Take My Hand At Home

At Home Care

Tips for managing sundown syndrome

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Late afternoon and early evening can be an especially challenging time for seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The confusion, restlessness, and irritability that can occur at this time of day is known as sundown syndrome. It can continue into the night, making it difficult for your dad to fall asleep and stay in bed, which is hard on him and on his wife or family caregiver.

If you’ve noticed your parent or spouse is experiencing symptoms of declining memory, it’s important to be with them in the late afternoon and early evening to see if they are having sundowner symptoms, are increasingly agitated, suspicious and even pacing and yelling. They may need some additional care, someone to be with them to help during that difficult time.

Tips to help manage sundowning

During the day:

  • Provide a regular routine, with activities and appointments earlier in the day.
  • Daily exercise also can be helpful, along with time outside or by a window in bright daylight.
  • If your loved one needs a nap, make sure that it’s not too long and that it ends at least four hours before bedtime.

In the late afternoon and evenings:

  • Stay calm and reassure your dad that everything is okay. Ask if he needs anything.
  • Keep the area quiet and pleasant, with soothing music, and make sure the temperature is comfortable.
  • Try reading, playing cards or going for a walk.
  • Turn on lights and close the curtains or blinds to avoid shadows and the confusion they may cause.
  • Make sure living areas are safe, with locks on doors and windows and with dangerous items such as kitchen utensils put away.

Closing the blinds near sunset can help mitigate confusion caused by long shadows.

All of us feel better and can function more easily when we sleep well. Helping your loved one avoid caffeine and alcohol, sweets, and a large meal late in the day can help with getting a good night’s sleep.

The National Institute on Aging recommends seeking medical advice if sundowning continues to be a problem. An exam by a doctor may identify a cause contributing to sundowning, such as pain, illness, a medication side effect or a sleep disorder.

Hope for the future — finding effective treatments and searching for a cure

The Alzheimer’s Association is a valuable resource for up-to-date information. Their website confirms, “Researchers are conducting studies to find new interventions and treatments that can prevent Alzheimer’s, diagnose the disease earlier, slow its progression or stop it in its tracks.”

If you or your loved one needs information, advice and support from trained and knowledgeable staff, you can call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900.

Here in Whatcom County, Take My Hand At-Home Care’s licensed caregivers provide memory care services that help seniors live in the comfort of their own homes in Lynden, Bellingham, Ferndale, Blaine, Everson, Nooksack, Sumas, and Birch Bay.

Fun ways caregivers can help during the holidays

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One of the most important things a caregiver offers is companionship — someone to be there, to listen, to share a smile, a laugh, a hug.

In addition to personal care services, at-home caregivers can also help in some pretty fun ways. With the holidays coming up, caregivers can be like Santa’s elves in Whatcom County and provide help with:

  • Holiday decorating to create a festive feeling at home: helping set up a small Christmas tree with lights and cherished ornaments, or putting up Christmas lights and setting out nativity scenes, favorite table cloths and other decorations.
  • Shopping for holiday supplies and gifts.
  • Baking or cooking favorite holiday recipes — old classics or finding new ones to share. Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh-baked cookies or a pumpkin pie in the oven? We all know how warm and cozy the delicious smells of baking and cooking makes a home feel. These foods can be enjoyed at home or brought to a gathering to share with family or friends.
  • Writing and mailing holiday cards to stay in touch. At-home caregivers can help with writing notes inside the cards, addressing the envelopes, and dropping them in the mailbox.
  • Listening to and singing Christmas carols, or maybe even going out to a local performance of carolers or the Nutcracker.
  • An early evening drive to see the magic of Christmas light displays in Lynden or downtown Bellingham.
  • Watching favorite, classic holiday movies and sharing memories.
  • Arts and crafts projects to keep your loved one’s creativity engaged. These projects can be suited to each individuals’ abilities so they can enjoy the activity. Some of these (ornaments, handmade cards, watercolor paintings) might even make sentimental gifts.
  • Arranging and driving to special visits with friends and family.
  • Bucket list trips, something your loved one has always wanted to do — going to an art museum (such as the The Whatcom Museum in Bellingham), a theater performance, sculpture garden, sporting event or classic car show. There are many possibilities. Maybe even talking with your mom or dad to find out what kinds of things they have always wanted to do and then making a list.

