Home Instead
York & Ryedale newsletter
companion THE
Check out our website: www.caregiver support.co.uk
November 2018
Big well done to Peter, Helen and Julie who all completed their Care Certificate this month. Also celebrating and getting their hands on some certificates were Julie, Jayne and Cath who received theirs for completing our City & Guilds Alzheimer’s & Dementia course recently.
Congratulations guys!
With Christmas just around the corner, we thought we would let you know what festivities are going on over the next few weeks: 30th November – CAREGiver Christmas Party at The Mercure Hotel. This is looking like it’s going to be a great night, bring your dancing shoes and celebrate getting into the festive spirit with your colleagues! Tuesday 4th December to 24th December Come in to the office to collect your Christmas gift, select a bauble off the tree and find your present underneath.
4th December to 24th December – We will be buying a Christmas plant for each one of our clients. Come in and collect them to deliver from Tuesday 4th December, with each plant there will be an accompanying Christmas card, designed by local York school children. Christmas Film Club – Friday 14th December 10am – Join us for a special Christmas Film club, we will be showing Disney Pixar’s ‘Up’, the hilariously uplifting adventure where the sky is no longer the limit for a retired balloon salesman Carl. We will be sure to have some
festive treats available to tuck into! Let Jack know if you can attend! Christmas Jumper Day 2018 – Friday 14th December – Bring some festive joy to your clients and don your finest Christmas Jumper. Send us a selfie of you in your festive knits and for every picture received we will donate to the national Christmas Jumper Day charity – Save The Children. CAREGiver Christmas Meeting – Monday 17th December 10.30am-11.30am – Bimonthly CAREGiver meeting with a festive twist, agenda tbc closer to the date. Let Jack know if you plan to attend, and an hour will be added to your schedule.
Cold symptoms – to treat or not to treat? Believe it or not, those annoying cold symptoms are part of the natural healing process. A fever is your body’s way of trying to kill viruses and makes germ-killing proteins circulate more quickly. Coughing clears your breathing passages and even a stuffy nose is best treated mildly or not at all. But you can do the following to relieve your symptoms: Blow your nose often and treat a stuffy nose with a warm salt water rinse. Stay warm and rested – this will help your body direct its energy toward the immune system battle. Gargle - try a teaspoon of salt dissolved in warm water, four times daily. Drink hot liquids – these relieve nasal congestion, prevent dehydration and soothe the membranes that line your nose and throat. Take a steamy shower - this moisturises your nasal passages and relaxes you. Use a cream under your nose – a small dab of mentholated cream can open breathing passages and help repair the irritated skin. Apply hot or cold packs around your sinuses – either temperature works! Sleep with an extra pillow under your head – this helps relieve congested nasal passages.
Tell Jack!
If you’d like to add an article to next month’s edition of The Companion, please contact Jack by the 27th November. You can tell us about an event that’s happening or about something you’ve achieved – we’d love to hear from you. Just give Jack a call or email him at
jack.fisher@hiscyork.co.uk
Client outings Our CAREGivers have been busy with their clients this month. CAREGiver Sarah went on a bike ride to the Howsham/Bossall area, where they visited Bossall Church and Lisa went for a nice Italian with her client at Frankie & Benny’s! Do you have any photos from being out and about with clients? Send them to Jack, and they could feature in next month’s Elder and Companion!
A T I O N I N F O R M
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A D V I C E
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T S U P P O R
The second edition of our Take Care Guide is out now
2nd Edition
Take Care
uide CAREGiving G
EDALE RK & RY ARE • YO ENIOR C STEAD S N I E M O H
We are delighted to announce the publication of our second edition of the Take Care Guide which is intended to provide assistance to those navigating the process of determining the right support that ageing loved ones might need in the future. It includes some key information on the things to consider and is designed as a practical tool to aid decision making. Copies have already been distributed by various organisations and health professionals across the York area. If you would prefer a personal copy, please give us a call on 01904 690884 and we will post it out to you.
Special Care Situations
Home Safety Checklist Home Instead
list, from Use this check if your help determine ds Senior Care®, to is safe from hazar loved one’s home and rdise well-being that could jeopa independence.
