www.SAHseniors.com

Happy 2013 from all of us at Stay at Home Senior Care! 2012 was another amazing year for us! We were honored to be recognized and receive awards twice this year - one from the business community and one from area families! In the business community, we received the Small Business of the Year award from the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce. We were up against several successful companies in town and were thrilled to hear our name read as the winner. Wow! In the Wake Forest community, we received the Best of the Best First Place Award for Home Health Service in Wake Forest. This honor is granted by Wake Weekly newspa-per readers who write in their votes. This is the second year in a row that we have won first place! Thank you to all who voted for us! We ended the year participating in the Wake Forest Christmas Parade in early December (see special insert) which was an incredible experience for Kim and me. We rode atop the float and gave our best pageant waves! We had a beautiful float in red and purple decorated by our multi- talented caregiver Sharon Danner. Four sweet Red Hat Ladies rode in our sleigh and my family got to dress up like elves. Some of our caregivers marched alongside the float and handed out Norman Rockwell calendars. It was a blast! We topped off the Holiday Season with our Open House from December 17th-19th. Many of our clients, caregivers, and profes-

sional partners dropped by for delicious food, champagne, and cheer. During the open house our clients and friends had a chance to see the office “facelift.” After ten years, we decided it was time for a new coat of paint and some pretty office furniture. If you did not have a chance to visit, come by anytime! Speaking of improvements, The Gardens at Wakefield Plantation is undergoing some significant updates which unfortunately delays our plans for a 10th anniversary celebration at the end of February. But don’t fret. We will let you know the new party date soon! On Thursday, April 18th from 1:00-7:00 pm, please stop by booth #61 at the Wake Weekly’s Health and Wellness Expo. It will be held at the YMCA at The Factory. Thank you for allowing us to serve your family and our community. We all love what we do and it would not be possible without our clients putting trust in our care. It has been a wonderful ten years and I look forward to the next decade together! And remember, we treat every contact as a friend, every client as family, and complete every task with honor. Best wishes, Deborah Bordeaux President, Certified Senior Advisor

Silver Connections

WINTER 2013

2014 S. Main Street, Suite 610, Wake Forest, NC 27587 556-3706

Welcome to the Winter 2013 Issue of Silver Connections

CAREGIVER OF THE SEASON  

Kim Webb  

Ask any resident at The Gardens at Wakefield who Kim Webb is and you will hear the same reply, "The pretty girl with the big laugh!" Some even claim to hear her in the lobby from the fourth floor. Marie Wall, Director at The Gardens states, "Kim is absolutely the tops!! No matter what the situation is, she has a smile on her face and a song in her heart. She is the best of the best and we all adore her!!" Six years ago, Kim came to Stay at Home after caring for her sister with cancer and years of volunteering at nursing homes. She and Kim Dingus (the other Kim!) were hired at the same time. They became fast friends and Kim D. says with a smile, "Kim's energy, enthusiasm, and faith are boundless. On top of that, she is very funny and can sing like an angel!" Kim hales from Tampa, Florida and is VERY happily married to her husband of almost 30 years, Drew. They have two married children, Ginny and Dan, and are eagerly awaiting grandchildren! Kim is currently filling that void with her new rescue dog, Zoey, pictured above. Drew and Kim are extremely active in their church and love spending time together. As an army wife, Kim and her family have lived in every time zone in the continental U.S. during Drew's 21 years of service, and they loved every minute of it! Kim is devoted and dedicated to her many clients. She goes the extra mile to make sure all of their needs are met. Lillian Christie says it best, "I didn't think I needed help. Now, I thank God for Kim!" Kim responds, "I LOVE our seniors! New people, new experiences, an adventure with each visit...they all hold a special place in my heart!" And, Kim, you hold a very special place in ours!

