Rhode Island

Q – In caring for my elderly mother, I feel I’ve fallen into a rather limited routine. This summer, I’m hoping to up the excitement ante with interesting senior appropriate activities. What activities have you completed with your senior during past summers that are in line with June holidays, special days and events?

A1 – One of our June family traditions have stemmed from National Turkey Lovers month! While the point might be to honor the living creatures, we’ve created a special holiday to bring the family together at my senior father’s home. Of course we honor the turkey as it plays a role in our family feast, but it’s more about bonding as a family over a nice meal and showing my dad how much we all love and appreciate him.

- Sarah Rhode Island

A2 – My senior mother loves the ocean, and since it’s become increasingly challenging to get to the coast and walk along the beach, instead we check out sea life by taking advantage of National Zoo and Aquarium Month which takes place in June. By going to a zoo or aquarium, my mother gets back some of the experience she’s missing by not getting around at the coast, and it’s an environment that accommodates a senior with more limited mobility. We look forward to June every year to check out our favorite aquatic animals, and it’s a great change from the everyday senior activities that we typically engage in!

- Melanie, 56

Image: delawareonline.com

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923.

Having always lived practically around the corner from my mother during my adult life, I faced an impossible decision 12 years ago when my husband had a promotion opportunity with work that came with the contingency that we would have to relocate hundreds of miles away from Rhode Island, which we’ve always known as our home. At that stage, I was concerned more about what the growing distance would do to our family dynamic, since my children in particular had always had a very close relationship with their grandmother, than how it would affect my ability to help with my mother’s care as she aged. To be honest, the thought never really entered my mind that the distance would make it tremendously more difficult to provide care for my mother. She was then in her 70’s, active, mobile and thriving–living independently.  Should I have known that wouldn’t last forever? Probably, but at the time I had to make a decision based on the facts that I had on the table.

I’m not the un-involved daughter people try to peg me for when they hear I live across the country from my elderly mother. As her health and mobility are declining, I may not be a full-time care provider, but I consider myself to be a totally devoted care coordinator. I have arranged for a local professional caregiving agency from Rhode Island to come into her home daily and help her in the areas where she struggles, and have opened the lines of communication between myself, her caregivers, and the medical professionals who are responsible for her day-to-day well-being. I may not see my elderly mother everyday, but I’m always a phone call away, and would never hesitate to hop on a plane anytime she needs me.

Sources:

1. National Institute on Aging

2. How to Care

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923.

Elder caregivers in Rhode Island who are experiencing high levels of stress may develop a series of bad habits which can lead to caregiver burnout, and in extreme cases, even elder abuse. In 15 simple steps caregivers can reclaim time to themselves and prevent the onset of stress and development of bad habits.

1.   Be honest about your bad habits and the amount of stress you’re experiencing so they can be addressed.
2.   Let your care recipient know daily how much you love and appreciate them.
3.   Do something just for you on a weekly basis.
4.   Take a deep breath when things become overwhelming.
5.   Take a few minutes each morning to repeat an affirmation or focus on calmness.
6.   Make time for exercise daily, even a brief, brisk walk.
7.   Find someone who you can listen and vent to.
8.   Allow yourself to be happy.
9.   Acknowledge the bad parts of your day and let them go
10. Relax with a cup of tea, glass of wine or a hot bath
11. Allow yourself to enjoy your favorite music or TV show
12. Look at the positive points in your life
13. Keep smiling.
14. Keep a journal.
15  Try aromatherapy.

For caregivers who require additional help, or are overburdened by their care duties, businesses like Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island can help.

Sources:
1. Eldercare ABC Blog

Image: Home Instead Senior Care

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923.

Q – I am a professional caregiver in Rhode Island who prepares meals for a senior. I know that a history of osteoporosis runs in her family. Are there any foods that will help to prevent osteoporosis and promote bone strength and health?

A – There are foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals that promote good bone health. Many of these superfoods are readily available at any supermarket, although most people aren’t aware of their benefits to bones so they are overlooked. Next time you go shopping and need meal ideas for your senior care recipient, consider incorporating the following foods into your cooking, because bone health requires more than just calcium!

• Black pepper – contains 4 anti-osteoporosis compounds)
• Cabbage – source of boron
• Cod liver oil – source of vitamins A and D
• Dandelion – source of boron
• Garlic – source of sulphur
• Onions – source of sulphur
• Parsley – source of boron
• Pigweed (source of calcium)5
• Arugula – source of vitamin K• Broccoli – source of vitamin K
• Collards – source of vitamin K
• Kale – source of vitamins K and C
• Swiss chard – source of vitamins K and C, magnesium, and calcium
• Spinach – source of vitamins K and C and magnesium

Sources:

1. Dole Superfoods

2. Project-Aware

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923.

Q – I have noticed some signs that my elderly mother is struggling to live independently in her own home. While I have some ideas about home care, I do come from a large family in Rhode Island and feel it’s important that I involve my siblings and immediate family in the decision making. What’s the best way to go about this?

A – Ask your immediate family to get together in Rhode Island so that you can all discuss your concerns about your mother’s health and care. If not all siblings live close by, you can set-up a conference call so that everyone can be involved in discussing your mother’s care requirements. For the first meeting, don’t involve your mother, so you can talk openly about your concerns without upsetting her. Discussing eldercare requirements for a loved one, can be stressful, so keep the following tips in mind when planning your first family senior home care meeting.

