Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga and Etobicoke has designed a Senior Emergency Card and will be distributing them at their presentation with tips and suggestions on handling this emergency.

Come join us on June 28, 2001 at 7pm at:

VILLAGE OF HUMBER HEIGHTS
2245 Lawrence Avenue West
Toronto [Etobicoke], ON
M9P 3W3

RSVP Home Instead Senior Care, Etobicoke at 416-239-2200.

Book early to guarantee your seat. Light refreshments will be provided.

What a Senior Needs to Share With a Doctor:

•    Tell your doctor about all the medicines you are already taking. This includes prescription medicines and the medicines you buy without a prescription, such as aspirin, laxatives, vitamin supplements, and home remedies. It’s helpful to take along a written list or go to www.SeniorEmergencyKit.com and fill out a medication tracker form to take along.

•    Tell your doctor what is important to you about your medicines. You may want a medicine with the fewest side effects, or fewest doses to take each day. If you have trouble swallowing, you may want a liquid form of medicine. You may care most about cost (there may be a generic drug or another lower-cost medicine you can take), or you may want the medicine your doctor believes will work best.

•    Tell your doctor if you have any allergies to medications or if you have had any troubling side effects from medicines.

•    Tell your doctor if you have any illnesses or problems for which another doctor or health professional is treating you.

•    Tell your doctor if you are not taking your medicine as directed. For example, some people may stop taking their medicine, take a lower dose, or skip doses if they are having side effects. Your doctor needs to know about any changes in your treatment plan. Do not let guilty feelings or embarrassment keep you from telling your doctor this important information.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Ensuring your parents are taking their prescriptions properly is one of the most important duties in caregiving. Mismanaging a medicine could put your loved ones at serious risk. If you need help keeping track of your parents’ prescriptions, read the following:

•    The Senior Emergency Care Kit provides a log for you to list your parents’ medications and doses. This will assist in the managing of medications and provide information to the necessary medical personnel if an emergency were to occur.

•    If your parents are living at home, ensure they have everything they need to independently manage their medications.

•    If you have extra, unused medication lying around look for a Home Instead Senior Care’s Mission Medicine. These locations provide a safe place to throw away unused medication.

•    You can also speak to your local pharmacy to find out about medicine disposal sites located in your community.

•    Ensure there is a reliable method in place to sort prescriptions to be disposed of and prescriptions to be taken.

If you’re interested in learning more about parents aging at home and their medications, visit this site. (http://www.caregiverstress.com/2011/04/keeping-seniors-safe-at-home/)

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga and Etobicoke has designed a Senior Emergency Card and will be distributing them at their presentation with tips and suggestions on handling this emergency.

Come join us on June 28, 2001 at 7pm at:

VILLAGE OF HUMBER HEIGHTS
2245 Lawrence Avenue West
Toronto [Etobicoke], ON
M9P 3W3

RSVP Home Instead Senior Care, Etobicoke at 416-239-2200.

Book early to guarantee your seat. Light refreshments will be provided.

Seniors on multiple medications begin a slippery slope that can lead to disaster if their medications are not properly managed, according to a representative for the Canadian Society of Consultant Pharmacists (CSCP). Pronica Janikowski, Professional Development Coordinator of the CSCP says: “A senior with four health problems – an eye condition, hypertension, cardiac issues, and diabetes – could be taking eight different medications, and sometimes there are side effects and they take medications for the side effects too.”

Janikowski says that in addition to prescription drugs, many seniors take herbal remedies, over-the-counter laxatives and pain medications.

“People are not aware of what medications their senior parents are taking and what services are available to them,” she says. “They often don’t find out until they’re in the middle of a crisis. They should be proactive and check what their parents are taking before a crisis happens. This is why seniors need a friend, a family caregiver or a professional caregiver to look out for them. They need an advocate who goes with them to the doctor to make sure that any changes in medications are followed correctly.”

Here are common types of medication-related problems:

1.    Untreated conditions – The patient has a medical condition that requires drug therapy, but is not receiving a drug for that condition.

2.    Drug use without indication – The patient is taking a medicine for no medically valid condition or reason.

3.    Improper drug selection – The patient’s medical condition is being treated with the wrong drug or a drug that is not the most appropriate for the special needs of the patient.

4.    Subtherapeutic dosage – The patient has a medical condition that is being treated with too little of the correct medication.

5.    Overdosage – The patient has a medical problem that is being treated with too much of the correct medication.

6.    Adverse drug reactions – The patient has a medical condition that is the result of an adverse drug reaction (ADR) or adverse effect. In the case of older adults, ADRs contribute to already existing geriatric problems such as falls, urinary incontinence, constipation and weight loss.

