Try: Incontinence is a common problem in many older care recipients crs here is a list of some of the possible causes physiological or medical causes infections such as urinary tract infections urethritis or vaginitis prostate problems in men especially after prostate surgery constipation or fecal impaction weak pelvic muscles especially in women chronic illnesses such as diabetes parkinson’s disease or other illness that limit mobility vision changes that make it difficult to see the way to the bathroom dehydration can cause irritation of the bladder or lack of sensation to urinate the sensation to urinate may be limited due to brain changes in dementia diuretics as well as natural diuretics such as coffee and tea medications especially tranquilizers sedatives hypnotics and antidepressants environmental causes distance to the bathroom may be too far bed may be too high from the floor making it difficult to get out of bed in time floor and toilet seat may be the same color making it difficult to see the toilet improper footwear that makes the cr afraid he or she might fall poor lighting making it difficult to find the bathroom or locate the toilet orientation cues and signs may be lacking which help the cr locate the toilet other causes cr may not remember what to do once in the bathroom the task may be too complicated assistance may be needed to help undressing sitting on the toilet wiping or getting off the toilet cr may be fearful or anxious about having to partially undress in front of an unfamiliar caregiver you may not be giving simple or clear enough instructions you may be rushing the cr may not have the ability to communicate the need to urinate information references

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Categories: Communication, Medical Physical, Personal

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Keywords: Dementia going to the bathroom adult disposable underwear

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Whether you are a caregiver helpful friend or neighbor or a professional first responder there are some things you should keep in mind in case of an emergency that requires evacuation of seniors or others with disabilities assess mobility issues are there mobility aids visible such as canes walker or wheelchairs are service animals present if no mobility aids are visible ask the evacuee about his or her physical capabilities can the evacuee stand walk and or use the arms identify yourself state the reason you are there and show proper identification speak clearly and slowly and on eye level with the evacuee give the evacuee time to process and respond to the information treat the evacuee with respect and dignity keep your sentences short look for any health and medical identification check for any medical alert bracelets ask the evacuee where his or her medications may be stored check to see if any medications are visible on the counter or in the cabinets check for emergency contact information by the phone observe whether the evacuee is wearing a hearing aid or glasses or seems confused or agitated or having difficulty communicating with you encourage cooperation with reassurance talk your way through whatever procedures may be necessary in a calm and reassuring tone reduce excessive noise and distractions turn off the television or radio turn off any flashing lights and sirens if possible references adapted in part from the u s department of health and human services intenet website www hhs gov

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Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Needs Some Assistance, Needs Much Assistance, Immobile, Some Supervision, Maximum Supervision, So-So Vision, Poor Vision, So-So Hearing, Poor Hearing, So-So Smelling, Poor Smelling, So-So Touch, Poor Touch, So-So Verbal Comm, Poor Verbal Comm, Somewhat Aware, Unaware

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Keywords: Emergency preparedness disaster preparedness evacuation procedures

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Turning the "act" of listening into the "art" of listening makes the communication process flow more smoothly and will promote positive interaction keep in mind that "hearing" is not the same as "listening some helpful ideas for listening are listen with intensity – good concentration is essential to undercover and understand the whole story words do not always convey what the speaker is trying to communicate concentrate on finding the meaning between beneath and behind the words listen with empathy – sometimes most of the story is silent and the emotions will ultimately tell the tale make sure you have the quality of listening that will enhance the way someone else feels heard listen impartially – accept what you hear even if it is not what you want to hear or even expect to hear don’t voice your personal opinions or form judgments listen constructively – if the speaker shows anger or frustration that anger or frustration could just be a result of their feeling a loss of control over a situation if you can listen constructively this will give you an opportunity to validate their feelings of anger and frustration sympathize with the situation and move the conversation to a more positive tone listen visually – listen by looking at the body language of the speaker does their face reflect anxiety or fear use your body language to calm their anxiety or fear – lower your tone of voice and slow down the pace of your words create an atmosphere of calmness by making sure there are no distractions and that you give your full attention to the speaker the way that you listen can either build a bridge of rapport between yourself and the speaker or put a giant chasm between the two of you honing your listening skills will make you a more compassionate listener

