After the Diagnosis: Caregiving Strategies

Caregiving Strategy Lecture

A ‘Caregiver’ is someone who provides any type of physical or emotional care for a loved one or someone with health impairments. Alzheimer’s in the US is on the rise and there are currently over 5 million people diagnosed with the most feared disease for people over 65. Many people are overwhelmed when faced with the need to suddenly care for someone who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Dementia. But HOPE is on the horizon!

The Endeavor Cognitive Health Series is offering a lecture designed to enhance understanding of Alzheimer’s and will explain the various other types of Dementia. We will focus on:

  • Symptoms
  • Diagnosis
  • Disease
  • Progression
  • Treatment Options

All of these topics will be addressed in a language that can be understood by all and is designed to point people in the right direction for information, care options and treatments.

Dementia Care Education Logo This Endeavor Cognitive Health Series is FREE to the public and is open for individuals interested in the topics, family caregivers and professionals. The lecture will be on Thursday, February 9, 2017 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Scottsdale Mustang Library (10101 N. 90th St., Scottsdale, AZ 85258). We will be pleased to hear from Brian Browne, MS, CSA who is currently serving as the Director of Education and Outreach at Banner Research and the President of Dementia Care Education. Mr. Browne has expertise in interpreting the cognitive science of Alzheimer’s and Dementia and offers education, training and research statistics in a way attendees will understand.

Endeavor Cognitive Health Lecture Sponsors

Join us to hear from an industry expert on Alzheimer’s and Dementia cognitive health. Seating is limited and there will be light refreshments served. Please RSVP by calling 480-498-2324 and contact us for any questions on topics in the lecture series.

Answers to Common Lifestyle Questions After a Heart Attack

Heart AttackWhen a heart attack strikes – and for hundreds of thousands of people, that’s going to be sometime this year – there’s no time to plan a course of action or contemplate the everyday ways in which life will change afterwards. As with anything, the best defense is a good offense, and being prepared now can (literally!) save a lot of heartache later.

Hopefully neither you nor your senior loved ones will be impacted by a heart attack or heart disease, but just in case, it’s a good idea to jot down and keep these questions handy for future reference:

  1. Will I have to give up my favorite activities? Bed rest isn’t always best, and it’s very likely you’ll be able to gradually get back into pastimes you enjoy. It’s important to let your doctor know about any hobbies, interests, and exercise regimens you’d like to resume, and he or she can help you work towards that goal.
  2. What dietary changes will be needed? It’s important to work with the doctor to put together a dietary plan that’s not only heart-healthy, but one that you can stick with long-term. Keeping salt and fat to a minimum is crucial, but doesn’t mean you necessarily have to avoid them altogether.
  3. How can my loved ones help? Select several trusted family members and friends to help hold you accountable to your lifestyle changes, and to support you emotionally as you adjust to these changes.
  4. Can I still travel? There’s really no one answer that fits all when it comes to traveling after a heart attack. A general rule of thumb is often to avoid traveling by air for at least two weeks after placement of a stent. Having a discussion with your cardiologist about when and where you’d like to travel is always a good idea, to weigh out the risks vs. the benefits.
  5. What are the long-term effects I can expect? The goal, of course, is to prevent another heart attack, which means ongoing, periodic medical appointments and testing. Following your doctor’s prescribed dietary and treatment plan will go a long way towards keeping you healthy in the years to come.

Endeavor Home Care provides expert assistance and support to heart attack survivors, including preparing heart-healthy meals, running errands such as picking up groceries and prescriptions, and offering encouragement with adhering to an exercise regimen. Contact Endeavor In Home Care, the leading provider of companion care in Chandler, AZ and nearby areas, any time for more tips, resources, and in home care services.

When You Address Senior Citizens, Is It OK to Use Endearing Terms?

Senior CitizensSweetie, honey, dear – terms of endearment such as these may be appreciated when uttered by our spouse or when directed to our very young children, but how do senior citizens react to them? In a word, many are downright offended. And while health care professionals, restaurant staff, hair stylists and others may have the very best of intentions when attaching these labels to older adults, the underlying message is one of helplessness, frailty, and inferiority.

And just as irritating, or perhaps even more so, is speaking over senior citizens to address their family members instead, as if the seniors are unable to communicate competently.

There’s also a tendency – and again, it’s usually well meaning – to step in and take over tasks for the elderly, without realizing they are often more than capable of doing things for themselves. Seeing an older person maneuvering with a cane or walker, for example, often results in someone kindly offering assistance. However, according to Judy Jellison Graves, a cancer and polio survivor, “It’s annoying when people feel like I need help with something I have no problem doing myself.”

Coined “elderspeak” or “ageism ”, this type of behavior is even considered a form of bullying by Dr. Vicki Rosebrook, Executive Director of the Macklin Intergenerational Institute. “It’s talking down to them. We do it to children so well. And it’s natural for the sandwich generation, since they address children that way.”

Improving our view of the elderly is a national need, starting with the impressions we impart to the next generation. A recent study points to a highly negative reaction to growing older by children from preschool through grade school, who concluded that becoming elderly would be “awful.”

