Earlier this month, a friend of mine reached out with a request: could my team help her dad, who is living by himself, get ready to host their holiday family gathering? My friend and her siblings live out of town and her dad needed a little help cleaning and getting the house prepared for their visit. He even had a few errands to run, like grocery shopping and purchasing gifts.

My friend was concerned because her dad isn’t immobile nor does he need someone to do these things for him. He just needed an extra set of hands to help lighten the load and make some of those tasks a bit more enjoyable to be done not alone.

I was so happy she reached out because requests like these are ones our team can definitely help out with. And so, we got to work, first making sure her dad was comfortable with us being there for him and then getting the things on his to-do list checked off. We even helped to wrap presents and tidy up his holiday decor. It was a great time and I’m glad to know we’ve made a new friend who we’ll be here for in the future if there is ever a need again. 

Working with a home care provider doesn’t mean going all in right away for everyone – sometimes there is a need for one-time assistance or a few hours here and there for companionship and support. This can be eye-opening for so many people who tend to associate in-home care service with full-time needs for illness, memory care needs, injuries, or even hospice.

One of the things I am most proud of at SYNERGY, is we don’t require a minimum number of hours from any of our clients to take advantage of our services. We’re here for people like my friend who needed us once for a specific set of tasks, just as much as we’re here for folks looking for more full-time support.

I want our existing and future clients to know they can think of us for things like:

• Encouraging active thinking
• Encouraging light exercise
• Running errands like grocery shopping and picking out gifts
• Friendly and supportive conversation 
• Homemaker services like light cleaning 
• Planning and encouraging social activities
• Transportation

All of these things are often taken care of by the primary caregiver, be it spouse, partner, adult children, neighbor or others. But occasionally, even the caregiver needs support to get it all done and that’s when we are here to help.

What things can my team help you and your loved one with this holiday season? We’re currently accepting new clients for as much time as you need from us. Reach out to me directly today and I’ll help answer any questions you have and make sure you and your loved one are taken care of.

Wishing you and your loved ones a holiday season filled with love, joy, and support.

The post Ask Alicia: What if My Loved One Only Needs Occasional Help? appeared first on SYNERGY HomeCare of West Central WI.

Earlier this month, one of our incredible clients took part in an unforgettable experience and my staff and I were delighted to support him in a small way. That’s why I am taking the opportunity to veer a little bit off from my usual ‘Ask Alicia’ format and instead share with you his story.

On Monday, October 10, our client’s daughter, Kim, had the distinct honor of escorting her 89 year-old father, Ray, to Washington DC on an Honor Flight – Twin Cities.

As Kim shared with us, the Honor Flight program is a nationwide effort to help as many surviving Veterans to visit their memorial in Washington DC before they are no longer able to do so. The Honor Flight Twin Cities will enabled 180 men and women veterans and their guardians from Minnesota to make this very special trip. The veterans had the opportunity to see the WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iwo Jima, Air Force, Navy and Women’s Memorials and the Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, all in one day trip.

Ray enlisted in the Army National Guard out of Staples, MN when he was 17. Three months later, his Guard unit was called into active duty for the War in Korea. Six weeks later, he shipped out of Seattle and arrived in Korea approximately two weeks later. While in the Army, his primary duties were around securing and maintaining supplies for his unit. He served 23 1/2 months in Korea and was honorably discharged in January 1953.

Our office team helped wish Ray well as he boarded the Honor Flight by participating in a special program called “Mail Call” where family and friends write cards with a short message to the Veteran thanking them for their service and wishing them well as they make this once in a life-time trip. This special card program is a poignant reminder of how important mail service was to our veterans while serving their country.

We were so happy to see Ray get this opportunity and even more delighted to hear that Kim was able to accompany him. Check out THIS VIDEO to see how it all unfolded.

Our SYNERGY HomeCare team is committed to providing exceptional in-home care for Veterans and their families. Our Woodbury, MN and River Falls, WI  locations are contracted with the VA and because of this, we make it easy for Veterans and their families to use their VA benefits to get the in-home support they all deserve.

We’re also proud to partner with the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP), and we’re committed to recruiting, hiring and retaining military spouses. We understand the challenges of frequent relocation, and with home care agencies nationwide, SYNERGY HomeCare is an ideal employer for military spouses. We’re always seeking caregivers who support our mission to bring wholehearted, life-energizing care to as many people as possible–on their own terms, in their own homes.

For more information on services or employment opportunities, please visit this link or reach out to me directly and I would love to help answer any questions you have and provide you with more information. We’ve also published THIS resource as well as THIS guide for your convenience.

Thanks for reading and Ray, thank you and all Veterans everywhere for your service.

The post Ask Alicia: A Client’s Honor Flight appeared first on SYNERGY HomeCare of West Central WI.

