On a recent episode of ABC’s “What Would You Do”, the TV show setup a scenario to determine how bystanders would react to an elderly driver exhibiting signs that he shouldn’t get behind the wheel of a car. The aging driver, an actor, aged 92, approaches people on the street asking for help getting out of his parking spot (his car is parallel parked on the street) since his son who was supposed to meet him has failed to appear. Three of the four people featured in this first segment of the episode, which tests what people would do when faced with an elderly driver with impaired abilities, help the senior into his car. The bystanders help the senior driver with starting his ignition and putting his car in reverse; only to direct him from the spot to have him run down the motorcycle parked in the spot behind.

Watch “Drivng While Disoriented”

What would you do when faced with the same situation? While statistics show, that apart from drivers under 25, drivers over 70 are involved in the most driving related accidents; family members in particular are very reluctant to take away a senior’s main source of independence. And while some states do mandate stricter licensing standards for drivers who have reached old age, very little mandatory testing is in place to ensure that older adults can drive without impairment so the decision of when to take away the keys is often left up to the family to determine.

If you’re starting to wonder whether it might be time to take away a senior’s right to drive, look at the following factors to determine if they might be a hazard behind the wheel:

• Does a loss of hearing acuity affect their ability to respond to sirens or honking horns?
• Has the old driver’s sight been tested? Do they have trouble seeing lines on the road, especially during night driving?
• Is the senior driver physically able to control the vehicle safely? Do they have any conditions, like arthritis, which might affect their reflexes?
• Do they take any medications that could affect their driving abilities? Do any medicines interact to make driving unsafe?

Sources: http://www.abcnews.go.com/whatwouldyoudo – February 17 (Driving While Disoriented) Episode
http://www.troubledwith.com/Relationships/A000000656.cfm?topic=relationships%3A%20caring%20for%20elderly%20parents

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Q1 – Fact or fiction; seniors are at a greater risk for cancer?
A1 – As we grow old, the risk of developing cancer does increase slightly. The aging process lowers stress tolerance, which can impact the functioning of major organ systems and seniors may have weaker immune systems which puts them at a higher risk for cancer than younger generations. Statistics indicate that the elderly are at a much greater risk for certain types of cancer than younger Americans.

Q2 – Are there specific times of cancer that are more prevalent in seniors?
A2 – The number one form of cancer that elderly women are at risk for is breast cancer. Statistics show that by age 80, 1 in 10 women are likely to be exposed to breast cancer; a great increase compared to 1 in 2,212 at age 30. For every decade of life, the risk of developing breast cancer increases in women. Studies have also shown that men with diabetes are more likely to develop rectal or colon cancer. Since the risk of contracting diabetes increases with age, especially in senior men who struggle with obesity, the risk of colorectal cancer also increases with age. Other types of cancer, like cervical cancer, are actually more prevalent in younger generations; however the risk does still exist for women and seniors over the age of 40, with an increased risk for those struggling with other health problems.

Q3 – Is there any way for seniors to determine if they have risk factors that could contribute to the development of cancer?
A3 – Family history and overall health both play a major role in preventing cancer. Older adults should be aware of their relatives’ history with cancer so a physician can setup appropriate screening. Seniors can reduce their risk factors with diet and exercise; maintaining a healthy weight and keeping their immune system strong. Seniors can reduce the likelihood of cancer with knowledge and healthy living.

Sources: http://www.imaginis.com/cervical-cancer/risk_factors.asp
http://seniorhealth.about.com/od/cancer/a/br_cancer_age.htm
http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_section_details.asp?text_id=3701&channel_id=12&relation_id=30096
http://www.springerlink.com/content/l7630l71t816g513/

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Most family caregivers don’t do what they do because they think it will be easy or fun; they provide care because of their love for a senior and concern over their health. Caregivers will have an easier time coping with the challenges, if they have an understanding of what to expect.

Physical Challenges

• Caregivers may be responsible for most or all of the light and heavy housework, which can become trying especially when combined with their own responsibilities at home

• Caregivers often need to help seniors with limited mobility, which can involve lifting and moving them. If  a caregiver is not physically strong they may injure themselves or the senior

Mental Challenges

The challenges referred to here, are those that a senior’s mental issues may present to a caregiver.
• Caregivers may have to learn new skills to manage medications

• Caregivers often need to take responsibility over a senior’s financing

• Caregivers also need to make adjustments to a home for safety, and plan activities appropriate for the senior

Financial Challenges

• Caregivers may have to take on some form of financial obligation to assist the senior, since often senior’s with health limitations have used a lot of their funds paying for medical costs

• Sometimes caregivers, like their senior, may use a great deal of their savings and financial resources to fund healthcare or other costs related to senior care

Emotional Challenges

• Caregivers may find it difficult to deal with the physical and mental changes that come with a health decline of their beloved family member

• Family caregivers can feel conflicting emotions ranging from affection, frustration, anger, sadness and guilt

• It can also be a big emotional challenge to try and convince a family member to take caregiving help; or deal with the emotions that come with having someone rely on you fully

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Back up care for working families:

Below are key findings from the 2008 Back up Care Survey conducted by Work Options Group. 

