect themselves.
To emphasize the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of senior citizens as crimes.
To improve communication and understanding between seniors and law enforcement.
To improve communication and understanding of the different roles of elder abuse agencies, and other appropriate organizations.

Check in with The Senior Site often to learn about new ’scams’ as well as our efforts to educate through TRIAD.

www.kanecountytriad.com for more info.

Family Dynamics and Assistance from The Senior Site

Jo — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 19:47:26 +0000

As this company has evolves, we continue to review, accept and reject ideas, company products and services, consultants with ‘new’ ideas (and some with not-so-new ideas). Our mission at The Senior Site is to provide YOU, an interested party of ‘all things senior’ with credible and trusted resources. We’ve added financial partners to help with life settlements, veterans aid and attendance benefits, bridge loans, reverse mortgages … we’ve added technology to keep you and your important documents safe, secure and accessible. We started with senior housing specialists and home care experts to offer you appropriate healthcare and senior-appropriate housing choices. NOW… we have added a very important, and previously missing component. Ms. Kristina Polley, RN, MSW, LCSW has joined us to help with family dynamics and other issues that often surface when you come to this point in life. Kristina’s 20 years of social work experience in family issues and womens’ concerns along with her personal experience in senior living transitions offers her insight that cannot be gained by textbooks alone. We’re delighted to start 2010 off with Kristina in our ‘family.’