Posts Tagged ‘homecare’

Spring Cleaning….Your Files
Amy Praskac, Professional Organizer, On the Record
Do you have papers piled high on your bookshelves, crammed in your desk drawers, and squashed in your file cabinet? Wouldn’t it be nice to let some fresh air into those spaces?

Spring is an ideal time to clean out your files. You’re already dealing with paperwork to file your tax return. Just keep going. Here are a few guidelines to help you decide what to keep and what you can let go.

Keep monthly or quarterly statements until you receive the year-end statement. Verify the year-end statement is correct and then shred earlier statements. This also applies to paystubs.

Keep tax-related documents for three years. The IRS has three years to audit your return. There are exceptions such as failure to report income and filing a fraudulent return. You need to retain property records that document the basis for computing gain or loss until three years after you dispose of the property and file a tax return on that income (or loss). See IRS Publication 552 for details (Rev. January 2011).

Keep warranties until they expire or you no longer own the appliance. Keep manuals for as long as you own the appliance. This may seem obvious, but when is the last time you purged your file? Many people get rid of the appliance, but forget to get rid of the warranty and manual.

Keep important documents in a safe deposit box. Important documents include birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce papers, automobile titles, property deeds, military discharge papers, and partnership papers. Keep a list of documents and photocopies at home in case you need the information. It is vital that the safe deposit box be titled in more than one name so that you have access.

Safe disposal of documents: Shred any documents that have your personal information. This is to protect yourself against identity theft. Use a cross-cut shredder for maximum safety. Remember to oil the shredder monthly.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, hearts are on the mind. In honor of this month of love, we would like to provide some insight into the emotional rollercoaster that often occurs after a heart attack.

When a loved one is recovering from a heart attack, be prepared that he or she may not be able to do the same activities or tasks as before the heart attack, and this can be frustrating for everyone. Some people are able to recover more fully than others, but the key is to be patient and allow time for proper recovery. Talk to the medical team to get a better understanding of what to expect for the future. Here are a few other effects you can expect:

• Expect your loved one to have actively changing emotions and possible fears of death.
• Allow time to adjust and be sure to express how both you and your loved one feel.
• Support your loved one in making necessary lifestyle changes to prevent a reoccurrence or complication.
• Make future plans and help your loved one start “living” again.
• Accept that your roles may be temporarily reversed.
• Take the time to simply listen.
• When speaking, try to use I statements rather than you statements, such as “I feel frustrated” rather than “You make me feel frustrated.”

Keep in mind that the rehabilitation process enables many people to do much more than they ever expected, and eventually the up and down emotions of recovery should settle down. For more tips and information on recovery after a heart attack, click here.
Practical Care Continuum in Austin, Texas knows how to properly care for someone recovering from heart surgery or a heart attack. Our caregivers can prepare delicious, heart-healthy meals, do light housekeeping and our care team will work seamlessly with your physicians to provide the best coordinated, specialized care. Contact us today to learn more.

My mom has always been a loner.  I don’t remember her being around much as I was growing up as she was always either at work or hiding in her room.  She still does those things (other than the work) while living with me.  She says she isolates herself because she doesn’t want to bother the family but it’s hard to know why she does it now when it’s been a life long pattern.

When she does emerge from her room, the kids love to visit with her and the dog absolutely adores her.  She unfortunately feeds him from her plate.  But she also pets him and lets him hide under her chair when the occasional Texas thunderstorm happens by.

Every year our family goes to Garner State Park to camp but this year we decided to visit a private camp ground called 7 bluffs.  We rented a big house so everyone, all 15 of us, could spend time together with Grandma, or Nona as she likes to be called.  Up to the last minute I thought she would change her mind but I kept encouraging her and she went.  I got her books to read and anything else that might keep her busy.  But after the first day she was ready to leave.  I think she missed her television which she leaves on 24/7 at home.  There was only one in the house and the kids had hijacked it for cartoons and tween shows.

She told one of my siblings she would never  come with us again.  She hasn’t told me that.  I guess she doesn’t want to hurt my feelings. I have to wonder though why she complains about not seeing her grandchildren more often and when she gets the opportunity to see all of them at once for 5 days she wants to high tail it out of there.  She did tell me the highlight of the trip was seeing the baby deer outside her window.  Sigh, I guess spending time with family will never be her thing.

Change is hard for anyone but especially older adults who have lived a lifetime doing things a certain way.  I shouldn’t have expected her to change her routines and become more social because I thought she would have a good time.  She knows what she likes and sticks to it.  I felt as though if I didn’t ask her to go her feelings would be hurt and she thought if she said no my feelings would be hurt.  I guess a little better communication would have been in order here but although she has  been living with me for over 6 months now I still can’t shake that mother/daughter role with every aspect of our relationship.

