Seniors For Living

Real Stories: Physicians Choice Private Duty puts family first

Todays post features real-life stories of how Physicians Choice Private Duty helped an elderly person and their loved ones through a tough decision-making process that ensured each persons individual care needs were met. Names have been changed to respect privacy.

Cooper Family

A very elderly couple lived alone in a four level home. With both of them suffering from health and memory loss issues, the couple’s children grew increasingly worried about their parents’ everyday safety. The children contacted Physicians Choice Private Duty for help. A plan was soon put in place to make the elderly couple’s home a much safer place, including adding features like Lifeline, a medication reminder system, an auto turn off stove and bathroom modifications, et al. Thanks to Physicians Choice Private Duty, the children can rest assured that their parents are safe, who are happy they were able to still remain in their home of nearly 70 years.

Klaus Family

An elderly woman moved to Omaha to live with her daughter. She had been failing at home because of dementia and was in need of in-home care. The daughter, able to act as primary caregiver but unsure of where to start, called Physicians Choice Private Duty for help. A safe plan was put in place that allowed the mother to remain at home, with her daughter by providing medication management, social outings, activities, transportation to appointments and meal preparations. Pre-planning was also completed to find the appropriate long term care facility when/if needed.

Garcia Family

The family of an elderly woman was concerned about her driving abilities and her memory loss. They consulted with Physicians Choice Private Duty who in turn helped find a geriatric specialist who discovered that her confusion and inability to focus was due to her medication. Her medication was adjusted by the specialist and she is still driving safely to this day.

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 Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/.”

Hearing aids can improve your elderly parent’s quality of life

Hearing aids can improve your elderly parent’s quality of life

Hearing aids can improve your elderly parent’s quality of lifeAccording to an article published on SeniorLiving.org, 31 million people in the United States develop hearing loss of some severity or another. Nearly 60 percent of those with hearing loss are over age 65. More than 6 million Americans use hearing aids, but that leaves 24 million who do not. If you suspect your elderly parent is experiencing hearing loss, having them get a hearing aid will improve their quality of life as well as make your life easier.

Fitting a hearing aid is easy with an open-fit digital hearing aid. In the past, an audiologist would make a silicon mold of your ear for a custom fit. Todays open-fit and speaker-in-the-ear models require no molds and only minor tweaks for a custom fit.

Most performance adjustments used to require a visit to an audiologists office where adjustments would be made and you’d be on your way. But adjusting in an office for real world hearing loss was rarely perfect. Although still common today, oftentimes you’d have to make another trip back for a readjustment. Now, using computer software, you can program your hearing aid from home. With some software, you can type a problem like Conversations are muffled. Then the software automatically adjusts the hearing aid for you. Other times, the hearing aid vendor can make the adjustments and email you the adjustment file.

The Mayo Clinic goes in-depth about the differences between various hearing aids. Here is some of their information summarized:

Completely in the canal — These hearing aids are molded to individual ear canals to improve mild to moderate hearing loss. Generally, the smaller a hearing aid is, the less powerful it is, the shorter its battery life and the more it’ll cost. These are least noticeable in the ear, and less likely to pick up wind noise. They are easy to use with phones and use smaller batteries that don’t typically last as long. These hearing aids often don’t contain added features like volume control or directional microphones.

In the canal — Like in completely in the canal hearing aids, these are custom molded to fit in the ear canal, but not as deeply. These improve mild to moderate hearing loss in adults. In the canal hearing aids are less visible, easy to use with the phone, but also include features that won’t fit on completely in the canal aids. However, the small size can make these features difficult to adjust and they may not fit well in smaller ears.

Half-shell — An even smaller version of the in the canal hearing aid. These are custom molded and fill the lower portion of the bowl-shaped area of the outer ear. This will counteract mild to moderately severe hearing loss. This hearing aid is slightly easier to handle than smaller hearing aids. It includes additional features like directional microphones and volume control.

In the ear (full-shell) — An in-the-ear (full-shell) hearing will be custom made to fill most of the bowl-shaped area of the outer ear. It is useful for those with mild to severe hearing loss. This model will be more visible to others and may pick up wind noise. It does contain helpful features like volume control and the features are easier to adjust. These are typically easy to insert and use larger batteries which normally last longer than their smaller counterparts.

Behind the ear — Behind-the-ear hearing aids hook over the top of your ear and rest behind the ear. They pick up sound, amplify it and carry the sound back to an ear mold that fits inside your ear canal. This is useful for all types of hearing loss. It is also the largest, most visible type of hearing aid, though newer versions may be smaller and barely visible.

