Showing posts with label Comfort Keepers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Comfort Keepers. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Caregiving Spouses from Comfort Keepers Elderly Care in Troy, MO

It's difficult enough caring for a sick or disabled elderly relative. It can be a challenge-- physically, emotionally and financially, but what happens when the caregiver is also elderly and dealling with his or her own health issues?

We, here at Comfort Keepers of St. Louis, St Charles and Lincoln County have seen this happen again and again. One spouse taking care of the other until something happens to the caregiving spouse. Sometimes the spouse being cared for outlives his or her caregiving spouse. The stress of caregiving can lead to depression and anxiety as well as a host of other medical problems.

Spouses face challenges in caring for themselves and their ailing partners

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Choosing an In Home Senior Care Company in Troy, MO

Although the article I've linked to below is about a Comfort Keepers office in Santa Clarita, California, most of what it says holds true for other Comfort Keepers offices including ours here in Troy and St Louis. The article also includes tips from AARP on choosing an in home care company. To inquire about services in the St Louis, St Charles and Lincoln County areas in Missouri call toll free: (888) 892-2993

Keeping the comfort

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Safety Tips for Your Loved Ones Home by Comfort Keepers Elderly Care in Troy, MO

When a loved one falls they can go from being healthy and independent to losing their mobility and Independence. We can help by eliminating the dangers in your loved ones home. One of the most important thing to remember is to have their vision checked at least once a year. Also talk to your parents doctor to find out which, if any, of their medications could increase the risk of a fall. In the home check for hazards and correct them if found.

1. A change in color to denote changes in surface types or levels helps . Use contrast in paint, furniture and carpet colors so to make boundaries easier to see..

2. Use nonskid tape to secure rugs and carpet edges. Remove throw rugs that can be tripped over. Nonskid mats or carpet in areas that can get wet such as bathrooms and kitchens help reduce fall risks also.

3. Reduce clutter by removing over sized furniture and objects. Arranging furniture (especially low coffee and end tables) so that they can easily move around it with out bumping into it.

4. Make sure light bulbs are of adequate brightness and not burned out. Remember to check the ones in places your loved one doesn't frequently go such as in the basement or attic. Nightlights in bathrooms, kitchens, and hallways can help at night. Use a light on the nightstand beside the bed that is easily turned on and off. Keep curtains, window shades, and blinds open for good lighting during the day.

5. Keep electrical and telephone cords out of walkways. Keep them as close to the wall as possible and never have them extended across a room. Add electrical outlets in places where an outlet is needed if possible.

6. Make sure all stairways have secure handrails on both sides of stairs. Use brightly colored or glow in the dark tape at the edge of the steps to make them more visible. Keep everything off of a stairway, your loved one may not see what has been placed on the steps.

7. Keep commonly used items within easy reach in kitchen cabinets and closets. Make sure there is a sturdy step stool available to reach higher items to reduce the temptation of climbing on a chair or other unsafe object.

8.In the bathroom install grab bars on walls in and around the tub and beside the toilet. Make sure they are strong enough to hold your loved ones weight. Use nonskid appliques or mats in the shower or tub and make sure there is a nonskid mat for them to step out on after they are done. A liquid soap dispenser in the on the tub or shower wall can also help, as can a hand held shower head. A shower seat can also make the shower safer. A raised toilet seat can make it easier to get up and reduce the risk of falls.


9. Remove caster wheels from chairs so they don't slide away as your loved one is trying to sit down. Also make sure chairs and couches are easy to get in and out of. Adjusting the height of bed can make it easier to get in and out of.

10. Have at least one phone extension in each level of the home and post emergency numbers at each phone. Locate the bedroom telephone within reach of the bed.

We can do what we can to prevent falls but unfortunately they still happen. An electronic emergency alert system can help your parent get help when it is needed. Comfort Keepers has a system we call Safety Choice. For more information in the St Louis area call us toll-free at (888) 892-2993.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Companions from an Elder Care Agency- An Alternative to Nursing Homes in Troy, MO

By: Tyler Moon


A fit and healthy lifestyle always leads to much alert sense in the elderly. A fit lifestyle includes healthy and nutritious meals, regular exercise and stimulating the mind with mental activity. With the aid of elder care services, a senior member of the family can get the support they need to keep up with their physical and mental health.


A well controlled nutritious diet not only contributes to the physical health, but also has a great role to play for mental stability. Five times consumption of fruits and vegetables in a day would suffice, with fish once or twice a week. Fats of any type should always be avoided. A companion from elder care services can make sure that someone living on their own will continue with their healthy eating, and not skip meals.