1. Establish a goal for each meeting – the first meeting might be about discussing concerns, and making suggestions for how to proceed with home care

2. Invite only close relatives – invite your close siblings or other family members you feel must be involved, but try to keep numbers under 7 people

3. Allow each family member the chance to speak without interrupting

4. Share resources – each family member can bring information about your mother’s specific conditions or local resources that may be able to help

5. Have a moderator – invite a 3rd, impartial party like a counselor or Geriatric Care Manager to help keep the meeting on track if you feel there will be disputes about your mother’s care amongst family

Sources:

1. Elder Care Online

2. Suite101

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923.

When my mother was in her 70’s, we talked her into adding identity theft insurance to her home insurance policy, knowing that the chances she might be a victim of fraud were fairly high in the senior demographic. The policy offered by her insurance policy for identity theft coverage cost nearly $30 extra per month, but after careful research we decided the benefits were worth it. While fraud insurance doesn’t actually cover any financial losses at the result of identity theft, it does provide coverage relating to the recovery process that occurs after such a fraud has occurred, including lost wages and legal bills up to $15,000 per claim.

When choosing to get the identity theft insurance for my mother, I ensured that the whole family understood that we still can’t let our guard down when it comes to managing my mom’s affairs. The same precautions still need to be taken when reviewing her finances and handling important documentation to prevent identity theft and fraud; the policy is only an additional safeguard, but it doesn’t decrease her chances of becoming a victim.

I would recommend fraud insurance to all seniors provided the policy is affordable for their lifestyle and income level, and that appropriate coverage is available. Fortunately, while my aging mom has not yet been impacted by fraud, we know with the insurance, if it occurs, she will manage to recover from it.

Sources:

1. Spam Laws

2. Globe and Mail

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923.

Q – My mom’s been thinking about selling her home, which she has maintained even though she is currently living with a relative. After doing some research online, I realized there are some significant tax implications of selling a home, especially when it is mortgage free. Is there a better option to allow her to minimize the tax costs and maximize her assets?

A – The best bet is to have an estate planner review your mother’s specific circumstance and those assets that can be found in her property. However, there are a few options available such as reverse mortgages, trusts, and transfer of assets. Otherwise, at the time of her death, the property will be transferred to the named recipient as outlined on her will. An inheritance and/or estate tax will apply, which can be substantially less than the taxes your mother could pay if selling her home. At that stage, the person responsible for the estate under the will can sell the property to pay for funeral costs, can distribute profits to named family members, rent the home, or live in it themselves. Talk to an estate planner before making any definite decisions about how to handle your mother’s estate!

Sources:

1. ThinkGlink.com

2. Wikipedia

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923.

Q – I know my mother in Rhode Island receives a lot of calls from telemarketers, and I worry that she might be exploited when they realize she’s a senior. Is there any way to make them stop calling?

A – Good news for your mother from Rhode Island who can be registered for the National Do Not Call Registry established by the Federal Trade Commission in the United States which ensures that most telemarketers are blocked from calling her phone number. You can register your mom online or by calling in, and all you need is her name and phone number to add her to the list. After registering your elderly mother, she may continue to receive telemarketer calls for up to 30 days until the request takes effect. Some telemarketers will still be able to call, even if your mother is on the Do Not Call List, but only from those businesses that she has a relationship with, like the financial institution where she does her banking.

By registering your mother for the National Do Not Call Registry, you can sleep easy knowing that she won’t receive calls from telemarketers that might exploit her.

Sources:

1. Federal Trade Commission

2. DoNotCall.gov

Image: inboundtelemarketingguide.com

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923.

Many seniors become reluctant to part with their belongings as they get older. For them, the odds and ends in their home may represent a past life with a deceased spouse and provide a sense of identity; so letting go of old furniture or clothing can be a very difficult task. Another factor that can contribute to a senior’s reluctance to part with their things relates to income; when living on a fixed income after retirement they just might not have the funding required to purchase new clothing or items for their home.

This year, help the senior in your life declutter their home and acknowledge which items could spare to be replaced. Instead of forcing them to spend to replace their older things, look around your home when completing your own spring cleaning in Rhode Island and think about what might be donated to the senior.

Clean out your closet and determine which items you no longer wear would be appropriate in the senior’s wardrobe. Think about why you want to get rid of it; is it damaged? Is it worn out? Does it no longer suit today’s fashion trends? Clothing items which are gently used and sitting in your closet simply because they’re slightly out of date, may be perfect for a senior who worries more about function than fashion when choosing their clothing.

Other items that you might consider donating to a senior during spring cleaning in Rhode Island can include furniture, electronics, bedding and linens and kitchenware to give them affordable new items for their home!

Sources:

1. Michigan Home Care Blog

2. About

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923.

What would you do if you had an elderly parent with an addiction?

No one seems to suspect that senior citizens are at risk for drug addiction, but currently approximately 17% of people over the age of 60 abuse prescription medication, and many have adult children who are wondering: “what do we do?” People have preconceptions about what defines an addict, but age and pharmacueticals don’t discriminate.

The elderly who face depression, illness, and various ailments are more likely to become reliant upon their prescriptions and face withdrawal once they try to stop taking them. Addiction doesn’t mean you needlessly take medications; many seniors legitimately require pain killers to cope with Arthritis or sedatives to deal with the loss of a spouse, but it’s abuse when medications are taken consistently against medical instruction.

What if you had a parent who had a history of alcohol abuse and now uses prescription drugs? It’s a great debate with seniors who abuse prescription drugs, since they need them, is it fair to categorize seniors and label them as addicts as you would label an alcoholic? According to experts, drug abuse is addiction, regardless of medical need. Alcoholics also need to have a drink in order to avoid withdrawal, and that’s addiction too. But would you handle a senior’s prescription drug addiction the same way you’d intervene with an alcoholic?

Sources:

1. Bio-Medicine

2. Join Together

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923.