Always Best Care San Diego

2012-01-10T19:01:00.001-08:00

For an interesting article:

Dementia Bingo: Easier to play, and it may help patients

http://ping.fm/Pfast

Six Ways to Help Seniors Deal with the Heat

2011-10-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

Although the “dog days” of summer are dwindling, many cities still experience highs temperatures and low in precipitation. For some, this is only a minor inconvenience that requires a little planning and extra protection. But, for the elderly population the stress of intense heat can affect them a little differently.

Heat stress is a serious condition that can affect the body’s natural ability to deal with hot temperatures and regulate homeostasis in the body. Heat stress can include different levels of heat related illness. Two of the most common types of heat stress are heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illnesses that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. Heat stroke is the most serious heat related illness. It is identified by the body’s inability to control the body’s temperature, primarily by sweating and cooling the body down. The sudden spike in the body’s temperature can result in serious injury or even death if emergency medical assistance is not provided.

According to the Center for Disease Control, elderly people are more prone to heat stress than younger people for several reasons related to the aging process. Two common reasons are they more likely to have chronic medical conditions that change normal body responses to heat, and they are more likely to use prescription medications that impair the body’s ability to regulate its temperature and possibly inhibit perspiration. Listed below are some ways to help elderly friends, family members and even neighbors to protect themselves from the heat:

1.) Make sure they are in an air conditioned environment -- if transportation is a problem, offer a ride to an air conditioned environment.

2.)Discourage the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

3.)Check to see if they are consuming an adequate amount of non-alcoholic beverages as appropriate to their medical conditions.

4.)Offer to provide support in the form of a phone call or a ride to doctor to help clarify the adequate amount of fluids with current their prescribed medications or health condition safely. (Some seniors are on “water-pills” or have fluid restrictions for chronic illness management.)

5.)Visit or check on older adults personally or with the support of family and friends at least twice a day at designated times. If possible, create a set schedule, and have a written safety plan in place with the elderly person in case they do not answer so they know what to expect.

6.)Consider using a senior service company to check on the elderly person if you live far away or do not have the family and friends available to provide this kind of support.

Overall, following these basic guidelines can help create a safer environment for our older loved ones and neighbors.

by Angela T. Graczyk, RN

Important Community Services for Long Term Care

2011-07-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

Listed below are 14 areas of private sector advisors or providers supporting long term care. We believe the average American is not aware of many if not all of these important services.

These are the specialists, advisers or providers that can make the difference in allowing someone needing care or his or her family to have a choice in care options. Without help, they family may not always choose the best care settings. Without help, untapped sources of government or private funding to pay the costs of care may go unrecognized. Much of this advice and many of these services will also help improve the condition or the environment of someone needing long term care.

Families that are prepared for care in advance and understand the services available are going to be significantly more successful than families that use a last-minute "do-it-yourself" approach. As a general rule, using a professional will save help conserve assets, uncover unknown sources of funding and relieve stress on family caregivers.

Here is a list of these services

1. Geriatric and Professional Care Managers or Geriatric Specialists
2. Geriatric Medical Services
3. Medical and Non-Medical Home Care Services
4. Home Maintenance, Transportation & Chore Services
5. Home Disability Support and Medical Alert Systems
6. Elder Law and Estate Planning Advice
7. Elder Mediation Services
8. Guardianship and Trust Administration
9. Financial Services Specialists
10. Reverse Mortgage Specialist
11. Seniors Relocation and Real Estate Specialist
12. Hospice Care Provider
13. PrePlanning, PreNeed Funeral Providers
14. Veterans Benefits Consultant

To learn more about these services and how they support family caregivers please contact Always Best Care Senior Services at 619-757-1114.

2011-07-29T14:55:00.001-07:00

Recognizing the Need for outside Help in Caregiving

Caregivers often don’t recognize when they are in over their heads, and often get to a breaking point. After a prolonged period of time, caregiving can become too difficult to endure any longer. Short-term the caregiver can handle it. Long-term, help is needed. Outside help at this point is needed.

A typical pattern with an overloaded caregiver may unfold as follows:

• 1 to 18 months--the caregiver is confident, has everything under control and is coping well. Other friends and family are lending support.
• 20 to 36 months--the caregiver is taking medication to sleep and control mood swings. Outside help dwindles away and except for trips to the store or doctor, the caregiver has severed most social contacts. The caregiver feels alone and helpless.
• 38 to 50 months--Besides needing tranquilizers or antidepressants, the caregiver's physical health is beginning to deteriorate. Lack of focus and sheer fatigue cloud judgment and the caregiver is often unable to make rational decisions or ask for help.

It is often at this stage that family or friends intercede and find other solutions for care. This may include respite care, hiring home health aides or putting the disabled in a facility. Without intervention, the caregiver may become a candidate for long term care as well.

It is also important to use outside professional help in a caregiver setting. A financial planner, care funding specialist or a reverse mortgage specialist may find the funds to pay for professional help to keep a loved one at home. A care manager can guide the family and the caregiver through the maze of long-term care issues. The care manager has been there many times the family is experiencing it for the first time.

An elder law attorney can help iron out legal problems. And an elder mediator can help solve disputes between family members. Having competent advice can often make the difference between allowing a loved one to remain in the home or being forced to seek out government welfare assistance.

Due to pride or sheer determination some caregivers allow the situation to go beyond their control. They have gotten to a point where depression and fatigue have clouded their judgment. At some point the caregiver will have to admit that he or she can't handle it alone and a better solution must be found.

2011-03-08T18:12:00.001-08:00

As Boomers Age, the Need for Trained Care Providers Becomes Urgent

Article submitted by Marion Karpinski, RN, President of Medifecta HealthCare. For more information call 1-888-846-7008 or visit their website - www.medifecta.com.

The age wave we hear so much about today has been building for a century. Between 1900 and 2000, the number of people over 65 rose from 3 million to 33 million. In the next 30 years the number of people over 65 is expected to double.
It’s true that “old simply isn’t what it used to be” as gerontologist Ken Dychtwald says. People are living longer; many remain healthy longer, eating a good diet, getting plenty of exercise and remaining involved in their communities. The time of life when people become frail has been pushed back, but eventually people move from young-old to old-old. This group, 85 and older, is expected to reach at least 7 million in 2020. It is at these advanced ages that many people require help with activities of daily living. The 85+ group will double yet again in 2040, when the first baby boomers reach 85.
Currently, family caregivers and friends provide 80% of all elder care in the home, but that will change as baby boomers age. Not as many family caregivers will be available to care for baby boomers because boomers had fewer children and 12% had no children. Boomers are also more likely to be divorced and to live alone as they become elderly. With their interest in social change, boomers are likely to come up with some creative solutions, such as sharing the care with groups of friends to help replace the missing family members.
But the dwindling source of family caregivers does indicate that the demand for paraprofessional caregivers such as home health aides and personal home care aides will become even more urgent in coming decades. According to Department of Labor statistics, by 2020, the number of trained in-home caregivers needed will nearly double.
The current approach to health care education, which focuses primarily on training individuals with CNA (Certified Nurses Aide), LPN, and RN credentials, is destined to come up short. Although credentialed health care practitioners are greatly needed, they will not be providing the bulk of home care. That responsibility falls mainly on family, friends and private duty home care agencies.
The personal care attendant who has been invisible in our health care education system as well as our health care system is the new entry-level health care worker. They must be recognized as such and receive the appropriate training that provides them with the professional and behavioral skills they need to be confident and effective providers of home care.
If we don’t act soon to offer appropriate training for all home care providers, we will undoubtedly see greater incidences of elder abuse, neglect and a general decline in the quality of life and conditions of the elderly, while we grasp at straws to solve this healthcare crisis.