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Categories: Communication

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*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Active or reflective listening is the way of listening and responding that makes the speaker feels that they have been heard here are some ways you can actively listen focusing – keep your attention on the speaker don’t talk or interrupt while the speaker is speaking use positive body language as you listen; lean forward maintain good eye contact and use a relaxed body posture observe the speaker’s tone of voice their body language and their feelings don’t let your attention be diverted by distractions responding – give a positive non-verbal response as the speaker is speaking by nodding your head in an encouraging way if you give a verbal response make it non-threatening and sincere you might say "i see " or "that’s interesting " control your emotions and don’t let certain words or subjects color your objectivity as you listen restating – you can restate or paraphrase your understanding of what the speaker has said this will give the speaker an opportunity to correct any misinterpretations that you might have clarifying – this allows you to expand upon what you have heard thus possibly encouraging the speaker to give more information and possibly open up more reflecting – this gives you a chance to make sure you have interpreted the message correctly by reflecting back to the speaker any content that has been heard or perceived by clues given in the speech feedback – this allows the listener to share your feelings as to the speaker’s experiences always thank the speaker for sharing and let them know that you respect their thoughts and opinions even if the experience has been difficult for them there are however barriers to being a good listener some of these are external barriers – distractions around you such as noise clutter and being in a place where you can be interrupted listener’s internal barriers – letting preconceived emotions prejudices attitudes personality traits and assumptions color how well you truly hear what is said allowing your concentration to stray to thoughts outside of the speaker’s subject matter and "daydreaming " speaker’s internal barriers – putting themselves and their subject matter at risk by having high expectations as to how it will be received speaking in a technical based language which may be second nature to the speaker but not understood at all by the listening audience offering too much information to the listener which makes the essential point the speaker is trying to make hard for the listener to identify making the listener confused things to remember in order to become a more effective listener keep an open mind – set aside prejudices and opinions don’t use a silent moment of the speaker to "jump" into the conversation they may just need time to organize their thoughts being an active listener doesn’t mean that you have to be in agreement with the speaker just that you accept and understand what they are saying try to control emotions of anger or frustration that the speaker may invoke in you and don’t act on those emotions references adapted from new jersey self-help group clearinghouse "improving your listening skills"

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Categories: Communication

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*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: The gentle art of listening is a wonderful gift that you can give to the Care recipient (cr) when you actively listen to the cr you show that you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say in the process you will instill self-worth and confidence in the cr even if what the cr says does not help you it will help the cr here are some suggestions on how you can become an a more effective and active listener stop talking you can’t listen if you are doing all the talking be patient count to 20 take a breath think before you speak do not interrupt the cr may need extra time to express what he or she wishes to say show interest let the cr know that you care and are interested in what he or she is trying to say maintain eye contact and stay close the cr give the cr you undivided attention and do not do anything else like watching television reading the paper or playing with you electronic devices double check understanding avoid assuming that the cr understands you the cr may even say he or she understands what you have said but not really understand at all this is especially true with the hearing impaired ask the cr to repeat what you have said this sometimes referred to as parroting the overall process of confirming understanding is sometimes called a perception check use active listening skills nodding your head leaning forward touching saying "yes" "i see" repeating back what you have heard and making eye contact are some of the active listening techniques that you may use reference adapted from a presentation by karen stobbe for culture change network of georgia

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Categories: Communication, Social, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

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Keywords: Active listening effective listening two way communication

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: One of the most important caregiver skills is effective communication you need good two-way communication to determine the care recipient recipient’s crs needs care plans problems and interventions you also need effective communication with family members other caregivers and health care professionals here are some of the keys to effective communication know the person try to get to know the other person as an individual and build a relationship the more you know the other person the easier it is to work together and care for each other embrace each person person’s individuality and cultural diversity every person different acknowledge that every person has unique strengths weaknesses gifts passions and cultral heritage this is a part of the web of your community and life celebrate diversity rather than insisting that everyone must be the same accept that you will not always agree on everything it is ok to agree to disagree just make sure that you communicate effectively in the process of disagreeing it is important to know where the other person is coming from even when there are differences do not insist that it is your way or the highway be willing to compromise focus on what unites you with others rather than what divides you take a walk in the other person person’s shoes you may never truly know how the other person is feeling however if you put yourself in the other person person’s shoes you may understand better and communicate more effectively listen to the other person person’s life story everyone has a story to tell that provides perspective on his or her past present and future one of the blessings of working with an elderly cr is listening the the interesting stories that he or she can tell there is much wisedom to be learned from actual life experiences talking to an older cr can provide a unique perspective on historical events the way things used to be and the way they are now words can make a difference words are powerful the way you say things of often has more impact than what you have to say it is important to acknowledge and respect the other person as an individual for example in reference to a cr with incontinence the word adult disposable underwear has a more positive connotation than the word diapers try using person-centered language by reversing common phrases to put the person first and the characteristic second for example "a wheelchair bound resident" for instance becomes " a person who uses a wheelchair for mobility " say yes find ways to rearrange your words in a positive manner for example instead of saying "don’t go that way" you could say "come this way with me " no one likes to hear the word no learn how to say yes be aware of your non-verbal communication a significant portion of total communication comes from non-verbal expressions such as the tone and volume of voice posture facial expressions and hand gestures be aware of body language and the messages that you may be sending on the other hand watch the crs body language especially if verbal communication is impaired slow down you may be very busy and have too much to do in a short amout of time being in a hurry may send a message to the other person that he or she is not important try to take a deep breath and slow down a liitle bit be present an elderly cr especially one with dementia may be living from moment to moment try to be spontaneous flexible interested and enthusiastic to be present with the cr in those moments respect and empower when the other persons mental and physical capabilities are declining let that person do what he or she can do as long as possible be a source of encouragement rather than criticism for example an elderly cr may have trouble making coffee in the morning and it may take an very long time even though you could do it easily in a much shorter period of time let the cr do it it helps maintain independence and self-esteem make sure you thank to cr for making the coffee laugh find the joy and use humor laughter is the universal language and everyone understands it laughter can lighten your load make things fun defuse a stressful situation and help build relationships it costs nothing brings a little joy into the world and makes everyone feel good references adapted from a presentation by karen stobbe for culture change network of georgia and articles by karen schoeneman on the website www pioneernetwork net