Open fit — These are usually a very small behind-the-ear-style device. Sound travels from the instrument through a small tube to a tiny dome or speaker in the ear canal. These leave the ear canal open and are best for mild to moderate high-frequency loss where low frequencies are still heard near normal. These often lack manual adjustments because of the small size.

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 Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/

AARP : 42 percent of working Americans are caregivers

According to a video from the AARP, at any given time, 44 million Americans are taking care of an older family member. And many of these people are forced to juggle their caregiving duties with careers and other family obligations. In the video, a study shows that 42 percent of working Americans — roughly 55 million people — have provided elder care in the last five years. With an aging population, these numbers are only expected to grow.

The video also examines the rights people legally have (or, sadly, don’t) to take time off from work to take care of an elderly relative, providing real-life examples of people in stressful caregiving situations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvnoVq86oqk

If the increasing care needs of an elderly loved one become too difficult to be handled by a family caregiver, help is available through the services of a senior care provider such as Physicians Choice Private Duty, currently providing elder care solutions for people in Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty helps lift the burden of caregiver stress

Alzheimer’s or other dementia: Should I move my loved one into long-term care?

Maybe you have just learned about the devastating diagnosis or have been living with it for years. Regardless of the situation, caregiver burnout becomes a reality.

Your options

  • Care for your loved one at home. Some caregivers also may want to think about part-time care at home with a health aide or nurse or in an adult day care — to lessen the stress and burden of 24-hour-a-day care.
  • Move your relative into a nursing home or other long-term care facility.

Key points to remember

  • People with Alzheimer’s or other dementia need a safe, consistent, structured environment. You may be able to provide this at home. In other cases, long-term care in a center is an option.
  • People with dementia usually need more and more care as time goes by. At some point, your relative will most likely need constant 24-hour care — either in your home or at a long-term care center.
  • A care center may offer your loved one some people to talk to, as well as activities and outings. Social contacts may keep him or her active for as long as possible.
  • Caring at home for someone who has dementia takes a lot of time and work. It also costs money if you hire part-time help. Caring for a loved one at home also may take time away from other areas of your life. Every family has different needs and limits to think about.
  • By using adult day care programs and part-time help, you may be able to keep your loved one at home longer.
  • Remember that your own health, both physical and emotional, is as important as that of the person you’re caring for.
  • Deciding to move your relative into long-term care is not a sign of failure in your role as caregiver.
  • Any move, whether to a facility or even a stay at the hospital, will set back your loved one. Increasing memory loss and behavioral changes should be anticipated.

“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living 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 http://www.private-duty.pchhc.com.”

How Respite Care Combats Caregiver Burnout

Types of care facilities for the elderly

How Respite Care Combats Caregiver BurnoutWhen considering the care of your aging parent, it can be hard to know the different definitions of the types of care facilities for them, let alone which one is best. Here’s a quick reference, taken from a list by the Foundation Aiding The Elderly (FATE), as to what the different types of care facilities are and what they’ll mean for your elderly parent:

Board and care

A facility such as this is not required to have nurses or doctors on staff. They provide meals and activities to residents, plus assist with some tasks like dressing, eating and hygiene, according to FATE. For most of these facilities the residents must be ambulatory (able to walk).

Independent-living facilities

Categorized here are retirement centers, mobile home parks and single-family homes where the levels of care vary, writes FATE. Some of these facilities serve meals in dining halls shared by all residents and some may have assisted living services.

Intermediate-care facilities

These provide medical care for residents who require 24-hour supervision and occasional skilled nursing care. Often in this environment the residents must be able to walk or use a wheelchair, according to FATE. They also must have some control over bowel and bladder functions.

Skilled nursing facilities

Skilled nursing facilities are for around-the-clock care and supervision. Residents often need help with dressing, eating, bowel and bladder care and with the taking of prescribed medications. They also offer many varieties of therapy such as physical, speech and occupational. According to FATE, these facilities are often very institutional and are run by large corporations for profit.

Sub-acute care facilities

This type of facility provides care outside of acute-care wards of hospitals and are for patients on respirators or nasal/tube feeding, writes FATE.

If you’re having trouble deciding what type of care to pursue for your elderly parent in the Omaha area, Physicians Choice Private Duty can help. Contact us today with your senior care needs.

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 Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/.”

Real Stories: Keeping couples together

Real Stories: Keeping couples together

Real Stories: Keeping couples togetherTodays post features real-life stories of how Physicians Choice Private Duty helped an elderly person and their loved ones through a tough decision-making process that ensured each persons individual care needs were met. Names have been changed to respect privacy.

