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Please feel welcome to drop into our office for a chat and a tea or coffee with one of our professional about a live-in-care issue or challenge. Our building is on Bathurst, two lights north of Wilson on the west side:
Qualicare
3910 Bathurst Street, Suite 404, Toronto, ON M3H 5Z3
Telephone: 416-630-0202 , info@qualicare.ca
Map
Wayne Nathanson
QualicareTM
Managed HomeCare
Phone: (416) 630-0202
mailto:wayne@qualicare.ca
http://www.qualicare.ca/
September 2nd, 2009
Have you ever looked seniors hobbies? Hobbies for seniors are dependable prescriptions for improving physical health. They fine tune your mental mechanisms and help keep them crisp and sharp. The physical and mental exercise involved in senior hobbies can do wonders for you. They’re even accused of increasing age longevity.
Medical science has learned recently about the physical and mental connection in the human body. For example, if the hobby you are interested in requires a minimal of physical activity, you will still benefit physically from the mental activity. How? The mental stimulation of engaging in a senior hobby you enjoy, translates into a form of physical activity. Researchers tell us that it creates virtual, physical effort at the cellular level. The physical responses may be subtle, but the benefits of it are nevertheless felt by the body.
Start a senior hobby today! Go for it! This site has a great list of hobbies for seniors: http://www.seniorark.com/senior_tips_hobbies.htm.
June 10th, 2009
Gardening is a great activity for seniors and has many physical and mental health benefis.
Gardening is an enjoyable pastime and an excellent form of exercise for seniors to build mobility, flexibility, the use of motor skills, strength and endurance.
Puttering around in the garden on a warm Spring wad can also help prevent osteoporosis, reduces stress levels and help you rest better at night.
Here are some suggestions for safe and healthy gardening:
* Drink plenty of liquids (avoiding alcohol), to keep your body well hydrated.
* Take care of cuts, bruises scrapes and insect bites right away to help avoid infection.
* Work in the garden early in the morning or late in the day to avoid the hot midday sun.
* Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Wear a hat and gloves to cover your skin. Remember to use sunscreen.
Don’t overexert yourself. Take breaks when you feel you need them.
Rotate your gardening tasks every half hour. This will help you to use your larger muscles and be less taxing on those smaller muscles that can cause soreness. Avoid using tools that will put you in awkward body positions. Use a new breed of ergonomic garden tools which are designed to work in conjunction with your body movements. These tools are also light and sturdy to give you better control.
Here are a few more safety tips and easy steps that seniors should take into consideration when gardening. They will help prevent injury and minor aches and pains:
* Be careful with power tools.
* Plant vertical or raised garden beds to avoid bending or stooping
* Bend at the knees and hips,
* Avoid twisting the forearm back and forth. Instead, work with your hands in a neutral position.
* Wear gardening gloves
* Work below shoulder level and keep tour elbows partially bent.
* Provide yourself with shaded areas for working whenever possible
May 20th, 2009
Here are some things that a social worker or discharge planner will consider when developing a Discharge Plan:
The presence of stairs can challenging if a patient needs to be able to climb them to get to his/her bedroom etc. If this is an issue for a patient, a variety of options will be explored. For example, if a patient can be moved to a bedroom downstairs or not. The social worker may recommend having the CCAC install home safety devices that may include a bath bar, a bath seat etc. The CCAC may provide advice on what to do to prevent accidents such as picking up loose rugs.
The discharge plan will also include rehabilitation. To get a patient home, social workers must examine the need for rehabilitation. A patient’s compatibility for rehab is determined by whether or not he/she is going to get any better and if the patient will be able to grasp the information without confusion.
Another issue with the transition home is dealing with the level of supervision that a patient requires. A social worker will ask; Does the patient live alone? Is it appropriate for him/her to still be living alone? If there isn’t another option, what supports can be put in place to assist the patient? Obviously, CCAC can’t be employed and their services are limited, especially with recent government cut backs.
There is also the option to hire live-in care as a more cost-effective alternative. The problem is affording it and agreeing to it. Some may not have room to have a live-in caregiver. Some may not want somebody living in their home.
Home-care can be very limited. A trained homecare giver will come to change diapers, but certainly not four times a day. They will teach family members to use a feeding tube, but will not always be there to use administer it.
The physical transition from the hospital to home is usually the easiest part of the whole process. A thoughtful transition plan can make it work.
April 21st, 2009
The role of social workers and discharge planner is central to this process. A social worker will facilitate the bridge from hospital to home. He/she will help patients and their families deal with this difficult transition and help create a roadmap of what will be possible in the future. Their experience, skills, and sensitivity can help pinpoint the parameters of what will work best for a specific client from a holistic perspective.
During the process, social workers use their expertise to look at important questions in terms of a patient’s well being and the complexity of his or her situation. For example, a social worker may ask; Is live-in care required? How safe is the person to be home alone? Does he/she know how to call for help? Does he/she need help with medications? If home alone is the absolute plan, what are some services that can be put into place to ensure the safety of a patient? What if a patient falls? What if he/she can’t reach the phone? What if he/she can’t get help? What if he/she is not awake after a fall? Some people live with their family members and they’re home alone during the day. How many hours is that? If for example a relative leaves for work at 7:30 and he/she gets back at 4:30. Can home-care be arranged to come during those hours? Can the patient let home-care in? What equipment is needed to be put into place?
Specific components of a Discharge Plan can include:
- Spaces available at nearby facilities
- Appropriate tasks for family care givers
- An assessment of the need for a fulltime, live-in care giver
- Management of that full-time, live-in caregiver
- Appropriate tasks for family members
- Budgets
- Emergency alert technologies
- Government resources
- Equipment to make the home accessible for a patient
April 2nd, 2009
Sometimes when an elderly patient is discharged from a hospital, he or she may not be able to continue living without extra care. To make the transition home with live-in-care, to a rehabilitation hospital, or to a long-term care facility, patients and their families must go through a detailed planning process called Discharge Planning.
