Seniors and Pet Therapy

Animals have a number of proven benefits upon seniors, and this has lead to the implementation of a new alternative medicine practice known as pet therapy. Pet therapy refers to the physical, mental and emotional benefits that an animal has upon the senior through positive interactions. Pet therapy can come in a variety of forms, including:

Visitation Therapy – the most common form of pet therapy used on seniors, where a cat or dog is brought into a hospital, nursing home or assisted living facility. The seniors have the opportunity to pet and play with the animal and receives the benefits without the responsibility.

Ownership Therapy – A senior adopts a pet to live in their home and cares for the animal self-sufficiently, or sometimes with the help of a caregiver or family member.

Animal-Assisted Therapy – Chronically ill or disabled patients interact with gentle animals, like dolphins or horses to boost their confidence and refine their physical abilities.

Often pet therapy does involve cats or dogs, but there can be benefits in watching small animals or fish in a contained environment; however, the affection from a larger animal can lift a senior’s spirits more quickly. Animals used for pet therapy are carefully chosen so they are appropriate for the environment that they will be living or visiting. Often older dogs or cats are selected, because they are typically calmer, better trained, with less physical requirements and are more equally matched with senior humans.

Source: http://seniors.lovetoknow.com/Pet_Therapy

Holiday Visits with Older Parents

Holiday visits are a good time to make sure your older parents and relatives are managing their lives and affairs. The winter is upon us, so it’s a good time that their home is well prepared for the cold winter months. I remember visiting my dad one holiday, walking into the house.. it was cold.. I was quite shocked. “Dad, why is it so cold in here?” HIs reply was equally shocking.. “I can’t get the heater on”. Immediately, we called the local plumber. In an hour we figured out that the pilot light was not on. So, thankfully, we were able to remedy that situation. This is a good point to bring up with your parents… start a healthy conversation about if they are able to cope with getting older.

Here are a few things to look for:

Pay attention to whether the older person has a change in a health condition

Has their memory changed?

Do they understand your questioning, and are they able to follow your converstation?

What about their living condition? Is their house clean and in order?

Check on their finances. Are they paying bills? Is their check book in order? 

Ask him/her if they are having trouble with household chores?

Ask if they are able to manage their medications?

Check in with their neighbors and nearby relatives. Ask them if they would keep an eye out for your mom or dad.

Make an emergency list for your aging parents – people they can call for possible safety hazards and home maintenance. 

The holiday time is a great opportunity for adult children and family to pay attention to an older adult’s physical, mental, environmental and financial situation. Keep in mind while doing this that it is equally important to them that you respect their need for privacy. Remember most seniors want to remain independent.

Portland Seniors Planned Vacations

Vacations for Seniors

People aged 50 and older make up the vast majority of world travelers. Seniors can travel to a specific destination when they rent a home each year, or keep their experiences fresh and new by visiting uncharted territory.

Many seniors enjoy international home exchange programs, which can involve being taken in by a host family to really get the feel of the local community, or staying in a home while the owners are absent. This structure is available in many international destinations, but is particularly common in countries where hosts may require additional sources of income.

Major tour operating groups provide fully guided tours for seniors for a package price. Typically included is transportation to and from the airport, airfare, accommodation that meets the specific needs of seniors, gratuities, meals, and tour entrance fees. What makes these travel tours different from those for people of all ages is that they may go at a slower pace and choose locations that are wheelchair accessible and easy to walk through.

For seniors with higher levels of healthcare needs, some nursing home and assisted living networks allow residents to transfer to vacation destinations for a period at little or no cost. Other vacation spots may have senior communities and residences that offer varying levels of care during a long or short term stay to the location.

Seniors looking to travel for a short term vacation or stay for the colder season at home should pick a vacation plan that will allow for optimal enjoyment and safety.

Sources: http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/travel/senior/senior_tours.shtml

Successful Aging and Finances

Portland Home Care - Guardian Angel Caregivers in Portland OR gives family members tips on helping yourself be a better family caregiver. If you need help caring for an elder or senior in your family, please call us at (503) 698-2020.

