• Encourage your parents to retain as much independence as possible – It is easy to get in the habit of depending on someone, especially in a parent-child relationship. Gently encourage your parents to consider using special transportation designed for seniors when you are not able to take them to the grocery store or other places they may need to go. Some areas offer additional senior services, such as delivering daily meals and providing a place for seniors to go during the day to socialize with other seniors. Many of the people who run these services are specially trained to handle the needs of older people.

• Seek professional care help if you are overwhelmed – If you find that your parents need too much of your time, consider using professional care services. This does not mean that you have to put your mom or dad in a home. Many of these services come right to your parent’s home. These services may include daily nursing visits or a person who comes once or twice a week to help with cleaning and other daily tasks. This way you have a little more time for your other responsibilities and do not have to feel guilty about not having enough time to be there to take care of every little thing yourself. You may also want to consider companion services. Someone, usually a volunteer, visits an elderly person on a regular basis so they have someone to keep them company.

• Respect your own needs – It is easy to feel guilty for not being able to attend to all your parents needs. However, your own physical and emotional health is just as important. If you get to the point where you are feeling overwhelmed, sit down and talk to your parents. Remain calm and explain that you have additional responsibilities, such as work and your own family. Ask your parents to avoid making you feel guilty for the times you are not able to drop everything and come help them. Explain that just because you cannot help them every single time they need something, that you still love them are will be there for them as much as possible. It may not be the most pleasant of conversations, but taking the time to establish boundaries can avoid unnecessary guilt and confrontations later.

• Set up doctor’s appointments together – Caring for an elderly parent should not have to mean sacrificing your own health needs. Consider making your doctor’s appointments together. This way you can be there for your parents and help them get to their appointments and take care of yourself at the same time. Caring for an elderly parent doesn’t mean you have to be a martyr. It is just as important for you to maintain your health and care too. If your parents need to go to the doctor more frequently than you, set up some appointments where it is just them. You can still go with them to provide support and any assistance they may need actually getting to and from the appointments. Additionally, having the same doctor allows you to be kept informed of any health issues.

• Share care responsibilities with others – You do not have to do everything yourself. Consider asking other family members to pick up the slack. If you have brothers and sisters, ask if they can help out on weekends or other times they may have available. If your children are old enough, ask them to help with some tasks around the house so you do not fall behind on your normal household work. Ask your parents’ neighbors if they can look in on them from time to time or provide rides to the store and help out with other routine errands. While it is important to provide care for parents as they age, it is just as important to avoid stress and anxiety in your own life as you do your best to help your parents lead a productive life.

Author Bio

Katelyn is a copywriter for Julianna Rae, makers of luxury spa robes for women.

Photo credit: D Sharon Pruitt

All kids learn the importance of brushing their teeth after every meal, since parents understand that oral and dental health impacts general health in significant ways. This need to maintain oral health is something which needs to stand the test of time, but as adults age they can sometimes forget the actual significance of dental health. For seniors, oral health is just as important as it is for children – maybe even more so.

What’s the problem?

Common dental health issues for seniors include dry mouth, gum disease, tooth loss and darkened teeth. Ill-fitting dentures can also cause specific problems such as thrush. Minor oral health conditions can cause major health problems in fragile seniors. It’s vitally important that even common, and seemingly harmless conditions, be attended to promptly, or else the chances of living independently can be significantly diminished. The following is a summary of some of the common oral afflictions that can plague senior citizens, along with common sense advice on treatment and prevention to ensure future independence.

Gum Disease

Gum and periodontal disease is one of the most significant health threats to seniors. Studies have shown a link between poor periodontal health, gum infections and heart disease. Severe oral infections have been associated with life-threatening conditions like bacterial endocarditis, an infection of the heart valves. Bacteria from the mouth can also travel through the bloodstream and has been linked to auto-immune diseases and illnesses like ulcerative colitis. For the elderly, it’s important to make sure that the good oral health habits of a lifetime are followed. Seniors should brush after every meal, use an anti-bacterial mouthwash and visit the dentist regularly. If necessary, caregivers should monitor a senior’s dental routine and encourage them to visit the dentist. In a person of advanced age, neglect can lead to serious problems quickly and a total loss of independence.

Tooth Loss

Not all seniors lose teeth at the same rate. In fact, tooth loss among the elderly varies widely and is influenced by education levels and lifetime health habits. Smokers, for example, are much more likely to reach the age of 65 with significant tooth loss than non-smokers. Dry mouth, infections and plaque build-up also contribute to tooth loss in the elderly. Gum disease and infection can become much more serious if missing teeth are not treated early. The first step, as always, is to try and prevent tooth loss with a good oral health routine. Caregivers need to encourage seniors to quit smoking and eat healthy food. Minor problems like dry mouth should not be dismissed and should be treated early. Tooth loss can impact eating and nutrition, even limit one’s speech, so sorting this problem out should be first priority. Always consult a dentist if tooth loss is rapid.

