Senior Safety Archives

Drinking Enough Water Daily?

April 23, 2020/in Senior Care, Senior Health and Safety/by Premier Caregiver Services

Worried that Dad or Mom drink too much coffee, tea, juice, soda, milk, or even alcohol? These liquids increase the risk of heart attacks because they require digestion, which can create a blood-thickening effect. Water is absorbed into the bloodstream and thins the blood; therefore, drinking adequate amounts of water throughout the day can lessen complications for senior citizens. Consuming at least one cup of water for every 20 pounds of body weight daily—six to eight glasses for most people may help keep Dad or Mom from suffering health issues that could later lead to rehabilitating senior home care.

A number one contributor to daytime fatigue is the lack of water, especially as the body ages. Staying hydrated can protect the heart and reduce the risk of heart attacks, as well as kidney failure. Encourage Dad and Mom not to wait until they are thirsty to drink water. Try freezing bottled water and introduce them to a chilled drink by allowing the ice to melt slowly. Sipping on it during the day can prevent dehydration and get them used to drinking water. Crushed ice in a glass of water can also be refreshing. Bring them lunch or dinner and serve chilled or sparkling water as a beverage instead of soda, tea or coffee.

Make the time you spend with Dad and Mom a training session on the values of water to the body. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables provides additional hydration; cucumbers, celery, zucchini, tomatoes, watermelon, strawberries, spinach, grapefruit, and broccoli are 90% water. Take them fruit dishes and/or baskets as treats and add a bottle of sparkling water in the center. Let them know you care about their health now, during a home care situation, and later.

If you’re looking for an in-home care company that specializes in full-time dementia care, Premier Caregiver Services is a locally owned and operated Louisville caregiving company here for you. Our goal is to allow your loved ones to age gracefully and in-place with unique care plans that support seniors’ quality of life where they feel most comfortable. Our services include personal assistance, personal care, companion care, couples care, and in-home care. We specialize in all types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s with Dementia, and Vascular Dementia. Call us at (502) 718-8727 to learn more.

Illness Prevention Tips: Keep those Hands Clean!

March 8, 2019/in Senior Care, Senior Health and Safety/by Premier Caregiver Services

Illness Prevention Tips from Premier Caregiver Services

Everything from the flu, strep throat and the common cold are being passed around right now; washing your hands has never been more important. Washing your hands effectively several times a day is a great way to prevent the spread of these illnesses. The Center for Disease Control reported $120 billion annually in preventive and infectious diseases in the US. Although washing with soap and water is the preferred method to clean your hands, you can also use an alcohol-based hand rub to reduce the number of germs and bacteria. Here are the best illness prevention tips from your friends at Premier Caregiver Services!

Use Any Soap

According to the Mayo Clinic, any liquid, bar or powder soap, whether it is antibacterial or regular soap, will work for hand washing. Bacteria can become resistant to the antimicrobial properties of antibacterial soap which, in the future, will make these bacteria harder to kill.

Use Friction

Before beginning hand washing, push the lever to dispense enough paper towels to dry your hands. Apply warm running water with soap and then rub your hands together briskly. Warm water is less drying to the skin than hot water, and it facilitates the removal of dirt and oils that allow germs stick to your skin. The friction created by rubbing your hands together will loosen germs and dirt. Don’t forget to clean the backs of your hands as well as between your fingers, thumbs and under your fingernails. If you are using hand sanitizer, rub your hands together for 25 seconds or until they are dry.

Time Yourself

Wash your hands for 15 to 20 seconds before rinsing. An easy way to teach your child to wash his hands for the recommended length of time is to instruct him to hum or sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice each time he washes his hands.

Rinse Correctly

Hold your hands at a downward angle while rinsing with warm running water; the germs and dirt will run from your wrists down your hands and into the sink. This prevents transmitting the germs to cleaner areas like your arms and elbows.

Drying Hands

Avoid roughly rubbing your hands dry. Instead pat your hands dry with a paper towel, or gently rub your hands together under a warm air dryer. Vigorously rubbing your hands can lead to dry and chapped skin. Bacteria can enter the cracks and grooves created by chapped skin

Avoid Recontamination

After you are finished washing and drying your hands, use a paper towel or your elbow to turn off the water. If you touch the dirty faucet or the lever to the paper towel dispenser after you have washed your hands, you will re-introduce germs and dirt back to your hands. If possible, use a paper towel to open the restroom door.

Hand Sanitizer

Only use hand sanitizer if your hands are not visibly dirty. According to the Mayo Clinic, make sure your hand sanitizer contains a minimum of 60 percent alcohol.

If you’re looking for an in-home care company that specializes in full-time dementia care, Premier Caregiver Services is a locally owned and operated Louisville caregiving company here for you. Our goal is to allow your loved ones to age gracefully and in-place with unique care plans that support seniors’ quality of life where they feel most comfortable. Our services include personal assistance, personal care, companion care, couples care, and in-home care. We specialize in all types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s with Dementia, and Vascular Dementia. Call us at (502) 718-8727 to learn more.

Coping with Catastrophic Reactions

March 1, 2017/in Caregiving Support, Dementia, Senior Health and Safety/by Premier Caregiver Services

As a Care Manager, it is not uncommon to get calls from our caregivers stating that their client with dementia “turned angry” or “aggressive” in an instant. He or she threw a tantrum or they “lost it”. These tantrums can be vocal and or physical – they can involve shouting, becoming upset, throwing things, physically pushing you away, or even causing bodily harm to themselves.

These meltdown behaviors have a name: Catastrophic Reactions. These reactions are an emotional outburst of fear, stress, or other suddenly overwhelming emotions. It is not uncommon behavior for moderate-stage dementia.

How to Deal with Catastrophic Reactions in Dementia Patients

If it happens to you, do not panic. Instead, retreat for a few moments and allow the patient to calm down – it is difficult for your patient to process messages (even if they are calm) when he or she is emotionally “hot”. Stay calm yourself. Sometimes, this is a very difficult move to make but staying calm means staying in control.

Next, see if you can identify the trigger of the outburst. Run a mental review of what just happened. By mentally reliving the scene, you can usually trace the trigger to something you said or did (or maybe didn’t do). It could be as simple as something in the environment: light shining in the patient’s eyes, a loud noise close by, or even an unwanted surprise. Recognizing the trigger is of the utmost importance.

Start over again with the patient without mentioning the incident. Remember to stay calm and to announce your intentions in a reassuring way (be calm and reassuring).

If your patient continues to seem “not right”, know that the outburst may not be strictly emotional, but physical. A sudden change in behavior, especially cognitive reasoning skills, can be caused by delirium. Delirium is a common complication of infections or other systemic problems in older adults, especially those with dementia. Above all, be sure to contact another family member if you have one – it always helps to journal the incident, review it, and identify the triggers.

Remember: do not try to be dominate! Stay calm, reassuring, safety conscious, and stay in control.

If you’re looking for an in-home care company that specializes in full-time dementia care, Premier Caregiver Services is a locally owned and operated Louisville caregiving company here for you. Our goal is to allow your loved ones to age gracefully and in-place with unique care plans that support seniors’ quality of life where they feel most comfortable. Our services include personal assistance, personal care, companion care, couples care, and in-home care. We specialize in all types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s with Dementia, and Vascular Dementia. Call us at (502) 718-8727 to learn more.

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