Visiting Our Aging Parents for the Holidays:

2010-12-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

What to look out for Holiday visits with our aging parents have evolved. For boomers, our parents may be showing signs of aging in ways beyond their physical appearance. The time to simply visit, assuming that our parents are okay is over for some of us. The assumptions are replaced by the need for a vigilant look at how our aging parents are really doing.

The following changes may indicate the need to take action to ensure your aging parents’ safety and good health:

1. Weight Loss
One of the most obvious signs of ill health, either physical or mental, is weight loss. The cause could be as serious as cancer, dementia, heart failure or depression. Or it could be related to a lack of energy to cook for a loved one or just themselves.

2. Balance
Pay close attention to the way your parent moves, and in particular how they walk. Pain can be a sign of joint or muscle problems or more serious afflictions. And if unsteady on their feet, they may be at risk of falling, a serious problem that can cause severe injury or worse.

3. Emotional Well-Being
Beware, too, of obvious and subtle changes in your loved ones’ emotional well-being. You can’t always gauge someone’s spirits over the telephone. Take note for signs of depression, including withdrawal from activities with others, sleep patterns, lost of interest in hobbies, lack of basic home maintenance or personal hygiene. The latter can be an indicator not only of depression, but also of dementia or other physical ailments including dehydration.

4. Home Environment
Attention must also be paid to surroundings. If you discover excess or unsafe clutter and mail that has piled up, a problem may exist. Scorched cookware, for example, could be a sign that your parent forgets if the stove is on. An overflowing hamper could mean he or she doesn’t have the strength and/or desire to do laundry. Check prescription bottles for expiration dates; and make note of all prescriptions your family member takes and place that information in your personal files as well as the elder’s wallet in case of emergency.

There may be other areas of concern, specific to your family member. Should this year’s holiday visit open your eyes to current and potential problems or negative changes in your parent’s physical or emotional state, then its time to put a plan of action in place. To follow are some steps you can take over the holidays.

1. Initial Conversation
Have a heart-to-heart conversation with your elderly loved one about their present circumstances, concerns and the measures they’d like taken to make things better. Introduce the idea of a health assessment appointment with their primary care physician. Would they feel more at ease if a home health aide visited a couple times a week? Maybe they have legal questions and would greatly benefit from an appointment with an attorney. Or they may need help with housecleaning or bill paying.

2. Identify Resources
While you may want to keep things light during the holiday seasno, do take this opportunity to collect all necessary information now to avoid frustration and confusion in the event of a crisis down the road.

Try to find a directory of senior resources and services by checking with a library or senior center for lists of resources. This list should also include friends, neighbors, clergy, local professionals and all others who your family member has regular contact with. In fact, if you haven’t already, take the time to visit with those friends and neighbors and make sure you have their current contact information and they have yours.

3. Prepare a To-Do List
Now is the time to begin compiling a to-do list to be implemented over a period of future visits. Medical information should include your loved one’s health conditions, prescriptions and their doctor’s names and contact numbers. A financial list should contain property ownership and debts, income and expenses, and bank account and credit card information. You should also have access to all of your parent’s vital documents that could include their will,power of attorney, birth certificate, social security number, insurance policies, deed to their home, and driver’s license.

2010-12-16T09:59:00.001-08:00

Always Best Care Seniors Services meets with our families, assesses each families needs, sets up tours and accompanies the families on the tours to find the right community for our seniors. An article recently helps explain the industry and the right way to help a family. http://ping.fm/j4OD8

2010-12-01T11:54:00.001-08:00

Understanding the Roles of Formal and Informal Caregivers

Formal caregivers are typically paid providers but they may also be volunteers from a government or nonprofit organization. Where care is being provided in the home there is often a mix of formal and informal care provided. And the trend is towards using more formal care since, unlike the past, more informal caregivers are employed. They choose to remain employed but must juggle limited time between caregiving and maintaining a household and a job.

These added responsibilities often make it necessary to hire non-medical home care aides to provide supervision and help when the primary caregiver cannot be present. Or as adult day services become more common, caregivers may pay for this form of formal caregiving to get rest or to allow for maintaining some employment.

When care is no longer possible in the home, then formal caregivers come into play on a full-time basis. This may be in the form of a congregate living arrangement, assisted living, a continuing care retirement community or a nursing home. It is at this point that long term care can have a significant impact on the finances of the care recipient and a healthy spouse living at home.

Care facilities are quite expensive and the cost for maintaining a spouse in such a living arrangement may rob a healthy spouse at home of an adequate standard of living. It's quite possible the healthy spouse may end up with food stamps and subsidized housing where, before the need for a care facility, this may not have been the case.

Or it is more often the case that the couple recognizes this dilemma of splitting living arrangements in two locations and an attempt will be made to keep the spouse needing care at home as long as possible. This may help with the finances but often results in destroying the physical and emotional health of the caregiver by creating a situation where the caregiver has difficulty coping with the responsibilities and physical demands.

Another reality of providing informal care services in the home is the increasing need for physical and emotional support that often goes unrecognized until too late. As care needs increase, both in the number of hours required and in the number or intensity of activities requiring help, there is a greater need for the services of formal caregivers.

Unfortunately, many informal caregivers become so focused on their task they don't realize they are getting in over their heads and they have reached the point where some or complete formal caregiving is necessary. Or the informal caregiver may recognize the need for paid, professional help but does not know where to get the money to pay for it.

Other members of the family should be aware of this burden and be prepared to step in and help their loved one who is providing care recognize the possibility of becoming overloaded. It is also the job of a care manager or a financial adviser or an attorney to recognize this need with the client caregiver and provide the necessary counsel to protect the caregiver from overload. The advisor can also likely find a source for paying for formal care that the caregiver may not be aware of.
An overloaded caregiver is likely to develop depression and/or physical ailments and could end up needing long term care as well. The consequences of not being able to cope with the burden of caregiving might even result in an early death for the caregiver.

Tips To Help Patients With Alzheimers

2010-10-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

It is a little known fact that as many as 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimers disease and this number is expected to more than double by 2050. Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing memory loss and problems with thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Today, Alzheimers disease is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. Sometimes called Senile Dementia or simply Alzheimer's, Alzheimers disease is the most common form of dementia. Most people diagnosed with Alzheimer's are over age 65, but it can occur in people in their 40s and 50s. Alzheimers gets worse over time, and it is a fatal disease. The time from the beginning of symptoms until death ranges from 3 to 20 years with the average being 8 years.

Alzheimers affects entire families, especially as the disease progresses and affected individuals become more dependent upon their primary caregivers. In treating Alzheimers disease, it is common practice to include a professionally trained caregiver that will work with the patient and the family. According to Angela Graczyk, who is a Registered Nurse and Field Trainer with Always Best Care Senior Services, a solid relationship between the family and caregiver of a patient with Alzheimers disease is an essential component of providing effective treatment and care. Graczyk also says that a person communicating with an Alzheimers patient can find it to be very challenging. She notes, however, that decreased verbal communication does not mean decreased awareness. Most patients are very aware and feel a great deal of distress about their increased loss of ability.

