14 years

Happy Birthday to Us! 14 years ago Dan & Andrea Pahos opened the doors of the Birmingham office of Home Instead Senior Care.

14 years later we are still proud to serve the senior population!

Thank you for putting your faith & trust in our service!

The 50-50 Rule

You may not have seen eye-to-eye with your brothers and sisters when you were growing up. Some things, it seems, have not changed. Now that you're caring for elderly parents, the issues of aging could put you at odds with your siblings.

That's why the Home Instead Senior Care^® network developed the 50-50 Rule^SM program.The 50-50 Rule refers to the average age (50) when siblings are caring for their parents as well as the need for brothers and sisters to share the care planning responsibility 50-50.

Research conducted for the organization reveals that an inability to work together often leads to one sibling becoming responsible for the bulk of caregiving in 43 percent of families. And that can result in the deterioration of relationships with brothers and sisters. If you're 50, have siblings and are assisting with the care of seniors, it's time to develop a plan.

The 50-50 Rule public education campaign can help. At the heart of the campaign is a 50-50 Rule guide of family situations that will provide practical advice from an expert to brothers and sisters struggling with any number of topics from trying to divide care and work better as a team to dealing with end-of-life issues.

This program can help you answer such questions as:

• Should you and your sister divide the caregiving load and, if so, what are the best ways to do that?

• Does your brother disagree with your dad's decision to stay home and how can you build consensus? 

• How will you resolve the conflict over family inheritance?

The guide and website, SolvingFamilyConflict.com, will offer a variety of additional tips and resources for siblings, all backed by original company research. We would be happy to share more information about how home care can provide a welcome respite for family caregivers and ease the strain on sibling relationships.

Award - Congratulations Home Instead Senior Care

Home Instead Senior Care has earned a No. 1 ranking in Franchise Business Review’s 2011 FBR50 Franchisee Satisfaction Awards. The company also earned the top award in the senior care category.

The 50-50 Rule

The 50-50 Rule^SM

New Program Helps Siblings Overcome Family Conflict While Caring for Aging Parents

You may not have much in common with your siblings now that you’re grown. But there’s still one thing you share: your mom and dad. A new local program – the 50-50 Rule^SM – offers strategies for overcoming sibling differences to help families provide the best care for elderly parents.

“Any family that has cared for a senior loved one knows that problems working with siblings can lead to family strife,” said Dan Pahos, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving Birmingham and surrounding areas. “Making decisions together, dividing the workload and teamwork are the keys to overcoming family conflict.”

The 50-50 Rule refers to the average age (50) when siblings are caring for their parents as well as the need for brothers and sisters to share in the plans for care 50-50. Research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care^® network reveals that an inability to work together often leads to one sibling becoming responsible for the bulk of caregiving in 43 percent of families. And that can result in the deterioration of relationships with brothers and sisters.

“If you’re 50, have siblings and are assisting with the care of seniors, it’s time to develop a plan,” Pahos said. “This program can help.”

At the core of the 50-50 Rule public education program is a family relationship and communication guide of real-life situations that features practical advice from sibling relationships expert Dr. Ingrid Connidis from the University of Western Ontario.

“Like all relationships, siblings have a history,” Connidis noted. “Whatever happened in the past influences what happens in the present. Regardless of their circumstances, most siblings do feel a responsibility to care for parents that is built from love. And that’s a good place to start – optimistically and assuming the best.”

For more information about this free guide and other resources call 205-822-1915 or visit www.solvingfamilyconflict.com.

PLEASE JOIN US AT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE FOR A CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY

Heart Health: The Importance of Taking Care of your Heart and Legs
Presented by: Rachel Wilkinson, CRNP
WHERE? Home Instead Senior Care
WHEN? February 23, 2011
9:00-10:00 a.m. or 2:00-3:00 p.m.

Rachel has a Masters Degree in Nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is currently working at Birmingham Heart Clinic as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.

This event is open to all Home Instead Senior Care CAREGivers, Home Instead Senior Care Clients, and anyone in the community who can benefit from this valuable information.

Nursing and Social Work CEU’s WILL BE PROVIDED

2059 Columbiana Road
Birmingham, AL 35216
Please RSVP: kcochran@homeinstead.com

CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM TOMORROW!

