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.

Being a care coordinator is a huge responsibility. This role is very important to many seniors who are receiving additional services at home. When a senior has a caregiver and still has the need for outside resources, a care coordinator will ensure that all needs are met. There are many other responsibilities that go along with this role, some of which are provided in the list below.

1. The gathering of information from all healthcare providers. This means collecting important medical information from each doctor that treats the senior.

2. The care coordinator must be able to effectively assess the home environment as well as the needs of the person receiving care.

3. Coordinators must be able to find private services and resources that will meet the needs of the senior.

4. There must always be ongoing communication between all of the parties involved. This includes the individual receiving care, the caregivers, doctors and family members. It is important to keep all those involved up to date.

5. The care coordinator should also be able to assess daily situations to make sure the senior is in fact receiving all of the services they need to function. If there is something that changes with the senior’s health, changes to the type of care and services they receive may be required.

Source: NFCACares.org

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.

Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga and Etobicoke is helping families prepare in case there is an emergency involving your aging loved one.  Our Senior Emergency Kit, contains all the information needed for all the necessary medical documents in case a crisis arises. Some of the checklists featured in the kit include:

• Relevant medical information.
• Power of attorney forms.
• Pharmacy and insurance company details.
• Information on your loved one’s doctor.
• More Caregiving Resources

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.

Most adult children over the age of 45 will become caregivers for their parents, but only half can name any medications their parents take, a new survey shows.

Jeff Huber, president of Home Instead Senior Care, says “The majority of caregivers we work with have done no advance planning,” a company that provides non-medical care services. “It is not important until it’s urgent. So much stress and uncertainty down the road can be prevented.”

The survey of 600 adults ages 45 to 65, conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care network, also found:

•31% don’t know how many medications their parents take.

•34% don’t know whether their parents have a safe deposit box or where the key is.

•36% don’t know where their parents’ financial information is located.

Lack of planning can lead to serious complications when decisions need to be made quickly, says palliative care nurse practitioner Mimi Mahon, an associate professor at George Mason University in Virginia. “It’s vitally important to plan ahead and have these conversations with parents, or families can act out of fear and make mistakes when emergencies arise.”

Home Instead Senior Care encourages family caregivers to be an advocate for your parents’ health care. It all starts with having conversations and putting plans in place.

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.

An emergency with older adults can happen at any time. Seniors are at particular risk because of the large numbers of medications they are taking.

Here’s a stat: older adults represent just over 13 percent of the population, and this percentage is expected to keep rising. Statistics Canada’s A Portrait of Seniors in Canada says seniors will make up 17 percent of the population in 2026 and 27 percent in 2056. This means that even more seniors will need care in the future.

What’s worse: Many family caregivers who live in fear of getting “the call” don’t have the information they need to help their loved ones. In fact, research has confirmed this.

The Home Instead Senior Care^® network commissioned a survey of future family caregivers – those who are expecting to be family caregivers within the next 10 years.* Less than half (44 percent) say they are knowledgeable about their parents’ medical histories in case of an emergency. And just over half (51 percent) are unable to name any of the medications their parents take daily. Furthermore, 40 percent of those future caregivers don’t know where their seniors’ financial information is located.

One of the greatest services Home Instead Senior Care provides is the opportunity to assist seniors with medication reminders. Assistance at home can help older adults prevent accidents and maintain their independence. That support is one of the best ways that family caregivers can be ready for an emergency.

Happy Father’s Day to all Dad’s in Mississauga!

However you spend Father Day celebrating your Dad, let him know how much you appreciate him and all the effort he spent celebrating you. Make it a special day for him.

Are you ready to make this day special for your Dad? You can put away thoughts of buying another tie or after shave. But what about washing his car? Mowing the lawn for him? Taking him out for breakfast is a great way to catch up.

More ideas to celebrate Father’s Day:

• Cook/Grill his favorite meal and have a picnic.
• Is Dad’s car his pride and joy? Grab up some sponges and car wax and make it sparkle like the day he bought it!
• Invite Dad’s best buds over for a night of poker, movies, or sports.
• Donate to one of Dad’s favorite charities.
• Schedule a physical check up for Dad. If he is like most men, he probably ignores getting an annual exam.
• Simply carve out time for him. Take him to the nearest fishing hole. You’ll discover it’s not about the fish he catches!
• Tickets for his favorite sports game may be a nice surprise.
• Take him to the movies or theater.

Here are other ideas to help celebrate Dad, if he is older:

• Do a crossword puzzle together
• Learn about a new subject together.
• Learn a new hobby: painting, whittling, needlecraft, etc.
• Play a game of bingo, bridge, dominoes, checkers or card games
• Take a walk in the park or local mall
• Plant flowers in the garden
• Work a crossword puzzle together

The Toronto Sun shares ideas with you to help make the day special for Dad: http://www.torontosun.com/2011/06/15/dads-day-a-really-big-deal

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.