Many homecare providers, like Always Best Care, provide tips to help persons working with an Alzheimers patient. Some of which include using memory aids such as labeling objects (i.e. closet, bathroom) and being aware that as Alzheimer's disease progresses, an individual's ability to name objects and use words decreases. Other tips include simplifying the environment for Alzheimer's patients and eliminating distracting noises such as the radio or television, or loud conversation. Families also should be aware that their loved one's ability to function and cope will steadily decline and may even vary from day to day. Flexibility is crucial. An Alzheimers patient may no longer find their favorite food appealing or may insist on wearing the same outfit every day. When this happens, simply change the menu or consider buying a few identical outfits.
There is also no single test to identify Alzheimer's disease and the causes are not known. Suspected causes, however, include genes and environmental exposure. A complete medical evaluation will provide a correct diagnosis of possible or probable Alzheimer's 90-percent of the time. Although there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease at present, there are FDA-approved drug treatments, designed specifically for memory symptoms occurring in mild to moderate stages of Alzheimer's disease. In addition, groups like the Alzheimers Association work for the advancement of research for this deadly disease. The organization also provides and enhances care and support for all affected as well as helps with programs to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

For more information on Alzheimers disease, consult your local healthcare provider or visit alz.org.

By: Carolina Moore

Activities For Dementia Sufferers in Santee CA

2010-07-21T11:59:00.001-07:00

My Elderly Parent Has Dementia: What Activities Can We Do Together?
by Emilee Seltzer

Caregivers for the elderly with dementia often find that coming up with activities for the elder can require much thought and effort. But they are vital to your parent’s health and well-being. Creating activities can really be quite simple if you follow some general guidelines.

Create meaningful activities

* Consider their interests
Depending on how severe your parent’s dementia is or their stage of Alzheimer’s, activities can vary; however, designing activities that involve their past interests are of the utmost importance. For example, if they love to garden, foster that passion with stimulating gardening activities.

What if your parent does not have either the physical or cognitive capability to engage in activities they once loved? Beth Kallmyer, Director of Family and Information Services for the Alzheimer’s Association, recommends adjusting activities to fit their abilities. If your parent loved gardening but no longer has the mental ability to engage in it independently, consider assisting them or simplifying the activity. You can go outside with them and do planting and gardening together, or you can bring a few pots with seeds inside the house for your parent to water daily.

Continue reading HERE.

If you need help with a loved one with Dementia in the Santee CA area, please visit www.inhomecaresandiego.com.

Credit: Always Best Care Senior Services â San Diego California (CA)

In San Diego CA, Have Family Meetings to Resolve Eldercare Issues

2010-07-14T11:59:00.001-07:00

Having Family Meetings to Resolve Eldercare Issues

A crisis can bring a family closer together and illustrate strength and love; or it can drive a wedge of resentment between members.

Whenever a loved one’s heath, safety or wellbeing becomes a concern, it is important to be proactive and address your loved one’s issues. If the issues come to a point of crisis, families – often spread out across several states – need to call themselves together to discuss the changes which are occurring and will occur in the future.

In San Diego CA, Hear The Voices of Alzheimer’s

2010-07-09T14:58:00.001-07:00

The Voices of Alzheimer’s

In the latest Patient Voices segment, producer Karen Barrow explores the frightening and confusing world of Alzheimer’s. She captures the voices of both patients and loved ones who are struggling with issues of independence, long-term care and making the most of the time they have left.

Hear the voices of Alzheimer’s at the HERE.

If you are needing care and assistance for a loved one in San Diego, visit www.inhomecaresandiego.com.

Credit: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

Caring For Yourself and Your Spouse In El Cajon CA

2010-06-29T08:58:00.001-07:00

Spouses Face Challenges in Caring for Themselves and Their Ailing Partners

They met on a blind date in 1949 and married two years later. They lived in the same Cape Cod-style house in Silver Spring for nearly 50 years. So when Leonard Crierie was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2005, there was no question that his wife, Betty, would take care of him at home for as long as she could.

Betty led him into the shower, helped him dress each morning and took him everywhere with her because, once he started wandering, as some dementia patients do, she dared not leave him alone. She learned how to change the colostomy bag he wore since he’d survived rectal cancer years earlier. She slept, fitfully, with a monitor by her bed so that she could respond if he
needed her at night.

“It was difficult, but I was able to take care of him,” says Betty, now 80. “Because it happens slowly, you don’t realize how bad it’s getting.”

She agreed to have Leonard attend an adult day program at nearby Holy Cross Hospital — he enjoyed socializing there — so that she could get a few hours’ break several times a week; she found a Holy Cross caregivers support group very useful. But she refused the pleas from her three adult children to hire an aide to help at home. “I always felt like I had it under control,” she explains, though her children thought the $18-an-hour cost also troubled a frugal woman who shops at dollar stores.

As the months passed, “we could see the stress level affecting her,” recalls her daughter Linda Fenlon. “The frustrating part was, we wanted her to have some independence, some quality of life. But she saw it as her duty in life to take care of him.”

For four years, Betty Crierie rarely asked for or accepted her family’s help, until a Wednesday last June. As she left her support group meeting, she remembers, “I got this funny feeling in my chest.” It worsened on the 10-minute drive home. She called her daughter and said, “I’m calling 911. I think I’m having a heart attack.”

Caring for a sick or disabled elderly relative exacts a toll — physical, emotional, financial — on any family member, but being a spousal caregiver brings particular challenges.

“Spouses are older and dealing with their own age-related health limitations,” says Steven H. Zarit, a Pennsylvania State University gerontologist. The tasks they shoulder have grown more demanding: Family caregivers now administer arsenals of medications and undertake procedures, from wound care to dialysis, that were once the province of medical professionals.

Continue reading…

If you need care and assistance for a loved one in the surrounding San Diego area, visit www.inhomecaresandiego.com.

By: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

In Santee CA, Can We Stop Mom Sundowning?

2010-06-22T14:59:00.001-07:00

Can We Stop Mom Sundowning?
By Frena Gray-Davidson

It’s called sundowning because, traditionally it tends to begin around sunset. It’s the agitation time, which affects many who have dementia. It typically continues for a couple of hours and then may pass. It is most likely to start in late afternoon, although some people begin earlier and others reported as starting in the morning.

That’s untypical. It’s also untypical that someone begins agitated behavior in late afternoon and then continues all night long, but it happens. Whether that should really be called sundowning is something for a medical expert to decide. If I were a caregiver to someone with dementia whose behavior included agitation all night long, I’d be getting the help of a good psychiatrist.

Families tend to attribute everything to Alzheimer’s dementia, whether it is or not. You have other conditions as well. You could have Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and Alzheimer’s. You could have flashbacks and Alzheimer’s. So it’s very important not to blame everything on the dementia.

Sundowning needs a multi-faceted approach because we don’t know exactly what causes it. We can make good guesses though.

Five Possible Causes of Sundowning:
1. Fatigue
2. Hunger
3. Dehydration
4. Disorientation
5. Loss of purpose, belonging and sense of security

In my 20 years of working with people with dementia, Alzheimer’s and other dementias, I’ve learned that we can make affective care plans for sundowning. Each plan is particular to each person, but every plan should include some or all of the following.