The question asked was, “If back-up care was not offered, what would you have done?”

• 71 percent would have missed work to provide care for their loved one
• 14 percent would have conducted an independent search for short-term care
• 13 percent would have asked friends or family to provide care for their loved one
• 2 percent said they worked from home, changed their work schedule or brought their child to work.

Work Options Group serves as a third-party liaison to link employees of companies with a network of service contractors who can help them provide back-up care for loved ones of any age – from infants and school-aged children, to adults and seniors.

One of those contractors who works on behalf of seniors is Home Instead Senior Care, an international franchise company with 800 offices worldwide.  The company’s CAREGivers go into the homes and care communities of older adults to keep them independent.  Through these types of relationships, you could locate the help you need in a moment’s notice.

For more information about Home Instead Senior Care Florida, please contact us at the number below. For more information about the survey, log on to http://www.workoptionsgroup.com/press_release_survey.html.

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

In most cases, seniors and decision-makers wait too long before addressing the need for senior care.  The result of this is that health may decline either quickly or progressively because the senior may not be taking their medications correctly, eating a well balanced diet or following the orders of their health care professionals.  The other possibility is that they will grow weak and have a fall causing them to be hospitalized.  All of these problems can be avoided if families see the signs of decline and move swiftly to ensure they have the help they need at home.

Two-thirds of seniors report obtaining care after they have what they describe as a “pivotal incident.”  A pivotal incident is commonly defined as a fall or other kind of accident.  However, in most cases the incident is actually the result of a chronic condition sucn as arthritis or dementia that should have been addressed much sooner.

In the course of dealing with chronic and persistent conditions, there is a tipping point where decision-makers decide that care has grown beyond their capacity.  The age of the senior when this tipping point is usually reached may be anywhere between 70 and 90, depending on a wide variety of individual factors.  A relatively small number of seniors, 10 percent are under 70 when they are recommended for senior home care.

Average Age Recommended for In-Home Senior Care:

Age:                          % Recommended:

50-60                        2%

60-70                        7%

70-80                        43%

80-90                        49%

90+                            0%

By working with either an independent care manager or a professional, who understands the changes that seniors go through that lead up to needing either assisted living or assistance at home, families can stay ahead of their seniors needs.  Home Instead Senior Care can conduct in home assessments to help with the process of understanding the maze of options available.

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Thirty-three percent of current seniors have accidents each year. The annual number of hip fractures alone is 350,000. But, Baby Boomers are healthier and more active than previous generations. More than 70 percent report good mental and physical health, but precisely because they are more active. Boomers have more accidents than previous generations. Biking, running, skiing and other activities send Boomers to the emergency room far more frequently than previous generations.

And despite the overall good health of their generation, 30 percent of Boomers are already suffering from debilitating health issues that are usually associated with old age, such as Alzheimer’s disease and arthritis.

Arthritis is the most common condition that affects seniors. Another emerging area of concern is obesity. In 2002, 30 percent of Boomers were reported as obese. That number is expected to grow to 42 percent by 2025. Obesity makes daily activities much more difficult and increases the likelihood of other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke.

Most Common Conditions Impacting Senior:

10% General Dementia
3% Parkinson’s Disease
12% Orthopedic Condition
12% Depression
12% Alzheimer’s Disease
30% Multiple Sclerosis
12% Arthiritis
23% Other

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Today we are presenting some more information that came out of the largest study that was conducted on the state of senior caregiving in America.  These results just came out recently and if you would like a full copy of the report contact us to receive an electronic version.

The Importance of Home was another factor they looked at and the study found that an overwhelming majority (86 percent) of elderly want to be cared for at home for as long as possible. This is consistent with several other studies, including an AARP survey that found 89 percent of elderly would prefer in home care as opposed to assisted living or nursing homes.

The Home Instead survey also examined the views of family decision-makers about the desirability of their relatives continuing to age in place. The study found a strong correlation: 76 percent of decision-makers believe it is important for their loved one to be able to stay at home and to have in home care when the time comes that they need extra help.

So why are so many elderly people moving from their homes or being advised to move from their homes into Assisted Living Communities?  We would love to hear your thoughts on this question – please leave us a comment.

Source:  When the Age Wave Hits: The State of Senior Caregiving in America by Home Instead Senior Care, January 2009.

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Home Instead Senior Care recently compiled the results of the largest survey ever conducted on the state of senior caregiving in the United States. Some interesting findings were determined and are summarized in posts on Carebuzz this week.

At Home Instead Senior Care we often receive calls and are questioned about “who pays for in home senior care?” – “Does medicare or an insurance policy cover these types of services?”