7.    Drug interactions – The patient has a medical condition that is the result of a drug interacting negatively with another drug or a food.

8.    Failure to receive medication – The patient has a medical condition that is the result of not receiving a medication due to economic, psychological, sociological or pharmaceutical reasons.

For more information, visit the Canadian Society of Consultant Pharmacists at www.cscpharm.com. Check out www.SeniorEmergencyKit.com to learn more about the management tool, or contact your local Home Instead Senior Care office in Mississauga ON at 905- 276-2273.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Symptoms of Improper Medication Dosage

It can be nerve wracking to be a caregiver when you are worrying about your parents’ health issues. There are a number of symptoms that arise if something is wrong and one of the most common health issues is improper medication dosage. If your loved one is getting the wrong dosage they may experience the following symptoms:

•    Falls
•    Dizziness
•    Depression
•    Incontinence
•    Psychiatric problems
•    Sleep issues / Insomnia
•    Memory loss
•    Confusion
•    Depression
•    Loss of coordination
•    Delirium / Hallucinations
•    Malnutrition / Dehydration

Then Issues This Can Lead To

Medication related problems can lead to numerous health and life altering consequences. Staying on top of medication dosage is vital. If your loved one has experienced any of the symptoms above they could be at risk of:

•     Hip fractures.
•    Death.
•    Hospitalizations.
•    Loss of independence.
•    Decreased quality of life.
•    Doctor / Emergency Room visits.

If you require more information about caregiving there are a number of resources available on the web. To learn about medication mismanagement and its warning signs, read this article on CaregiverStress.com.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

According to Statistics Canada, seniors represent 13.9 per cent of the Canadian population, and that proportion is expected to rise. Statistics Canada’s A Portrait of Seniors in Canada says seniors will make up 17 per cent of the population in 2026 and 27 per cent in 2056. This means that even more seniors will need care in the future.

Much is at stake for local seniors and their family caregivers. According to Health Canada’s Report on Canada’s Aging Population, four out of five seniors living in their own home suffer from chronic health conditions including arthritis, rheumatism, high blood pressure, allergies, back problems, heart conditions, cataracts and diabetes. For many of these conditions, seniors take medications.

“Seniors cope well until a crisis occurs and then somebody must step in, and that’s when the children see that their mother or father is taking all these medications,” says Pronica Janikowski, Professional Development Coordinator of the Canadian Society of Consultant Pharmacists.

“They are very surprised, but it’s not unusual. A senior with four health problems – an eye condition, hypertension, cardiac issues, and diabetes – could be taking eight different medications, and sometimes there are side effects and they take medications for the side effects too.”

Janikowski is one of 232 pharmacists in Canada who have the designation of Geriatric Pharmacist. A pharmacist for over 30 years, she is the education representative of the Canadian Society of Consultant Pharmacists (CSCP), represents the CSCP on the steering committee for the Canadian Coalition for Seniors Mental Health, and was on the committee that developed the Canadian national guidelines for treatment of depression in the elderly.

Janikowski says that, in addition to prescription drugs, many seniors take herbal remedies, over-the-counter laxatives, and pain medications “which are squirreled away in the cupboard” and their children have no idea about it.

“People are not aware of what medications their senior parents are taking and what services are available to them,” she says. “They often don’t find out until they’re in the middle of a crisis. They should be proactive and check what their parents are taking before a crisis happens. This is why seniors need a friend, a family caregiver or a professional caregiver to look out for them. They need an advocate who goes with them to the doctor to make sure that any changes in medications are followed correctly.”

Home Instead Senior Care has developed a variety of resources to help family caregivers keep important information organized and easily accessible. The Caring for Your Parents: Senior Emergency KitSM is a management tool the Home Instead Senior Care network and Humana Points of Caregiving® designed so that family caregivers can have one master file with information such as the names of a senior’s doctors, pharmacy and insurance company phone numbers, medications and dosage details, allergies and other important information. To learn more about these resources, go to www.SeniorEmergencyKit.com or call Home Instead Senior Care at 905- 276-2273.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Primary caregivers must be aware of any discomfort or pain a loved one is experiencing. It can be hard to identify how much pain a loved could be in so here are some things to keep in mind:

•    Use a pain scale to measure the level of discomfort your parent is experiencing. This will help you judge if medications are working properly.

•    Be sure pain isn’t going untreated. It is common for men to try and endure pain to be tough so ensure you have open communication about any health changes with your parents.

