Resources for caregivers | Take My Hand At Home

Simple bathroom safety updates for older adults

April 19, 2022 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

Each year, more than one in four adults 65 or older will experience a fall, with 20% of them resulting in serious injury. This is according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which also notes that not only can falls cause immediate injury, they can instill a fear of falling, causing people to limit their activities, thus lowering their quality of life. Thus, it’s no surprise that some of the best ways to improve bathroom safety for older adults involve making changes that help reduce the likelihood of a fall.

Below are 10 simple changes anyone can do to help improve bathroom safety for older loved ones.

Clear the clutter. Crowded bathrooms are likely to present a trip hazard. Consider removing rugs, plants, magazine baskets, toilet paper stands and anything else that isn’t strictly needed in the room.

Install grab bars. Strategically placed handholds can dramatically lessen falls in the bathroom. One just inside the room, for example, can provide balance while the other hand is used to shut the door. Note: Do not use a towel rack for this purpose, as they are not designed to support human weight.

Put non-slip decals in the tub. This is especially important if the tub also is used as a shower (and if that’s the case, consider converting to a walk-in shower instead). A porcelain tub is extremely slick when wet and soapy, contributing to falls for even the most sure-footed people.

Install a raised toilet seat. It takes much more effort to position oneself on a lower seat, and of course getting up is that much more difficult, too. A raised seat makes the process easier.

Buy toilet safety rails. Like a raised seat, safety rails can make it much easier to sit on and get up from the toilet. Plus, they help provide balance in case your loved one begins to feel unsteady on the seat.

Get a stool for the shower. A tall stool in the shower will help your loved one rest tired legs while bathing and provide a steadier perch than attempting to stand on a slick, soapy floor.

Lower water heater temperature. The CDC recommends that water heaters be set at 120 F or lower to prevent burns. Even 110 F or 115 F should be warm enough.

Install brighter lightbulbs. Increasing the brightness of bathroom lighting can help older adults better see any obstacles that might be in the room.

Install lever-handle faucets. Knob-style faucets can be difficult to operate for those with arthritis or similar conditions that limit dexterity.

Ensure easy access to and from the bathroom. Check the hallway outside the bathroom for obstructions. Is there an end table there that could be removed? Is the transition from the hall carpet to the bathroom in good repair? Is the hallway lighted adequately, and is the light switch easy to access?

Take My Hand At-Home Care provides loving, attentive home care service throughout Whatcom County. If you’ve tried the above fixes but still aren’t confident that your loved one can navigate the bathroom safely, please give us a call. We would be happy to help.

5 podcasts for senior wellness

March 15, 2022 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

The vast array of podcasts – i.e. internet radio shows – in today’s world is enough to make anyone’s head spin. From true crime storytelling to politics and health, there’s a podcast out there for practically any topic, taste or age range. If you’re of a certain adult age – or have a senior family member – it might interest you to know there’s plenty of podcasts that promote senior wellness.

Aging not just gracefully, but safely and healthily, is part of Take My Hand At-Home Care’s mission. With that in mind, here’s a sampling of some terrific podcasts with the senior set in mind:

“Aging in Full Bloom” – Hosted by Lisa Stockdale, this senior-focused podcast features a wide range of topics and guests, including an episode featuring Alzheimer’s caregiving advice from Patti Davis, daughter of President Ronald Reagan.

With engaging 15- to 30-minute episodes about everything from elder law to retirement advice and heart health, “Aging in Full Bloom” is a friendly, engaging choice for listeners.

“Better Health While Aging” – Another podcast with practical advice health advice both for seniors and those who care for them, this show is hosted by Dr. Leslie Kernisan, a board-certified geriatrician. On the show, Dr. Kernisan discusses such topics as when to know if your aging parent needs help and how to discuss it with them.

More than 100 episodes of “Better Health While Aging” are available, so there’s no shortage of knowledge to consider here, whether the topic is bladder health or how to survive the holidays with several generations of family.