Continuing Education

Good Grief: Coping with Loss
1 Nursing & .75 Social Work Contact Hour
Course level appropriate for entry, intermediate and advanced level social workers and nurses
Nurses and Social Workers must provide license numbers in order to receive credit.
This program is provided Free of charge for medical professionals

January 21, 2011
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
or
2:00 p.m. - 3:00p.m

Objectives: By the end of this program participants will be able to:

1. Describe the stages of dying
2. Identify ways to process grief
3. Recognize the Seven Fears of Dying
4. Facilitate emotional support for patients and families


Speaker:
Mylesa Weatherford, LCSW, PIP
Bereavement Coordinator Comfort Care Hospice

Mylesa graduated from Birmingham-Southern College with a Bachelors degree in Psychology and Religion and then the University of Alabama with a Masters of Social Work with a concentration in Mental Health. She has experience in child welfare, mental health, and medical social work. Her interests include individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, and community mental health education. She currently serves as the Bereavement Coordinator for Comfort Care Hospice of Pelham.


For more information contact or to RSVP ~ kcochran@homeinstead.com

Home Instead Senior Care
2059 Columbiana Road
Suite 105
Birmingham, AL 35216
(205) 822.1915

Elderly Patients Who Get on Feet Leave Hospital Sooner

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly hospital patients who get back on their feet as quickly as possible spend less time in the hospital than those who remain in bed, finds a new study.

The research team studied 162 hospitalized patients over age 65 who each had a step activity monitor attached to one of their ankles. The small electronic device counted every step the patients took, explained the researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston.

The monitors showed that even short walks around the hospital unit were beneficial.
"Using these monitors, we were able to see a correlation between even relatively small amounts of increased mobility and shorter lengths of stay in the hospital. We still found this effect after we used a statistical model to adjust for the differing severities of the patients' illnesses," lead author and assistant professor Steve Fisher said in a UTMB news release.

The study was published in a recent issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

Patients with orthopedic or neurological conditions are encouraged to get back on their feet as soon as possible, but no such "standard of care" currently exists for elderly hospital patients with acute conditions, the researchers noted.

The authors pointed out that their study could be a first step toward that goal and may also lead to other improvements in the care of elderly hospital patients.

"Mobility is a key measure in older people's independence and quality of life generally, and this study suggests that's also true in the hospital setting," Fisher said.

"When we hospitalize elderly people, we set up a paradoxical situation," he explained. "You can have a positive outcome of the acute problem that brought them there, but still have negative consequences as a result of extended immobility."

More information
The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging has more about older adults and hospitalization.

-- Robert Preidt

SOURCE: University of Texas Medical Branch, news release, Dec. 10, 2010

Be A Santa to A Senior a HUGE SUCCESS!

709 bags were requested this year! 639 bags were donated to our office. The rest we purchased with cash donations we received from the community!

Here is our Director of Marketing & Sales showing our wonderful FILLED bags!

This was our favorite bag! Isn't it cute!?!

Celiac disease cases on the rise

Researchers working to solve the puzzle of when people develop celiac disease have uncovered some surprising findings – the number of celiac cases is on the rise, particularly in the elderly. According to University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers, the incidence of the disease has doubled every 15 years in the U.S. since 1974. Using blood samples from more than 3,500 adults, they found the number of people with blood markers for celiac disease increased steadily from one in 501 in 1974 to one in 219 in 1989. In 2003, a study by the university’s Center for Celiac Research put the number of people with celiac disease at one in 133. As people in the study aged, the incidence of celiac disease rose, echoing the findings of a 2008 Finnish study that found the prevalence of celiac disease in the elderly to be nearly two-and-a-half times higher than in the general population. “You’re never too old to develop celiac disease,” says Alessio Fasano, M.D., director of the university’s Center for Celiac Research.  Celiac disease is triggered by consuming gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Classic symptoms include diarrhea, intestinal bloating and stomach cramps. Left untreated, it can lead to the malabsorption of nutrients, damage to the small intestine and other medical complications. “You’re not necessarily born with celiac disease,” says Carlos Catassi, M.D., of the Universita Politecnica delle Marche in Italy, lead author of the paper and co-director of the Center for Celiac Research. “Our findings show that some people develop celiac disease quite late in life.” He urges physicians to consider screening their elderly patients. If individuals can tolerate gluten for many decades before developing celiac disease, some environmental factor or factors other than gluten must be in play, Fasano says. Identifying and manipulating those factors could lead to novel treatment and possible prevention of celiac disease and other autoimmune disorders, he said. Our CAREGivers can help seniors with special nutritional needs and accompany them to doctor appointments.We also have Cooking Under Pressure public education campaign, which focuses on providing education and support to seniors and their family members who sometimes are stressed by the demands of caregiving.

