TO IMPROVE SAFETY FOR THE SENIOR IN YOUR LIFE, AN EXPERIENCED HANDYMAN WOULD BE A BETTER OPTION

You might be the classic, modern do-it-yourselfer. That’s a wonderful thing. Being able to do any number of home improvement projects on your own is not just a wonderful way to save money, but also feel satisfied. It’s a sense of pride for many men and women to be able to fix something in the house, repair a leaky faucet, or even open up a wall in the house to create a more open atmosphere.

When you have an aging senior in your life who may not be as safe as they once were because of health issues, injuries, or simply the natural process of aging, you may understand certain modifications can be an important improvement for them.

However, unless you have exceptional experience with home improvement projects, it may be best to hire an experienced handyman to do the work.

What kind of mistakes could an inexperienced do-it-yourselfer make?

Let’s talk about grab bars. These are not the same as towel bars because they are designed to hold up the weight of a full grown, healthy adult. A towel bar is most likely simply secured to the wallboard or tile. If you held onto that towel bar, put your full weight on it, what’s going to happen?

It’ll probably rip right out of the wall, damaging the tile or vinyl surface as it does. What would’ve happened if that aging senior tried to grab onto the towel bar when they were slipping?

It could very well lead to even more significant injuries as a result. Now, let’s say you understand the importance of a grab bar to keep this aging senior safe. Let’s say, also, that you installed it just as you would have a regular towel bar.

You may have used a device to try and find the wall studs so you could anchor them properly, but because of the tile and the type of wallboard, you got false readings. You didn’t fully understand those false readings, so you anchored the grab bar where you thought a wall stud was.

But it wasn’t there. Suddenly, a false sense of security was provided to that aging senior in your life and they grabbed onto it. It ripped out of the wall and they fell, suffering serious injuries.

What went wrong? There could be any number of reasons why that wall stud finder produced a false result. If you don’t have experience, like somebody who has been doing this for decades, the result could be devastating. That’s why it may be best to depend on an experienced handyman for these home modifications when the safety of seniors is at stake.

If you or someone you know needs help with Home Care to Improve Senior Home Safety in Sarasota, FL, contact Perfect Solution For Seniors. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (941) 378-5553 for more information.

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Snow Bird Season

 

Snowbird season is almost upon us in Sarasota! For those who don’t know, Snow bird season is when Northerners flock to Florida typically from October to May.

With this flock of our northern friends, it is important to have explore homecare options prior to season so you are set to go in case of an emergency.

We always suggest to interview 3 homecare agencies and see which one fits your needs most. Ask questions about their recruitment, retention of staff and how they staff schedules.

Here at PSFS all our employees are Level II background checked, and all licenses up to date. We have a dedicated person on staff for all scheduling needs, as well as a person dedicated to all our clients’ wants and needs.

As always, our consultation is free. We want to get to know you, and you to get to know us! Give us a call!

Visit: https://www.perfectsolutionsforseniors.com

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What are Geriatric Care Managers?

Geriatric care managers are the point person to plan and coordinate care of the elderly and others with physical and mental impairments to meet their long term care needs and also improve their quality of life.
 
Geriatric care managers especially come in need when a senior loved one is far from their family, and that family needs an advocate to be there for their loved one.

 
At Perfect Solutions for Seniors, we always accompany our clients to important appointments but we often refer to a local geriatric care manager to be the point person for the whole family. With one person being the central person assisting the family on key points, there is less risk of confusion and more consistency of care.
 
With a geriatric care manager and Perfect Solutions for Seniors Homecare on your team, it is a stellar combination to ensure great care for your senior loved one.

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Live in Care - Perfect Solution For Seniors

At Perfect Solution for Seniors, we believe in choices. We always recommend interviewing 3 private duty companies prior to making your decision.

We also recommend to not make your decision solely on price. Ask about the companies hiring methods, their company culture, ongoing education for their staff, and specialty programs.

At PSFS, we are always striving to do the best for our clients and increase our employee’s knowledge base about our clients.

This is why our Administrator has created the Cognitive-Communication program. Francesca uses her skills as a medical Speech-Language Pathologist to stage a person’s cognition and dementia. With that vital information, she is able to train the CNA specifically what the client needs.

Furthermore, she takes the time to provide extensive education to the family about the diagnosis of their loved one.

We are a no cookie-cutter approach system, and this is just one way we are changing the landscape of in-home senior care.

