Around the United States, registered nurses are being commemorated.

On May 6, 2012, we are joining the American Nurses Association in commemorating Nurses: Advocating, Leading, Caring, as part of National Nurses Week, which is held May 6-12, each year. The goal of the week long observance is to raise awareness of the importance of nursing and assist with educating people about the role nurses perform in meeting the health care goals of the American people.

In tribute to the dedication, and tireless commitment of the nearly 3.1 million registered nurses countrywide to enhance and sustain the health of the US, the American Nurses Association is honored to recognize registered nurses anywhere on this given day for the caregiving and excellent work they provide seven days a week, 365 days a year.

In honor of Nursing: all registered nurses in America are inspired to proudly wear the official ANA “RN” pin or any other pin that distinctly recognizes them as registered nurses, and/or their nurses uniform the week of May 6, 2012.

Nurses: Advocating, Leading, Caring

Quite often identified as an art and a science, nursing is a career that connects with serious persons with distinct likes, skills and passion because of the many options the profession suggests. Nurses are caregivers, work in emergency rooms, school based clinics, and homeless shelters, amongst others. They have many jobs – from staff nurse to educator to nurse practitioner and nurse researcher – and serve all of them with devotion for the career and with a commitment to patient safety.

National Nurses Week History  

National Nurses Week commences annually on May 6th and ends on May 12th, Florence Nightingale’s birthday.

These dates enrich organization and make National Nurses Week a nationally recognized event. As of 1998, May 8 was designated as National Student Nurses Day, to be recognized once a year. And as of 2003, National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week (May 6-12) each year.

The nursing profession has been endorsed by the American Nurses Association (ANA) since 1896.

Each of ANA’s state and territorial nurses associations promotes the nursing profession at the state and regional levels. Each conducts celebrations on these dates to recognize the contributions that nurses and nursing make to the community.

If you know a registered nurse, be sure to thank him or her for their service during National Nurses Week 2012.

Contact HeartWarming Care if you need help from caregivers for your aging loved one in the Tacoma area. We are dedicated to providing quality and affordable home care. Call (888) 927-6227.

May is Older Americans Month, a terrific time to clearly show our thankfulness for the older adults in our neighborhoods and a great time to get the elder receiving senior care at home to get out and get active!

Since 1963, areas nationwide have joined together to celebrate Older Americans Month—a proud tradition that shows our nation’s commitment to acknowledging the influences and accomplishments of older Americans.

The theme for Older Americans Month 2012, “Never Too Old to Play…” motivates older Americans to stay involved, active and involved in their own lives and in their neighborhoods.

Here are some ideas to make Older American’s Month fun and enjoyable:

Physical Activity

Here are some physical activity ideas:

• Wii bowling tournament. Wii bowling is a well-liked activity among older adults, and a smart way to connect elders and young people in an intergenerational lesson of energizing activity that supports fitness and fosters intergenerational connections.
•  Miniature golf. Miniature golf is a superb method of light exercise and a good time for people of all ages. For your Day of Play give some thought to an outing to a local miniature golf course. Call beforehand to determine if there is a group rate or senior discount. To make this an intergenerational event even more enjoyable, ask the older adults to bring along a friend from another generation such as a child or grandchild.
• Choreographed fitness. There are quite a few possibilities for fun group exercise activities for older adults. For your Day of Play you may want to organize training in one or more of these exercises in movement:

• Tai chi is a group activity in which participants move slowly and gently in unison. Tai chi improves balance and strength.
• Water aerobics is exactly what it sounds like. The gentle resistance of the water in a pool intensifies this low-impact aerobic workout. And exercising in a pool reduces the risk of injuries from falls.
• Yoga uses stretching and breathing to relax the mind and body, and it’s very good for circulation.
• Dancing improves balance and coordination. Plus, it’s a great creative outlet and way to meet new people.

Even if your senior loved one is receiving senior care at home, You are ‘Never Too Old To Play!’ Take care of the seniors in your life and celebrate National Older American’s Month.

For information about how HeartWarming Care can help your family with senior care in the home, call our caregivers at (888) 927-6227.

Some medical conditions and physical disabilities may restrict or prevent older people receiving senior care from participating in gardening. However with planning and a few changes, you can create a safe, accessible, and pleasant space.

