Healthy Foods That the Elderly Should Avoid

 

No matter your age, eating a healthy diet is always one element you can control to boast your overall health.

Even so, there are certain nutritionally healthy foods that should generally be avoided by elderly people. The main concern that experts express is that certain foods commonly served raw or undercooked–such as vegetable sprouts, fish, and eggs–are more prone to contain germs that cause food-borne illness, something that elderly people are more susceptible to than their younger counterparts.

With all of that in mind, here’s a list of (for the most part) healthy foods that elderly people should avoid.

  • Raw or undercooked eggs
  • Raw fish, oysters, clams, mussels, and other seafood (including sushi and ceviche)
  • Soft cheeses like Brie, Camembert and varieties of blue cheese
  • Unpasteurized milk and juice
  • Raw sprouts and spinach
  • Raw or rare servings of hamburger, beef, and steak
  • Dishes with undercooked eggs like Monte Cristo sandwiches, French toast, Hollandaise sauce, cake batter, etc.

The common denominator of all the above foods is that they are more likely to contain strains of bacteria that can cause food poisoning. While people of all ages can get sick from food, elderly people should be especially careful.

Can you think of any other foods that elderly people should avoid as part of a healthy diet? Let us know on Twitter or in the comments.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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Many Family Caregivers Give Nursing Care


Many Family Caregivers Give Nursing Care

The responsibilities of a family caregiver come in many forms: cooking, cleaning, bathing, dressing and other help with their aging loved one’s Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).

Plus, there’s emotional support, corresponding with the doctors and pharmacists, bookkeeping, and even financial aid.

On top of all this, an AARP study recently revealed that the majority of family caregivers are also taking on care responsibilities that are usually relegated to registered nurses or other certified home care professionals–responsibilities like administering medication, preparing meals for a special diet, using incontinence equipment, etc.

What’s especially concerning is the fact that most of the family caregivers in the study admitted that they had little or no care training for performing these tasks.

AARP goes on to suggest that health care professionals need to offer or arrange proper training and support for family caregivers–and we agree. If you’re the caregiver, you have all the right in the world to demand more from your loved one’s doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and others. Here’s a list of a few things to especially be aware of (via AARP).

  • Sign the pharmacy form that says you have been counseled on the prescription ONLY if you understand what the medication is for, how to give it, and what the potential side effects are.
  • Likewise, only tell the hospital that your loved one is ready for hospital discharge when you feel safe to perform the tasks instructed by hospital staff.
  • If you feel that you need more instructions, talk to the nurse or social workers. It’s their job to help.
  • Ask about future home care options and for follow-up training.
  • If you’re worried, tell the doctor you need more support.

The study shows that family caregivers are doing more than ever. And it’s safe to assume that many of them need help with this important work.

At Encompass, we have helped provide caregivers with training in medication administration, catheter care, eye drops, etc. Most family members can be trained to provide the majority of the care needed by a family member.

Of course, an important thing to consider is the possible guilt that a caregiver might feel when their aging loved one’s conditions worsens while they’re providing medical care. In the end, proper training and professional oversight are both very important, as well as the individual’s comfort level.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.firstcareco.wpengine.com.”

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What to Expect After Surviving a Heart Attack


What to Expect After Surviving a Heart Attack

Despite being the number 1 killer of men and women in the U.S., many people are fortunate enough to survive a heart attack.

Perhaps the hardest part of this is adopting a new lifestyle when returning home–like switching out old bad habits for new, healthier ones.

In this post, we’ll look at what you can expect in the ensuing weeks and months after your loved one returns home from a heart attack, compiled from a list from the Cleveland Clinic. Hint: There’s a lot of medication and doctors visits involved. Note that it takes about two months for the heart to heal.

Activity

It’s typical for a person to feel tired or weak during the first week of recovery at home. This is due to the damage your heart muscle has suffered, paired with the bed rest at the hospital.

  • Take it easy. Make sure your loved one isn’t over-exerting himself. A change in routine might be in store to pace strenuous activities throughout the day.
  • Walk every day to regain strength and energy. The doctor will prescribe the right amount of exercise your loved one will need.
  • Once your loved one feels stronger, they may return to light household chores (folding laundry, cooking, dusting, etc.). However, they should avoid lifting, pushing, or pulling heavy objects unless given the go ahead from the doctor.
  • The doctor will also tell you when more vigorous activities are OK, such as driving or returning to work.

Diet

One of the most important elements of a healthy recovery is diet. Not only does it promote heart health, it also prevents future complications of heart disease.

