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In-Home Care in Colorado

Putting Music Therapy Into Your Caregiver Toolbox

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Think back to your youth; what do you remember most? In many cases, your memory is attached to a song.

Music is a part of our lives. Our mother’s sing to us as tiny infants in their arms. We learn rhyming songs to help us learn common, everyday chores. If I say A-B-C-D-E-F-G, you probably start humming the rest of the song.

Why the brain and body processes music the way it does remains a mystery. We’re only starting to discover how important music is in our lives. But we do know that as long as people have been on this planet, music has been an important part of the way we live. Music allows us to storytell in an animated way. And while you may have trouble remembering everything you studied for a test the night before, chances are you can recall the words to your favorite music from decades earlier.

Maybe it’s because speech uses smaller parts of our brain than music. Scientists know that music fires off almost every part of our brain, stimulating responses from everyone who hears it. Even if you haven’t heard a song in years, you’re likely to associate it with an event in your past, triggering emotion based on that time in your life.

That’s the basis behind music therapy. In numerous clinical trials, therapists have great results when they play music to help patients with chronic conditions. Adults with dementia and Alzheimer’s show remarkable differences when introduced to music therapy, when compared to those who don’t.

Even with these chronic conditions, not all parts of the brain are impacted. The hippocampus, which controls memory and emotional impact, remains intact. When music is played, it often triggers long term memories, and can cause people that haven’t spoken in years to suddenly break out in song.

Research has also shown that making music is different than listening. Actively taking part in a song activates even more in the brain, and helps with balance and movement in cognitive and limbic areas. That’s why music therapy often starts with listening to old, familiar tunes, but quickly moves into production to get the body involved.

While music therapy isn’t a miracle cure, it can be good for both the caregiver and the one they’re caring for. Instead of witnessing loss after loss, they can suddenly experience something that brings their loved one joy. They can possibly sing or even dance together, helping them remember the good times once again.

Have you ever tried music therapy?

Caregiving Tip: Protect Both Of You From Flu This Season

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According to the Center for Disease Control, the flu season last year was of high severity, with high levels of outpatient and emergency department visits for flu-like conditions. The numbers grow worse with age. For people over the age of 65, approximately 58 percent required hospitalization.

As you age, your immunity begins to decline. That means it’s easier to catch highly contractible diseases like the flu.

Seasonal flu is one of the most contagious diseases we live with. It’s spread through coughing and sneezing. If someone with the flu virus touches a handle, knob, or shopping cart handle, it can leave traces of the virus. Then when the next person touches the same object, touches their mouth or nose, the disease has spread.

Of course, it’s not as simple as staying away from people who already feel sick. It can take a day or more before they develop symptoms, and up to five days before they become sick. If you don’t realize you’re sick, you’re more likely to be out and active, spreading the virus.

Flu symptoms include runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing, headache, fever, chills, fatigue, and muscle aches. As it worsens, it can also include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Flu season typically starts in October and runs through the end of February, though it can extend several weeks in particularly bad seasons. Because flu can impact as much as 20 percent of the population, it’s difficult to avoid. Once you contract it, the only way to recover is to let it run its course, stay hydrated, and get lots of rest.

For healthy adults, flu-like symptoms can stay with them several days or up to a week or more. However, with seniors, they can become much sicker. Because the flu is a severe illness, it can take both physical and emotional tolls. And as the symptoms drag on, it puts seniors at a greater risk for complications.

The most serious is pneumonia. And when this sets in, getting to the doctor is imperative to prevent symptoms for worsening. Most hospitalizations from flu are a consequence of pneumonia and other respiratory complications. If a senior already suffers from chronic conditions like heart failure, lung disease, or even diabetes, the flu puts them at greater risk.

During the flu season, it’s more important than ever to practice good hygiene. Wash hands frequently, especially after being out in public areas. Cover nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and wash hands immediately afterward.