IN THIS ISSUE:  

President’s Welcome  1 Caregiver of the Season  1 Finance/Consumer: How to Help a Senior Create a Lasting Legacy    2 Rotating Topic:  Your Ordinary Life is Unusual Today   2‐3 Health & Lifestyles: Hospitalizing a Loved One with Dementia:     “Hospital Do’s and Don’ts” ‐ Part Three   3 10th Anniversary, Calendar of Events, Above And Beyond    4                     

Even  if  you  didn’t  stow  away  on  a steamship  in  the  1920’s  at  age  13,  your personal  history  can  be  fascinating  to your family, friends, and others. 

If  you  were  born  in  the  early  part  of America’s  20th  century,  you  experienced powerful  events.    Two  world  wars,  a depression,  new widespread  use  of  the automobile,  development  of  the  movie industry,  the  growth  of  “labor‐saving” devices, and much more affected lives in small and large ways. 

What you have to relate about the every‐day effects of these events is interesting ‐ because  it  is  about  you  (told  to  people who  care  about  you),  and  because  it provides  details,  emotions,  and  insights that bring past events to life in wonderful and meaningful ways. 

Many  of  the  most  interesting  personal histories  are  verbal  –  simply  telling stories. 

Think  about  it:  we  have  seen  movie westerns.   But what  a difference  it  is  to hear  about  one  of  the  last  real  cattle drives  in  the  late 1890’s  from an elderly gentleman  who  “rode  drag”  ‐  as  he describes  the  dust  and  soreness,  the dangers,  boredom  and  beauty  from Texas to Kansas City. 

All  it  takes  to  create  your  personal history  is a  tape  recorder and a  remem‐bering  spirit,  to  share what  life was  like for  you  50,  60  or more  years  ago;  told when  the mood  strikes,  perhaps with  a loved  one  nearby  to  ask  questions  and prompt your recollections. 

You might  pick  a  time  of  year,  like  the holidays, you remember celebrating as a child;  or a theme ‐ the pets you enjoyed, your  first  attempts  at  cooking  or  your first  job.  Perhaps  you  recall  significant news  headlines,  and  can  describe what was  happening  in  your  life  at  the  time and how  the  events  affected you.   How did  you  feel?    Was  it  warm  or  cool?  What did you  see and  touch and  smell?  What did your surroundings look like? 

Continued on Page 3 

PAGE 2 WINTER 2013 NEWSLETTER

How to Help a Senior Create a Lasting Legacy

A lasting legacy for friends and family To  help  older  adults  recognize  and understand  their  legacy,  consider  a family  legacy  project.  A  legacy  project will help  them  celebrate  their  lives  and memories—  and  allow  family  and friends to share in the experience. Even  a  frail or mentally  impaired  adult can  participate  on  some  level  and will likely appreciate the result, whether itʹs a poster,  a  family  recipe  book,  or  a celebration  in  the park. A  legacy project will  also  give  everyone  a  memento  of their  lives  that will  live on  after  theyʹre gone. There  are  countless  ways  to  create  a legacy project. The approach you choose will  depend  on  factors  like  the  talents and  interests  of  those  involved  in  the project,  their  family history and culture, and  their health. Make  it a multigenera‐tional  effort  by  recruiting  children  and grandchildren  to  participate.  The  final results may be large or modest, depend‐ing on everyoneʹs  time and  inclinations, and the materials can range from photos and glue sticks  to fabric and  thread  to a digital medium. Here are  some  ideas  to get you going: Kick off an ongoing photo project  Create  a poster  or  a memory book  that documents  the  life passages  of  those  in your  care,  and  keep  it  up  to  date with recent photos of grandchildren, gradua‐tion parties, and  family  trips. They may enjoy going through the photos with you and helping you write captions. Create a digital video or slide show There  are  now  many  easy‐to‐use computer  programs  that  allow  digital photos  to  be  compiled  into  slide  shows or  videos  with music  soundtracks  and text. Work with  them  to  choose  photos and music  to  tell a story of  their  lives—these  completed  projects  can  be  shared with  friends  and  family  easily  through YouTube or Facebook. Create a memoir or an oral history  Many  senior  centers  and  assisted  living facilities  now  offer  classes  on  memoir writing  for  seniors.  If  you  canʹt  find  a class or those in your care don’t want to write their own story, encourage them to talk to you with a tape recorder running. Ask  about  their  childhood,  their experience  during  the  war,  their 