When a patient is discharged from a hospital, the doctor can request that a home health attendant come to the patients home for 2 hours at a time for up to 3 visits/week. Usually this is available for 6 weeks and medicare will pay for it.  The home health attendant can help prepare a meal, assist with bathing and perform some light housekeeping in the patient’s room. While these services may be helpful, patients usually can not specify the time of day or possibly can not choose the person that they would prefer to come into their home and assist them with very personal matters.

For a patient who would like a schedule that is a better fit for their routine, this type of service may not be ideal.  We also find that although having these medicare funded services are helpful they may not be enough for someone who needs more assistance throughout the day or night. There may be some overlap between the tasks that home health aides and home care workers or CAREGivers perform so it is important for a family member to be clear about what they expect each person to do if Medicare funded home health aides are coming into the home.

Many people are surprised to find out how affordable CAREGiving services can be. Each Home Instead Senior Care office is independently owned, so prices will vary, but the average across the US is $18/hour.

Who Actually Pays?:

- 25% Of seniors pay for their own care

- 19% Is paid for by The primary decision-maker – the person responsible for making key health-care decisions when it is not the senior

- 17% percent of seniors make use of long-term care insurance

- 10% Is funded by State and volunteer/community contributions

Source: When The Age Wave Hits: Home Instead Senior Care Annual Report

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Senior rights need to be protected, and since 1973 The Silver Haired Legislature has been doing just that by offering government help for aging Americans in many states across the US by giving seniors a voice.

The Silver Haired Legislature ( SHL) are a group of citizens aged 60 and older, who are formally elected in each participating state to ensure there is a legislative involvement that focuses upon the needs of aging adults, while providing an open discussion forum for senior issues. The TSHL was first founded in Missouri in 1973, and has now been adopted by 31 states in the US, including Texas, Alaska, California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, Utah and many others.

Elected volunteer officials of each state’s branch of the SHL are elected upon 2-year terms, and sworn in by the Secretary of State to become formal members of the organization. In the state of Texas, these elderly advocates select ten priority issues faced by older Americans and present them to the Texas Legislature for support when they’re in session during odd-numbered years. The 31 other states involved with the SHL follow a similar format to the Texas branch, and regularly provide advocacy support to senior issues that are occurring within their jurisdictions, while providing educational resources through the partnership with the Area Agency on Aging for senior citizens who are living with these problems.

The SHL tries to ensure that its senior representatives are approachable by both elderly members of the communities they represent and their families who are concerned about their welfare. Since the SHL members can be voted in to serve multiple consecutive terms, they often become recognized members of the senior community, which creates an open dialogue about the concerns and needs of senior citizens who feel they finally have someone to represent their voice and listen to their concerns.

To learn more about the SHL representatives in your area or approach them with an aging issue that requires government support and advocacy, visit the website of your local branch or contact your local Area Agency on Aging for more information about the SHL and how they can help you.

Sources: http://www.txshl.org/index.cfm
http://www.txshl.org/about.cfm
http://www.nemoaaa.com/shlfacts.htm

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

How to Talk to Parents about Needing More Help at Home

The problems of aging often leave family caregivers speechless. What does an adult daughter say to her dad when he’s hit a light pole with the car? How does a grown son ask his mom if she’s taking her medications like she should? And how do adult siblings approach their parents about needing more help at home? Care professionals who work with seniors regularly see families perplexed by these issues.

Sensitive issues like these prompted Home Instead Senior Care to launch a public education campaign designed to help family caregivers bridge the communication gap when it comes to discussing sensitive subjects with senior family members.

The campaign is based upon original research conducted in the U.S. and Canada by Home Instead Senior Care, which revealed that nearly one-third of adults in the U.S. have a major communication obstacle with their parents that stems from continuation of the “parent-child role.”* In other words, it can be difficult for many Baby Boomers to initiate this type of conversation because senior parents may still be dealing with their grown sons or daughters as if they’re still children, rather than mature adults.

“Because of this parent-child role obstacle, adult children may wait until an emergency or crisis happens before talking to parents,” Hogan said. “Our goal with the 40-70 campaign is to provide practical ways for adult children to talk to their parents now. We’ve seen lack of communication lead to various problems such as misuse of medications, self neglect, even accidents.”

The survey found that Boomers have the most difficulty talking with their parents about independence-related issues, such as older adults continuing to live in their own homes. Most parents’ desire to remain independent makes it challenging for their adult children to address sensitive issues such as health (28 percent) and money (21 percent).

“Communication is the core of our social lives,” Harwood said. “Without caring, effective communication, none of our relationships would survive.” Harwood and Hogan agree that good communication also helps seniors adapt to changing life circumstances, and it enables families to know when it’s time to seek additional resources. Often, both adult children and their loved ones can benefit from outside home care help, such as that provided by Home Instead CAREGivers,” said Hogan. “But the only way that will happen is if they can talk about it.”

For more information about Home Instead Senior Care’s survey, go to http://www.4070talk.com.