SANTA LETTERS”
OPERATION NORTH POLE
AT THE WAYNE SENIOR CENTER
Well, it’s that time of year again! Santa and his elves are working overtime trying to get all of their
hard work done before Christmas. As one can imagine, this is daunting task! Consequently, Santa
has asked that some elves work extra late night hours at The Wayne Senior Center answering special
Santa letters. Now, if you know of a good little boy or girl who is deserving of a personal letter from
Santa, please write to The Wayne Senior Center, 108 Station Road, Wayne, PA 19087. Please make
sure to include the child’s name, age, siblings, pet, accomplishment, and special Christmas wish along
with a $10.00 check made payable to The Wayne Senior Center. Deadline for letters to be received is
December 18th! DETAILS INCLUDED ON our website, to read more click HERE. Please fill out and send to The Wayne Senior Center, 108 Station Road, Wayne, PA 19087, Attention:
Donna Alexander along with a $10 check made payable to The Wayne Senior Center.

Taking Advantage of Holiday Gatherings to Prevent Senior Care Crisis
Subhead: Family visits are the perfect time for evaluating elderly care needs

King of Prussia, PA 11/9/09 – We live in a very mobile society where families don’t always live in the same town or even the same state for that matter. Holiday gatherings are a perfect time to ‘check up’ on seniors living on their own.

It is not uncommon for the adult children of seniors to have some concerns about how their parents are doing. This holiday season while you are enjoying your visits, make good use of your time by reviewing your senior loved one’s living status.

One of the best ways to determine a senior’s current capabilities is to use your five senses. The following checklist can help you determine if your family members are in need of additional care of assistance.

Sight – Looking at the senior’s appearance can be a sign that they are being limited either physically or mentally from completing otherwise normal daily tasks. Watch for things like clothes with stains, poor personal hygiene and a disorganized or dirty house.

Sound – Listening to what and how seniors speak can tell you a lot about their current mental status. Do they call you by name? Are they speaking normally?

Smell – Use your nose as an indicator to determine if the relative is bathing properly, cleaning their house or have spoiled food in their kitchen.

Taste – Tasting their food and sorting through their medications can help you determine if they are eating healthy or taking expired medications. Look at expiration dates and look for fresh and stocked pantry items.

Touch – A simple hug can tell you if your family member is fragile or losing weight. Is their skin soft and the color normal? Do they have any bruising or tearing of the skin?

“If the family senses a problem, they should waste no time in taking the appropriate next steps,” said Clark Bongaardt, King of Prussia, PA. “Sometimes, setting a family meeting while the majority of the family is in town may be the easiest way to determine how caregiving is handled.”

Things to be discussed at the meeting could include the latest report from the physician, what are the seniors daily care needs, what are the financial concerns of caregiving and who will make future decisions?

Although family meetings can be powerful and effective ways to connect and work with family members, they cannot magically solve all the problems of caring for an aging family member. In many cases, an outside care provider or service is the best option.

“For many of our clients, we provide assistance with many of the activities of daily life including meal preparation, incidental transportation and in many cases personal care services. Primarily, we provide companionship and a peace of mind to the family members who can’t be there on a regular basis,” continued Clark Bongaardt.

Remember, the holiday season is a time for family, togetherness and establishing lifelong memories. By taking the time to address these issues before they reach the crisis stage, your family will have the much-needed sense of security allowing your loved ones to continue living in the comfort of their own homes. For more information call 610-520-5300 or email comfortkeeperpa@yahoo.com. Locally Comfort Keepers serves clients in Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia and Chester Counties including the Mainline. This article submitted to the Times Herald, the Ambler Gazette and several other Montgomery County newspapers.

I found this fascinating quote today:

Where did I put my keys? Or, where did I park my car? For most people, these questions probably sound more than vaguely familiar. That is because aging normally involves a certain degree of memory loss. Over the course of our lives—starting in our 20s—we lose brain cells, a few at a time, causing a normal decline in the brain’s ability to remember.comfortkeepers.com, Recent Posts, Nov 2009

You should read the whole article.

