It’s Hot Outside! Do you know how to protect yourself from Heat Related Illnesses?

By Bob Gregory,

The calendar indicates that September is just around the corner but that doesn't mean cooler weather is just a week away. It’s still very hot outside and high temperatures can be very stressful on all of us but even more so for our elderly.  The elderly are less adaptable to high temperatures and therefore more likely to suffer from hyperthermia or heat exhaustion.  Further, high temperatures can easily escalate certain medical conditions and some medications may cause dehydration during periods of high temperatures.   In the case of the body reaching temperatures of 104 or greater, heat stroke becomes a serious risk!  So what precautions should the elderly take to avoid heat related illnesses?

  

Here are some tips to avoid heat related illnesses:

• Stay cool!  Sounds simple but staying cool may be difficult if you don’t have air conditioning. Try wearing light weight and loose fitting clothing.
• Avoid going out in the middle of the day and limit your physical activities.  Perform chores and run errands in early morning or late afternoon.
• Drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids to stay hydrated and avoid too much caffeine
• Cover your windows to block the sun and its heat
  
• Use fans to circulate the air but avoid sitting directly in front as of the fan as that may cause dehydration.
• Take frequent, cool showers to keep your body temperature down.
• Seek shade and rest often if you must be outside.
• Spend time at a community center or mall that has air conditioning.
• Consult with your physician or pharmacist regarding medication and dehydration.
• Know the warning signs of heat related illnesses.
• Run appliances that cause heat such as the oven, stove, clothes dryer or iron only in the early morning or late afternoon.

Heat Exhaustion (Photo credit: Alex Clark)

Traveling can be a hassle any time but especially when the weather is very hot.  However, it may be worth the trip if you have relatives that have air conditioning and someone who can help keep an eye on you and your health.  If you live alone or even with your spouse, make sure you have a friend stay in touch with you to make sure you are doing alright as you fight this hot weather.  If you have an elderly parent or friend, check on them often and visit whenever possible.  It’s easier to notice signs of heat related illnesses when you see someone as opposed to speaking on the phone.  Also, familiarize yourself with the symptoms of heat illnesses and always error on the side of caution if you feel medical treatment is advisable.

Warning Signs of Heat Exhaustion:

·         Excess and heavy sweating

Heat Stroke  (Photo credit: Choconancy1)

·         Muscle cramps

·         Dizziness or fainting

·         Headache

·         Nausea or vomiting

Warning Signs of Heat Stroke:

·         Extremely high body temperature (above 103° F orally)

·         Red, hot and dry skin with no visible signs of sweating

·         Throbbing Headache

·         Dizziness and Nausea

·         Confusion

·         Unconsciousness

Knowing these warning signs and acting can help save a life.  As I mentioned earlier, error on the side of caution and involve professional medical help early.  Anyone who has ever cared for an elderly person also knows many of the above warning signs are common to other issues and the heat can exasperate other issues as well. There are several steps you can take in the event you believe someone is suffering from a heat related illness.  The most important is to seek medical treatment—I can’t stress this enough.

What to do if you believe someone is suffering from heat related illness:

·         Seek professional medical help!

·         Get the individual to a cool shady place.

·         Provide cool non alcoholic beverages to drink

·         Get them into a cool shower or bath.

·         Loosen clothing and remove any excess layers of cloths

Summer may be with us for quite a while so don’t let the date on your calendar trick you into dropping your guard when it comes to heat related illnesses.  Enjoy the rest of your summer but please take care of yourself and your elderly parents!

If you would like a list Independent Living Facilities, 55+ Communities, Assisted Living Facilities or any other type of Senior Facility, I hope you will consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. 

           

If you would like to contribute your thoughts and ideas, please leave them in our comment section. We want to hear them. Helping people care for themselves or their loved ones is what we care about. 

We look forward to reading yours.

Bob Gregory is an advocate for Seniors and is one of the founders of www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. At SeniorFacilityFinder.com, we are dedicated to helping families get the Elder Care help they need without having to provide their personal information! If find you need an assisted living facility or other type of senior facility, please consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com

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Stimulation is the key to a long happy and healthy retirement.