memories  of  their  own parents. Talk  to other  family members  to  flesh  out  the family  history  and  create  an  annotated family  tree.  Type  up  the  results  and include photos and illustrations. Encourage a work‐related legacy project  If their professional accomplishments are an  important  part  of  their  legacy,  help them maintain their connections to their life’s work. Encourage them to subscribe to journals in their area of expertise or to serve as a mentor for a young colleague, if  theyʹre  up  to  it. Keep  an  eye  out  for articles  and  books  that  might  interest them. If theyʹve written books or papers or created pieces of art, make sure  their lifeʹs work  isnʹt  just gathering dust  in  a box somewhere. Instead, create a special shelf  to  hold  the  books  and  papers  or devote a wall to the paintings. Lend a hand for a crafts project  If crafts have played a major role  in  the lives  of  those  youʹre  caring  for,  help create  a  craft‐based  legacy  project.  You may want to work together on a quilt or ornament  decoration,  for  example.  If they arenʹt up  to participating,  let  them choose  patterns  and  colors.  If  cooking has  always  played  a  strong  role  in  the familyʹs  culture,  consider  putting together  a  collection  of  some  favorite recipes. Ask  family members  to contrib‐ute their own favorite recipes.  Embrace  family  reunions  and  celebra‐tions  Be  sure  to  celebrate  life  passages  like anniversaries,  birthdays,  and  gradua‐tions.  Consider  organizing  a  trip,  if theyʹre  up  to  it.  Theyʹll  also  enjoy  a family  picnic with  balloons  and  home‐made cards, even if it has to take place in the  nursing  home  cafeteria.  Create  a photo  album  or  colorful  poster  to commemorate the event. Encourage them to do volunteer work  The older generation often feels a strong impulse to give back to their community and gets great satisfaction from reaching out to others. If theyʹre up to it, you can help  them  find volunteer work  that will help  give  their  lives  structure  and meaning.   http://www.caring.com/articles/lasting‐legacy 

Your Ordinary Life is Unusual Today

WINTER 2013 NEWSLETTER PAGE 3

Hospitalizing a Loved One with Dementia: “Hospital Do’s & Don’ts” - #3 in Dementia Series

As a caregiver, you can’t be expected  to be  an  expert  in  medicine.  You  are, however,  the  best  expert  about  your loved one’s particular care and comfort. And  when  someone  with  dementia  is hospitalized,  the  hospital  staff  needs your  expertise  as  much  as  you  need theirs. The following four tips can  improve the quality of your loved one’s care: 1. Do: Spend  as much  time  at bedside as  you  can.  By  sticking  close  to  your loved one’s side, you can be a reassuring presence  in  a  stressful  and  unfamiliar situation.  Hospitalization’s  chaos  and loss of familiar routines is disorienting to someone with dementia. Your loved one might forget where he or she is and why; you can gently orient as to  place  and  purpose:  “We’re  in  the hospital because you  fell down and got hurt.” By  staying  close, you’re  also  in  a better position  to monitor  your  loved  one  for pain or other needs and convey informa‐tion  to medical  staff. And,  in  turn,  you can  answer  their  questions  and  be  an advocate for your loved one. If you can’t be  there,  consider  exploring  other options. 2.  Do:  Share  with  hospital  staff  your tips  about what works  to  soothe  your loved one. You know better than anyone what works  and what  hinders  effective communication  with  and  cooperation from your loved one. Don’t be shy about offering suggestions: “She doesn’t like to be called by her first name.” 

 “He’s more cooperative after a snack.” 

 “She  really  likes  listening  to music  on the iPod, if that’s all right; I think  it will calm her.” 

