Spice it Up! July 2, 2009
Posted by columbiaagedcare in Uncategorized.Tags: aged care, Aged Care Australia, columbia aged care, Columbia Aged Care Services, cooking, cooking for seniors, Seniors
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Home Instead Senior Care say that cooking for seniors shouldn’t be boring. They have provided some tips to help seniors spice up their cooking, as well three easy recipe ideas.
According to Rachael Ray, host of the hit cooking show 30-Minute Meals, toning down the flavour in seniors’ food is not only unnecessary, but undesirable.
“There’s no excuse for making food dull, lifeless and boring,” Ray said. “Seniors want good flavor. Cook to impress; cook to be excited, or, at the very least, cook to share.”
Ray says that while adult children often assume their senior loved ones need bland food for their digestive health, foods from these older adults’ earlier years actually can offer many important benefits.
“Food helps seniors reconnect with the past,” Ray said. “As its nostalgia factor ties all of us to where we’re from, it can be a wonderful tool for seniors who have trouble with short-term memory loss, dementia and other illnesses that remove them from the world.”
Food also allows seniors to “travel” via no more than a trip to the grocery store. Whether your senior is from Russia, Germany, France, Ireland – wherever – serving food native to those places can take them back to things that help make them feel good, whole, happy and excited about living.
Ray, who was raised in a multi-generational Sicilian restaurant family, said she was lucky to share food with many generations. “There’s something really intimate about many generations sharing delicious food together,” she said.
According to a group of family caregivers surveyed in a Harris Interactive poll conducted for Home Instead Senior Care, nearly 44 percent help their loved ones cook, while 59 percent assist with grocery shopping. Home Instead Senior Care often steps in to assist with meal preparation when family caregivers can’t.
“We know from experience that seniors like their mealtimes to be interesting – and not just for the food, but also for the setting, companionship and conversation,” said Paul Hogan, CEO of Home Instead Senior Care.
Ray and Hogan agree on the importance of involving seniors in meal preparations as much as possible.
“Our CAREGivers really get to know their clients’ preferences, and often help them prepare their favorite recipes,” Hogan said.
While having help in the kitchen can definitely influence whether or not a senior eats well, Ray advises caregivers to make meal planning and preparation a shared activity whenever possible.
“Even if they can’t help you with any of the preparations, try to have them in the room with you when you’re cooking,” she said. “Talk to them let them smell and feel the food as it happens. It’s a visceral experience that involves all the senses and makes seniors feel whole. Really good food doesn’t just fill you up – it makes you feel alive.”
Four Quick and Easy Ways to Achieve Senior Meal Success
“A little creativity goes a long way toward improving on the flavor of seniors’ food while staying within their dietary guidelines,” said Ray, who advocates moderation rather than denial. She recommends the following ways to enhance your seniors’ diets without compromising their health:
Add low-sodium, no-salt stock to a sauce to make it taste like it has been simmering all day. Likewise, cook rice in chicken or vegetable stock rather than water, and replace cream with stock when making mashed potatoes for a flavorful, low-fat alternative.
Fresh herbs are a no-fat addition, and readily available in grocery stores to brighten the flavor of salads, dressing and sauces.
Purchase better cuts of meat for better flavor and less fat. “Seniors shouldn’t sacrifice quality, even if they’re on a budget,” Ray said. She also warns against buying fatty instead of lean, healthy meats to save pennies, because in the end you won’t – you’ll have to trim. And the amount of waste, balanced against lean, clean meat evens out the expense. In the long run, a small amount of lean protein is better than a larger amount of fatty protein.
Stock up on fresh meats and vegetables when they are on sale, then divide and freeze them. “Prepared foods aren’t good for seniors because they can’t control the amount of salts, fats and additives in them,” Ray said. “Seniors should instead invest in raw foods they can fully cook – which will taste better to them, as well.”
Three 30-Minute Meals Recipes for Seniors!
