Last Monday was an interesting day-a study in life. One client and family friend ended a life well lived with a dignified passing, surrounded by family and friends. A client was admitted with a fractured hip and her family friend was insisting she is suddenly no longer competent to live alone. A new client so use to being alone at home was hesitant about new opportunities to explore new things. Then my 87 year old mom sent me a text!!!. Something new learned up in the mountains of Colorado, watching the snow, while visiting my sister. All three women about the same chorological age, but growing old very differently

Physically life stops when the heart quits beating or it is determined that brain function stops. But life can functionally stop when we stop learning, stop making our own choices and stop being a participant in our own care. The choices a person makes affects the course of their lives. It is documented that eating well, exercising appropriately and challenging our mind with new things can slow memory loss, maintain muscle mass and strength, and strengthen the body’s immune system. It is also as well documented that poor nutrition, lack of activity and social engagement puts a person at risk for chronic illness, memory loss, compromised skin integrity, increased risk of infection; and balance problems, loss of muscle mass and strength leading to increased risk of falls.

Fast forward one week. The client with the fractured hip is in rehab, resisting exercise, not eating well, thus is weaker than she should be at this stage of recovery and has developed bed sores. My home alone client got in the car and hit the roads with her new found caregiver/friend. My mom has not sent anymore text messages but took apart and fixed her vacuum cleaner. I wear a different caregiver hat to support them all

Making arrangements to initiate homecare is often felt to be a complicated, daunting, and difficult process.  Having a stranger coming in to your home for the first time is often anticipated to be awkward, uncomfortable, and foreign; threatening independence and privacy.  Finding caregivers can be a confusing and overwhelming procedure.  Agencies all advertise quality and guarantees of satisfaction. Private caregivers network effectively and have low fees. Where do you begin? 

Several steps should be taken when researching any caregiving services.    

1. Make sure a state wide criminal record search is conducted within the last year. A private caregiver can get this done as easily as any agency.  Make sure references have been checked.  If you check the references, make sure you are talking to someone that can speak to the quality of the applicant’s work from direct observation and/or interaction.

 2. The caregivers should have had a face to face interview either by you or the agency that  is referring them before they are placed into the caregiving role. 

3. Verify that the range of services and skills needed match that which can be provided by the agency or private caregiver.

4. Discuss basic philosophy. The provider’s (agency or private caregiver)  focus should be  the needs of the client and family. Schedules and requests should accommodate these  needs and preferences and not evolve around the convenience of the provider. Satisfaction of the client and family should be the focus with adjustments of caregivers or schedules made as needed.

4. Research affordability of the service. The provider should be willing to quote rates over the phone and not require a home visit prior to giving this basic information. Make sure  you understand the rates. Many providers have rates based on multiple criteria. 

5. Some agencies have deposits, early termination of contract penalties, or termination notice requirements. Ask about and understand all terms of agreements and get them in writing.

6. Understand what happens if the caregiver is unable to come to work at the designated time. Who is responsible for finding a replacement?  How are notifications made? Who is responsible for making sure the required shifts are covered in the first place? 

Researching and selecting the best option for caregiving services is as important as choosing the right daycare, babysitter or doctor.  To be successful, they have to not only provide the quality and personal service you desire but also be a match to the personality of the person needing care as well as the family members involved.  Don’t be afraid to ask the questions you need to be comfortable, but do be wary if the questions do not get answered.

Families gathered for the holidays are offered the perfect time to sit together and discuss preventative safety issues with their aging seniors. Routine safety checks for loose wires, frayed rugs, unused and expired medicine and well placed stabilizing bars are great places to start, but there is much more to discuss in preventive safety measures.

I sat with a son today at his mother’s hospital bedside as he relayed the story of how he found his mom in her home on the floor of her running shower. From the extent of water damage in her home she had obviously been compromised for more than a day. The period of time spent down and immobile affects outcomes. Muscle cell breakdown begins to occur 30-60 minutes after the fall. Discussions had been held periodically concerning the use of a medical alert system but she had refused to use one. What a difference it would have made in her recovery and long term status if someone had been alerted as soon as she had fallen.

We address safety issues through out our life span. Seat belts, car seats, helmets for bicycles and all terrain vehicles, plugs for wall sockets, designated drivers, eye protection etc. all are part of our personal protection gear. Why does safety stop and become unacceptable as we age?

I know longer climb on roofs to install my own wind turbines. I always hold on to the rail when using stairs. This is prevention and preventing accidents is just as important as we age as while we are younger. Society always refers to young adults as feeling invincible, defying danger, and their insurance rates reflect this. In my work with seniors, for the most part I see no difference. I hear the same thing from them as I hear from my 18year old: “I am always careful”.

Safety is important for everyone and the tools to assist this vary with need and age. Griswold Special Care can conduct a free home safety check and make recommendations for individual safety needs. Regardless of your age “an ounce of prevention is a pound of cure” still applies.