A diagnosis of dementia should be there in  the  person’s  chart,  but  the  hospital staff  won’t  check  everything  in  the records  every  time.  So  issue  quiet reminders  of  this  if  the  staffer  doesn’t seem  to  realize. You  could  even  post  a sign on the door: “Reminder: Mrs. Jones has moderate dementia.” Your loved one won’t  see  it,  or  overhear  you,  and  the staff will appreciate the gentle prod. 

3.  Do:  Convey  information  about symptoms  and  pain.  One  of  the most important contributions you can make is speaking  for  your  loved  one.  Jot  down when  you  notice unusual  symptoms  or expressions  of  pain,  so  you  can  let  the doctor  or  nursing  staff  know.  People with dementia are not accurate reporters of  their  own  symptoms.  Many  people with  dementia  still  have  the  ability  to bluff or brush aside questions, especially about pain and symptoms. 4. Do: Make  sure  your  loved  one  has glasses,  dentures,  hearing  aids,  and other helpful devices. Your loved one’s devices  may  be  removed  during procedures or sleep, and he or she may then forget to ask about them  later. Yet not having glasses, dentures, or hearing aids  can  add  to  the person’s  confusion and fear. And one thing not to do: 1.  Don’t  try  to  micromanage  the medical  care.  It’s  tempting  to want  to control every aspect of your loved one’s hospital experience. But not only is this unfeasible,  it  can  interfere  with  good care. 

Your Life, continued from Page 2

Tell as many details as possible, so your listeners  can  see  the  pictures  you  are painting with your words. 

At  some  later date, your  stories might even  be  transcribed  and  collected,  to share,  document,  or  teach.  The  most important  thing  is  that  your  voice, spirit  and  legacy  of  living will  have  a way of being heard by your grandchil‐dren,  nephews,  nieces,  and  others  for generations to come. 

The story of the young stowaway at the beginning  of  this  article  actually  hap‐pened.   He  hid  under  a  lifeboat  on  a cruise  ship when  it was  in port  in Los Angeles,  and was discovered  long  out to  sea.   Upon arrival  in Hawaii, as  the vacationers disembarked, he was taken into custody and sentenced  to work as a  laborer  on  a  pineapple  plantation 

until he had earned enough  to pay  for his  trip – both ways.   Once he had, he was promptly put back on another boat and taken home.  Of course his mother was  beside  herself  and made  sure  he paid  in other ways at home, for a  long time! 

He  told adventure when he was  in his 80s,  describing  both  a  boy’s  desire  to see  the world  and  the  desperation  of the Depression Era, when such dreams seemed  completely  impossible.    You may not have  such  a dramatic  experi‐ence to recount, but many will treasure your  description  of  ordinary  life  as  it was years  ago, because  it  is no  longer “ordinary” today. Give it a try! 

 

Source:  Society of Certified  Senior Advisors 

What you can do: • Ask  the nurse(s) going off duty what needs  to be done during  the next  shift in terms of tests or other care. Check in with the new nurse(s) about these same things. 

•  Ask  the  doctors  questions  about what’s being done and why. Remember that your loved one will be seeing many specialists.  It’s a good  idea  to  jot down questions  in  a  dedicated  notebook  as they occur to you. 

•  Ask  to  have  unfamiliar  terms  ex‐plained  to  you.  You  have  a  right  to understand  everything  that’s  taking place. 

•  If  you  disagree  with  treatment  or have  concerns  about  how  things  are going,  ask  for  a  second  opinion.  For most  patients with  dementia,  a  geriat‐rics  consultation  (with  a  geriatric specialist)  can  be  helpful.  Or  you  can ask to speak with a hospital advocate or member  of  the hospital  ethics  commit‐tee. 