Bedroom create a tripping Do throw rugs carpet torn? hazard? Is the red with Is the room clutte zines, clothing, maga other items? newspaper or furniture Is there too much space? for the person lack Does the older hone or mobile access to a telep at night? phone, especially light? Is there enough high or low? Is the bed too ical cords Do tangled electr ays? obstruct pathw ure provide Does the furnit if needed? proper support,
Living Room clutter Is there too much space to and not enough furniture? move around ble? Is furniture unsta person reach the Can the older turn it off or on? light switch to lighting? Is there adequate ical cords pose Do rugs and electr ing hazard? a tripp n or Is the floor uneve is carpet torn? erature Is the room temp cold? too hot or the windows Does glare from for the older make it difficult person to see?
Hypertension/stroke recovery
Osteoarthritis
Home Safety Checklist continued…
The inability to perform simple, daily tasks with ease can lead to frustration and depression. But in most cases, people with Osteoarthritis can lead full, active lives by properly manageing the condition. Home Instead Senior Care can help alleviate some of the pressures by offering:
■ Development of a light exercise schedule.
■ Light housekeeping and laundry.
■ Healthy meal planning and preparation.
■ Meal preparation.
■ Monitoring and everyday health reminders.
■ Shopping.
Entrance/ Front Garden
Do steps have
■ Education about what affects blood glucose levels.
Are driveways or walkw snow and ice-co ays vered?
■ Healthy meal planning and preparation (diabetic-friendly).
Heart disease Home Instead Senior Care has extensive experience in care when it comes to managing heart disease. We can customise a programme for your loved one that includes: ■ Developing/implementing a heart healthy diet.
Hallway ng smoke alarm Is there a worki xide detector and Carbon Mono in place? Is there adequate
■ Shopping and errands. ■ Monitoring and everyday health reminders.
light at night?
person have Does the older g the bathroom trouble findin at night?
r page… continued ove
■ Help with daily activities. ■ Assistance with prescribed exercises.
proper handrails?
Are steps too steep , cracked or uneve n?
■ Development of a light exercise schedule.
ry? Is the floor slippe ? of bath mats Is there a lack high? Is the bath too correct height? Is the toilet the tial for Is there the poten hot? be too bath water to
steep or slippery? Does the last step blend in with the floor? Are the pathw ays cluttered?
m
If your loved one is one of the more than 16,000 York residents who suffer from diabetes, Home Instead Senior Care can help manage the disease through:
■ Shopping and errands.
y handrails for the stairway?
Are the steps too
Is laundry deter gent in bottle boxes too heavy s or to lift? Has detergent spilled on the laundry room floor? Does the older person have to carry baskets of laundry up and down stairs ?
Diabetes
■ Monitoring and everyday health reminders.
Stairs Are there sturd
Laundry Roo
■ Assisting with recreational activities.
■ Shopping and errands.
of ageing Do the conditions for the older make it difficult out of a chair? person to get
the available near Are grab bars toilet? bath, shower and
joint problems Are mobility and for the older ult making it diffic into overhead person to reach their hair or lift cabinets, comb into a bath? get their leg to
only those people who demonstrate care, empathy and love and understanding of older people to join our team. Our proprietary training programmes gives them the expertise and skills they need to be able to provide a highly professional and quality care service.
Lifestyle changes are the best strategy for controlling and preventing high blood pressure. This often means a combination of light exercise and medication. Home Instead Senior Care can support with the following:
Toilet & Shower
rly, ns stored prope Are medicatio too low for the not too high or reach? older person to
We understand that caring for our precious older generation is a special privilege and so one of the most important aspects of our service is the selection of our CAREGivers. It takes special qualities to become a CAREGiver with Home Instead Senior Care. We carefully search and select
Is there adequate
Alzheimer’s and other dementia
Are cupboards
■ Continuity of daily routines and schedule. ■ Freedom to move about in a familiar, unrestricted space.
■ Daily orientation to time, place and people.
Take Care
7
We have just added a new title to our CAREGiver Book Resource after it was recommended by one of our CAREGiver team.