Is there an answer?

When tooth loss is advanced or when teeth need to be removed to cure infection, dentures and dental implants may be necessary. Dental implants are artificial teeth that are anchored into the jaw. They function much like real teeth and work best in patients with no present symptoms of gum disease. Full dentures come in many varieties, from traditional dentures that can be taken in and out, to implant supported dentures that are anchored to the jaw; this promises greater stability and overall independence. Having a full set of teeth is vital for the emotional and physical health of seniors. Being able to eat easily, without pain, will prevent problems with poor nutrition. Caregivers should be vigilant about oral health problems specific to denture wearers. Pay attention to the fit and comfort of the dentures. Poorly fitting dentures can be painful, aggravate the gums and mouth, as well as leading to infections. Psychologically, looking and feeling “normal” after tooth loss will help seniors stay active and connected with the world and preserve their sense of independence.

About the author:

Richard is a freelance writer who promotes good oral health for people of all ages. He has recently been promoting the advantages of braces, good oral hygiene and all on 4. He is @thefreshhealth on Twitter if you wish to pop over.

Photo CC license courtesy Loren Zemlicka

I was reading an article about a woman who was sentenced to prison for bilking an elderly man with Alzheimer’s out of $2M. ($2M case highlights growing problem of financial fraud against the elderly.)

As I read I was shaking my head. What a horrible woman.

Then I got to the end.

“Unlike the Saenger case, however,” the author writes, “most financial fraud of the elderly involves family, with national statistics suggesting that nine out of 10 cases involve relatives.”

Did I read that right? 90% of elder fraud involves family members?

That’s very sobering.

Author Carolyn A. Brent, M.B.A. is a former clinical educational manager in the pharmaceutical industry. She is an avid activist and advocate working with the U.S. Congress for the purpose of creating change to protect seniors and veterans from financial and medical abuse. She has appeared on many local and national TV and radio shows, and is a sought-after keynote speaker.

Yesterday, Carolyn visited Sheila Jones at http://SpiritualMarketing-Blog.com/books-by-spiritus-members/carolyn-a-brent-why-wait/ , where Carolyn was on a podcast interview with Shelagh.

Today, I’d like to share with you a recent interview I had with Carolyn when I got to ask her some questions on her inspiration, lesson and self-care. I hope you enjoy it.

——-

Joe: What prompted you and who inspired you to write a book about caring for a parent in their last years?

Author Carolyn Brent

Carolyn A. Brent:  For years I tried unsuccessfully to have a conversation with my own siblings about the medical and financial needs of our aging father, then in his seventies, who was suffering from dementia and other medical complications.  Because of my Dad’s failing health I felt I should initiate this conversation since I had an especially close relationship with him.  My siblings just flat out refused to have the crucial conversation with me, each other, and our father. This is the conversation I continually stress that adult children really need to have regarding their aging parents’ health and affairs. My siblings were simply too busy with their own lives, and so we put it off.  In our case, this led to an extremely bad outcome.

Through struggling with the legal, medical, financial, and familial issues that come up when adult children handle such matters poorly (whether due to denial or to strife), I discovered there were no books on what needs to be covered and planned for, written from the perspective of siblings. Siblings have special needs at such times and, ideally, can be of great comfort to one another. I found no books that discussed the ideal scenario of sibling conversations versus the worst-case scenario of no conversations, as well as cases when sibling rivalry and resentment are allowed to interfere with planning and care. My siblings and I are living proof that this can go very, very wrong, leading to no one’s benefit: neither the children’s, nor the parent’s.

Joe: What is the one most important thing you want people who read this book to take away?

Carolyn A. Brent: Why wait? Have the crucial conversations, do the paperwork, and then you and your family members can go back to the routine of living your best lives, secure in the knowledge that affairs are in order.

Joe: What is the importance of taking care of yourself when you are a caregiver?

Carolyn A. Brent:    After going through the journey and heartache of being the sole family caregiver for my father for twelve years, and then enduring the pain of legal conflicts with my siblings, I ultimately asked myself a key question: What would you do differently if you could do it all over again? My answer was simple: I would take better care of myself at every step in the process.

To be an effective caregiver, you must take care of yourself as well. Now on the other end of caregiving, I find that exercise and meditation help me to relax as I never did beforehand. I wish I would have known to nurture myself better while I was on the journey with my father.

