Returning Home Post-Discharge

Do you know a senior who is being discharged from the hospital and could use some extra help getting home? Our Home Safe Service and Returning Home Service can help!

 

Home Safe Service:

• Home Instead Senior Care phones hospital for confirmation of date/time/logistics
• Caregiver arrives at appointed time and place to pick up patient
• Escort patient home and get settled (bathed, dressed, etc.)
• Shop for groceries & medications
• Conduct safety check of home and prepare for occupancy
• Light Housekeeping , sort mail and review phone messages
• Meal Preparation
• Medication Reminders
• Call family contact to notify of assignment completion
• Option of having a Nurse Practitioner conduct a visit within 72 hours of return to assess client and ensure medical issues are resolved or being properly maintained

Returning Home Service:

The care one receives during the first 30 days at home after discharge from a hospital or other healthcare facility is vital to ensuring their long-term recovery. Often mistakes made in medications, missed follow-up medical appointments, poor nutrition and dehydration, and lack of safety preparation in the home are the issues that can lead to readmission.

When our CAREGivers accompany seniors home from a hospital stay, there are a number of warning signs they know look for over the next few days and weeks to avoid complications and make sure the senior is on the road to recovery. You’ll find this list of warning signs helpful as well: Post Hospital Stay Warning Signs

Has your loved one ever been readmitted to the hospital shortly after an initial stay? Is there anything you wish you knew you could’ve done to prevent readmission?

Call Home Instead Senior Care to request our Home Safe Service or Returning Home Services at 204-953-3720

Protect Seniors From Fraud

Many older adults are vulnerable to scams. There are a variety of reasons why:

1. Availability: Seniors are seen as a target because they are retired and less mobile, and at home for the calls. Scam artists can troll for victims because they can call or drop by.

2. Isolation: Seniors are often alone because families move away and sometimes have little or no interaction with loved ones. Some seniors don’t have others to help review large decisions.

3. Loneliness: Because of their isolation, seniors’ friendships often can be limited, and this can make them vulnerable to that friendly cold caller who drops by the house. Some scams are even perpetrated by seemingly trusted people who work to build new friendships with older adults and then prey on their vulnerabilities.

4. Sickness: Chronic health issues mean that many older adults have difficulty maintaining their property. Scam artists know that. A senior may rely on outside sources for help. Unscrupulous workers can bilk seniors out of thousands of dollars for a job that should only cost hundreds of dollars. Dementia can exacerbate the problem.

5. Prosperity: Money is one of the most notable reasons for senior vulnerability. Scammers see them as a supply of wealth that includes homes, property, life savings and other assets.

Fraud is a form of elder abuse. If you have a senior loved one you may want to sit down and talk about scammers, there are many stories and tools at ProtectSeniorsFromFraud.com.

CAREGiver of the Month: July

Our CAREGiver of the Month for July is Pauline!

We really appreciate her willingness to always take on new clients and switch shifts. It makes the challenging job of staff coordinator easier on Alanna when we have a caregiver that says, "yes!"

What was your favorite moment with a client?
My favorite moment with a client is when we build up puzzles together. The best moment is when both of us can't get it right and we laugh at each other's inability to complete the puzzle.

What advice would you give to a new caregiver?
My advice to a new caregiver is that, the job of caregiving requires dedication, time and energy. If you are not dedicated, you will not enjoy your job. I have passion for everyone who needs help and care, so I dedicate my time to these people most especially the elderly and the young. I just love working with them and they need care the most.

Why did you decide to become a caregiver?
I have always wanted to look after the sick and those in need of help with their activities of daily living. That was the reason why I decided to become a caregiver. It gives me great joy when I make a difference in someones life.

Thanks Pauline!

Hot Weather Tips for Seniors

The elderly are often the most vulnerable to severe heat, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Why? Their bodies do not adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature, they are more likely to have a chronic medical condition that changes normal body responses to heat, and they are often on a prescription medicine that impairs the body's ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibits perspiration.

If you are a senior or caring for an elderly individual, the following tips, from the local Home Instead Senior Care office, will help them combat the heat:

• Keep a glass of water in every room to quickly and easily access fluids. Drink plenty of fluids, even if you don’t feel thirsty.

• Go through the closet and remove all heavy materials, long sleeves and dark colors. Store them until fall. If you’re in need of new clothes, check out the latest fashion magazines. Look for short sleeves, lightweight rayons or cottons, and light-colored clothing that reflect the heat.

• Stay out of the sun during the hottest times of the day. Fill up your bird feeder in the morning and water the lawn at night. Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation that much more difficult.

• Put down that broom! Save household chores, particularly washing and drying clothes and operating the dishwasher, for evenings, when the weather is cooler.

• Take a nap during high heat times – between 3 and 5 p.m. in the afternoon, for instance – or find a good television program or movie to watch.

• While you’re napping or enjoying a movie, keep shades down and blinds pulled. Keeping a house tightly closed is more energy efficient.

• Invite your friends over for an iced tea break. Replace coffee breaks with iced tea or lemonade breaks in an air-conditioned spot – not the patio. Staying in an air-conditioned dwelling during hot days is safer.

 • If you don’t have an air conditioner, or if yours is broken, spend the afternoon at the mall. You can shop, get a cool beverage at the food court or go to a movie.

• Put away that meat loaf recipe for the summer and track down new recipes for fruit and vegetable salads. Foods like proteins that increase metabolic heat production also increase water loss.

• If increased use of a central air conditioning system causes higher utility bills that are a problem for your budget, consider purchasing a fan or small window unit that can cool down a home at a lower cost. In fact, window fans provide an effective way to exhaust the day’s hot air during the night.

Salute to Senior Service

Lesley Iredale, a Victoria General Hospital volunteer, has been honoured as the national winner of the Home Instead Senior Care’s Salute to Senior Service award. The grand prize included a $5,000 donation to the Guild of the Victoria General Hospital in honour of Iredale’s longtime dedicated service.



Photo: VGH President & COO Francis laBossière, Lesley Iredale, Home Instead Senior Care Winnipeg owner Julie Donaldson and manager of VGH Volunteer Services Nancy Taggart.

Iredale served as Manager of Victoria General Hospital Volunteer Services for 13 years. Since retirement, she has been a part of the 450-member volunteer program for the past 17 years. She is currently a Gift Shop volunteer, the Manitoba Health Auxiliaries Association representative for the Winnipeg Region, the chair for the Steering Committee, and a member of the Ways & Means Committee. She also participates in all Guild fundraisers.

The Salute to Senior Service program was launched this year to honour seniors’ commitments to their causes and communities. For more information about the Home Instead Senior Care network’s Salute to Senior Service program, visit SalutetoSeniorService.com.