AARP’s “The Perfect Scam” – Hosted by Bob Sullivan, the podcast shares stories of people duped by scammers, including a woman who donated land to a disabled veteran’s charity only to learn it wasn’t real.

Part of the AARP Fraud Watch Network, “The Perfect Scam” includes interviews with fraud experts, scam victims and even some of the professional con artists who perpetrate them, providing insight into how these grifters operate.

“Stay Wealthy” – A Forbes Top 10 retirement podcast hosted by Taylor Schulte, a certified financial planner, “Stay Wealthy” provides a variety of episodes focused on what seniors need to financially live their best retirement.

Topics in each 15- to 30-minute episode include how to reduce tax liabilities, make smarter investments and conduct other retirement income strategies. All information is delivered in a relatively easy to understand way.

“New Tricks for Old Dogs” – A podcast aimed at engaging the fun part of the baby boomer brain, this show co-hosted by veteran comedian Paul Menzel and voice actor Jim Conlan is a celebration of senior living. Each episode is chock full of fun conversation about aging challenges, not only, but also features such elements as offbeat news items, adventuring tips, and interviews with seniors staying engaged in life.

And of course, there’s no shortage of shameless humor. The “New Tricks for Old Dogs” podcast website also features a ton of great website links for seniors, including everything from daily laughs to travel savings to healthcare.

With the plethora of great podcasts aimed at seniors, the medium offers an excellent way for older adults to stay up to date on health, wellness and lifestyle trends. We hope you find something on this list you enjoy. And if you want to recommend a wonderful senior-focused podcast that’s not on this list, please let us know!

How to reduce stress, avoid chronic disease

February 22, 2022 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

Isn’t it ironic that stress has such a strong relationship with disease? The more stressed we are, the more chronic diseases can attack our bodies — which, naturally, tends to stress us out even more.

“Your body is hard-wired to react to stress in ways meant to protect you against threats from predators and other aggressors,” writes the Mayo Clinic in an article about stress management. “Such threats are rare today, but that doesn’t mean that life is free of stress. On the contrary, you likely face many demands each day, such as taking on a huge workload, paying the bills and taking care of your family. Your body treats these so-called minor hassles as threats. As a result, you may feel as if you’re constantly under attack.”

That feeling, in turn, can lead to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, digestive problems, depression, memory impairment and more.

That’s enough to stress anyone out, right?

There is good news, however. You can fight back.

Here are four things you can start doing today to reduce your stress:

Take care of yourself physically. Engaging in regular exercise, getting plenty of sleep and eating a healthy diet will set your body up for success. Are you or an older loved one having trouble sleeping? Here are some tips to improve your sleep.

Take care of yourself mentally. Practicing mindfulness techniques can help break the “cycle of worry,” says one expert, which in turn can put you back in control over your life. What’s more, mindfulness can lead to cognitive improvements and other benefits, especially in older adults.

Pursue your passions. When you take time for hobbies and other things you enjoy, you are lowering your stress level. The Annals of Behavioral Medicine found during one study that when pursuing hobbies, participants’ moods were more positive, and they had lower stress and heart rates. What’s more, stimulating social and mental activities are known to keep our brains sharp as we age.

Learn more: Activities to support brain health and memory in seniors

Get the help you need at home. Among the people we talk with regularly here at Take My Hand At-Home Care, a major stress point is the care of older loved ones. Family caregivers bear an enormous amount of stress in ensuring that their mom or dad are getting the support they need as they age. Contracting with a company like Take My Hand can help reduce the burden of stress through trustworthy, reliable care at home. We work in Bellingham, Lynden, Ferndale and throughout Whatcom County to help families lower their stress and ensure their loved ones are well cared for.

Call us today to get the at-home help you need.

Learn more: Is now the right time to choose at-home care?