In the 21st Century retirement is considered a process or stage of transition, rather than an event of departure. According to a 2002 study by the National Council on the Aging, 42 percent of people 65 and older say they’re retired and working or not retired at all. Entrepreneur and executive Marvin Tolkin said, “Retirement is not about not working; it’s about re-directing your life into other useful work.”

When planning to transition to the next stage of life, seniors should consider:

Taking a second job to continue generating income. Ending one career can mean the beginning of a new one. It can also benefit your savings and investment accounts, enhance your outlook on life and help meet your financial goals of successful aging.

Starting or buying a business. A growing number of Americans who retire from a job wind up owning a business. According to the American Association of Retired People, two out of every five self-employed people are over the age of 50. Post-retirement entrepreneurs prove to be mentally alert, physically active and enthusiastic about their lives. Staying in the business world through self-employment gives them greater freedom to choose the amount and type of work they do. It also helps ensure their financial objectives for successful aging.

A common goal for many people is to keep the same standard of living after retirement, so they can continue enjoying the lifestyle they’ve worked so hard to achieve. This goal may seem daunting, but it is feasible with the right planning and commitment.

Power of Attorney

If for any reason, you become unhappy with the person you have appointed to make decisions for you under a durable power of attorney, you may revoke the power of attorney at any time. There are a few steps you should take to ensure the document is properly revoked.

While any new power of attorney should state that old powers of attorney are revoked, you should also put the revocation in writing. The revocation should include your name, a statement that you are of sound mind, and your wish to revoke the power of attorney. You should also specify the date the original power of attorney was executed and the person selected as your agent. Sign the document and send it to your current agent as well as any institutions or agencies that have a copy of the power of attorney. Attach your new power of attorney if you have one.

You will also need to get the old power of attorney back from your agent. If you can’t get it back, send the agent a certified letter, stating that the power of attorney has been revoked.

Because a durable power of attorney is the most important estate planning instrument available, if you revoke a power of attorney, it is important to have a new one in place. An elder law attorney can assist you in revoking an old power of attorney or drafting a new one. To find a qualified attorney near you, click here.

For more information on powers of attorney, click here.

Is Hospice Care the Right Decision?

Is hospice care the right decision?
Hospice care covers a broad range of services, including nursing care; social services; physician services; spiritual support and counseling; home health aides and homemaker services; trained volunteer support; physical, occupational and speech therapies; respite care; inpatient care; and bereavement support. You can learn more about hospice at www.hospicenet.org, www.cancer.org, www.optionsforeldercare.com, and www.nhpco.org.

If hospice care seems to be the right decision for you or your loved one, there are a number of ways to go about find the hospice that best suits your needs.

The first step is to talk with your physician and determine whether hospice care is appropriate for you or your loved one. Only a physician may order hospice care. If your physician approves it, then begin researching what is offered in your community. Your physician may suggest a hospice facility. State health departments certify hospices, and the yellow pages also list them. If you contact your hospital, senior center, Cancer Society or United Way, they should be able to provide more-detailed information.

If you are Internet-savvy, check out the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization at www.nhpco.org. It provides a database of hospices in each state.

Holiday Fun for Portland Seniors

If you plan on being in Portland, Oregon for the 2006 holiday season, there are plenty of events and celebrations scheduled this year. You don’t need to look very far for something to get your in the spirit of the holidays. Many events are free and some charge an admittance fee, but there will be something for everyone, both young and old. Just get ready to enjoy the beauty of the season in Portland, Oregon this year.

Try something new and exciting this Christmas and watch the annual Christmas Ship Parade. The event runs December 7th through 20th this year. It is an amazing spectacle of beautiful ships brightly lit for the Christmas season on the river fronts. The sight will be something you long remember for years to come, and is a magical event for children as well. Shops and restaurants all along the waterways participate, making it a miles long celebration of the holidays.

The 2006 Christmas Ship Parade will be the 52nd year for the annual holiday Parade on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers in Portland, Oregon. You can check out the official web site for more information on the parade. The site offers options to click on the specific Willamette or the Columbia Schedule links for complete schedules with route details including viewing locations and times for restaurants, hotels and outdoor viewing.