Physical activities that take care of cardiac fitness and vascular health can also take care of brain required for mental stability. For senior members, thirty minutes of exercise every alternate day allows for cardiovascular benefits. This vascular health and maintenance translates into a sharp mind for seniors. An elder care companion to visit an elderly person will make sure that a patient keeps up with their exercise routine.


Engaging an elderly person in mentally challenging activities can also help them keep their minds healthy and quick. Reading novels, solving crossword puzzles, games, brain teasers or learning a new language or musical instrument keeps the mind active and occupied. These activities can be good pastimes for an elder and a caregiver sharing these pastimes can be a positive experience for the seniors.


Personalized care for seniors from non-medical care agency can be a good alternative to assisted living facilities or nursing homes. A senior member will stay more active physically and mentally if they stay more at home rather than in a nursing home. Companions provided from elder care agencies can help an individual with their routine and assist in their activities. It is a priority for a patient to continue to live a healthy lifestyle.


Ideally, once you find a senior care provider you're happy with, you should provide the newly-hired caregiver with a detailed job description outlining job title, purpose, duties and responsibilities.


Using resources available, elderly care in the home becomes a viable option. Elder care does not have to mean you have to do it alone. Becoming knowledgeable about elderly care issues make the aging transition an easier road to travel.


About the Author


Tyler Moon is an expert in article writing and internet marketing. She regularly contributes articles on various topics like security services, birth announcements etc.
Senior Care

(ArticlesBase SC #833146)


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Companions from Elder Care Agency – An Alternative to Nursing Homes

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Tips for Choosing Home Care from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

Please take a few minutes to read this.

How to Choose Home Care for Elderly Parents

Our caregivers here at Comfort Keepers are our employees. Every one of them has undergone a thorough background check. They are bonded and insured, trained and supervised. Even if you don't choose us please make sure your loved one is being cared for by an agency that can say the same.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Useful Tips for Alzheimers Care in Troy, MO

Reviewing Some Useful Tips For Better Alzheimer Care
Author: MIKE SELVON
When the Alzheimers diagnosis first hits you, it can feel devastating and overwhelming. Alzheimers patients often feel angry and fall into the "Why Me?" syndrome, while caregivers suffer with helplessness and uncertainty about how the disease will progress. For the 5 million patients and their families, Alzheimer care can go on for as many as 20 years, so learning how to cope and seeking education on the matter is crucial.
The medical difficulty of Alzheimers is that no two patients progress at the same rate or exhibit the same Alzheimers symptoms. Some Alzheimers patients are prone to wandering off or forget that they are unable to drive a car.
Other earlier signs of alzheimers include misplacing keys, forgetting names and becoming irrationally upset without remembering why. In the worst stages, the patient can no longer speak or recognize friends and family.
"Each individual is so unique, so different, there is no black and white or this is how you take care (of the patient)," says Connie Kudlacek, former director of the Alzheimers Association Midlands Chapter. "Instead of focusing on the negatives, we need to look at the positives and find an opportunity to continue to nurture their personality and give them an opportunity for success, even in the later stages."
The emotional difficulty of caring for someone with Alzheimers is the "losing and grieving while providing the care because Charlie isn't Charlie anymore," relates Professor Jacquelyn Frank at the Frank of Ulndy's Center For Aging & Community. She describes the feelings as "anticipatory grief," which refers to the fear of losing someone before they've even died, and "ambiguous loss," which is the discordant feeling of caring for someone who is physically alive but socially lacking. Frank highlights the importance of airing out emotions in an Alzheimers support group to maintain a positive attitude in the face of such isolation and hopelessness.
Reducing frustrations is one tactic that will help you provide effective Alzheimer care. At first you may struggle with your loved one trying to bathe or feed them, but over time you'll get to know their natural schedule of when they are most agreeable.
Established routines can help make the day less unpredictable and more manageable for the Alzheimers patient and you. Limiting difficult decision-making is very helpful for the Alzheimers caregiver. For instance, a closet full of clothes may be intimidating, whereas a choice between two outfits may be totally do-able.
You may sometimes feel like you're walking on egg shells when communicating with a loved one who requires Alzheimer care. Frustrations can flare up tempers and it can be hard to understand the root of the problem. Sometimes Alzheimers patients forget words or substitute incorrect words. They can lose their train of thought, require more time deciphering your words or they may curse incessantly.
The stages of Alzheimers can change suddenly, without warning. You can help by remaining patient, making eye contact while listening, using visual cues and keeping your language simple, as well as avoiding criticism, interrupting and arguing.
There are many different Alzheimer care treatment options, depending on the severity of the illness and your budget. Many caregivers try to keep their loved one at home for as long as possible, looking into products that may safeguard them from an accident or heightened confusion. Other family members may try splitting their time with the patient so he or she is never left alone.
There are specialized caregivers, such as "Comfort Keepers," who make house calls as well. There are adult day care centers, which allow family members to continue working their normal schedules while the Alzheimer patient receives care or participates in planned activities. Lastly, there are long term care facilities that fully address the needs of Alzheimers patients 24/7.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/reviewing-some-useful-tips-for-better-alzheimer-care-442020.html
About the AuthorEnrich your knowledge further about alzheimer care from Mike Selvon portal. We appreciate your feedback at our nursing care blog where a free gift awaits you.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Holiday Assessment from Comfort Keepers Elder Care in Troy, MO

Often we overlook a variety of warning signs such as forgetfulness, lack of house
cleaning or a decrease in physical appearance by writing them off to “old age”.

