Photos in top banner: Tom reading a book to Nora; Grace, our graphic designer's daughter, having a catch with dad; Darcey wants to play catch too!
Photo below: Brave and beautiful granddaughter of Kim, travelled to CT from Ohio with her dad when her mom returned to active military service
Loves her new school. Welcome Riley !!!
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Regina McNamara RN, MSN President & Kelly McNamara, Chief Operating Officer
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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Also, see our beautiful new video,
here!!!
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FEATURE ARTICLE:
HOW TO talk to strangers about your
loved one's condition
Dementia By Day: A Blog By Rachael Wonderlin
"I wish I could take her out to lunch more often," he sighed. "I'm just really worried that she's going to say or do something inappropriate. One time, for example, we were in the checkout line at the grocery store and she started loudly talking about the woman in front of us. It was so embarrassing. I didn't know how to tell that woman that my wife has dementia."
While potentially stressful, the good news is that it isn't actually that difficult to talk to a stranger about your loved one's condition. Save yourself some anxiety and an awkward interaction or two with these tips:
- Recognize that most people are smarter and kinder than you may be giving them credit for. I used to take a group of my residents out for lunch on a regular basis. I usually told the servers ahead of time that my residents were impaired. One day, upon leaving a restaurant, we found that our bill had already been paid by a kind stranger.
- Most people don't know exactly what dementia is, but they can understand it may impair someone's ability to make appropriate choices.
- Let someone know ahead of time (such as a server at a restaurant) that your loved one may need extra assistance or that you'll be ordering for them.
- Plan ahead when choosing outings. Keep them short and simple.
- Avoid overwhelming and/or crowded places, such as the mall's food court at lunchtime.
- Choose the best time of day to go out: most people living with dementia get tired or agitated in the afternoon and evenings at some point in their disease process. Try keeping outings to earlier in the day.
- Finally, check out these "Pardon My Companion" cards, or make some of your own! You can actually download and print cards from this link: https://alzheimersfamily.org/pardon/ These cards are essentially little business cards you can slip to a stranger who may be wondering why your loved one is saying or doing the things they are saying or doing. Your loved one may not actually have an Alzheimer's diagnosis, so you may find that it makes more sense to create your own. I recommend Vistaprint's website for business cards.
Pardon My Companion Card
It can be difficult to explain behaviors brought on by Alzheimer's or dementia to those you do not know or are unfamiliar with the disease. To ease this challenge, we offer FREE Pardon My Companion Cards. These notes are in business card form to discreetly alert others that your companion may exhibit unusual behavior due to Alzheimer's or dementia. You can download and print your own Pardon My Companion Cards at home.
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KUDOS
from Kelly
By Kelly McNamara
Elizabeth Dogbe:
Elizabeth is a bit of a surprise. Upon meeting her for the first time, I took her to be kind, smart and VERY QUIET. After just a few months at the Hearth (one of our favorite assisted living communities), caring for an elderly couple, she is now referred to by many of the folks at the Hearth and within our company as "The Mayor of the Hearth". One visit with her and her wonderful clients, The Clairs, it is immediately apparent that she knows EVERYONE at this community... EVERYONE!! The ladies at the front desk all the nurses, the CNAs, the maintenance people, the managers. Everyone, it seems is Elizabeth's friend. Not so quiet after all!
Her special brand of caring coupled with her keen observation skills has helped her clients Gene and Bettye enjoy a very high quality of life in this wonderful place. She ensures that they miss no activities, no parties, no entertainment, no movies... Nothing! She makes sure they enjoy time outside daily.
She does what she can do to assist the Hearth staff when needed.
Not much of a dog lover (she was in fact AFTRIAD of them) she nonetheless gave our pet therapy dog Darcey a chance and quickly warmed up to her since her beloved clients enjoyed Darcey's visits so much. She now accepts puppy hugs (though not kisses)
Elizabeth is a rare and wonderful combination of maturity, common sense, careful assessment skills, a sense of humor, adherence to rules, and a delightful optimism that is contagious.
She also understands well how important family support is when clients are aging.
Elizabeth was new to us just a few months ago but she is here to stay and we are all thrilled as are the members of the Hearth Fan Club!
Many many thanks Elizabeth!
All caregivers mentioned in this column will receive a bonus and our sincere gratitude! Many many thanks to all of you for once again extending yourselves to ensure that we are of course Always There...!!
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A New Study Says Pet Owners
- Especially This Type of Pet -
Have Better Heart Health. Best news ever!
By: Maggie Seaver
When it's National Dog Day, you don't really need another excuse to obsess over your pup-but we're giving you one anyway. The Mayo Clinic published a new study that found people with pets-dog owners in particular-are more likely to have better cardiovascular health than non-pet owners. So it turns out all those walks and games of fetch do some serious good for you too.
To find out if there was any correlation between owning a pet and cardiovascular disease risk (CVD) and cardiovascular health (CVH), the study's authors analyzed more than 1,700 people-24 percent of whom owned dogs, 18 percent owned another type of pet, and the rest of whom did not own pets. For almost two years, researchers compared everything from subjects' socio demographic characteristics to their body mass index, smoking habits, physical fitness, blood pressure, and more.