When starting an exercise program, seniors should seek an array of workouts. Just like a balanced diet from the basic food groups, exercise best promotes good health and independent living when it consists of a variety of activities. Here are some general exercise guidelines for seniors:

Consult a physician before beginning an exercise program.
Aerobic activities such as walking, bicycling, swimming, dancing and other low-impact aerobic activities are good options for seniors and can improve heart and lung health and help manage weight.
Seniors should try to work out up to 30 minutes a day most days of the week. For those with arthritis, low- to no-impact exercise such as water aerobics, swimming, elliptical trainer and stationary bicycle may be best.
Flexibility and agility exercises such as stretching, yoga and tai chi can increase range of motion and improve balance, which helps prevent falls.
Yoga classes also offer relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, improving overall cardiac fitness, blood pressure and the immune system.
For suggestions on adopting an exercise program, read the National Institute on Aging’s exercise guide. To read more, click HERE.

The Mayo Clinic (www.mayo.org) states that in addition to financial limitations, physical, social and psychological factors contribute to senior hunger or malnutrition, impeding seniors’ ability to maintain a diet that provides the necessary balance of nutrients for healthful living.

Below are 10 main contributing causes of senior malnutrition:

Debilitating conditions that limit seniors’ ability to get out to shop, prepare meals and feed themselves
Fixed incomes can prevent seniors from being able to purchase the groceries they need to stay nourished.
Difficulty chewing and swallowing as a result of diseases such as Parkinson’s, dry mouth caused by some medications, dental conditions and poorly fitting dentures
Frailty due to loss of muscle mass and fat, which can alter body chemistry, diminishing appetite, especially in seniors with serious illnesses
Medications, such as some antidepressants, blood pressure and osteoporosis drugs, that diminish appetite, alter the flavor of foods and interfere with absorption of nutrients
Reduced absorption of nutrients as a result of some physiological changes due to aging. For instance, in many seniors reduced production of digestive enzymes and acids interferes with breakdown of protein and absorption of essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B-12, folate, calcium and iron. Some illnesses, such as gastrointestinal cancers, diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disease, can also cause this problem.
Diminished sense of taste or smell that often occurs with aging. Some medications and illnesses accelerate or intensify this loss, depriving seniors of some of the pleasure associated with eating. This can affect appetite. Bland, medically-prescribed diets can have the same effect. Natural flavor enhancers, like garlic, onions and spices, can help counteract this.
Dementia, which often prevents individuals from recognizing the need to eat. Some persons with dementia need to be reminded to swallow.
Depression, due to multiple causes such as grief, loneliness, retirement, poor health, and medications. Depression affects about 6 million American seniors.
Alcoholism, which is often a hidden problem in the senior population, decreases appetite, destroys nutrients and negatively affects seniors’ ability to care for themselves
To read more on nutrition and how it can affect your loved one, click HERE.

Hunger and malnutrition is a greater problem for America’s seniors than many may realize. According to a report by the Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) Foundation, more than five million American seniors—11.4 percent of those 65 and older—experienced some form of “food insecurity.” Of that number 2.5 million were at risk of hunger and about 750,000 experience hunger.

A variety of programs exists to help seniors get proper nutrition, such as Meals on Wheels, which delivers meals to seniors, on-site meal programs provided by community organizations and senior centers, food pantries, and the federal food stamp program.

According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), about 60 percent of low-income seniors who qualify for federal and state nutrition programs have not enrolled. NCOA offers a free Web-based service, BenefitsCheckUp® (www.benefitscheckup.org), to help people over 55 identify nutrition and other benefits for which they qualify.

Here are some other ways you can help ensure seniors get proper nutrition:

Find a grocery with home delivery service.

