Leading in-home senior care provider urges families to help seniors “Go Green”
The nation is more focused than ever on saving energy and taking care of the environment. However for the elderly, “going green” may not be the easiest thing to understand or do. That’s why Senior Helpers, the fastest growing provider of in-home care for seniors, is urging families to follow these simple tips to help their elderly loved ones save hundreds of dollars in energy costs and help save the planet for future generations.
“The U.S. Department of Energy reports consumers spend 6 to 12% of their incomes on energy and that is a big hit for seniors on a budget,” says Lynne Sinclair with Senior Helpers in Wheaton IL. “These are simple tips family members can help their elderly loved ones take to not only save hundreds of dollars but also save energy.”
1. Compact fluorescent bulbs are a bright idea for cutting costs. However not all CFL’s produce the same type of light. To get that traditional warm light people prefer, look for a CFL with a Kelvin temperature of 2,600 to 3,000. CFL’s do cost more, but they usually last 10X longer than incandescent bulbs and can save up to $60in electricity per light over their lifetime.
2. Appliances with a clock, charger, or remote use electricity even when the device isn’t being used. In fact, of the total electricity used to run home electronics, 40%is used when the appliances are turned off. The best thing, pull the plug when not in use.
3. Hot water heaters built before 2004 don’t have as much insulation. Wrap the heater in an insulating blanket, and save 10%, or $30 off your water heating bill.
4. Get your furnace tuned up and save 10% off your heating bill.
5. For every degree the thermostat is lowered during the heating season, save 5% on your bill. Seniors need to be careful not to keep their house too cold however. A programmable thermostat is a better alternative because it will adjust the temperature when you’re away or asleep. They cost about $70, but it saves more than twice its price in a year.
6. Use cold water to wash your clothes and save 50% of the energy you would use for hot water. Use the moisture sensor, not the timer on the dryer, and save 15%.
7. Weather-strip the front and back doors and save $30 per year in energy costs.
8. Install low flow shower heads and faucets, and save 50% of the energy and 25-60% of the water needed to shower. Older shower heads use 5.5 gallons per minute, the newer ones use about half that amount or less. That can save $30-$100 per year. Check for leaky faucets and toilets as well. Leaky faucets can lose 2,700 gallons of water per year. A leaky toilet can lose 200 gallons per day.
9. Run full loads of clothes and dishes. Most of the energy is used to heat a set amount of water, so running smaller loads wastes energy and water.
Source: Kiplingers.com
Contact:
Lynne Sinclair, Owner and General Manager 630-689-4050
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About Senior Helpers:
Senior Helpers connects professional caregivers with seniors who wish to live at home as opposed to a nursing or assisted living facility. The company has 280 franchises in 38 states and offers a wide range of personal and companion care services to assist seniors living independently with a strong focus on quality of life for the client and peace of mind for their families. Senior Helpers strives to be the leading companion and personal care provider that offers dependable, consistent and affordable home care. For more information, please visit: http://www.seniorhelpers.com/
Monday, February 21, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Will Alzheimer's Disease Bankrupt America?
A new report targeting Baby Boomers from the Alzheimer's Association is available at www.alz.org (look on left side of the screen under "Alzheimers in the News". The report has many alarming statistics in regarding how Alzheimers will affect Baby Boomers and how it will affect the American economy.
Will Alzheimer's Bankrupt America? From the report "Today, America spends $172 billion caring for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias. With the aging of the baby boomers, Alzheimer's could bring this country to its financial knees. Costs will reach over $1 trillion in 2050 — and that's not counting inflation." (For those of you who do not like doing the math in your head, that is nearly a TEN FOLD increase).
What Will Life Be like for Baby Boomers? During their retirement, most Baby Boomers will either be suffering from Alzheimer's disease, or will be caring for a loved one with the disease.
What is the Call to Action? The report compares the funding by the U.S. Government on various diseases, showing how Alzheimers research is underfunded compared with other diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Funding for cancer research is about 12 times the amount of funding for Alzheimer's research. Similiarly, the funding for heart disease is almost 9 times the amount of funding for Alzheimer's research, and HIV Aids research is nearly 7 times the amount of funding for Alzheimer's research. Yet, there are some promising advances in research on Alzheimer's disease that are cause for hope.
The report is available free from their website.
Will Alzheimer's Bankrupt America? From the report "Today, America spends $172 billion caring for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias. With the aging of the baby boomers, Alzheimer's could bring this country to its financial knees. Costs will reach over $1 trillion in 2050 — and that's not counting inflation." (For those of you who do not like doing the math in your head, that is nearly a TEN FOLD increase).
What Will Life Be like for Baby Boomers? During their retirement, most Baby Boomers will either be suffering from Alzheimer's disease, or will be caring for a loved one with the disease.
