The benefits may seem to outweigh any negatives in the beginning. Living together means that financial burdens can be decreased, children will get to bond with their grandparents (who may be able to act as built-in babysitters), and you will have peace of mind knowing that your parents are being cared for and safe. There are plenty of positive elements to living with your elderly parents – for them and for you. But there can be some negatives too. The relationship between your parents and the rest of your family may not be strong. Your parents may feel resentful or like they are being a burden on your family. There are many aspects to consider before you jump into a cohabitating situation with your immediate family and your aging parents.

5 Things to Consider Before Moving Your Elderly Parents In

1. Financial Considerations – Adding your aging parents social security or other income onto yours and limiting monthly bills like utilities and mortgages can really help families who struggle financially. But elderly parents have health related expenses, and you may need to install safety features in your home to help your parents move around. There are going to be more costs so definitely pinpoint what the financial situation will look like and make sure it is not going to be an additional strain on an already tight budget.
2. Type of Care Your Parents Need – While you may be able to provide the support that your parents need, some elderly people require much more attention. For their children, providing 24-hour care on top of taking care of their families and full-time jobs is not doable. However, if your parents are able to maintain a good amount of independent care – your extra support could work just fine and provide mutual benefits.
3. Special Needs – If your parents suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia, caring for them on a regular basis can be extremely challenging. Children who provide full-time care to parents with dementia often find that their emotional well-being is affected just as much, if not more than their physical well-being.
4. Other Considerations – Time is essential when caring for loved ones. One thing to check in with yourself on is how much time you have to help. For example, elderly parents often need help driving to doctor appointments, showering and dressing, taking medication or providing self-care, and many other daily tasks.

You may not have all the time in the world to provide 100% support and care to your aging parents, but still want them to live with you. You may want to know what kind of care they are getting and how they are doing each day. In these circumstances, you can always rely on the assistance of in-home caregivers who can support your family by providing companionship, transportation, assistance with daily living tasks, and more. In-home support is a tremendous help to children of elderly parents who want to be there for their parents, but don’t’ have the ability to provide 24-hour care.

There are many options available to families with elderly parents who need support. Be sure to consider your needs and the needs of your parents before you decide to live together.

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If you are one of the large number of families that have chosen to decrease the exposure of coronavirus to an elderly loved one and provide the day-to-day caregiving, you have probably already considered how the transition will go and how you need to prepare. Here are some expert tips that can help you make that transition as smooth as possible.

1. Get to know your loved one’s routine as it is now – If your loved one is suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s, big changes from familiar routines can trigger outbursts, anger and confusion. You can help alleviate the stress by understanding your loved one’s current routine and working to maintain that once they have moved into your care.
2. Pay attention to familiarity – For instance, if your loved one has a favorite chair in their room at the facility, consider getting a similar chair in your home. If they are used to listening to jazz music during dinner, replicate that environment. If they watch a specific tv show or movie before bed, help set that up to help them transition to sleep easier. Familiarity will comfort your loved one and decrease stressful and upsetting situations.
3. Prep the home for their physical needs – Long term facilities are built with the needs of the elderly in mind. Typical homes are not. Consider how your loved one will move around in the home. Will they have to climb stairs to get to different rooms of the home? Is the bathroom conveniently located nearby? Is the bathroom set up to accommodate their personal needs? Has clutter been resolved to decrease safety risks? If you are unsure of how the home should be arranged, talk to a health care provider and ask for tips on what you need to do to make sure the home is prepared for senior care.
4. Consider home care services – A great way to learn how to take care of your senior loved ones is to watch experts do it! In home care providers have excellent skills, training and experience in assisting seniors with many different tasks. They have all of the information need to safely:

• Transfer patients from one place to another
• Bath, shower and provide other personal hygiene assistance
• Reduce stress factors and improve comfort and communication

Aside from these services, home care also offers respite support for you, the caregiver, so that you can take a break and relax. They provide companionship and support to seniors who otherwise might not get enough of it. Overall, home care is a large blessing to many caregivers and their families.

Preparing to transition a family member out of long-term care and into your home is a big move and absolutely stressful. Ease some of the stress and anxiety by putting together a game plan and considering the resources that can help you plan successfully.

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Recover Faster With Hospital To Home Care

When a person is recovering from a serious illness or surgery, they are often very reliant on help from others. Hospitalization happens when the body needs time and support to heal. Surgery also requires down time and assistance for the body to heal properly. Significant illness and invasive procedures (including childbirth) are reasons to consider options of self-care so that faster recovery is possible.