Comfort keepers has developed a checklist to use each of your five senses that provide key
indicators or warning signs to help determine if your family members are in need of additional care or assistance.

If your not sure if your loved one may need extra care this holiday please download this assessment:

Holiday Assessment Guide

Friday, October 2, 2009

When Mom or Dad Won't Bathe from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

One of the reasons adult children come to us looking for help with their parents is because Mom or Dad isn't taking care of their personal hygeine. There are many reasons for this, among them memory problems or just that they are afraid of falling in the tub or shower. The following article may help and just remember, we here at Comfort Keepers can help. If you are in the St Louis, St Charles or Lincoln County areas of Missouri you can call 314-288-0054.

Dad Won’t Shower or Change His Clothes. What Do I Do?

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Comfort Keepers Senior Care of Troy, MO Walk for Alzheimer's

It was a beautiful day for a walk and we had a great time. The walk we participated in was in Laurel Park in St Peters, MO. The purple and white balloons marked the beginning of the walk.

One of our team members, Our Human Resources Assistant Leigh had a prior commitment so she had participated in the walk in St. Louis last week. Here's the rest of the team. Me, Jackie Walker, the owner of Comfort Keepers in St. Louis, St Charles and Lincoln County, her daughter in law Samantha and husband Dave (i.e. Mr. Boss).


This was the view ahead of us, I wish I had a better picture to show you all the other walkers, this place was packed. I was told so many more people turned out that they ran out of the purple bracelets we were supposed to wear!


Here's Jackie and Dave walking in front of me.



And now we are nearing the end, Jackie is out in front as you can see! Our team raised over $1500 and you can still donate if you wish! Go to Our Team Page.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Long Distance Caregiving from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

Living a thousand miles away from my elderly parents I can identify with the woman telling the story about her aging loved ones in this article. It's not always feasible or desirable to move your senior loved one closer to you or for you to move closer to them. Keeping in touch by telephone and trying to solve the problems long distance can be very stressful and traveling back and forth can get very expensive. If you are caring for a loved one from a distance an agency such as Comfort Keepers can help. An agency such as ours can be your eyes and ears. We can help with most of the things you aren't able to do from a distance. Making sure your loved ones are eating, taking their meds and getting to doctor appointments. We will also be able to let you know if there are other problems that need to be addressed.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Poor Medication Management Can Harm Seniors from Comfort Keepers Elderly Care in Troy, MO

When our loved ones do not take their medications properly or at all it can harm them in many ways. Over or under medication, or not following directions taking it can lead to unnecessary hospitalizations and even death. Using several pharmacies to get better prices or just because it was convenient at the time can cause drug interactions.

Up to 10 percent of all admissions into long term care and/or assisted living facilities are because the client was unable to self-medicate. Adverse drug reactions are also considered to be the 4th leading cause of death among the elderly.

Comfort Keepers Home Care of the St. Louis, St. Charles and Lincoln County areas in Missouri can help. Starting with our new Daily Meds program that will package your elder loved ones medications in packets with instructions on what day and time to take it. This is mailed to the home monthly.

We also offer a Safety Choice Medication Dispenser which organizes, reminds, dispenses and tracks delivery of up to 40 days of prescribed drugs. It can alert the elder that medications are due and warns when they have not been dispensed.

We also, of course, offer our wonderful caregivers, who can help with many other things as well as remind your loved one when to take their medication.

Resource: The elderly face the dangers of poor medication management

You can call us at: 314-288-0054

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Caregiving Misconceptions from Comfort Keepers Elderly Care in Troy, MO

There are many misconceptions about caregiving floating around, such as that it is detrimental to the caregiver or that adult children don't want to be bothered with caring for their elderly parents. The following article sorts out these and others.

Common Caregiving Misconceptions

Monday, August 31, 2009

Long Distance Caregiving from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

I moved a thousand miles away from my parents years ago. Actually Mapquest says it's 978 miles but who's counting? I call them at least once a week and so far everything is usually fine. I do have a brother that lives much closer and he is available in case something went wrong. But what if he wasn't? What if I were an only child, or my siblings lived even further away? Some elderly loved ones will also not tell you if anything is wrong because you "live so far away" or they "don't want to worry you". The following article gives some good tips on how to tell if there is a problem or not.