Clean your home more frequently, especially if you have come in contact with someone who later gets sick. Don’t forget doorknobs, light switches, television remotes, and other small objects you pick up regularly.

The CDC also recommends that all high risk populations, including those 65 and over, receive the flu vaccination each year. If you’re in contact with someone in this age group, or provide caregiving to someone with chronic conditions, it’s equally important to get vaccinated each year.

Dementia and Depression: Is Your Love One Living With Both?

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Currently, 5.7 million people are living with Alzheimer’s – the most common form of dementia – here in the US. By 2050, that number is expected to balloon to 14 million.

When a person first receives the diagnosis, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions move through them. It’s only natural to experience stress and anxiety about the coming changes. Some also experience depression, especially in the early and middle stages of the disease.

Sometimes it can be difficult determining whether your loved one is showing dementia-related symptoms or if it’s a sign of depression. Both include:

  • Mood changes
  • A shift in personality
  • Loss of interest in activities or hobbies
  • Social withdrawal
  • Sleep changes
  • Impaired concentration
  • Memory problems

However, studies are showing that people with dementia experience depression differently than those without.

With dementia patients, depression symptoms tend to be less severe. That’s what makes depression in dementia patients so difficult to detect.

One of the biggest indicators is social withdrawal. If a person starts to pull away, isolates themselves into a room, and stops being interested in things they normally showed interest in, that may be a sign of something more.

Even doctors have trouble distinguishing the two conditions because of the amount of overlap. Yet if you suspect changes, it’s important to discuss them with your loved one’s doctor as quickly as possible to find the best course of treatment, which can include both prescription and non-drug approaches.

Love and support are often the best way to deal with every situation. As a caregiver, if you question any changes in your loved one’s behavior, talk to their doctor as soon as possible. Knowledge is everything.

What In Home Care Is and Isn’t

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When your loved one is in need of caregiving, there are a lot of different needs to be met. Some needs require medical assistance. Others are non-medical activities.

In home care is non-medical care provided in a person’s home or residence. It provides assistance with all kinds of activities, such as eating, personal hygiene, medication reminders, or transportation services to meetings and appointments.

In home caregivers are professionally trained to ensure they maintain a safe and healthy environment for your loved one at all times. Their jobs are to ensure your loved one’s safety when you aren’t around.

Even though in home caregivers may be with your loved one a significant part of the day, they aren’t personal assistants or an extra set of hands. There is a limitation to what can be expected of their services.

For example, an in home caregiver can remind a person to take their medication, but they aren’t medically trained and can’t administer medication. You will need a medical practitioner to administer for special needs.

Likewise, an in home caregiver might clean up the kitchen after making your loved one lunch. But their job isn’t to give the kitchen a thorough cleaning. They aren’t housekeeping ready to keep the home clean.

Where in home care excels is providing your loved one with one on one care. Assisted living facilities can never do that. The ratio of trained caregivers to patients is always many to one. With in home care, your loved one receives undivided attention. If a caregiver is in their home, your loved one is receiving individualized care. That means whatever they want or need, an in home caregiver will provide. That can change every day. They can provide transportation to doctor’s appointments one day, and take them out to lunch with friends on another.

And because your loved one remains in the comfort of their own home, chances are they remain happier and healthier longer. It’s the most economical way of ensuring all of your loved one’s needs are met.

Wondering what in home care can do for your family? The best place to start is with an initial consultation. Schedule your today.

Gadgets That Can Help You Be A Better Caregiver

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As you move into a caregiving role for your aging parent or loved one, there are many things to consider.

You lead a busy life. Your time is already pushed to the maximum. How will you ever add in more hours to meet your loved one’s needs too?

You’re not the only one facing this situation and asking these questions.

But where some think the only answer is assisted living, others are looking for more opportunities to stay at home. And a lot of new gadgets and products are making that a little easier.

Consider Best Buy’s recent purchase of GreatCall.

