If you’re like most people, you may think heart disease is a problem for others. However, every single human being has a heart; therefore, we are all potentially at risk. Heart disease takes one in three Canadians before their time and is the number one killer of Canadian women. Understanding heart disease is not easy due to the fact there are many different types of conditions. Looking at the facts will benefit you and those you love in the long run.

Having spent many years of my career as a nurse working in the community, I have seen firsthand the devastation heart disease can cause a family. Not only can heart disease affect someone physically,  it can also have emotional, mental and spiritual impact. One of my first clients in the community was a woman with three young children. She was going through chemotherapy treatments and at the same time grieving the recent loss of her husband from a sudden heart attack. He was 37 years old. His children were in elementary school. He was the ‘healthy’ one, the caregiver, and the supporter of the family.

February has been proclaimed as National Heart Month in Canada with the hopes it will raise public awareness through education and prevention of heart disease. Just like nurses working in the community, the public does not have access to the technology medical staff do in the hospital. This is why we need to rely on the warning signs of a heart attack or stroke and be aware of what our bodies are telling us.

• Chest discomfort – sudden discomfort or pain that does not go away
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body – neck, jaw, shoulder, arms, back
• Shortness of breath – not being able to speak or having a hard time breathing
• Sweating – clammy, wet skin
• Nausea – with or without vomiting
• Light-headedness – feeling like you are going to faint or pass out
• Pallor – grayish colouring of the face

Nine out of ten Canadians have at least one risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Be proactive and reduce the risks by adopting simple lifestyle changes that can impact your health in a positive way: incorporate Canada’s Food Guide into your diet, get regular physical activity, develop coping strategies to manage stress, limit alcohol consumption, and stop smoking.
We Care’s booklet Get Going to Keep Going has information on healthy eating and getting active within your community. It also has tips on communicating about your health and how to actively participate in your health care. To request your complimentary copy online visit www.wecare.ca/getgoing or call 1-877-853-1195.

There is no time like the present, participate now!

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias touch the lives of hundreds of thousands of Canadian families every year. Caring for an Alzheimer’s patient can be overwhelming at times – but it can also be rewarding. The reward comes from finding solutions to problems and being confident in knowing how to provide care. A caregiver’s efforts are focused on the patient, focus that is supported by finding the inner strength and motivation to be the best caregiver one can be.

1) Learn about the disease and ask questions

• Take some time to learn more about what you are dealing with in caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. Know what to expect as the disease progresses.
• Access resources available in your community, such as the Alzheimer’s Association.
• Take your loved one to his or her doctor often and ask about available treatments.

2) Provide physical and emotional care

• As the disease progresses, more and more help will be needed for physical care such as bathing and ambulation. Be prepared by having the necessary equipment (bath bars, wheel chair, etc.).
• Aggression is a classic symptom of a person with Alzheimer’s. Speak gently and never respond in anger or try to argue with them.

3) Ensure safety

• Install safety equipment and hardware when the person begins showing signs of instability.
• Protect the person with Alzheimer’s in the event they leave the stove burner on or try to leave the home in the middle of the night (use of stove guards and alarm systems).

4) Plan for changes

• Start to evaluate all the options to assist in properly caring for the Alzheimer’s patient, including in-home care, community-based services, and residential care.
• Consult an attorney who specializes in geriatric law to discuss financial and legal issues. Decisions involving future medical care and other wishes can be made ahead of time.

5) Ask for help and take care of yourself

• Consult with a professional who has experience advising caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s as they can be a huge help in navigating the health care system.
• Adult day-care services or respite care can also provide a break for the caregiver.
• Eat healthy foods, get plenty of rest, and make time to exercise. You need to be well in order to manage the role of caregiver.
• Ask other family members or friends for help or hire a caregiver from a home care organization in your community.

Caring for an Alzheimer’s patient is difficult. Help and resources are available and will support you in the role of caregiver when you are feeling that much of the load is on your shoulders.