Long Distance Caregiving

If you are a long distance caregiver with parents in the St. Louis, St Charles or Lincoln County Area give Comfort Keepers a call at 314-288-0054.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Alzheimer's and Social Activity with Senior Care in Troy, MO

There was a study done in Chicago recently that showed that staying socially active may help prevent the onset of symptoms in Alzheimer’s. What this means is, if we keep our elderly parents engaged in life mentally, physically, emotionally and socially there is a good chance that we can keep them in their own homes for a longer period of time.
Many seniors with Alzheimer’s have a tendency to isolate themselves and have lost the ability to reach out to family and friends for their social needs. Friends and even family may stop visiting so often, or be so taken up with caring for basic physical needs that they may not recognize the need for social and mental activity. Even if we, as family members, recognize the need, we may not be able to do much about it because of restraints of time and distance.

Here at Comfort Keepers we can assist families with these needs, as well as your loved ones physical needs and safety, we call it Interactive Caregiving. Caregiving should be more than just cooking, cleaning and assisting with personal care, we take everyday activities and transform them into opportunities to communicate with and engage our clients. If you would like to know more about Interactive Caregiving please take the time to read our online brochure or if you’re in the St. Louis, St. Charles or Troy, MO area call us at 314-288-0054.
Interactive Caregiving

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Why Pay the Extra for an Agency? from Comfort Keepers Senior and Elderly Care in Troy, MO

There are many good reasons to hire an agency instead of an individual. It may seem more expensive than hiring your best friends, neighbor's niece but it can end up saving you a lot of money and trouble in the long run. I just found this article that explains it all much better than I

Research to find in-home caregivers

Friday, July 17, 2009

Denial can be Deadly for Aging Seniors by Comfort Keepers in Troy, MO

Many times we would like to turn a blind eye to the fact that our parents are aging. We want things to be how they always were. But things change and our parents age. As they age they may become more incapable of caring for themselves or doing the things they have always done. Not recognizing that our elderly parents need more assistance could lead to accidents, falls or even fatalities.

Please take a minute to read the following article:

Denial can be deadly with aging parents

If your parents need more help than you can provide in St Louis, St Charles or Lincoln Counties in Missouri, please give us a call.

314-288-0054

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Preventing Caregiver Burnout in Troy, MO Courtesy of Comfort Keepers Senior Care

In my job here at Comfort Keepers Senior and Elderly Care I have seen families under a lot of stress trying to care for a loved one. Many times they don't get outside help until the situation becomes detrimental for both the family caregiver and the loved one they are caring for. Caregiving puts a lot of stress both mentally and physically on the caregiver and can lead to them becoming ill also. It can also to lead to making mistakes in the care of the loved one and even to neglect or abuse. Hiring outside help, such as we provide at Comfort Keepers here in Troy, MO, can help and allows the family caregiver to spend quality time with the loved one. Here is an article I found about preventing caregiver burnout.
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Preventing Caregiver Burnout
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Monday, July 6, 2009

Taxes, the IRS and Hiring a Private Duty Caregiver for Elderly Care in Troy, MO

Many people think home health care agencies such as ours, Comfort Keepers Senior and Elderly Care of Troy, MO, are too expensive. They just don't realize all we do and everything we take care of for you. We pay our employees taxes and Social Security, pay for Workman's Comp insurance, do thorough background checks and provide ongoing education to help them be more effective in their jobs. We also make sure there is someone to cover every shift even if your regular caregiver becomes ill or quits.

Hiring an agency who's caregivers are employees and not independent contractors can save you many headaches and, in the long run as you can see from the article I've linked below, money.

Hiring Private Duty Home Care Workers:Why Work through an Agency?

Friday, July 3, 2009

Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer's with Comfort Keepers Elderly Care in Troy, MO

Caring for a parent or other loved one with Alzheimer's or related dementia can be a much more daunting task than caring for someone with a physical disability or illness. People diagnosed with Alzheimer's can often live for many years after they first find out they have the disease. But it can also be a very rewarding task, there is still a lot of love and times of joy to be shared between you and your loved one. You need to take care of yourself and you need to remember that you can't do it all by yourself. I found this really good article that discusses not what your loved one needs but what the family caregiver needs to make this experience a very rewarding one for you and your loved one.

Alzheimer’s Care: What the Caregiver Needs

Don't forget that companies such as ours, Comfort Keepers Senior and Elderly Care of Troy, MO can help give you the assistance you need so you can take care of you.