GreatCall offers easy phone and wearable products and services for the elderly. Phones have larger texts and fonts for reading. The Jitterbug Flip, for instance, provides bigger buttons, a brighter screen, and even includes voice dialing to make it easy for anyone to use it at any time. They also offer a medical alert device, and a wearable response device designed to interact with your smartphone.

Best Buy also offers an Assured Living program that works with smart technology to provide a variety of real-time services throughout the day. It allows you to closely track your loved one’s day, without having to be with your loved one all the time. Think of it as a security system with your elderly loved one in mind. Through connections on furniture, doors, and other places throughout the home, you can receive alerts about any issue, including falls or failure to take medication at the proper times.

Don’t think it’s just Best Buy that’s moving into this arena. Amazon has been purchasing home security companies too, and a lot of them are making moves into the caregiving arena.

Amazon recently purchased Ring, a security program that allows you to track movement inside and out. Use Ring with your smartphone to see what’s happening, even if you aren’t there. It also offers a community feature, that can connect neighbors to one another. You’ve heard the adage: it takes a community to raise a child. Well, the same can be said for taking care of the elderly too. It’s nice to know that a nearby friend can be at your loved one’s home quickly, especially when you’re far from home.

What’s the right product or service for you? There are a wealth of gadgets and products to help you as a caregiver.

What are your favorites?

Most Adult Children Don’t Know These 4 Things About Their Parents

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As an adult child, you think you know a great many things about your parents. They’ve taken care of you your entire life.

Then all of a sudden, you start a journey you always thought would happen “someday”. In truth, you thought – hoped – it was a long way off. Now you find yourself in a caregiving role, and every day is a new experience.

Occasionally, it’s all on your shoulders. You have to ensure things get done. You have to take control. But have you ever stopped to think about just how much power you really have?

Ask yourself a few questions.

Do my parents have estate documents for when they pass away?

When was the last time my parents updated wills and living trusts?

Do I know the content of wills and trusts?

Where are their documents stored? Do I have access when I need them?

Do you see yourself in these questions? Have the answers made you a little nervous? Maybe it’s time to have a conversation with your parents.

According to a Fidelity study, 69 percent of elderly parents expect their kids to help manage their investments and retirement finances, yet more than a third of these kids have no idea of their role.

It’s been a common theme throughout our society – we don’t talk about death and finances. It just “gets done” somehow, some way. Unfortunately, that puts hardship on everyone. Silence can lead to all kinds of problems, from having severe financial crisis, to having adult siblings fight and no longer speak.

Want to change that?

Start by requesting a conversation. Be patient. Your parents may still subscribe to the “not for proper conversation” mentality. If so, explain your intentions, and consider finding articles and reports to back you up.

Go into the meeting by focusing on what your parents want. This isn’t about you. This is just a way to get a better understanding of their wishes and desires.

Communicate carefully. Again, this is all about them. Listen and repeat to ensure you understand. This may be a time when you have a mediator or an outside party at hand to keep things from going awry.

Go in with a checklist – not demands. If your goal is to understand what documents they have in place and where they are kept, it should put you in a different frame of mind then demands for why certain things are the way they are. If documents are missing – a living will, for example – you can talk about its importance. But again, this is all about your parents’ wishes. If you discover documents are missing, see if they are ready to schedule an appointment with a lawyer to close the gap.

Also, use this as your own look in the mirror. Do you currently have your paperwork in order? If you’re facing hardships with your own parents, don’t follow in their footsteps and provide the same headaches for your own kids. Put everything you’re learning into your own life as well.

Why Caregivers Should Evaluate Mental Health Too

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We often notice the little changes in our loved ones first. A dent on a car. Laundry piling up. Bills left unpaid. A change in routine.

And as caregivers, we step in to get things done. We become fixers. We work to ensure our loved ones receive the care that they need.

But what we often overlook is their mental health.

As changes occur as people age, they may gradually accept help from their loved ones. They may internalize the changes without letting on how they feel. And that can come out in the form of depression.

