Home Instead Senior Care’s Be a Santa to a Senior Campaign
The upcoming holiday season is very much a family time, highlighted with visits and gift-giving. But, there are many seniors in our community who are alone, isolated and in need. Home Instead Senior Care has joined with Shoppers Home Healthcare, Mississauga Seniors Centre, the Alzheimer Society of Peel and Peel Senior Link, to decorate two trees with gift requests. The trees are set up at Shoppers Home Healthcare, located at Applewood Plaza, 1077 North Service Road, and Mississauga Seniors Centre, 1389 Cawthra Road. Everyone in the community is invited to visit the trees, pick one of the gift requests and purchase that item. Also, on December 9th, everyone is invited out again to help wrap the gifts. Can you imagine the smile on a lonely senior’s face and how much brighter the holiday season will be when he or she has a gift to open? For more information on how you can help, please visit www.beasantatoasenior.com or call Greg Bechard at 905-276-2273.
Many seniors till enjoy being outside during the winter months. In fact, this is one of the most beautiful times of year to take a walk. Seniors do need to take caution when walking in the winter. There are some safety tips provided below that will ensure seniors stay safe while they are walking in a winter wonderland. In addition, walking around the yard can be a hazard, so it is important to review these tips so seniors can stay safe and healthy.
1. Always remove snow and ice that accumulates on steps, driveways and walkways. Place sand or salt on paths that are walked on to prevent slips and falls.
2. Most falls in the winter are due to slipping on the ice. Wearing the correct footwear can help prevent these falls. Seniors should wear shoes that provide good traction on slippery surfaces.
3. Winter boots should be waterproof, insulated, have low heels and should be light in weight.
4. Additional precaution can be taken by using ice grippers on footwear. Always remove these from shoes before walking on smooth surfaces because they can be very slippery and actually be the cause of a fall.
5. If seniors have balance problems, they should be using a cane when outside in the winter. If using a cane, an ice pick can be attached to the bottom, making it easier to navigate slippery surfaces.
6. When walking on the road, always wear clothes that are bright in color. Also be sure to wear hats, gloves and scarves to prevent loss of body heat.
7. When travelling on snowy or icy surfaces, move slowly. Take your time and be careful. Paying attention will help prevent many falls.
Going home for the holidays may not be what it once was, particularly for those adults visiting aging parents. They often return home to discover that Mom and Dad need more help with daily living activities than they expected. Even in today’s tough economy, those assisted living needs are driving business opportunities that continue long after the holidays have passed.
Omaha, NE (Vocus) December 14, 2010
The holidays are a time when family gathers from near and far to celebrate what many consider the most joyous time of year. Many adult children, however, return home to conditions that could put a damper on the festive season. It’s a fact that holiday visits drive growth in the senior care business.
As a Mississauga senior, if you become sick and have to go for medical help, one of the worst things is having to wait at a walk-in clinic. ClinicBook is a new tool that is available to seniors and their caregivers that will help locate the closest clinic with the shortest waiting time. In many cases, seniors have no choice but to go to a clinic, so being able to find one that will quickly attend to the medical issues at hand is very important. Below is some additional information on ClinicBook and some other benefits it can offer.
In addition to helping locate the closest clinic in a time of need, ClinicBook can be helpful in booking appointments with other medical professionals. This is a great thing for caregivers, allowing them to have a fast and organized way to make necessary appointments.
ClinicBook will also help caregivers find the earliest appointment for emergencies, such as a dental emergency. Instead of having to be on the phone with multiple offices, ClinicBook takes away that hassle and provides the information quickly.
One of the great things about ClinicBook is that doctors and other medical professionals do not have to change how they do things. ClinicBook taps into the clinic management software that is already being used, making this one of the recommended options for caregivers.
Being a caregiver is tough enough, but when the caregiver also has children of their own, things can get very stressful and complicated. Joanne Hough, who has relocated to care for her aging mother, has four children of her own. However, she has been able to divide her caregiving roles. Hough has also hired a caregiving service to fill in the gaps when she cannot be there to care for her mother. The information below discusses the various roles of being a caregiver and how to find a balance in life.
A recent survey has revealed that 69% of Canadians between the ages of 43 and 63 have a living parent and one third of these people are providing care to them.
Many of these caregivers are using a lot of their own income to help pay for the services and care that are needed by their elderly parents.
These caregivers also have dual responsibilities. Not only are they providing care for an aging parent, but they are also caring for their own family as well. Most of these caregivers still have children living at home.
While having multiple responsibilities may seem overwhelming, there are ways for caregivers to effectively manage their responsibilities. Identifying how others can help with care and assigning different responsibilities to other family members can be helpful.
Social service support is also available. This will help the caregiver and will allow them to have more time to spend with their own children while still ensuring the well being of the aging parent.
When the caregiving is done in your own home, things can get overwhelming, however, having other family members in the home can be beneficial because they can also help with the care, even the children can be involved in caring for Grandma.
Studies have shown that Canadian adults who are providing care to seniors are more apt to experience very high levels of stress. In addition, those who are caregivers to an elderly individual with Alzheimer’s disease could begin to develop bitterness and anger toward the senior. Many caregivers will report that they have a difficult time managing their stress and other feelings, including depression, anxiety and anger. The list below contains some more information on how caregivers are living a very stressful lifestyle.