———-

I hope you enjoyed this interview with Carolyn A. Brent and that you’ll check out her book Why Wait? The Baby Boomers’ Guide to Preparing Emotionally, Financially and Legally for a Parent’s Death at http://www.babyboomersguide.org/book-launch/pre-launch.html

Here Are Two Reasons Why:

FREE 3-DAY PASS

When you visit the page at the link above and request a “launch reminder”, you will automatically receive a FREE pass to Carolyn’s 3-day “Why Wait? Telesummit”, with a panel leading experts preparing emotionally, financially and legally for the death of a parent.  You can listen to the telesummit online in the comfort of your own home, and even ask questions during the broadcast.

This telesummit is a completely free
“no purchase necessary” gift from Carolyn

To register, go to

http://www.babyboomersguide.org/book-launch/telesummit.html

FREE GIFTS

When you buy Carolyn’s book on Tuesday November 15, 2011, you can ALSO receive a complete library of beautiful personal development gifts from authors, speakers, coaches and other enlightened professionals from around the globe.

To claim your 3-Day Pass and read about the free gifts, go to: http://www.babyboomersguide.org/book-launch/pre-launch.html

Thanks for reading! As usual, please feel free to share your comments and thoughts below. I love reading your feedback.

AND… be sure to follow Carolyn tomorrow when the next stop on the Virtual Blog Tour is Denise M. Brown, who will be interviewing Carolyn on her caregiving experiences and memories.  To visit that “stop” on the tour, go to http://www.caregiving.com/2011/11/why-wait-an-interview-with-a-former-family-caregiver/

5. TKO Door Knob Turner. While grandpa or grandma might need some assistance installing this low-tech gadget on to his or her device-of-choice, it will significantly change their lives for the better—especially those that are typically weak and those that suffer from hand and wrist arthritis. This is because this gadget is designed to make turning objects like doorknobs and faucets oh-so-much easier.   Retail Price: $22.95. TKO Door Knob Turner on Amazon.

4.Temperature Activated Flow Reducer.  As grandpa and grandma get older, they will be more likely to forget things—such as letting the shower water get scalding hot. If you’re worried that your grandparents (or parents) might burn themselves in the shower, then this low-tech gadget can be a simple solution to your fears. What it does is attach on to faucets and showerheads and will automatically shut the water off if it gets too hot, preventing the user from getting burned.  Distributor: The Alzheimer Store; Retail Price: $36.95. See the Temperature Activated Flow Reducer at the Alzheimer Store.

3. Roomba. If grandpa or grandma lives alone, a great gift to give him or her is the Roomba—a home robot manufactured to vacuum floors. This means that grandpa or grandma doesn’t have to risk injury sweeping or vacuuming the floor and can keep their home tidy with minimal effort. The Scooba is also available—a home robot designed to wash the bathroom floors. Distributor: iRobot; Retail Price: Ranges from $300 to $500. Roomba on Amazon

The Jitterbug can be a mobile PERS

2. JitterBug Cell Phone. Cell phones are a must, no matter how old your grandparents (or parents) are (they need an outlet to make emergency phone calls at the very least when away from the home phone). But buying the latest fancy smartphone is probably not the best decision—besides, they don’t need all the bells and whistles anyway. The Jitterbug, which has been around for several years, is a cell phone that is made just for those in their golden years: it has very large numbers so that those with impaired vision can press the keys; it has a clear and wide interface to simplify actions; and it works with voice activation so that the user doesn’t have to mess with sometimes-complicated features like scrolling to the main menu or contacts tab. As a bonus, the phone also comes equipped with 5 Star Urgent Response—an emergency button in case the user falls or gets into an accident. Distributor: GreatCall; Retail Price: $99. Read more about the Jitterbug Cell Phone on ElderlyMedicalAlertSystems.com.

1. Amazon Kindle Fire. While there are many tablets available on the market right now, this is probably the best choice. While it may not have all the same features as the popular Apple iPad 2, it does have all the basic features—and that’s all elderly users need anyway. The screen is large enough where your grandparents can read e-books comfortably and reduce eye strain; they can watch movies; and scour the internet for recipes etc—all for a fraction of the price of other tablets (it’s the cheapest on the market). Distributor: Amazon; Retail Price: $199. Check out the Kindle Fire, Full Color 7″ Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi on Amazon

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for best online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 @gmail.com.