For more resource information:
- www.alzheimer.ca
- Alzheimer’s Foundation of America
- Alz.org

Caregiving affects us all. Regardless of language, culture, or ability, it has become an everyday part of life for many people. Millions of Canadians are currently providing care for a loved one at home or in a facility. As medical technologies advance and life expectancies increase, more and more of us will participate in the caregiving process – whether we are the one needing the care or the one providing it.

Being a nurse gives you insight into family dynamics and the ways in which people cope through difficult times. As a nurse and granddaughter I have seen the effects of family caregiving and the impact it can make. Although it is a centuries-old act of kindness, love and loyalty, it can take a heavy toll on you if you don’t get adequate support. When my grandmother reached the point where she needed 24 hour care and wanted to stay at home it was our family that provided most of the support. These were trying times, and even with 8 children to share the workload, there were periods of conflict, hardship and resentment due to other roles and responsibilities that each and every family member had. What can help make it successful is when family members come together and share in the variety of tasks that are required. One person may have difficulty doing it alone.
Caring for a loved one who is mentally or physically challenged can be emotionally taxing on the caregiver. It can be especially difficult to care for a parent who has traditionally been the caregiver for you and your family.
Tips for Family Caregivers

• Understand that caregiving is hard work – reward yourself with respite breaks often
• Watch for signs of depression, and get help when you need it
• Educate yourself on your loved one’s condition or disease and how to communicate effectively with the health care team
• If people offer to help you, graciously accept the offer and suggest specific things they can help you with
• Be good to your back: caregivers do a lot of physical care
• Allow yourself to grieve your losses
• Seek support from other caregivers – there is great strength in knowing you’re not alone
• Call a private home care agency – they can offer respite, assistance with personal care, nursing services and can help keep your loved one at home

We Care has just launched a booklet specifically designed with the family caregiver in mind titled “Being a Family Caregiver”. This guide was created to help people manage the challenges and responsibilities of providing care to a loved one. To request your complimentary copy call 1-877-853-1195 or visit http://www.wecare.ca/FamilyCaregiverGuide.aspx.

If you are a caregiver you often have to put the needs of others ahead of your own. Caring for yourself is one of the most important – and one of the most forgotten – things you must do as a caregiver. When your needs are taken care of, the person you are taking care of will benefit too.

If you are in the role of primary caregiver for a loved one with Alzheimer’s it may seem overwhelming at times. Putting a plan of care in place in the early stages will give you a sense of confidence and make it smoother for everyone involved. If it is possible – include the person with Alzheimer’s in the development of their care plan as much as you can. Many resources are available to help you make an effective plan to follow in the times ahead. Visit www.alzheimer.ca for guidance.
Consider any care plan evolving, one that will need to be updated as the different stages of Alzheimer’s disease appear. Here are some key areas for care that will help you feel more prepared:

1) Set up daily routines that provide consistency

• Minimize confusion for the person with Alzheimer’s by keeping consistent daily times for waking up, mealtimes, bathing, dressing, visitors, and bedtime
• This helps minimize their stress and makes them feel more secure

2) Simplify communication to improve sharing of information

• Ask one question at a time giving the person ample time to answer
• Encourage the person to point or gesture if they can’t remember what an object is called
• Make good eye contact and be patient in waiting for a response

3) Plan activities and visitors that will not overwhelm the person with Alzheimer’s

• Tailor the activity to the persons current ability so as to minimize frustration
• Plan some outdoor time such as a drive or walk in the park
• Try activities offered in the community such as a senior centre
• Plan visitors at the time of day when your loved one is less tired or frustrated and can enjoy the companionship

4) Manage challenging behaviors

• Create a calm and soothing environment by modifying the environment to reduce potential stressors and by maintaining calm
• Manage their stress by use of exercise, calming music, presence of pets
• One on one visits with family and friends can decrease anxiety
• Decrease the chance of wandering by purposeful exercise, reassurance if disoriented, activity planned for the time of day wandering tends to occur, reduction of noise, monitoring taking of medication
• Aggressive behaviors can be reduced by not confronting the person, not initiating physical contact, providing a time out to give them space, distracting them to a more pleasurable topic

