Sequoia Senior Solutions Blog

A Senior Care Case Study — Helping Someone Grieve

Stanton Lawson — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:16:09 +0000

Adapted from the March 7, 2012 The CSA Blog:

It’s very difficult to help another person grieve unless you’ve been invited into the process. Until that invitation presents itself, you may feel helpless and there is little you can do to comfort the one who is grieving. This feeling is natural and one that should not be dismissed. However, you can provide support by making yourself available. You can offer to help with practical things such as accompanying the person when making funeral arrangements and being available 24/7.
It’s important to be a good listener. Encourage your loved one to talk about emotions and vent frustrations. Take interest in the stories about his/her loved one’s life and death. One suggestion – don’t offer advice unless you have been asked to provide it.

Few people can cope with the pain of losing a loved one on their own. They need to talk about their loss and share their pain. This is a normal part of the healing process. However, if your loved one’s reactions are extreme, suggest professional help and assist them in taking this step.

Here is a case history of how a financial adviser helped a woman in her time of need:

Lila recently lost her husband Herb. He had not been well for the last 6 months and though the doctors were optimistic of Herb’s recovery, Lila feared the worst. When Herb eventually died, Lila’s immediate reaction was denial. Herb was always there and he will return. Lila then became angry not only at Herb for leaving her alone in retirement but also angry with herself for having been too reliant on him. He paid the bills, did the banking, dealt with their financial adviser, all the things Lila now had to learn to do.

As part of Lila’s grieving, she began thinking Herb would have lived longer if she only had made him see his doctor when he started to complain about his ailments. She also thought Herb would have survived longer if she had been a ‘better wife’. As weeks passed, Lila became resigned to Herb’s passing and she began to pick up the pieces. Lila began paying the bills, closed out Herb’s bank account, contacted a widow’s support group and met with her religious leader about volunteering. Lila was moving on.

Throughout her grieving, Lila’s family and financial adviser were with her every step of the way. Though it was a little awkward at first for the adviser as she was most used to dealing with Herb, the initial discomfort disappeared when Julia, the adviser, called Lila when learning of Herb’s death. Julia followed up by dropped over with flowers and a card. Along with Lila’s family, Lila and Julia shared frequent phone calls, met for lunch or just sat to talk. Lila now considers her adviser, Julia, a friend and someone who acted as an anchor as Lila navigated through the stormy seas of grief.

There is the Golden Rule we all grew up with: ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you.’ As a family friend, financial adviser or caregiver, you have a unique opportunity to help grieving loved ones with many of their life’s occurrences.

10 Stages of Mourning the Loss of A Loved One (jaqualinemadden.wordpress.com)
Showing Sympathy to Friends Who Are Grieving (berries.com)

Good Nutrition Can Increase a Senior Person’s Lifespan

Stanton Lawson — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:11:41 +0000

"Good Nutrition Can Increase a Senior Person’s Lifespan" published in the Sequoia Senior Independent Solutions E-Newsletter for April 2012.

One of the key ingredients to a high-quality life is good nutrition. This becomes even more important as we age. Getting older doesn’t mean that one has to give up one’s chance at a healthy body.

Good nutrition is one of the cornerstones to living longer and feeling good while traveling on the journey of life. This also means spending less money on health-related expenses over time.

Senior care and good nutrition

A recent study published by The Journal of Nutrition shows that eating a healthy diet can attribute to a longer, healthier life. The study found that adoption of recommended dietary behaviors (a healthier diet) was associated with lower mortality in both men and women independent of other lifestyle risk factors. Read full abstract here http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2696990.

Ashima Kant, a Queens College professor of nutrition, and her colleagues studied data culled from 350,000 men and women about their dietary habits. Kant’s research found that people who more closely followed the USDA Dietary Guidelineshad a lower risk of dying at a younger age.She explained that, “It’s not that you have to do everything [that the dietary guidelines recommend] to have any health benefits.” But the research shows very clearly that risk factors, such as cancer, obesity and heart disease can be lowered by better nutrition.

One factor in unhealthy eating may simply be convenience. Microwaving frozen meals may seem like an easy solution to the daily challenge of meal preparation, but many of these frozen packaged meals are significantly lacking in nutritional value.

One of the services provided by reputable senior care firms is teaching the caregivers the value and art of cooking healthy meals for their elderly clients. Caregivers are trained to know and prepare healthy foods, and how to cook tasty, appealing meals for their clients that will eventually keep them healthy, stable, and strong — often resulting in the senior feeling younger than might be expected at their age!

Are you making good dietary choices?