How to help older loved ones sleep better

January 12, 2022 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

Good sleep is critical for people of all ages, given its importance to weight loss, concentration, heart health, healthy metabolism, mental health and more.

As we age and our health needs change, a good night’s sleep remains a critical need, as proper sleep has significant positive impact on concentration, memory and immune health among the elderly. In addition, a poor night’s sleep can lead to debilitating fatigue throughout the day, making it difficult to perform regular activities of daily living.

What’s more, when our elderly loved ones sleep poorly, they aren’t the only ones affected. Poor sleep can not only negatively impact their health, but also the health of the family caregivers who perhaps lose their own sleep because of it.

What can be done to improve sleep among the elderly?

While many elderly with nightly sleep issues end up with a prescription drug aid, doctors say drugs usually are not the best solution. Instead, doctors recommend making simple lifestyle changes — improving “sleep hygiene” — to boost sleep.

Sleep hygiene improvements can help ensure that time in bed is more fruitful; among them are sticking to a regular bedtime, avoiding screens before bed, bathing before bedtime, getting plenty of exercise throughout the day (but not within four hours of bedtime), and avoiding afternoon caffeine and spicy foods.

Hiring an at-home caregiver can help an elderly loved one manage many of these important tasks. A caregiver can assist with walks and other activities and can help with bathing and timekeeping tasks to ensure that bedtime can be consistent. A caregiver also can help manage food and drink in the afternoon to ensure that loved ones can keep consistent.

If nighttime pain is preventing sleep, a caregiver also can help with medication management, ensuring proper and timely dosage.

Caregivers also can monitor other potential causes for sleep interruptions and work with the family to find solutions to specific issues, such as sleep apnea, a sleep disorder marked by repeated interruptions to breathing. Caregivers also can help family members in determining, with guidance from the family doctor, what changes to sleep patterns are a part of normal aging.

Take My Hand At-Home Care works with families throughout Whatcom County to care for their elderly loved ones. Whether you need four hours in the afternoon to help prepare for bed or a 12-hour shift to assist with bedtime activities and monitor sleep, Take My Hand can help. Just give us a call to discuss your needs.

Gathering with family? Here’s how to spot whether older loved ones need assistance

December 23, 2021 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

With the holiday season is in full swing, you might be visiting older loved ones for food, fun, and frivolity.

Perhaps it’s the first time you’ve seen your loved ones in a while, and they’ve changed as they’ve grown older. You will want to be on the lookout for ways to help or for signs that your older loved ones might need additional assistance in their day-to-day lives.

Here are some things to look for:

Physical ability

It’s no surprise that as we age, our ability to do things for ourselves diminishes. Walking without assistance, for example, can become a difficult or even dangerous task. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year, one in four older adults will experience a fall, making falls the leading cause of injuries and death from injury among the elderly.

What to look for: Watch your loved ones walk across the room. Are they shuffling or dragging their feet? Are their feet spread far apart to aid balance? Does it take a long time? Are they steady walking and sitting down? According to the AARP, these can be signs that a loved one might need assistance walking.

What you can do: Take steps to prepare your loved one’s home for aging in place, including removing barriers and simplifying the furniture arrangements. Call an at-home care provider such as Take My Hand for assistance with daily activities and mobility.

Mental health

Like physical decline, cognitive lapses can occur with regularity among older adults. According to the CDC, subjective cognitive decline affects roughly one in nine people. As you gather with your loved ones this holiday season, there are things you can do to gauge whether dementia, Alzheimer’s or a similar brain decline might be at play.

What to look for: Increasing forgetfulness, difficulty understanding directions and increases in impulsivity can be signs of cognitive decline in an older loved one.

What you can do: Reach out to Dementia Support Northwest in Bellingham for a memory screening. The organization has a mobile unit that can travel anywhere in Whatcom County. Contact Take My Hand or another at-home care provider for assistance. Caregivers can devote as little or as much time as is needed to ensure the proper amount of attention and support for loved ones in Bellingham, Lynden, Ferndale and elsewhere in the county.