The holidays can bring a mix of emotions and memories, and loneliness can often increase during the holiday season. As you and your family are extra busy with shopping and other outings, licensed caregivers can provide companionship and festive holiday experiences for your aging loved ones.

The simple presence of someone there who cares can make a huge difference in the life of an older adult. To find out more about home companion services, contact Take My Hand At-Home Care, which provides elder care for senior citizens in the following communities: Lynden, Bellingham, Ferndale, Blaine, Everson, Nooksack, Sumas and Birch Bay.

Recovering at home after surgery

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Two elderly ladies chat outside in a lush garden.

After surgery or a hospital stay, who will help with recovery at home?

There are many important things to consider as part of pre-operation planning, such as making sure the kitchen will be stocked with healthy food and arranging to have someone available to help with meal preparation and basic housekeeping.

Will you need special medical equipment for your post-op recovery at home? Some recoveries require oxygen tanks, elevated toilets, shower seats, crutches or a walker to help prevent falls. In Whatcom County, the Bellingham Central Lions Club offers affordable rentals for wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and other durable medical equipment to help with recovery. Hoagland Pharmacy, Norco Medical and Bellevue Healthcare are also sources for medical supplies in the Bellingham area.

After surgery, dizziness may occur from being in bed for long periods or from lack of eating, which may cause balance issues and unexpected stumbling. Make sure your home is free from clutter, and if your bedroom is upstairs — stairs may be difficult — set up a comfortable place to sleep that is downstairs and close to a bathroom. Nightlights in hallways and bathrooms can also make it easier to move around at night and help prevent stumbling.

An elderly man listens to a doctor explain something while pointing to a computer screen.If you or your loved one needs someone there to help out — perhaps no family lives in the area, or loved ones who could help with caregiving have full-time jobs or are not comfortable with personal care tasks — our licensed caregivers at Take My Hand At-Home Care can assist Whatcom County residents as you return home and resume life after surgery and other hospital stays. Surgery can drain your energy for days or weeks, making simple tasks at home extra challenging. Our licensed caregiver companions can offer support while you’re healing and getting your strength back.

Your personal at-home caregiver can help with:

  • Hospital discharge from PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, WA
  • Transportation, purchasing healthcare supplies, picking up prescriptions, and helping you get settled in at home to recover
  • Grocery shopping and keeping the fridge stocked; preparing and serving nutritious meals according to unique preferences and dietary needs
  • Medication monitoring and reminders to help avoid accidentally taking too many or skipping a dose
  • Personal hygiene, if assistance is needed with bathing, dressing, toileting, etc.
  • Help with transitions from bed to chair or from sitting to standing, and assistance with walking to help prevent falls
  • Accompaniment to doctor’s appointments and sharing health information with loved ones
  • Light housekeeping such as laundry, dishes, changing sheets, and even feeding your pet

Our at-home caregivers are available to come by for a few hours daily, or we can provide 24-hour assistance if needed. Maybe a loved one is also there to help but would like to spend time focused on your well-being rather than running errands for supplies, preparing meals, and monitoring medications. That’s totally fine. Our trained and compassionate caregivers can provide support and comfort for both of you. To find out more about hiring your own at-home care provider, contact Take My Hand At-Home Care in Lynden.

As a family caregiver, do you take time for self-care?

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You know how important it is to care for your loved one, to make sure the right medications are taken on time, meals are nutritious, bedding is clean, and the list goes on.

Yet, do you also realize how important it is to take care of yourself — the caregiver?

Caregiving for a loved one at home is often a labor of love that can be filled with special and tender moments. Yet many family caregivers do not receive much acknowledgement or help.

