Elder Care: Dealing with dad’s incontinence

Urinary incontinence, for the most part, is a natural part of aging, thus it’s a far more common concern for elderly men than young men. Not a disease, incontinence is the accidental release of urine due someone’s bladder, urethra and/or damaged/weakened muscles not functioning properly.

The Mayo Clinic categorizes seven types of urinary incontinence:

• Stress incontinence. This is brought on by an involuntary leaking of urine brought on by sudden exertions, such as laughing, sneezing, coughing, etc. Although more common in women, common causes for men include “benign prostatic hyperplasia (a noncancerous overgrowth of the prostate gland), prostate cancer or prostate surgery,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
• Urge incontinence. Often called overactive bladder, urge incontinence is categorized as someone who urinates at least seven times daily and twice nightly. The causes are many: stroke, nervous system diseases like Alzheimer’s, bladder infection, kidney problems, even the result of an illness or surgery.
• Overflow incontinence. Someone who can’t empty their bladder completely suffers from overflow incontinence. This causes the constantly full bladder to trigger frequent urination and/or constant urine dribbling, according to the Mayo Clinic. Common causes are weakened bladder muscles due to nerve damage from diabetes, an enlarged prostate and kidney stones.
• Functional incontinence. The Mayo Clinic writes this is the common type of incontinence among older adults with conditions that limit their mobility, such as arthritis, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Their lack of mobility makes it hard to reach the toilet in time before accidents occur.
• Mixed incontinence. More common in women, mixed incontinence is when two types of incontinence at once. And the causes for each type aren’t necessarily related.
• Physical/developmental abnormalities. This can be due to birth defects or as an after effect of surgery, disease, trauma, injury, etc.
• Temporary incontinence. This can occur as a side-effect of a treatment, specific condition or acute disease. Also, drug use/medication, severe constipation and urinary tract infection are usual culprits of bringing on temporary incontinence as well, according to the Mayo Clinic.

What to do

It’s best see a doctor to properly diagnose the type of incontinence and recommend the proper treatment, such as bladder training, scheduling trips to the bathroom or fluid/diet management. Sometimes medication is an option and in other cases. adult diapers or catheters can ease problems caused by incontinence. In more serious cases, physical therapy or surgery can help as well.

Physicians Choice Private Duty can help

Physicians Choice Private Duty currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of the options available for those who’s quality of life is suffering due to a type of incontinence. Our professional staff can help properly implement the necessary lifestyle changes that will ensure the best quality of life for your aging loved ones.

All Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts.

Contact us today.

“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/“

Elder Care: What are the signs of dementia?

The signs of dementia can be subtle and go unnoticed and symptoms of dementia vary based on the portion of the brain affected. The first sign of dementia is often loss of short-term memory. There are common early and intermediate signs of dementia where relatives and caregivers may first notice the disease.

Here’s a list of signs from emedicineheatlh.com:

Early warning signs of dementia

• Difficulty finding words
• Forgetfulness, including names, appointments, losing things, et al
• Difficulty performing familiar tasks such as driving, cooking and chores
• Confusion/disorientation, even in familiar settings
• Unusual personality changes
• Exhibiting poor judgment
• Unusual paranoia
• Mood swings (including brief periods of anger/rage)
• Decline in level of functioning but able to follow established routines at home

Intermediate dementia

• Worsening of above symptoms
• Unable to live independently
• Irregular sleeping patterns
• Not able to learn new things
• Increased risk of falls
• Greater risk of falls and other accidents
• Confabulation, or believing in things or experiences that never happened
• Behavior disorders, including “paranoid delusions, aggressiveness, agitation, inappropriate sexual behavior,” according to emedicinehealth.com
• Hallucinations

Physicians Choice Private Duty can help

Physicians Choice Private Duty ”currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa” provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of the options available for those showing the signs of dementia. Our professional staff can help properly implement the necessary lifestyle changes that will ensure the best quality of life for your aging loved ones.

All Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts.

Contact us today.

“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..”

Helping your parent age: Caring for hygiene

Proper hygiene usually comes as a given for most adults, but as a person ages and slows down — especially if they’ve developed an illness or disability — once simple tasks like bathing become a much more strenuous (and sometimes even dangerous) process. And it’s common knowledge that bad hygiene can lead to many types of complications such as infections. That’s why as a caregiver it’s important to make sure your parent’s hygiene needs are taken care of.