If you want an expert to evaluate whether your loved one needs extra assistance, please reach out to us at Take My Hand At-Home Care for a no-cost and no-obligation evaluation. You can reach us at 360-543-5777 or info@takemyhandathome.com.

We can help in many areas, including medication monitoring and reminders, help with ambulation to prevent falls, light housekeeping, personal hygiene, cooking, grocery shopping and much more.

How to prepare a home for aging in place

July 1, 2021 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

On July 26, the United States celebrates National Disability Independence Day in commemoration of the signing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.

Celebrating this day each year helps us recognize the importance of the ADA and the many protections and improvements it provided. The act also placed a spotlight on important accommodations for people with disabilities, such as wider doors and ramps for those who use wheelchairs, and assistance technology to help people read.

As you look around your home, there probably are many accommodations you could make to help those who need assistance. In honor of National Disability Independence Day, here are a few changes to consider making to your home to make it more accessible for those with disabilities:

Simplify the furniture arrangements. Improving accessibility throughout the home can be as easy as removing unnecessary furniture and other trip hazards. Do couches partially obstruct walkways? Are there stacks of magazines or trinkets that could be stored safely away?
Install lever door handles and faucets. Knob-style faucets and door handles can be difficult to operate for many people, especially those with arthritis or muscular difficulties.
Remove steps at entryways. Stairs are barriers for many people, especially older people and those who use wheelchairs. Exterior ramps can help, and it’s even better if your home layout will allow a step-free threshold. It’s also important to ensure that your house has a first-floor bathroom so there’s no need to try to navigate a flight of stairs.
Widen doorways and hallways. Anyone who uses a wheelchair, walker or cane needs additional room to maneuver. Ideally, all doorways and hallways will be at least 3 feet wide.
Add grab bars and other enhancements to the bathroom. Because of the often-slippery surfaces, bathrooms represent particular trip hazards. Easily accessible grab bars can make it easier to use the toilet, bathtub and shower. A stool or bench in the shower can help prevent falls. You could even consider a shower that allows wheelchair users to roll right in.
Increase the lighting in dark areas. Extra light can make it easier to spot and avoid obstacles, especially for those whose eyesight is diminished. While you’re at it, make sure that the switches are easy to operate.

In addition to these changes, another way to help improve life for those with disabilities is to ensure that there is extra help around the home. Engaging the services of a part-time, at-home caregiver can be an enormous boost in helping people with the activities of daily living. Take My Hand employs certified nursing assistants throughout Whatcom County who can help with daily tasks and activities and provide respite for family caregivers. Reach out today for your free in-home assessment.

How to identify strokes — and help prevent them — in an elderly loved one

May 6, 2021 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

As we age, our risk of stroke increases. According to the Mayo Clinic, those older than 55 have a greater likelihood of stroke than do younger people.

Are you concerned about the risk of stroke in a loved one? Here’s how to spot them:

An older man in a hat looks off into the distance outdoors.

You’ve probably heard the acronym FAST, from the American Stroke Association. The acronym is a great way to help identify the symptoms of a stroke in a loved one.

F: Face drooping. If you spot face drooping and suspect a stroke is occurring, ask your loved one to smile. If the person is having a stroke, his or her smile might be uneven or lopsided.

A: Arm weakness. Ask your loved one to raise both arms and check whether one arm drifts downward.

S: Speech difficulty. Ask your loved one to repeat a simple sentence. Stroke victims often will have slurred speech that is difficult to understand.

T: Time to call 911. If you see any of these symptoms — even if they go away — call 911 and take your loved one to a hospital immediately.

To help prevent strokes, there are a few things you can encourage your loved one to do:

An older woman in a hat looks off into the distance in a diner.

