Medications May Be Damaged By Storage Mistakes
By WALECIA KONRAD

What does extreme heat do to medications? I found out while we were sweating out the recent heat wave in a lake cabin in New Hampshire and my 10-year-old son’s allergies kicked up.

I gave him a dose of over-the-counter medicine that usually brings quick relief. But this time the drug had no effect. The same thing happened the next day, and the next.

When I returned home, I asked a pharmacist about it. Was my son becoming immune to this particular medicine? Were his allergies getting worse?

The pharmacist asked where I had stored his pills as the temperatures soared. On the bathroom shelf in the cabin, I said. And on the sweltering six-hour drive to the lake? The medicine was in my suitcase in the trunk of the car.

And that’s when I learned this: No drug should be exposed to temperatures higher than 86 degrees. Some days the bathroom at our vacation house and certainly the trunk of the car were well above that mark.

Extreme temperatures can have a big effect on both prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers recommend most of their products be stored at a controlled room temperature of 68 to 77 degrees, said Skye McKennon, clinical assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy. In truth, that is the range in which manufacturers guarantee product integrity. Anywhere from 58 to 86 degrees is still fine, she said.

“During heat waves and cold spells, storage locations can go above or below those ranges, causing medicines to physically change, lose potency or even threaten your health,” McKennon said.

For patients with such chronic illnesses as diabetes or heart disease, a damaged dose of a crucial medicine, like insulin or nitroglycerin, can be life-threatening. But even common medicines can break down with potentially harmful effects, and you can’t always tell by looking at the pill or liquid that a problem has occurred, said Janet Engle, a pharmacist and past president of the American Pharmacists Association.

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Andelcare caregivers are available to answer all of your home care questions. We are an elder care agency providing live in home care in Seattle WA and the surrounding areas. Call us at 888-788-3051.

Home Care Seattle WA: How to Help Someone With Dementia Make Restaurant Choices

By Paula Spencer Scott, Caring.com senior editor

Does the person you’re caring for hesitate or seem perplexed by a long menu?

Difficulty making choices is common in early- and mid-stage dementia. What was once simple has become more challenging due to a combination of memory loss, loss of judgment and the ability to process options, and fear of saying something wrong.

Some ways to help:

    Don’t mistake respectfulness for helping. It might seem kind to wait patiently while your companion orders, but this can actually heighten his or her anxiety and confusion. 

   Instead, gently preempt a choice by stepping in with a suggestion: “Look, today’s special is your favorite: salmon.” Or, “I’m having salmon. You, too?”

    Alternately, narrow the many options on the menu to just two: “Which sounds better to you: salmon or chicken?”

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For more information about how the caregivers at Andelcare can help your family with your home care needs, call 888-788-3051. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable live in home care in Seattle and the surrounding areas.

Keeping Seniors Safe: Know the Signs of Dehydration in the Elderly

While summer means pools, vacation, and tanning for most, it can also mean overheating and dehydration for others. Summer can be a dangerous season for all ages, but it can be especially dangerous, even fatal, for the elderly. One of the most common, yet deadly, concerns for seniors can be attributed to dehydration. Dehydration is the result of insufficient liquid in the body for proper functioning. Dehydration is a larger concern in the summer due to hot temperatures, which consequently leads to more sweating. If an adequate amount of water is not consumed to balance the water lost in perspiration, dehydration can set in.

In seniors, dehydration is much more common than younger people. The older you are, the less fluid that is contained in the body. Elder people have as much as 10% less liquid than that of a healthy adult. There are several symptoms and side-effects of dehydration that can be taken into consideration if you suspect it in an older family member or friend. Signs of dehydration include, but are not limited to: confusion, weakness, constipation, dizziness, fever, increased heart rate, weight loss, less urine, and disorientation. In more severe and progressed cases, one may experience sunken eyes, severe diarrhea, severe fever, and fainting spells. The sooner you suspect dehydration, the better. If these symptoms are visible and you suspect dehydration, it would probably be in your best interest to consult a doctor or other qualified physician. The sooner dehydration has been brought to one’s attention, the easier it is to manage and cure. If dehydration is permitted to progress in an older patient, there is a much higher chance of further medical complications including kidney failure, electrolyte imbalances, heart diseases, shock, coma, and even death.

Fortunately, dehydration is a preventable sickness that no one should fall to if the correct measures are taken. Be sure to drink plenty of water and other nutritious drinks that are high in electrolytes, sodium, and potassium. Even consuming foods that are high potassium are encouraged to be eaten, as these provide extra electrolytes for the body. In the summer, when dehydration becomes more of a concern, it is recommended to increase the amount of fluid intake even more. While the heat and sun can help lead to dehydration, it is also your own personal responsibility to make sure you and/or the people the around you maintaining healthy levels of liquid intake.