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker Sleep has long been the most important but least understood aspect of our lives, wellness and longevity. This book explores the vital importance of sleep and how it enhances our ability to learn and make decisions, entirely transforming our understanding and appreciation of sleep and dreams. If you’d like to borrow ‘Why We Sleep’ or any of the other books in the resource, just contact the office. We are also interested in your recommendations for both fiction and non-fiction reads to add.
too high or low?
Is there clutte r on counter-top s or throughout the kitchen? Are pathways obstructed? Is there adequate light for cooking? Are dangerous chemicals and cleaning mate rials secure? Is the floor slippe ry? Is there spoile d food in the refrigerato r?
Most people living with dementia – particularly those in the early and middle stages of the illness – can be cared for at home. In fact, more than half of all diagnosed Alzheimer’s patients continue to live at home. Home Instead Senior Care’s services offered to those who have Alzheimer’s include:
■ Minimalisation of stress that can aggravate symptoms.
Kitchen
Take Care
11
Take Care
8
Is emergency contact information within easy access? Is the older perso n at risk of harming them selves with a sharp knife or by causing a fire?
Is your older loved
lighting at night?
one at risk of wandering?
Can your older loved one hear the doorb ell?
Do the steps into
Garage
the garage have secure rails? Is rubbish piling up? Are power tools secure? Is the garage secur e?
Winter Check List Now that winter is here we’ve put together a check list to make sure your clients are ready for the cold winter days and nights. ▲ Make sure their heating has been serviced. The general advice is they should do this annually. ▲ Put a torch handy in case of power cuts and a radio with extra batteries. ▲ Ensure they have plenty of layers of clothing to wear, warm slippers for indoors and grippy shoes if they are heading out. ▲ Encourage regular hot drinks, it’s a good idea to leave a flask close by before you leave. ▲ It’s important to have at least one hot meal a day. Eating regularly will help keep energy levels up. ▲ Make sure that the room your client spends most of their time in is warm throughout the day. ▲ Heat their bedroom before going to bed. Set their timer for heating to come on before they get up and switch off when they go to bed. ▲ Encourage the use of an electric blanket or a hot water bottle but not at the same time. ▲ Encourage the wearing of bed socks, thermal underwear and hat in bed if it’s really cold.
Mail Scams and Think Jessica Think Jessica is a charity which supports victims and helps families who have been victims of mail scams. Have you ever received a letter through the post informing you that you have won a large cash prize and in order to claim that prize you need to send off a small ‘admin fee’? This is a scam often aimed at the elderly who are more likely to respond. At times victims can lose several thousands of pounds, genuinely believing they are going to win a prize. The latest ‘Think Jessica’ film is available to watch on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwXMsG2xkcM
If you believe you or a family member are a victim of scam mail visit www.thinkjessica.com for further advice and information.
City Screen’s Dementia-Friendly Screening will take place on Monday 26th November, showing the 1936 film, Modern Times. This comedic masterpiece finds the iconic Little Tramp (Charlie Chaplin) employed at a state-of-the-art factory where the inescapable machinery completely overwhelms him, and where various mishaps keep getting him sent to prison. In between his various jail stints, he meets and befriends an orphan girl (Paulette Goddard). Both together and apart, they try to contend with the difficulties of modern life. This screening is part of the Comedy Genius season. Comedy Genius is a celebration of comedy on screen, led by BFI, the Independent Cinema Office and BFI Film Audience network, supported by funds from the National Lottery. City Screen will serve complimentary tea, filter coffee and biscuits upstairs in the Sky Lounge from 12.45pm. If you would like a wheelchair space, please do inform Cath Sharp at the cinema as spaces are limited. (cath.s@ picturehouses.co.uk)
Home Instead Senior Care 10 Clifton Moor Business Village James Nicolson Link, Clifton Moor York YO30 4XG Telephone: 01904 690884 Email: info@hiscyork.co.uk Web: www.homeinstead.co.uk/york
Dementia-Friendly Screenings are open to all but especially suited for people with dementia and their family, friends and carers. Book for Modern Times on 0871 902 5726, or online at www.picturehouses.co.uk or in person at City Screen at the Coney Street Box Office.
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Safe ■ Effective ■ Caring ■ Responsive ■ Well-Led “Each Home Instead Senior Care® franchise office is independently owned and operated.”