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Nobody loves bringing up the subject of hospice care. Nonetheless, the never welcome subject of death is unavoidable. Over the years, we have seen how discomfort around this topic has discouraged many people from taking full advantage of the benefits of hospice care until it is too late. In this article, we list five common misconceptions about hospice care. But first, let’s understand better what hospice care is all about. Understanding Hospice Care Hospice or Home Hospice, works not to cure an illness, but instead focuses on end-of-life care – focusing on quality of life rather than life saving measures. Hiring hospice staff is among the kindest decisions families can make so end-of-life care for their loved one can become more peaceful and comfortable. Emotional pain and physical stress among family members are also minimized. With hospice care, a family member is normally the primary caregiver but with additional help of hospice staff, the patient is given attention that might be out of the family member’s purview, such as the monitoring of pain management and an elevated level of hands on care. Hospice staff is usually composed of the patient’s personal or hospice physician, a hospice nurse, in-home health aide and/or social workers. Clergy or spiritual counselors are also called in to assist the patient with the spiritual aspects of passing. The hospice team of healthcare professionals and volunteers mentioned above has the primary responsibility of managing the patient’s pain and symptoms from the critical illness they’re suffering from. This includes providing the prescribed medication for the patient, as well as the necessary equipment and medical supplies that are needed for pain management. The hospice team also teaches the family how to properly care for the patient – such as changing adult diapers, bathing the patient and preparing the right meals according to the patient’s recommended diet plan. Other services worth mentioning include bereavement care, short-term inpatient care and emotional and psycho-social counseling to the surviving family. Let’s look at the common misguided thoughts people have about hospice care.   Common Misconceptions About Hospice Care 1. Hospice care is only for the last few days of life. One common mistake people make is to assume that hospice care is only provided during the last few days of a patient’s life. In fact, it is available to anyone of any age with a terminal diagnosis and life expectancy of six months or less. 2. Hospice care is only for cancer patients. Although the top diagnosis among patients seeking hospice care is cancer, hospice care is provided to patients with many other diagnoses. Other common illnesses include cardiac and circulatory disease, followed by Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, respiratory disease, and stroke Hospice is also not just about providing care for the sick. Family members also benefit from hospice care in the form of grief counseling and bereavement support after the patient’s death. 3. Hospice care is only provided in a special facility, like a hospital or retirement home. When we speak of hospice, we don’t speak of a place. Home hospice care is provided to a patient in their own home, wherever their current home may be. This could be a nursing home, hospital, residential facility or private home. Hospice care is about keeping the patient comfortable. Many end-of-life patients express a profound desire to spend this time in their own familiar home. Making sure that the patient is taken care of in surroundings he or she feels comfortable in makes end-of-life care meaningful. 4. Hospice care is expensive. Medicare began covering advance care planning in 2016 as a separate and billable service, which means that hospice care is provided by physicians and other health professionals. 46% of all Medicare beneficiaries who died in 2014 used hospice. Medicare offers a comprehensive hospice benefit covering an array of services provided in patients’ homes. 5. Hospice care is something a physician must bring up first. You don’t have to wait for a physician to bring up the idea of hospice care for yourself or a loved one. Whenever you feel that serious medical care is crucial to prevent or alleviate distressing symptoms, it is always a good time to seek a hospice team to assist you.    Hospice care is actually a viable option for most people and families. It always helps to get all the facts before making any decision about elderly care. Never hold yourself back from getting the right type of care for your loved one with a terminal illness. Home hospice care and non-medical home care complement each other very well and can provide an excellent support system for your loved one and the entire family. Elderlink Home Care is here to help.

