Pope Benedict XVI’s unexpected retirement has captured headlines across the world. While this post is in no way going to get into papal politics, a storyline pertinent to the senior care industry is that, as we reach old age, our bodies inevitably become more and more frail — even when you’re the pope.

Shedding light on this matter is an article by Paula Span on The New York Times‘ New Old Age Blog. The Vatican recently revealed that the 85-year-old pope has a pacemaker, signifying “long-standing heart problems,” according to the article. Other reported health issues affecting the pope include difficulty walking even short distances and a recent fall in Mexico, leading Span to ask the simple question — is the now-former pope frail?

But what exactly is frailty? According to the Oxford’s Journals of Gerontology, “Frailty is considered highly prevalent in old age and to confer high risk for falls, disability, hospitalization, and mortality.” Still, a standardized definition of geriatric frailty has yet to be established.

The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation states that a person must meet three of the five following criteria to be considered frail:

1. 1. Weight loss

1. 1. Exhaustion

1. 1. Weakness

1. 1. Slow walking speed

1. 1. Decreased physical activity

As Span notes, trying to diagnose the pope from afar is not the point, rather it’s realizing that frailty is a real concern for elders. Encouragingly, in it’s early stages frailty is a condition that is reversible or can be slowed. In the article, Columbia University’s Dr. Linda Fried recommends key exercises to accomplish this, including regular walking and moving to maintain strength and muscle mass.

While the pope will surely live out the rest of his days comfortably and in the best of care provided by the Vatican, millions of aging Americans face a different reality. One that potentially brings about a national crisis unless a workable and affordable system of long-term elderly care is established. But that’s an entirely different story.

Physicians Choice Private Duty “ currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa ” provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. All Encompass services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.

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It’s very common for an elderly person to be taking several doses of prescribed medication each day. And the list of drugs seems to only get longer and longer over the years. This makes it increasingly more difficult for someone to properly manage their medication, which is concerning because a missed or wrong dose can have dire consequences.

According to the National Council on Patient Information and Education, around 90 percent of Medicare recipients take prescription drugs, and two out of five reported having to take five or more medications — and many are non-adherent to doctor’s orders. This non-adhereance all adds up to $1 billion annually in hospital costs, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. Meanwhile the FDA figures that more than two million serious adverse drug reactions occur each year, which are responsible for about 100,000 deaths annually.

If your loved one is taking several medications daily, you may want to take the time to help them better organize their pills, especially if they have poor vision and/or cognition problems. Here are some medication management tips via Caring.org.

There are many reminder technologies that can help, including:

Telephone-based reminders

Telephone-based medication reminders have the lowest cost and least intervention, according to Caring.org. Usually for a monthly fee in the $15-$20 range you can subscribe to an automated calling service that calls your loved one each day to remind them to take their medication. If the person doesn’t answer or acknowledge the reminder, the system will notify the designated contact (likely you) by email and/or telephone. No fancy new telephone required.

Another option is the Pill Phone, which is available through wireless carriers like Verizon an AT&T.

Reminders integrated as part of home monitoring or safety devices

Several personal emergency response systems should be available through your local pharmacy. Caring.org notes that these services are often built around wearable products such as pendants or watches. These vary in degrees of sophistication — from programmable medication reminders to a personalized emergency response system.

Electronic pill-dispensing systems

Electronic pill boxes are a small yet advanced way to offer medication reminders. These may be ideal for seniors who can load and count their own pills, or those with regular support from a caregivers. If you can afford it, there are also lockable electronic pill dispenser systems that cost upwards of $1,000.

Which level of intervention depends on your loved one’s ability to independently take medication. When choosing a medication reminder, Caring.org suggests envisioning your loved one’s ever-evolving need for medication management and intervention, taking into account his or her current needs and what those needs might be in the near future.

Physicians Choice Private Duty currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. All Encompass services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.

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Today’s post is part of our ongoing series, The Encompass Way. Here, we’ll go over many of the steps involved in setting up a comprehensive care plan, which helps us to provide seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps them maneuver through the challenges of the system.

The following test — which we call the “Get Up and Go Test” — is an assessment that should be conducted as part of a routine evaluation when dealing with older persons. Its purpose is to detect “fallers” and to identify those who need evaluation.

Senior care professionals should be trained to perform the “Get Up and Go Test” at check-in and query those with gait or balance problems for falls. Below is what they’ll be looking for.

Initial Check

All older persons who report a single fall should be observed in the following exercises:

• • From a sitting position, stand without using their arms for support.

• • Walk several paces, turn, and return to the chair.

• • Sit back in the chair without using their arms for support.

Individuals who have difficulty or demonstrate unsteadiness performing this test require further assessment.

Follow-Up Assessment

In the follow-up assessment, ask the person to:

• • Sit.

• • Stand without using their arms for support.

• • Close their eyes for a few seconds while standing in place.

• • Stand with eyes closed while you push gently on his or her sternum.

• • Walk a short distance and come to a complete stop.

• • Turn around and return to the chair.

• • Sit in the chair without using their arms for support.

While conducting the test, pay attention to any abnormal movements. As you observe, answer the questions below.