Gardening keeps you fit and healthy

Everyone can benefit from creating an edible garden. Seniors can get particular benefits because gardening:

• Is an enjoyable form of exercise.
• Increases levels of physical activity and maintains mobility and flexibility.
• Encourages use of all motor skills – walking, reaching and bending – through activities such as planting seeds and taking cuttings.
• Improves endurance and strength.
• Helps prevent diseases like osteoporosis.
• Reduces stress levels and promotes relaxation.
• Provides stimulation and interest in nature and the outdoors.
• Improves wellbeing as a result of social interaction.
• Provides nutritious, home-grown produce.

Physical and mental considerations

Some physical, mental and age-related conditions must be considered when older people work in the garden. These include:

• Skin – fragile, thinning skin makes the elderly susceptible to bumps, bruises and sunburn.
• Vision – changes in the eye lens structure, loss of peripheral vision and generally poorer eyesight can restrict activities.
• Mental abilities – mental health, thinking and memory abilities may be affected by dementia and similar conditions.
• Body temperature – susceptibility to temperature changes and tendency to dehydrate or suffer from heat exhaustion are common concerns with outdoor physical activity for older people.
• Skeletal – falls are more common because balance is often not as good. Osteoporosis and arthritis may restrict movement and flexibility.

continue reading from betterhealth.vic.gov

For more information about senior care in the Tacoma area, contact HeartWarming Care. We are a home care agency dedicated to providing quality and affordable care in the home. Call (888) 927-6227 today.

Home Care Tacoma WA: Today’s anti-depressant medications can ease depression in Parkinson’s patients without worsening other symptoms of the disease, according to a study published online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

“Depression is the number-one factor negatively affecting the quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease,” said Irene Hegeman Richard, M.D., who led the study. “It causes a great deal of suffering among patients. The great news here is that it’s treatable. And when the depression is treated adequately, many of the other symptoms become much more manageable for patients,” added Richard, a neurologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

The findings are good news for patients with Parkinson’s disease, a chronic neurologic disorder best known for causing slow movement, stiffness, balance problems and other motor difficulties. However, about half of Parkinson’s patients also struggle with depression.  Other good news is that home care caregivers can help with medication reminders and companionship, which can also help ease depression.

“It’s very important to note that these patients are not depressed simply because they are dealing with a chronic neurological condition,” said Richard. “Rather, the depression is caused by the underlying disease process, which also causes problems with movement and balance.”

continue reading from medicalnewstoday.com

Contact the caregivers at HeartWarming Care for more information about how home care can help your family member suffering with Parkinson’s Disease. Call (888) 927-6227 today!

Occupational therapy allows individuals of all ages to enjoy life by enabling them to boost health, prevent—or live better with—injury, illness, or disability. It is a practice deeply rooted in science and is evidence-based, meaning that the plan designed for each individual is supported by data, experience, and “best practices” that have been developed and proven over time.

If a senior in your life is receiving home care services, you might also consider asking their physician about Occupational Therapy services that are often covered by Medicare.

Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants focus on “doing” whatever occupations or activities are relevant to the person. It is occupational therapy’s reason to get past troubles to the methods that assure living life to its fullest. These treatments may be adaptations for how to do a task, changes to the surroundings, or supporting individuals to change their own behaviors.

When making use of an occupational therapy practitioner, approaches and changes are tailor-made for each individual to resolve issues, boost function, and help everyday living tasks. The target is to maximize potential. Through these therapeutic methods, occupational therapy assists consumers style their lives, develop needed skills, adjust their environments (e,g., home, school, or work) and build health-promoting habits and exercises that will enable them to progress.

By taking the full picture into account—a person’s psychological, physical, emotional, and social makeup as well as their environment—occupational therapy assists clients to do the following:

• an individualized evaluation, during which the client/family and occupational therapist determine the person’s goals,
• customized intervention to improve the person’s ability to perform daily activities and reach the goals, and
• an outcomes evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or make changes to the intervention plan.

Founded in 1917, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) represents the interests and concerns of more than 140,000 occupational therapists, assistants and students nationwide. The Association educates the public and advances the profession of occupational therapy by providing resources, setting standards including accreditations and serving as an advocate to improve health care. Based in Bethesda, Md., AOTA’s major programs and activities are directed toward promoting the professional development of its members and assuring consumer access to quality services so patients can maximize their individual potential. For more information, go to www.aota.org.

For information about how HeartWarming Care can help your senior loved one with home care services in the Tacoma area, call our caregivers at (888) 927-6227 today.