Caregivers will become stressed for many reasons. They may be overwhelmed at the amount of work and time is needed to help the senior. Others may have trouble maintaining schedules for medications and appointments. Since there are so many aspects to being a caregiver, stress is the leading complaint.
Based on information gathered in the study, 55% of Canadian seniors are receiving help from a spouse. 75% of those seniors who are not married are receiving care from an adult child.
For the spouses of the senior in need, these individuals tend to feel the stress much more than a caregiver who is another family member. When the senior has Alzheimer’s, the stress levels have been reported to be three times as much.
It is important for all caregivers to have some type of outlet available to help them manage this stress. This could be a hobby or physical activity, support groups or just a strong family network. Caregivers must be able to discuss their stress and having others as a means of moral, emotional and mental support can make a world of difference.
In 2006, Be a Santa to a Senior volunteers visited a local nursing facility and distributed gifts to a number of residents, including one 87-year-old woman whom we’ll call Mary. She was pleased to receive her gift and thanked us profusely, but it wasn’t until we returned to give Mary another gift in 2007 that we recognized the true value of Be a Santa to a Senior in Canada. http://www.beasantatoasenior.ca/
When we entered Mary’s room for our second visit, we noticed that the only card on her bulletin board was the Be a Santa to a Senior card from the previous year. As we spoke with her caregivers we found out that our Christmas card and gift were the only items she had received throughout the year. Mary re-read the card regularly to help keep that memory alive.
Each year Home Instead Senior Care® offices throughout North America spread holiday cheer to lonely or financially-challenged seniors through the Be a Santa to a Senior program. The program has attracted upwards of 60,000 volunteers over the past six years distributing gifts to deserving seniors. Since introducing the Be a Santa to a Senior program, Home Instead Senior Care has helped provide 1.2 million gifts to more than 700,000 seniors.
Each year, there are more elderly family members in Mississauga who need assistance. This results in an increase in the amount of people who take on the role of being a caregiver for an ill family member. Caregivers make many sacrifices to ensure the well being of loved ones. In some cases, Mississauga seniors will live with the caregiver and their family. This can help the caregiver because they will be able to tend to the needs as well as their entire family. Below is some information that has been gathered from surveys conducted by the Home Instead senior Care Company in Canada.
1. The average Canadian caregiver has been caring for a senior loved one for more than four years and spends more than 20 hours per week helping senior family members. While this is a decent number, more than 61% of seniors in Canada report the need for additional assistance.
2. 34% of caregivers in Canada spend less than 10 hours providing care while 25% spend more than 40 hours. These caregivers have made their responsibility a full time position, in addition to their jobs and family obligations.
3. More than 30% of all caregivers have children of their own living at home. This can make caregiving even more challenging if the senior is not living in the home as well. Caregivers must find a way to establish a balance between the care they provide and their responsibilities as a parent.
4. Even though this is a huge responsibility, there is not much more understanding and support available to caregivers. People realize the sacrifices that must be made and many will offer their help in any way possible.
There are seniors in Mississauga who require a family caregiver. Unfortunately, many people who could be that selected caregiver do not really know what family caregiving is all about. The services that are provided by family caregivers actually account for more than 80% of all home care services that seniors receive.
Being a family caregiver consists of many responsibilities, all of which play a key role in the health and well being of a senior. Caregiving is not simply overseeing the senior. It involves direct care for those who cannot care for themselves. It can also include managing finances, arranging appointments, creating social outlets, nursing and any other service that could be required throughout the day. It is a 24 hour job that usually does not come with a paycheck.
Individuals who are considering becoming a family caregiver must be aware of what they will be required to do. They should also begin to set up some resources for support, such as contacting local Alzheimer’s Chapters, the National Family Caregivers Association and various other organizations that are offered in the community. These support services will play an important role for the caregiver. They will also need help and support as they care for a senior.
As a caregiver, there will be no way to determine how long your services will be needed. It could be a few years or a lifetime, depending on the needs and functioning levels of the senior. You will be the senior’s advocate. If you have an elderly family member that is ill or has other issues that require care, there are some important things to learn before jumping into the role of the caregiver. For instance, you will have to know about Medicare and how the system works.
You will also have to be available daily, which can mean making huge personal sacrifices. Each year, there is increasing demand for family caregivers. While many people may not really know what this entails, it is one of the most important roles an individual can play in the life of a senior.
They say it’s the “thought that counts” when it comes to gift-giving over the holidays, and that statement really does go along way. However, you do want the gifts you choose for the important seniors in your life to be something that is useful and appreciated, and those items are easier to come across than you might think! Setup a gift basket with some of the following, which will help their financial situation and even help to improve their health!
1. Purchase items that will aid in dental health – it might not sound like a glamorous holiday gift idea, but a senior’s dental health can really change their quality of life, especially over the holidays when they’d rather enjoy. In a gift basket, include a favorite toothpaste or denture cleaner, mouthwash, floss and a new toothbrush (buy electric, or one in their favorite color – something they might not splurge on!).
2. Stock up on other personal items – splurge a little bit and include personal items that are more than just the basics. If you know that they prefer a certain kind of scented soap or body wash, but typically stick to a cheaper bar soap, pick some up! Bubble bath, body lotion and other items they wouldn’t necessarily buy for themselves would also be appreciated
3. Include nutritious snacks – crackers, preserves, tea and coffee are all great things to include in a senior’s gift basket. Try to buy the items you know they love, but won’t get for themselves!
Home Instead Senior Care’s Be a Santa to a Senior Campaign