There are accepted benchmarks for every age group concerning how often to get physical examinations and how often to be tested for things like cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, blood pressure, glaucoma, and so on. For those who are turning 65 and older the accepted timeline for a wellness visit is once a year. Medicare even pays all the costs of this yearly exam. Yearly visits to the doctor can help catch health problems at the beginning when they are easier to treat and cure. When you have your yearly wellness checkup, your doctor will check on your health history and review your preventative medicine tests to see which tests you are due for. Not every test needs to be given every year. Your doctor will look for new health conditions and schedule future appointments as needed to manage them.

Even though the recommended schedule of doctor’s appointments is once a year for those 65 and over, some health problems will require additional visits. If you are injured, you need to get to the doctor right away to get your injuries looked at and treated. If you are not feeling well, especially if you are exhibiting signs of heart trouble, stroke, breathing problems, or persistent pain, you need to make a doctor’s appointment right away or even go to an emergency care facility.

The following preventive medicine tests are covered by Medicare and should not be delayed:

• Yearly wellness visits
• Bone mass measurement
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening
• Cervical and vaginal cancer screening
• Mammogram and breast cancer screening
• Diabetes screening and management
• Medical nutrition screening, therapy and education
• Glaucoma tests
• Shots for flu, pneumococcal and hepatitis B
• Prostate cancer screening
• Colorectal cancer screening
• Cardiovascular screening

Your physician will tell you how often these tests are needed. Some shots like the one for pneumonia are only needed every 5 years or so depending on the specific shot given. Flu shots are given every year because flu strains change from year to year. Mammograms and other cancer screening test frequency varies according to your medical history and results. If you have no family history of cancer and no indication of cancer on your earlier tests, you can go longer between tests. Your doctor will advise you on this.

You may question the need for yearly doctor visits when you are not ill, but there are good reasons for regular doctor’s visits. Regular wellness exams help us to keep our aging bodies in the best condition possible by catching any health conditions early. You can get up to date advice on exercise programs, balanced diets, and other good health habits that will allow you to live longer and in better health. Individual health problems like high blood pressure, heart conditions, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, oncoming stroke, glaucoma, and more can be fatal if not discovered and treated early.

Author Bio:

Monica writes for Assisted Living Today, a leading source of information on a range of topics related to elderly living and retirement care and facilities designed to help families solve problems like finding a nursing home for their loved ones. Click here for more information.

What is carbon monoxide?

Knowing what carbon monoxide is and how it affects the body is just as important as finding ways to avoid it. It is a colorless, odorless gas that is given off when things are burned, especially organic matter. It is naturally found in air in very low levels, but when it becomes concentrated it can cause health problems or even death. While everyone is susceptible to its effects, there are those that are more at risk, including:

*Children and the elderly

*Those with respiratory conditions, such as asthma or emphysema; cardiovascular disease; or anemia

*Someone engaging in strenuous physical activity

Carbon monoxide poisoning is more likely to occur in the winter months when space heaters and furnaces are used. At the same time, ventilation is often compromised through home winterization efforts. Because it has no smell or color, people can continue to breathe it in over long periods of time without knowing.

Causes of increased levels

Just about any combustible appliance that isn’t running properly has the possibility of increasing carbon monoxide levels in a house. To avoid this:

*Have heating systems and water heaters inspected annually by a technician qualified to issue gas safety certificates

*Never use a gas range or oven for heating

*If using combustible space heaters, use proper fuel

Symptoms

Recognizing the early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning can help prevent any of the serious effects from developing. The symptoms will worsen the longer the person is exposed and the higher the concentration. Elderly people, or those in poor health, will be particularly susceptible.

*Early signs – Mild headaches and breathlessness during moderate exercise

*Later signs – Severe headaches, dizziness, tiredness and nausea

*Most severe – Confusion, irritability, impaired judgment and loss of memory and coordination.

Since many of the signs mimic aging or illness, it can be difficult to determine if they are the result of those or carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms will disappear when time is spent away from the home if they are due to increased levels of carbon monoxide.

Detectors

Perhaps the easiest way to prevent an elderly parent from succumbing to the dangerous gas is to properly install detectors specifically designed for it.

*Install one detector on each floor where sleeping occurs

*An additional detector should be placed near combustible appliances, such as a gas oven or water heaters

*They should be placed near the ceiling to be most effective

Finding ways to prevent carbon monoxide levels from increasing in an aging parent’s home is important, but knowing what to look for if concentrations do rise can be just as vital. Peace of mind can be found with just a little prevention and knowledge.

Mike Genner writes for a company that provides gas certificates for landlords and encourages all homeowners to have their heating appliances professionally inspected every year. He believes it is essential to take safety precautions to protect the elderly and vulnerable from the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning.

