Create a designated place in your home where vital personal information is easy to find. We recommend the kitchen. Romie Myers, R.N., of FamilyCareGiversOnline.com, states that “Emergency workers such as firefighters are trained to go to the kitchen and check…the refrigerator for emergency information.” Make sure to include emergency contacts, your doctor’s name, phone number & address, a list of medications you take, any allergies, medical conditions, etc.  Anyone that comes into your home on a regular basis (care providers, family members, friends, etc.) should know where this information is located. We also recommend that you give a copy to a trusted neighbor and your #1 emergency contact person.

Here’s another little something fun for the kids in your life — maybe your children, grandchildren, the kids next door, or just your kid at heart. Borax Crystal Snowflakes, courtesy of Delia Creates (http://deliacreates.blogspot.com).

Materials

Boiling hot water – enough to fill one pint sized mason jar

1/3 cup borax – you can find this in the laundry aisle

pint mason jar

pencil

pipe cleaners

string/yarn

Directions

1. Form your pipe cleaners into a snowflake shape or whatever shape you desire, while you boil water.

2. Add water to your mason jars.

3. Mix in borax. Stir it but don’t worry if it isn’t completely dissolved.

4. Attach your pipe cleaner shape to the string and hang it from the pen/pencil while submerging it in your jar.

5. Leave it overnight. The next morning you should have a pretty crystal snowflake.

Please Note: Borax can be toxic if ingested. Read the labeling on the borax package and make sure your children don’t mistake this for food.

We hope you enjoy!

The holidays bring families together, and provide an opportunity for out of town adult children to check in on their aging parents. According to a survey of long distance caregivers done by MetLife Mature Market Institute, those providing the care live an average of 450 miles from their aging loved ones. Sometimes a face to face visit presents a very different reality than the picture elderly parents paint on the phone.

If you’re visiting aging loved ones this holiday season, watch out for these signs that they may not be “okay”:

Significant weight loss. It can be a sign of numerous health problems – everything from depression to cancer.

Unopened mail piling up. Are they paying their bills? Are they taking care of important paperwork?

Dying Plants / Suffering Pets. How well other life is looked after may reflect how well they can look after their own lives.

Neglected Housework. Look for dirty dishes piling up in the sink, accumulating piles of clutter, grime buildup in the bathrooms, spills that haven’t been cleaned up, and cobwebs. These may be signs that they are unable to maintain their home.

Kitchen Trouble. Are there marks of past fires? Are their multiples of the same food item in their cupboards because they forgot they already purchased them? Is there rotting food in the fridge, or items past their expiration dates? All of these may be signs that your elderly loved ones need help.

If you notice any of the above troublesome things, it may be time to have an honest heart to heart talk with your aging parent about their care and long term plans.

“The number of people calling with questions about policy benefits increases by roughly 15 percent immediately following the holidays,” explains Bill Jones, President of MedAmerica, a family of leading long term care insurance carriers. “Many older Americans eventually need some hands-on assistance and the holidays are often the time of year when families recognize that eventuality has arrived.”

Here’s a little something fun for the kids in your life — maybe your children, grandchildren, the kids next door, or just your kid at heart. Jello Cookies, courtesy of www.iheartnaptime.net.

Ingredients

3.5 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1.5 cups salted butter softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

4 (3 oz) pkg jello You can use any flavors you want.

Instructions

Beat butter in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Divide dough into 4 sections. Sprinkle 2 Tb of jello onto each section. Knead together with dough. You may want to add a few drops of food coloring to make the dough more vibrant.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in the extra jello from the packets. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Flatten with bottom of bowl.

Bake 8 to 10 min at 350 on lined baking sheets. Cool on baking sheets 2 min. Remove to wire racks and cool completely.

ENJOY! ☺

Use extra caution while driving during the first rain of the season. Motor oil settles into the cracks & groves of the pavement during the dry months. The first rain washes all that oil loose, making the roads unusually slick.

I recently took my 10 month old baby girl to see her great grandmother at a nursing home. We visited for awhile before Baby Girl became very wiggly and begged to get down and explore. I took her into the hallway and put her on the floor so she could crawl. She squealed with delight as she took off and I followed. Towards the end of the hallway we reached a closed door that peaked Baby Girl’s curiosity. Then all of the sudden we heard someone shout “Open the door! Open the door!” from inside. The voice continued to shout so (after getting a quick “okay” from a nearby aid) I opened the door. Inside we met an elderly woman who was clearly bed bound. She was pleased to see Baby Girl! But then very quickly she started to shout “Help her up! Help her up!” Baby Girl had crawled into the room and was sitting on the floor. “Help her up! Help her up!” The woman’s cries became more insistent. I tried to explain to the woman that Baby Girl didn’t know how to walk yet, and what Baby Girl wanted more than anything in that moment was to be free of her mama’s arms so she could crawl and explore. But the woman kept shouting “Help her up! Help her up!” Suddenly it dawned on me: This bed bound woman who could not get up on her own felt an urgent need to help another person would could not get up on their own. So I scooped up Baby Girl (much to Baby Girl’s dismay) and the elderly woman calmed down and smiled. On our drive home, I took a few moments to reflect on our experience with this elderly woman who we had never met before. Two things struck me: One is how much able bodied individuals take for granted simple things such as opening a door for yourself and getting up on your own. Mobility is such an important thing for all of us. And two, I was touched by how much this woman wanted to help another. May we all feel that urgent need to help another.   -Jeannette Prosser

Lift & Accessibility Solutions would love to talk with you about how to help your loved one open doors for themselves and be more mobile.