Third of an 8‐part series by Leslie Kernisan, M.D. and Paula Spencer Scott, Caring.com. http://www.senioritylifecare.com/dementia‐dos‐and‐donts/ 

PAGE 4 WINTER 2013 NEWSLETTER

Calendar of Events  

Vial of Life Presentation—Northern Wake Senior Center   Thursday, February 7th at 9:30 am Alzheimers North Carolina Support Group Meeting—   Wake Forest Baptist Church—   Tuesday, February 12th at 7:00 pm Wake Weekly Health Fair—YMCA Gym at The Factory   Booth #61—Thursday, April 18th from 1:00‐7:00 pm  

Blood Pressure Checks—The Gardens at Wakefield Plantation   Every Wednesday from 9:00—10:00 am Blood Pressure Checks—The Lodge at Wake Forest   Every Wednesday from 10:30—11:30 am  

     

This season's Above and Beyond caregiver was selected for a variety of reasons. Sharon Danner is our Stay at Home artist in residence. She kept our Christmas tree decorated the entire year of 2012, making it a theme tree depending on the month. We had a Valentine’s tree, an Easter tree, a summer beach tree, and a Halloween tree, just to name a few. Each one was adorned in a unique fashion that left us all amazed. (She also kept me decorated all year in her handmade hair bows!) As much as we enjoyed each tree, Sharon saved her pièce de résistance for December. Our white office Christmas tree with sparkly purple decorations was simply breathtaking. If this were not enough, Sharon single-handedly bedecked our float for the Christmas parade to reflect our "Red Hat Ladies" theme. The crowd went wild!! One last gesture that sent Sharon way beyond...during this past wintry mix episode, Sharon volunteered to spend Friday night at The Gardens in case other scheduled caregivers could not make it in on Saturday morning. That morning was an icy mess and Sharon, bless her, checked on all of the Stay at Home clients in the building before going to her regular client. Both the residents and the caregivers were grateful for her presence. And, of course, so was I! THANK YOU, SHARON!!

It seems like yesterday when Stay at Home began serving clients in the Wake Forest area. We are so excited to be celebrating our 10th year in business. To commemorate this landmark anniver-sary, we will be taking photographs throughout the community with our customized #10. We started with the Holiday open house. Check out our web site and Wake Weekly ads for many more. And, thank you to our wonderful clients, caregivers, and community partners for making this achievement possible!

Wake Forest

Christmas

Parade Float

2012

WINTER 2013 NEWSLETTER SPECIAL INSERT

INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING? CALL 556-3706.

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Fixin’ to do the pee pee dance? Physical therapy may help. Many  people  suffer  from urinary  incontinence  and other pelvic weakening with age or after childbirth, but  it is  rarely  discussed  openly.  Physical  therapy may  be  an option  for  people who  have had  problems  in  the  past, and would  like  to  try  other treatments  before  resorting to  surgery.    Even  minor episodes  of  stress  and  urge incontinence  can  be  treated with  strengthening  exercises to avoid advancement.  Orthopedic Physical Therapy Associates  in  the  Heritage Wake Forest  community has a  specialized  program  to treat pelvic floor conditions ‐ making  them  the  only  clinic in Wake  Forest  with  a  spe‐cialist  on  staff.    Holly Schmitz, DPT has  additional therapy  training  in  the  area of  women’s  health  and incontinence from the Ameri‐can  Physical  Therapy  Asso‐ciation  (APTA).    She  treats issues  from  urinary  inconti‐nence  to  pelvic  floor  dys‐function.  To  determine  if  physical therapy might  be  an  option for  you,  scheduling  an evaluation  and  speaking 

with  a  specialized  therapist can help you make  the  right decision  in  treating  your condition.  Orthopedic Physical Therapy accepts  most  health  insur‐

ance  plans.    For more  infor‐mat ion ,   please   v i s i t www.orthoPTassociates.com or call 919.556.4678  to sched‐ule a private evaluation with Holly.    Orthopedic  Physical Therapy  is  conveniently located off of Rogers Road in the  Heritage  Wake  Forest behind  Shuckers  and  Little Caesars.   

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CALL 919-781-5979 FOR A COMPLIMENTARY PHONE CONSULTATION!

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