  • Eat more vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains.
  • Be choosy when it comes to calories from fat.
  • Eat just the right amount of protein from various sources.
  • Keep an eye on cholesterol.
  • Reduce intake of simple carbohydrates and use complex carbs for energy.
  • Reduce sodium intake and increase intake of potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Medication

People with heart disease should expect to take some form of heart medication for the rest of their lives. Medication is prescribed after a heart attack for various reasons:

  • Prevent future blood clots
  • Lessen the work of the heart to improve the hearts performance and recovery
  • Lower cholesterol
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Control angina
  • Treat irregular heartbeats and heart failure

Make sure you review your loved ones medications with a doctor or nurse. Also, keep a list of the medications (including what they’re for) to bring along to future visits to the doctor.

Lifestyle changes

Sadly, there is no cure for coronary artery disease (brought on by a heart attack). To prevent the spread of this disease, a number of lifestyle changes must be made. Ask your doctor for more information.

  • Stop smoking
  • Lower high blood cholesterol
  • Control high blood pressure
  • Maintain tight diabetes control
  • Follow a regular exercise plan
  • Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
  • Control stress and anger

A person’s life is forever changed once they have a heart attack. Still, even with a difficult road to recovery, it’s possible to eventually lead a normal life again. As long as your loved one is willing to follow doctor’s orders to make the necessary changes to live a heart-healthy lifestyle, they should be right on track for a full recovery.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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How Many Years of Life Do You Lose from Smoking?


How Many Years of Life Do Smokers Lose?

While we all know by now that smoking is hazardous to our health, more than 40 million Americans still smoke.

In fact, smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., according to the CDC–and the same is true in Europe. There’s no doubt about it: prolonged periods of smoking take years off your life, especially for those older in age.

Still, many aging adults and seniors have been smoking for decades, some living well into their 70s, 80s, and even 90s. To better determine just how smoking affects a person’s longevity, a new British study looked at men aged 66-97, and found that, on average, a smoker who makes it to 70 loses four years of his life.

In the study, researchers examined information from 7,000 senior men from 1997-2012. Over that period of time, 5,000 of the men died, with deaths of smokers being about 50 percent more likely than those who didn’t smoke due to factors like vascular disease, cancer, and respiratory diseases.

For the men in the study who had survived to age 70, the average life expectancy was 18 years for those who had never smoked regularly. It was 16 years for those who had quit smoking before 70, and 14 years in men who still smoked at age 70.

This just goes to show that quitting smoking is always beneficial to a person’s health, no matter his (or her) age. The proof is in the research–you’ll feel better and live longer if you don’t smoke. If you or your elderly loved one still has that nasty habit of smoking, perhaps now is a good time to once again try to quit for good.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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What to Ask When Your Elderly Parent is Discharged From the Hospital


What to Ask When Your Elderly Parent is Discharged From the Hospital

When your aging parent ends up it the hospital, it’s no doubt a stressful period for the entire family.

What many people don’t realize is that most hospitals aren’t set up to provide long-term care to patients. As such, the moment your loved one arrives in the hospital, the discharge planning process has already begun.

You and your loved one will likely meet with a discharge planner–usually a registered nurse or a social worker–within the first day or two of your parent’s stay to coordinate the move from the hospital to an appropriate setting, e.g. back home, an assisted living facility, or a nursing home.

As difficult as it seems to corner the doctor to get the answers you need, when the time comes, you should be prepared to ask the right questions.

Below is a list of questions, adapted from HealthWorks Collective, that you should ask the discharge planner (or if you’re lucky enough to be able to talk to one for more than a few seconds, the doctor).

On your aging parent’s condition:

  • Can you explain the diagnosis at discharge?
  • What type of health care services have been prescribed and how long will they be needed?
  • During recovery, what milestones and setbacks can we expect?
  • What about follow-up appointments? Who is in charge of scheduling them?
  • Who is paying for this health care?

On the home environment:

  • What equipment will we need at home (hospital bed, wheelchair, etc.)?
  • Will someone teach us how to use the equipment we’re unfamiliar with?
  • Who pays for the equipment?
  • What about reordering supplies?

On providing care:

  • What type of personal care does my loved one require?
  • Is there anyone who can teach me techniques for skills I need to administer care (needle injections, changing dressings, etc.)?
  • Are there any dietary restriction we need to be aware of?

On medications:

  • Are there any new medications that have been prescribed?
  • Are there any side effects associated with these new medications?
  • How should these medications be taken (with or without food, etc.)?

As you can see, there are many questions to be asked when your elderly parent is being discharged from the hospital.

By taking the time to be prepared, you can make sure you’re not left scrambling to accommodate Mom when she returns home with a list of care needs that are crucial to her health.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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What to Expect When Moving in With Family


What to Expect When Moving in With Family

Oftentimes, family members are forced to move when an aging loved one requires daily care.

Whether it’s an adult child moving into her mother’s home to take care of her, or moving Mom into your extra bedroom, a number of challenges tend to arise, especially for those families that aren’t properly prepared for long-term care.

