Caregiver Blog

Don’t Let Falls Get in the Way of Your Care

homecaresupport@stryker.com — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 09:01:00 -0600

November is National Family Caregivers Month, and we’d like to recognize the hard work you do every day taking care of your loved one. Did you know that one-third of adults over the age of 65 fall each year? ¹ There are around 2.1 million cases each year of adults 65 and older being treated in the emergency room due to fall-related injuries.¹

Injuries in or near the shower or bathtub accounted for more than two-thirds of all emergency room visits in 2011. ²

One of the easiest ways to avoid bathroom falls is to eliminate the need to move to the shower or bathtub. Sage offers a variety of rinse-free personal hygiene products that are simple and easy to use—all without running water.

With
Comfort Bath® Cleansing Washcloths and Comfort Rinse-Free Shampoo Cap, there’s no need to get to the shower for a bath. Both Comfort Bath and our Shampoo Cap can be warmed in the microwave to provide a warm, soothing bath and leave skin and hair feeling clean.

But preventing falls goes beyond just reducing fall risk in the shower. Other simple steps you can take to help prevent falls for your loved one are: ¹

Be proactive.
Talk to your doctor about fall risk due to medication and make a fall prevention plan.

Make your home fall safe.
Keep the floor clear of tripping risks and keep the walking path wide.

Stay physically active.
Certain exercises can help improve strength, balance, and coordination.

Be shoe smart.
Help reduce fall risk by using shoes that are lace-up with ankle support, low heels, and rubber soles.

Kathleen M. Vollman

MSN, RN, CCNS, FCCM, FAAN

At shopsageproducts.com, you’ll find educational tools including videos from Kathleen Vollman, an advance practice clinical nurse specialist with over 32 years of nursing experience.

Reference: 1. Preventing Falls in the Elderly. AARP Health tools http://healthtools.aarp.org/health/senior-health-risks. Published Sep 21, 2010. Accessed October 9, 2014. 2. Bakalar, N. Watch Your Step While Washing Up. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/health/research/16stats.html. Published August 15, 2011. Accessed October 14 , 2014.

Caring for a loved one? You are not alone.

homecaresupport@stryker.com — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 14:56:00 -0600

An estimated 65% of aging adults rely on family and friends for their care ¹ and 39% of adults in the United States have risen to the challenge of family caregiving.²

Caregiving can be challenging work; nearly half of family caregivers perform medical and nursing tasks in the home. ³

Caring is at the heart in the home

We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to talk to Mary Dieter, an Illinois resident who began caregiving when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Mary took on additional caregiving responsibilities when her husband was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

When Mary’s husband lost the use of his limbs, she bathed and fed him and tended to his skin to prevent painful infections and bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers. “It made me feel like I was doing a good job,” Mary said. Read Mary’s full story...

At Sage, we make patient hygiene and pressure ulcer prevention products that are designed to make caregiving easier so you have more time to focus on what matters most—your loved one.

How do we learn best, if not from the stories of others... taking in their wisdom, noting their mistakes made, using the resources they stumbled upon along their journey's path?

Sage is helping practiced family caregivers share experiences with those new to caregiving—a life task that can often feel quite isolating.

We've invited caregivers from all over to tell us their personal caregiving stories. What better way to learn about caring for our loved ones if not from those who have done it before you, or are doing it with you? Read more caregiver stories and submit your own

Kathleen M. Vollman

MSN, RN, CCNS, FCCM, FAAN

At shopsageproducts.com, you’ll find educational tools including videos from Kathleen Vollman, an advance practice clinical nurse specialist with over 32 years of nursing experience.

Reference: 1. Women and Caregiving: Facts and Figures. Family Caregiver Alliance. https://caregiver.org/women-and-caregiving-facts-and-figures. Published December 31, 2003. Accessed October 23, 2014. 2. Family Caregivers are Wired for Health. Pew Research Center. http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/06/20/family-caregivers-are-wired-for-health/. Published June 20, 2013. Accessed October 17, 2014. 3. New Report Finds Almost Half of Family Caregivers Perform Medical and Nursing Tasks. http://www.aarp.org/about-aarp/press-center/info-10-2012/New-Report-Finds-Almost-Half-of-Family-Caregivers-Perform-Medical-and-Nursing-Tasks.html. Published October 1, 2012. Accessed October 17, 2014.

Care Comes Home

homecaresupport@stryker.com — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 14:22:00 -0500

The theme for National Family Caregivers Month 2014 is
“Care Comes Home”

Your loved one’s care does not always take place in hospitals, or nursing homes, or doctors' offices, or medical clinics. Most care actually occurs in the home – and that’s a good thing. People are healthier at home and health care costs are reduced. Family caregivers have the best interests of their loved ones at heart. But caregiving at home can take its toll and it certainly takes a lot of planning. The Nation’s 90 million family caregivers are front and center in providing care every day – enabling their loved ones to stay at home longer where they are happier and healthier.

Most adults would prefer to age in place. 90% of adults over the age of 65 would prefer to stay in their current home as they age. Family, friends, and neighbors provide 80% of the care for the elderly.
Two out of every 5 adults are family caregivers. 39% of all adult Americans are caring for a loved one who is sick, disabled, or living with frailties of old age. That’s up from 30% in 2010.
Family caregivers are the only people who are present with patients in all care settings. Patients may have more than one doctor; nurses change shifts; prescriptions may be filled at different pharmacies. But family caregivers are there as full partners with their loved ones through it all.
Complex care happens in the home. Almost half of family caregivers perform sophisticated medical/nursing tasks for their loved ones – such as providing wound care and operating specialized medical equipment – and up to 70% manage medications for their loved ones.
Caregiving affects the whole family. Men are now almost as likely to say they are family caregivers as women are (37% of men; 40% of women). And
Many families make changes at home because of their caregiving responsibilities. Some families have to tighten their belts at home to pay for out-of-pocket caregiving costs (an average of $5,500 per year). And many more have to make home alterations to ensure safety, security, and cleanliness for their loved ones.

During National Family Caregivers Month,
we celebrate the valuable role that family caregivers play when
Care Comes Home!

Credits: Reprinted from CaregiverActionNetwork.org by permission of Caregiver Action Network, the nation's leading organization for all family caregivers. www.CaregiverAction.org

Caregiver Blog

Don’t Let Falls Get in the Way of Your Care

Caring for a loved one? You are not alone.

Care Comes Home

The theme for National Family Caregivers Month 2014 is “Care Comes Home”

The theme for National Family Caregivers Month 2014 is
“Care Comes Home”