Megan on the air...

Megan, our Community Services Representative, is below on the air with NBC 13's Bettina Boating!
Great job Megan!

Be A Santa to A Senior off to a Great Start!

We are off to a great start with our Be A Santa to A Senior Program! Thanks to all the media response we have had a lot of calls - people telling us they want to help!

Please call us at 822-1915 if you have any questions.
Otherwise, please drop off your bag of goodies to:
2059 Columbiana Road
Suite 105
Birmingham, AL 35216
BY DECEMBER 8, 2010

A Client Letter

Every once and a while I get something across my desk that makes me "toot our own horn".

A letter, written by a client's daughter came across my desk last week. Her father passed away at the end of July and she put her thoughts in a sweet note to our staff Jennifer.

August 31, 2010
Dear Jennifer, {Jennifer is our nurse}
As you no doubt know by now, my father, **, passed away in July.
I will never forget the kind and patient manner in which you work with our family (a year ago this week) at the kitchen table of my parents' home. That was a hard day for them; they had to make arrangements for things they never anticipated, and they needed to do it quickly. Given that, I can't imagine anyone better suited for working with them at that point than you.
Thanks so much for all the great care you and your team provided; may each of you be blessed abundantly by our good Lord in return.
Sincerely,
**

I gave this note back to Jennifer so that she is reminded of how important her job is and what a great job she does for us!

Be a Santa to a Senior Gift Giveaway Serves Area Older Adults a Dose of Holiday Cheer

The popular campaign that has delivered more than one million gifts to needy seniors throughout North America in the past five years is under way in Birmingham this holiday season.

The area office of Home Instead Senior Care has developed the Be a Santa to a Senior program to provide presents and special visits to local seniors who otherwise might be overlooked this holiday season.

“Most people aren’t aware that there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of seniors in every community who have no family and are alone,” said Dan Pahos, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving Birmingham and surrounding areas.   “The holiday is often considered a time for children, but seniors – especially those who are isolated and lonely – need to be remembered as well.  Be a Santa to a Senior is designed to give back to those needy seniors as well as to help stimulate human contact and social interaction for older adults who are unlikely to have guests during the holidays.”

Here’s how the program, which runs until December 8, works:  The public is asked to purchase a holiday gift bag (with handles) and fill it with any of the items listed below.  Label the bag male or female and bring it to the Home Instead Senior Care office located at 2059 Columbiana Road, Suite 105 in Birmingham by December 8, 2010.

“Be a Santa to a Senior is a way to show our gratitude to those older adults who have contributed so much to our community,” Pahos said.  “We hope to reach out to many with this gesture of holiday cheer and goodwill.”

Businesses are encouraged to contact the local Home Instead Senior Care office about adopting groups of seniors.  For more information about the program, call 205-822-1915.

Suggested Gift Ideas (Unopened and Unused)

• Socks (Men & Women – all sizes)

• Lotion
• Shampoo / Conditioner
• Toothbrush/Toothpaste
• Hairbrush/Comb
• Books (Large Print)
• Crossword Puzzles (Large Print)
• Blankets
• Gloves (Men & Women – all sizes)
• Washcloth, Bath and Hand Towel Sets
• Kitchen Towels
• Smoke Alarms (with batteries)
• Devices to Aid Opening Jars/Bottles
• Flashlight (with batteries)
• Large Print Playing Cards
• Stationary/Cards
• Photo Albums
• Picture Calendars
• Nail File kits
• Cotton Handkerchiefs
• Large Button Telephones
• Alarm Clocks with Large Numbers
• Sugar-free Gum
• Sugar-free Candy
• Small Christmas Tree with ornaments
• Magazines

Brave Old World - A Report

The demographic projections are startling: In 40 years, the number of Americans 

past 65 will have doubled.
There’s never been such a graying America.

What’s it like to grow old? How will communities and the nation adapt? A report on how older Americans age, how they grapple with the physical and emotional changes that accompany longer lives, and what lies ahead for us all.