To spice up a senior’s culinary life, Ray recommends the following:
Double-Dipped Spicy Chicken
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 cup buttermilk
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 pound chicken breast tenderloins
Salt and pepper
Heat 1 1/2 inches vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium high heat. A cube of bread should brown in a 40 count when oil is ready. Set out three disposable pie tins. Mix flour with paprika, poultry seasoning, cayenne and allspice. Divide seasoned flour between two tins. Pour buttermilk into a tin. Line up tins as such: flour, buttermilk and then flour. Season chicken with salt and pepper Coat chicken in flour, then buttermilk, then a second coating of flour. Cook chicken 6 minutes on each side, until deep golden brown and firm. Drain chicken on paper bags and cool before packing up for picnic basket.
Yield: 4 servings
Blue Cheese and Walnut Salad with Maple Dressing
1 (10-ounce) bag baby spinach
1/3 pound blue cheese, crumbled
1 (6-ounce) can walnut halves, toasted
1/4 cup maple syrup, warmed
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Place spinach on a large platter. Top with blue cheese and walnuts. Warm maple syrup in a small saucepan. Pour vinegar into a small bowl. Whisk oil into vinegar in a slow stream. Whisk maple syrup into dressing in a slow stream. Pour dressing down over the salad platter and serve. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Yield: 4 servings
Chocolate-Dipped Bananas
4 bananas
8 Popsicle sticks
3 cups good-quality chocolate bar
3 tablespoons butter, cut up
Toppings:
Chopped nuts
Toasted coconut
Cookie crumbles
Colored sprinkles or chocolate jimmies
Mini chocolate candies or mini semi sweet chips
Granola
Peel and cut the bananas in half crosswise, so that you have 8 pieces. Place peeled bananas on sticks. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place bananas on cookie sheet in the freezer, keeping them there as long as possible – at least 10 minutes. Heat chocolate bits with butter in a double boiler over low heat until the melted chocolate and the butter are incorporated. Dip the chilled bananas in chocolate and roll with your favorite topping. Chill or freeze until ready to serve. If frozen, allow time to thaw so that bananas soften before serving.
Yield: 8 chocolate-dipped bananas
Encourage Seniors to Pursue Their Favorite Pastimes June 24, 2009
Posted by columbiaagedcare in Seniors Activities, articles.Tags: aged care, Columbia Aged Care Services, Past times; Seniors recreation; hobbies, Seniors Activities
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Here are some simple tips from Home Instead Senior Care to help encourage seniors not to give up their favourite pastimes.
Here’s the kind of question that a concerned adult child of senior parents might ask when he or she sees their activity levels diminishing: “My 70-year-old parents, both in relatively good health, were really active in their younger years. But now that they’re older adults, they seem to think they’ve gotten too old to continue many of the activities they once enjoyed – such as fishing and bowling. How do I convince them otherwise?”
And now here’s an answer from Home Instead Senior Care: show them it’s not true! A recent lifestyle-interest survey (conducted by Del Webb Communities for Pulte Homes) demonstrated that active recreational pursuits – even adventurous endeavors such as hiking and river rafting – have become favorite lifestyle interests for the over-55 crowd. In fact, the activities that topped the study’s list were health and fitness related, including strength training and cardio workouts.
Study participants ranked swimming (55 percent), golf (49 percent), bowling (34 percent), fishing (30 percent), and canoeing/kayaking (26 percent) to be “extremely important,” while hiking, climbing, rappelling and river rafting demonstrated a definite popularity increase. Walking (82 percent) and cardiovascular equipment workouts (nearly 79 percent) were two of the most frequently pursued health and fitness activities.
While not all seniors are going to be inspired to undertake an afternoon of river rafting or hiking, knowing that many do might provide some much-needed encouragement for less-active older adults to resume some of the pursuits they used to enjoy and at some point lost touch with – like bowling or fishing.
If you know a senior who might feel more confident having a doctor’s physical prior to undertaking an increased activity schedule, then suggest that he or she schedule one. If the doctor deems this older adult fit enough to pursue favorite activities, then that may be all the reassurance required.