By Bob Gregory

I know the title seems to simplify the whole quandary of how to live long and happy but when you choose your retirement home, stimulation is the key!  Retirement means so many things to so many different people that it is really hard to define.  For most, it means the time of life where we choose not to work any longer and enjoy our free time until we leave this world.  In today’s economy, more and more people are delaying the time they choose to retire for financial reasons.  We seem to have a much older retirement population than in the past as concerns of money to support a retirement life style causes most to continue working to their later years.  According to the Gallup Economic and Personal Finance survey, the average U.S. retirement ages is now 61, up from 57 two decades ago.  Further, non-retired Americans now plan to retire at 66 or later. So how does a later retirement date impact retirement years?  It’s simply physiological—everyone’s body and mind changes with age so the longer you wait to retire, the more likely your body and mind will be affected by the aging process!

Here are some very important factors when choosing your retirement home/setting:

TRICYCLE CLUB OF THE CENTURY VILLAGE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY MEETS EACH MORNING - NARA - 548572 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

v  Physical Stimulation: If you are at the age where you pay close attention to commercials on TV or on the web advertising retirement living, then you probably have noticed they no longer depict a couple sitting in a front porch swing watching clouds pass by while sipping coffee.  Retirement living is very different today as we better understand the role of physical activities in living longer and healthier.  Because of this fact, it is very important to choose a community where you will remain physically active.  Physical activity does not necessarily mean you need to have a strict workout regimen at the gym every day or take spinning classes.  Instead, you need to find activities you enjoy and that do not become a “requirement” of your daily life.  For those of you that find a daily workout regimen at the gym or spinning classes enjoyable—I applaud you!  For the rest who of you who do not want to spend your time in the gym, look for a community that provides fun activities you enjoy such as tennis, golf, walking, dancing, horseback riding, biking, swimming and so on.  There are so many choices in retirement communities today and you are sure to find one that accommodates your taste in physical activities.  You can also find retirement communities that are located near your favorite activities if the community itself does not provide the activities you seek.  I also encourage you to participate in physical activities that require socializing to help stimulate your mind!

v  Mental Stimulation:  We all know how important it is to keep our minds sharp and some retirees-to-be wonder how they will transition from the “work world” to retirement where the misconception is they will wander mindlessly around a retirement village.  Retirement communities are filled with fun physical activities as I discussed above and today, more retirement communities are also focusing on the mental stimulation as well.  Many communities offer book clubs, current event discussions, social functions for interacting, community governance commitees, organized speakers and lectors, poetry writing clubs, access to a wide variety of periodicals and journals and more than I can list.  It is also  important that you take responsibility for your own mental wellbeing and find activities that will not  only continue to stimulate your mind and help you grow as a person, but will be enjoyable and  

Book Club (Photo credit: Editor B)

      rewarding.  Today, most communities are looking for retired individuals to volunteer to teach reading, writing, mathematics, and computer skills to children and adults.  Communities seek volunteers with the time and skills to help others in the community.  There are quite a few mentoring programs that most communities seek help to staff.  There should be little excuse for you to sit around and do nothing with all those wonderful years of knowledge you have accumulated—share some of it with those who need it!

Staying active in your retirement years will help assure you will have a long and healthy retirement.  Keep in mind that it is not only physical activity but mental activity as well that you need as you live on.  There are many options in retirement living and you will be surprised how the industry has embraced the need to stay physically and mentally active.  Further, make sure that the retirement community you choose is also located near outside activities you enjoy such as plays, concerts, and community services.  Take the time in your research to find retirement communities that offer both types of stimulations that suit you best—you will be happy you did for a lot longer!

If you would like a list Independent Living Facilities, 55+ Communities, Assisted Living Facilities or any other type of Senior Facility, I hope you will consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. 

           

If you would like to contribute your thoughts and ideas, please leave them in our comment section. We want to hear them. Helping people care for themselves or their loved ones is what we care about. 

We look forward to reading yours.

Bob Gregory is an advocate for Seniors and is one of the founders of www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. At SeniorFacilityFinder.com, we are dedicated to helping families get the Elder Care help they need without having to provide their personal information! If find you need an assisted living facility or other type of senior facility, please consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com

Will Home Care help my parent remain in their Independent Living Facility?