Remember, if you’re unable to administer the necessary help yourself, the services of senior care specialists, such as Physicians Choice Private Duty, are always available. Call us today at 402-991-7399 if your elderly parent lives in or around the Omaha, Nebraska area. Our professional staff of nurses and social workers are at your service!

Here’re some tips in ensuring the proper hygiene of your parent:

• Washing. It’s best to let your parent know the washing routine before implementing it. This will help them feel more comfortable and create trust. Even so, this is often an uncomfortable scenario for most parent-child relationships, so seeking the help of an in-home care professional may be your best option.
• Encourage self-care. By encouraging your parent to take care of as much as their personal hygiene as possible, it’ll help prolong their independence, which will enrich their quality of life. If your parent has limited mobility, learning a different way to go about cleaning habits may be an option. For example, having them brush their teeth while sitting. In the same light, if you suspect self-neglect, it could be a sign of possible elder abuse.
• Incontinence. This is a common condition for many elderly people suffering from Alzheimer’s. If your parent is not already wearing them, adult diapers may be necessary to avoid accidents. Changing the adult diaper frequently will help ensure infections don’t happen. Like washing, establishing a changing routine is important in order to build trust. Likewise, this may be an uncomfortable scenario for you, so seek the services of an in-home care specialist if necessary.
• Establish routines. This may seem more important for the caregiver (you) than your parent, but all people find routines comforting, so establishing something that includes all the normal elements — like hair combing, teeth brushing, finger and toenail clipping — well make the time spent together all the more fulfilling. If your parent is still active but is prone to falls, having them bathe/shower while you’re nearby can give all involved more peace of mind.
• Ask them what they want. The more communication the more empowering it is fall all involved. If your mother wishes to wear makeup, help her put it on. If your father wishes to have a groomed beard, help him with that. This helps boost their self respect and personal identity.
• Check of abnormalities. If you’re administering hygiene routines for your parent, it’s a good time to check for abnormalities, such as bumps, scrapes, rashes, bruises et al that may be a sign of a health problem. Make note of any concerns and consult with a professional caregiver.

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/“

The six steps to settling an estate in Nebraska

Settling an estate of a deceased loved one is a timely process that takes several months — or sometimes years — to complete, depending on the circumstances. Even so, it’s a necessary headache that must be dealt with. To help simplify things, we’ve put together the following steps to make this complicated process a little easier for you.

Nebraska estate law administers inheritance tax through county courts rather than at the state level. The tax rate is not fixed, rather it’s basically a certain percentage of the market value of the assets subject to taxation decided based on the relation of the inheritor(s) to the deceased.

Like we mention above, settling an estate is a time consuming and complicated (no matter what state you’re in), so seek out the help of an estate lawyer to further guide you through the process.

Step 1: Make an inventory of documents and assets

Before meeting with an attorney or anything else for that matter, make a comprehensive catalogue of the decedent’s documents and assets, including (if applicable):

• Last Will and Testament
• Burial/memorial instructions
• Revocable Living Trust
• Life insurance policies
• Bank statements
• Brokerage statements
• Stock and bond certificates
• Corporate records
• Car/boat titles
• Deeds
• Last three years of decedent’s income tax returns

Step 2: Open a probate estate

This requires meeting with an estate lawyer to officially open a probate estate with the local probate court. (Probate is the legal process that administers a decedent’s estate.)

Step 3: Establish value of assets

Establish the values of all the decedent’s assets as of the date of death. This can get messy, so make sure all of the following is taken care of:

• Contact all financial institutions that house decedent’s assets and obtain date of death values.
• Have a professional appraise all assets, including real state, jewelry, artwork, collectibles, businesses, etc.
• If the estate is eligible for federal taxes and/or state taxes, then values for non-probate assets will need to be established as well.

Step 4: Pay final bills and other expenses

• Establish what legitimate bills were owed at the time of death and pay them.
• Pay for any ongoing expenses of administering the estate, such as legal fees, accounting fees, mortgage payments, utilities, etc (these usually come out of the estate).

Step 5: Pay income and estate taxes

Once the final bills are taken care of, the personal representative should focus on paying necessary income and estate taxes. An estate lawyer can take you through this process to make sure the following is properly prepared and filed:

• Final federal and Nebraska income tax returns
• Final federal and Nebraska estate income tax returns
• Final Nebraska estate income tax returns if‚ estate earns income during course of settlement
• Final federal and Nebraska inheritance tax returns

Step 6: Distribute the balance to estate beneficiaries

Once all bills and taxes are paid and the remaining assets are assigned a value, the county probate court will review everything and legally administer the distribution of assets properly as deemed in the Last Will.

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/“