What is the Call to Action? The report compares the funding by the U.S. Government on various diseases, showing how Alzheimers research is underfunded compared with other diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Funding for cancer research is about 12 times the amount of funding for Alzheimer's research. Similiarly, the funding for heart disease is almost 9 times the amount of funding for Alzheimer's research, and HIV Aids research is nearly 7 times the amount of funding for Alzheimer's research. Yet, there are some promising advances in research on Alzheimer's disease that are cause for hope.
The report is available free from their website.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Wandering with Dementia
Janice was an experienced professional caregiver with Senior Helpers in-home care agency, and it was her first day with a new client Bob, who is in his late 70's and has dementia. All is going fine until after dinner, when Bob puts on his coat and declares that he has to go out to see his parents on this bitterly cold night in January. Bob was not easily coaxed back into the house.
One of the biggest worries that loved ones of people with dementia face is the threat of wandering. Especially in these cold winter months, families worry that their loved one will wander off and be lost in the cold.
Why do they wander? People with dementia can become confused about time and place. They can be reliving something from their past. They can believe they are conversing with relatives long gone from this world.
What can a family do to protect their loved one?
•The Alzheimer's Organization has a "Safe Return" program that is funded by the US government. Go to www.alz.org/safereturn for more information and to register. The loved one can be registered in the national database. A "Medic Alert" bracelet (or other jewelry) can be ordered with a phone number to call. For example, a bracelet may read "Memory Impaired Call Immediately" along with the number to call.
•Label rooms – sometimes wandering is a result of simply not being able to find the desired room, such as the bathroom. Label rooms with signs and photos. This may help eliminate some confusion.
•Put all coats in a coat closet. Seeing a coat laying out may prompt a person with dementia to put it on and go outside.
•Camouflage the doors – put drapes over the doors so they are not readily visible.
•Install alarms – an alarm can notify you that your loved one has opened a door.
•Assess the needs of the loved one. Is there too much stimulation for the loved one, or too much confusion? Are they seeking relief from over stimulation? Or is there not enough stimulation? Are they seeking physical activity or mental stimulation? Look for clues to whether either of these are possibilities.
Most times, caring for someone with dementia is a matter of trial and error. Seek professional help as well.
In our situation, Janice calls 911, and with the help of the first responders, Bob is coaxed back into the house. That week, Bob's physician adjusts his medications which help Bob feel more calm and make him less combative. Still, the medications have an impact on his balance, making him more prone to falls.
Senior Helpers has experience in caring for clients with dementia, as well as their loved ones. We provide professional caregivers that are skilled in caring for those with dementia, allowing family members to have some relief from the extraordinary demands of caring for family members with special needs. Our goal is to improve the quality of life for our clients and to provide peace of mind for their loved ones.
To learn more, go to www.seniorhelpers.com/wheaton or www.seniorcaredupage.com
Keywords: elder care senior home health companion personal dementia alzheimers assisted
One of the biggest worries that loved ones of people with dementia face is the threat of wandering. Especially in these cold winter months, families worry that their loved one will wander off and be lost in the cold.
Why do they wander? People with dementia can become confused about time and place. They can be reliving something from their past. They can believe they are conversing with relatives long gone from this world.
What can a family do to protect their loved one?
•The Alzheimer's Organization has a "Safe Return" program that is funded by the US government. Go to www.alz.org/safereturn for more information and to register. The loved one can be registered in the national database. A "Medic Alert" bracelet (or other jewelry) can be ordered with a phone number to call. For example, a bracelet may read "Memory Impaired Call Immediately" along with the number to call.
•Label rooms – sometimes wandering is a result of simply not being able to find the desired room, such as the bathroom. Label rooms with signs and photos. This may help eliminate some confusion.
•Put all coats in a coat closet. Seeing a coat laying out may prompt a person with dementia to put it on and go outside.
•Camouflage the doors – put drapes over the doors so they are not readily visible.
•Install alarms – an alarm can notify you that your loved one has opened a door.
•Assess the needs of the loved one. Is there too much stimulation for the loved one, or too much confusion? Are they seeking relief from over stimulation? Or is there not enough stimulation? Are they seeking physical activity or mental stimulation? Look for clues to whether either of these are possibilities.
Most times, caring for someone with dementia is a matter of trial and error. Seek professional help as well.
In our situation, Janice calls 911, and with the help of the first responders, Bob is coaxed back into the house. That week, Bob's physician adjusts his medications which help Bob feel more calm and make him less combative. Still, the medications have an impact on his balance, making him more prone to falls.
Senior Helpers has experience in caring for clients with dementia, as well as their loved ones. We provide professional caregivers that are skilled in caring for those with dementia, allowing family members to have some relief from the extraordinary demands of caring for family members with special needs. Our goal is to improve the quality of life for our clients and to provide peace of mind for their loved ones.
To learn more, go to www.seniorhelpers.com/wheaton or www.seniorcaredupage.com
Keywords: elder care senior home health companion personal dementia alzheimers assisted
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