Eventually their findings revealed that pet owners in general, but specifically dog owners, were "more likely to report physical activity, diet, and blood glucose at ideal level," giving them higher cardiovascular health scores than those without pets. According to the study's analysis conclusion, "Among all pets, dogs appear to positively influence physical activity and to provide social support, which in turn is a predictor of adoption and maintenance of behavior changes. Previous studies have shown that people who own a dog engage in more physical activity than non-owners."
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Grandparent Legacies
By Mary Ellen Tippen
It seems to me a hazard of getting older, this contemplation of what we will leave behind after we exit this world. Some would call it a legacy. The other day I attended yet another funeral of a friend. It caused me to envision what my own funeral would be like, what would be said about me and how I would be remembered.
Solomon, said to be the wisest man to have ever lived, stated in the Bible in Ecclesiastes 7, "It is better to attend a funeral than a party because death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart."
This really isn't all so morbid and bleak! In relation to our grandchildren, it is a good thing to examine the legacy or memories they will hold of us, their grandparents. For example:
"My grandfather always removed his hat and put his hand over his heart when he heard the National Anthem." We can leave a legacy of loyalty and respect.
"My grandmother had the most beautiful flowers. She would personify the flowers and talk about their sweet faces." We can leave a legacy of appreciation for beauty and nature.
"My grandfather taught me to mow and trim the lawn, how to maintain the mower and take pride in my work." We can leave a legacy of the value of hard work and a job well done.
"My grandmother was an amazing seamstress, yet she took the time to sew doll blankets with me and other simple projects." We can leave a legacy of time spent together.
"My grandparents attended all my soccer games, and there were a lot!" We can leave a legacy interest in our grand-children's sports and hobbies.
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Alan Weiss on the Unfairness of Ageism
By Alan Weiss, PhD
I've been emphasizing (and wrote a book about the problem, Threescore and More) that ageism is one of the two remaining biases in the country that have very little opposition (the other being bias against people who are obese). There are no parades, or protests, or laws enacted. In fact, a Democratic candidate, Julian Castro, clearly implied during the recent debate that Joe Biden's age was undermining his memory. (In actuality, of course, Castro had his facts wrong.)
Someone upset with something I've written published a critique calling me "male, pale, and old." Right there we've got sexism, racism, and ageism all tied together in one sentence, but the ACLU would probably only be of help with the first two. This coward, of course, didn't sign his or her name.
Ronald Reagan was elected to his second term at age 72 (and might have been the last president to really get anything done). Donald Trump is in his 70s. There are and have been distinguished members of the Supreme Court older than Methuselah.
When someone calls me "old" I simply ask, "Is that really the best you've got?" Julian Castro ought to be ashamed of himself (and this not long after Kamala Harris accused Biden of racism).
I'm 73 and on top of my game, the best in the world at what I've chosen to do. I'm better than I was at 72 and my excellence at 74 will truly be frightening. My age isn't the issue, my intolerance for ignorance is. ■
Alan is a friend and college and an international speaker and consultant.
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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
The Hearth Assisted Living Southbury, Branford, Guilford, Madison All it takes is one simple stroll through The Hearth to feel the special difference their residents experience daily. Staff are friendly, helpful, genuine. You instantly feel the teamwork among their staff. Feeling lost? The first person you encounter shows you the way. Residents are treated like family. They are happy, and enjoy telling visitors all about their home. Their secret? The Live More philosophy that is at the core of everything they do and is the essence of what makes Hearth Management different.
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Village Gate of Farmington Retirement Community
We have been familiar with Village Gate for some time as a place for meetings and a welcoming place to reside. Recently one of our favorite client families moved in and this provided us with an excuse to actually visit and explore the grounds and the lovely interior of this charming and active retirement community...
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WHY USE PRIVATE DUTY HOME CARE???
Every person between the age of 70-80 is:
On the path to a fall
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Will likely miss their medications and confuse their medicines all together
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Will go without meals on a regular basis
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May suffer depression due to life's losses
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Will miss out on life's joyful moments due to loneliness
They are all vulnerable. We love them, you love them, and senior communities love them. We know that we can make that ten-year gap between 70-80 and well beyond that so much better, safer and more joy filled but many of you may not. You have many concerns and questions. But few answers.
WHY CHOOSE US?
Luckily, we do have many of those answers. We improve life every day for seniors and provide support to their loved ones who are equally confused.
Navigating the increasingly complex healthcare system, understanding the benefits under long term care insurance and Medicare, establishing a safe, comfortable enjoyable environment in which to age in place with just the right caregivers to meet your needs are among the many complex issues facing seniors and their families.
No one learns how to best address these essential matters in school, or in life.
We can help. Always There Home Care is the only nurse owned and managed private duty company in Connecticut. Our clinical expertise allows us to provide a wide range of services from providing personal care and meaningful engagement with seniors to managing complex chronic diseases in the home.
We Improve lives every day for our special clients, their grateful families and our well-chosen extraordinary caregivers.
Give us a call and together we will discover how we can best help you and your family.
Phone: 800 348 0485
~ We are Always There
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