Look to churches and community organizations that have volunteers who shop and cook for seniors who live alone.

Check in regularly with seniors and share meals with them.

Join with other seniors who are alone, share in meal preparation and dine together.

Schedule an appointment with a registered dietitian.

Hire a professional caregiving provider, such as Comfort Keepers®, to assist with meal preparation, shopping, companionship during meals and other times, and provide other needed assistance around the home.

Talk with your doctor about screening for potential nutritional problems, switching to medications that don’t affect appetite and reconsidering diets that may be discouraging a senior from eating.

Help seniors get regular exercise. Exercise is an appetite booster, strengthens bones and muscles and helps control depression. To read more on this subject, go to the Comfort Keepers, Stop Senior Hunger website by clicking HERE.

Exploring the Range of Home Care Services

Senior citizens today have more home care services to choose from than ever before. And more than ever, seniors are opting to continue living at home for as long as possible, even when they need medical assistance.

Home care services have increased in popularity as a senior care option to assisted living facilities and nursing homes, even as quality of facility-provided care continues to improve.

The reasons for home care services’ growth include:

America’s 65+ population is growing faster than ever (expected to double to more than 70 million by 2030, accounting for one of every five Americans)
Much of the senior population growth is being fueled by the baby boom generation, which is entering retirement. Today’s seniors, who are more active and living longer than previous generations, prefer to continue living independently at home for as long as possible
Medical advancements make it possible for in-home care of chronic health conditions, which have become more prevalent due to the aging population
Home care has become more accepted by physicians
There is a movement toward more cost-effective health care options, such as in-home care

Studies show that even after they begin needing assistance with the activities of daily living or ongoing health care, seniors prefer to age in the comfort of their own home. In fact, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that more than two-thirds of older Americans who already need daily assistance are now living at home. This includes more than 70 percent of persons with Alzheimer’s disease.

In-home senior care agencies offer a wide variety of services that clients can select as needed. The services can be tailored to provide whatever amount of help a senior needs to perform the activities of daily living. Services include:

· Companionship and care services, such as meal planning and preparation, light housekeeping, conversation and companionship, medication reminders, transportation, grocery shopping, laundry, and recreational activities

· Personal care services, such as bathing, help with mobility, incontinence care, toileting, feeding, and special diet preparation

· Technology services, such as monitoring, emergency response and medication management systems to provide security and care for seniors when professional or family caregivers are not present

Many seniors needing in-home care have chronic medical conditions that require regular management, so medical home care agencies can work in conjunction with non-medical in-home senior care providers to meet a senior’s complete needs.

In-home elder care providers, such as Comfort Keepers, also serve today’s more active seniors, helping them maintain connections with friends, as well as community organizations and hobbies that continue to give them satisfaction. To read more about in-home services, click HERE.

In-Home Senior Care: Dependence vs. Independence

Senior citizens are living longer and a growing number are choosing to age at home. In-home senior care services allow them to do so safely and confidently, seamlessly adjusting the services they receive to match their needs and health at any given time.

In this way, in-home elder care services help senior citizens age gracefully and maintain good health and independence at home for as long as possible.

In-home senior care services work in partnership with a senior’s family and can help avoid much of the awkwardness aging parents and adult children experience as they begin to reverse roles. Seniors and their families find that in-home care services help smooth the transition, enabling seniors to better accept the consequences of aging.

Seniors especially appreciate that in-home senior care allows them to retain a good degree of personal autonomy in the comfort of familiar surroundings, while their children feel more at ease with in-home care knowing their loved one is under the watchful care of professionals.

Seniors and their children can further smooth the transition by planning ahead and sharing their wishes for the future before a health event or other change forces the issue. At times of crisis, aging parents and their children are understandably stressed, making it difficult to effectively discuss possible lifestyle changes.

Adult children also can help the situation by allowing their parents to make as many decisions as appropriate about their care and to exercise as much independence as possible.