The Sundowning Care Plan:
1. Study the typical pattern of your person’s sundowning
2. To decrease fatigue overall, encourage sleeping later and having a nap after lunch, if possible
3. Give a nutritious snack of, for example, banana bread and a sliced apple about an hour before normal sundowning time
4. At the same time, give a natural juice drink and plenty of water
5. Listen attentively to the feelings expressed by your person during time of agitation to learn what emotional issues are unresolved
6. Remember that, in sundowning, this person expresses real issues with which we can help
7. Plan for diversion at the expected sundowning time and increase emotional support
8. Use environmental support — music they love, lavender oil diffused into into the air (notably effective in reducing emotional stress responses)
9. Understand that agitation can be contagious and that your best contribution is to stay calm

I have been able to recommend this approach to care units, which have found very positive responses from the plan. I and many other family members have found it very affective at home.

It is definitely possible to reduce sundowning time and intensity and even to eliminate it altogether. While you’re working on those results, remember anyway that sundowning tends to reduce and eventually disappear as dementia progresses.

As a caregiver, not as a doctor, I can assure you that we can do a great deal to help as caregivers. However, not all caregivers can do this and that’s okay too. Caregivers can only do what they can do. We are all human and it is out of our humanity that family caregivers undertake the heavy task of caring for a family member with dementia needs.

One last suggestion: it is not usual that sundowning involves violent acting out or extravagant fear reactions. Such manifestations suggest a deeper psychiatric issue. Please don’t hesitate to see mental health specialists if you have questions.

Frena Gray-Davidson is a longterm Alzheimer’s caregiver and her latest book is “Alzheimer’s 911: Hope, Help and Healing for Caregivers”, available from Amazon. Frena presents dementia seminars nationally and internationally. Go to her website at www.alzguide.com and sign up for her free monthly online newsletter for caregivers. Email her at frenagd@gmail.com

Article Source

For information about care and assistance for a loved one in the Santee CA area, visit www.inhomecaresandiego.com.

Original: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

Aging In Place With Style And Grace In Bostonia CA

2010-06-15T12:52:00.001-07:00

Aging In Place With Style And Grace In Bostonia CA

(ARA) – Aging in place – updating one’s home to accommodate changing needs and abilities as one ages – doesn’t have to mean sacrificing a home’s style and decor. From attractive lighting designed to work well for aging eyes to barrier-free shower stalls that compete in beauty and practicality with what you might find in a luxury community for those 55 and older, plenty of home modifications now make it possible to age in place gracefully and stylishly.

“It’s no longer necessary to give up your home’s good looks for a more institutional-looking appearance just to achieve a safer, more usable house,” says Eric Kozak of Premier Care In Bathing, leading makers of walk-in baths. “You can age in place and retain the style that makes living in your home comfortable and safe, and maintain your independence at the same time.”

With more than 78 million baby boomers growing older in the United States, aging in place – and how to do it well – is a hot topic for many homeowners. If you’re planning ahead or thinking it’s now time to update your home to accommodate changing needs, keep a few things in mind:

Kitchens and baths are commonly the most challenging rooms in the house for people, like many seniors, with mobility issues. Updating these rooms can go a long way toward helping you stay in and enjoy your own home for as long as possible. “Bathrooms, in particular, pose safety issues. Falls are one of the leading reasons seniors must go into nursing homes and most home falls occur in the bathroom,” Kozak says.

When renovating your bathroom, focus on the important elements, including low-level entryways, accessible grab bars, easy grip faucets and showers with safety screens. Other elements include safer, slip-resistant flooring; brighter, more flexible lighting; and safe access to the shower or bathtub.

Walk in showers

Stepping in and out of a tub or shower is one of the riskiest times for people with mobility challenges. Appropriately placed grab bars – now available in designer colors and textures – can help improve safety in these high-risk areas. Another option that’s high on safety and style is to replace a current shower or tub with a walk-in shower like those now offered by Premier Care In Bathing, whose walk-in bathtubs have made bathing safer and more convenient for thousands of Americans with mobility issues. The walk-in showers are a good option for wheelchair users or in rooms where a full-size tub is not practical.

Two size options, 48 inches and 60 inches, ensure convenience and luxury. A waist-high, folding screen, designed with proprietary technology, keeps water inside the shower and not on the bathroom floor. From the waist up, you can add your own decorative touch with the shower curtain design of your choice, hung on a gracefully curved rod like the ones found in quality hotel baths. Dual Delta showerheads provide the option of an overhead shower or a hand-held shower, and a safe and relaxing folding seat. Installation can often be done in just a day or two.

Visit www.premier-bathrooms.com or call (800) 578-2899 to learn more.

Flooring

That tile floor that you adored in your 40s can be a slip hazard when you reach your 70s. In fact, any hard bathroom floor surface such as linoleum, vinyl or tile can put you at increased risk of slipping and falling. Carpeting might be a better option, one that is slip resistant and warmer and softer on the feet. Many manufacturers now offer materials that are attractive and able to repel moisture. If installing carpeting isn’t practical for you, use area rugs with sticky backing to help ensure safe footing in high traffic areas, like in front of the commode, sink and bathtub.

Lighting

Aging eyes not only need more light to see, they need better quality light, especially at night. Avoid dim lighting; older eyes need several times more light than younger eyes to see well, experts say. Increase the amount of light in your bathroom and consider using naturally brighter bulbs like compact fluorescent bulbs, which are also energy-efficient.

Be aware of glare, as well. Bright lights bouncing off all-white bathroom surfaces can create glare that makes it difficult to see and navigate for older people, especially at night when they may not be fully awake. If your bath is all white, paint the walls a light color in a finish that will help reduce glare. Use area rugs on white floors to help break up the expanse of white and reduce glare.

“Boomers aging in place will find more options than ever before to do so with style,” Kozak says. “Safety should be your first concern, but you can also enjoy good style and beautiful design as well.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

At Always Best Care Senior Services we understand the needs of our elderly loved ones. If you need care and assistance for someone in your family, visit www.inhomecaresandiego.com.

Original: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

Finding a New Focus In La Mesa CA

2010-06-08T14:59:00.001-07:00

Vision is so important and most of us need to make an appointment to have our eyes checked. It is also important to make sure our elderly loved ones aging eyes are checked for problems. At Always Best Care Senior Services we care about our seniors and their vision. If you would like information about our care and assistance services, visit www.inhomecaresandiego.com.

Finding a New Focus

Advances in lenses help address two vision problems at one time

Getting cataracts? Need reading glasses too?

Several new options for artificial lenses can both eliminate cataracts and correct vision problems so you may not need glasses ever again.

The same crystalline lens in the eye creates both presbyopia and cataracts. In healthy, young eyes, the lens, which sits behind the iris, adjusts automatically for near, intermediate and long-range vision. But over time it becomes harder and less able to focus on objects close up, a condition called presbyopia, which most people notice around age 40, when they need help to read. Eventually, the lens can become cloudy and opaque as a cataract forms. By age 65, about half of all Americans have some lens clouding, and by age 75 as many as 70% of Americans have significantly impaired vision due to cataracts.

Elderly in Home Care Doesn’t Mean a Lack of Socialization In San Diego CA

2010-06-02T14:59:00.001-07:00

Elderly in Home Care Doesn’t Mean a Lack of Socialization In San Diego CA
By Gary M Skole

While the vast majority of seniors prefer to age in one place, many seek assistance from home health companies and assistant living services because of an increased need for personal assistance or in home care. Numerous studies have been conducted that show that seniors having social connections through family members, friends, social organizations, even companion animals is directly linked with their overall good health, prolonged survival from serious illness, and longevity in general. As seniors age, the need for socialization is even more important to help maintain overall good health. Evidence of the connection between a strong social connection and good health include:

• Studies show that people who are able to get out and interact and spend more time with people during cold/flu season actually get fewer colds and illnesses than those who spend most of their time alone.
• People that have companion animals to interact have fewer illnesses that people who do not have a companion animal.
• People who use words such as “I’, “mine”, and “me” often during casual conversation are more susceptible to heart attacks than those whose conversations don’t focus on themselves.
• Our immune system has natural killer cell activity that is negatively affected by a lack of social support.
• Our natural killer cells are more sluggish if we are lonely.
• Feeling grateful for what we have in life is associated with better physical and emotional health. The elderly can be at risk of isolation, which can directly affect overall health and longevity. If one spouse becomes ill, the other spouse tends to be the primary caregiver, which can consume much of their time.