Fast recoveries do not happen for those who push their bodies beyond the limits. The body needs time to heal properly. That means extra rest, maintaining healthy eating habits, drinking a lot of water, and following of the doctor’s discharge orders.

Hospital to Home Care

Hospital to home care refers to in-home care from trained and experienced aides who can help create a smooth transition for patients being discharged from the hospital. New moms, surgery patients, and seniors who are still recovering from an illness are just some of the people that in-home aides support post-hospitalization.

What Will Home Care Provide for Me?

Home care is really one of the best options of support for those recovering from an illness, surgery, or childbirth. Especially if you are the person that your family relies on!

Some of the ways a caregiver can help you in your home are:

• Assisting in making the home safe and accommodating to meet your needs
• Transport you to and from appointments with your doctor
• Preparing meals that follow dietary restrictions set by your doctor
• Grocery shopping
• Med management and support
• Reducing the risk of injury and falls and the risk of hospitalization after discharge
• Companionship
• Light housekeeping
• Assisting with activities of daily living including grooming, dressing, bathing, and toileting needs
• Transfers from wheelchair to bath, wheelchair to car, etc

The wonderful thing about home care is that it can be individualized. Every person’s situation is unique. Some people have part-time support from family members and don’t need in-home care 24 hours a day – but some people really depend on 24-hour assistance to get by. Home care solutions are created to meet the needs of the individual who is in need of support.

Post-hospitalization care is an absolute must to help reduce the risk of readmission. MedPAC’s 2008 report said that 18% of Medicare hospitalizations result in readmissions within 30 days of discharge. The MedPAC report said these readmissions account for $15 billion in spending, $12 billion of which are potentially preventable.

5 Most Common Surgical Procedures Resulting In Hospital Readmission:

• Cardiac Stent Placement
• Major Hip or Knee Surgery
• Vascular Surgery
• Major Bowel Surgery
• Other Hip or Femur Surgery

5 Most Common Medical Conditions Resulting In Hospital Readmission:

• Heart Failure
• Pneumonia
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Psychoses
• Gastrointestinal Problems

(https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletter-article/study-hospital-readmissions-occur-among-nearly-one-fifth-medicare#:~:text=The%20results%20of%20the%20study,of%20which%20are%20potentially%20preventable.)

While post-hospitalization is not required, it can provide significant benefits for newly discharged patients. Yes, in-home care can easily help prevent hospital readmission, but the support that you receive will help you recover faster so that you can get back to an independent lifestyle that you enjoy. Feel better faster with increased support, quality attention, detailed care, and personalized assistance.

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Get Your Household Ready for Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The following information is taken from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. SYNERGY HomeCare caregivers are encouraged to share this information with clients and refer to the CDC website for ongoing updates.

FROM THE CDC: 

This interim guidance is to help household members plan for community transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages household members to prepare for the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak in their community.

COVID-19 is caused by a new virus. There is much to learn about its transmissibility, severity, and other features of the disease. We want to help everyone prepare to respond to this public health threat.

Before a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in your community: Plan

A COVID-19 outbreak could last for a long time in your community. Depending on the severity of the outbreak, public health officials may recommend community actions designed to help keep people healthy, reduce exposures to COVID-19, and slow the spread of the disease. Local public health officials may make recommendations appropriate to your local situation. Creating a household plan can help protect your health and the health of those you care about in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19 in your community. You should base the details of your household plan on the needs and daily routine of your household members.

Create a household plan of action

Talk with the people who need to be included in your plan. Meet with household members, other relatives, and friends to discuss what to do if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in your community and what the needs of each person will be.

Plan ways to care for those who might be at greater risk for serious complications. There is limited information about who may be at risk for severe complications from COVID-19 illness. From the data that are available for COVID-19 patients, and from data for related coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, it is possible that older adults and persons who have underlying chronic medical conditions may be at risk for more serious complications. Early data suggest older people are more likely to have serious COVID-19 illness. If you or your household members are at increased risk for COVID-19 complications, please consult with your health care provider for more information about monitoring your health for symptoms suggestive of COVID-19. CDC will recommend actions to help keep people at high risk for complications healthy if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in your community.

Get to know your neighbors. Talk with your neighbors about emergency planning. If your neighborhood has a website or social media page, consider joining it to maintain access to neighbors, information, and resources.

