Resources for caregivers | Take My Hand At Home

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.

How to practice thankfulness — and how it can improve your life

December 10, 2020 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

Giving thanks can make you happier and healthier.

In a world that seems crazier by the day, how can you ensure your brain and body remain in good shape? Research shows that one way to do this is by practicing gratitude.

According to Harvard Health, the act of being thankful “helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

The more we spend time thanking others, thinking positive thoughts and compiling our own lists of things to be thankful for, the less we spend time experiencing aches and pains and visiting the doctor. Grateful people also might have better sleep and healthier hearts, according to the University of California, Berkeley.

The upshot of all the research is that if you’re interested in improving your health, being more thankful is a great way to go. So, how can you practice gratitude here in Whatcom County? Here are five simple ways:

Keep a gratitude journal. Each day, write down something you’re thankful for. Some days, it might be just a word, and other days it might be several paragraphs or more. Think back on things that have happened recently and recall why you are thankful for them — maybe a stranger holding open a door for you, a package that arrived earlier than expected, a kind greeting from the pharmacist at the drugstore, etc. The point is to find things to be thankful for and write them down.
Write and send thank-you notes. A thank-you note is a personal connection that can improve two lives — yours and that of the person receiving your note. Perhaps you could send a thank-you card to your doctor or leave a note thanking the driver in the space next to yours for not dinging your car when you parked a little crooked.
Pray or meditate. If you’re religious, be sure to work gratitude into your daily prayers. Mindfulness meditation, too, can be a refreshing way to incorporate thankfulness into your routines.
Create visual reminders of the things you’re thankful for. One of the biggest reasons we’re not more thankful is that we simply forget to be. Creating visual reminders — a sticky note on the mirror, perhaps, or a visual cue on the dining room table — can help us enter a state of thankfulness as we go about our day.
Simply say “thank you.” Whenever you have the opportunity, say “thank you” to those around you. At the store, on the phone, while driving (a friendly hand wave will suffice!), in a conversation with your at-home assistant.

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude can work wonders in your life. Let’s get started!

Should I take my parent out of assisted living during COVID-19?

September 1, 2020 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

Assisted living can be a wonderful way to ensure that loved ones get the care they need as they age.

Many assisted living and skilled nursing centers offer a robust level of care while also doing what they can to ensure that those who live there are able to retain some independence and live life as “normally” as possible.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has radically altered how assisted living facilities can operate. State and federal guidelines regarding the management of care centers have severely restricted visits with family members and even hampered how much residents can see and talk with each other within the facilities.

In fact, these restrictions have led many families to think about removing their mom or dad from long-term care to help ensure that loved ones aren’t isolated and lonely while they wait out the pandemic.

Is removing a loved one from assisted living during COVID-19 something you have been considering? Or maybe you’ve been thinking about placing mom or dad in assisted living, but during the pandemic you’re not certain it’s a good idea?

Here are a few questions you might want to ponder:

If you take a loved one out of long-term care, how will he or she receive the necessary care? Regular visits from an at-home care provider could be one way to ensure that your loved one’s daily needs are met during COVID-19. Or perhaps you will be providing the care yourself. Either way, you’ll want to have a plan in place before you decide to move mom or dad — and one that includes where your loved one will stay.
Are you worried about your loved one’s state of mind? Loneliness can have drastically negative consequences for older adults. If you fear that your loved one spends too much time alone due to COVID-19 restrictions, bringing them home — where kids and grandkids can pop by any time for a socially distanced visit — might be a good choice.
What are your long-term care facility’s policies? If your loved one is currently in assisted living, check to find out what policies and procedures are currently in place regarding visitation, infection prevention and other issues. This article from NextAvenue includes other great questions to ask a current or prospective long-term care facility.
Do you have a long-term lease set up? If you’re locked into an agreement of any kind, you’ll want to think about the potential costs of leaving early. You’ll also want to consider whether your loved one can be readmitted to the assisted living facility down the road.
What will you do when the pandemic is behind us? When COVID-19 has run its course, or when governments allow the return of some of the freedoms of yesteryear, will your loved one continue to live at home? Will you need to line up a long-term home or apply for admission to assisted living? Will you continue to make use of at-home care to provide for your loved one in the comfort of home?