 

http://columbia.news21.com/2010/

When Sleep Apnea Masquerades as Dementia - A New York Times article

link to article
October 6, 2010, 3:44 pm

By PAULA SPAN

The woman who came to see Dr. Ronald Petersen, an Alzheimer’s specialist at the Mayo Clinic, was only in her 60s but complained that she was having trouble concentrating. “Her attention was waning,” Dr. Petersen recalled. “She couldn’t follow a television program or stay focused during a conversation.”

Ryan Collerd for The New York Times A C.P.A.P. machine at the home of a sleep apnea patient in Pottstown, Pa.

She was probably developing dementia, Dr. Petersen thought as he took her history. But along the way he asked, as he usually does, how she was sleeping. The woman, who lived alone, hadn’t noticed any problems.
Her son, however, had stayed with her the previous night to drive her to the appointment. “She was snoring like a freight train,” he reported.
Aha. Overnight sleep testing determined that the woman had obstructive sleep apnea — nightlong interruptions in breathing that reduce oxygen flow to the brain and prevent deep sleep. The interruptions can happen 10 or more times an hour and are quite common in older adults, exacerbating — or sometimes mimicking — dementia symptoms.
Treated with a C.P.A.P. machine — the acronym stands for continuous positive airway pressure, a therapy that involves wearing a mask over the nose and/or mouth during sleep — the woman rapidly improved. Her scores on neuropsychological tests eventually climbed back into the normal range. A year later, Dr. Petersen said, “I can’t find any abnormalities.”
Most of the time, cognitive problems won’t evaporate when seniors are treated for sleep apnea. But researchers find that with C.P.A.P., many older patients see marked improvement. “They’re not dozing off during the day, they’re not dragging,” said Dr. Bradley Boeve, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic. “Quality of life improves.”
Life gets easier for their caregivers, too, a key concern in trying to keep people out of nursing homes.
But apnea frequently goes undetected, especially in the elderly, although they are more likely to have it. Estimates of the percentage of older adults with sleep apnea are all over the map, in part because of varying definitions of the condition — but they’re always startlingly high. Sonia Ancoli-Israel, professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, has studied the disorder for 30 years and reports that almost half of older adults experience apnea to some degree, with even higher rates among those with dementia.
“It’s under-recognized in all age groups,” she told me in an interview. “But in older people, physicians are even less likely to recognize it.”
Why? Apnea in younger people frequently coincides with obesity; in elderly patients, that’s less often true. Loud snoring, often a tip-off, may go unnoticed when seniors live alone. And, as Dr. Ancoli-Israel pointed out, “there’s a belief that old people are supposed to be sleepy during the day.”
They’re not, and one reason she wants them and their caregivers to recognize the problem is the now-established connection between apnea and cognitive decline. “If you’re waking up hundreds of times a night and you’re not getting enough oxygen to the brain, of course you’ll see the effect,” Dr. Ancoli-Israel said.
She and her team, in a study published in 2008 in The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, randomly assigned patients with Alzheimer’s disease to use real C.P.A.P. machines or fake ones for several weeks. The treatment produced “modest but statistically significant improvements,” particularly in vigilance (the ability to pay attention) and executive function (judgment and decision-making).
“We didn’t cure the dementia,” Dr. Ancoli-Israel cautioned. “But it wasn’t as severe as before.” As the researchers followed up months later, they also found that while all the patients continued to decline cognitively, in those using C.P.A.P. the decline was more gradual.
For years, physicians doubted that dementia patients could or would use these machines. Even younger people with apnea frequently find the C.P.A.P. mask uncomfortable, pulling it off during sleep or just not bothering to use it. But in recent studies, seniors diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease did use the devices — not for as many hours each night as their doctors might wish, but long enough.
Now Dr. Ancoli-Israel is investigating whether C.P.A.P. therapy might help reduce the cognitive damage from Parkinson’s disease. “This isn’t just Alzheimer’s,” she said. “Any time there are symptoms of dementia, you should think about sleep apnea and discuss it with your doctor.”
Be forewarned: diagnosing sleep apnea can be complicated, requiring an overnight stay in a sleep center. If apnea proves to be the problem, technicians have to calibrate each C.P.A.P. machine’s settings and individually fit the mask. All those processes become harder with someone who’s cognitively impaired. (To find treatment centers, consult the American Academy of Sleep Medicine or the National Sleep Foundation.)
But when someone with apnea does stick with the treatment, “you’ll see the effects within a month or so,” Dr. Boeve said. “Sometimes even within a week.”

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Paula Span is the author of “When the Time Comes: Families With Aging Parents Share Their Struggles and Solutions.”