Do any of this senior’s friends or other family members enjoy similar pastimes? If so, suggest that he or she contact them to schedule an activity. In addition, neighbors, your local senior center, or place of faith are also excellent sources of companionship.
Another option is to hire a companion helper. Home Instead Senior Care’s specially trained CAREGivers are screened, bonded, insured and perfectly equipped to help keep seniors continue to live independently. Every effort is made to match clients with CAREGivers who share similar interests, and CAREGivers enjoy spending time with clients and participating in favorite activities and hobbies.
Stress and spousal caregiving June 17, 2009
Posted by columbiaagedcare in Health, articles.add a comment
Care Giver Stress have offered some simple signs to help you identify if spousal caregiving is becoming too risky for you.
In sickness and in health…that was the vow you took with your spouse on your wedding day. So, you wouldn’t think twice about caring for your partner now that they are in a situation where there’s a growing need for your assistance. Whether it is a chronic health problem, issues with mobility or decreased cognitive function (e.g., dementia/Alzheimer’s disease), your support will likely be necessary.
While this is a natural reaction in a loving situation, it is important to note that spousal caregiving often leads to significant changes in your marital relationship and it can sometimes leave the family caregiver feeling overwhelmed and stressed. This can be compounded if the caregiver is also taking over responsibilities that were once handled solely by their ailing spouse, from cooking and doing laundry, to balancing the checkbook and heading up the financial decisions.
There can also be a sense of loss, especially if your spouse suffers from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Or, if activities that once provided pleasure and deepened a sense of connection may no longer be possible. As a caregiving spouse, you may begin to feel very isolated from friends and feel tremendous guilt about your own unmet needs. Subsequently, you take on this “labor of love” and let your own positive health habits drop off to the side, putting your own health at risk.
In fact, the Journal of American Medical Association reports that if you are a spousal caregiver between the ages of 66 and 96, and are experiencing ongoing mental or emotional strain as a result of your caregiving duties, there’s a 63% increased risk of dying over those people in the same age group who are not caring for a spouse. The combination of loss, prolonged stress, the physical demands of caregiving and the health vulnerabilities that simply come with age place an older spousal caregiver in a danger zone.
Signs that Spousal Caregiving May Be Becoming Too Risky for You:
Missing or delaying your own doctor appointments
Ignoring your own health problems or symptoms
Not eating a healthy diet for lack of time
Overusing tobacco and alcohol when you feel stressed
Giving up exercise habits for lack of time
Losing sleep
Losing connections with friends for lack of time to socialize
Bottling up feelings of anger and frustration and then being surprised by angry, even violent, outbursts directed at your spouse, other family members, co-workers – even strangers
Feeling sad, down, depressed or hopeless
Loss of energy
Lacking interest in things that used to give you (and your spouse) pleasure
Feeling resentful toward your spouse
Blaming your spouse for the situation
Feeling that people ask more of you than they should
Feeling like caregiving has affected family relationships in a negative way
Feeling annoyed by other family members who don’t help out or who criticize your care
All caregivers who experience elevated levels of stress are at an increased risk for physical and emotional issues, so it important to get support. Sometimes even the most resourceful person needs to ask for help from other family members or outside professionals or sources, such as a friend, physician, priest, etc.
The hardest part for many is knowing when to ask, since, to some, asking for help is a sign they aren’t handling the situation well. The truth…your spouse/partner will be in better hands if you, yourself, are healthy. It is important to take care of yourself, while taking care of someone else.
7 ways to energize June 9, 2009
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Here are some simple strategies to put the spring back in your caregiving step by Caring Today.