Don’t wait for an accident to happen. If your elderly parent is living alone in their own home, it is important to take steps in advance, to prevent accidents from happening in the first place.  It is wise to access the situation and assist in implementing safety solutions around the home. Statistics are frightening. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that on average, 1.4 million seniors 65 years of age and older are treated in hospital emergency rooms annually as a result of an accident in the home. Of that age group, the rate of injury is the highest for those 75 years of age and older. Fortunately, most accidents are preventable. By spotting and addressing these hazards early on, you can prevent potential injuries. Here’s a home safety guide for seniors to help prevent falls, burns and other household accidents. 7 Ways to Make the Home Safe for Your Elderly Loved One Place flashlights in several rooms of the house. Make sure there is flashlight available, that is easy to reach from the bed, coffee table, porch seat and any other dimly-lit area in the house where your loved one likes to spend time – especially at night. With an easy-to-reach flashlight in place, the senior can safely roam around the home, even in the event of a power outage. Also, keep in mind that stairs, entryways and exteriors should be well-lit at all times. Switches should be easy to reach from doorways. Install grab bars, ramps and railings in the home as needed. Many seniors need something to hold on to in order to help maintain their balance. Grab bars are necessities, particularly in the bathroom. Use your judgement to determine which other areas of the home should be equipped with grab bars. Ramps are crucial if your loved one uses a wheel chair or walker occasionally or at all times. If they are still able to use stairs safely, make sure railings are strong enough for them to grab ahold of and use for support. Maintain a fireproof kitchen. One of the most important things you can do to fireproof a home is to keep a functioning fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Make sure your loved one knows its location and how to use it properly. Ventilation and exhaust systems should be routinely serviced and maintained. Ensure all smoke alarms are working properly and have fresh batteries inserted. Make sure all potential fire sources (candles, ashtrays, etc.) are away from flammable items, such as blankets, bedding, newspapers, etc. Develop an emergency escape plan with your loved one and go over it with them in detail. Print out a copy and post it on the refrigerator if you feel it is necessary. Stairs should be evenly constructed, clear of clutter and well-lit. An evenly built, clear and well-lit staircase with sturdy handrails makes the home safer for the elderly. Serious injuries can occur as a result of an unstable staircase. Never leave clutter on a staircase. Items like shoes or bags left on the stairs can easily lead to a fall resulting in a very serious injury. Consider installing a stair lift if stairs are becoming too difficult or dangerous for your loved one to manage. Renovate the bathroom with walk-in bathtubs or showers. Walk-in tubs (watertight tubs with doors) are built for individuals who have difficulty getting in and out of a traditional bathtub. They also help prevent slipping and come in right or left-handed configurations. This allows for seniors to bathe independently and safely. Walk-in showers are also preferred to those that have sliding shower doors. Program emergency numbers into their cell phone. Show your loved one how to make calls to these contacts quickly and easily. Helping them navigate the phone and even playing out a hypothetical scenario is helpful. In the event of an emergency, time is of the essence! Getting the most important numbers ready for quick dialing can help save a life! Rugs and carpets must be level with the ground and pathways should be clear from cords and/or wires.  A home’s fundamental components can possibly be dangerous for the elderly when basic safety precautions are not taken. Accidents can happen when floors are not flat and uniform, thus increasing the risk of slips and falls. Always make sure pathways are safely walk-able and consider installing slip-resistant surfaces. There are many things you can do to help keep your loved one safe. This list is just a start and provides some of the most common steps to take. If you like this guide, please share it with someone you know will benefit from it! While many seniors prefer to live independently, they may need assistance with chores, personal care, keeping up with their medications or simply would appreciate extra companionship during the day.  Elderlink Home Care can help you keep your favorite senior safe. Click here to see how we can make a difference.

It could be the mail stacking up or expired groceries never thrown away. Whatever it is, it’s important for you,as the child of an aging parent,to recognize and understand the signs that your aging parents may be in need of assistance. From our experience, we’ve seen parents or their children (sometimes both) admit that there’s a problem—and often admit that the aging parent needs help, yet be reluctant to do anything. It is natural, that as we age, some of our daily living activities can become too much to manage on our own. Some of these activities can become challenges that if not addressed,can lead to accidents. Fortunately, there are signs that make it easy for you to determine if your loved one is need of assistance.Let’s look at some of the common warning signs. When to Get Help for your Aging Parents 1. The house is cluttered and disorganized. Have you known your aging parent to keep a fairly tidyhouse all your life? But now, every time you visit the dishes are left in the sink for days or the hamper is stuffed to the brim. Does it look like the vacuum has not been run? 2. They forget to take their medication on time. If your aging parent is under maintenance medicines, forgetting to take them is an obvious risk to health. Forgetfulness is one of the signs of short-term memory loss and could also be a symptom for early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. 