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PARKINSON’S AWARENESS MONTH

April is Parkinson’s awareness month. In simplest terms, Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a central nervous system disorder than can affect movement, often involving tremors. These tremors can be exhibit themselves in outer extremities such as legs
and arms, or internally such as one’s larynx impacting their ability to swallow.

Though many are aware of the term Parkinson’s, few know early signs of Parkinson’s.

The Parkinson’s Foundation lists 10 early signs of “PD” Parkinson’s Dementia.
1. Tremors
2. Small Handwriting
3. Loss of smell
4. Trouble sleeping
5. Trouble moving or walking
6. Constipation
7. A soft of low voice
8. Masked face
9. Dizziness or fainting
10. Stooping or Hunching Over

A symptom of Parkinson’s that can be easily overlooked is dysphagia, which is a swallow impairment. Tremors present in the larynx impact the safety of the swallow mechanism increasing the individual’s risk of aspiration and aspiration pneumonia. Aspiration is when a foreign particle, such as a liquid or food, enters past the vocal folds of the trachea and into the powerhouses of our body: our lungs. Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) are the healthcare practitioners that will work within the interdisciplinary team to provide diagnosis and treatment for dysphagia.
There are 3 types of dysphagia:

1. Oral Dysphagia: swallow impairment that occurs inside of the oral cavity. Impairments generally are impaired mastication, or chewing, of food, and/or decreased propulsion of the food or liquid bolus resulting in oral residue.

2. Pharyngeal Dysphagia: swallow impairment that occurs in the pharynx which can result poor transit of the bolus to the esophagus or decreased coordination of pharyngeal elements resulting in aspiration.

3. Esophageal Dysphagia: impairment in the esophagus where bolus does not transmit to stomach area. A referral to a GI specialist is needed.

An individual can experience dysphagia in multiple phases of the swallow. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms in swallowing or early signs of Parkinson’s, consult with your Doctor who can make the appropriate referrals. As Parkinson’s progresses, more assistance may be required to support you in your activities of daily living such as meal prep, housekeeping, and medication reminders. If this is you, contact Perfect Solutions for Seniors, a senior in home company, with a Speech Language Pathologist leading the staff in best communication and assistive practices for their senior clients.

#eldercare #inhomecare #seniorcare #sarasota #caregiver #CNA #RN #helpinmyhome

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DANGEROUS UTIS CAN FOLLOW HOSPITAL PATIENTS HOME

For the sick or elderly, a urinary tract infection (UTI) can prove deadly. With many vulnerable patients developing UTIs post-discharge, a new study suggests that better monitoring is needed after leaving the hospital.

Researchers at Oregon State University explored more than 3,000 at-risk patients. The study revealed that the risk of infection tripled once patients went home.

UTIs are the most common type of health care-related infection, according to the National Healthcare Safety Network. While the infection is usually harmless for the young, it can have deadly consequences for the elderly.

“If left untreated, UTIs can progress to more serious disease such as sepsis,” said study author Jessina McGregor, associate professor at OSU’s College of Pharmacy.

Catheters — thin tubes used to drain urine from the bladder in bedbound patients — cause most hospital-acquired UTIs, the report noted.

Though severe UTIs can cause symptoms such as vomiting, fever, shaking and chills, a mild infection can be difficult to detect at first.

“In elderly patients, diagnosis of urinary tract infections can be challenging since advanced age also results in some of the symptoms often attributable to UTI, such as increased urination frequency or urgency,” McGregor said

A constant urge to urinate and pain or burning while urinating are hallmarks of a UTI. Once discovered, the infection can be treated with antibiotics. But the issue is twofold: If a doctor misdiagnoses symptoms of aging as an infection, McGregor is unsure if the cost of treatment outweighs the precautionary benefits.

“We are worried about elderly patients being treated for UTI when in fact their symptoms are not due to an infection,” McGregor said. “Unnecessary use of antibiotics puts the patients at risk for drug-associated side effects without offering any potential benefits.”

The study showed that about 11 patients per 1,000 developed a UTI in the hospital. About 30 per 1,000 developed a UTI within a month of going home. As patients are experiencing shorter hospital stays than ever, improving the transition from hospital to home is essential to solving this problem, the researchers said.

“During transitions of care, health care providers need to have open lines of communication to ensure they have a complete picture of a patient’s medical history when providing care,” McGregor said.

Dr. Thomas Finucane, a geriatrician at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, explained why providing antibiotics for unconfirmed UTIs isn’t favorable.