Get good sleep. According to Senior Living, elderly people who sleep poorly — those who wake often and have erratic sleep patterns — are more susceptible to developing hardened blood vessels, which can restrict blood flow to the brain and lead to strokes. The avoidance of strokes is one way in which good sleep can promote good health. If an elderly loved one has Alzheimer’s or dementia, working to manage sundown syndrome also can help promote better sleep.

Pay attention food and drink. Cholesterol, which sticks to the insides of our blood vessels and restricts blood flow, can increase stroke risk. Sodium can lead to high blood pressure, which is a major stroke risk. Diet soda, too, can be harmful. And then there’s fatty food. Trans fat, in particular, can contribute to strokes (not to mention obesity, cancer and heart disease). Spend some time researching the value of good nutrition and make changes in your loved one’s diet to maximize the benefits of great food.

Exercise. Research published in the journal Neurology found that higher levels of physical activity were associated with a lower risk of silent stroke.

If you’re concerned that a loved one might experience a stroke or other medical issue with nobody around to help, consider setting up a schedule with family members or seeking a nurse for hire to be with your loved one when you are unable. A home attendant caregiver can help offer peace of mind that someone will be there for your loved one — while also helping out with many other personal care tasks, including shopping for healthy foods. Take My Hand At-Home Care provides licensed caregivers throughout Whatcom County to help the elderly live safely at home.

Five simple ways seniors can lower cholesterol

April 6, 2021 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

Many of us, during our regular checkups with our doctors, are told we need to lower our cholesterol. LDL cholesterol (often referred to as “bad” cholesterol, as opposed to HDL, or “good” cholesterol) can increase our risk of heart disease or stroke because it sticks to the insides of our blood vessels and restricts blood flow.

As we get older, our bodies tend to produce more cholesterol, so our cholesterol levels are especially important to keep an eye on.

There is no magic way to maintain healthy cholesterol levels without putting in hard work, so if you have high cholesterol, you’ll need to make a few lifestyle changes. Here are four simple things you can start doing today to achieve healthy cholesterol levels:

Lose weight. Extra weight contributes to high cholesterol. Each day, find small changes you can make to take steps toward weight loss. For example:

Instead of snacking on potato chips, grab a couple carrot sticks.
Every 30 minutes, get up from your chair and walk around the room (even standing up periodically has benefit).
Drink more water.

Small changes can lead to the formation of good habits that can pay large dividends over time in lowering cholesterol levels.

Exercise. Moving your body regularly can help increase the LDL cholesterol in your body while also helping you lose weight. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day for a healthier heart. Whatcom County offers many wonderful walking opportunities.

Adjust your diet. Specific changes to what you eat can do wonders for heart health. Saturated fats — appearing in such natural products as dairy and meat — can be eaten in moderation, but reducing their levels in your diet is a great step forward. Another step is to eliminate trans fats; when shopping, check labels and avoid buying anything containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. On the positive side, increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids can help lower blood pressure, and eating more soluble fiber can help keep cholesterol from entering your bloodstream. Eat more fruits and vegetables, eat less sugar and fat.

Don’t smoke. Nicotine reduces LDL cholesterol levels. According to the Mayo Clinic, your risk of heart disease one year after quitting smoking is half that of a smoker. What’s more, it takes just three months after quitting for your blood circulation to improve and lungs to work better.

Seek assistance. Helping you along your path to achieving the above goals is one way an at-home caregiver can be of service. Caregivers can accompany you on walks, cook heart-healthy meals and help you remember to increase your water intake. They also can accompany you to doctor visits as you attempt to learn more about treatment options. To learn more about how caregivers can help, give Take My Hand At-Home Care a call.

How to identify elder fraud scams — and help those you love

March 3, 2021 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

In today’s world, money scams that prey on the elderly are prevalent.

Fraudsters often use telephones and email to conduct their scams, capitalizing on seniors’ trusting natures and unfamiliarity with technology. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has opened new opportunities for criminals, and some classic in-person scams still are being used regularly.