3. They make repeated phone calls at odd hours, most notably at dawn. One of the common signs we hear from clients is that their parents call them repeatedly during the wee hours in the morning. The aging parent may speak about a spouse coming home late at night, accusing them of an illicit affair. Sometimes, they call their children only because they can’t sleep. After they assure the parent everything is fine, they may call back again in just a matter of minutes. 4. They don’t like cooking or shopping. As we age, we often don’t have the energy to grocery shop andcook the way we once did. Try to put yourself in your elderly parent’s shoes. If they’re finding it difficult slicing tomatoes and following a recipe,they likely don’t have the energy or mental acuity to purchase these items at the grocery store, or vice versa. 5. They struggle to perform basic activities of daily living. We’ve commonly had clients tell us that their aging parent may develop hygiene issues. The parent may seem to wear the same clothes over and over again, or doesn’t shower as often as they once did. An elderly parent may also develop poor eating habits that become a risk for abrupt weight loss or gain. These may be signs that they’re feeling confused or apatheticand definitely a signal that your parent needs some help. 6. They seem to exhibit a feeling of loneliness or despair. When an aging parent feels that they’re useless because they can’t perform activities that were once easy for them, it’s natural for them to fall into despair. This is nearly inevitable if they live alone or have no one to talk with.These feelings of loneliness and/or despair can lead to depression if not addressed on time. 7. They show frequent mood swings. Have you ever noticed that your aging parent is happy today but sad the next week? Or even more immediate, one hour they are excited to go to a family gathering, and an hour later they regret ever attending? Frequent mood swings may be an underlying cause of something more serious, so it’s best that you seek a professional to help provide insight and discuss your options. When you see these warning signs, it is important to act quickly. The sooner you notice these changes, the quicker you can find a solution to help your parent navigate the aging process and to keep them living in their own home safely and comfortably. Getting help is one call away. If you’re looking for a free consultation to learn more about how you can help improve your aging parent’s quality of life once you observe these warning signs, contact us here.  

Elderlink is celebrating our 30th anniversary this year. It makes me proud to have been on this journey with Elderlink the past 18 years. Elderlink’s founder Mary Ann Brown, sadly passed away last year. Mary Ann was a visionary. When she opened Elderlink’s doors in 1988, the idea of receiving care in your home was new. Elderlink was the first company opened in the metro area solely to provide non-medical home care services. We began as a small company with a good idea and grew steadily. When I moved back to Colorado in 1998, I was truly home again. Most of my family lived here and I had been trying to get back to Colorado myself for many years. Shortly after I moved back, I began working for Elderlink and the current owner of Elderlink at the time, Ruth Pelanne. I knew right away, I had found my passion. Elderlink was a perfect fit for me and a couple years later when Ruth was ready to retire, I purchased Elderlink from her. My daughter, Jennifer, began working for the company part time during college and came to join our team full time after graduating from college. Caring for our clients and our caregivers is a labor of love for both of us. During the ensuing 17 years, Elderlink has grown and thrived. We survived the recession of 2008. When it finally lifted, we came out stronger! We have helped thousands of seniors through-out the metro area achieve their goal of living in their own home as they age. We have also matched thousands of caregivers with clients in need. It is truly an honor to be able to work in this industry and to make a difference in the lives of those we assist. At Elderlink, we strive to be a strong member of our senior community. Through donations, we have a tradition of supporting organizations whose goals and beliefs mirror ours. I would like to take this occasion to thank each of you for being a part of Elderlink Home Care, Inc. Without the support and effort of all members of our team, we would not have reached this important milestone. Elderlink will forever be indebted to our wonderful caregivers for their contributions and to the seniors who give us the incredible honor of helping them during their time of need. We will continually strive to be a better company in the hopes that we can continue to be a part of your lives. We can’t thank you enough for your belief in us! Sincerely, Karen Moorehead – President, Elderlink Home Care, Inc.

December 6, 2016 is Colorado Gives Day! Colorado Gives is a year-round, online giving website featuring more than 1,800 Colorado nonprofit organizations. They encourage charitable giving by providing comprehensive, objective and up-to-date information about Colorado nonprofits and offers an easy way to support them online! Elderlink Home Care, Inc. has made Colorado Gives Day an annual event! We donate to many organizations throughout the metro-Denver area that provide support and assistance to seniors. Please join us! Visit Colorado Gives and make a donation!