Senior Emergency Kit Helps You Organize Important Medical Information

I’d like to invite you to take a little quiz:

• What conditions does your senior loved one have?
• What is the name and phone number for each doctor your senior loved one sees on a regular basis?
• What prescriptions, over-the-counter medications and supplements does your senior loved one take?
• What allergies does your senior loved one suffer from?
• Who is your senior loved one’s insurance carrier?
• What is their preferred hospital?

If you can answer most of these questions, then you are probably better prepared than the majority of family caregivers. In a recent survey conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network, less than half (47 percent) of the future family caregivers surveyed said they know their parents’ medical histories in case of an emergency. And almost half (49 percent) of the respondents were unable to name any of the medications taken by their parents each day.

We know that, for family caregivers, being prepared for that emergency call in the middle of the night is critical. That’s why we developed the Senior Emergency Kit information management tool and website to help you track medications and other important information regarding your senior loved one’s health.

This toolkit includes checklists and worksheets for medications, conditions, allergies, doctors, health advisors and important documents. You can also find out more about tracking important information at SeniorEmergencyKit.com. If you are interested in receiving a kit or would like for a representative to provide your group with a presentation please contact our office.  Our phone numbers are listed or you may response by e-mail.  We would love to share this information.

Remember, at Home Instead Senior Care, our goal is to provide you and your loved ones with the personalized care you need to live full, healthy, and happy lives. If you would like to receive a kit or would like additional information on our medication reminder and other services, please give me a call.

Thank you for trusting your loved one’s care to Home Instead Senior Care.

At around the age of 50, you should expect to start caring for your parents. There are a lot of ways you can help your aging parents out, including:

•    Caring and maintaining for the house.

•    Paying bills and arranging doctor’s appointments.

•    Selling the house and moving into a care facility.

•    Hiring a nurse to visit your parent’s house periodically.

These options can greatly alleviate the stress your parents’ responsibilities have on them. Just make sure you aren’t biting off more than you can chew.

Action Time

After discussing the options with your parents, it is time to make a decision. You may feel overwhelmed that their future lies in your hands. Before taking action, consider the following:

•    Are your parents just overwhelmed? Do they just need reassurance you will be there if they need you?

•    Take the point of view of your siblings and group it behind the opinion of your parents’.

•    Are you parents capable of making an informed decision?

•    Teamwork is the best approach to resolving this dilemma so work together.

For more information on caring for elderly parents and maintaining peace within the family, read this online Caregiver Help Guide.

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.

How medication problems can hurt older adults

Seniors and family caregivers should look for warning signs that would indicate a problem with a medication. “When there is a change in medication, you should watch for changes in behaviour,” said Pronica Janikowski, Professional Development Coordinator of the Canadian Society of Consultant Pharmacists. “The person may be confused or dizzy and this can lead to a fall. Sometimes changes in medication can also make them drowsy, so if they are suddenly sleeping all the time or experiencing a change in appetite, it could be a sign to watch for.”

Medication-related problems can cause, aggravate or contribute to common and costly geriatric problems including:

• Confusion
• Delirium/hallucinations
• Depression
• Dizziness
• Falls
• Incontinence
• Insomnia
• Loss of coordination
• Malnutrition/dehydration
• Memory loss
• Psychiatric problems

In the lives of seniors, these issues can then lead to decreased quality of life, emergency room and doctor visits and hospitalizations, hip fractures, loss of independence and even death.

For more information about how a Home Instead CAREGiver^SM can keep seniors safe at home, visit www.SeniorEmergencyKit.com and contact your local Home Instead Senior Care^® office. To find a Home Instead Senior Care office near you, visit www.homeinstead.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.

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.

If you aren’t prepared with all the necessary documents in case of an emergency involving your loved one, it can be a very stressful time. Home Instead’s Senior Emergency Kit, contains all the information you need to put together the necessary medical documents in case a crisis arises. Some of the checklists featured in the kit include:

•    Relevant medical information.

•    Power of attorney forms.

•    Pharmacy and insurance company details.

•    Information on your loved one’s doctor.

More Caregiving Resources

After you have completed your Senior Emergency Kit, peruse the other available online resources. Home Instead offers a page of links that feature resources dealing with everything from costs to medication to family conflicts. Some of the sites Home Instead refers caregivers to include:

•    Life Legacies (www.lifelegaciesandwishes.com) – This site provides tools to ensure that your loved one’s last wishes are carried out.

•    National Alliance for Caregiving (www.caregiving.org) – The National Alliance for Caregiving has resources for caregivers.

•    Stages of Senior Care (www.stagesofseniorcare.com) – The guide provides a plethora of information including costs, what to avoid, care options and more.

There are many other online resources available through Home Instead. To look into all of them visit this site at CaregiverStress.com.