Summer is just around the corner and with it comes warmer weather, more outdoor activities and more allergens in the form of pollens and molds. If you are one of an estimated 36 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis – more popularly known as hay fever – summer may be a time of year you dread. This year’s allergies season promises to be even worse in some parts of the country because of the higher than usual level of rainfall this past winter and spring. Unfortunately there is no way to control the weather, but there are various things that allergy sufferers can do to help lessen the symptoms of allergies that include itchy, watery eyes, runny nose and non-stop sneezing. Current medications used to treat these symptoms usually contain antihistamines that can cause drowsiness and dizziness that can be especially dangerous for seniors. They may also be taking other medications that can cause very dangerous interactions or reactions. Elder care caregivers can help seniors avoid these dangers by helping with a list of medications they are currently taking and speaking with the pharmacist or doctor.  They can also help with medication reminders and organization.

Research is being done for treatments for allergies that will help to prevent the allergic reaction in the first place rather than focusing on treating the symptoms. Allergy specialists expect that this is the future of allergy treatment. Unfortunately these new treatments will not be available for several years. In the meantime there are steps that can be taken to help lessen your exposure to allergens and be more comfortable this allergy season. The following tips are offered by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology:

1. Avoid allergens and molds as much as possible. Instead of walking outside in the park or on hiking trails, try walking in the local shopping mall. Most malls have walking clubs with mall businesses offering discounts. It will be much cooler too!
2. When you have to go outside try to avoid grassy areas (especially those areas with fresh mown grass) or areas with lots of foliage.
3. Keep windows closed at night to prevent pollens or molds from drifting into your home.

read more here

Contact HeartWarming Care for all of your elder care needs. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable care to our seniors, veterans and disabled in the Tacoma area. Call (888) 927-6227.

When I reflect over the past 20 years since I began my career in senior home care services, the world has gone through dramatic changes, but seniors’ most concerning issues have remained pretty much the same. The problems that I’ve observed that most seriously affect the health and wellbeing of seniors are the following:

1) They are not getting the proper nutrition and hydration. They tend to neglect themselves when there is no one around to cook or to serve them. Why, heck, even young people will skip meals, or pick up fast food, which are loaded with salt, trans fat, and unnatural ingredients. They are likely to eat things that they can make quickly but which may not be very good for them on a regular basis. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is ideal but how many seniors are going to the market every few days to pick up the fresh foods and how many are spending time making themselves nutritious and healthful meals which usually requires cutting up lots of healthful ingredients such as chicken, carrots, and celery. When you are dealing with pain, memory issues, or chronic disabilities, you often tend to want to keep things very simple and that can lead to omitting the things your body needs for optimum health.

Hospitals are full of seniors who are admitted for dehydration. They are just not taking in the amount of liquids their bodies require. Not enough water, tea, fruit, and soup—the things you would take in if you were around people who care about you or for you. The most common diagnosis we hear is malnutrition and dehydration which are both easily avoided with the right care which can easily be obtained through home care services.

2) They are at risk of falling. Seniors who have had strokes, brain injuries, ear or eye conditions, equilibrium issues, feet and leg problems, migraines, circulation problems and a whole host of other conditions, may have more trouble navigating around their own homes than they care to admit or accept. Many will walk down their home’s corridors balancing themselves with their hands on the walls instead of using a walker. Others will minimize how dizzy they get and will try to go from room to room too quickly. Some allow way too much clutter to accumulate around them which become obstacles to their ability to navigate safely around their environment. Also there are plenty of elderly people whose homes have not been modified with safety bars in the bathroom or those who have unnecessary throw rugs or wires strewn along the floors that are trip hazards. Then when you think about how many older folks are living with knee, hip, and back problems, it’s no wonder that falls are one of the biggest reasons seniors end up in hospitals. Unfortunately, for many, some falls are too big to recover from, while others mark the beginning of an irreversible health decline.

continue reading from the seniorslist.com

If you have questions about how home care services can help your senior loved one, contact the caregivers at HeartWarming Care. We can help your senior with many different levels of service to keep them safe and comfortable at home. Call (888) 927-6227.

When an aging loved one can no longer navigate their own home safely, it may be time for you to employ a caregiver. They provide safety, relaxation, care, support and dependability, all from the comfort of the seniors home. This can also diminish any stress and anxiety the rest of the family may be feeling. Here are some pros to hiring a caregiver.