Elderlink Home Care is proud to sponsor Wish of a Lifetime. Wish of a Lifetime’s mission is to inspire an entire generation and to create a cultural shift on how we view aging. Their belief is that growing older doesn’t mean you have to stop dreaming and living a life of purpose. By granting lifelong wishes to seniors who have overcome tremendous challenges in their own lives, Wish of a Lifetime is able to spread its inspirational stories of hope. Wish of a Lifetime’s core program, the “Wish of a Lifetime Program” is to make wishes come true for senior citizens. Most elderly men and women have something in their life that they have always wanted to do or see, but for many different reasons they are often not able to live out these dreams. The WOL foundation wish fulfillment program aims to change that, creating opportunities to ensure each of these very special wishes can come true. Elderlink is excited to be a part of this organization and happy that our gift will grant wishes for seniors.     Sincerely, Karen, Jennifer, Laura, Kellyn, Becky & Krista Elderlink Home Care, Inc. Visit Our Website! 303-734-0641 11757 W. Ken Caryl Ave. F-314  *  Littleton, CO  *  80127  

Begin by talking to your parents about the strong association between falls and nursing home admission.  Schedule some time with your parents and ask them to show you how they do things around the house.  Get your pencil ready and take notes!  Entrances/Exits Which entrance does your parent use the most?  Which entrance is the most covered?  Observe your parents exiting and entering the house.  What do they hold onto?  The door frame?  Is there a hand railing?  Is it secure?  Is their performance safe?  How do they get the mail?  Have them walk to and from the mailbox.  Can your parent safely take out the trash?  Ask your mom or dad to show you how they transport the trash can to the curb.  Is the driveway sloped?  Is the sidewalk cracked?  How would they take out the trash if they had to use a walker?  Is their performance safe? Is there a hand railing along the steps to enter the house?  If your parent uses a walker, what does he do with it on the steps?   Does he leave the walker behind and use a cane instead?  Do they have a storm door?  Does it close in on your mom when she tries to get the walker through the doorway?  How does she bring in the groceries from the car?  Ask her to carry a bag of groceries from the car into the kitchen.  Is her performance safe? Take notes on what areas appear to be potential safety hazards that may place your parent at risk for falling.  Kitchen Do your parents still cook or mostly microwave their meals?  Do they wash dishes?  Empty the dishwasher?  Use the microwave?  Make sandwiches/cereal/coffee?  Do they use the stove?  Ask them if they have ever left the stove on?  Ask them to show you how they transport a cup of coffee from the counter to a chair.  If your mom uses a walker, how does she transport items around the kitchen?  Ask her to show you how she carries a cup from the sink to the table.  Is her performance safe?  If your dad uses a walker, what does he do with it when he approaches a chair?  Can your parent move from the kitchen door to the sink, counter tops, and table without risk of tripping over something?  If they needed a walker in the future, could they travel these paths without bumping into the edges of the door?  Examine the thresholds.   Is there a change in the level of the floor surfaces?  If your dad has visual deficits, is there a contrasting color between the floor surfaces?  Does your Mom have to pick up the walk up to get over the threshold?  Does she do this safely?  Is there a rug beneath the sink – is it nonskid? Are you taking notes of safety hazards and potential problems that could cause a fall?  Bathroom Seniors rate bathing as the #1 most difficult activity.  This is a critical area in the house for safety!  A fall in the bathroom has a high likelihood of resulting in a serious injury.  Ask your parents how often they are taking a shower.  Is your dad in the habit of going to the basement to shower?  Falling on the stairs has a high chance of resulting in an injury.  Ask them if they have ever fallen or almost fallen getting in or out of the shower.  Does your mom like to take a bath instead?  Ask her to show you how she gets in and out of the tub.  Does she struggle to get up?  Does your dad try to help?  Is the performance safe?  Does your dad use a towel rack to hold onto as he steps over the tub?  Is there a nonskid surface on the floor of the shower?  Is the bathroom cluttered with items such as a hamper, decorative baskets on the floor?  Is there a waste basket obstructing the pathway in/out of the tub/shower?  If your parent uses a walker, does he have to leave it outside of the bathroom because the door is too narrow?  Can your mom turn the faucet handles easily?  What is the water temperature set at?  Could your parent get into the bathroom using a wheelchair? Take notes of anything that concerns you.  Stairs Many falls occur on the last 2-3 steps.  Analyze the staircases at your parents home.  Does the hand railing stop short of the last step?  Is there a light switch at the top and bottom?  Is the light adequate?  Is there a throw rug below the last step?  Does it slip around?  Is the carpeting on the stairs frayed in any areas?  Are they using a plastic runner to protect the stairs?  Do your parents have to manage stairs to access a bedroom or full bathroom?  Could a main floor bathroom be enlarged to include a shower?  Could a bedroom be created on the main floor?  If they only have to manage steps to access the basement, could the activities they do in the basement be brought to the main level?  Could the washer/dryer be moved to the main floor?  