The pandemic and its related lockdowns haven’t had nearly the effects on at-home care that they’ve had on assisted living centers. Here at Take My Hand At-Home Care in Lynden, we certainly are being cautious to avoid spreading COVID-19, but we’re generally able to continue as before, caring for people in their homes and helping them conduct essential duties throughout Whatcom County. Government restrictions on health care facility operations, on the other hand, have forced larger changes.

Are those changes big enough to cause you to consider caring for a parent or loved one at home? The choice is yours, and we hope this post has given you a few good considerations to ponder.

How to visit loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic

August 7, 2020 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

It’s natural to want to visit our elderly loved ones. We do love them, after all, and thus we want to spend time with them. Plus, we know that loneliness and social isolation are unhealthy for older adults, so we want to ensure our elderly moms and dads aren’t neglected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the disease does more strongly affect older adults. While the overall hospitalization rate for COVID-19 is quite low (121 people per 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the rate is nearly triple for people 65 and older. Thus, we want to do what we can to ensure that our elderly loved ones aren’t affected.

In an era of physical distancing, mask wearing and constant sanitization, how can we spend time with loved ones while also helping to ensure their health and safety?

It’s possible to visit elderly loved ones here in Whatcom County, but it takes a little extra caution and care. Below are a few essential ways to show care for your mom or dad while visiting.

Remember that the virus can be spread by people without symptoms. Even if you feel perfectly fine, it’s possible that you’re infected with the novel coronavirus and thus can spread it to an elderly loved one. Think about where you’ve been recently and what interactions you might have had through which you could have picked up the virus. It’s probably best not to visit mom or dad if you’ve been all over the place out and about.

Wear a mask. Feel free to smile and wave without a mask from a safe distance away, but if you’re going to be having a conversation close to your loved one, it would be a good idea for both of you to mask up and play it safe. Person-to-person spread via respiratory droplets is thought to be the primary way that the virus spreads.

Meet outside. Given how the virus spreads, the likelihood of the virus spreading outdoors is much lower than it is inside, according to research. If you have the opportunity to visit on the porch, in the yard or in a public park, take it. The weather is beautiful in the Pacific Northwest this time of year, so it’s a great time to spend time outside chatting or playing a brain-boosting game with your loved ones.

Don’t stay too long. According to the CDC, the risk of spreading COVID-19 increases the more closely people interact with each other and the longer that interaction lasts. Planning what you want to talk about before you arrive at mom or dad’s house can be one good way to keep visits short. Breaking up visits over several days — a few minutes today, a few minutes tomorrow — can be another option (plus, spreading out your visits gives loved ones something to look forward to).

When visiting an elderly loved one in Lynden, Bellingham or elsewhere in Whatcom County, a few simple actions can help decrease the chances of spreading COVID-19.

Help! I have questions about caring for an aging parent.

May 6, 2020 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

As we’ve mentioned before in previous TMH Client Profiles, at Take My Hand At-Home Care we hear often from adults who are wondering when and how to decide that mom or dad needs a higher level of personal care and attention.

These certainly are not easy decisions to make, and every situation is different. But read on for an example situation that may include elements of what you’re going through. Perhaps it will help you make those important decisions.

Mom is still pretty active. She lives nearby, so sometimes I accompany her to doctor visits in Bellingham or take her shopping, but she typically can do those things just fine on her own.

The other day, when we were working in her garden, she mentioned that she loves her home — she’s lived in the same home in Lynden for 50 years, after all — and doesn’t want to leave. When she eventually needs care, she said, she wants to stay at home. She doesn’t want to be moved to a long-term care center or assisted living facility; she’d rather just stay right at home.

The problem is that I’m not able to spend the time caring for her that probably would be required. I have a family of my own to care for, and I have to go to work every day, too. How can I meet mom’s desires to stay home while also being sure that she’s taken care of? Sometimes it keeps me up at night.

This is a common concern. Adults in the sandwich generation — those who are sandwiched between caring for aging parents and caring for their own young children — often find themselves having to make difficult decisions about how to spend their time and money. Do I sacrifice my family time to spend evenings and weekends caring for mom? Do I dip into our family savings to pay for upgrades to mom’s home so she can age in place? How do I even know when mom is ready for extra assistance around the home?

