Older adults are especially vulnerable to hot weather, as aging bodies lose the ability to quickly and easily adapt to high heat. Often compounding the problem are prescription drugs that can also reduce the body’s ability to adjust to temperature changes.

During hot weather, make sure your older adult…

• Drinks more fluids. It’s very important to keep hydrated, and to drink before thirst sets in. Warning: If your physician limits the amount of fluid your loved one can drink or has them on water pills, consult the doctor first about increasing water consumption. Avoid drinking liquids that contain alcohol or large amounts of sugar, which actually cause body fluid loss.

• Stays inside, ideally in an air-conditioned room. If your home does not have air conditioning, visit a shopping mall, public library, or book store. Perhaps use the hot weather as a reason to go out to dinner at a cool restaurant. Your local health department can also provide information on any heat-relief shelters.

• Uses cool showers/baths. Though turning on a few electric fans may offer some relief, a more effective alternative is to take a cool shower or bath.

• Wears clothing that is lightweight, light-colored, and loose-fitting.

• Gets visitors. Visit at-risk adults twice a day or more, and carefully watch them for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, as follows…

Symptoms of heat stroke:

• An extremely high body temperature (above 103°F)
• Red, hot, and dry skin but without sweating
• Rapid, strong pulse
• Throbbing headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea

If you suspect heat stroke, call 911 or summon medical personnel immediately.

Sources: elderparenthelp.com

http://kstp.com/news/stories/s2678688.shtml

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Here are ways to help ensure your elderly loved ones have smooth, enjoyable holiday season:

• If their home will be used for gatherings, look for ways to manage the heightened activity. Kids and dogs running about can be over-stimulating and stressful, so make sure parents supervise them.
• Respectfully honor that Grandma might be particular about which casserole dishes can be used, or help Grandpa put fragile treasures out of reach of young children.
• Is your elderly loved one quiet and withdrawn? If hearing loss is a factor, check hearing-aid adjustments in support of increased opportunities for conversation.
• Draw older adults into activities by assigning simple tasks. If dementia is causing your seniors to be withdrawn, get family members to involve them in “memory lane” conversations that take advantage of long-term memory. What was Grandma and Grandpa’s first Christmas or Hanukah together like? Are there cherished ornaments or holiday vacations to reminisce about? Did they weather any scary snowstorms?
• Be on the look out for holiday criminals who may call, email, or come to the door of your elderly loved one who they expect to be an easy victim. If Grandpa talks about a recent purchase that doesn’t quite make sense, stop, listen, and ask probing questions.
• Relatives and friends who don’t see older relatives regularly might observe something new. Look for opportunities to have conversations that might start with, “How do you think Grandpa is doing these days?” You might find that an elderly relative will reveal things suddenly to someone they don’t see much. When dementia is present, out-of-town friends and family may need to be warned to help avoid embarrassing moments.
• Check in with your loved ones to find out how they’re doing in the face of such a flurry of activity. You might be able to set up a room for resting so Grandma can nap or otherwise get quiet time. Don’t be afraid to put a sign on the door that lets others know a room is off-limits for a time.

Source:

http://seniorliving.about.com/od/grandparents/a/happy_holidays.htm

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Not all agencies require the extensive training that Pinnacle does.

According to Karin Malkowski Stende, trainer/human resources associate, Pinnacle requires “very intensive, 30-plus hours of classroom and on-site training that new staff are expected to complete during their initial two weeks of employment.”

“The state requires 30 hours of training within the first 60 days of employment,” says Stende. “We believe that our two-week training model exceeds that requirement and allows us to better equip our new staff with the knowledge and expertise they will need in order to be of maximum service to the consumer.”

The Pinnacle curriculum includes training on:

• The Vulnerable Adult/Maltreatment of Minors Act (which mandates reporting of actual or suspected abuse/maltreatment of vulnerable adults and/or minors)
• Rule 40 (which regulates the use of controlled procedures)
• Medication administration
• Home health aide competency
• Basic dementia training (which includes communication skills and working with challenging behaviors)
• CPR and first aid from American Red Cross-certified instructors
• Boundaries
• Vehicle safety
• Funding and waivers
• HIPAA
• Alternative intervention, and
• Pinnacle Services company history, mission, and core values.