As your parents, friends, or other family grow older, it is a great idea to consider hiring home care or other professional help. If nursing homes are out of the question, it is certainly a good idea to find someone that can check on a loved older person daily. You yourself can provide daily checkups and visits to the household. If this is not an available option, there are definitely other people to turn. Professional home care is a service that is certainly on the rise now that more and more people from the “Baby Boomers” era are growing old and handicapped. While you may not need to hire someone for constant care, checkups are certainly a great idea and can help prevent accidents and other ailments, like dehydration. In order to prevent dehydration, have someone stop by daily to record weight and fluid intake. Daily monitoring can detect miscues in weight and BMI, which can lead to earlier detection of dehydration. Give the person providing the home care a schedule of fluid intakes at a given time interval. Dehydration is a preventable sickness, and should never have to threaten the lives of family, friends, and other elderly people.

For more information about how the caregivers at Andelcare can help your family with your home care needs, call 888-788-3051. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable live in home care in Seattle WA and the surrounding communities.

Plumber Understands Aging In Place Modifications

(WiredPRNews.com) As you grow older, your body and abilities change along with your social needs. Having a plan for moving from your senior to elderly years can facilitate greater control, quality of life, and independence. Local area plumbers are learning how they can help you set this plan in motion through aging in place services.

Simply put, aging in place is electing to live in the place of one’s choosing as they age while having necessary support services available as personal needs change over time. With home health care services on the rise, many elderly and other people of need are finding comfort in choosing to stay at home instead of move into a retirement facility or other type of care center. Home health care affords individuals the convenience of having nurse care on site.

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For more information about how the caregivers at Andelcare can help your family with your home care needs, call 888-788-3051. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable live in home care in Seattle WA and the surrounding communities.

5 Must-Do Rules for Preventing Medication Mistakes
How to protect yourself in advance from drug interactions
By Melanie Haiken, Caring.com senior editor

If 1.5 million serious medication mistakes happen every year, and 100,000 people die from them, how do you make sure you and your loved ones aren't among the casualties? Take these five steps to make sure medication mistakes don't happen to you.

1. Be prepared.

Make a list of prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and any supplements such as vitamins, minerals, or herbs that you and your family members are taking. Keep a copy in your wallet, and update it regularly.

2. Have regular medication reviews.

At least once a year, have your general practitioner or primary doctor review your list of medications to make sure there are no dangerous combinations, incorrect dosages, or medications inappropriate for your age and circumstances.

Remember, as time goes by, your body changes, and a medication that was perfectly fine five years ago may not be healthy — or even necessary — today.

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If you or someone you know needs help with elder care in Bellevue WA or the surrounding area, contact the caregivers at Andelcare. We provide quality and affordable in-home care for many disabled and elderly loved ones in our community. Call us at 888-788-3051 for more information.

The Awkward Talk: Engage parents in planning for old age
By Angela Hill, The Oakland Tribune

It's the age-old question: When and how do we have "the talk?"

No, not that one, but the dialogue on the other side of the lifetime spectrum, often just as difficult and delicate – the one about an aging family member's driving abilities, housing transitions, costs of long-term care and even end-of-life instructions.

Most of us, on either side of the discussion, would rather chew on nails than delve into these subjects. Yet as more and more baby boomers step into senior citizen territory and life expectancies continue to increase, such issues loom large.

Even so, these talks don't always have to be harrowing. While each individual, each family, each situation is different, most in the field of geriatric care agree the process is easier the earlier you start – when all parties are fully engaged – and say you should approach loved ones with respect and compassion, appreciating an individual's need to retain independence.

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If you need help with answers to caregiving questions, call the caregivers at Andelcare. We help many individuals who wish to remain at home with home care. We are an in home care agency dedicated to providing quality and affordable home care in Seattle and the surrounding communities. Call 888-788-3051.

9 Investigates: The Soaring Costs Of Medicaid

WFTV investigated the soaring costs of Medicaid, and government watchdogs said one simple change could save hundreds of millions of dollars.

Michael Claudio has trouble remembering basic tasks after encephalitis damaged his brain. The state could have spent $5,000 a year for in-home care, or $65,000 a year to send him to a nursing home. State Medicaid managers chose the nursing home and would have sent taxpayers the bill.

"I went on a waiting list for over two years just for some kind of assistance," said Michael Claudio.

Without help, Claudio's wife Linda kept serving as his full-time caregiver for as long as she could.

"My house is in foreclosure now, but I made a choice. He mattered more," said Linda Claudio.

The same situation happened to Carmen Martinez, who wanted a home health care aide to help with laundry and meals for her elderly father. Medicaid wouldn't pay for the help, but it would have payed up to 13 times more to send Martinez's father to an institution.

"The help I need, I don't have it," said Martinez.