Read the full Holiday Fun in Portland story.

7 Tips for Dealing with Early Dementia

Portland Home Care - Guardian Angel Caregivers in Portland OR gives family members tips on helping yourself be a better family caregiver. If you need help caring for an elder or senior in your family, please call us at (503) 698-2020.

Taking care of an agng parent living with dementia can seem stressful and difficult. When dealing with the early stages of dementia, you can get less the strain by getting organized. This will also help provide your elder with a safe and caring home environment. 

Here are 7 strategies when dealing with dementia:  

 1. Safe proof the home - always evaluate  where your loved one lives.  Know the hazards around the home which can cause accidents and dangers.

2. Monitor their driving 

If your elderly has early stages of dementia, they may still be allowed to drive. In most states you must disclose their condition to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

3. Control their medications

If you can not be there to do this yourself, you must see to it that someone will  check on your aging parent or loved one daily.  

4. Give your loved one living with dementia a good living area

People in the early stages of dementia need bright cheerful surroundings. 

5. Keep them exercising

They lose  use of their muscles over time because they are not physically active. Have them take a walk with you. Help them keep their muscles strong.

6. Help keep them mentally active 

Maintain your loved one’s reading and playing games. 

7. Care for yourself

You can’t help them, if you’re too stressed out physically and mentally.  Take some time off.  Have someone else come in and monitor your loved one for a few days.

Tips for Adult Children with Aging Parents

Portland Home Care - Guardian Angel Caregivers in Portland OR gives family members tips on helping yourself be a better family caregiver. If you need help caring for an elder or senior in your family, please call us at (503) 698-2020.

Talking with aging parents can be a challenge for adult children, especially those living away at a distance. But having the “talk” with your aging parent is necessary – here are a few tips that we found:

If your parents are age 80 and above - they have different priorities from people in their 70s, says Emily Saltz, LICSW and the director of Elder Resources, a private geriatric care management firm in Newton, MA. Saltz opinion of those now in their 60s will be a different type of senior altogether.

So how are they different? Saltz has found that those 80 and above, who went through the Depression, have often lived frugally and saved as much as possible. They focus on wanting to leave a legacy to their children, are less willing to spend money on themselves, and less inclined to talk about future plans.

Seniors in their 70s

But those people age 70+ often question, and are more discerning and can be less amenable to institutional living alternatives. This new wave of “young” seniors is beginning to ponder difficult questions that do not have easy answers, such as, “Where do I want to live if I’m no longer able to stay at home? Who do I want to take care of me in the event I become ill? What are my wishes regarding end of life care?”

Read the full article on Care.com.

What causes Alzheimer’s?

Portland Home Care - Guardian Angel Caregivers in Portland OR gives family members tips on helping yourself be a better family caregiver. If you need help caring for an elder or senior in your family, please call us at (503) 698-2020.

No one knows the exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Genetic mutations clearly do cause the disease. For example, mutations in the presenilin 1 gene cause more than half of all cases of early-onset alzheimer’s disease.

The genetic mutations that result in early-onset Alzheimer’s disease increase the amount of AB in the brain. Animals have been created in the lab, and these mice and rats have had alzheimer genes inserted in their DNA. Mice or rats, with human alzheimer genes inserted in their DNA, are known as transgenic animals. Transgenic animals show build up of AB in their brains just like alzheimer patients do. Transgenic animals also show decreased learning and memory, like alzheimer patients.

An exciting new development is a recent study which reports that people who take cholesterol-lowering drugs seem to have a lower incidence of alzheimer’s disease. Researchers now know that cholesterol-lowering drugs may actually stop the production of AB. For example, one commonly-used cholesterol-lowering drug, simvastatin, directly reduces the production of AB in cultured brain cells that have been engineered to overproduce AB. This new work suggests that cholesterol may be involved in AB production.

For more information, visit http://www.workingcaregiver.com/articles/alzheimers/causesofalzheimers