Below are some things to consider before moving in with family (or having family move in with you) via caregiver.org:

  • Accessibility–Is the home able to accommodate an elderly person with limited mobility? Do stairs have railings, and are showers equipped with grab bars? Are hallways clear of clutter? Any needed home modifications should be completed before the move.
  • Care–What type of care does your loved one need? If you can’t provide it, who will? Make sure that all of your bases are covered, from preparing meals, to medication management, to daytime supervision. Who is responsible for caregiving duties? Will you need to hire a home care professional to help out?
  • Emotions–Are there any long-standing disputes in your family? If so, expect them to surface in some form or another when moving in with an aging family member. The loss of independence is frustrating and can bring out strange behaviors, especially when reacting to a new living environment. Remember, good communication is key to handling conflicts successfully.
  • Finances–When a new family member moves in, household expenses will generally go up. Who’s responsible for the additional finances? If you need financial support, where will you get it?
  • Responsibilities–When Mom moves in, what responsibilities will she have?

At Encompass, we often encounter situations where family members move in with one another. While each family is different, in the end it’s best to avoid the feeling that the situation is permanent, as not everyone can successfully live together.

Instead, consider starting things out as a trial period before committing to anything long-term. Having open and honest communication with your loved one will also help ensure that any problems are addressed properly. And remember–help is always available from a senior care agency such as Encompass.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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Caregiving: Don’t Parent Your Aging Parent


Caregiving: Don't Parent Your Aging Parent

When your aging mother loses independence to the point that she needs assistance, it can be very frustrating for her. Many elderly care experts refer to this time as the beginnings of a role reversal between a parent and child.

But perhaps that’s putting it too simply. Maybe even suggesting the idea that “reversing roles” is ever wanted–or even possible–is a little short-sighted.

In an article for Forbes, Howard Gleckman explains how this idea of role reversal is more complicated than most experts claim.

“Put yourself in the position of an aging parent. As you become physically frail and cognitively limited, you lose control of your life. All those day-to-day decisions that healthy people take for granted when to go to the movies, when to eat, when to walk across the room and even when to go to the bathroom–are increasingly shared with others,” Gleckman writes. “It can be embarrassing and demeaning.”

Here are a few other good points from Gleckman’s article:

  • Long-distance family caregivers have a tendency to “parachute into town” for a couple of days, where they barrage their parents with demands to go to the doctor, stop driving, etc. This often leads the aging parent to feel resentful, embarrassed, and even angry–not the best environment to make life-changing decisions.
  • As an adult child, never flat-out tell your parent what you think they should do. Instead, start off a conversation by saying something like, “Mom, what do you think we should do…” From here, your parent doesn’t feel attacked. This will allow the two of you to work together.
  • You might have to step in if your aging loved one is emotionally or cognitively incapable of making decisions. Gleckman notes, however, that this scenario occurs much less often than you think.

When an aging loved one starts succumbing to the frailties of old age, it brings about a complex, painful change in the relationship between a parent and child. But no family caregiver should be expected to start acting as his or her parent’s new parent.

Rather, the actual role reversal should involve trying to see things from the perspective of your aging parent while caregiving. By relating to your loved one as you know best–and asking how you can both go about making the best decisions for their care–you can both move forward as a team. In the end, that’s what family is all about.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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5 Books to Help Kids Understand Alzheimer’s


5 Books to Help Kids Understand Alzheimer's

It’s never easy for a family to cope and take care of an aging loved one with Alzheimer’s.

But Alzheimer’s can be especially confusing to children who can’t understand why Grandma, who still looks normal, is no longer able to instantly recognize familiar people and places.

There are several books that put the disease into terms children can relate to in order to help our little ones get a better grasp of what Alzheimer’s is and how it affects elderly family members.

Below is a list of five of our favorites, compiled from a recent AARP blog post and one of our own.

  • The Memory Box–A grandpa diagnosed with Alzheimer’s creates a “memory box” to keep track of all the times he’s shared with his beloved grandson. By Mary Bahr. Illustrations by David Cunningham.
  • Why Did Grandma Put Her Underwear in the Refrigerator?–After several incidents of strange behavior, a young girl named Julie finally begins to understand her grandmother’s Alzheimer’s disease. By Max Wallack and Carolyn Given.
  • Still My Grandma–This story gently introduces the realities of Alzheimer’s to young readers through the special relationship of a girl and her grandmother. By Veronique Van Den Abeele. Illustrations by Claude K. Dubois.
  • Remember Me?–Told from a child’s perspective, a young girl slowly begins to understand why her grandfather’s memory is so unreliable. By Sue Glass. Translation by Eida de La Vega. Illustrations by W. Yunker.
  • Singing with Momma Lou–A young girl stops dreading visiting her grandmother suffering from Alzheimer’s in a nursing home after she begins to learn about her extraordinary past. By Linda Jacobs Altman. Illustrations by Larry Johnson.

