senior home care services

Mittens Before the Frost
I was asked today about the “mitten test.” It was one of our colleagues who had remembered something I...
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September 18, 2018
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A House is Not a Home (Part 3)
At CCM, home and safety are as important to us as to you, so it’s no surprise that it’s...
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June 18, 2017
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A House is not a Home (Unless You’re There)
At CCM, home and safety are as important to us as to you, so it’s no surprise that it’s...
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June 5, 2017
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In the Caregiver's Words

Recent Client Praise

In my experience as a geriatric care manager, I field a lot of questions from people who are suddenly faced with caring for an older parent or spouse. For people who become caregivers overnight after a parent has a fall or experiences a significant medical setback of some sort, it can be an overwhelming responsibility. Where does one go to learn how to be a caregiver for an older adult or someone else with special needs? It is easy to tell a person how to become certified as a geriatric care manager (not as easy getting certified) or even a paramedic (again, not as easy getting certified), but how do you become a caregiver right away?

As much as some folks may have a predisposition for being “good with people,” being a caregiver poses some unique challenges and an aspiring caregiver can benefit from some special training. One of the resources I featured last month, Julie Northcutt – President of CaregiverList.com, talked about using summer visits as a time to take stock of the needs of aging family members of other with special needs. She has a new training module that has come to my attention, and I am sharing it with you here, because it may give a lot of you a jump start to caring for older family members or others in your orbits.

In her 10-hour on-line program, CaregiverList.com offers training that meets the requirements of state licensing boards for caregivers, and it also may offer peace of mind. I was impressed with its topical coverage:
- Communicating with Others
- Observation, Reporting and Recording
- Providing Personal Carburetting and Maintaining Good Mobility
- Elimination and Toileting
- Infection Control
- Environmental Hazards and Safety
- Basic First Aid
- Understanding Elder Abuse
At $49 it seems to be a reasonable investment in care for an elder and peace of mind and confidence for the caregiver.

Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Case Management, certified professionals who are geriatric advocates, resources, counselors and friends to older adults and their families throughout metropolitan Chicago. Please email your questions to Charlotte Bishop.
I have written in other postings about how “staying active” can be tremendously important for older adults or others with special needs. Everyone – no matter what their age – can be active, and it does not even require going to a gym or spa to do it.

Elders and others should be encouraged to use everyday items around their homes to help them maintain range of motion and strength. All of what I am sharing here should be cleared with a personal physician to be sure that it is within an acceptable range of activity for the elder or other special needs person in your orbit. The following are just some examples, and your imagination is the only limit to how a person can workout at home.

For building strength, instruct your elder to use a sturdy chair with arm rests. Approach as if to sit, but while still in a crouch with hands firmly on each arm, lower yourself to the point of almost sitting, and then rise up using the arms to lift as high as possible. Lift up and down slowly like this as many times as is comfortable. Then, sit and recover before standing. This will help to strength and tone triceps in the upper arms. Sitting in the same chair, try leg lifts. Holding the abdomen muscles tight, lift legs until they are straight out horizontal to the floor. Hold as long as possible, but be careful that the lower back can handle this (that is why holding the abdomen tight is important). It will improve the quadriceps in the legs. Some may find it easier to do this one leg at a time.

Using the stairs at home, encourage your elder to firmly hold the hand rail while stepping up one stair one foot at a time, and then back down. Repeat as many times as is comfortable.

From the pantry, canned goods or jugs of water or juice can be effective as handheld weights. From standing or sitting, they can be used for curls to firm biceps and while lying on one’s back they can help to also maintain chest muscles. More reps with lighter weights help with toning and fewer reps with more weight can actually help increase muscle mass. And any of these in conjunction with an exercise bicycle, if physical ability allows, can help improve cardiovascular capacity and endurance.

For flexibility of the neck, while sitting gently roll the head to one side until the ear comes as close to touching the shoulder as possible. Hold for a few counts, and then move slowly to the other shoulder and back. Try also rolling forward until the chin can rest on the chest and back. Then roll back as far as comfortable and then back. Do each direction multiple times as comfort allows.

For flexibility in the arms while sitting, reach directly overhead as high as possible, hold and then relax. Repeat multiple times. Also, try reaching out with arms horizontal to the floor, bend at the elbow and reach for the opposite shoulder. Alternative arms multiple times. Finally, with arms extending vertically, bend the elbow to touch the same shoulder or as close as possible to touching. It can be helpful to use the opposite hand to ease the opposite elbow into position. Again, do this as many times as is comfortable, rotating back and forth between arms.

For more explanation as well as other exercises, do not hesitate to ask your personal physician or a local physical therapist who also may be able to supply diagrams to follow. As always, consult your health care provider before beginning any new exercise regimen.

Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Case Management, certified professionals who are geriatric advocates, resources, counselors and friends to older adults and their families throughout metropolitan Chicago. Please email your questions to Charlotte Bishop.
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Did you have a great Thanksgiving Holiday or do you find yourself totally exhausted from all the preparations and clean-up and dreading (at least) four more weeks of the same? If you can see something of your experience in that description then you may be a caregiver who has not followed my "prime directive" for caregivers: You will always take better care of others if you are taking care of the caregiver first! I have said it somewhat differently on numerous occasions, but those charged with taking care of an older loved one along with everyone else in their orbit also need to care for themselves. Don't burn the proverbial candle at both ends.

So you agree in concept. It seems easy to say, but how does a caregiver start taking better care of her or himself? Here are three simple guides that you may find helpful in getting through the rest of the holidays. I think you actually will find that you better enjoy the opportunities for family and friends when you are in better shape yourself.

1.    Delegate! Recognize that when ten people (or more) gather at your house to dine for the holidays that there will be a lot of food to prepare. Don't go it alone. Request the two vegetable dishes from two of the guests, the rolls from another and the dessert from someone else. You may reserve the special dish that only you do for yourself, but share the opportunity to prepare the feast. And keep sharing after the meal. Those who cannot cook will clean! If you find yourself alone in the kitchen with a sink full of dishes after dinner, you did not delegate.

2.    Designate! Set up a schedule with "rest stops" for your days leading up to and including the day of the event. Set aside time for yourself just as you would set aside a break from a long drive in order to get out of the car and stretch your legs. Get out of the house for a nice walk in the crisp air or sneak away to your room with a magazine or book.

3.    Disengage! Don't compare yourself to anyone else. It is easy to set the bar way too high by thinking that "if mom or dad could do all of the work," then so should you. And that goes for recipes also. Be prepared to enjoy the meal in which everyone has a hand in preparing. In fact, it may even taste a bit better if you did not prepare all of the meal. (Refer to rule #1 above.)

      Enjoy the rest of our holiday season, and remember to take care of the caregiver.

      Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Case Management, certified professionals who are geriatric advocates, resources, counselors and friends to older adults and their families in metropolitan Chicago. Please email your questions to ccbishop@creativecasemanagement.com.
In the meantime, we invite you to download the below featured FREE white paper - offering both personal and professional advice for those who care for the elderly or people with special needs. Make sure to come back and visit us for more great FREE resources.

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