I’m writing this blog post with my leg propped up, a brace on the said leg, and with humble reflection. 

I’m here to support others in their time of need and in the location that is typically most comfortable for all of us, at home. And yet, I found myself needing a little extra help around the house, office, and in life in general when last month I took a tumble and fractured my kneecap…at home.

Now, I don’t want to blame our sweet puppy Winnie for her baby gate being in my way as I stepped over it and proceeded to lose my balance and wind up on the floor but I will say, she is lucky she’s so cute.

In the weeks since my injury, my empathy for how easily anyone can experience an accident like this at any age is at an all-time depth. I am so lucky and grateful to have family and friends surrounding me who have been able to lend a hand as I recover and while this injury has undoubtedly been an inconvenient end to my summer, it’s reminded me of the resources our team has pulled together to help others do what they can to try and avoid falls.

Here are a few things to keep in mind to make your home even safer in preventing falls:

• Remove things you can trip over that are on the floor or steps.
• Secure small throw rugs in place with double-sided tape or non-slip backing.
• Keep frequently used items in cabinets you can reach without using a step stool.
• Get a safety grabber that helps retrieve items that are out of reach.
• Install grab bars in the bathroom, by the toilet and in the tub.
• Place a non-slip mat or anti-slip strips on the shower floor and in the bathtub.
• Use bright bulbs in lamps, consider curtains and drapes that reduce glare, and make sure staircases are well lit.
• Install handrails.
• Wear comfortable shoes with good support, whether you’re in your home or outside.
• Make sure your clothing isn’t too restrictive or loose, as both can cause imbalance or a fall.

There is a lot more helpful info in our fall prevention guide for more tips and reminders so be sure to check it out. In the meantime, I will be doing a sweep of my house to make sure I am following my own advice to avoid another fall in the future.

Have a tip of your own to share? I’d love to hear from you. Reach out to aliciaharmon@synergyhomecare.com to share and we’ll spread the knowledge in an upcoming newsletter, blog post, or social media post. 

Thanks for reading. 

The post Ask Alicia: How Can I Prevent Falling at Home? appeared first on SYNERGY HomeCare of West Central WI.

The summer is winding down but if your household is anything like mine, it’s easy to recognize that fall is simultaneously itching to wind up! It seems that time is moving so quickly that we jump from one busy season to the next without much time to assess where we’ve been and where we are going, let alone where we currently are in terms of capacity and wellbeing. This pinch can be extra stressful for those of us who are caring for not only children but also for people in our lives who are aging or in need of additional support.

Caregiver burnout is real and it doesn’t wait for a change in seasons to occur. But there are things we can do to ensure we are recognizing signs of burnout in ourselves or our loved ones before it becomes unbearable, and it’s important to carve out time to do so, even when life is constantly pulling us in multiple directions.

I’ve pulled together a few tips I encourage all caregivers to consider during this season of transition – many of these tips are things I’m working hard to implement in my own life. Have a tip of your own to share? I’d love to hear from you. Reach out to aliciaharmon@synergyhomecare.com to share and we’ll spread the knowledge in an upcoming newsletter, blog post, or social media post. Or if you get to my last tip and want to discuss support options, my team and I are here for you.

• Put yourself first. This sounds completely counterintuitive to caregiving but it is imperative as a caregiver. Sit down with your schedule and assess what each responsibility will require and then build in break times, just for yourself. Try blocking time on a physical calendar that you and your family can see. A quick walk, bike ride, or even nap will go a long way in preserving your energy. Same for eating well and drinking enough water – try to plan ahead so making healthier choices can become easier when pressed for time. Remember: you cannot give the best care to others if you are not caring for yourself first.
• Communicate with your loved ones. Review your weekly and daily plans. Let them know what you need in order to take care of the house or the people you are caring for. The gift of delegating is a learned behavior for many of us but I’ve found that most people want to help and crave being a contributor, no matter the age.
• Give yourself grace. Not every minute, hour, day will go as planned. In those moments, try your hardest to breathe and even give yourself permission to cry or even laugh if it is all too much. Those pauses are imperative and can help create a mini-reset in your day and your mental and emotional mindset.
• Know when to ask for help. For some reason, this is the one tip that is hardest for most, myself included! We are so conditioned to feel as though we need (can!) take on everything life calls of us on our own but, the reality of life is we all have a tipping point where an extra set of hands or an extra thought partner can be a real benefit. Talk to a family member, a friend, a neighbor, or a professional to see if they can help with tasks and/or have recommendations for how to supplement the support you are providing. Even if you don’t know exactly what help you need, talking about it with someone you trust or with a service such as ours, can be a relief in and of itself.

Thanks for reading. 

