Florida Comfort Keeper

Bathing

Attention to the Basics Matters Baths and showers clean, stimulate, and increase circulation in the skin. They can also dry skin, and in some instances, cause chapping. How often a bath or shower is needed depends on the situation of the person in your care. If urinary incontinence, bowel problems, and heavy perspiration are present, [...]

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Taking Care of Yourself – Good Nutrition Is Essential & Easy

Maintaining good nutrition habits is tough for anyone, but especially difficult for caregivers because they are juggling the potentially selective appetites of a patient, other family members, and their own personal mealtime likes and dislikes. Here are some simple guidelines: Drink Water: Water is an essential nutrient because about 55 percent of your body is [...]

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Making Mealtimes More Enjoyable

Mealtimes are important times for the elderly or ill because they provide a welcome diversion in the day. During holidays meal times are a nice opportunity to socialize. If it is not too distracting have the person in your care eat with the family or others. Expect and ignore spills and less-than-perfect manners. Play music [...]

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Practical Aids for Living

Little Things Can Help a Lot Many people have some physical limitations, whether these involve moving, seeing, hearing, communicating or using everyday tools like knives, forks, spoons, toothbrushes or telephones. Solutions exist for over- coming these limitations. Below are examples of different types of bath- room equipment and other assistive devices. It is important to [...]

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Travel with Mobility Challenges

A Good Time Can Be Had By All Traveling with someone who has mobility challenges or a chronic health condition requires careful planning before leaving on a trip. To prevent problems during travel: Tell the person’s primary care doctor about the trip. Ask if there are any special care needs to prepare in advance or [...]

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Body Mechanics—It’s All About YOU!

Your automobile and other important equipment work based on mechanical principles. Each part is made to work a certain way and to work with specific other parts. Your body is much the same. Certain parts are for certain activities and perform best when they are used the way they were intended. You have some control [...]

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Physical Therapy

Use it or lose it… Physical therapy is part of the process of re-learning how to function after an injury, illness, or period of inactivity. If muscles are not used, they can shorten and tighten, making joint motion painful. What a Physical Therapist Does A physical therapist treats a patient to relieve pain and help [...]

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Family Communication

The right words can make all the difference… Whether with our own family, or in a professional caregiver relationship, we need skills to communicate effectively. Tips for effective communication: 1) Assess the situation. Listen to every member of the family to figure out what the issue really is. Look for meaning and emotions behind what [...]

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A Good Night’s Sleep

Twilight Years Sleep Troubles As we age, it becomes harder to reach the deepest stages of sleep. Menopause causes night sweats that wake us up. Certain prescription medications contain stimulants. Spending more time in bed due to illness or age can make a person feel restless. Some people also suffer from chronic pain. More Relaxed [...]

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Elderly Financial Abuse – Setting Boundaries

What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You Aggressive marketing to the elderly is common. Seminars for estate planning can provide useful information, but they are often selling something and are not unbiased about what a person may need. Help the person in your care avoid financial planners who may also be stockbrokers or insurance agents. [...]

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