By Bob Gregory

It’s natural for an elderly parent to want to remain independent for as long as possible but sometimes they need some help and that creates a dilemma for the entire family.  If your elderly parent is living in their own home or have already transitioned to an Independent Living Facility but require help, don’t immediately think it’s time to make a move to an Assisted Living Facility as there may be another solution to extend your parent’s independence and help them remain in their own home!  Today, many informed seniors are electing Home Care to help them remain in their homes for as long as possible.  There are really two distinct types of Home Care and one may very well fit your parent.

Home Care Companionship/Personal Care.  This type of Home Care is non-medical and is available to help your parent.  This type of service offers both domestic and personal assistance and can be for as little as a few hours a week or 24 hours a day for as long as needed.  There are two main areas of focuses for this service:

Domestic Care Services:

·         Light housekeeping. Chores such as vacuuming, mopping, sweeping, cleaning bathrooms, laundry and most any light work you predefine.

·         Cooking services. Preparing home-cooked meals that meet nutrition standards either daily or preparing several meals for refrigerating.

Cooking! (Photo credit: Webb Zahn)

·         Errands. Give them a list and they will get your errands done for you. This is especially great for those who have trouble driving.  You may also have them drive you to get your shopping completed and help with packages.

·         Companionship.  This is especially important for seniors who find themselves confined to their home and unable to get out socializing.  They will provide conversation, play board games or cards or just simply enjoy a watching television.

·         Organization.  This may include helping get bills paid on time, reminders to take medication, attend important appointments or organize a closet or cabinets to make them more accessible.

Personal Services:

Helping Walk (Photo credit: Rosie O'Beirne)

·         Mobility assistance.  This includes helping with walkers or wheelchair or giving a steady hand to go on a walk.  It may also include moving from bed to chair or repositioning to protect skin and muscles.

·         Personal Hygiene.  This may include bathing, hair washing and trimming nails.  It may also include toileting and dealing with Incontinence.

Do not confuse this type of service with housekeeping or maid services even though they will provide some of these services.  These professionals are usually trained to not only perform tasks for the senior they service, but to also provide a warm and endearing atmosphere to help stimulate and encourage the senior they serve.  Be sure to define all the types of services that are required up front so that there is no misunderstanding or friction between the service provider and the senior.

therapy (Photo credit: gaspi *yg)

Home Health Care.  Home Health Care is very different from the Companionship or Personal Care.  Service is provided by a trained and licensed health care specialist.  They do not perform domestic chores but may offer personal services as part of their service.  This type of service is generally best suited for transition back home after being treated in the hospital.  Typically, after a fall or a life changing event, an elderly patient will be treated in a hospital, and then transferred to a Skilled Nursing Facility for short term rehabilitation (usually less than 90 days).  After a hospital stay and rehab, the patient is used to an environment where sleep is intermittent and physical rehab is intense.  Once all this is complete, the patient is not really used to doing things for themselves or they are in need of additional less intense rehabilitation to get them accustomed to being more independent.  In this situation, Home Health Care is able to be contracted to come into the home and teach the patient to do their own medications, work with the home environment and adapt it properly to meet the changing needs of the patient and/or continue with less intense physical therapy.

Home Care may be a good solution to help extend you or your elderly parent’s independence.  There are many agencies that provide these services.  You may also find individuals who provide these services independently.  Be sure and do a thorough check of the individual or the agency before contracting for services.  You should also ask for references and follow up on and check out the references.  An advantage of using an agency is that they pre-screen all their employees, but check the agency’s references to make sure they are reputable.  Also, some of the services provided may be covered by your insurance (usually the medical services) so be sure and inquire. Finally, make sure you are very detailed in the services you need so that there are no unexpected charges for services that you need but forgot to mention!

If you would like a list Independent Living Facilities, Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing Homes or any other type of Senior Facility, I hope you will consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. 

           

If you would like to contribute your thoughts and ideas, please leave them in our comment section. We want to hear them. Helping people care for themselves or their loved ones is what we care about. 

We look forward to reading yours.

