Health Care Directive – Notes

February 17, 2012 A Health Care Directive (also known as Advance Directive or Living Will) is a very important  document not only for your parents or other senior family members to discuss and sign, but for all adults.  It’s essential that the person who holds the power of attorney (POA) and/or family (or court appointed guardian if there is no immediate family) knows what sort of care the senior wishes when he or she is very ill and/or dying, and can no longer direct healthcare decisions. None of us know if/when something catastrophic will happen and our POA and/or family will need to make healthcare decisions on our behalf.  While ensuring that the ... read more...

Senior Downsizing – Part 3 of 3

February 3, 2012 Article by Alison Starkey, Assistant Manager, Take Care Move Assistance, Lake Oswego, Oregon Website:  http://takecareofus.com  Email: alison@takecareofus.com  (Used with permission) I encourage you to get to know more about Senior Move Managers (SMM’s) and meet with one in your area.  You may have decided to take care of the downsizing process on your own, but there may be things you never thought about that come out of your initial consultation (usually free) and you may discover that senior downsizing and moving can be a lot more involved than it appears on the surface. A valuable insight SMM’s can bring is in the area of ... read more...

Senior Downsizing – Part 2 of 3

January 27, 2012 Article by Alison Starkey, Assistant Manager, Take Care Move Assistance, Lake Oswego, Oregon.   Website:  www.takecareofus.com  Email:  Alison@takecareofus.com   (Used with permission) What we learned as a family: There are many decisions and activities along the way for downsizing a senior.  The following is hardly all inclusive.  It doesn’t talk about legalities, real estate or finances which certainly are also very important, especially during this period of time.  Rather, this list focuses on what our family found most helpful in the day to day activity of “downsizing” with our mother.  I hope you find it useful as you think through this process for your ... read more...

Senior Downsizing – Part 1 of 3

January 19, 2012 My appreciation goes to Alison Starkey, Assistant Manager of Take Care Move Assistance, Lake Oswego, Oregon, who gave me permission to post portions of her article: “The Zen of Senior Downsizing,” which I will do in 3 parts.   Check out the website:  www.takecareofus.com    Email:  alison@takecareofus.com Are you or someone you know, such as a parent, thinking of moving to a smaller home or retirement community?  This is called senior downsizing and seems to be all the rage as more people are getting older (every day 10,000 people in the United States turns 65!).  For many it is a once in a lifetime experience that may seem overwhelming.  ... read more...

“Over the River and Through……..” P.S.

January 4, 2012 So let’s say that during your visit you have determined that your parents need help.  Now what do you do?   You either have some time to make plans as to what to do next, or you have urgent circumstances to deal with.  If you don’t have other siblings in the area, you may need to stay on for a few extra days.  As a starting point, if you need one, may I suggest something that my brothers and I used proactively for our parents, but could also be used if there is a sense of urgency. There are many types of geriatric/eldercare professions – care managers, ... read more...

“Over the River and Through the Woods”

December 22, 2011 Many of you may remember that line from a catchy tune that describes going “to Grandmother’s house over the white and drifting snow.”  And you may be doing that very thing – traveling to get together with family this week.   You may be celebrating Christmas or as are some of my Jewish friends, celebrating Hannukah, but either way, I want to extend best wishes to you and yours. Personally, Christmas traditions have always been important in our family.  Celebrating Christmas began as children:   we attended services at the church our Dad pastored; on Christmas Eve, Dad read the Christmas story to us from the Bible, we sang carols and Mom made ... read more...

Medication Safety Ideas – Part II

December 8, 2011 As you read in Part I of Medication Safety, knowing what medications are being taken is beneficial for several reasons; and in addition, setting up a process for when the medications should be taken is essential. Now for the next step:  to come up with an easy way for you to keep track of the medicines.  Set up a table that includes the following headings:  Medication, Dosage, and Reason for taking and general headings for time of day (a.m., noon, p.m., bedtime).   To get an idea of what I mean by this, click on the word Content in this sentence.  You will be taken to ... read more...

Medication Safety Ideas – Part I

November 20, 2011 My parents did well with their medications up to their mid to late 70’s.  Dad was responsible for getting the next day’s medications ready for both of them, the night before.  I helped out by submitting new prescriptions as well as the refills to the mail order Pharmacy; and since I lived about 6 hours away, I kept a schedule to remind me when I needed to do this. On one of my every 6 week visits, I noticed that Dad was having challenges in taking care of this, so I suggested medication trays which would hold a week’s worth of  medication.   I found out that even with the tray, it was ... read more...

Help Prevent Falling – Part II

November 3, 2011 Marla’s Musings Continued – used with permission from Andelcare       http://andelcare.com "Four Simple Steps to Prevent Falling, by Shannon O'Brien, About.com Guide) #2  Increase Your Home's Accessibility and Safety to Reduce Falling Risks About half of all falls happen at home. To increase accessibility and make your home safer: Remove items you might trip over (such as papers, books, clothes, and shoes) from stairs and places where you walk. Remove small throw rugs or use double-sided tape to keep the rugs from slipping. Keep items you use often within easy reach, so you can avoid using a ladder or step stool. Have grab bars installed next to your toilet, and install grab bars in your ... read more...

Help Prevent Falling – Part I

October 28, 2011 This is an excellent article from Andelcare in Bellevue, Washington. Marla’s Musings – used with permission from Andelcare andelcare.com.  It was very easy to decide on the theme for this newsletter. Last week I spent a day with my Mom. We went to her financial planner, visited in the office with the Andelcare staff, went out to lunch and did some shopping. On our drive home she mentioned how this was one of the best days she has had in a long time. Then within seconds that all changed when she tripped on her way into her condo, fell and hit her head. It happened so ... read more...