A report put out by the Center for Disease Control has stated that 20 percent of Americans over the age of 55 will experience a mental health issue. That includes anxiety, depression, or other serious cognitive impairments.

It’s often difficult to recognize the signs. If your loved one is already experiencing complications from chronic conditions like dementia or Alzheimer’s how do you recognize mental health issues above and beyond? That’s why it’s often misdiagnosed and left untreated even when seeing medical professionals on a regular basis.

If an older person expresses feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, has changes in appetite or sleep patterns, or frequently complains of aches and pains that don’t improve with treatment, it could be a sign of something more.

There are two ways to deal with this as a caregiver.

First, recognize changes in your loved one. If you notice mood swings and radical changes in behavior, bring it up at your loved one’s next medical visit. Medication management may be required to get dosages where it helps their outlook on life.

Second, work to improve quality of life. What brings joy into your lives? What little things can you do to have impact? What brought joy into their lives in the past? It’s the little things that matter most. And even small activities can have major impact on their health.

Happiness doesn’t have to go away just because we have chronic conditions or push age limits. No matter how old we get, we can appreciate everything we have, every day of our lives.

If you suspect your loved one might need help with mental health too, step in and find the help you need.

How Caregiving Can Make You Healthier, Wealthier, and Wiser

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So much talk in the caregiving industry is about the stress, the headaches, and the difficulties. It’s easy to overlook the fact that there’s a lot of goodness in the process too.

Helping others makes us better as a society. It feels good to offer kind words and a helping hand.

If you’re a caregiver, you’ve already recognized that it’s one of the most unrecognized, thankless jobs you’ll ever take on. And if you focus on that part of it, the difficulties can seem insurmountable. But if you look at it from another angle, caregiving can add so much to your life.

Caregiving Makes You Healthy

If you read a lot of the information posted about caring for an elderly relative, it’s easy to assume that depression and physical problems are close behind. Not so, shows a growing amount of evidence. In one study, the researchers found that caregiving actually provides more benefits than we think. Most caregivers are socially more active. They work hard to give their loved one the best life possible. That means taking them to medical appointments, finding social activities they can do together, and reaching out for resources and a helping hand when they need it most.

Caregiving Makes You Wealthy

The true definition of wealthy is to lead a rich life; to have a great deal of resources. Wealthy steps beyond monetary resources and also encompasses the fullness of your life. We’re wired to be kind. We’re wired to reach out a helping hand to those who are less fortunate than ourselves. That’s what makes humans what they are. Nothing can feel worse than becoming isolated and on your own. Through caregiving, you take on the responsibility of someone else, and it can lead to allowing your take-charge, can-do attitude to move you forward. That not only enriches your life, but the person you are caring for too.

Caregiving Makes You Wise

There’s a song by John Michael Montgomery that goes:

Life’s a dance you learn as you go
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow
Don’t worry about what you don’t know
Life’s a dance you learn as you go

That sums up caregiving well. It comes upon you when you least expect it. And if you step up to the plate and do it well, it adds to your life in many ways. Sometimes you’ll take charge. Sometimes you’ll fall. Sometimes you’ll learn amazing things about you and the one you’re caring for. It’s life.

Caregiving is a natural part of our lives. It happens to all of us at some point in time. And when you step up and do it well, it can help you become your best yet.

Get Ready For Winter With These Life-Saving Safety Tips

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One day the temperatures are rising high enough to use the air conditioner all day, the next they’re plummeting low enough to use the heater full-blast. That’s autumn here across the Rocky Mountain region. It’s unpredictable, but we’re used to it.

If you’ve lived here long enough, you know how to adjust to the changes. You wear layers in the morning. You keep your windows closed even if you’re only leaving the house for a short period. You may have even automated your home, making your home’s temperature controls available on your mobile device. Whether you need to cool things down or warm things up, it’s only one push of a button away.