Ron and Laura

Ron and his younger wife Laura have a 28 year age difference between them. Ron suffers from dementia and Laura, who is busy with work, worries about him during the day. She contacted Physicians Choice Private Duty and after our assessment of Ron and Laura’s situation, we were able have Ron voluntarily attend a local adult day care center and start him on dementia medications. Through his new friendships at the care center, Ron now feels valued and is tired in the evenings, which allows the Laura to come home from a hard day’s work and relax. Thanks to Physicians Choice Private Duty, the couple is able to remain safe and together.

Mabel and Graham

Mabel is completely independent, while her husband Graham needs skilled level care. With help from Physicians Choice Private Duty, the couple was able to find an assisted living facility that accommodates their different levels of care requirements. Today, both Mabel and Graham are doing great in their new environment and have been able to stay together.

Bob and Peggy

Bob and Peggy’s family all live out of town and became worried about the elderly couple when they kept going to the ER for various medical complications. The family initially wanted Physicians Choice Private Dutyto come in and move Bob and Peggy to a higher level of care, but through our assessment process, we were able to give them a safe plan to stay at home. To ensure their safety, they need medication management, meal preparation and assistance with some of their ADLs, but Bob and Peggy are still living at home independently and happily.

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 Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/.”

7 things to do when you visit your elderly parent

7 things to do when you visit your elderly parent

7 things to do when you visit your elderly parentVisiting an elderly parent in a nursing home or even those still at home can be difficult, especially when you live far away. Here’s a  list of some things to do on a visit to get the most out of your time together.

1. Give them priority

It’s hard to tune out the rest of the world with our constantly plugged in culture. If at all possible, for the duration of your visit, leave the smartphone alone. Give your elderly parent your full attention. It will be noticed.

2. Do what brings them joy

Don’t assume that you know what your parent wants, or likes, to do. The best way to determine what the person your visiting wants to do is to ask. You may need to coax it out of them, but they’ll likely tell you what they would like to do with your time spent together. It may be as simple as playing checkers or going out to lunch.

3. Find topics of interest

It’s sad to say, but many don’t visit their aging parents in nursing homes because they are afraid they won’t know what to say. In advance of your visit, prepare topics to talk about. Be willing to take the lead in the conversation and introduce new topics until you hit on one of interest.

4. Bring photos, take photos

Photographs of fond times can be a treasure. These photos will likely spark stories and conversation more easily than asking about events. When spending time with your elderly parent, bring a camera, too. If something happens that your relative would be fond of remembering during your visit — such as a hug from a grandson — the photo can be kept and the event revisited.

5. Be willing to change topics

One of the sad realities of nursing homes is that people are often there due to declining health. It’s easy to get bogged into ruminating on declining health. While it’s important to hear your parent out, there may come the time to change the subject. Remind your parent of happier times or the good things that they still have in their life.

6. Keep in mind that short visits might be enough

You may think you need to stay all day to make your elderly parent happy, but it’s just as likely that they may get tired with company for this duration of time. Check with them and see how long they’d like you to visit. If they’re not sure, you can monitor them for signs of fatigue like sitting very still, short responses or glazed eyes. Stop the visit before you wear them or yourself out.

7. Ask them what they want when you can’t visit

There’s no substitution for your company, but compromises may need to be made. Ask your relative what they’d prefer from you when you can’t visit. Are there special care items that they’d like to get in the mail? Do they prefer a scheduled phone call or written letters?

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 Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.

“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..”

Physical activity also keeps your elderly parent’s brain fit

Physical activity also keeps your elderly parent’s brain fit

Physical activity also keeps your elderly parent’s brain fitAs your parents age, it’s still important for them to exercise. While many associate exercise with benefits to physical health, studies show it can also benefit us cognitively. A post at the New York Times describes several recent studies that outline the role exercise has in maintaining our brainpower. 

Physical activity, any physical activity

Laura Middleton is an associate professor at the University of Waterloo in Ontario where one of the studies was conducted. She told the New York Times, “Our results indicate that vigorous exercise isn’t necessary [in protecting the mind]. I think that’s exciting. It might inspire people who would be intimidated about the idea of quote-unquote exercising to just get up and move.

The results of the study were found by measuring the energy expenditure and cognitive functioning of a large group of elderly adults over the course of two to five years, the newspaper reported. The physical activities of the group described to have the least cognitive impairment over the course of the study consisted of minor exercises like “walking around the block, cooking, gardening, and cleaning.” Nearly 90 percent of those with the greatest daily energy expenditure thought and remembered throughout the study just as well as they had in previous years.

