Columbia Aged Care

Your loved one may find it difficult to buy comfortable clothing that fits them properly. If your loved one suffers from arthritis or an injury they may also have difficulty dressing themselves.

You can make your loved one’s life easier by purchasing them clothing that is easy to put on and is comfortable to wear. You can buy adaptive clothing specially designed for people with restrictive movement, which will make it easier and less painful for your loved one to dress themselves.

If they suffer from dementia they may resist wearing certain types of clothing or have a favourite outfit. You can help them by purchasing multiple sets of their favourite outfit so they always have clean clothes to put on.

Aged Carer has provided some great tips for buying appropriate clothing for your loved one.

• Choose natural fibre and cotton fabrics that breathe
• Choose clothes with elastic waists
• Buy slip on shoes with a non-slip sole
• Stretchy fabrics
• Bras that clip at the front for women with arthritis
• Choose large buttons
• Ensure there is lots of room in sleeves
• Choose fabric that can be washed frequently and in water with temperatures up to 90 degrees if your loved one is in a nursing home
• Choose clothes that don’t have to be ironed

You can help your loved one achieve a greater independence by buying them comfortable clothes that they can easily dress themselves in.

Read the full article here.

Are you worried about losing your memory? Do you feel that your brain isn’t as sharp as it used to be? Then maybe it’s time that you improved your mental fitness.

Your brain is like any other muscle, which means it needs a regular workout to stay fit.

Better Health Channel has provided some great tips on how to give your brain a mental workout and improve your mental fitness.

• Exercise for 30 minutes a day: Physical exercise increases the flow of oxygen to your brain to enhance your mental functioning and improve your memory
• Reading regularly: Reading helps to stimulate your brain and allows you to learn new things. You brain then receives a workout by expanding your knowledge base.
• Increase your vitamin B intake: Vitamin B is important for maintaining a healthy brain. This means you should eat wholegrain cereals and dairy foods.
• Exercise your intelligence: Take part in mentally challenging activities such as learning a new language, completing a cryptic crossword or a jigsaw puzzle.
• Maintain your health: The health of your body can have an effect on the health of your brain. You should visit your doctor for regular check-ups to identify potential health issues early.
• Socialise: Other people can help you exercise your mental fitness with thought-provoking conversations or by playing a board game or watching TV game shows together.

Your brain is a very important muscle that co-ordinates all of your body’s functions. It is essential to exercise your mental fitness regularly to ensure that your body can function effectively and that your memory, speech, perception and comprehension remain sharp.

Read the full article here.

Choosing the right nursing home can be difficult and overwhelming for many carers. You want to ensure that the nursing home you choose will provide the best care for your loved one. However, with so many nursing homes available, how do you compare them to ensure you make the right choice?

The first step to finding the right nursing home is to start searching for homes in your area. Once you have a list of potential nursing homes you should then visit each home to assess them.

The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing has put together a Nursing Home checklist that will help you to compare each nursing home by asking the right questions.

Some of the questions on the Nursing home checklist are:

Staff

• What was the attitude of the staff assisting you?
• What training do the care staff have?
• How many staff members provide overnight care?
• What type of care or services cannot be provided?

Rooms

• Are single rooms available or will your loved one have to share?
• What arrangements are there to ensure privacy for residents?
• What furnishings and personal items can your loved one bring and what is supplied?

Food

• What are the meal arrangements?
• Is there easy access to well-maintained outdoor areas?

Other

• How can family and friends be involved in your loved one’s care?
• What transport is accessible for visiting shops and family?
• Can the nursing home meet your loved one’s medical and special needs?
• Do you or your loved one understand the costs associated with care?

You can also prepare your own specific questions to add to the checklist and remember to take a new checklist to every nursing home you visit.

Feel free to conduct second or third visits to each nursing home to ensure you make the right choice.

Hopefully with a little bit of preparation and by asking the right questions you can find the best nursing home for your loved one.

Read the full checklist here.

Home and personal security is an important part of creating a comfortable living situation and having peace of mind at any age. Many elderly people live alone or have limited mobility and can therefore be an easy target for burglaries.

However, most burglaries can be prevented by using a number of simple home and personal security measures.

The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing has some great tips on how to secure your home and reduce your risk of burglary:

• Use security deadlocks and grilles on doors and windows.
• Always lock all outside doors and windows when you go out, even if it’s for 5 minutes.
• Lock up parts of the house you can’t keep an eye on.
• Prune bushes and trees that hide your home’s windows and doors.
• Don’t hide extra keys in flowerpots or under mats.

Here are some basic safety tips for your personal security:

• Always be aware of other people and your immediate surroundings.
• Be aware of situations that could make you vulnerable to crime, such as laneways, back streets, and poorly lit parking lots.
• Don’t carry large sums of money. Pay your bills by cheque, credit card or over the phone.
• When you are banking always vary your routine.
• If you carry a handbag, hold it under your arm or in front of you and never leave it unattended.

You should always stay up to date on any security issues in your neighbourhood and if a crime does occur contact your local police station.

For more information on how to improve your home and personal safety contact your local Neighbourhood Watch or police station.

Read the full article here.

Webscribe has written an article on eHow about How to help your loved one as Dementia closes in;

Webscribe discusses how Alzheimer's and related dementias have afflicted hundreds of confused, frightened Alzheimer's residents and their anguished, caring families in facilities. The author of this article is a former nursing home administrator and recreation director.

With Dementia now closing in on a loved one in her own immediate family she offers instructions on how to help yourself and your own loved one experiencing the oncoming’s of Alzheimer’s.

Instructions

Step One:
First stage of Dimentia
This stage takes 2 to 4 years leading up to diagnosis.The person begins to exhibit symptoms of confusion and agitation (can also be caused by accidental drug interactions urinary tract infection).This is the stage when thorough testing is performed, to rule out other causes.

People who have had sharp minds become anxious, fearful of their increasing confusion and loss of    control of their memories and actions, and may exhibit personality changes, avoiding people.

Step Two:
Second or mid stage
 This stage's duration is for 2 to 10 years after diagnosis (the longest stage). Activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing and teeth brushing become difficult, because the person develops difficulty remembering the complex series of steps. Orientation to time, person and place deteriorates. "Did you enjoy your visit with Agnes?" "What visit? Agnes never came to see me!"

Symptoms may include increasing memory loss, confusion, and a shorter attention span, with difficulty recognizing close friends and/or family.

Step Three:
Third or end stage
This stage lasts perhaps a few years. The person may become unable to recognize family, communicate with words, or care for him or herself in any way. There may be incontinence, or difficulty swallowing. The person will need complete assistance with bathing, toileting and dressing.

The person will still be acutely aware of your kindness, your ability to understand, help, comfort, and your love

Step Four:
How to comfort
Whether your loved one is in a nursing home or with you at home, let him or her help in whatever way he or she can. If at home, let mom sprinkle sugar on the apples for the pie, or "help" you brush your hair, as she did when you were little. If she is in a care facility, tell her when you are tired or need a hug; let your loved one know you need her to give YOU comfort! You will be amazed at the emotional transformation.

Step Five:
Beyond meeting your loved one's deep need to matter to others, you can provide real comfort by understanding his or her need for routine

Step Six:
How to help you loved one as Dementia closes in
Most of all, those with dementia need to feel that no matter what they do or cannot do, you will be there for them, always. However great their confusion, the most comforting words they can hear are, "I will always love you."

To read full article CLICK HERE