An AARP survey showed that 84 percent of seniors prefer home care over a nursing home, and the group Florida Taxwatch said the state could save up to $397 million a year by switching more patients to in-home care.

The nursing home industry lobbied against it.

"I believe that some industries have a stronger voice when it comes to policy-making than maybe the average family has," said Mary Ellen Grant of Share The Care nursing home.

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For more information about home care for your loved one, contact the caregivers at Andelcare. We help many elderly, disabled and veteran loved ones with quality and affordable home care in Seattle and the surrounding communities. Call 888-788-3051.

Natural Chemical Found in Grapes May Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease

ScienceDaily (July 15, 2011) — Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that grape seed polyphenols — a natural antioxidant — may help prevent the development or delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

The research, led by Giulio Maria Pasinetti, MD, PhD, The Saunder Family Professor in Neurology, and Professor of Psychiatry and Geriatrics and Adult Development at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, was published online in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

This is the first study to evaluate the ability of grape-derived polyphenols to prevent the generation of a specific form of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide, a substance in the brain long known to cause the neurotoxicity associated with Alzheimer disease. In partnership with a team at the University of Minnesota led by Karen Hsiao Ashe, MD, PhD, Dr. Pasinetti and his collaborators administered grape seed polyphenolic extracts to mice genetically determined to develop memory deficits and Aβ neurotoxins similar to those found in Alzheimer's disease. They found that the brain content of the Aβ*56, a specific form of Aβ previously implicated in the promotion of Alzheimer's disease memory loss, was substantially reduced after treatment.

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At Andelcare, we recognize that there are many reasons why a loved one may need home care. From seniors with Alzheimer's Disease, to patients with disabilities, to caregivers needing respite care, we are here to provide quality and affordable home care in Seattle and the surrounding communities. Call us for information 888-788-3051!

Bearing Through It: How Caregivers of Mentally Ill Loved One Can Cope

ScienceDaily  — Caring for a family member with a mental illness can be a taxing experience marked by personal sacrifices and psychological problems.

A new study from Concordia University, AMI-Québec and the University of British Columbia has found family caregivers can experience high levels of stress, self-blame, substance abuse and depressive symptoms — unless they refocus their priorities and lighten their load.

"Being the principal caregiver to a mentally ill family member is a stressor that often creates high levels of burden and contributes to depressive symptoms," says lead author Carsten Wrosch, a professor in the Concordia University Department of Psychology and a member of the Centre for Research in Human Development.

"Caring for a relative with a mental illness can be strenuous — such caregivers can even be more burdened than caregivers of dementia patients," Wrosch continues. "That said, even in this situation, caregivers can experience high levels of wellbeing if they adjust their goals and use effective coping strategies."

Published in the May issue of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the investigation followed family caregivers over a 17-month period and found those who reset priorities fared better. The research team expected that caregivers who are capable of adjusting important life goals (e.g., career, vacation, etc.) would cope better with caregiving stress and that this resilient process would protect their emotional wellbeing.

"We found participants who had an easier time abandoning goals blamed themselves less frequently for problems associated with caregiving and used alcohol or drugs less frequently to regulate their emotions," says co-author Ella Amir, a Concordia graduate and executive director at AMI-Québec, a grassroots organization committed to helping families manage the effects of mental illness.

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Quality home care is so important for our aging loved ones. That is why the caregivers at Andelcare take pride in providing quality and affordable home care in Bellevue and the surrounding areas. Call us at 888-788-3051 for all of your live in home care needs.

Andelcare honored as fast-growing company

Innovation, outstanding employees, and dedication to customer care fuel the company’s growth

Newcastle, Wash. – On Thursday, July 21^st, at a ceremony held at the Golf Club at Newcastle, the Puget Sound Business Journal honored the Eastside Fastest-Growing Private Companies.  Of the 50 honored, Andelcare was number 25 on the list of fastest-growing companies.  Andelcare, based in Bellevue, Washington, is a provider of in-home care for the elderly, the disabled, and people recovering from surgery and hospitalization.  Services include companionship, homemaking, personal care, and nursing care advocacy and management.

Andelcare was additionally honored when its founder and CEO, Marla Beck, was asked to be a member of a four-person guest panel.  The panel responded to questions from Gordon Prouty, publisher of the PSBJ, and PSBJ reporter and columnist Patti Payne.  Speaking to the sold-out event, Beck shared insights about growing her business during economically challenging times.  Beck attributed her company’s growth to outstanding employees, continual innovation, and dedication to customer service and care.

The Puget Sound Region’s Eastside is the home to a dozen or so cities and is fertile ground for a variety of growing businesses ranging from high-technology and medical innovations to in-home care and business consultancies.  Collectively, the 50 honored companies had $1.4 billion in revenue and employ more than 6000.

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