1. Have the right bite for breakfast
If you start your day on an empty stomach, you’ll be in a slump before lunch. But the wrong breakfast also can sabotage your stamina. Sweet cereals, doughnuts, white toast and other simple carbohydrates all offer a quick jolt of energy. Yet, that fast high can lead to a sudden low as your blood sugar spikes and then plummets, explains Lona Sandon, RD, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
For a steady supply of energy, your meals should be a mix of fiber-rich complex carbohydrates (whole grains, vegetables, fruit), protein (eggs, meat, low-fat dairy) and a little healthy fat (olive or nut oil). This will slow the absorption of carbs into your bloodstream.
One good morning meal: whole-grain cereal with milk and fruit. More fiber may mean more energy, suggests a recent Welsh study. Subjects who ate high-fiber cereal every morning felt less tired than those who ate a low-fiber cereal.
2. Eat more often
A large meal will make you feel lethargic. So, what’s your best bet for all-day invigoration? Eat smaller-portion meals or snacks about every four hours to keep your blood sugar—and energy—on an even keel, advises Sandon. And limit your snacks to about 200 calories so you do not overeat.
3. Fill your tank
If you’re low on H2O, you’ll likely feel fatigued. “Getting the equivalent of about six to 10 cups of water a day is essential for energy,” says Sandon, “since water helps us digest and metabolize our food.”
But you don’t have to drink plain water to stay hydrated. “Juicy foods”—fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, cucumber, celery, tomatoes and apples—which are over 90 percent water, can help you meet your fluid quota. And broth-based soups, milk, 100 percent fruit juices, coffee and tea all contain large amounts of water.
Tip: If your urine is the color of pale lemonade, you’re getting enough fluid. Darker, apple-juice colored urine indicates you’re dehydrated.
4. Get more of the vitality vitamin
About 30 percent of us have lower-than-optimal blood levels of vitamin C, and one of the earliest signs of this shortfall is feeling tired or listless, says nutrition researcher Carol Johnston, PhD, of Arizona State University. Her research shows that upping intake of vitamin C improves the body’s ability to oxidize fat. “The reduced ability to oxidize fat creates fatigue,” Dr. Johnston explains.
For extra oomph, she recommends getting about 100 milligrams of vitamin C from food (1 cup of strawberries contains 85 mg; 1 cup of orange juice has 80 mg; 1 kiwi, 70 mg; 1 mango, 57 mg).
Stressed-out caregivers may benefit from extra C. According to a recent German study, people who have high blood levels of vitamin C don’t show the expected mental and physical signs of stress when subjected to psychological challenges. “For folks who want to supplement, I would recommend 250 to 500 milligrams daily,” says Dr. Johnston. However, don’t take vitamin-C supplements if you have a history of kidney stones or genetic anemia, such as thalassemia.
5. Rev up with exercise
When you’re pooped, the last thing you want to do is jog or hit the gym. But a workout can recharge your batteries by releasing feel-good brain chemicals and pumping energizing oxygen to your brain, says Patrick O’Connor, co-director of the University of Georgia-Athens exercise psychology laboratory. In fact, a UGA analysis of 70 studies found that sedentary people who start exercising regularly have about 20 percent more energy and feel less fatigue than couch potatoes.
To help you power through the day, try a lunchtime workout. A recent British survey found that, regardless of the type, duration and intensity of the activity, people who worked out at lunchtime were less likely to experience an afternoon slump.
6. Lighten the overload
A schedule that leaves no room for R&R is guaranteed to wipe you out, says Mary Ann Bauman, MD, author of Fight Fatigue. Her advice: On weekends, pare down your to-do list to high-priority activities and ask for help, if necessary, so you don’t spend all your time tending to others and doing chores that steal your stamina. “To replenish your energy reserves, you need to take at least two hours on Saturday and again on Sunday to do something just for you—whether it’s exercising, reading or gardening,” says Dr. Bauman.
7. Soak up some sun
Evidence suggests that early-morning exposure to bright light increases energy and that working under sunlight-intensity artificial light in the afternoon can keep you alert and productive when you’re short on sleep. “Sunlight increases your level of serotonin, a hormone that helps elevate mood and decrease fatigue,” says Bruce S. Rabin, MD, medical director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Healthy Lifestyle Program.