For more information:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/nutritionforseniors.html
Being Healthy | Starting with Nutrition Basics (naturalsociety.com)

Options for In-Home or Other Long-Term Care

Stanton Lawson — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:08:35 +0000

With so many different sorts of services available to seniors and their families, it helps to see a list of them all in one place. Here you will read about Homemaker Services, Home Health Aides, Adult Day Health Care and it’s three different types, assisted living facilities, nursing home care and continuing dare retirement communities. We at Sequoia Senior Solutions hope that this will help you understand your options.

Homemaker Services –

The homemaker service is an in-home care service which provides assistance with household tasks that an individual cannot manage alone.
It is provided in an individual’s home with the intent of making it possible for someone to remain in his/her home and offer support with minor chores which may include cleaning house, cooking meals and running errands.
Also known as ‘personal care assistants’ , ‘companions’ or ‘in-home care’.

Home Health Aides –

A more extensive personal care option than what family, friends or homemaker services typically engage in while the person receives in-home care.
Providing ‘hands-on’ personal in-home care. Can be directed by medical personnel.
Activities with which assistance is given include bathing, dressing, eating, transferring, assisting with maintaining continence, laundry, shopping for and preparing food, and possibly medication management.
May provide rides to the doctor.
May act as an adviser to patients and families on certain issues; providing support by instruction or psychologically.

Adult Day Health Care (ADH) –

A facility where the adult patient who needs supervision and assistance during the day is dropped off just for the day otherwise is still receiving in-home care.
Programs typically provide meals, personal assistance, medication management, social interaction, therapeutic activities, and more.
Transportation to and from the facility may be provided.

Three types of Adult Day Health Care Models:

Social Model – For individuals who do not need medical based services. Provides: basic care, supervision, meals, recreations, and social activities.
Medical Model – For individuals who require medical monitoring because of health conditions. May also offer therapies – physical, occupational and speech.
Combination Model – Both social and medical models are incorporated.

Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) –

An apartment-style housing setting where an individual has moved out of his or her home and into this community facility to have access to consistent support with Activities of Daily Living or supervision while still maintaining a level of independence. This is another form of in-home care.
Individuals who live in ALFs tend to be less impaired and have fewer health problems and may not require medical supervision.

Nursing Home Care –

Provide shelter and care for seniors who have more serious health problems, functional impairments or cognitive deficits and who are no longer able to live in an in-home care situation.
Services include: personal care, room and board, supervision, medication, therapies, rehabilitation, and 24-hour skilled nursing.
Also known as ‘nursing facilities’ and ‘skilled nursing homes’.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs)

A full continuum of housing and services within the same community. As the senior’s needs change, he or she moves to the next ‘area’ within the community that is able to address his or her needs.

Related articles

Health Care at Home: A Checkup (rjwh617dotcom.wordpress.com)
Making the Move to Senior Housing (everydayhealth.com)
Senior Independent Living Apartments (answers.com)

In-Home Care and Long-Term Care Overview

Stanton Lawson — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:06:52 +0000

What is long-term care?

Long-term care as stated by The Society of Certified Senior Advisers is care that is provided for a wide range of medical, personal and social services for an extended period of time. Your health care professional determines that you have a chronic problem, lasting 90 days or more, and you will need substantial assistance. Care levels include assistance with daily activities, in-home health care, adult daycare, care in an assisted living community or nursing home. Supervision using in-home care or in a facility is included if you have a severe cognitive impairment – memory or reasoning loss. Long-term and in-home care are intended to maintain and support an individual’s existing level of health, to preserve his or her health from further decline or to manage a deteriorating condition as safely as possible.

Who needs long-term care?

The general population is living longer due to healthier lifestyles and advances in medical technology and treatment. The longer people live the more likely they are to need in-home care or other long-term care services. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, at least 70% of people over age 65 will require some form of long-term care including in-home care during their lifetime and more than 40% of them will need long-term care in a nursing home. A significant number of working-age adults are also in need of long-term care. Of the people needing long-term care, 40% of them are ages 18 to 64 years old and the need for in-home or other long-term care arises from catastrophic disability caused by a severe illness or accident.

How do you know you are ready for long-term care?

A health care provider or other geriatric-related professional can help someone determine if they are in need of long-term care services. Later in this blog series there will an ‘Assessing Your Needs for Long- Term Care’ form that asks some questions about ability levels and if a home is set up appropriately for an individual’s required needs.

Who provides long-term care services?

It is typical for family members, primarily spouses and adult children, to provide initially for in-home care needs. The extent of care and the time period over which it is given will depend on the availability, capability and willingness of those family members. Keep in mind that your family cannot care for you 24 hours a day. They will need help from friends or neighbors, as well as professional caregivers.

