Helping elderly and seniors stay in home longer, tips for home safety modify home tips

More Americans are choosing to “age in place.” That is, they opt to stay in their homes rather than move to alternative retirement settings.

But that often means they must modify their homes so it is not a danger to their safety and health when their physical abilities change.

A new career field has risen to address this need: the Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS), a program of the National Association of Home Builders (www.nahb.org). CAPS certified specialists assess homes to identify and recommend modifications to prevent injuries from falls and other risks.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, one third of Americans age 65 and over fall each year. The CDC adds that environmental factors lead to about half of all falls that occur at home. These include slipping and tripping hazards, poor lighting, or lack of needed modifications, such as bathroom grab bars, handicapped showers, stair railings and ramps. (See the CDC’s “Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults” brochure at www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/fallsmaterial.htm.)

Home modifications help seniors maintain quality of life because they prevent injuries and loss of independence from early admission to an assisted living or long-term care facility.

Following are examples of commonly-recommended modifications:
Install grab bars for toilets and tubs and install a walk-in tub and/or tub seat
Remove unnecessary throw rugs and fasten down rugs or floor runners to prevent slipping
Move furniture to create clear walking paths
Keep objects off the floor and coil or secure cords to the wall to prevent tripping
Replace knobs with lever door handles
Apply non-slip tape on uncarpeted indoor and outdoor steps
Replace standard light switches with rocker-style switches
Increase the width of doorways and hallways to accommodate wheelchairs, and where possible, lower sinks and countertops
Move often-used items to lower cabinets to avoid the need for step stools
Repair or replace loose handrails and install adequate lighting in stairways
Install an elevator or chair lift
Install an elevated dishwasher or one with drawers for easy access
Replace old stoves with induction cook tops to help prevent burns
Replace ceramic tile floors with hardwood or vinyl for safe standing
Shedding Light on Home Modification

When modifying a home for a senior don’t forget the importance of good lighting. Seniors need two to three times as much light to see as well as younger people.

Good lighting—in the form of natural light—provides seniors advantages besides safety:
Sunlight produces a good dose of Vitamin D, which helps the body absorb more calcium to strengthen teeth and bones. Choose window treatments that allow in sunlight, without glare, to enhance the health of seniors, many of whom get outside less than they used to.
Daylight also uplifts psychological health. It lessens the energy-zapping effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and other forms of depression.

Technology Promises Solution for Childless Baby Boomers

Technology Promises Solution for Childless Baby Boomers

The first of America’s 76 million baby boomers will turn 65 in 2011. This looming challenge to our elder care system will be compounded by another statistic: More baby boomers than previous generations are childless.

According to U.S. Census figures, 10 percent of women age 40 to 44 in 1976 had no children. This figure has doubled to 20 percent, and continues to rise.

So, baby boomers will be less likely to count on sons or daughters in their old age. Fewer will have younger siblings to care for them, as well; the American family has shrunk.

What can an aging, childless baby boomer do?

Many seniors who have no children develop bonds with younger friends or nieces and nephews. They may also have developed ties to church families or community organizations that can come to their assistance.

They also can call on professional caregiving providers such as Comfort Keepers®.

And baby boomers, who have grown up and gone through adulthood with an evolving array of electronic devices, have developed a fairly high level of comfort with and respect for technology.

Today, technology is ready for yet another phase of baby boomers’ lives, whether they have children or not—to help them age in place safely and confidently.