Pinched by the Economy, Older Adults Put Themselves at Risk April 9, 2009
Posted by columbiaagedcare in General.Tags: aged care, columbia aged care, elderly, Health, Moving into Residential Aged Care, Residential Care, Seniors, Signs of Ageing
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Evidence is mounting that older adults are cutting everyday expenses to keep up with the economic downturn. In a report released in May by AARP titled “The Economic Slowdown’s Impact on Middle-Aged and Older Americans, “59 percent of seniors 65 and older surveyed said they’d found it more difficult to pay for essential items such as food, gas and medicine.”
Local senior-care experts warn families to be on alert to make sure seniors aren’t cutting too deeply. Warning signs include skipping medications, pulling the plug on air conditioning and canceling social outings.
Omaha, NE (PRWEB) July 15, 2008 — Evidence is mounting that older adults are cutting everyday expenses to keep up with the economic downturn. Local senior-care experts warn families to be on alert to make sure seniors aren’t cutting too deeply. Warning signs include skipping medications, pulling the plug on air conditioning and canceling social outings.
In a report released in May by AARP titled “The Economic Slowdown’s Impact on Middle-Aged and Older Americans,” 59 percent of seniors 65 and older surveyed said they’d found it more difficult to pay for essential items such as food, gas and medicine. Nearly half (47 percent) said they found it more difficult to pay for utilities such as heating, cooling or phone service. Forty-six percent have reduced the number of times they eat out and 45 percent cut back spending on entertainment.1.
“Cuts of essential items such as food and medication should be of immediate concern to seniors’ families,” said Paul Hogan, Co-Founder and CEO of Home Instead Senior Care.
“Other reductions in spending can lead to less obvious issues. One of the biggest problems that we see is senior isolation, which has been magnified during this troubled time in our economy with the high price of gas,” Hogan added.
“When seniors’ families live a distance from their loved ones, or when Boomer children are busy trying to make ends meet themselves, an older adult can get in trouble very quickly. That’s why it’s so important that someone look out for the well-being of seniors to ensure they are safe in their homes and eating properly, taking their medications and able to maintain their appointments and social life,” Hogan said.
Falling interest rates, fixed incomes and seniors’ fears of past hardships can influence how they react to the current economic slowdown, according to Sheryl Garrett, CFP®, author of Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies® and several other books on financial planning. “Some seniors may be running short on money but, for others, there’s always that fear of running out because they lived through the Depression. They know how ugly it can get.”
It’s important also for seniors to guard against fraud and too-good-to-be-true offers, Garrett advises. “Seniors want to get the best that they can from their investments without falling for scams or overselling tactics,” she said. Older adults also should beware of CDs and fixed annuities that can promise higher interest rates, but force seniors to lock in their money for longer time periods or otherwise put their investments at risk, Garrett noted. Always get a second opinion, Garrett advises.
“Seniors at all income levels may be facing choices they haven’t had to make in the past,” Hogan said.”They should know where to go for help before they put themselves or their health at risk.Area Agencies on Aging, for instance, offer both food and gas assistance, so seniors should contact their local offices if they can’t make ends meet.And companies such as Home Instead Senior Care can provide transportation assistance and help around the home, and serve as a second set of eyes for seniors’ families.”
Families also can play an important role monitoring seniors who have decided to scale back because of the economy.Even seemingly innocent decisions, like cutting back a little on groceries or air conditioning, can have a damaging impact.1.
10 Cost-Cutting Warning Signs
Following, from Home Instead Senior Care and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, are ways that a downturn in the economy could impact seniors.If you’re a family caregiver, ask yourself the following questions.If you’re an older adult experiencing difficulties because of the economy, contact your local Area Agency on Aging or Home Instead Senior Care office.Or, if you have a financial issue, contact the Garrett Planning Network.
