|
|
|
|
|
|
Like most eldercare advisors I
tend to recommend that families consider Hospice
care when a patient seems to have exhausted all
the available medical options. As a rule we
encourage this option as early as possible,
because the support and care offered by most
Hospice agencies is so beneficial to the patient
and their families. Rather than wait until the
end is imminent, we hope that patients and
families will opt for Hospice as soon as they
are eligible.
Grab bars in the kitchen. Why not? Where do we spend more time on our feet than in the bathroom and the kitchen? Why should the bathroom get all the attention? Install a grab bar at the kitchen sink. There's usually plenty of room between the underside of the counter and the cabinet doors. A grab bar here will provide something firm to hold to while loading and unloading the dishwasher, when reaching up or down into a cabinet, and just as a steadying point while working. Another at the stove top wouldn't be a bad idea, either.
Wipes Warmer
This is a baby wipes warmer. It keeps wipes warm and moist. Pull one out and use it right away and it won't be such a shock to thin elderly skin. Obviously, if you pull one out and wave it around for a while before you use it, it'll be like ice. You have to be fairly well organized and have the container within reach of where you'll want to use it. Other than that common sense bit of advice, just add a little water whenever you add new wipes so they stay moist.
I rarely take the opportunity to
strongly express my personal views here. I usually
reserve that for more private venues. However, I had
an experience this week that illustrates why Hospice
agencies are being pressed to admit patients who may
jeopardize the care they can offer to truly deserving
patients.
That's it for this time around. Live Well!
|
|
|
|
|
Baby
wipes aren't always for babies. Most caregivers find
they come in really handy for those times when you
don't want to do a full bath, but a quick wipe-down is
needed. They're wonderful, that is, until the weather
gets cooler and that cold wipe on warm skin is a
shocker. It may feel great to have a cooling cloth in
the dog days of August, but when it's snowing outside,
think again.