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July just seems to keep getting warmer every year, reminding me of the importance to make sure my loved ones and our SYNERGY HomeCare clients are keeping safe and healthy during the hot summer months.

The number one suggestion I have when clients ask how to navigate the heat is to make sure they are staying hydrated. And by hydrated, I mean with good old-fashioned water. Selecting water as your drink of choice during the summer months is so important to maintaining healthy hydration levels. 

It sounds easy but oftentimes it is even easier to forget to check in with our bodies to make sure we are drinking enough water. Health professionals will warn us that if we are thirsty, we have likely already lost 1-2% of our bodily fluid, resulting in early dehydration. So proactively consuming water throughout the day is much better than waiting until you are thirsty and then consuming a large amount. I love to kick my day off by drinking a full glass of water as soon as I wake up.

So how much water should we each be consuming each day? Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommend approximately 11 cups of fluid for women and 16 cups of fluid for men per day, although that can vary depending on age, body weight, activity levels, medications, sleep levels, and other factors.

If consuming only water seems boring to you, there are other healthy fluid options including tea, sparkling water, coconut water, or Kombucha. My family and I love to add extra flavoring or our water too – like basil and strawberries, or mint and cucumbers.

And beverages do not get to have all the fun – healthy fluids can also be found in nutrient-dense foods like cucumbers, celery, radishes, tomatoes, watermelon, spinach, cantaloupe, and strawberries so, consider snacking on these tasty treats when hunger strikes.

It’s important to shy away from beverages containing caffeine or alcohol, as they are diuretics that cause an increase in fluid elimination from our bodies through urine, resulting in dehydration. Be mindful too, if taking a medication that is a diuretic as that may impact the body’s hydration level. Consult with a physician to understand how medications may impact the body during warmer months.

Another way to help our loved ones stay hydrated is to remind them to wear sunscreen if they are outside for any amount of time. Sunscreen will help prevent sunburn, which can cause dehydration.

And speaking of being outside…limit outdoor exposure as much as possible, especially during the warmest parts of the day for our older loved ones. Staying inside where there is air conditioning is helpful and, if you or your loved one does not have air conditioning at home, be sure to visit a public place like a rec center, mall, local cooling station, or library to keep cool.

Our team published a post, Keeping Seniors Safe in Extreme Heat and I’d highly encourage everyone to check it out as it covers some of what I addressed above in more detail.

If you or a loved one are in need of additional support this summer, keep our team in mind. We’re here to help you navigate all caregiving challenges.

Stay safe and stay cool.

The post Ask Alicia: How to Stay Hydrated in the Summer appeared first on SYNERGY HomeCare of West Central WI.

As the summer starts to feel like it is truly kicking off, I am excited about what is to come over the course of these next few months. Whether it be watching my two sons play soccer and flag football, cuddling with our new puppy Winnie, or putting the final details on a family trip we have planned to Yellowstone, this summer is going to be filled with great experiences and memories. 

Yet, as I am looking forward to all of these moments, big or small, I can’t help but be reminded of the importance of experiencing everything safely. I’ll be spending time with my children but also with my parents and in-laws who all have unique needs, much like so many of the families our SYNERGY HomeCare team supports.

June is recognized as National Safety Month and I’m really proud of all the ways our team is helping families in our community live a more planful and safe life. We recently rolled out a free downloadable Fall Prevention Guide and continue to invest in memory care services, honoring those in our lives who are navigating dementia and Alzheimer’s. We’ve even pulled together a few resources to help families better understand dementia and Alzheimer’s, recommendations for creating a more safe and familiar home, and a guide to communicating effectively with loved ones who are at various stages of memory loss.

My team and I will be spending the day in Hudson, Wisconsin on Sunday, June 12th as part of Dementia Friendly Awareness Week. Stop by the Lakefront Park Bandshell starting at 12:30 for the Music by Heart event – it’s free and we’ll have a booth set up where my team and I can answer any questions you have about memory care support and safety services we provide.

June 21 is recognized as The Longest Day – the day with the most light, the Summer Solstice, and a day to help fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s through fundraising and volunteerism. We’ll be posting more information about both the day and the resources our team can provide if you are providing care to a loved one with Alzheimer’s so be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram if you aren’t already.

Wishing you and your loved ones a fun, and safe kick-off to the summer.

If you or a loved one are in need of caregiving services, including memory care support, we’re here to help. Reach out to me directly at aliciaharmon@synergyhomecare.com for help in exploring your options.

Thanks for reading,

Alicia (and Winnie!)

The post Ask Alicia: How Can I Plan For a Safe Summer? appeared first on SYNERGY HomeCare of West Central WI.