Bob Gregory is an advocate for Seniors and is one of the founders of www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. At SeniorFacilityFinder.com, we are dedicated to helping families get the Elder Care help they need without having to provide their personal information! If find you need an assisted living facility or other type of senior facility, please consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com

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Should I use the Senior Facility’s Pharmacy or keep my own?

By Bob Gregory

This question arises often as the elderly transition to Senior Facilities.  As we grow older, we tend to see our doctors and pharmacists more frequently than someone younger than 60 years old and thus, we build a very personal relationship with our medical “team”.  Transitioning away from your home is stressful enough, but the thought of changing the medical team you trust can cause great distress.  I have personally had my pharmacist contact my doctor to alert him that two drugs he prescribed for me did not mix!  That’s the kind of people you want on your team and you don’t want to trade players!  You do have a choice, but most Senior Facilities encourage you to use their pharmacy—strongly encourage you to use their pharmacy.  I recently asked an owner of an Assisted Living Facility in Florida why they “strongly” encourage residents to use their pharmacy and I was a little surprised at his answer.  I will repeat his answer here as given to me for your consideration.

Reasons to use the facility pharmacy…

• Using a facility’s house pharmacy may cost you a few pennies more than running to your local drug store, Publix, Wal-Mart or Costco for prescription drugs or bulk over-the-counter drugs.  However, convenience is a huge factor in running around collecting all the prescriptions from the physicians, filling the prescriptions and delivering them to the facility in a timely manner.  Assisted Living Communities can get in a lot of trouble if the medication is not available for distribution exactly as ordered by the physician.  Timeliness is extremely important.
• Facility House Pharmacies deliver once or twice daily to the community, depending on the size of community or urgency of the medication.  The pharmacies are on call 24 hours a day and have a very quick turnaround, ensuring the patient gets the medication the same day.

  

  Medical Drugs for Pharmacy Health Shop of Medicine (Photo credit: epSos.de)

• The medication is packaged to make it easier for the facility techs and nurses to accurately distribute, store and re-order the medications as needed, before they run out to ensure no interruption in dosages given.  This packaging also allows for ease in medication inventory so staff can accurately document and understand changes in a resident’s condition as a result of being given the medication.
•  The inventory can also aid the facility staff in having the physician re-assess the medications and have PRN (as-needed) medications discontinued if they are not needed after a 30 day period.  This can save the resident and family considerable money on an annual basis. 
• Most facilities use pharmacies that are geographically local to the communities and work with a myriad of insurance companies including Medicare D programs.
• Having the volume at the community, the  House Pharmacies are usually good about re-evaluating the residents’ formulary to ensure the resident is paying the least amount possible by making sure most of the prescriptions are covered by their insurance companies and qualify for the lowest possible co-pays.

I also asked the tough question as to whether the pharmacy gave “perks” to the owners for the increased business and I was assured the perks came in the form of better service for their residents and overall lower cost for the residents.  I was pleased to hear that answer as we have all heard of companies “buying” business or serving the good of the owner and not the customer!  As I read back through the notes, I noticed the common theme in his answer was convenience and cost savings.  The convenience was shared by both the resident and the facility while the cost savings were those of the residents.  He also encouraged me to advise readers to ask for a comparison of cost of the drugs you are currently purchasing and compare to the cost using the House Pharmacy.  Be sure to factor in your time to get the drugs, gas or taxi fees and just the hassle of keeping up with reordering. 

As far as your medical team, it is going to grow larger as you will have lots of individuals providing care for you or your elderly parent at the Senior Facility.  Hopefully those relationships will grow and flourish as you enjoy your new home!  I hope this information helps your decision or at least provides another point of view on using the “house pharmacy” at a Senior Facility. 

If you would like a list Independent Living Facilities, Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing Homes or any other type of Senior Facility, I hope you will consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. 

           

If you would like to contribute your thoughts and ideas, please leave them in our comment section. We want to hear them. Helping people care for themselves or their loved ones is what we care about. 

We look forward to reading yours.

Bob Gregory is an advocate for Seniors and is one of the founders of www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. At SeniorFacilityFinder.com, we are dedicated to helping families get the Elder Care help they need without having to provide their personal information! If find you need an assisted living facility or other type of senior facility, please consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com

My elderly parent becomes confused and agitated in the early evening—is it Sundown Syndrome?