Staving off dementia

The second study was conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School. The senior author of the study was Jae H. Kang, assistant professor of medicine at the institution. This time physical activity was measured in women with vascular conditions. Kang told the Times that walking and light activity bought participants heading towards dementia five years of better brainpower.

Weight training and cognitive health

The third study mentioned in the Times article might mean that there’s another option besides walking and gardening to help cognitive health as we age: weight training. Scientists from the Aging, Mobility and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of British Columbia and other institutions found that light weight training changed how well older women thought and even changed how blood flowed within their brains.

The study participants incorporated lifting weights twice a week for 12 months. At the end of that period they performed markedly better on tests of mental processing than control groups who only completed balance and toning training programs. M.R.I. scans of the weight trainers showed that the parts of their brains in charge of mental processing were considerably more active compared to the control group.

So in short, get your parents off the sofa and out for a walk — it’ll not only help them maintain their physical independence, but their cognitive well-being as well.

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 Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.

“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 https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/  today..”

Real Stories: Helping a mother with depression & an elderly father get back on his feet

Real Stories: Helping a mother with depression & an elderly father get back on his feet

Real Stories: Helping a mother with depression & an elderly father get back on his feetToday’s post features two real-life stories of how Physicians Choice Private Duty helped an elderly person and their family through a tough decision-making process that ensured each person’s individual care needs were met. Names have been changed to respect privacy.

Cindy and Marylyn

When Cindy’s mother Marylyn suddenly lost her husband, she moved back from the West Coast to be closer to Cindy and the rest of her family. Although Marylyn wanted to be independent, she refused to take assistance in many areas she needed help with, such as transportation, meals, medication management, etc. At a loss on how to work with her mother’s increasing depression and opposing thoughts about the future, Cindy and the rest of the family contacted Physicians Choice Private Duty for help.

Physicians Choice Private Duty‘s staff worked to get Marylyn on antidepressants as well as put her in touch with a therapist regarding grief issues. Once her situation was stabilized, Marylyn was able to make the decision to move back to her hometown and into senior independent living with medication management and transportation provided. Cindy and the rest of the family were relieved that Marylyn was safe and taken care of.

Jack

One day, Jack, a 93-year-old living with his daughter and son-in-law, fell in the garage and broke his shoulder and several teeth. He was rushed to the ER but wasn’t admitted. Instead, Jack was sent home to a split level house where he was unable to go up and down the stairs or use a walker properly (he even had trouble fitting the walker through the bathroom door). Jack’s family worked and were unable to care for him during the day, so they contacted Physicians Choice Private Duty for help.

Physicians Choice Private Duty negotiated with a local rehabilitation facility to provide the necessary services to get Jack back fully on his feet through Medicare B, paying privately for room and board. Jack stayed there for 20 days and then returned home to his regular routine — safe.

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 Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/

A contract to stop your elderly parent from driving

A contract to stop your elderly parent from driving?

A contract to stop your elderly parent from drivingThe answer to getting your elderly parent to stop driving may come long before they are physically unable to drive. Having your elderly loved one hang up their keys and surrender their Nebraska driver’s license can be a touchy subject. Some are broaching this subject early. A blog post on The New York Times‘ website mentions a novel way that some are doing this: with a contract. 

The contract, signed while the driver is still able to safely drive, makes it apparent that the reason for one day preventing the person from driving stems from a love of them and consideration of their safety and the safety of others. Having the conversation before someone needs to intervene and establishing a contract can make the decision less painful, and put the decision somewhat in the driver’s hands.

The agreement is used to signify that the elderly driver recognizes that a trusted relative will notify him when he should stop driving, or only drive under certain restrictions. By signing the document, he pledges to accept his trusted relative’s recommendation when the time comes. The driver, a witness and the person who will advise him when to stop driving all sign the agreement.

Matt Gurwell came up with the idea from informal contracts recommended for teen drivers and their families. Gurwell retired after 24 years as an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper and during that time brought more than 100 death notifications to people’s doors. Gurwell said a substantial proportion of those involved elderly drivers. The article points out that after age 75, drivers have worse crash records than young drivers and are more vulnerable to injury and death.

Gurwell told The New York Times, “I saw a significant void in how we deal with this problem. Families don’t know what to do. Physicians sometimes don’t want to get involved. Courts hands are tied because of sentencing guidelines. It’s a hot potato.

The contract has no legal weight and some drivers will not sign or adhere to, but it seems like a delicate way to approach the subject.

If you’re concerned with the safety of your elderly loved one behind the wheel, plan on discussing it as soon as possible. Help and advice is always available via senior care providers such as Physicians Choice Private Duty.

“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..”