The lesson to be learned for all of us who interact with senior citizens? Replace coddling and stereotypes with simple, genuine respect. Endeavor In Home Care, the leading provider of senior home care in Chandler, AZ and nearby areas,  is taking strides each day towards this end, by providing respectful senior care to enhance independence and quality of life, with a focus on always maintaining their dignity and individuality.

Our services always begin with the creation of a personalized care plan, taking into consideration each person’s needs, desires and interests, and that plan is modified ongoing as needs change. Contact us at (480) 535-6800 if you’d like to explore a partnership with us to help your senior loved one in Arizona.

Taking Care of Parents

Affording Arizona Home Care: Payment Options You May Not Know

Arizona Home CarePick a senior, any senior, and you’re likely to hear the same sentiments: the vast majority of older adults agree that they’d prefer to spend their elder years at home over moving to a nursing home facility. However, there are a lot of misconceptions about who pays for Arizona home care. Medicare? Medicaid? Insurance? The reality, per CPA Jerry Lowe, is, “For the most part, the clients who have home care are private pay.”

Although Medicare does cover home health care on a limited basis, if it’s deemed to be medically necessary, it does not cover homemaker services – and, most health insurance and Medicare supplemental plans don’t cover any type of in home care.

According to Rod Perkins, VP of insurance regulation of the American Council of Life Insurers, “Baby boomers have seen their parents have long-term care needs and weren’t prepared. And it’s not just an old-age product. You could need in home care as a result of an accident.”

If you and your senior loved ones aren’t prepared to pay out of pocket for home care in Arizona however, rest assured that there are some additional avenues to explore, such as:

  • Veterans’ assistance (click here to check eligibility requirements)
  • PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly)
  • Long-term care insurance policies that specifically include in home care services
  • Reverse mortgages
  • Organizations geared to assist with specific needs, such as the Alzheimer’s Association, the ALS Association, and Easter Seals, may provide respite care vouchers
  • Community support, such as through religious organizations, the local Area on Aging, the United Way and area senior centers

The Benefits.gov site is also a great resource to determine what federal benefits you may qualify for. And, contact Endeavor In Home Care, the leading provider of in-home senior care in Phoenix & nearby areas, for more resources and assistance with making sure no stone is left unturned when it comes to providing Arizona home care for your precious senior loved ones. We’re skilled at exploring every possible avenue to help families uncover any benefits for which their senior loved ones qualify. Let us help make professional in home care services a reality for you by calling (480) 535-6800!

ABC’s of Alzeheimers and Dementia

dementia care gilbert

Are you or someone you love experiencing memory loss?

Alzheimer’s and other various types of dementia are becoming very common and are one of the most feared diseases for people over 65 years of age. Currently in the United States there are over 5 million people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Enhancing your understanding of common symptoms, the path for diagnosis and disease progression and the best dementia care and treatment options available are important.

The Endeavor Cognitive Health Lecture Series is once again offering the ABC’s of Alzheimer’s and Dementia lecture topic for the public in Gilbert, AZ. Please join us for a FREE lecture that is open to the public and is meant for medical professionals, caregivers, friends and family who are searching for dementia care resources and guidance about cognitive health from an industry expert.

Dementia Care Education Lecture Speaker: Brian Browne, MS, CSA
Brian Browne experience in cognitive health has made him a frequent lecturer around the country sharing his expertise in dementia care education and training, Alzheimer’s research, and healthy living for the aging. He is the Director of Education and Outreach at Banner Research and the President of Dementia Care Education.

When: January 11, 2017

Where: The Falls Event Center (4635 E. Baseline Rd. Gilbert, AZ 85234)

Time: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Our Partner

Light Refreshments will be served and we ask that you please RSVP by calling 480-498-2324. Endeavor In Home Care will continue to bring these types of lectures to the public to make needed cognitive resources available. Please contact us for future topics on dementia care and respite care in Gilbert and the surrounding areas, or to share topics that would be beneficial to hear about.

After the Dementia Diagnosis: Exploring Care giving Strategies

The Endeavor Cognitive Health Lecture Series

Your loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Dementia- NOW WHAT?!

When a person with Dementia finds that their ability to remember is declining, they often feel vulnerable and in need of reassurance and support. The people closest to them- including their family, friends and caregivers- need to do everything they can to help the person retain their sense of health, identity and feelings of self-worth. As the disease progresses, caring for someone with Dementia becomes increasingly more difficult. Join us and discover facts about Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Alzheimer’s/Dementia Care Phoenix
The Endeavor Cognitive Health Series is back and will be offering a FREE morning lecture on Friday, January 6, 2017 from 10:00am to noon at Leisure World in Mesa (908 S. Power Rd., Mesa, AZ 85206) Brian Browne, MS, CSA will help attendees discover how common Dementia symptoms can be managed as well as coping techniques and other caregiver strategies to help you and your loved ones find success. Light refreshments will be served and this lecture is available to the public and all friends and family are welcome.

Our Partner

Please join us for this lecture to learn more about cognitive health from an industry expert. Seating is limited so please RSVP by calling 480-498-2324. Please contact us for any questions on future topics in this lecture series.