Follow-Up Assessment Observations

• • Is the person steady and balanced when sitting upright?

• • Is the person able to stand with their arms folded?

• • When standing, is the person steady in narrow stance?

• • With eyes closed, does the person remain steady?

• • When nudged, does the person recover without difficulty?

• • Does the person start walking without hesitancy?

• • When walking, does each foot clear the floor well?

• • Is there step symmetry, with the steps equal in length and regular?

• • Does the person take continuous, regular steps?

• • Does the person walk straight without a walking aid?

• • Does the person stand with heels close together?

• • Is the person able to sit safely and judge distance correctly?

The more you answer “no” to the above questions, the greater your loved one’s risk is for falling.

Currently serving Omaha and surrounding areas, all Encompass services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.

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“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit us today..”

Todays post is part of our ongoing series, The Encompass Way. Here, we’ll go over many of the steps involved in setting up a comprehensive care plan, which helps us to provide seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps them maneuver through the challenges of the system.

A third of people older than 60 suffer from hearing loss, making it one the most common conditions affecting older adults (hearing loss in the elderly is especially common, affecting half of people 85 and older). Causes can come naturally with age or be an undesired side effect of excessive noise exposure, trauma or even medication.

If you suspect your elderly loved one is suffering from hearing loss, there’s an easy test you can conduct yourself to help determine if a professional examination is required. The test comes from an Oxford study investigating the reliability of simple free-field voice testing from the book Age Ageing:

Performing the Whispered Voice Test

1. Stand behind the patient’s field of vision. This eliminates the possibility of lip-reading.

2. Gently occlude and rub the external auditory canal of the non-tested ear.

3. Ask the patient to repeat a set of three different random numbers (e.g., 6, 1, 9) presented to the tested ear at four decreasing levels of loudness: conversational voice at six inches and at two feet from the ear, and whispered voice at six inches and at two feet from the ear. Exhale completely prior to testing with whispered voice.

Scoring

A passing score is given if the patient can repeat all three numbers correctly at each level of loudness or achieve greater than 50% success over three successive triplet sets.

Failure to pass at each level of voice testing is considered a positive test for hearing impairment. Failure to hear a whisper at two feet indicates hearing loss and may be the most discriminant test of the set.

Hearing loss diminishes a person’s quality of life, making it hard to understand phone conversations, hear above background noise, converse with more than one person at a time, et al. Just imagine how frustrating it must be to have to continually ask friends and loved ones to repeat themselves. However, if hearing loss is identified, there are treatments that can ease the symptoms, so the sooner you get your loved one tested for hearing loss, all the better.

Currently serving Omaha and surrounding areas, all Encompass services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.

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In 2012, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that one out of three adults 65 and over falls each year. The outcomes of these falls can vary, but they almost always result in decreased mobility for elderly adults and can cause other complications down the road. The CDC also reported that falls are the leading cause of injury death among seniors, so it’s vitally important to make sure your loved one’s home is adequately modified to prevent falls. Below is a checklist to help do this.

All Rooms

• • Use carpet with short dense pile.

• • Apply double-sided carpet tape to rugs that can slip.

• • Arrange furniture so you can walk easily around it.

• • Make sure electrical and extension cords are not in your walking path.

• • Make sure you can turn on lights without having to walk through dark areas. Use nightlights, especially in the bathroom.

• • Keep exits and hallways clear.

• • Use stable chairs with armrests to help you getup.

• • Provide bright, evenly distributed light.

• • Use window shades that reduce glare.

• • Make sure you can easily reach a light switch when you come into a room, and install nightlights.

• • Have more than one phone in the house.

Stairs

• • Put handrails on both sides of the steps.

• • Make sure steps are even.

• • Use non-skid contrasting tape, rubber stair treads, or coated skid resistant surface treatment on non-carpeted stairs. Apply tape to dry, clean surfaces at one-inch intervals. Use three long strips of tape on each step.

• • Check carpeting to make sure it is firmly attached along stairs.

• • Make repairs to worn or loose carpet promptly.

• • Select a carpet pattern that doesn’t hide the edge of steps, making you think steps have ended when they haven’t.

• • Don’t place throw or scatter rugs at the top or bottom of stairways. All rugs should be secured firmly to the floor.

• • Use good lighting (at least 60 watt bulbs) in the stairway. Install on/off switches at the top and bottom of stairs.

• • Never leave books, purses, packages, or other objects on stairs.

• • Watch out for a single step. People often trip when there is only one step.

Kitchen

• • Use sturdy step-stools — preferably with handrails.

• • Throw out any step-stools that have broken parts.

• • Clean spills immediately to avoid slipping.

Bathroom

• • Use rubber bathmats or strips in bathtubs and showers.

• • Install at least two grab bars in the bath.

• • Clean up water from the floor.

• • Use raised toilet seats and/or handrails, securely fastened, if you are at all unsteady.

Outside

• • Install handrails along any flight of outdoor steps.

• • Spread sand on icy walkways.

• • Clean spills or slippery surfaces in garage immediately, before walking on them (especially grease on cement floors).

Physicians Choice Private Duty “ currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa ” provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. All Encompass services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.

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“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit us today..”