Comfort Keepers’ SafetyChoiceTM line of in-home care technology solutions helps seniors age safely and confidently at home, on its own or as a supplement to care provided by family, community-based volunteer programs or professional caregivers. These products are monitored around the clock by Comfort Keepers’ central monitoring station and are designed to help seniors maintain independence, prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and improve quality of life:
The SafetyChoice Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) enables seniors to quickly summon help in the event of a fall, illness or other emergency at home. A push of a button on a wrist band or pendant sends out an immediate call to the central monitoring station, reducing response times of emergency personnel.
For added safety and security, the SafetyChoice PERS system can be expanded to monitor up to 16 additional safety devices. These include motion detectors, pressure-sensitive floor mats, and door and window contacts that can provide home security or monitor people who wander, such as those with Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related conditions. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors also can be added to the system.
The SafetyChoice Medication Management System helps seniors and their caregivers simplify the sometimes complicated process of organizing and dispensing prescriptions and over the counter medications—and reduces the risk of hospital and nursing home admissions that often result from improper use of medicine. The unit provides reminders with an automated voice, messages on a display screen and flashing lights, and has a locked compartment, allowing only one dose to be dispensed at a time.
The SafetyChoice GPS Personal Location Device provides peace of mind that a senior can be quickly located via state-of-the-art global tracking technology. When a senior becomes lost, he pushes a button on the device, sending out a signal that indicates his location to the Comfort Keepers monitoring station. In addition, family members or friends can pinpoint their loved one’s location in real time over the Internet or by calling the monitoring station.
New technologies are being developed and will likely play a growing role in the care of childless baby boomers—as well as other aging Americans.

Intel, for instance, is looking for opportunities to develop technology that better serves older adults while reducing health care costs. It is approaching this goal from three fronts:
A shift from treatment to prevention
A shift from expensive clinical settings to the home
A shift of some responsibility for care from formal providers to individuals and their family and friends.
These efforts affirm seniors’ desire to age in place and maintain greater independence, as well as the proven benefits of current technologies that complement in-home caregiving.

In partnership with the University of Washington, researchers at Intel Research Seattle are developing technology to track a person’s ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). Another proposed system would deliver medication reminders by cell phone, TV or whatever device a senior would prefer. Other innovations in the making include wearable wireless sensors that would alert caregivers to a senior’s fall and sensors placed in a senior’s footwear to monitor gait for irregularity to prevent falls and costly hospital stays or nursing home placements.

Artificial intelligence research is being conducted to help persons with Alzheimer’s disease complete activities of daily living, reducing their dependence on caregivers.

More technologies also are becoming available to remotely monitor seniors’ chronic health conditions, such as hypertension. This capability will promote more efficient and effective use of the skills of professional caregivers whose ranks are hard pressed to keep up with the rapidly growing senior population.

Help Seniors and Elderly Prevent return trips to ER

Helping Seniors Prevent Return Trips to the ER

A study at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, published in Gerontology in 2008, found that seniors who live alone have a 50 percent greater chance of early hospital readmission (within 60 days of discharge) and those with unmet functional needs, a 48 percent greater chance.

Comfort Keepers® can help reduce odds like these.

Our specially trained caregivers – our Comfort Keepers® – help seniors make a smooth transition back home after a trip to the ER or inpatient hospital stay. They provide a wide variety of in-home care services that can help seniors follow doctor’s orders. And, if needed, they can provide these services in conjunction with skilled home healthcare providers, who help clients manage their illnesses.

Here are examples of how Comfort Keepers assist recently discharged clients:

Medication reminders: Comfort Keepers can help make sure clients take their medicine on schedule. Noncompliance with prescriptions contributes to 10 percent of all hospital admissions.

Meal planning and preparation: Comfort Keepers can plan and prepare meals to promote clients’ good health. This is especially important for clients who must stay on a specific diet to control conditions, such as diabetes.

Transportation to doctors’ appointments: Comfort Keepers provide transportation to ensure clients see their doctors as scheduled for follow-up care.

Companionship and conversation: In the course of conversing with clients, as well as providing other services, Comfort Keepers watch for signs of health changes. This way they can help clients get medical attention early on, before it becomes a crisis.

Interactive CaregivingTM : This is Comfort Keepers’ distinctive approach to in-home care, providing clients activities that engage them physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. This care philosophy can enhance a client’s quality of life. Research shows that seniors who stay actively engaged retain better cognitive function, stay healthier and live independently longer. And specifically, exercise has been shown to help prevent falls—a leading cause of hospitalization among the elderly.

Technology solutions: In place of, or to supplement, person-to-person caregiving, Comfort Keepers offers in-home safety technology solutions, called SafetyChoiceTM. These help seniors live independently at home, safely and securely, when a caregiver isn’t present. SafetyChoice includes a personal emergency response system (PERS), Web-based monitoring devices, a portable GPS location device and an automated medication management system that simplifies the sometimes complicated process of organizing and dispensing prescriptions.
Comfort Keepers, through a combination of caregiving services and technology solutions, works with families to help elderly clients continue living independently and safely at home for as long as possible – and to promote quality of life and good health. That includes preventing the need for hospital admissions.