New staff also gets intensive on-site orientation that includes medical equipment training, as well as completing risk management post-tests.

“All of our trainings are designed to give our new staff the confidence and competence they need so they can provide consumers with services of the highest quality — one of our company’s core values,” says Stende.

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What’s more, prescription drugs can also reduce the body’s ability to adjust to temperature changes.

The effects of too much heat
Watch for these symptoms of heat stroke:

• An extremely high body temperature (above 103°F)
• Red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating)
• Rapid, strong pulse
• Throbbing headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea

If you suspect heat stroke, call 911 or summon medical personnel immediately.

Tips for preventing heat-related illnesses
Here are tips to safeguard your health during the hot weather:

• Drink more fluids. It’s very important to keep hydrated. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Warning: If your physician limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, check with him on how much you should drink while the weather is hot.Avoid drinking liquids that contain alcohol or large amounts of sugar. These types of liquids make you lose more body fluid.
• Stay indoors and, if possible, stay in an air-conditioned room. If your home does not have air conditioning, visit a shopping mall or public library. You can also contact your local health department to find out if there are any heat-relief shelters in your area.
• Electric fans may offer some comfort. However, when the temperature reaches the high 90s, fans will not prevent heat-related illness. Taking a cool shower or bath, or spending time in an air-conditioned place is a much better way to cool off.
• Wear clothing that is lightweight, light-colored, and loose-fitting.
• Visit adults at risk twice a day or more. Watch them for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

SOURCE: elderparenthelp.com

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Class A License – Issued to professional home care agencies. A Class A agency provides care in your home—whether it’s a house/apartment or a residential facility. Agencies with a Class A license may offer a full spectrum of services from nursing and physical/speech/occupational/respiratory therapy to medical social services and supplies. Many Class A agencies provide a menu of the most requested and essential services: nurses, home health aides, homemakers, companions, and medical social services or care management services. The agency employs and manages the staff and checks their qualifications.

Class B License – Issued to paraprofessional agencies. A Class B agency provides home health aides and homemaking and/or companion services in your home—whether it’s a house/apartment or a residential facility. Class B agencies do not offer nursing or any of the various therapies mentioned above. For many families, that’s all they need. The agency employs and manages the staff and checks their qualifications.

Class C License – Issued to an individual. With a Class C license, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) can provide home health aide services under the supervision of an R.N. It’s up to the CNA/home health aide to establish a relationship with a supervising R.N. A home health aide can also provide personal care assistance or homemaking services. Personal care assistance includes help with bathing and dressing as well as some housekeeping tasks. However, personal care assistants do not help with anything medical like taking blood pressures or supervising medications. Homemakers do cooking, cleaning, and shopping, but they do not do personal care. Personal care assistants and homemakers need to be registered with the state, but they are not licensed.

If you choose a person with a Class C license, you are hiring and supervising him or her directly. You are responsible for checking credentials and background. You will arrange for coverage if the person you hire is sick or his or her car won’t start.

Class F License – Issued to assisted living facilities. Agencies with a Class F license provide care in a residential facility/assisted living setting. Sometimes these facilities are referred to as Housing with Services (HWS). People with a Class F license do not come to individual homes. With a Class F license, the organization may provide the full range of services mentioned under Class A. Or they may offer a more limited selection of services.

Medicare Certification – If an agency accepts Medicare payments, it must meet the federal government’s requirements in order to be certified. However, if an agency does not accept Medicare payment, it doesn’t have to be Medicare-certified. If an agency is Medicare-certified it must also have a Class A home care license, but a Class A agency is not required to be Medicare-certified. In other words, lack of Medicare-certification is no reflection on the quality of the care—it strictly relates to the forms of payment accepted.

To learn about home care licensing in more detail, consult the Minnesota Department of Health or visit the Minnesota Board on Aging.

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Home Care High Fivefromnoah namowicz on Vimeo

Pinnacle Services, a Minnesota based senior care provider www.pinnacleservices.org, has teamed up with the high five guys from funnyordie.com to create Home Care High Five. We had a blast making the video, and hope you enjoy it even more!

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The complete article can be found at: http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/caregiving/articles/helping_an_elder_in_need.html

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The full article can be found at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/us/07squeeze.html?scp=1&sq=Chokehold&st=cse

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