In-home senior care agencies offer a wide variety of services that clients can select as needed. The services can be tailored to provide whatever amount of help a senior needs to perform the activities of daily living. Services include:

· Companionship and care services, such as meal planning and preparation, light housekeeping, conversation and companionship, medication reminders, transportation, grocery shopping, laundry, and recreational activities

· Personal care services, such as bathing, help with mobility, incontinence care, toileting, feeding, and special diet preparation

· Technology services, such as monitoring and medication management systems to provide security and care for seniors when professional or family caregivers are not present

Many seniors needing in-home care have chronic medical conditions that require regular management, so medical home care agencies can work in conjunction with non-medical in-home senior care providers to meet a senior’s complete needs.

In-home elder care providers help seniors maintain connections with friends, as well as community organizations and hobbies that continue to give them satisfaction.

Elder care services also offer families respite services, taking care of a senior to give family caregivers a break from caregiving or to give them time to attend to other family or work responsibilities.
To read more about in-home care click HERE.

At Comfort Keepers®, we are creating exceptional opportunities for individuals looking to do something special with their careers. We offer a tremendous work opportunity in the rapidly growing field of in-home care…providing companionship, meal preparation, or help around the house. Many local Comfort Keepers offices also provide personal care services such as bathing, hygiene, and incontinence care.
Being a Comfort Keeper is deeply rewarding. It allows you to work in an intimate one-to-one setting with seniors and others who are in great need of support and companionship. Whether full-time, on a permanent basis or just for a few hours a week, caregiving positions meet the needs of clients and the work requirements of the Comfort Keeper. Comfort Keepers is one of the fastest growing networks in the senior in-home care industry. Contact your local office today and inquire about being a Comfort Keeper. It will be one of the most rewarding careers you will ever have.

For seniors, maintaining good personal appearance often goes hand in hand with maintaining a sense of purpose in life. When we have places to go, things to do and people to see, we naturally take greater interest in how we look.

A decline in grooming often indicates that a senior needs assistance due to a loss of physical dexterity or onset of conditions like Alzheimer’s that inhibit the ability to perform the activities of daily living. But it also can go much deeper, signaling depression and a loss of direction or interest in life.

Such a change in attitude can follow significant life changes that commonly accompany aging—retirement, illness, loss of physical and mental capabilities, children and grandchildren moving away, having to move, and death of a spouse.

These kinds of changes can leave a senior feeling ungrounded, without the sense of purpose he or she derived, for instance, from going to work every day.

Family and professional caregivers can help ease these transitions by being sensitive to seniors’ feelings, offering a listening ear and opening alternatives to help seniors stay connected and active — physically, socially, and mentally.

The National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health (www.nia.nih.gov) and the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation (www.gmhfonline.org) provide a wide variety of tips for helping seniors avoid depression and maintain a purposeful life. These include:
Help maintain friendships and contact with family to ease loneliness that comes with the loss of a spouse. Help the senior get out of the house to visit people, or arrange for friends and family to visit. Helping the senior stay connected through letters or e-mail is another option.
Help the senior develop hobbies and new skills or support and encourage the senior to continue involvement in lifelong interests.
Encourage regular exercise, which helps elevate mood and prevent depression. Go on walks with the senior or help with other activities he or she enjoys like dancing, gardening or swimming.
Help seniors stay socially connected. This can include taking seniors to church, senior center and community activities or helping find volunteer opportunities. (The Geriatric Mental Health Foundation states that studies show that seniors who remain engaged with family and community take longer to show signs of Alzheimer’s disease than those who are socially isolated.)
Help the senior maintain a healthy diet.
Comfort Keepers®’ unique approach to in-home senior care, Interactive CaregivingTM, uses these same principles, to help seniors stay engaged in life, physically, mentally and emotionally, and to help make a positive difference in how they feel about themselves and even how they look. To read more articles on senior care, click HERE.