Caring for an ailing spouse can lead to isolation from the people and activities that were once enjoyed together on a regular basis. Seniors may also face the loss of a spouse. This event often further isolates you from some of the activities that you might have once enjoyed as a couple, as well as isolation from some of the friends that you interacted with together. Seniors are also at risk of decreased socialization as they age if they can no longer drive. Giving up driving for many means giving up on independence and access to the people and activities they rely on for social support. It’s critical to take into account the importance of socialization as we age. Getting the personal care that is needed doesn’t have to eliminate the opportunity to maintain social connections.

Most communities have resources for seniors to foster good health and social connections. Many towns offer a variety of activities through local seniors’ centers, support groups, libraries,religious organizations and active retirement communities. For those unable live independently, assisted living communities and home care companies offer a variety of services. Seniors should be encouraged to participate in assisted living community activities and outings. Those living at home should be encouraged to look for the right home care company-one that recognizes the value of a support network and social connections. The elderly no longer need to sacrifice socialization for quality senior care.

For article source, click HERE

To learn more about Always Best Care Services, visit www.inhomecaresandiego.com or call us at 619-757-1114.

Credit: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

Caring for the Caregiver In San Diego CA

2010-05-25T11:59:00.001-07:00

Caring for the Caregiver

By David Hart, MS, MFTI

Clinical Consultant to Always Best Care of San Diego CA, The Leader in In-Home Care and FREE Assisted Living Placement

With the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease increasing in the United States and around the world, the number of caregivers called upon to provide assistance to their loved one is also quietly multiplying. According to the 2009 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures published by the Alzheimer’s Association, almost 10 million Americans provide unpaid care for a person with Alzheimer’s disease. In 2008 alone, these caregivers provided 8.5 billion hours of care, a contribution to the nation valued at $94 billion. This number represents an average of 16.6 hours of care per caregiver per week equaling 863 hours of care per caregiver per year. Reading this aloud would make the average person stressed-out and tired – nothing close to what a caregiver may feel on a daily basis.

The negative impact of care giving on the caregiver has been well documented. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 40% of family and other unpaid caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia, rate the emotional stress of care giving as high or very high. Additionally, these caregivers are more likely than non-caregivers to report their health is fair or poor. In a study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, researchers encouraged caregivers to express their thoughts about factors that cultivate a poor quality of life and many respondents noted “how stressful their situation was because of their extensive involvement in providing care”. Moreover, a study exploring the effect of giving care on caregivers’ health found depression was the most frequently reported mental health problem of caregivers. In combination, these studies suggest that a caregivers’ quality of life can be seriously impacted as a result of participating in the care of a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease.

Interventions that empower family caregivers to take care of themselves are in high demand as the number of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease increases. A recent study at the University of Washington found evidence supporting the positive impact of community-based caregiver education on the overall psychological well-being of family caregivers. Researchers presented caregivers a series of six classes each held for two hours. Topics included taking care of the caregiver, identifying and reducing personal stress, communicating feelings in challenging situations, and mastering care giving decisions. At the completion of the six weeks, caregivers had a significant increase in healthy behaviors including eating a healthier diet and maintaining an exercise regimen. Additionally, caregivers improved their ability to care for themselves, including an increase in time for stress-management and personal renewal.

Respite and support services are an important component of caring for the caregiver. Caregivers frequently devote themselves totally to those they care for and inadvertently neglect themselves, reducing their quality of life. The support of family and community resources can be a tremendous help. For the past 13 years, Always Best Care has become one of the most trusted providers of senior care needs. With a proven track record in Assisted Living Placement Services, Home Care Services and Skilled Care for Seniors, Always Best Care has continually provided superior expertise and unmatched service though their network of independently owned and operated franchise offices located in ideal locations throughout the United States. We have care plans ranging from 2-hour sitter service to 24-hour live-in. Call us at 619-757-1114 to speak to a care coordinator about a plan that fits your need. Or visit Always Best Care of San Diego to learn more about the In-Home Care services provided.

Credit: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

8 Stages of Caregiving In Bostonia CA

2010-05-18T08:58:00.001-07:00

The 8-Stages Caregivers Goes Through (excerpts from “Passages in Care Giving”, by Gail Sheehy)

1. Shock and Mobilization – Once the immediate crisis is resolved, you enter,

2. The New Normal – They begin to think, “Ok, I can handle this.” This reprieve may go on for months or years. Eventually there is a third turn.

3. Boomerang – Whoops, another crisis. This is when you realize you can’t do it alone and call a family meeting. If you begin to think you are responsible for keeping your loved one alive and safe, you will eventually find yourself at the next stage

4. Playing God – This can become an unhealthy co-dependant relationship. Eventually you will reach the next and most dangerous turn.

5. I Can’t Do This Anymore! – You MUST take care of yourself.

6. Coming Back – You have now reached the center of the labyrinth of care giving. Here, you must begin to appreciate all you have done and begin to acknowledge that your loved one is not going to return to the independent person he or she once was. You need to replenish your lifelines – friends, music, work, nature.

7. The In-Between Stage – is a momentous turning point for those who care for the chronically ill. Your loved one cannot be cured in an acute-care hospital, but he or she is not ready to die – and may live for years. But our healthcare system has little to offer at this stage, except round trips to the emergency room and readmissions to the hospital.

Most slow-aging adults today develop chronic illnesses. They are sent home quicker and sicker to you, the family caregiver, who has no professional training, no financial support and rarely any respite.

8. The Long Goodbye – This is a true gift and Always Best Care can assist you. With one of our experienced, insured and bonded caregivers relieving you of much of the work. You will now have time for end-of-life conversations and some kind of closure.

The passage to caregiver may well be the most memorable in your life. How you usher your mom or dad or spouse or sibling out of this world has so much impact on how you think about yourself: Am I a good person? Did I do everything I could? Did I let my siblings do some of the heavy lifting? Did I hold on too long? Let go too soon? Or did I share precious moments of full presence right up to the end?

Let Always Best Care, The Leader in Non-Medical In-Home Care and FREE Assisted Living Placement, help you on this journey. We have care plans ranging from 2-hour sitter service to 24-hour live-in. Call us at 619.757.1114 and speak with our care coordinator about a plan that fits your need or visit website – www.inhomecaresandiego.com.

By: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

Always Best Care of San Diego CA Applauds the Social Security Commissioner

2010-05-12T08:59:00.001-07:00

Always Best Care of San Diego CA, “The leader in Non-Medical In-Home Care and FREE Assisted Living Placement” Applauds the Social Security Commissioner

In its effort to improve and expedite the disability determination process, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that it will add early-onset Alzheimer’s disease to its Compassionate Allowances Initiative.

The initiative identifies debilitating diseases and medical conditions that meet the SSA’s disability standards for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Inclusion in the initiative allows for faster payment of Social Security benefits to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.