Discharge Planning involves the exploration of sensitive issues that are centered around a patient’s mental and physical capacity. The purpose of this process is to establish realistic expectations in terms of a patient’s full or partial recovery, financial resources, the availability of family caregivers, live-in-care options, and legal issues like powers of attorney. This assessment will include an analysis of the physical barriers a patient may face at home and resources that are available to a patient in terms of community and commercial support.
It can be hard for family members to accept change in a loved one. Even if the best results are obtained, an older patient can still decline after a hospital stay. It may be hard for family members to agree on the level of care needed and for the patient to go along with the decision. Patients may refuse much needed live-in care help. Occasional assistance provided by family members may not be a sufficient solution for long term care. A thoughtful and realistic “Discharge Plan” can ensure a well-organized and secure transition for a patient who requires a change in lifestyle.
April 1st, 2009
Jen Jilks, author of Living and Dying With Dignity, is a retired educator, writer, researcher, mother, wife and grandmother. With varied interests in health, senior health care, and palliative care, she volunteers with Muskoka Victim Services, in a Long-Term Care home, and with Meals on Wheels in Bala, Muskoka. Currently, she is employed as a Peer Health Educator through a non-profit agency: The Friends. She is an alumni of Ryerson (B.A.- ECE), Ottawa U.(B.Ed.), and OISE-uToronto (M.Ed.).
She is an avid blogger: ontarioseniors.blogspot.com and wrote a super piece on Live-In Care. Please click here to read it.
March 18th, 2009
Are you in a wheelchair and long plant beautiful flowers and grow tomatoes and zucchini? Have you loved gardening all your life but don’t have the hands or knees for it any longer? Do you need a wheelchair or a walker to get around? Don’t despair. Adapt! There’s plenty of help in the form of advice, tools, raised flower beds and other equipment.
Do a Google search of “Disabled gardening tools” and you will find lots of resources. It certainly isn’t easy to do gardening with a care-giver while sitting on a chair, instead of on the ground, squatting or bending over. Think about building raised flower beds and scattering containers throughout your garden area. Buy cheap plastic outdoor chairs and place one beside each mini-garden. No dragging of chairs required! Sit down and enjoy the feel of moist earth beneath your fingers and breathe in the heavenly smell.
You can even hang a cup holder on the edge of your container and enjoy the luxury of tea or coffee with your weeds.
Discover and create special areas of your yard for your multiple mini-gardens. Put a beautiful container near your back or front door. Plant wonderfully scented herbs and flowers to greet your family and guests. Plant cherry tomatoes and strawberries by the side of your house. Plant a herb garden right outside your kitchen door to make your food amazing.
Get some help for physically demanding gardening. However, you can get tools which extend your arms to reach the ground from a sitting position. Tools with light weight handles are also available. Small, light rakes, hoes, etc work like a charm. Think ratchet pruner, rachet lopping shears … let the laws of physics and innovative gardening technology give you a helping hand.
To avoid getting too tired pace yourself. Make gardening something you do while you sit and drink a cup of tea and listen to the birds, rather than strenuous physical labor. Take it easy.
Think small and buy and plant 3 packs of flowers instead of a whole flat. Take a nice stroll around your garden, “talking to your plants” then go on back inside and take a rest or a nice satisfying nap. Mini-gardening sessions work wonders.
So when things start to warm up get out there and enjoy your sensible garden!
March 15th, 2009
According to the AARP, approximately 90 percent of the 41.5 million Americans over the age of 60 are hoping to stay in their home as they age. The increasing desire for home-care has dramatically increased the options available for selecting a home service and a live-in caregiver.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population age 65 and older is projected to double between 2000 and 2050.
According to the Canadian 2006 Census, the number of people aged 65 and over increased by more than 446,700 compared with 2001 (+11.5%), topping the 4 million mark for the first time (4.3 million). This is nearly four times as many seniors as in the first quinquennial census in 1956.
Industry research indicates that 86 percent of seniors want to continue living in their homes as they age.
Studies from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Labor indicate that by 2050, the number of individuals using paid long-term care services in any setting (e.g., at home, residential care such as assisted living, or skilled nursing facilities) will likely double from the 13 million using services in 2000, to 27 million people. This estimate is influenced by growth in the population of older people in need of care.
The AARP Public Policy Institute reports that the delivery of home or community-based long-term care services is a cost-effective alternative to nursing homes. Care in the home or community—not nursing home care—is what most Americans would prefer.
March 14th, 2009
Family caregivers are often ill-prepared for their role and require real support in varying forms. Family members who provide care to individuals with chronic and disabling conditions can be at risk. Close to 54 million Americans care for a disabled or sick family member, according to the 2006 survey conducted by Met Life. Emotional, mental, and physical health problems can arise from complex care-giving situations and the strains of caring for frail or disabled relatives.
Medical advances, shorter hospital stays, limited discharge planning, and expansion of home care technology have placed increased costs and care responsibilities on families. These factors affect the quality of life of both the caregiver and care receivers.
The psychological health of the family caregiver is negatively affected by providing this difficult care. Higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health effects are common among family members who care for an older relative or friends.
Research shows that female caregivers (who comprise about two-thirds of all unpaid caregivers) fare worse than their male counterparts. Female caregivers are reported to experience higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms and lower levels of subjective well-being, life satisfaction, and physical health than male caregivers. According to one study, there is a dramatic increase in the risk of mental health consequences among women who provide or more hours per week of care to a spouse.
March 13th, 2009
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