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Victorian Home Care Newsletter
February 2009
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Surveys Continue to
Reinforce In-Home Care as the Preferred Choice for Care
90% of respondents (Georgia AARP members
between the ages of 50 and 60) in a recent survey reported that it would be
extremely or very important to have services that would enable their family
members and themselves to stay at home for as long as possible, if long-term
care services were needed.
Read details here.
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Common Sense and Kindness Foremost
in Facing Aging Effectively
The current health care system is
overburdened and often crisis-oriented with technology-focused care provided by
medical specialists. Helping older adults to live at home for as long as
possible is the best use of community resources. In his book, "My Mother, Your
Mother," geriatrician Dennis McCullough advocates for "slow medicine" when
dealing with late life issues faced by older adults, a movement shaped by
common sense and kindness. Slow medicine is based on the social model of elder
care - hands-on, compassion and focus on day-to-day care in the home, taking
time to value quality of life and honor relationships.
Click here to find out more about the book.
Read entire article.
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Greetings!
Temperatures are dropping and snow is falling
across much of the country.
But along with the cold in February comes Valentines Day,
and with it this simple reminder: a warm heart makes for a toasty and
comfortable home! Victorian Home Care is pleased to continue to offer the kind of care that keeps
people in the comfort of their own homes for as long as possible. Home is definitely
where the heart is!
With this issue of our newsletter we continue
to offer the most recent in home care, elder care and aging news. We hope you
enjoy this information in the spirit of camaraderie with which it was sent. As
always, we thank you for your continued interest in Victorian Home Care.
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White House AND the Beltway Follow the "Granny Trend"
 Marian
Robinson, 71, Michelle Obama's mother, will move into the White House to care
for her grandchildren, Malia and Sasha Obama, when their parents are otherwise
occupied. Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden, 91, mother of Vice President Joe
Biden, already lives with her son. Dorothy Rodham, 89, mother of Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton, lives with her daughter and former President Bill
Clinton in homes in Chappaqua,
N.Y., and the District of Columbia.
According to national
statistics (the 2007 American Community Survey) the number of people aged 65
and older living with their adult children increased 50 percent between 2000
and 2007. The 2000 census showed that of the 35 million American adults aged 65
and over, about 1.4 million of them lived with their children. Currently 37.5
million seniors and 2.1 million are living with their adult children.
American Community survey.
Read the entire article.
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Who is Making Decisions on
Care for Aging Parents? Their adult children are.
How would you reach them?
ONLINE!
 The
77.2 million people now between ages 44 and 62 - known for decades as the "baby
boomers" - now make up the largest group of US Internet users. At 56.7 million
strong, they constitute nearly 30% of the online population. About 74% of
boomers use the Internet at least once a month.
To read
marketing details on how the boomers use the Internet, click here.
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Move That Thermostat Up: Even Mildly
Cool Homes with Temperatures from 60 to 65 Degrees Can Trigger Hypothermia in
Older People
The National Institute on Aging
Warns About Hypothermia Danger for Older People
 Hypothermia, which can be deadly if
not treated quickly, is a special danger for older adults, as they are
especially vulnerable. When a person's body temperature drops below normal and
stays low for a prolonged period of time, there is a risk of hypothermia. With
advancing age, the body's ability to endure long periods of exposure to cold is
lowered.
Some tips for prevention: -
Wear several
layers of loose clothing when it is cold. The layers will trap warm air between
them. Tight clothing can keep blood from flowing freely and lead to loss of
body heat.
- Wear a hat,
scarf, gloves or mittens, and warm clothes when you go outside in cold weather.
A significant amount of your body heat can be lost through your head, and hands
and feet are the first body parts to get cold.
- To keep warm
at home, wear long underwear under your clothes, along with socks and slippers.
Use a blanket or afghan to keep legs and shoulders warm and wear a hat or cap
indoors.
- Make sure
your home is warm enough. Set your thermostat to at least 68 to 70 degrees.
Even mildly cool homes with temperatures from 60 to 65 degrees can trigger
hypothermia in older people.
- Check with
your doctor to see if any medications (prescription or over the counter) you
are taking may increase your risk for hypothermia.
For details, click here.
To order the fact sheet, Hypothermia: A Cold Weather Hazard, or
the brochure, Stay Safe in Cold Weather, call toll
free 1-800-222-2225 or visit the NIA Web site at www.nia.nih.gov.
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About Victorian Home Care:
For nearly 30 years Victorian Home
Care has been providing superior home care and geriatric care management
services to seniors or people with physical and/or mental disabilities in Monterey,
Santa Cruz, and San
Benito Counties. Care, compassion, integrity, and exceptional customer service are Victorian's
guiding principles, employing only carefully selected caregivers who are
the most dedicated and qualified and strive to ensure the same kind of care
family members would provide. Victorian Home Care services include
assistance with activities of daily living, personal care, transportation,
respite care and medication management. For
more information visit www.victorianhomecare.com
or call (831) 655-1935 in Monterey
or (831) 662-3093 in Aptos.
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