Though it’s never easy to cope with a loved one getting Alzheimer’s, you can make the experience much easier on young children in the family by helping them understand what their aging loved on is going through. And all of these books should help to do just that.

Can you think of any other books you recommend that help children understand Alzheimer’s? Let us know on Twitter or in the comments.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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Will There Be a Caregiver Shortage in Decades to Come?


Will There Be a Caregiver Shortage in Decades to Come?

With millions of baby boomers on the verge of their senior years, a new report from the AARP suggests that there will likely be a drastic shortage of caregivers by 2026, when the first boomers become 80. This includes both unpaid family caregivers and paid caregivers, i.e., home care aides and home care professionals.

We mentioned this probable shortage in a previous post, but this new report shows some statistics that should have us all thinking about the future of caregiving.

Here are some key points from the report:

  • In 2010, for every person age 80 or over there were 7.2 people of prime caregiving age (45-64). By 2030, there’s projected to be just 4.1 people of prime caregiving age in ratio to those 80-plus. This ratio drops to 2.9 by 2050.
  • In 2010, more than half of seniors aged 80 and older suffered from a severe disability. Upwards of 30 percent of the elderly needed ADL help, whether that was bathing, using the toilet, cooking, eating, etc. Will this trend continue in decades to come? It’s hard to make an exact prediction, but it’s safe to assume the answer will be a “yes.”
  • In 2010, there were 78 million baby boomers. There were only 11 million people aged 80 and over in 2010. By 2030, the elderly population is projected to reach 20 million and 34 million by 2050.
  • Conversely, there were 82 million people aged 45-64 in 2010. That number is projected to be about the same in 2030 and rise to 99 million in 2050.
  • The number of frail older people, those 65-plus who live with a disability, is projected to grow from 11 million in 2010 to 18 million in 2030.

If there one’s one big takeaway from the report, it’s that many boomers and their children will be unprepared as they reach old age and are in need of long-term care–and that we’re very likely headed for a caregiver shortage some time in the near future.

If you’re over the age of 50, it’s never too early to start planning for end-of-life care. And remember, help and advice is always available from a senior care agency.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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The Top 20 Online Resources for Alzheimer’s


Top 20 Online Resources for Alzheimer's

It’s a difficult time for a family when a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Besides the stress and the grief, there are more than enough tasks to deal with: numerous visits to the doctor, mapping out a long-term care plan, and, above all else, making sure that your loved one is as happy and comfortable as possible.

During the early stages of Alzheimer’s and other dementia, many family members know relatively little about this chronic condition that slowly deteriorates a person’s cognitive function. Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s is not easy, so it’s very important to be familiar with modern treatments, as well as how to interact with someone in the late stages of the disease.

Many families turn to the internet to find helpful information on Alzheimer’s and other conditions. Of course, some websites are more useful than others.

To help you sift through the noise, we’ve put together a list of the top 20 online resources on the subject below (in no particular order):

1. National Institute on Aging’s Alzheimer’s website–http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers

2. Alzheimer’s Care & Dementia Resource Center–http://www.adrccares.org

3. Alzheimer’s Association–http://www.alz.org/

4. The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation–http://www.alzinfo.org/

5. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Alzheimer’s website–http://alzheimers.gov/

6. This Caring Home–http://www.thiscaringhome.org/

7. PBS’ “The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer’s”–http://www.pbs.org/theforgetting/

8. Caregiver Action Network Video Resource Center–http://caregiveraction.org/resources/alzheimer-videos/

9. “Mayo Clinic on Alzheimer’s Disease” (book)

10. Alzheimer’s Disease International–http://www.alz.co.uk/

11. Help for Alzheimer’s Families–https://www.helpforalzheimersfamilies.com/

12. Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Resource–http://www.alzheimersdisease.com/index.jsp

13. Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center–http://www.alzheimersswfl.org/index.asp

14. Healing Well (online community, support, and other resources)–http://www.healingwell.com/alzheimers/

15. Senior Journal (the latest Alzheimer’s and dementia reports)–http://www.seniorjournal.com/Alzheimers.htm

16. Alzheimer’s Foundation of America–http://www.alzfdn.org/

17. Mayo Clinic’s online Alzheimer’s resource center–http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alzheimers-disease/DS00161

18. Alzheimer’s-In-Your-Home–http://www.alzheimers-in-your-home.com/

19. Alzheimer’s Reading Room–http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/

20. Alzheimer’s Association Midlands–http://www.alz.org/midlands/

Do you have a resource that you find useful, but don’t see on the list? Or, do you have any questions about Alzheimer’s in general? We’d love to hear from you–and we’re always here to help.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.firstcareco.wpengine.com.”

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