“We used to think the urinary tract was sterile; this was the basis for many decisions about giving antibiotics,” said Finucane, who wasn’t part of the study. “But now we know that the urinary tract has a microbiome and is, in fact, never sterile.”

The lack of sterility in the urinary tract could mean that some symptoms of a UTI can be present in healthy individuals. This idea implies that the UTI diagnosis is overused and patients don’t always need antibiotics.

“In most cases, if a young or middle-aged woman develops painful urination, it’s safe to take pain meds and observe carefully,” Finucane said. “But most of the time it gets better by itself.”

The study can’t prove that the infections were picked up in the hospital. But the link is strong enough to support further research, McGregor said.

The study was published recently in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology

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Announcement of New Corporate Partner

What is Pragmatics?
Pragmatics is subfield of linguistics of how a person uses language in a social setting. Language or the meaning of message is changed depending on context, social engagement or even a change in prosody.
Pragmatics also includes body language, tone and facial expressions to convey a message and also the ability to tune into these social cues.
As we age we may have less ability to practice our pragmatic skills secondary to social isolation or decreased ability to communicate. This is why Perfect Solutions for Seniors, we are excited to announce our Corporate Partnership with The Senior Friendship Center in Sarasota Florida!

The Senior Friendship Center is a place where our client’s can go to socialize, participate in events, and even have medical services. It is a wonderful organization that provides so many events from music to support groups.
They have a booming event calendar at their two locations, Sarasota and Venice Florida. Visit their website and check them out!
#dementia #corporatepartner #inhomecare #seniorliving #socializationandaging #seniorcare #aginginplace

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Seizures and Elderly Sarasota Florida

Seizures and Elderly

Seizures or medical term, epilepsy, is a neurological disorder marked by sudden recurrent episodes of sensory disturbance, loss of consciousness, or convulsions, associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

3 Types of Seizures that can occur in the elderly and their symptoms are as follows :
Simple Partial Seizures
• Jamais vu ( familiar things suddenly become unfamiliar
• Trembling that moves up one side of the body
• Déjà vu
• Out of body experiences
• Sudden shifts in mood
• Unexplained anger or fear
• Disturbed speech
Complex Partial Seizures
• Lip smacking
• Lack of response to others
• Repeated phrases
• Senseless, clumsy movements
• Disrobing
• Being briefly unaware of danger or pain
Generalized Seizures
• Brief staring
• Sudden muscle contractions
• Sudden falls
• Convulsions
Here at PSFS, we gladly will attend all your Dr. appointments and become a liaison for you and your family if they cannot attend. As always, its our family taking care of yours.



For more details: Seizures and Elderly Sarasota Florida
#seizures #eldercare #seniorinhomecare #caregiver #CNA #homecare #sarasota #pinellas #tampabay #venice #perfectsolutionshomecare #dementiacare #dementiaawareness

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Best Caregiver Company Sarasota Florida

I’ve always had a passion for serving Seniors. When I was receiving my education for Speech Language Pathology, I knew I wanted to take the medical/ Adult route to serve Seniors with neurocognitive Impairments (i.e. Dementia, Parkinson’s, Stroke, ALS, etc.). I wanted to get to the source of where these impairments where, and assist patients to regain their communication, story telling knowledge, so they can keep and form relationships.
I worked at skilled nursing facilities and hospitals providing therapy for my patients to regain their independence and return home safely. I wasn’t making the impact that I always saw myself doing-I had multiple patients re-admitted for the same issues such as a fall, even though we worked intensively on increasing safety in the home. I kept asking “Why is this happening? We worked on this! “

It was difficult to educate families on the patients’ cognitive needs. Many families would cite, “Well that’s just how he is”. I was worried and concerned that once discharged home, I did not know if my efforts were successful in terms of my patients continuing therapy and demonstrating improvement.
In 2018, I was integrated into my mom’s caregiver company, Perfect Solutions for Seniors.
As a collective group, my mom, my sister and I knew we could provide higher level services to our already clientele. With my assistance and my sister’s, in 2018 we become a licensed Homecare company which allowed us to place qualified CNA’s into Seniors homes—This new licensure enables us to provide higher level homecare to allow the client to stay in their home surrounded by the memories they have cultivated over the years. I love going to client’s homes on the initial visit, and seeing generations of photos on the walls. It reaffirms the love of what I do.
It’s here, where my clinical skills and passion for Seniors’ really came alive. I use my clinical skill set to provide hands on education to my staff and I am able to see how much my client benefits in their home. I am able to see my client in their home environment and cultivate a plan that allows effective communication and for their wants and needs to readily be met—I set high standards for our employees and educate them on how to achieve successful outcomes using a comprehensive training program. Now I can rest easy knowing that our client’s cognitive skills, physical needs and emotional well being are all being successfully achieved, improving their overall quality of life. It is extremely satisfying and invigorating because I can see difference we are making in improving my client’s lives. .