Always Best Care of San Diego applauds Social Security commissioner Michael Astrue and the SSA for understanding that the cognitive impairment caused by Alzheimer’s disease leaves individuals unable to maintain gainful employment and deserving of an expedited disability determination.

Since 2003, the Association has been advocating on behalf of individuals with early-onset Alzheimer’s as they navigate the Social Security disability determinations process, and we welcome the SSA’s decision.

Until now, individuals with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease have faced a myriad of challenges when applying for SSDI or SSI, including a long decision process, initial denials and multiple appeals. Today’s decision will simplify and streamline the SSDI/SSI application process and decrease the wait time for benefits, which for some has lasted as long as three years.

For the past 13 years, Always Best Care has become one of the most trusted providers of senior care needs. With a proven track record in Assisted Living Placement Services, Home Care Services and Skilled Care for Seniors, Always Best Care has continually provided superior expertise and unmatched service though their network of independently owned and operated franchise offices located in ideal locations throughout the United States. We have care plans ranging from 2-hour sitter service to 24-hour live-in. Call us at 619.757.1114 to speak to a care coordinator about a plan that fits your need. Or follow this link to learn more about the In-Home Care services Always Best Care of San Diego provides: www.inhomecaresandiego.com.

By: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

May Is National Arthritis Awareness Month: Get Moving In La Mesa CA

2010-05-04T11:59:00.001-07:00

May: National Arthritis Awareness Month

“Arthritis is a debilitating disease that profoundly impacts the lives of millions of Americans on a daily basis,” says John H. Klippel, M.D., president and CEO, Arthritis Foundation. “The effects of the 46 million Americans with arthritis on the economy are enormous; the direct and indirect medical costs of this disease are estimated to be $128 billion each year. With the aging of baby boomers, the prevalence of arthritis is expected to rise by 40 percent – that is up to 67 million people – by the year 2030.”

Moving is the Best Medicine is the message for the 2010 Arthritis Awareness Month.

Read more…

For information and assistance with elder care for an aging loved one in the San Diego CA area, please visit us at www.inhomecaresandiego.com.

Credit: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

2010 Taxes: Start Preparing Now In Winter Gardens CA

2010-04-28T13:33:00.001-07:00

2010 Taxes: Start Preparing Now

You’ve probably just filed your taxes for 2009, but its not too early to start thinking about next year.

If you have a relative who is a resident of an assisted living facility or receives long-term care services at home, take note. They may be able to deduct those expenses from gross income on their tax return. If you provide a significant portion of that persons assisted living costs, you may be able to make those same deductions on your return.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 clarifies which expenses can be considered deductible. HIPAA requires individuals to meet certain criteria in order to take advantage of the medical expense tax deduction. Please contact your tax preparer for information about your specific situation …. and start saving your receipts.

If you need help caring for your loved one, please visit us at www.inhomecaresandiego.com.

By: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

Elder Care Solutions – Dealing With Difficult Aging Parents

2010-04-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

Ah, the empty nest.

Your teenagers have moved out of the house. You have time to take a yoga class, have lunch with a friend, or learn a new hobby-until Dad moves in with you because he can no longer live alone. Caring for aging parents is tough, no matter how much you love them.

Looking after elderly parents can be even tougher when Dad isn’t cooperative. And even though he’s a cranky old man, he’s your cranky old man-and it’s your job to find an elder care solution that works for him.

Contact Always Best Care San Diego for information about dealing with difficult aging parents. We have a solution that's right for you! http://www.alwaysbestcaresandiego.com/

Elder Care Solutions In El Cajon CA

2010-04-22T10:33:00.001-07:00

Elder Care Solutions – Dealing With Difficult Aging Parents
By Gregory Weldy

Ah, the empty nest.

Your teenagers have moved out of the house. You have time to take a yoga class, have lunch with a friend, or learn a new hobby-until Dad moves in with you because he can no longer live alone. Caring for aging parents is tough, no matter how much you love them.

Looking after elderly parents can be even tougher when Dad isn’t cooperative. And even though he’s a cranky old man, he’s your cranky old man-and it’s your job to find an elder care solution that works for him.

Here are 3 common elder care support problems and how to overcome them:

Medication meltdowns

Read More…
If you are needing help with the care of your loved one, please visit us at www.inhomecaresandiego.com for more information on the services we can provide!

By: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

Hiring Private Duty Home Care Workers In San Diego CA

2010-04-15T10:33:00.001-07:00

Hiring Private Duty Home Care Workers:

Why Work through an Agency?

One of the greatest long-term needs of older adults and those with chronic illnesses is for in-home, custodial care services. These workers are often referred to as home health aides, certified nursing assistants and custodial care workers. These in-home workers make it possible for people with functional limitations to remain at home in a comfortable, familiar environment. Home health aides (as we will refer to this class of workers) provide a wide range of assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing, dressing, grooming, assisting with ambulation or transferring, toileting, feeding and providing medication reminders. In
addition, home health aides help with what professionals call, instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), such as shopping, meal preparation, making medical appointments, transportation, laundry and companionship.

Can Your Attitude Towards Aging Affect the Health of Those Receiving Long Term Care?

2010-04-12T07:56:00.001-07:00

Among all of the suggestions available to caregivers for coping with the care of a loved one, some simple strategies that influence the attitude of care recipients are often neglected. Simply put, a more positive attitude towards aging can have a profound effect on the health of a care recipient.

Many elderly buy into the notion that they themselves are no longer useful and as a result make little attempt to keep themselves healthy and active. After all, they are getting closer to the end of their lives and have no desire to try new things or to challenge themselves or to eat or exercise properly.

There is a great deal of research evidence that demonstrates older people can learn, can retain memory and can be actively involved in business and in the community. The lack of physical exercise, social involvement and mental stimulation in older Americans often leads to these people losing the ability to use their minds and their bodies. The older person's negative attitude towards aging becomes self-fulfilling.

Many studies show that older people who are physically active have less joint pain, lower blood pressure, less depression, fewer heart attacks and a lower incidence of cancer. Proper nutrition also has the same affect on the aging process; it delays the progression of debilitating illness or disability. Recent research even indicates that weight loss and exercise can reverse the severity of diabetes.

Lack of social stimulation can also lead to poor health. Having an interest in something not only stimulates an older person's mind but also creates a better mental attitude which results often in better health. There is empirical evidence that using one's brain may prevent dementia in older age.

Why In-Home Care May be Right for You In Bostonia CA

2010-04-12T07:44:00.001-07:00

Why In-Home Care May be Right for You in

I found a great article that talks about the many positive aspects regarding the use of In-Home Care for an aging loved one. If you have any questions at all about Home Care in the area, please visit www.inhomecaresandiego.com for information on how we can help!

“In-Home Care is rapidly becoming the most commonly asked for service among today’s aging population. In-Home Care involves a network of service providers who deliver personal care and maintenance right to the home. These service providers handle routine tasks including light housekeeping, meal preparation, errand running, mail sorting and a whole lot more. If desired, they can also provide assistance with personal care. “

Stress and the Elderly in San Diego CA

2010-04-12T07:39:00.001-07:00

Stress and the Elderly

What causes seniors so much stress? Change is a huge trigger for stress and seniors definitely experience plenty of change. It can be in the form of declining health, death of friends and loved ones, moving, a bad financial investment, and the list goes on. Here are some other reasons why senior living is stressful.