5) Access support options

• Join a support group in your area for both you and your loved one
• Identify who in your circle of friends and family can help with day to day responsibilities of caregiving
• Consider hiring a trained caregiver from a home health care organization who can provide you with some relief from providing care so you can have some relaxation time

As Alzheimer’s progresses the care plan will need to be re-evaluated as new concerns arise such as the consideration for long term care placement. Implementing a well thought out care plan early on can result in life that is much less stressful for both caregiver and loved one with Alzheimer’s. For more information visit helpguide.org

Next month is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, a disease that is expected to double in prevalence among Canadians over the next 25 years. In an effort to promote awareness of the disease and how to manage its effects, I have decided to devote three blog posts to “The Alzheimer Diagnosis.”

About Alzheimer’s:

Three quarters of Canadians living with Alzheimer’s disease are women. It is the most common form of dementia -a syndrome consisting of a number of symptoms that affect a person’s ability to function. Alzheimer’s disease impacts different parts of the brain and a variety of functions become impaired over time. This disease affects mental and physical abilities as well as moods, emotions and behaviors. It is considered to be a chronic disease, lasting 15 to 20 years or more with progressive challenges that vary from person to person. Although genetics play a role, only 7% of cases are associated with genetics.

As we get older we may have a fear of this happening to us and many myths have evolved about Alzheimer’s disease. It is important to know the symptoms and how they are different from the normal aging process. These symptoms usually appear gradually following 3 stages – early, middle and late, and take about 8 to 12 years to evolve.

What does a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease mean? Changes to watch for are:

• Memory loss that impacts ability to manage activities of daily living
• Changes in personality
• Decreased judgment abilities
• Disorientation to time and place
• Mood changes
• Slowness in making decisions
• Problems with language
• Simple tasks are harder to perform
• Losing items in the home setting

We can all have hope for the future as researchers tell us that people with Alzheimer’s disease are living longer than ever before. These researchers predict that there will soon be treatments that attack the disease process and not just alleviate the symptoms.

Information available to increase your understanding of Alzheimer’s disease can be found at www.alzheimer.ca or in a book called Alzheimer’s from the Inside Out by Richard Taylor. Stay tuned for the final two posts in this series to come in January. I hope this information is of help to you or anyone you know that is living with Alzheimer’s disease.

While the holidays can be one of the most wonderful times of the year, it can also be challenging when you are tempted to indulge in foods that are not part of a diabetic meal plan. Don’t be discouraged. With some careful planning and smart choices, you can make your holidays both happy and healthy. Now that the season is upon us, here are some simple tips to help manage your diabetes.

Plan Ahead:                                                                                                           

• Eat a nutritious snack before you attend events or parties where there will be lots of food. In this way you will be less tempted to snack on enticing foods. Choose a snack that has ‘staying power’ for example, dried fruits, raw veggies or cheese and whole wheat crackers.
• Always carry a healthy snack so that you are in control of what you eat, and are not influenced by limited food choices.
• Drink plenty of water. Don’t leave home without a bottle of water – water actually helps to suppress your appetite.
• If you are asked to bring a dessert, low calorie options include angel food cake or a fresh fruit platter.

Eat Right:

• Put less on your plate. Cut down your food portions and ensure that 50% of your plate is veggies or salad.
• Watch out for holiday favorites such as ham coated with honey glaze or turkey swimming in gravy and side dishes loaded with butter, sour cream and mayonnaise. Instead choose turkey and trim off the skin. If you can’t drizzle the gravy very lightly – then go without.
• A white dinner roll will spike your blood sugar faster and higher than a whole wheat roll. If there are no whole wheat options – go without.
• Decide what food you want to splurge on and avoid all other foods that are not part of your meal plan. Everyone needs a treat now and again.

