Photos in top banner: Jessica (our web guru) and her daughter Lillian & relative Alexa with their dog Lucas and the new addition to the family, Gidget the kitten; Regina's grandson with her husband Tom (also known as Pappy) trying out the pilot controls.; Charlotte (Regina's grandniece) enjoying the cooler weather.
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Regina McNamara RN, MSN President &
Kelly McNamara, Chief Operating Officer
Here at Always There Home Care, we are grateful you are slowing down to read our newsletter full of items that relate to home care, home health care, aging and eldercare, as well as some useful tips for daily living. Please enjoy in the spirit of community and cooperation in which this newsletter was sent.
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Also, see our beautiful new video,
here
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10 Axioms of Excellent Dementia Care
By Rachael Wonderlin
10 Old School Adages and How They Can Help You Improve Your Dementia Care and Alzheimer's Care Skills
1. The customer is always right.
If you've ever worked in sales (of any sort) you have heard that phrase. It's annoying, but it is true. If you want to make a sale and you want the buyer to like you, they have to be right. This is the same concept in dementia care: the person with dementia is always right.
2. When the customer is wrong, refer to rule number one.
People with dementia often say things that aren't true. In their world, though, they are 100% correct. It is our job to get in their world.
3. Two wrongs don't make a right.
Just because your loved one with dementia is wrong, arguing with her about it isn't going to make anything better.
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Long Term Care Insurance - Monthly Feature
by: Beata Everett,
Long-Term Care Insurance Advisor
LifePlans recently completed a study with over 1,200 individuals currently on claim with their long-term care insurance policies. Below are some interesting findings of those surveyed:
The average age was 84 and 70% were women.
Although many times we hear horror stories about insurance claims, about 15% of the claimants said the claim-filing process was difficult while 78% said it was easy which is great news.
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KUDOS
from Kelly
By Kelly McNamara
Charles Darko: We very rarely have a request for a male caregiver. Women clients prefer women caregivers ands most men have been cared for by women most of their lives. But Charles, referred to us by his wife, was worth taking a chance on. He presented well. He is a kind, compassionate, seasoned caregiver. His understanding of dementia and the attending issues was very impressive. He was soft-spoken, open to learning, appeared to be an excellent worker. In addition, he is a pastor in his spare time and brings a special spirituality to his life and his work.
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7 Ways to Improve Quality of
Life for Seniors
By Charles Crawford
A wise friend, tired of me sitting on the sidelines of life, said that there's more to life than breathing.
That shook me to the core.
No one needs to be sold on how living better gives us more energy, helps us endure stress, whets our appetites and stuffs it, and keep our brains well oiled.
What are some ways we can think of to improve the lives of seniors? Here are some ways to help them indulge their wishes for many years to come.
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The Frail Elderly Lady On
The Other Side Of The Door
By: TC, posted Aug 22, 2016
I instruct an exercise class at a retirement home every Tuesday afternoon. There is one resident who is no longer able to attend the class because she is becoming so frail. She has had several falls. We have had an agreement between us that I would still knock on her door to invite her to class but instead of an invite I give what she calls a 'wee cuddle'. I have been doing this since about March.
Today there was a sign on her door saying she had a fall and was unable to use her walker and must use a wheelchair. I did not knock because she often is napping at the time I make my rounds to gather up folks for the class. After class she was just coming out of the elevator for the social hour. One whole side of her face is badly bruised, cuts around her eye from her glasses and a broken arm. I asked where I could touch her that would not hurt. Her answer was: "It will not hurt please hug me!"- And I did.
It seems like a small thing to give a hug every week. To her it is a big thing. At the end of life when so many are afraid to touch the elderly it humbles me to think that each week my stopping to hug someone could mean so much. ■
Reprinted courtesy of Kindspring
http://www.kindspring.org/story/view.php?sid=121255
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Saturday night I attended a surprise birthday party for a friend who turned 80. (I'm always reluctant to shout "Surprise!" in the dark to an unsuspecting 80-year-old, but it worked out!) We were asked to simply "bring words" for the occasion, and I wrote her a poem.