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month.  As a caregiving provider and also as a leader of caregivers, I am incredibly empathetic to the toll that caregiving can have on individuals. The amount of energy, time, emotion, and more can lead to a type of exhaustion and even burnout that inspired me to get into this field. I am motivated to help others by providing respite care in service of not only the individuals requiring care but to help offload some of the pressures nearly all caregivers will experience at one time or another.

I’m often asked ‘What is respite care?’ It’s a new term for many but is something nearly all caregivers could benefit from. At SYNERGY HomeCare, we define respite care as relief and support for the caregiver. It is something our team prides itself on providing and we take great care in helping those who reach out to us understand their options and how we can help.

Our Respite Care Resources page provides a few guides to help caregivers help themselves. I contributed to our Family Caregiver Ultimate Guide, which provides suggestions to help combat the emotional, professional, financial, mental, and physical impact caregiving can have. It also includes details to help evaluate when it may be time for you to find caregiving assistance.

Coming to terms with the need for professional caregiving assistance often happens in stages and can be tough to navigate mentally. Here are a few words of encouragement from our team:

• First, it’s imperative to recognize your feelings and accept the hardships that come from caregiving to be true and valid.

• Next, accept that you can’t do this alone.

• Understand that it’s perfectly reasonable to ask for assistance when it’s needed.

• Finally, be honest with yourself and your loved ones about your emotions.

Respite care can most often be associated with the ‘Sandwich Generation’ – those of us who are caring not only for growing children but also for aging adults. I’ve come to realize as someone who is both entering the Sandwich Generation myself and as a leader in our industry, that I can set attainable goals, including being a great parent to my children, being a great spouse, keeping my career on track, extending my parents’ independence while allowing myself the joy of being their daughter, and finally, to have a balanced life, one where I am happy.

As hard of a choice as it can be to realize I may need help to reach these goals, I know that finding help when and where I need it will be the only way to do so. Making sure I take care of myself will enable me to be a better caretaker for others, this month and every month.

If you or a loved one are in need of caregiving services or respite care, we’re here to help. Reach out to me directly at aliciaharmon@synergyhomecare.com for help in exploring your options.

Thanks for reading,

The post Ask Alicia: Care for the Caregiver appeared first on SYNERGY HomeCare of West Central WI.

As the days get warmer, many of us have spring cleaning on our minds. We often receive inquiries from our families, wondering how they can best support their loved ones by tidying up and ensuring their homes are as clean as possible to support both health and safety. I’ve rounded up our top 5 tips we share with families to help get started.

1. Create a Plan

Have a conversation about what is most important to your loved one to help you know where to start. Where do they need the most help? Have they been putting anything off? Do they have the supplies they need to clean what they want to clean? Once you have input, work out a reasonable schedule to check things off one by one and establish guard rails to ensure safety. For instance, if anything requires heavy lifting like moving furniture, be sure to establish who will help and when. This might include asking for additional help from a reputable service provider, family, or friends.

2. Keep/Donate/Dispose

Work with your loved one to tackle one room, one closet, one shelf at a time, and sort through their belongings to determine which they prefer to keep, donate, or dispose of. Respect wishes to hold on to sentimental items and help to organize any items they decide to keep so as to make them accessible as possible. For items being donated, check in to see if your loved one has a preferred recipient, and be sure to keep track of their donations for any tax purposes. As you help to dispose of select items, be sure to properly dispose of any item with personal information. THIS is a good resource for researching what to do in this situation.

3. Go Through the Medicine Cabinet

Now is a great time to go through all medication to ensure none has expired, is being taken responsibly, and is being stored properly. For any medication needing to be discarded, be sure to do so in a recommended way.

4. Review Important Documents

Work together with your loved one to locate, review, and ensure all important documents are stored safely. Consider any changes that have occurred and work with all necessary parties to ensure documents are updated as needed and accessible for all key decision-makers and loved ones. This may require making appointments with lawyers, accountants, etc. so be sure to carve out time and communicate the plan with your loved one.

5. Check Alarms

Smoke, carbon dioxide, home security – all of these alarms and more provide safety to our loved ones. Take the time to make a list of all alarms and then replace batteries as needed and examine wires/connectivity.

Overall, including your loved one whenever possible will help to preserve dignity, create a sense of belonging, and ultimately, strengthen your relationship.

As you go about helping your loved one with their spring cleaning, the need for ongoing support or supplemental help/respite care may surface. Our team is here to help you navigate those options to determine if home care may be beneficial for both you and your loved one. We recognize it can be overwhelming and scary to ask for help but we are here to provide home care support you can trust and rely on.

Have a spring cleaning tip you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you at aliciaharmon@synergyhomecare.com.

For more updates, including additional resources and tips, subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Thanks for reading,

The post Ask Alicia: How Can I Help My Loved One with Spring Cleaning? appeared first on SYNERGY HomeCare of West Central WI.