By Bob Gregory

Sundown Syndrome or “sundowning” is not a disease unto itself but a symptom of early Dementia or Alzheimer's disease.  Studies show that about 20% of people with Dementia or Alzheimer's disease will experience some level of sundowning.  However, an individual may experience sundowning without being officially diagnosed with Dementia or Alzheimer's disease.  According to Mayo Clinic, the cause of sundowning still isn’t known but is often labeled when certain traits are displayed.   So is it serious?  Some of the traits of sundowning may cause the individual harm and WebMD says sundowning is a common cause of caregiver burnout.  Let’s look at how the experts describe sundowning.

According to an article by Psychiatry Investigation posted on the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “Sundown syndrome, also known as sundowning, is a common clinical phenomenon manifested by the emergence or increment of neuropsychiatric symptoms in the late afternoon, evening or at night. It particularly occurs among cognitively impaired, demented, or institutionalized elderly patients.” 

Some of the “neuropsychiatric symptoms” that may be displayed are: 

CRTGraph (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

• Restlessness
• Confusion
• Disorientation
• Delirium
• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Wandering
• Yelling
• Pacing the Floor
• Combativeness
• Repetitive actions

The confusion, disorientation and wandering can be most concerning for caregivers as a person who is sundowning may wander off and get lost.  The combativeness also poses a threat to both the individual and the caregiver as restraint may be required to keep the individual from harming themselves or others.  All of these require a much higher level of care than someone who does not have sundown syndrome.  The intensity and duration of these symptoms are not always the same.  Some factors that may increase the severity of the symptoms are fatigue, pain, over medication, low lighting, lack of exercise, infections, and a noisy sleeping environment.  Nutrition may also play a part in the level and frequency of the symptoms.

Here are some suggestions to help minimize the intensity and number of symptoms that may be displayed:

• Increase or encourage exercise
• Limit sugar and caffeine intake

  

   Elderly man with a dumbell sitting on an exercise ball (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

• Limit or remove daytime naps
• Schedule earlier dinner service
• Well lit rooms to limit shadows
• Surround with familiar items such as photographs

The Mayo Clinic reports “research suggests that a low dose of melatonin — a naturally occurring hormone that induces sleepiness — in combination with exposure to bright light during the day may help minimize the disorientation associated with sundowning.”  Additionally, WebMD suggests “light therapy, the exposure to bright lights during the day may reduce some sundowning symptoms, especially when used in combination with exercise, like walking.”  If you are paying attention, you will notice that exercise to reduce the energy level of the individual is a common theme! Be sure to consult your parent’s doctor for potential medical treatment.  Although antipsychotic medications are very widely used to manage symptoms of sundowning, there is limited information on this particular treatment.

If you are the caregiver of someone who exhibits sundowning, the best approach is to be calm and reassuring.  Try to minimize activities occurring around the individual to limit confusion.  You may also want to provide some form of distraction to attempt to help them focused.  Avoid arguing or getting excited yourself and remain composed.  Try to give positive commands as opposed to negative commands when instructing as negative commands may cause additional confusion.  Finally, tactics that work for one individual with sundowners may not be affective for another; in fact they may actually aggravate the situation!  There is a reason sundowning is a common cause of caregiver burnout so prepare yourself!

If would like a list Independent Living Facilities, Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing Homes or any other type of Senior Facility, I hope you will consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. 

           

If you would like to contribute your thoughts and ideas, please leave them in our comment section. We want to hear them. Helping people care for themselves or their loved ones is what we care about. 

We look forward to reading yours.