However, there are many reputable, high-quality care homes for those willing to look, although the search is often made too quickly and under pressure. More than half of care home admissions are made by hospitals, which can provide high-quality short-term care but are often under duress to discharge their patients quickly. This can often result in patients who require long-term rehabilitation to be admitted into lower-quality care homes.

Whilst you may be running out of time to research local care homes, you should be able to find a good quality home for your loved one by making the most of the time you have and keeping some of the following tips in mind:

Research the data

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid compile data on 15,000+ care and nursing homes throughout the country every year. Homes are given between one and five stars based on health inspection data, staff, general wellbeing of residents and other quality measures.

Compiled data and statistics such as these can be a great place to begin researching, but do bear in mind that ranking and inspections have their limits and only reflect the quality of the facilities over certain durations. In addition to this, the system allows only 10 per cent of graded homes to earn a five-star rating, meaning a less expensive four-star nursing home that just missed the percentage quota might be just as good, if not better, than another five-star home.

Visit local care homes

Whilst professional ratings and reviews are a good place to start, they’re no substitute for first-hand observations. Before admitting your aging relative to a care home, take the time out to go and take a look yourself. Ensure the home is clean and that the staff are friendly and polite to you and the residents. Talk with the executive director, head nurse, lead physician and any other lead staff members to get further insight into the home. Ask if the facility engages in person-centred care, which allows patients to set their own schedules. It’s also important to enquire about consistent assignment, meaning the same staff members treat the same patients on every shift. These are two of the top concerns in the long-term care industry, so any reputable care home will be able to give you an answer when asked about them.

Consult your ombudsman

Every state in the U.S. has a long-term care ombudsman who is an authority on long-term care homes and an advocate of nursing home residents. They are qualified to give information on health inspections, staffing, quality of care and any significant changes in any given care home. You can find your state’s ombudsman at the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center.

Dane Cross writes on behalf of Maria Mallaband Care Group, one of the UK’s leading care home providers, renowned for offering luxurious, modern facilities and high-quality services.

In fact, it can be a very overwhelming time as normal daily tasks become harder and more tedious, worries like frozen pipes arise and the effort to keep the house warm and safe demands constant time and attention.

If you live in an area in which winter is a real worry, here are some simple tips for winterizing that you can start working on now and continue to implement all season long to ensure safety and comfort for your elderly.

Plan for De-Icing

Make sure that you have a set plan in place for keeping the doorway, driveway and sidewalk shoveled and de-iced at all times. Whether you’ll be hiring someone or you yourself will be in charge of it, take care of the scheduling before winter sets in and your options fill up. If possible, find a back-up plan as well in case the on-call person can’t make it for any reason. Purchase all necessary tools now and stock up on de-icer this fall before the winterization products undergo their normal winter price hikes.

Insulate All Around

By simply insulating the windows, you can drastically reduce the heating costs of a house and make it easier for the elderly to maintain a constant, comfortable temperature. A window insulation kit or even some extra thick coverings over the window are affordable and easy to do. Make sure that you have draft blockers available for all doors and that any major holes or cracks are sealed shut with caulk.

Timed Thermostat

Programmable thermostat

Eliminate the need to remember when to turn the thermostat on/off/down by installing a programmable thermostat. This will allow you to easily set the central heating system to turn down at night, up in the morning and on and off for any set times the elderly will be out of the house. You’ll be able to help them efficiently cut down their energy bill without any extra effort on their part. And, because you will control the temperature yourself and can lock the settings, you can eliminate any potential danger from accidental temperature changes that would be too cold or too hot for an extended period of time.

Portable Heater

The elderly will likely need and desire extra sources of heat beyond a central heating system set to room temperature. If this is the case, it can be warmer, as well as more cost and energy efficient, to provide small portable space heaters that they can use in close proximity to themselves. This also allows them to heat just one room a few degrees warmer than standard room temperature instead of the whole house. You will want to make sure to check for the UL stamp (Underwriters Laboratories) guaranteeing it meets safety standards as well as to ensure that it has an automatic shut-off feature in case it gets accidentally tipped over.

Check & Clean the Furnace

Make sure the furnace is in proper working condition and that it gets thoroughly cleaned before winter sets in. Cleaning the furnace can help with efficiency and cut energy use and cost. Plan to change the furnace filters once every month during the winter season to continue to keep efficiency high and to prevent against possible fire danger caused by dirty filters.

Freelancer Amber O’Connell is passionate about helping families live healthier, more comfortable lives. She’s currently promoting a safe, elderly-friendly portable gas heater for Air & Water.