1. Is your senior’s home too warm in the summer and too cold in the winter?
2. Is the lawn not getting mowed nor is the sidewalk getting cleaned in inclement weather?
3. Is your loved one complaining about not being able to afford medications?
4. Are home repairs not getting made?
5. Is there a shortage of food in the house?
6. Is your senior skipping doctor’s appointments?
7. Is your older adult staying home more and becoming isolated?
8. Is your senior cutting out entertainment?
9. Does your loved one eat out less?
10. Did your senior cancel a vacation?
For more information about the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, log on to www.n4a.org or contact the organization’s CEO Sandy Markwood at smarkwood@n4a.org.For more information about the Garrett Planning Network, visit www.garrettplanningnetwork.com or contact Sheryl Garrett at Sheryl@garrettplanning.com.
Stress and your health February 10, 2009
Posted by columbiaagedcare in Uncategorized.add a comment
The first step in dealing with caregiver stress is to recognize the signs. Then, you can find ways to deal with it and enlist support or medical help when needed.
Emotional Signs of Caregiver Stress include:
Anxiety
Depression
Moodiness/mood swings
Butterflies
Irritability, easily frustrated, road rage
Memory problems and lack of concentration
Feeling out of control
Increased substance abuse
Phobias
Argumentative
Feeling of isolation
Job dissatisfaction
If you are experiencing some of the signs listed above, consider talking with a healthcare professional who can help you to evaluate your situation. It is important that a family caregiver realize that she or he is not alone. Getting support will help reduce caregiver stress, as well as reduce the associated physical and emotional risks of ongoing stress.
Remember, it is not selfish to focus on your own needs and desires when you are a family caregiver. In fact, it is a necessity to take initiative with your own physical and emotional care, or else it could make you less useful to the person for whom you are caring.
Cooking for the elderly February 4, 2009
Posted by columbiaagedcare in Uncategorized.Tags: aged care services, care, columbia, cooking, elderly, Health
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It’s really nice to show you care by cooking special favourite meals for the resident of an aged care facility — perhaps culturally specific food or a family favourite which is not normally available in that facility.
But if you do, you really wouldn’t want to make them sick, so there are some things you need to know.
Immune systems of the elderly get weaker as they get older. Their stomachs produce less acid which makes it easier for harmful germs to get through the digestive system and invade their bodies.
If elderly people do get food poisoning, they are also likely to suffer more severe consequences. These can range from mild dehydration to neuromuscular dysfunction or even death. Older people also take longer than most of us to recover from food poisoning.
There are some foods that pose a higher risk than others, particularly of passing on a Listeria infection which is dangerous for the elderly.
Higher risk foods include but are not limited to:
• Cold meats – cooked or uncooked, packaged or unpackaged.
• Cold cooked chicken Purchased whole, portions, sliced or diced
• Pate Refrigerated pate, liverwurst or meat spreads
• Salads Pre-prepared or pre-packaged fruit, vegetables or
• Chilled seafood Raw or smoked ready-to-eat eg oysters, sashimi or
• Sushi, smoked salmon or trout, sandwich fillings, precooked
This fact sheet has been kindly sponsored by Compass Group (Australia).
Care January 28, 2009
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Often in our community today, stories of care go unnoticed. The nightly news is filled with stories of horror and sadness. This infiltrates our communities to such an extent that we often forget, or do not see, the interactions of humans that are based deeply and primarily in care, concern and compassion for others.
People often talk of footballers and pop stars as being heroes but aren’t the true heroes in life those that sacrifice something of their own for the sake of another? Visiting a relative in need, forgoing something of material value for another or even allowing someone in the queue ahead of us at the supermarket when we sense they are struggling are ways of offering a sense of care in the world.
In our busy lives the opportunities to care for another are presented to us every day, however, we may often miss the moment in the rush to our next meeting or other priorities.
Older people have lived rich and complex lives and many have had their lives devoted to the caring of others. Now is their time for them to rightly receive the highest quality of care. Take the time to care for the elderly in your life and show them an act of kindness to let them know you care.
By David Goldman, Clinical Psychologist