Continue reading HERE

If you are seeking more information regarding care for your senior loved one, please visit us at www.inhomecaresandiego.com.

Via: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

In San Diego CA, How To Know if Mom Should Be Living Alone

2010-04-12T07:34:00.001-07:00

Should Mom Be Living Alone?
Jacqueline Marcell

Recently I received a call from Michelle, an exasperated adult daughter asking if there was any legal way to get her elderly father to stop yelling, screaming and berating her, and to accept a caregiver so she could move out of his house. She had moved in to help him after her mom passed, but was now trapped as he refused to move to assisted living or accept live-in help.

Michelle started to cry, saying she had just called an agency where a man “laughed at me,” saying her father could do whatever he wished in his own home short of physically abusing her. Since I have survived the same situation with my own father, I knew the misery she was going through.

Continue reading HERE

Please visit us at www.inhomecaresandiego.com if you need help caring for an aging parent in the area.

By: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

Welcome to Our New Home Care Blog for San Diego, California Seniors and Families!

2010-04-12T07:29:00.001-07:00

Diane Mathis is a nurse of 25 years and runs all of our caregiving services. She interviews, hires, tests, trains and places our caregivers in all of our clients homes. Bill Mathis is a Certified Residential Care Facility for the Elderly Administrator and has been involved in Information Technology and health care for the past 25 years. We are committed to providing the best care and service to our communities families and seniors. Our passion is to help no matter what it takes.

278 Town Center Parkway Suite 201

Santee, CA 92071

(p) 619-757-1114 ext 1

(f) 619-448-8078

www.inhomecaresandiego.com

Proudly serving the California areas of Santee, San Diego, El Cajon, La Mesa, Winter Gardens and Bostonia.

By: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

2010-04-06T17:42:00.001-07:00

By working with case managers, social workers, discharge planners, doctors and families, Always Best Care Senior Services of San Diego provides affordable, comprehensive solutions to the challenges that are often presented when an aging family member requires additional physical and personal support. The hallmark services of the company’s business portfolio include:

Home Care - With the assistance of a professional geriatric care specialist chosen to specifically meet their unique goals, local seniors can maintain their independence while living at home. Family members are encouraged to take part in the free personal consultation, where Always Best Care Senior Services will create a detailed, written care plan and work with insurance providers to coordinate billing procedures.

Assisted Living - Free of charge, this service presents seniors with options for choosing the most appropriate living facility to suit their needs. “We drive our clients to and from the facilities, and can carry a mobile database to the client’s bedside. We work with all budgets as well. I can promise that our company will never exhaust another family with a “list”, or give clients anything but our personal attention,” said Mathis.
Personal Response - Through a partnership with ResponseLINK, Always Best Care Senior Services provides personal response systems to seniors. Over 100,000 Americans have improved their lives with ResponseLINK medical and medical emergency monitoring systems.

"Whether a loved one is living with Alzheimer’s, cancer or Parkinson’s disease, or simply needs assistance making a weekly grocery trip, Always Best Care Senior Services of San Diego has the capability to enhance the life of the area’s seniors," said Mathis. "Our range of services can be tailored to meet a client’s particular needs, whether they require just a few hours of assistance a day or constant care 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

For more information about Always Best Care Senior Services of San Diego, please contact Bill Mathis at 619-757-1114 x 1.

Stress and the Elderly

2010-04-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

Contrary to what we’ve been led to believe, senior living isn’t always the way it’s portrayed in glossy sales brochures and magazine advertisements. Rather than being a carefree period of life spent on the golf course and traveling around the world, for many of today’s seniors those “golden years” are incredibly stressful times.

What causes seniors so much stress? Change is a huge trigger for stress and seniors definitely experience plenty of change. It can be in the form of declining health, death of friends and loved ones, moving, a bad financial investment, and the list goes on. Here are some other reasons why senior living is stressful.

To continue reading, click Here.

If you are seeking more information regarding care for your senior loved one, please visit our website, Always Best Care San Diego.

2010-04-03T19:31:00.001-07:00

Great article on Seniors and Computers. http://bit.ly/cbEKOR

Computers and Seniors

2010-04-03T19:28:00.001-07:00

According to research, computer savvy senior citizens have fewer symptoms of depression than those that do not get connected.

In an ongoing research study, data is being collected regarding computer use and depression to determine the changes over time in physical health, mental health and social activity of older adults.

Researchers wanted to look into the impact of the growing use of computers and the thought that those using computers would report fewer depressive symptoms than non-users. “Given the social and informational nature of older adult’s computer practices, e-mail, chat rooms and health information gathering, for example, it seems likely that this would be beneficial to an individual’s overall mental health.”Triche said.

In the study, it was determined that seniors who were computer users reported significantly fewer depressive symptoms that non- users. Researchers also found that computer users tended to be among the younger members of the study group and had higher annual incomes while also reporting higher functioning in activities of daily living.

Study conducted by Edward Cisek, PHD, and Kathleen Triche, DSW, CSW

2010-03-29T18:42:00.001-07:00

Would you or your loved ones want to go to a nursing facility? There are options, check out http://ping.fm/xQ26e

Does anyone really want to end up in a nursing home?

2010-03-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

Does anyone really want to end up in a nursing home?

As a care coordinator for seniors and their families, I have visited many different types of facilities in San Diego County. But none are as wonderful as a RCFE or Residential Care Facility for the Elderly.

These homes house up to 6 residents and are licensed by the state of California.
Each one is unique in its design, décor and size, from ultra modern to country to cozy. A few are actually located in vineyards. Some are calm and quite while others are teaming with activity.

When you walk into an RCFE, you are usually greeted by the smells of homemade cooking. RCFE’s take pride in preparing delicious meals for their residents with fresh baked breads, soups, baked chicken, roasts and casseroles and always deserts. And they take meal requests!

The caregiver to client ration is 1:3 or 1:4 giving the caregiver and resident more personalized time together including bathing, grooming and dressing along with a little extra TLC. They can assist with medication management all the way to Hospice care. Here there is always continuity of care making a more personal relationship with the caregiver, making a friend.

RCFE’s have private rooms for seniors and some have private bathrooms. Many of the seniors bring their own furniture from home as well as pictures and personal items that make it feel more like home, or it can be supplied by the facility. If funds are an issue many facilities have shared rooms available and are careful in insuring a good match for their seniors. RCFE’s are always a better choice than a nursing home.

For help in finding an RCFE or information contact us at 1-619-757-1114 or go to www.alwaysbestcaresandiego.com and fill in the Request information or the Online Inquiry form at the bottom of the page.

What is a Home Health Agency in San Diego, CA?

2010-03-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

Home Health Agencies offer professional nursing and therapy services in the home. These services, provided by Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, therapists and social workers include:

· Health assessments

· Patient education

· Caregiver counseling

· Physical and occupational therapy

· Taking samples for lab tests

· Wound dressing

· Medication training and compliance

· Hospice care

· Management of IVs and more

They also provide aides, who incidental to medical care, help patients with activities of daily living. Home health agencies rely heavily on Medicare for reimbursement for their services.

For more information about Home Health Agencies, contact Always Best Care Senior Services, 619.757.1114.

2010 Alzheimer's Disease Facts an Figures

2010-03-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

The Alzheimer's Association released a report entitled 2010 Alzheimer's Disease (AD) Facts and Figures, giving readers some information on incidence, mortality, cost of care and the disease’s effect on caregivers in particular, and on society in general. Below is a brief summary of the report.