She looks and acts about 60 at most. There's barely a line on her face, because she uses Vaseline nightly, not any exotic oils or astringents. Everyone there was overjoyed to be with her, and both our parish priests showed up (both at my table with her, I was on good behavior).
As I listened to the testimonials and heartfelt fond wishes, I realized that her great appeal and energy resided in her ongoing capacity to help others and to remain calm. She doesn't panic, remains positive, and is pragmatic. You can rely on her. Her éclat is her being consistently supportive.
There are few better traits in life than to support your friends and colleagues. Too many people engage in relationships to "take" not realizing they will gain only when they "give." If you feel a relationship or membership or association is not productive for you, try contributing more. You may just find that it suddenly is providing you with a great return.
Alan is a friend, colleague and international business consultant ■
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After summer vacation, a teacher asked her young pupils how they spent their holiday away from school.
One child wrote the following: We always used to spend the holidays with Grandma and Grandpa.They used to live in a big brick house but Grandpa got "retarded" and they moved to Arizona. Now they live in a tin box and have rocks painted green to look like grass. They ride around on their bicycles and wear name tags because they don't know who they are anymore.
They go to a building called a wreck center, but they must have got it fixed because it is all okay now, they do exercises there, but they don't do them very well. There is a swimming pool too, but they all jump up and down in it with hats on.
At their gate, there is a doll house with a little old man sitting in it.. He watches all day so nobody can escape. Sometimes they sneak out, and go cruising in their golf carts. Nobody there cooks, they just eat out. And, they eat the same thing every night - early birds.
Some of the people can't get out past the man in the doll house. The ones who do get out, bring food back to the wrecked center for pot luck.
My Grandma says that Grandpa worked all his life to earn his retardment and says I should work hard so I can be "retarded" someday too.When I earn my retardment, I want to be the man in the doll house.Then I will let people out, so they can visit their grandchildren. ■
Author: unknown (This was actually reported by a teacher)
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Providers We Love
We are privileged to have received referrals from and be able to coordinate care with many Assisted Living facilities, rehab facilities, and Medicare Home Care and Hospice agencies. Our growth is in large part due to the trust the staff in these organizations have put in our caregivers. We are likewise impressed with them and we are committed to referring to them on a regular basis
Kindred Care at Home/Gentiva Home Health Care Services, Stratford, Old Saybrook, Hamden, Farmington (Gentiva has now joined with Kimdred, a national sub acute care facility company to provide both high quality home health and facility care)
* Their services include. Skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational and speech language therapy Neurorehabilitation, wound care, disease and pain management, medication management and education, patient education to promote self-management, and treatment for balance problems that can lead to fall risks. They maintain a special expertise in dementia care.
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About Always There Home Care
Always There Home Care provides compassionate, dependable and professional one-on-one care for seniors who need assistance in the comfort of their homes or residential care communities. Services from highly qualified and trained caregivers range from companionship, meal preparation and incidental transportation to personal care, medication management and RN-directed case management. Available 7 days a week, services range from a few hours a day to 24-hour care.
Always There Home Care understands that every situation is unique and creates individualized care plans to help improve a client's quality of life.
Our Caregivers
Our caregivers are totally committed, highly qualified and carefully selected individuals who are personally and thoroughly screened, bonded and insured. Most are Certified Nurse Assistants or Home Health Aides. Most importantly our caregivers are dependable and extraordinarily caring of others. In addition to their previous experience, our caregivers receive continuous training that includes dementia, hospice care, home safety, nutrition and other topics related to seniors. These highly qualified and trained caregivers are ready to help you and your loved ones with a variety of daily activities such as:
Personal care
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Meal planning and preparation
Transportation to doctor appointments and other errands
Caring companionship
/ Light housekeeping
Medication reminders /
Information and referral services
Our personalized, nurse- supervised services are available 7 days a week and
can range from a few hours a day to 24 hours and live in care.
For more information or service needs, call 24 hours a day at:
800.348.0485 or visit www.AlwaysThereHomeCare-CT.com.
We are Always There!
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