Bob Gregory is an advocate for Seniors and is one of the founders of www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. At SeniorFacilityFinder.com, we are dedicated to helping families get the Elder Care help they need without having to provide their personal information! If find you need an assisted living facility or other type of senior facility, please consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com

Alzheimer’s—“A Fight To Remember”

By Bob Gregory

As an advocate for helping our elderly, I am introduced to many charities that provide funding to help fight diseases associated with aging.  There are quite a few diseases that affect the elderly such as Arthritis, Hypertension, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Osteoporosis, COPD, Depression, Parkinson’s and of course, Alzheimer’s. The treatment and eventual cure of all of these diseases mean a longer, healthier and happier life for our seniors.  It is important to support the charities dedicated to fighting these diseases as well as others I haven’t mentioned.  I had the opportunity to sit down and discuss a new charity that is just now joining the fight against Alzheimer’s and I was impressed with their approach.  It’s different than many charities that currently provide funds for support of caregivers of those suffering from Alzheimer’s or pharmaceutical research to develop drugs to help with symptoms.  Instead, the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation is dedicated to funding the discovery of a cure—a bold a daunting task!  Here is their story:

“A Fight to Remember”

 Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and currently affects over 5 million Americans. Discovered over 100 years ago by Doctor Alois Alzheimer, it is a progressive neurological disease that causes memory loss, confusion, and a decline in functioning. While the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are age 65 and older, up to 5 percent of people with Alzheimer’s are in their 40’s and 50’s. Alzheimer’s can be a devastating disease both for the people who suffer from it, and for friends and family members who have to deal with the fact that their loved one no longer remembers them. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s…but thanks to organizations like Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, we’re getting closer.

Unlike other Alzheimer’s organizations that promote education and caregiver support, Alzheimer’s Research Foundation is a 501(c)3 that is dedicated to finding a cure for a disease that affects so many lives in so many different ways.

In the past, the majority of money spent on Alzheimer’s research went to fund pharmaceutical research that treated symptoms of the disease. While treating the symptoms and slowing the progress of Alzheimer’s are noble deeds, we here at Alzheimer’s Research Foundation work with motivated researchers whose progress can be measured in quantifiable terms because we truly believe that a cure is possible.  

Helping people with an urgent need often causes an organization’s funding that would otherwise go directly to research to be used for programs that help people who are in crisis right now, pushing a cure off further into the future. That is not the case with Alzheimer’s Research Foundation 501(c)3. We will not lose focus on finding the cure. We are the research people and our goal is simple, “we fund measurable projects that are focused on identifying a cure for Alzheimer’s disease”.

We would like to remind you that there are other organizations with similar names but we are the one and only Alzheimer’s Research Foundation 501(c)3, 100% focused on funding research for the cure of Alzheimer’s.

We seek to measure, to learn, and to improve at every step along the way.  We are disciplined, because we want to maximize the effectiveness of our efforts, and learn from the results of our partners and grantees.  The collection and analysis of data and experience are critical first steps toward informed action and decision making. But these alone are not sufficient for action. Measuring progress and impact is only useful if you’re willing to act on the results. Our philosophy and approach emphasize measurement for a specific purpose or action. We recognize that the most elegant evaluation is only meaningful if its findings are used to inform decisions and strengthen our work to improve people’s lives.

As we continue to strengthen the foundation’s approach to measurement and evaluation, we will share this evaluation policy with our grantees and partners in a spirit of transparency and partnership.

There are many charities supporting a healthier and happier life for our seniors but I am particularly excited about the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation and their bold mission to find a cure for Alzheimer’s!  This disease is so prominent in today’s elder care that the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation has aligned itself with the Florida Assisted Living Association as one of its title sponsors.  All of us at Senior Facility Finder will also support and help in our way so look for special announcements on upcoming events through our social network!  Finally, if you can help Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, whether through donations or volunteer work, please do so and for more information, visit http://www.alzheimersresearchfoundation.com/.

If you would like a list Independent Living Facilities, Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing Homes or any other type of Senior Facility, I hope you will consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. 

           

If you would like to contribute your thoughts and ideas, please leave them in our comment section. We want to hear them. Helping people care for themselves or their loved ones is what we care about. 

We look forward to reading yours.