Incidence

An estimated 5.3 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease and about 200,000 persons under age 65 suffer from younger-onset Alzheimer's.

Currently, one American acquires Alzheimer's every 70 seconds; by 2050, one will develop Alzheimer's in every 33 seconds. That is, by 2050, 11-16 million people are expected to suffer from AD and about one million of new cases are expected each year.

Death Risk

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the 7th leading cause of all deaths and the 5th leading cause of death in Americans aged 65 and older in the United States.

The number of Alzheimer's related deaths increased by 46.1 percent between 2000 and 2006, while deaths from other major diseases like heart disease, stroke, prostate cancer decreased by 11.1, 18.2, and 8.7 percent respectively.

Race Effect

Older African-Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia than their white counterparts. Blacks are 2 times more likely and Hispanics about 1.5 times more likely than whites to have the condition.

Healthcare Cost

In 2009, about 11 million family members and other unpaid caregivers gave 12.5 billion hours of care to persons with Alzheimer's and other dementia related illnesses, costing nearly 144 billion.

The paid services for Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older with Alzheimer's and other dementia-type diseases cost three times more than care for those without the condition. In 2010, the cost for paid health care for people aged 65 and older with the condition are estimated at $172 billion.

The report was published in the March 2010 issue of Alzheimer's & Dementia, the official journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

2010-03-18T16:34:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is a great example of one of our services. I will be touring the sister of an elderly lady who currently is in Arizona. We have narrowed the search to 3 communities in the Escondido area within her budget. Should be fun.

Welcome to Always Best Care Senior Services San Diego Blog

2010-03-18T05:30:00.001-07:00

Always Best Care Senior Services of San Diego helps the senior community with free Assisted Living Placement as well as In-Home Non-Medical care. With Always Best Care, you get a choice of the best Assisted Living Facilities, Residential Care Homes, Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Facilities or In-Home Care based on your individual needs. We can provide you with In-Home Care assistance from 2 to 24 hours a day. Our caregivers are experienced, trained, thoroughly screened, insured and bonded. Call us today. Always Best Care Senior Services will help you get your independence back.

2010-03-17T18:23:00.001-07:00

Aging : Planning and Coping Conference

Thursday, March 18, 2010
8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
La Mesa Community Center
4975 Memorial Drive
La Mesa, CA 91942
Free Event. Learn How to Plan your Future health care needs and understand your resources.

Salute to National Assisted Living Week

2009-09-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

Always Best Care of San Diego Salutes National Assisted Living Week

Local senior services business recognizes awareness campaign, offers helpful advice on how to choose the right care provider

Santee, CA (Grassroots Newswire) August 27, 2009 - Always Best Care of San Diego will join America as it recognizes the work of the country's assisted living community during National Assisted Living Week, September 13 – 19.

Celebrated by volunteers, medical and assisted care professionals, families and recipients of assisted care, the campaign recognizes those dedicated to caring for people, such as senior citizens, who need help with daily living activities and routines.

According to the Assisted Living Federation of America, there are 36,000 assisted living communities nationwide, which serve more than one million seniors. "A relatively new concept twenty-five years ago, today assisted living is the most preferred and fastest growing long-term care option for seniors," the Federation notes on its Web site.

"Assisted living bridges the gap between independent living and nursing homes," said Bill Mathis of Always Best Care of San Diego. "Many senior assisted care providers, like Always Best Care Senior Centers, help clients with eating, bathing, dressing, doing laundry and housekeeping, and assisting with medication – all of which are a necessity for day-to-day living."

In recognition of National Assisted Living Week, Always Best Care of San Diego is offering helping advice on how to choose the right assisted care provider.

Mathis recommends local families and seniors consider the following:

Are You Making the Right Choice? Be sure to make an assessment of the physical, financial, mental, and lifestyle needs of the individual needing the care before thinking about hiring an assisted care provider.

Do Your Homework. Doing a little research will allow you to understand the most recent legal requirements for assisted living providers; this information will set your mind at ease when it comes time to choose a provider. Also, research the services of various providers to help you match the right program with the needs of the assisted care recipient's specific requirements.

Ask Questions. When speaking with assisted care providers, make sure you are knowledgeable of their credentials. Ask the following questions:
How long have you been providing these services?
How are you accredited? Are you licensed by the state?
Can you give me references?

"An assisted living provider should be like an extended family member. You want the person who is getting the care to feel as comfortable as possible in the company of that person," Mathis said.

Offering a range of services including in-home care and assisted living placement, Always Best Care of San Diego is a resource in the local community dedicated to improving the lives of seniors. The company can provide support for a variety of physical and social needs ranging from cancer and Alzheimer’s care to grooming and transportation.

For more information about Always Best Care of San Diego, please contact Bill or Diane Mathis at (619)757-1114.

July Chamber of Commerce Business Awards

2009-09-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

Local Owners with Always Best Care Senior Services Receive Finalist in the category of Outstanding Emerging Business of the Year Small Business

Senior care provider in San Diego is acknowledged for Outstanding Emerging Business
San Diego, California (Grassroots Newswire) 7/21/2009 -- Bill and Diane Mathis, Owners of Always Best Care Senior Services of San Diego, have been recognized as a Finalist in the category of Outstanding Emerging Business of the Year award from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

"Being a Finalist in the category of Outstanding Emerging Business of the Year award from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce has really given us the recognition within the community to help showcase the services we provide for the San Diego senior community," Mathis said. "I look forward to using these tools to more effectively care for the aging loved ones of individuals in San Diego."

San Diego-area families searching for a trusted source of care for their elderly relatives can now turn to Always Best Care Senior Services to take the guesswork out of finding the right in-home or assisted living service.

"Always Best Care Senior Services is pleased to bring its tradition of providing dependable, high-quality care to the seniors of the San Diego County," said Bill Mathis, Owner of Always Best Care Senior Services of San Diego. "For those feeling confused or overwhelmed by the task of caring for their spouse, parents or grandparents, Always Best Care Senior Services of San Diego offers a range of services that will ensure that their loved ones are treated with care."

By working with case managers, social workers, discharge planners, doctors and families, Always Best Care Senior Services of San Diego provides affordable, comprehensive solutions to the challenges that are often presented when an aging family member requires additional physical and personal support. The hallmark services of the company’s business portfolio include:
Home Care - With the assistance of a professional geriatric care specialist chosen to specifically meet their unique goals, local seniors can maintain their independence while living at home. Family members are encouraged to take part in the free personal consultation, where Always Best Care Senior Services will create a detailed, written care plan and work with insurance providers to coordinate billing procedures.

Assisted Living - Free of charge, this service presents seniors with options for choosing the most appropriate living facility to suit their needs. "We drive our clients to and from facilities, and can carry a mobile database to the client's bedside. We work with all budgets as well. I can promise that our company will never exhaust another family with a "list", or give clients anything but our personal attention," said Mathis.

Personal Response - Through a partnership with ResponseLINK, Always Best Care Senior Services provides personal response systems to seniors. Over 100,000 Americans have improved their lives with ResponseLINK medical and medical emergency monitoring systems.

"Whether a loved one is living with Alzheimer's, cancer or Parkinson's disease, or simply needs assistance making a weekly grocery trip, Always Best Care Senior Services of San Diego has the capability to enhance the life of the Seniors," said Mathis. "Our range of services can be tailored to meet a client's particular needs, whether they require just a few hours of assistance a day or constant care 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

For more information about Always Best Care Senior Services of San Diego, please contact Bill or Diane at 619-757-1114.