No single solution is a perfect fit for every family here in Whatcom County. However, there are some good options for adult children in situations like this to consider:

Set up a consultation with a home care provider to discuss your situation. A trained provider with experience in at-home care situations can take a look at your loved one’s situations and offer personalized advice. Take My Hand offers complimentary in-home assessments for folks in Lynden, Ferndale, Bellingham and throughout Whatcom County.
Ask an at-home care provider for part-time shifts to cover basic needs. This would help your mom or dad get used to the idea of having people other than family members in the home. Plus, part-time home care would help set a baseline for the care needed. At-home care situations can be new for everyone, and starting off slowly is often a good idea.
Caregivers like us are fond of saying that the best caregivers are those who are able to care for themselves and meet their own needs. Honestly, that’s critically important. If you, as a family caregiver, are constantly giving and never receiving, you’re going to run your own batteries so low that you won’t be able to help anyone. Please know that your family — spouse, kids, yourself — needs and deserves your attention, so don’t feel guilty if you can’t be with your aging parent as much as they might like.
Independence and self-sufficiency are good things for older adults. We try to keep them from becoming reliant on outside help too early; if they can do something for themselves, let them and encourage them! Of course, pay close attention to signs that they might need extra help — increasing bouts of forgetfulness, difficulty getting around, declining eyesight, lack of ability to process and understand doctors’ orders, etc. — and step in when necessary, but don’t feel obligated to help just because your parents are getting older.
Now is a great time to start considering payment options for long-term care. You never know what you might need in the future, and how much it might cost. Consider your family financial situation and the amount of money mom and dad have saved up and start investigating options that might work for you. Long-term care insurance can be a good choice, as can Medicare and private-pay options.

If you’d like to have a discussion about any of these aspects of eldercare in Whatcom County, please feel free to give us a call or send an email.

Providing care to elders at home during COVID-19

March 27, 2020 By Take My Hand At-Home Care

Dear clients, family members and loved ones,

During this time of distancing, we at Take My Hand At-Home Care wanted to let you know that you’re on our minds, even if we’re not able to see some of you in person right now.

We are still caring for our wonderful clients in their own homes, of course, and it’s to that end that we wanted to share important information about limiting the spread of COVID-19 in our vulnerable communities.

Everyone has a part to play in managing public health threats such as this one. Older populations are particularly at risk from this new coronavirus — and from many other viruses as well.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions such as heart, lung or kidney disease appear to be at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness.

That is why Take My Hand has outfitted all of our caregivers with gloves and masks to wear while they are providing care. We also are carefully monitoring staff for potential signs of illness and ensuring that those who are feeling sick are staying home.

When TMH representatives drop off supplies for clients and caregivers, we are leaving them at the door to minimize physical proximity.

Take My Hand caregivers continue to work as hard as possible to meet all client needs in light of the current healthcare crisis, which is affecting everyone not only here in Whatcom County but around the world.

We ask that you continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we fight the spread of this disease together. If you would like to help in other ways, too, we would appreciate donations of thermometers, gloves and masks. If you would like to make a donation, please reach out to us at 360-543-5777 or sue@takemyhandathome.com. Thank you so much!

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, here are some things you can do to connect with your loved ones even during times of physical isolation:

Conduct video chats. For those who are familiar with the technology, a face-to-face video chat via FaceTime, Hangouts or Facebook could be a wonderful way to stay connected. You could share a virtual meal, hold an online book club or play a game together. Think outside the box!
Make phone calls. Consider setting up a schedule in which various family members are assigned certain days or times to pick up the phone and call elderly loved ones. These moments can be precious personal times that everyone is able to look forward to.
Have packages delivered. During the current “stay at home” order in Washington state, online ordering is still an option. Consider having packages of gifts or home essentials delivered via Amazon or some other service.
Visit through the window. As long as you are observing social distancing guidelines, it’s still OK to go outside. Consider dropping by your loved one’s house and visiting through the window. Maybe tape a note or photo to the outside of a window for your loved one to read. Sing a treasured song or hymn, play a musical instrument, juggle… there are so many possibilities!

Thank you for trusting Take My Hand At-Home Care with your needs! It is an honor to serve you. We will get through this together if we all continue to do our part.