Bob Gregory is an advocate for Seniors and is one of the founders of www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. At SeniorFacilityFinder.com, we are dedicated to helping families get the Elder Care help they need without having to provide their personal information! If find you need an assisted living facility or other type of senior facility, please consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com

When caregivers make a difference—Marcel and his swing

By Bob Gregory

I often write about how important it is to choose the right senior facility for yourself or your elderly parent. I try to give helpful hints, questions to ask, safety issues and activities that will keep you moving and be enjoyable.  I also take time to mention how the caregivers can make the biggest difference in the quality care you receive and how happy you will be in your senior facility.  Most senior facilities pride themselves in the quality of individuals they hire and the level of service they provide.  They are very careful to choose the right staff because in the end, it is a service business.  Not everyone is cut out to work in a senior facility such as an Assisted Living Facility or a Nursing Home, as it takes heart, compassion and dedication.  When you find a facility which employs caregivers with those traits, you’ve found a gem!   I’d like to share an email that I received from a friend who owns Westbrooke Manor Assisted Living in Zephyrhills, Florida regarding just such a person that happens to be his Activities Director.  See if you agree with me that this is the type individual, and thus facility, that you or your elderly parent would appreciate!

From: Alyson Stanina

Thursday afternoon I was covering Esy’s position at the front desk while she was on her lunch break. Marcel Lavoie rolled over to the desk in his wheelchair and said to me,” We need a big strong tree out there,” pointing to the front parking area. I asked why, and he replied,” We need a swing.” I continued the conversation and asked him if he liked to swing, and he mentioned he used to swing at the park for hours upon hours, feeding the ducks and squirrels and losing track of time deep in thought. He would ponder his life, his 2 marriages, his children, why this, why that. After listening to him some more, I thought to myself, ‘I can take him to the park to swing, why not!?’ So then I asked him…”Marcel, would you like to swing at the park with me? I will take you!” His face glowed, and he accepted. I told him we would go the next afternoon.

Friday came, and he had been pointing to his watch all day when I walked by him, wondering what time we were leaving. It was obvious he had been thinking about the outing since the day before. He was so excited.

The moment had come. We loaded Marcel in the van and off we went. We had bread to feed the ducks, birds, and squirrels. I helped Marcel onto the bench swing in front of the lake at Zephyr Park…and there we swung, for an hour. Pondering life, talking about his past…he talked and talked, so comfortably. Marcel thanked me for making this outing happen for him. And then he said something that broke my heart and fulfilled me, all at the same time. He said, “ I wish the good Lord would take me tonight. Now that I have done this, I am ready to go.”

It was then, when I heard those words from Marcel that I realized that I can make last wishes, if you will, come true. Something so simple as riding a swing in the park is all this man wanted to do.  Marcel is a quiet, sweet, gentle man, with a mind full of life’s regrets and a broken heart. What youmay not know about Marcel is that he has  Lou Gehrig’s disease, (ALS). His muscles are slowly wasting away, but his brain power is all there. He has gone from walking with no shuffle, to walking with a big shuffle, and finally in a wheelchair in the last few months. Marcel knows he has this disease and knows what will happen to him. He is so silently strong.

I learned a lot about Marcel and myself yesterday afternoon on that swing in that park.

Thank you for letting me have that opportunity, and the opportunity to change a life, so simply.”

Alyson Stanina

Activities Director

Westbrooke Manor Assisted Living

6701 Dairy Road

Zephyrhills, Florida 33542

(813) 782- 4417

http://www.westbrookemanoralf.com/

Caregiving is not just a skill you learn and a routine you go through each day of the week.  Instead, it is a gift to be shared and showered upon those in need.  Yes, caregivers are paid a salary and work sometimes without a word of thanks, but they do it because they can make a difference—in this case, it was a difference in the life of a gentleman named Marcel!  I always encourage people in search of a senior facility to look beyond the décor and try to learn what’s at the “heart” of the facility—it’s the people who are the caregivers that make the facility a “home!”

If you would like a list Independent Living Facilities, Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing Homes or any other type of Senior Facility, I hope you will consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. 

           

If you would like to contribute your thoughts and ideas, please leave them in our comment section. We want to hear them. Helping people care for themselves or their loved ones is what we care about. 

We look forward to reading yours.

Bob Gregory is an advocate for Seniors and is one of the founders of www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. At SeniorFacilityFinder.com, we are dedicated to helping families get the Elder Care help they need without having to provide their personal information! If find you need an assisted living facility or other type of senior facility, please consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com