Professional custodial long-term care is also provided by paraprofessionals, such as certified nursing assistants (CNAs), home health aides (HHAs), bath aides, homemakers, and companion services. The caregivers in this category may work at a nursing home or other facility; may be found through a home health agency or registry service; or may be independent contractors.

In what settings are the long-term care services received?

Depending on the level of care needed, long-term care is performed in a variety of settings including in-home care, adult day care programs, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, specialized Alzheimer’s facilities, hospice facilities for the terminally ill, and skilled nursing facilities or nursing homes.

What does long-term care cost?

Costs for long-term care vary depending on where you live and what type of care services are required. The cost of long-term care is increasing rapidly and according to the U.S. Department of Labor (2008), long-term care is the greatest uninsured risk that Americans face.

Who pays for long-term care?

Public and private payment options for long-term care are available. It is a common misconception that Medicare and health insurance pay or long-term care. Most often, an individual is responsible for covering the cost of long-term care. This can be done out-of-pocket or through long-term care insurance.

For more information:

The Society of Certified Senior Advisers
Medicare –Types of Long-Term Care
Is Home Care the Answer to Rising Long Term Care Costs? (answers.iquote.com)
Senior Home Care Options Aging at Home SeniorHomes.com

Advantages of hiring Sequoia Senior Solutions or Your Local In-Home Care Provider over Other Solutions

Stanton Lawson — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:29:19 +0000

Here is a video I made on Quick Care. No matter where you live, if you have family in our area, we can help you take care of your loved on quickly and without great cost:

News:

Caregiving for loved ones the new normal for boomers CNN (dated Mon. 09 Apr 2012) PR Leap. Caregiving for loved ones the new normal for boomers. CNN. After her brother’s death in 2006 from complications from type II diabetes Lunden needed to find a new home for her mother who was suffering from the onset of dementia. Trying to create the best possible quality of life for an aging relative is the Caregiving For Loved Ones New Normal For BoomersKMGH Denver. all 15 news articles.…

Strength for the Moment 10 Tips for Family Caregivers Huffington Post (dated: Fri, 27 April 2012) Strength for the Moment 10 Tips for Family Caregivers. Huffington Post. In 1995 an incident in our neighborhood helped me understand the kind of stress that family caregivers of aging loved ones face each day. My husband Paul and I noticed a ruckus at the house down the street and discovered that the elderly man who lived and more.…

For more information:

Long-Term Care: What You Need to Know

Stanton Lawson — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:58:42 +0000

Sequoia Senior Solutions Staff

Understanding that long-term care is a reality for about 70 percent of people age 65 and over and that the costs related to that care are increasing every day, brings to light the importance of being prepared to deal with a long-term care situation, whether for yourself or a loved one.
While there are a variety of long-term care services and facility options, not all of them are available
in every community. Most people want to stay at home for their care, but even in the event that
they need to go to assisted living or a nursing home, the aligning services may or may not be
obtainable when needed.

Payment options for care also vary. Public payment options put the reliance for skilled, short-term
care on medical health plans and Medicare, and these plans do not pay for non-skilled custodial long-term care. Medicaid, will, however, pay for skilled and non-skilled care but there are asset and income qualifications and limit the individual to what types of care and care facilities can be utilized.
Private payment options allow for an individual to determine much of the course of his or her long-term care because of coverage decisions made at the time a long-term care insurance policy was purchased. However, due to the premium costs from an insurance policy and other determining
factors, this is not an option for everyone. The best you can do is prepare a ‘plan’ for your care to guide your family.
This series of blogs will offer you a look into long-term care and what the options are for care services, payments and the details of a long-term care insurance policy in an effort to help you prepare for and begin considering what long-term care means for you and your family specifically.

For more information:

86-year-old dominates at gymnastics competition

Stanton Lawson — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:52:20 +0000

3/29/2012

86-year-old gymnast Johanna Quaas competed in Germany’s Cottbus Challenger Cup and dominated on the parallel bars and with her floor routine. In two quick, 45-second sequences, Quaas displayed balance and strength that someone a quarter her age would be envious of. Not only are tweeps calling her an inspiration, Quaas has also single-handedly done away with the “I’m feeling old” excuse.

86-Year-Old Gymnast Is Awesome (buzzfeed.com)
Granny Gymnast (weeklyworldnews.com)

Long-Term Stress Can Cause Immune Problems

Stanton Lawson — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:48:46 +0000

Guest Blogger Roy Ackerman

I was speaking with someone about some information she heard on Anderson Cooper. While that show was about divorce (four key errors that will indicate you are bound to divorce), Dr. Gottman mentioned something that intrigued her. That contempt (which is a form of stress) damages one’s immune system.