I think the lesson for caregivers is to find ways to socialize their parent(s) that follow their life long patterns.  Or at the very least introduce new activities in small doses.  Maybe 5 days was not such a good idea and maybe I should have brought her her own television.  I can’t help trying and I don’t think it’s right for caregivers to not try something.  Our parents did it for us when we where young and now it’s our time to change roles.

The statistics shout loud and clear. Most people prefer to age in the comfort of their own homes rather than face a move elsewhere. Having said that, home care is not always the best care option for everyone. So how do you determine if home care will be a good option for you or your loved one’s long-term care?

 First determine the needs: Does the senior require minimal or a lot of assistance with daily personal tasks such as bathing, grooming, medications and feeding himself? Is the senior able to walk and transfer from a bed or a chair independently or is a lot of assistance required? Is the senior experiencing some or a lot of mental impairment such as with Alzheimer’s or dementia that might require around the clock care? These are all questions that should be considered. A home care manager such as at Practical Care Continuum can help you sort through the questions and implications of the answers.

 Now consider finances: How will the home care be paid for? Non-medical home care is typically paid for through private funds or long-term care insurance. However, there are other options to explore, such as veterans’ benefits.

 Weigh the pros and cons: Home is where the heart is, and with a well-trained personal caregiver to ensure safety, socialization, proper diet and exercise, it is no wonder that home care is such a popular option for care. But finances and/or a senior’s abilities may make other options for care a better choice for a particular person. For more information on options for care at home, click here. 

Contact Practical Care Continuum in Austin, Texas for a complete geriatric assessment with suggestions for care needs.

Wouldn’t that be lovely!  Someone you could call to help out on a moments notice.  You could call them to ask “Can you run over and drop off books for my mother”?  or “Can you run to the drug store for candy this afternoon”?  Just helping out with the little things is HUGE.

Well I have that.  I own my own home care company, Practical Care Continuum,  and I have a wonderful nanny for my kids that helps out with my mother too.  I could never be a caregiver without them and still work.  No wonder daughters are leaving the workforce to care for their parent(s).  How in the world can anyone keep down a full time job and cater to their parent(s).  I would go insane trying to keep up with her needs.

The big issues are not the problem because I can get home care help for those issues but the little things such as making sure her medications are set out properly and ordered in a timely manner consume a lot of my time.  The woman is on 12 medications umpteen times a day.  If I have a problem keeping up imagine my 82 year old frail mother keeping up with them.  Not to mention the 4 different doctors she has.  I don’t even have one (pretty typical for a caregiver to have no physician.  It’s not in our plan to get sick)

I think family members take on too much when caring for their parents and don’t think about the little things a home care company can do for them.  I have an advantage in that I own the company but even if I didn’t I would still hire one to handle the little things because my family time is precious to me.  My kids are growing up way to fast.  My 11 year old is graduating to middle school in two months and will no longer want to hang out with mom.  I want to grab all the time I can with him and running errands for my mother (much as I love her) is not my idea of family time.  So I give myself a break and ask (pay) for help.

Corny as it sounds I don’t want to be remembered for all the hard work I did when I go I want to be remembered for all the love and shared time I had with my family.

Bottom Line:  I am so lucky to have the help I do and if you don’t get your own you are missing out on life so get your own Concierge Service any way you can!

I spend a lot of money on management books each year trying to improve my leadership style but just the other day I realized that I had forgotten one of the basics.  Tell someone what a great job they did!

My week started out very hectic as usual.  Between the kids, my mother, her caregivers, and the business I really needed a Calgon moment and I got it from an email sent to me that included a testimonial from a client of mine.  It was wonderful to receive the pat on the back and the acknowledgment of all the hard work I put into my company.  That simple note made me realize that we all should give more kudos and if we do it will make us feel better which will in turn lower our stress level.

I emailed a kudos yesterday for the great service I received while ordering a pizza from CraigO’s.   I noticed that CraigO’s has gluten free pizza so I called to order for both myself and my kids who can eat anything.  The young girl who took my order was cheerful, patient and knowledgeable about her product.  You don’t find that everyday in the food service arena so I dropped a quick email to her boss about how impressed I was with her service.  They sent a note back thanking me but what I noticed was the fact that my email was forwarded on to her boss and the owner.  The whole process only took a minute, made me feel good, and hopefully put a smile on that young woman’s face. Who knows maybe that simple acknowledgment brought her to the attention of the higher ups which in turn will lead to her one day being the CEO.  A simple pat on the back can do wonders.

Which brings me to my point about caregivers.  Don’t forget to acknowledge all the hard work they do. The stress can be overwhelming but well worth it if someone says “Good Job” and Thank You for all you do.  Caregivers put up with a lot from their clients/family members/loved ones and it’s even worse for those caring for someone with dementia.  Those folks become isolated and forgotten all to often so take a moment to send a card or flowers to brighten up their day.  As an added bonus it will make you feel great too!