•    If your parents suffer from dementia or another disease that renders them unable to properly communicate there are ways to identify pain. Moans or changes in demeanor could mean your loved one is suffering.

•    Everyone has different levels of pain tolerance. People who haven’t experienced a lot of pain may find something like a headache excruciating.
•    Side effects from pain medications can cause falls, dizziness or hallucinations. If your parent has started a new medication and is experiencing any of these symptoms, contact their doctor.

•    Pain comes in two forms. Acute pain is short and typically has a cause. Chronic pain is long lasting and may not have any particular cause.

To get more information on pain management, read this article. Source: Annarbor.com

A call in the middle of the night that Mom had a bad fall or Dad accidentally overdosed on his meds can strike terror in the hearts of family caregivers. It could happen at any time, often because seniors take so many different medications. According to a study conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network, far too many adult sons and daughters don’t have the information they need should that emergency call come, and their senior mother or father needs help.

The Home Instead Senior Care network, a leading provider of home care services for seniors in their own homes and in care facilities with 29 locations across Canada, surveyed future family caregivers – people who plan to care for their parents when the need arises. Here are some key findings:

•    43 per cent of future caregivers say they expect to start caring for their parents within the next three years, 14 per cent say they expect the call to come within the next year, and one in ten expect to be called into action at any minute
•    51 per cent can’t name any medications their parents take daily
•    52 per cent who say their parents have allergies to medications can’t name these allergies
•    76 per cent can’t name their parents’ blood type.

Home Instead Senior Care has developed a variety of resources to help family caregivers keep important information organized and easily accessible. The Caring for Your Parents: Senior Emergency KitSM is a management tool the Home Instead Senior Care network and Humana Points of Caregiving® designed so that family caregivers can have one master file with information such as the names of a senior’s doctors, pharmacy and insurance company phone numbers, medications and dosage details, allergies and other important information. To learn more about these resources, go to www.SeniorEmergencyKit.com or call Home Instead Senior Care at 905- 276-2273.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Home Instead Senior Care wishes Mother’s across the nation a “Happy Mother’s Day”.

Mother’s Day is celebrated to honor all mothers and express gratitude for the hardships they bear in bringing up a child. Most countries including Canada, US, Australia, and India celebrate Mothers Day on the second Sunday of May. Mothers Day came into being due to the efforts made by Ms Julia Ward Howe and Ms Anna Jarvis. The Resolution for having a dedicated Mother’s Day was signed by US President Woodrow Wilson on May 8, 1914. Since then people across the world have been celebrating Mothers Day with joy and devotion.

This Mother’s Day, celebrate with your senior mother or grandmother with fun and inexpensive activities that are enjoyable for you to do together, or purchase a special gift that you know she’s been dying for. Mother’s Day is about making a female relative feel special and appreciated, and seniors are a demographic who can appreciate your efforts the most. When planning Mother’s Day activities for you and your senior, or shopping for the perfect Mother’s Day gift, keep these ideas in mind.

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

For long distance adult children who cannot be there to help celebrate Mother’s Day:

• A day out with a home companion caregiver for lunch and a movie
• Hire a professional caregiver to shop and cook for one day a week

Here are a few gift ideas that she will love to have:

Gift Experiences that Spoil Mom:
Mother and Daughter Spa Packages
Day at the Spa Packages for Mom
Facial & Body Wrap Gift Certificates
Manicure, Pedicure & Spa Package Gift Certificates
Home Spa Gift Sets

Unique Gifts for Mom:
Pottery Classes
Painting Class
Electronic Massagers for Car or Office Seats
Floral Bouquet of the Month Clubs
Bath & Body of the Month Club
Relaxing Backyard Hammocks
Modern Espresso Machines

Make mother’s day a special day for mom by pampering her and making her feel like a queen.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Loneliness and Caring for your Parents

If you have moved into your parents’ home to care for them you may start feeling isolated. Though your siblings are grateful and you have no regrets, loneliness is still a common. Here are some tips to keep in mind if you are feeling out of the loop:

•    Be honest with your siblings.

•    Make a list of specific things they could help you with to give yourself a little more free time.

•    Ask them to visit more often.

•    Set up a Facebook page and get in contact with your friends from the past.

•    Invite a friend to dinner.

•    Contact a local bookstore to find a book club you could join.

•    Check your local newspaper to find out about upcoming events in your community.

•    Renew old acquaintances in communities you were a part of.

You may be surprised to find your siblings wanted to help but didn’t know how to or thought you didn’t need it. Voicing your opinion and being honest with your family can help ease the feelings of loneliness.

Source: CaregiverStress.com