Whether you’re taking care of your aging mom or dad, husband or wife, or another loved one, it’s important to notice your own signs of needing a break. Caregivers can experience caregiver burnout, stress, depression, high blood pressure and more.

Even feelings of guilt, anger, and resentment can build and undermine your health and the relationship with your loved one. When caring for a spouse, often the relationship has changed from sharing experiences, joys, and intimacy with a lifelong companion to taking care of someone who may need constant care.

The bond of marriage is strong and sometimes pride can get in the way of spouse caregivers asking for help as they remember their commitment, “I stood before God and said my vows. I will care for my husband.”

The Family Caregiver Alliance addresses challenges and considerations specific to caregivers caring for their spouse, including emotional impacts, physical challenges and social considerations.

Elderly gentleman watching a game of bocce on an outdoor court.

Have you considered who would take care of your loved one if something happened to you?

It happens all too often that family caregivers are so focused on the needs of their loved one that they neglect their own needs. Even when caregiving comes from a loving place and is rewarding, it can still be stressful and demanding. It’s important to take care of your own health – physical, emotional, and spiritual.

Make sure there is time to:

  • Reflect, breathe, meditate
  • Exercise and be outside
  • Eat right
  • Stay in touch with other family and friends
  • Do things that feed and nourish you, that keep you excited about life

It’s valuable to have support, to share the burden and care. Not only will some steady, consistent time off nourish your well-being, it will allow you to come back refreshed as you continue to care for your loved one.

You are not alone. Our caregivers at Take My Hand At-Home Care are specially trained to offer the type of care that is needed for your loved one in Whatcom County, whether it be companionship, assistance with shopping, preparing meals, monitoring medications, or help with personal care. We can give family caregivers in Lynden, Bellingham, Ferndale and beyond a much-needed break, some important and well-deserved time off.

The gift of appreciation

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We all love to be appreciated when we work hard.

At Take My Hand At-Home Care, we give thoughtful and attentive care to our clients, which is rewarding work in and of itself. It’s also special to receive thank you notes from families expressing what our caregiving services have meant to them. We were incredibly touched to receive this letter:

Dear Sue,

I’m writing on behalf of my mom, Patricia Brighton, and our family. We would like to express our deepest thanks for the abundant kindness, care and concern you gave each of us, especially Mom.

Each member of your team provided dependable, thoughtful and loving care. We so appreciate your devotion and attention to detail, even when expectations were more than challenging. Honestly, we never could have had her home for so long without your cheerful support.

I hold each one of you in such high regard. I hope you know your work is respected and so appreciated. I would recommend your services to anyone looking for quality caregiving. Thank you for all you do and the positive impact you have on the clients/families in your care.

Thank you, Sue, for being such a careful listener who is committed to excellence at Take My Hand At-Home Care. Your support and understanding helped us through a very dark time. You took our hands, held on tight, and helped us up again. Such a blessing when we needed it most.

Again, our deepest thanks to you, Sue, and your fabulous team of caregivers. We miss you already!

Warm regards,

Nancy Brighton & family

We are so thankful for our wonderful clients and their families. We are touched every day by their kindness and thoughtfulness as we share important moments in their lives and with their loved ones.

Providing at-home care to Lynden families like the Brightons is our pleasure. We will continue to offer caregiver services with kindness and care; we will continue to be careful listeners and aim to be a blessing to families as they are walking through difficult times.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control, 60 percent of Americans live with a chronic disease, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke or diabetes. Given those percentages, there inevitably are a great many “well spouses” who are caring for a sick person daily. When you’re the spouse who isn’t ill, how do you cope with the challenges while protecting your own health? Providing care for a … [Read More...]

ABOUT US

Sue Sorensen became involved with Whatcom County eldercare and aging-in-place services in 2009. She launched Take My Hand At-Home Care in January 2012 … Read More...

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Phone: 360-543-5777
Fax: 360-255-7564
*If you need immediate assistance for a loved one please contact us by phone.