Limit the Spirits:

• Check with your doctor before drinking alcohol. If your doctor has told you it’s OK for you to have an occasional drink, make sure you have food with it and stick to one serving of alcohol. Alcohol can cause your blood sugar to drop – so you might want to check your blood sugar first to make sure it isn’t too low.
• It is very important to check your blood sugar regularly during the holiday season. Higher blood sugar readings may indicate that there is a little too much holiday cheer going on! Remember that moderation is the key to keeping your diabetes in check over the holidays.

Enjoy!

We take our home for granted. It has just always been there and has always been a place where we could feel safe and secure. As we get older changes happen that impact the safety of our home and our ability to be independent in that home. Aging affects each of us differently. Many experience physical limitations that seriously limit activity. These changes associated with aging are:

• Vision – impairments occur such as difficulty judging distance, difficulty seeing contrasts and colors, problems with depth perception, susceptibility to glare
• Touch – sensitivity to heat or pain decreases; loss of sensation in the feet causing problems walking
• Hearing – sounds get distorted, hearing loss affects balance, hearing loss affects ability to hear smoke alarms, phone ringing
• Balance/Gait – decrease in  balance causes slower more unstable walking and increased risk for falls

I spent many years as a visiting nurse in Mississauga, Ontario. Most of my clients were seniors living in their own homes. I have many memories of seniors struggling to manage as the aging process diminished their ability to be independent and safety issues were increasing their risk for fall and injury. I think back now to how little client education was available back then to make a difference in their outcomes. The focus was more on actions after an event occurred that diminished their health and safety and not on prevention.

We Care has produced a guide to help people recognize safety risks in their home and make simple changes to reduce the chances of injury. The Independent Living Guide is meant to be used together with family to help spot the risks and make the improvements needed to keep you safe, healthy and independent. The guide walks you through every room in your home using checklists to identify areas of risk and provides you with tips on safety improvements you can make. It also identifies the safety concerns of fire, driving, medication management and fraud. It focuses on ways to experience healthy active living through activities that improve your strength, balance, tone, endurance and flexibility.  This guide is available free of charge at www.wecare.ca

People are living longer and this means they need to stay as well as they can for as long as they can. Being older and hopefully wiser means we all need to take advantage of good ideas to be safe in our homes. There may be factors related to aging that we have little control over but there are many things that we can do to maintain vital, active lives. Develop your plan to be at home safely and independently! The Independent Living Guide helps you make that plan.

There’s a common misconception that as we get older, we can’t really do anything about our health. Nothing could be further from the truth! While we may have little control over our genetics, there are still many things we can do to maintain vital, active lives.

Right now, you or your loved-one could be at the crossroads of life – perhaps coping with a chronic health problem or learning to live with advancing age. You have the power to slow down the progression of health conditions and even prevent illness by taking charge of your health.

As a Registered Nurse and a Homecare Visiting Nurse, I’ve seen first-hand the difference active aging can make on ones well-being. Studies show that to be happy, people need to feel safe, healthy and connected to other people. Whether we are 18 or 80, our sense of well-being is linked to our participation in life.

To help with this, we have compiled a booklet titled Get Going To Keep Going, which you can use to walk your loved one through eight steps to a proactive approach to active aging.

Each step is like a piece of a puzzle. And the attention and time given to each puzzle piece helps to put your life together, and know that you’re doing the best you can to be the best you can.

The booklet is free, available online at www.wecare.ca/getgoing or by calling 1-877-853-1195.

Welcome to our Care Connection- where we will share everything we know about the world of home health care where it has been and where it is going. We are a trio of nurses who all share our love for working in the world of home care. As you check out our contributions over the next months, you will see that each of us bring a different focus to our home health care experiences. You will see diversity in both the way we look at the home health world, and the choices we make in the information we post in our contributions. You will also see that we all share a passion for our work and a keen interest in providing news and events from the world of home care. It is our hope that the personal experiences and real life stories from our nursing history can help people across the country live happier, healthier lives

Our contributions are for everyone as they will provide experiences, resources and current education on home health care. We hope health care workers, clients, their families and caregivers will be able to relate to our stories and learn from the information we will share. Until my next post, thank you for connecting – stay tuned for great info in contributions to come!