Identify aid organizations in your community. Create a list of local organizations that you and your household can contact in the event you need access to information, health care services, support, and resources. Consider including organizations that provide mental health or counseling services, food, and other supplies.

Create an emergency contact list. Ensure your household has a current list of emergency contacts for family, friends, neighbors, carpool drivers, health care providers, teachers, employers, the local public health department, and other community resources.

Practice good personal health habits and plan for home-based actions

Practice everyday preventive actions now. Remind everyone in your household of the importance of practicing everyday preventive actions that can help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue.
• Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily (e.g., tables, countertops, light switches, doorknobs, and cabinet handles) using a regular household detergent and water.
• If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent and water prior to disinfection. For disinfection, a list of products with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved emerging viral pathogens claims, maintained by the American Chemistry Council Center for Biocide Chemistries (CBC), is available at Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fighting Products
• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.

Choose a room in your home that can be used to separate sick household members from those who are healthy. Identify a separate bathroom for the sick person to use, if possible. Plan to clean these rooms, as needed, when someone is sick. Learn how to care for someone with COVID-19 at home.

Be prepared if your child’s school or childcare facility is temporarily dismissed

Learn about the emergency operations plan at your child’s school or childcare facility. During a COVID-19 outbreak in your community, local public health officials may recommend temporary school dismissals to help slow the spread of illness. School authorities also may decide to dismiss a school if too many students or staff are absent. Understand the plan for continuing education and social services (such as student meal programs) during school dismissals. If your child attends a college or university, encourage them to learn about the school’s plan for a COVID-19 outbreak.

Plan for potential changes at your workplace

Learn about your employer’s emergency operations plan. Discuss sick-leave policies and telework options for workers who are sick or who need to stay home to care for sick household members. Learn how businesses and employers can plan for and respond to COVID-19.

The information on this site is compiled from resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). It is not intended to replace medical advice from your health care provider. Please contact your health care provider for specific information concerning your personal medical situation and individual health care needs.    

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To treat a disease like dementia, researchers need to know what causes it. We know that age decreases the functionality of brain cells. Cells just don’t work the same way that they do when we are young. When brain cells are functioning correctly or are damaged, different symptoms start to show. This is when we start seeing memory loss, confusion, aggression, impaired speech and an inability for a person to care for themselves and take care of day-to-day tasks and activities.

People with dementia often lose interest in food and/or have difficulty in eating, swallowing, and even digesting food. Poor eating patterns lead to poor nutrition which isn’t good for any part of the body, including the brain. Nutritional supplements are great for people who suffer from these diseases. Listed below are a few vitamins that can help add nutritional value to patients with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Super Vitamins For Aging Adults

• B1 – Vitamin B1 may help slow the progression of dementia according to a study done by the University of Michigan Health System. This study was backed up by blind-trials performed on Alzheimer’s patients who were supplemented with Vitamin B1 and showed significant benefits in mental functioning. The University of Maryland Medical Center suggests taking at least 50 mg’s daily.
• E – Vitamin E is an antioxidant supplement. Taking Vitamin E with other antioxidant vitamins can improve oxygen delivery to the brain. Studies have shown that aging adults with high Vitamin E levels have improved brain function. Take 400-800 IU per day to help slow down the progression of Dementia.
• Phosphatidylserine – Supplements of this naturally occurring compound are found mostly derived from plant sources and bovine brain phospholipids. The University of Michigan reports that plant sources aren’t as effective as bovine forms. It is suggested to take this 3 times a day at 100 mg.
• B12 and Folic Acid – These are both often deficient in Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients. There is an amino acid that is prevalent in Dementia patients and these two supplements can help lower the levels of this amino acid. Take the recommended dosage of 1,000 mcg of B12 and 400 – 1,000 mcg of Folic Acid per day.
• Zinc – Zinc can improve memory and cognitive functioning. This supplement is typically deficient in seniors so taking the recommended dose of 30-40 mg a day can drastically improve brain function.

Though there is no actual treatment or cure for Alzheimer’s or Dementia – there is proof that vitamin deficiency can lead to poor health and poor brain functioning. Making sure a dementia patient is eating enough foods to get the vitamins and nutrients they need can be challenging, adding some supplements can help. Always consult with your doctor and make your best efforts to fuel your body with the best foods.

Source: WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/missing-nutrients#1

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