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Normal Cognitive Aging Sarasota FL

Things change. With that even our bodies are changing. Our brains change, which can impact our ability to care for ourselves, form or keep relationships, or impact our work. Though things change it is important to know what changes our within the “normal” range. Though a majority of these cognitive changes may occur after the age of 65, Dementia is NOT a normal part of aging.

Areas that may NOT be affected as we age:
Intelligence: knowledge accumulated over time remains stable with age

Memory: Long term memory remains relatively preserved in old age. Short term memory is more vulnerable to aging.

Attention: Simple focused attention tasks is preserved in older age.

Language: Vocabulary is preserved as we age

Reasoning: Traditional ways of approaching situations are maintained in older persons

As we age all cognitive abilities are intact but we may need a longer time to process things, such as a problem we have never encountered before in our lifetime, but we can still figure it out!

So though things are changing, these are your Golden Years! You may have to figure out HOW the “new you” will accomplish things but you will succeed. Remember, if you need assistance, ask for help!

As always, PSFS, is only a phone call away. It’s our Family Taking Care of Yours!
To Know More: Click Here

#normalaging #seniorcare #inhomecare #eldercare #perfectsolutionshomecare #sarasotaflorida #florida #aginginplace #dementiacare #homehealthcare #CNA #RN #inhomeseniorcare #helpinmyhome

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Drug Nutrient Reactions and the Eldery

What is it?

A drug nutrient reaction simply put a reaction between a medicine and one or more nutrients ( vitamins and minerals). These can either be nutrients present in the food we eat, or additional supplementation.

One of the most well known drug nutrient reaction is foods high in Vitamin K ( such as any greens, kale etc) should not be eaten when a person is on blood thinners. These foods ( broccoli, spinach etc.) can impact the affects of blood thinners.

There is also drug nutrient depletion that can occur. When a person has long term use of a medication it can affect that person’s ability to maintain within normal limits nutrient levels.

Take for example, diuretics can cause potassium levels to be low in the body.

How can someone combat this?

It is imperative when having a new medication prescribed that you inform your doctor of all medications that you are taking as well as vitamin supplementation.  Ask what the long term effects are of the medication. If you are an inpatient at a hospital, ask to speak with the pharmacist prior to discharge, to be fully educated on any medication use, administration and effects.

If you or your loved one are overwhelmed with this process, call us! Our Certified Nursing Assistants can assist you with recalling when to take your medication, as well as accompany you to Dr. Appts, take notes/logs and communicate that information to family.

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Best Home Health Care

If you are not able to take care of your parents, please consider homecare to assist you in caring for them. One of the best ones in the area serving several counties is Perfect Solutions for Seniors.

It is guaranteed that you will not find better care than what this privately-owned company can provide. They employ healthcare professionals who abide to provide world-class love and care to

elders. 

Perfect Solutions for Seniors is primarily known for the care of elders with Alzheimer disease, but they are not just limited to just that. You will be glad to know that they work closely with

attorneys, families, financial institutions, health care providers, and other community organizations so that they can provide the best senior home care services without any issues.

Want to know more about the best home health care?

Perfect Solutions for Seniors is one of the most noted names in Florida that is known for its transparency and high-quality services. If you are thinking about in-home caregivers and CNA’s,
then know that they are highly trained and educated if employed by Perfect Solutions. They are trained to handle all kinds of situations, including music therapy in their care, providing
nutritious meals, and activities that maintain cognitive functioning

Services that are exclusively provided by Perfect Solutions for Seniors are a Plan of Care established by a Registered Nurse (RN) and followed through by Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), dressing guidance, medication reminders, appointment transportation, travel companions, daily assistance, laundry and linens, geriatric care management and more. If you want to know more in detail, then we recommend you to visit the Official Website: perfectsolutionsforseniors.com

No case is too small or too big. Perfect Solutions for Seniors excels in 24/7 care for a client, where their package includes a consistent team of staff, in-home Dementia Training, and recommendations by a Certified Dementia Practitioner and Speech Language Pathologist with expertise in Geriatrics, and more.

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