Caregivers hired through an agency are pre-trained, screened and in case they call in sick, a back-up will be available to fill in. They are trained to be aware of possible dangers and safety concerns with respect to medication and falls and aid in daily activities.

Recognizing possible dangers is crucial and really should be at the top of the list when it thinking about senior care. A caregiver should be able to check on the care recipient daily to make sure everything is in order and if there are any medications that need to be taken, it’s done so in a timely fashion. They will also have the capacity to ensure that there aren’t any fallen objects or tripping dangers lying around your home that could cause a safety concern. CPR and first aid is also a requirement for someone in this field and will be an asset in case an emergency occurs.

Carrying out daily chores can become a challenging task for some seniors. Activities like changing light bulbs, getting the mail in icy weather, grocery shopping, cleaning, and meal preparation can all be demanding. Employing a caregiver will give the care receiver and the family peace of mind that they can still live in their own home, yet have guidance in conducting these jobs that they can no longer do by themselves.

A caregiver will also be able to assist with personal care needs. These may include help in the bathroom, bathing, dressing and aiding in their mobility. Aides can also offer companionship to seniors living on their own. By having a professional supply continual daily care, the care receiver will feel comfortable and have less anxiety knowing that someone is looking out for their best interests and making them their top priority.

If your family is looking for a caregiver to help with the care of your aging loved one, contact HeartWarming Care. We are a home care agency providing affordable and quality care in your neighborhood. Call (888) 927-6227 today!

As the general population ages, the need for home care for the elderly has grown with it. In some cases Medicaid may cover the services provided.

The Caregiver Role

As people age, it becomes more difficult for them to live alone. However, given the choice, most people prefer to stay in their own home if at all possible. Elderly people want to surround themselves with memories and with the familiarity of their own belongings and routines. Staying in their own home with the help of a home care agency gives them a sense of independence.

Problems arise when elderly individuals are no longer able to safely live on their own, but are healthy enough to be home rather than in a nursing facility. For example, during the early stages of dementia, which, for example, includes poor memory, a kitchen fire or other home accident could occur. Despite this risk, with supervision from an in-home attendant, an elderly person with these concerns can live a more satisfying life safely at home. Such situations are stressful for the entire family, as the need for a caregiver becomes evident.

The role of caregiver can be overwhelming, but you do have options for home care that can make the transition easier on everyone involved. Employing the services of a part-time professional caregiver can ease the stress on a family caregiver by providing time to take care of errands like grocery shopping, as well as providing a mental reprieve from the demands that caregiving inevitably places on a relationship. Even an hour away to have lunch with friends can make a big difference.

Non-Medical Home Care for the Elderly

Non-medical home care for the elderly is often called “companion care” and includes help for the elderly with chores and day-to-day activities. This may include:

• Help preparing meals
• Help getting dressed and bathing
• Help getting around the house
• Light housekeeping chores
• Reminders to take medication
• Providing transportation to and from doctors’ appointments

continue reading here

HeartWarming Care can help your family by providing home care assistance to your aging loved one. Call (888) 927-6227  today for more information.

Homecare Agencies Provide Light Meal Preparation

Sometimes it is necessary to have a little help with meal preparation or light housekeeping, long before any personal homecare is actually needed. That is really the best time to engage a homecare agency, when the family members see that their loved one needs more help than they will be able to provide, and before a crisis arises. The homecare agency will be willing to start slowly with certain services, and then their help can be increased as it becomes necessary.

Caregivers can help with grocery shopping and meal planning, if there is a need for it. That’s why homecare providers take the time, and give additional effort in making mealtime exceptional. No matter the reason for homecare, whether disabled or elderly, a good homecare agency provides options and different levels of service so that your loved one receives the care that they need.

The benefits of our senior loved ones eating healthy include increased mental acuteness, resistance to illness and disease, higher energy levels, faster recuperation times, and better management of chronic health problems. As we age, eating well can also be the key to emotional stability and can help keep our loved ones feeling better overall.

Other services provided by homecare agencies include:

• Bathing, Grooming & Hygiene
• Medication Reminders & Safety Supervision
• Transportation/Errands
• Companionship
• Chore Services & Light Housekeeping
• Family Respite

HeartWarming Care is a homecare agency providing your family with options for the care of your loved one in the home. If you would like more information, call our caregivers today at (888) 927-6227.