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Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

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Keywords: Interpersonal skills interpersonal rapport talking visiting

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: When the time is right discuss the grieving process with cr discuss the different ways that people go through the grieving process discuss your own experiences with losses of loved ones and how the passing of time helped ease the pain ask cr about the deceased person person’s life spiritul faith family career leisure time activities and so on this will help you reminisce about the deceased with cr although cliches may sound corny they are true and may actually help cr time heals all wounds the person is in a better place and there is no more suffering visit the deceased loved one one’s grave with cr and share in the grieving process help cr clean out the house and personal belongings of the deceased if cr asks for assistance don’t automatically assume cr wants help tell cr that memories will last forever if there is a concern about forgetting help cr put together a photo album of the deceased and schedule one day each month to look over the album help cr focus on new life experiences after the loved one passes away the cr may be freer to travel and do things with other people this is especially true if cr was the primary caregiver for the deceased individual find out about cr cr’s spiritual values and offer to pray with him or her if appropriate encourage cr to consider counseling with clergy who are generally more acceptable to an elderly population than a therapist if cr continues to be despondent he or she may need to consult with a doctor about anti-depressant medications that would help with situational depression and mood swings

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Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Social, Spiritual, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

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Keywords: Grief depression caregiving loss deceased counseling

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: When cr starts complaining about living in new surrounding and says that he or she doesn’t like it explain the benefits of living in the current community where there is no cooking cleaning or daily tasks there will be more time to enjoy life and remain independent in the new community explain to cr that while the former residence was a good place to live it had some drawbacks for example it may not be safe for cr to continue living there or expensive maintenance and repairs may have been needed help cr get involved in activities that he or she enjoys at the senior housing community for example encourage cr to go to the knitting group or sing in the chorus this may help cr make new friends and adapt to the new environment over time help cr put up decorations and place other items from the former residence in the new home having familiar objects around may help cr feel more comfortable in the new surroundings gather up photos of cr cr’s previous residences and put them in a photo album remind cr that over time he or she has eventually developed comfort and familiarity with the former residences encourage cr to focus on making new friends while staying in touch with old friends for example playing a table game or watching a favorite movie with friends can be very enjoyable and help cr develop a sense of belonging in the new environment organize a special party for cr within a few weeks of admittance to the senior housing community being around family and friends in the new setting can provide cr with reassurance that everyone knows where he or she lives

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Categories: Communication, Emotional Psychological, Social

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Keywords: New surroundings decorations photos activities benefits

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Provide printed safety tips on yellow paper to the cr to use when answering the phone keep the tips posted by each telephone that the cr will answer ensure that the print is large enough for the cr to read include the following tips for the cr to review when an unknown person calls him or her never state that you are home alone never state that you will be home at a certain time of day never provide your social security number over the phone or to a stranger if you think that the call is a scam ask for a telephone number to call them back if you are given one save it if available you could also use the caller id feature on your phone to get the phone number of the caller be sure to write it down if the caller asks who are you do not answer instead ask the caller who are you calling if the caller does not answer hang up the phone safety tips should also have the local police department’s phone number with directions to call police if the phone call is an obscene phone call a night time call from a stranger the police should also be called if you are getting wrong number phone calls on a frequent basis

Materials: Yellow paper black permanent marker

Categories: Communication, Medical Physical, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

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Keywords: Telephone scams telemarketers home safety

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Buy the cr a small bell that can be rung when assistance is needed encourage the cr to keep the bell by his or her side at all times if you are nearby but not where the cr can see you the cr can ring the bell so that you can respond this approach is limited to the extent that you can actually hear the bell when it is rung when you are in other areas of the house or outside using a wireless doorbell system may cost more but would provide a better alternative to using a hand bell

Materials: Small hand bell

Categories: Communication, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Emergency response system security alert first alert intercom

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed