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Welcome New Staff!
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Samaria Abena Oware
Ann-Marie Brobbey Awuah
Juanita Jones
Juliet Ofori
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"Contentment is natural wealth,
Luxury
is artificial poverty."
~ Socrates
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Join Our List
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Greetings!
Here at Always There Home Care, we are grateful you are slowing down to read our newsletter full of items that relate to home care, home health care, aging and eldercare, as well as some useful tips for daily living. Please enjoy in the spirit of community and cooperation in which this newsletter was sent.
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 Featured Article: Why do Alzheimer Patients Have Lucid Moments?
Alzhimer's Reading Room By Bob DeMarco
I have not yet discovered that one single thing that brings the "rain". Those wonderful lucid moments that make the heart soar.
I am frequently asked: "Is there an article which explains what is happening in the brain that gives dementia patient's times of lucidity, and times of confusion, and times of both?"
This is an interesting and thought-provoking question. I bet millions of Alzheimer's caregivers have thought about this over and over.
I'm always searching for the Holy Grail. Next month makes it 8 years that I have been caring for my mother, Dotty, age 90, with Alzheimer's. I don't know of any specific research that answers this question.
I do know some of the things that makes Dotty "more there" and "very dull".
There can be little doubt that exercise increases blood flow to the brain. Does increased blood flow to the brain help cause moments of lucidity? Of course it does, and the exercise does not need to be strenuous: a brief walk outdoors, some chair exercises, a bit of physical therapy, etc. Before exercise Dotty might be dull, engaging in challenging behavior, and firmly entrenched in the "No" world. Afterward, she looks taller, seems more in control of her own world, smiles and talks. There are no miracles in Alzheimer's care, but there are a few well proven, day brightening helpers. Count exercise among them.
Continue Reading...
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 "A society grows
great when old
men plant trees
whose shade they
know they shall
never sit in." ~ Greek proverb
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Five Reasons it's Not
Time for a Nursing Home
To Move or Not to Move...
To be clear, this article is not addressing a short-term stay in a nursing home for rehabilitation, but of becoming a permanent nursing home resident. The latter is a decision that changes many things irrevocably, so if you're grappling with this possibility right now, the following five considerations may help your decision-making.
Reason #1:
Your aging parent can walk well According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of your mom or dad falling in a nursing home is twice that of falling in the community. Are you surprised by that? Let's be honest-this is not exactly a selling point for nursing homes. Think you can guess how the fall risk is reduced inside these facilities? If you've ever been to a nursing home and seen residents in wheelchairs rather than on their feet, then you know the answer. So what happens when your 89-year-old mother enters a nursing home able to walk, but is encouraged to roll? Over time her leg strength diminishes and along with it her mobility and sense of autonomy
Reason #2:
Good health is on your aging parent's side
Nursing homes were created for people who require some sort of treatment, management, observation and/or evaluation by skilled staff. Skilled staff (as defined by Medicare) include nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, audiologists and speech pathologists. Examples of care that only a skilled staff member can provide would include wound care, physical therapy and/or intravenous injections.
Needs that fall outside of those described above (think bathing and grocery shopping) would be considered unskilled. If your aging parent has unskilled needs alone, moving him or her into a nursing home is likely to be overkill.
Continue Reading...
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"It is best to learn as we go,
not as we have learned."
~ Anonymous
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Personal Emergency
Response Systems for Seniors
An emergency response system offers an easy and effective way to get medical attention quickly, even when using the phone is not an option. The basic components of almost all systems are:
* A small button that the user wears, typically on a pendant or wrist band. If help is needed, he or she squeezes the button, which sends a signal to:
* An intercom, usually about the size of an answering machine, that is installed between any phone in the user's home and the wall jack. This device then places a call for help that is answered by someone in an office or call center.
Most providers will provide the equipment for free, but charge a monthly fee of about $30 per month.
Beyond these similarities, however, there can be significant differences the level of service provided, so it is important to carefully compare systems before selecting one. Here are some questions to keep in mind:
Hardware
* Is the button waterproof? (Many falls occur in the
bathtub or shower.)
* Is the hardware compatible with internet-based
phone services?
* How far away from the intercom can the signal
from the button be picked up?
* What kind of backup battery is available in case
of power failure?
* Is the condition of the battery in the button
monitored regularly and replaced as necessary?
* Will the system work if the phone is off the hook?
* Is there a way for the user to get medical
assistance away from home?
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"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown our your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary"
~ Steve Jobs
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KUDOS from Kelly
By Kelly McNamara
Joyce Ayensu
First, our profound thanks to Stella for referring Joyce to us to care for my grandmother, JF. She has Alzheimer's and Joyce has shown profound professionalism, patience and genuine caring for her. My entire family is so grateful for her amazing skills. She brings my grandmother to many, many doctor appointments, to physical therapy, and on good days for fun shopping trips. Joyce is quite the fashionista, an attribute we all appreciate! She has taken on my grandmother's pain issues with a level of perseverance and compassion as though it were her own. Thanks Joyce... we don't know what we'd do without you!
Lydia Agyekum
Lydia has been a patient and loving caregiver for BS for several months now, and we hope she remains so forever. She has managed to coax, and sometimes trick BS into trips outside, exercise indoors in cold weather, and regular showers. They have become fast friends, and Lydia has learned a great deal about Jewish holidays in the course of her care. Her humor and creativity have enriched BS' life considerably. They communicate and kid each other like long-term friends, which is what they have become. Thanks Lydia for a job wonderfully done!
Akouisa Mensah
Akouisa began as a wonderful live in for TC for a year, until she left that position for nursing school ( Yay !). Her school schedule allows her to continue to work with us on an hourly basis and she has filled in for relief and has cared for hospice clients, doing a wonderful job with all of them. But there is a special reason for her mention in this month's column. Akouisa is a consistent and dependable user of our phone-in time keeping system. Accurate use of our telephony system is important for accurate time reporting. And she has achieved 100% compliance in the use of our system. Thanks so much Akouisa for being such a great example for all our caregivers!
Stella Asante
It is not often we award a kudos for saving a client's life, but his month we have Stella to thank. After a dinner of perogies, Stella noticed VB choking. She sprang to action and performed the Heimlich procedure on VB and after a few attempts, dislodged the offending food particle. She alerted 911, but by the time they arrived, VB did not know what all the fuss was about, though she enjoyed the attention. Stella will be making sure VB's food is chopped fine, and will be very alert for any further swallowing problems. Our sincere thanks to Stella's quick action in making sure that VB stays with us for a very long time!
Many many thanks to all of you for once again extending yourselves to ensure that we are.... Always There..!! And, as a way of showing our appreciation this month, everyone mentioned above will receive a special gift card!
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"Mountaintops inspire leaders
but valleys mature them."
~ Winston Churchill
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Providers We Love
We are privileged to have received referrals from and be able to coordinate care with many Assisted Living facilities, rehab facilities, and Medicare Home Care and Hospice agencies. Our growth is in large part due to the trust the staff in these organizations have put in our caregivers. We are likewise impressed with them and we are committed to referring to them on a regular basis
Arbor Rose, Assisted Living, New Britain
Long a favorite facility of ours, Arbor Rose boasts a wonderful and caring group of staff, activity folks who keep life interesting for residents and a very welcoming environment for our pet therapy program. Our caregivers who are providing service for some residents at Arbor Rose have determined that Arbor Rose serves the best food and has the friendliest and most attentive dining staff of any facility in which they've worked. High praise indeed! Thanks to our colleagues at Arbor Rose for their continued support and trust in our caregivers. It is always a pleasure to work with all of you!
Seabury Active Living Retirement
Community, Bloomfield
One of Connecticut's first retirement communities, Seabury has grown impressively from its original facility. The sprawling campus now boasts several individual residences, from apartments to substantial single homes. Their memory care unit is superb. The surroundings provide lovely views in all seasons. An immense fitness facility, including a large pool promotes continued fitness of older adults. Seabury boasts an outstanding 85% participation of its residents in the fitness facility. Seabury also has an innovative Life Care program and Seabury at Home service. Their home care program provides both Medicare as well as home private duty services for the community and the surrounding area. It is a privilege to work in co-operation with them.
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About Always There Home Care
Always There Home Care provides compassionate, dependable and professional one-on-one care for seniors who need assistance in the comfort of their homes or residential care communities. Services from highly qualified and trained caregivers range from companionship, meal preparation and incidental transportation to personal care, medication management and RN-directed case management. Available 7 days a week, services range from a few hours a day to 24-hour care.
Always There Home Care understands that every situation is unique and creates individualized care plans to help improve a client's quality of life.
Our caregivers are totally committed, highly qualified and carefully
selected individuals who are personally and thoroughly screened, bonded and
insured. Most are Certified Nurse Assistants or Home Health Aides. Most
importantly our caregivers are dependable and extraordinarily caring of others.
In addition to their previous experience, our caregivers receive continuous training
that includes dementia, hospice care, home safety, nutrition and other topics related
to seniors. These highly qualified and trained caregivers are ready to help you and
your loved ones with a variety of daily activities such as: Personal care / Meal planning and preparation Transportation to doctor appointments and other errands Caring companionship / Light housekeeping Medication reminders / Information and referral services Our personalized, nurse- supervised services are available 7 days a week and can range from a few hours a day to 24 hour and live in care.
For more information or service needs, call 24 hours a day at: 203-879-6675
or visit www.AlwaysThereHomeCare-CT.com
We are Always There! |
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