Could a handyman check the furnace/water heater?  Ask your mom and dad to show you how they negotiate the stairs.  Is their performance safe? Gather your notes, thank your parents, and call me.  Who am I?  I am an Occupational Therapist specially certified by the American Occupational Therapy Association in Environmental Modifications.   An occupational therapist has a medical background with knowledge about the progression of health conditions.  A home assessment by an occupational therapist trained in home modifications has been shown to prevent falls.  A fall is a major threat to your parents’ independence and ability to remain living at home.  I offer a $97 one-hour home assessment that will save your parents money because I focus on no cost and low cost home modifications and simple essential safety solutions. Nancy Dillinger, MOT, OTR, SCEM, ATP liveLife@Home, LLC nancydillinger1@gmail.com

Heart Failure affects 5.8 million people in the U.S. alone and is responsible for nearly 1 million hospitalizations each year, most resulting from a build-up of body fluid in the lungs and other organs due to the heart’s inability to pump effectively. The disease needs to be closely tracked in order to avoid such hospitalizations, and home-monitoring interventions may be especially useful, UCLA researchers say. In their new paper, the UCLA authors discuss the importance of heart failure disease-management and early identification, as well as the treatment of body-fluid congestion, using a number of home-monitoring strategies, including self-care, such as daily weighing and medication management; phone calls from a nurse or automated response system; home health visits; and telemedicine and remote monitoring with implantable and external devices to track vital information. Impact: The field of heart failure home-monitoring is fairly new. Further study will help assess optimal approaches, such as identifying which patients may benefit the most from such monitoring, and will determine which health data – blood pressure or shortness of breath, for example – may be the best to monitor. Promising new technologies, including devices to track heart-ventricle and pulmonary artery pressures, which are closely related to congestion development and clinical outcomes, may be particularly promising. The authors suggest that the best approach is most likely multi-pronged, including monitoring along with patient follow-up and feedback.

Caregivers often don’t recognize when they are in over their heads, and often get to a breaking point. After a prolonged period of time, caregiving can become too difficult to endure any longer. Short-term the caregiver can handle it. Long-term, help is needed. Outside help at this point is needed. A typical pattern with an overloaded caregiver may unfold as follows: 1 to 18 months – the caregiver is confident, has everything under control and is coping well. Other friends and family are lending support. 20 to 36 months – the caregiver may be taking medication to sleep and control mood swings. Outside help dwindles away and except for trips to the store or doctor, the caregiver has severed most social contacts. The caregiver feels alone and helpless. 38 to 50 months – Besides needing tranquilizers or antidepressants, the caregiver’s physical health is beginning to deteriorate. Lack of focus and sheer fatigue cloud judgment and the caregiver is often unable to make rational decisions or ask for help. It is often at this stage that family or friends intercede and find other solutions for care. This may include respite care, hiring home health aides or putting the disabled loved one in a facility. Without intervention, the caregiver may become a candidate for long term care as well. With the holiday season upon us, caregivers feel even more stress — with planning, shopping and participating in holiday activities. This is a perfect time for family and friends to step up and provide some respite time and caregiving help. Whether it is provided personally or arranged as a gift of services to be provided by a professional respite company or home care provider, it is a welcome gift. An article in “Today’s Caregiver” states: “Nearly one in four caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias provide 40 hours a week or more of care. Seventy-one percent sustain this commitment for more than a year, and 32 percent do so for five years or more. One of the best gifts you can give someone caring for Alzheimer’s is something that relieves the stress or provides a bit of respite for the caregiver. The Gift of time: Cost-effective and truly meaningful gifts are self-made coupons for cleaning the house, preparing a meal, moving lawn/shoveling driveway, respite times that allow the caregiver time off to focus on what he/she needs.” It is also important to note that hiring professional care provider services can provide valuable ongoing support to an overloaded caregiver.A financial planner, care funding specialist or a reverse mortgage specialist may find the funds to pay for professional help to keep a loved one at home. A care manager can guide the family and the caregiver through the maze of long term care issues. The care manager has been there many times — the family is experiencing it for the first time. An elder law attorney can help iron out legal problems. And an elder mediator can help solve disputes between family members. There are also cash benefits for Veterans, who served during a period of war, that pay for home care or assisted living. If you are the one providing daily care for a loved one, you owe it to yourself to seek help. Take care of yourself and your needsm, both physically and mentally. Seek out professional help that will ease your burden and look for community service organizations that offer respite help.