And, this has been known for a while. Back in 2000, with a MacArthur grant, a group of researchers at Ohio State University found that stressful situations affect our immune system. It turns out that stress disrupts the communication between various elements of our body- the nervous system, the endocrine system, and our immune system. Once the chemical messages have been blocked, these three vital systems no longer can work in concert.

It seems that glucocorticoids (stress hormones) are produced continually in low amounts when the body is subjected to long-term stress. These react upon the thymus (where lymphocytes, a critical component of the immune system, are produced) and also inhibit cytokine and interleukin productions (which affect the ability of our white blood cell functions).

So, why are we discussing that here? Because, we know that caregivers have long-term stress issues. Oh, they love the people for whom they care, but it’s still stressful. And, those folks in the sandwich generation and older that provide care for loved ones have higher than average levels of cortisol (which is produced by the adrenal glands). And, it is possible that this activity causes the adrenals to secrete fewer antibodies (which, in this case, were responding to the influenza vaccine).

In addition, some caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients (spouses) have been found to have lowered T cell activity. (To learn more about T cells in the immune system, check here. It also has a good diagram.) These lymphocytes affect cellular immunity. The problem is the caregivers affected most are those that have the least amount of additional help and the fewest number of friends. (In other words, they were isolated, which augments the stress levels.)

We also know that massages reduce our stress levels. And, data exists proving that massages are associated with more responsive immune systems. (You can find a layman’s explanation here.)

So, these are all the reasons why caregivers need to insure they have some time off. To recoup. To reduce the stess levels in their bodies. And, they need to insure that they have the time to interact with friends, which also elevates our general happiness levels. So, they can stay healthy- and care for their loved ones.

Stress Compromises Immune System (philadelphia.cbslocal.com)
Foods to eat while stressed (berries.com)

Affordable QuickCare Service for Seniors

Stanton Lawson — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:54:01 +0000

Petaluma-based Sequoia Senior Solutions, the North Bay’s premier provider of in-home care for seniors, began QuickCare, a very affordable service for those seniors who need just a little help in May,2011.

The first of its kind in this area, Sequoia Senior Solutions offers this quick assistance service to seniors living within the Petaluma city limits. QuickCare service can be provided for as little as 15 minutes and can cost as little as $7.50. Such services can include unloading the groceries from the car after shopping or even just dropping in for a quick medication reminder or a wellness check while a family member is out of town. It provides peace of mind for the family and is a great back-up for seniors beginning to find it difficult to perform one or more of their daily chores.

“Sometimes seniors know they need help, but are uncomfortable having someone in their home for long periods of time” says owner and CFO Stanton Lawson. “They may prefer to have someone drop by and help them with a specific chore or two, without committing to a four hour service, which is the minimum required by most home care agencies. QuickCare offers a convenient way to provide assistance to those who don’t yet have a great need but could certainly benefit from a little help.”

Lawson also points out that some seniors aren’t yet ready to admit they need help, and with just a quick “drop-in,” this is a great way to introduce them to the advantage, freedom, and reassurance that such assistance can provide in their lives.

Available currently to seniors living within the Petaluma city limits, QuickCare services can include: help moving things around the house, driving to appointments and incidental transportation, bathing assistance, light grooming, meal preparation, shopping, sorting and filing bills, and more.

QuickCare is also an ideal service also for seniors living in Independent or Assisted Living Facilities, who may need one-on-one assistance with bathing, getting to and from the dining area, or even just getting out of the facility to do some shopping or taking a drive in the country.

More about Sequoia Senior Solutions:

Recipient of the North Bay Business Journal’s “Best Place to Work” award in 2007, 2008, and 2009, Sequoia Senior Solutions was founded as a home-based business in 2003. As of today, the husband-and-wife owners, Gabriella Ambrosi and Stanton Lawson, have grown their business to include the six counties of Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Mendocino, Lake, and Solano, offering wide and varied services such as companionship for the elderly, personal care assistance, meal planning and preparation, transportation, bill paying, and light housekeeping.

Stan Lawson of Sequoia Senior Solutions Makes the Rotary Club of San Rafael News

Stanton Lawson — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:25:47 +0000

Questions to Ask When Hiring an In-Home Care Provider (sequoiaseniorsolutionsblog.com)
Lack of Bonding with a Caregiver Can Be Upsetting to Seniors using In-Home Care (sequoiaseniorsolutionsblog.com)