Understanding Differences between In-home care providers, home healthcare

Understanding The Differences Between In-Home Care Providers

Unprecedented growth in America’s 65+ population – and the preference of today’s seniors to live independently at home – have led to tremendous growth in the variety of in-home care providers.

While the majority of agencies offer a similar mix of homemaking, companionship, personal care and specialized services, the providers vary a great deal in how they operate. This can make a great difference in convenience of service for seniors and their families, quality and training of staff and overall costs of service.

It pays families to weigh the pluses and minuses of in-home care providers before selecting one. To help sort out the differences, the following is a summary of the three primary types of in-home care providers – independents, registries, and employment-based agencies, which include local, regional and national corporations or franchise operations, such as your local Comfort Keepers® office.

Employment-Based Agencies

These organizations – which includes Comfort Keepers – employ caregivers and offer clients a turnkey solution. In this arrangement, the organization – not the client or family—is responsible for:
Tax withholding and compliance with employment laws
Insurance coverage
Rigorous background checks, interviewing and reference validation
In addition, these agencies typically:
Train caregivers before placing them, and provide ongoing training
Make certain caregivers are properly licensed or certified
Maintain a large roster of caregivers who can substitute when the regular caregiver is unavailable
Provide ongoing oversight of caregivers

Independents

These are individuals, unaffiliated with an organization, who provide in-home care.

Generally, independents charge lower hourly rates. But this doesn’t always translate to a net savings. When a client hires an independent provider, he becomes the employer and is responsible for:
All employment taxes and deductions for the caregiver.
Insurance coverage such as workers’ compensation to cover on-the-job injuries, and general liability insurance to cover property damage caused by the caregiver. Most homeowners’ policies do not provide the needed coverage in such cases.
Arranging for background checks and validating that the caregiver is a capable, appropriately trained and licensed, quality care provider. While not required, this is advisable for the client’s safety and security.
Another consideration when hiring an independent is whether a qualified backup caregiver could be readily available when the caregiver is ill.

Registries

Registries build and manage databases of caregivers but do not employ them. Depending on the registry the client may or may not be considered the employer and responsible for tax withholding and insurance. These are important issues to check out.

Most registries typically complete background checks on the caregivers but generally do not provide training or ensure a caregiver’s proficiency. The registries act as “match makers,” providing options for families to consider. The registry can offer alternative caregivers if the original choice becomes unavailable due to illness or other reason.

Seniors at Risk for Dehydration on Mainline, Delaware County, PA, Pennsylvania

Seniors at Greater Risk of Dehydration
Dehydration is one of the leading causes of hospitalization among seniors. The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reports that five to six times as many patients age 65 and over are admitted for the condition as those in the 45-64 age group. Dehydration tends to set in quickly and catch older Americans off guard, because as we age our sense of thirst dulls and the water content of our bodies decreases.

Take dehydration seriously; it can be life-threatening. Warning signs vary but may include:
• Lack of energy
• Headache, nausea, and/or dizziness
• Darkening or decrease in urine
• Fever

To prevent dehydration:
Set up a drinking schedule and follow it. Drink six to eight glasses of water a day
• Provide fluid from a variety of sources, such as fruits and vegetables, milk, broth, popsicles etc.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks; they increase water loss
• Increase fluids on hot days. And be aware that dehydration can be a threat to seniors in cold, dry winter months, too, when one is less likely to feel the need to quench thirst.
This article brought to you by Comfort Keepers, providing assisted living services in your home.

Safety Choice Technology: PERS or Personal Response Managment

What is a PERS or Personal Response Management?

The Comfort Keepers SafetyChoice™ wireless, house-wide monitoring system offers hands-free, two-way voice connection in the event of an emergency. Press the HELP button on the console or the neck or wrist pendant to contact the central monitoring station. Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, someone is always available when you need help. And when the professional at the central monitoring station responds, he/she will stay on the phone with the caller until the appropriate help arrives.
To Read more about product and add ons, go to: Safety Choice Products page.

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