On its website, the FBI lists common elder fraud scams. Among them are the grandparent scam, in which criminals pose as a relative — usually a child or grandchild — claiming to have an urgent need for money, and the home repair scam, in which criminals appear in person and charge homeowners in advance for home improvement services that they never provide.

Other scams include the COVID-19 charity scam, in which criminals claim they are collecting donations for families hard-hit by job losses during the pandemic but are keeping the money for themselves. Here in Whatcom County, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center has warned of a COVID-19 scam in which fraudsters call the elderly under the guise of COVID-19 contact tracing and attempt to acquire private information.

Email scams sometimes take the form of blackmail, with fraudsters demanding payment in exchange for not releasing sensitive information they claim to have about you.

Here’s how you can help keep elderly loved ones from falling prey to scams:

Review common scams, especially those that target the elderly, and familiarize yourself with how they work. That will help you recognize when criminals might be using one of these methods to target a loved one. The list provided by the FBI is a good place to start. SeniorLiving.org has a great list of scams as well.
Educate your mom, dad or elderly loved one on the potential for scams. Make sure they know to contact someone if anything seems fishy. If they get a threatening email or receive a strange phone call, have them reach out to you or a trusted friend to discuss the issue. In addition, explain potential scams to help them identify what’s happening should a scam artist contact them.
Research scams online. Most scams have been used many times. An internet search with details of the scam — for example, with some of the specific language used in a threatening email — can help you determine whether this is a common scam attempt.
If your loved one is a victim of fraud, report the scam to the FBI or to your local police. Try to capture and share as many details as possible, including names, dates, methods of communication, descriptions of the fraud claims and — if money has been sent — how it was sent and to whom. Reporting scams can help protect not only your loved one but also any future victims the criminal might plan to target.

Fraud is a story as old as time, but with some research and foresight, we can learn to identify potential scams and help protect ourselves and others.

How to spot cognitive decline in a loved one

January 5, 2021 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

Cognitive lapses are fairly common among older adults, with subjective cognitive decline affecting roughly one in nine people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s natural to be concerned that a loved one might experience dementia, Alzheimer’s or a similar brain decline in older age.

How can you tell whether cognitive decline might be happening to someone you know and love? Here are four things to look for:

Increasing forgetfulness. If you’ve noticed that your mom or dad tends to have increasing trouble remembering routine tasks, or if you’ve seen that more and more appointments are being missed, advancing cognitive decline may be a factor. You also might notice that your loved one is forgetting recent conversations or events. “Some cognitive decline can occur as adults age,” according to the CDC, “but frequently forgetting how to perform routine tasks, for example, is not a normal part of aging and can affect a person’s ability to live and function independently.”

Difficulty understanding directions. After a visit to the doctor, for example, your loved one might struggle to follow instructions about taking pills. Getting lost more easily can be a sign, too — like getting “turned around” more often in the grocery store.

Increases in impulsivity. Perhaps your loved one has been buying things online that he wouldn’t have in the past or is showing other signs of acting without thinking.

Changes in hygiene, appetite or organization. Becoming increasingly messy at home or disorganized in how tasks are conducted can be another symptom. Decreased hygiene and reduced appetite also can be warning signs.

It’s important to remember that signs of cognitive impairment may be mistaken for other issues, as experts at Emory University have detailed. Some medications, for example, may cause side effects like drowsiness or mental slowness. Hearing issues can make it harder for people to follow along in a conversation, and arthritis or other pains can cause problems with concentration.

If you see any of these signs in an elderly loved one, reach out to Dementia Support Northwest here in Whatcom County for a memory screening to get a better handle on what might be the issue.

And if you do find that a loved one needs ongoing assistance, hiring an at-home caregiver can be one way to assist loved ones who might need increasing levels of support. Caregivers can devote as little or as much time as is needed to ensure the proper amount of attention and support for loved ones in Bellingham, Lynden, Ferndale and the rest of Whatcom County.