RespiteMatch.com Health Blog

Risk Factors For Stroke
Some risk factors for stroke — age, gender, family history and race — cannot be changed. Other risk factors — transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol level, obesity, physical inactivity, alcohol use, irregular heartbeat — can be modified, treated or managed.

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Key Words
aphasia, brain attack, clot-buster, ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, mini-stroke, stroke, TIA, tissue plasminogen activator, transient ischemic attack, tPA

Glossary
Aphasia: The loss of language due to stroke, brain injury or a neurological condition
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THE DAILY MOTIVATOR
Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Choose joy
+++++++++++++++++++

Joy does not demand anything of you, and it gives you so very much. Allow it now, and let it pull you forward.

Joy does not ask you to be naive or unreasonable or to ignore the reality around you. It simply offers to shine a positive, empowering light on that reality.
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Another way to start the conversation is to call a family meeting. This way everyone — parents and adult children — will understand the problems; all will have a chance to participate in the solutions. If a sibling is out of town, try to set up a teleconference. The only reason a parent should be excluded is if he is too mentally impaired to understand or contribute and would impair any progress.
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It’s Never Too Early — or too Late — to Start The Conversation: Talking to Your Parents About Their Changing Needs

Key Words
love, worry

A boomer exercise for growing old
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THE DAILY MOTIVATOR
Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Go with it
+++++++++++++++++++

Life can be great when you simply go with it. Instead of excessive worrying or endless analyzing, just make your choice and then move forward with it.

Your first instinct is often your best one, because it comes from your authentic self. When you start taking a lot of other conflicting opinions and perspectives into account, your options quickly shrink.
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Questions to Ask

Is the diet nutritionally balanced?
Does the diet provide a variety of foods, tastes, colours and textures?
Should the person be on a special diet for medical reasons (e.g., renal failure, etc.)?
Is mobility or accessibility a problem?
Is the person constipated?
Are there signs of dehydration? Read the rest of this entry »

Special Situations

Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when a person is either not getting enough liquids (about six cups) daily or excreting too much urine. The body’s ability to detect thirst diminishes with age. Illness and medication can also cause dehydration. A dehydrated person may need help drinking from a cup or glass and have trouble swallowing liquids.
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Key Words
appetite, chewing, constipation, dehydration, diet, dysphasia, eating, liquid supplements, malnutrition, minced diet, nutrition, nutritional deficiency, nutritional supplementation, pureed diet, smell, special diets, swallowing, swallowing test, taste, thickeners, thirst, tube feeding
Glossary
Dysphagia: Difficulty in swallowing

Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study: A test to determine the degree of difficulty a person has with swallowing. Also called a swallowing test
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THE DAILY MOTIVATOR
Monday, September 11, 2006

Goodness lives
+++++++++++++++++++

Life’s most difficult moments teach us that we’re stronger than we know. It always pays to remember that.

When the worst happens, is when we have the opportunity to be our best. When the challenges seem unbearable and hope is a distant memory, a new and stronger hope is already taking root.
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Questions to Ask

Is the care recipient receiving proper medical care?
If not, what can be done to improve medical care?
Can the care recipient
manage his/her/their own personal care?
handle house-keeping and home maintenance duties?
move freely and safely in and out of the house?
drive or have easy access to transportation? Read the rest of this entry »

Key Words
long-distance caregiving

Long-distance caregiving can be just as or even more stressful than being there. Long-distance caregivers may not be on site providing direct care, but they could be busy in their role as care managers — locating and coordinating services; negotiating with the care recipient, health professionals and family members; delegating tasks; monitoring the situation and making decisions.Telephone and travel may provide some relief but distance can heighten the caregiver’s feelings of anxiety and guilt. An extended period of long- Read the rest of this entry »

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THE DAILY MOTIVATOR
Saturday, September 9, 1006

You have what it takes
+++++++++++++++++++

You have what it takes to live life at its best. You have what it takes to achieve genuine and lasting excellence.

Your current situation, whatever it may be, is a perfectly workable starting point. You have what it takes to move positively forward in the direction of your own choosing.
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A Caregiver’s Perspective
By Karen Henderson

My father refused to allow me or anyone else to make any modifications in his home after my mother died. Shortly after he finally accepted a full-time housekeeper, he tripped on a loose area rug and broke his hip. This fall necessitated surgery; his first stroke occurred shortly thereafter. He was never the same again.
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Internet Resources

Ageless Design (US)This Web site contains handy information on Alzheimer-proofing the home.

Alzheimer Manitoba
Alzheimer Manitoba gives presentations on alternative housing, offers housing research consulting on a fee-for-service basis, and has published a how-to booklet on the construction of a special housing unit for people with dementia.

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