That works for you. But that can be difficult for older adults, especially if they are vulnerable. According to the Center for Disease Control, winter weather takes its toll on this part of the population, increasing their risk of dying from weather-related events. Elderly have thinning skin and often have less body fat, making them vulnerable to frostbite. They are less likely to sense the cold, meaning they are more susceptible to cold related injury.

Whether you just check in on your parents every once in a while, or are their 24 hour of the day caregiver, there are a few things you should do to get ready for the winter.

Dress In Layers

We all develop a sense of style along life’s way. Your loved one might still prefer dresses when she goes out, or even inappropriate shoes for winter conditions. While you might not be able to talk her out of all of it, you can offer more appropriate selections. Make a day of it; go shopping and out to lunch. If she has to have a dress, add a sweater to go with it. Have her try on boots as well as shoes. Invest in warm slippers with a non-slip sole. And if you can’t go out, order in. Many places online make ordering and returning easy.

Stock Up

If your loved one has a pattern such as going to the store every day, consider stocking up on the things they use most. If they like to run up to the coffee shop, consider buying an easy-to-use coffee pot and gourmet coffee for them to use in emergencies. If they run out to pick up pet supplies often, create a stash of supplies they can draw from in emergencies – canned food, cat litter, or absorbent pads can all be stored indefinitely.

Have A Plan

Sometimes the power goes out and doesn’t come back on for hours. This can put your loved one at risk. If you can’t get there, who can? It’s good to have people as your backup plan. While neighbors are a good resource, ensure you have someone outside the neighborhood in the event of widespread power outages. While a neighbor is a good choice to ensure they stay warm and won’t fall if they go out, it’s important to always have someone available who can jump in and help in an emergency.

Check The House and Car

If you observe both the inside and outside of your loved one’s home in the autumn, you’ll find potential hazards before they become more. Are pipes exposed? Take action to avoid burst pipes. Who will keep the sidewalks shoveled? Hire a neighbor to get it done before your loved one rises. If they do drive, ensure they have a good set of tires.

Check Medications

Do you know how often they receive their prescriptions and from where? If they can’t get out of the house for a week, do they always have enough on hand? Are they stored correctly if the temperatures in the house dip low? Consider setting up prescriptions to be mailed to their home. Be sure they always have at least a week supply to ensure they never run out in an emergency.

What other winter tips do you have to ensure your loved one stays safe all winter long?

Is Aging In Place The Right Choice For You?

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Aging in place. It’s become somewhat of a buzzword in the industry. They sell it well.

Who doesn’t want to stay in their homes for as long as possible? When we look around our homes, we see warmth and comfort. It’s a place we can be who we are.

Aging in place is more than living in the space we’ve called home for years. Aging in place is also about having the resources necessary to transition to different phases of our lives as easily as possible.

When remodeling a home, different life changes are taken into consideration. Doorways are expanded to handle wheelchair accessibility. Fixtures are upgraded for easy on/off access. Ramps are installed instead of stairs.

But aging in place isn’t just about your home. Aging in place also refers to how well you maintain your lifestyle through all changes of life. It takes into account your personal, practical, financial, and spiritual needs as well. Things like:

Personal – How well are everyday needs met? When a person can no longer perform daily tasks unassisted, who will help? This is often a system of paid and personal help.

Practical – A home always takes work to maintain it. How will you fit weekend chores and “honey do” items into regular routines?

Financial – Aging in place may put a roof over your head, but it doesn’t cover all the incidentals to living. Where will income come from to pay to maintain your lifestyle?

Spiritual – A healthy, happy spiritual life means having a sense of well-being. No matter who you are or what phase of life you’re in, it’s important to have daily routines that provide you with peace and calm.

Aging in place can leave a person feeling a little isolated when they no longer can get out of the house. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you think about all of your options – not just the height of a sink or the width of a doorway – body, mind, and spirit can all be taken care of in the right manner. And aging in place can lead to a happier, calmer life.