Advice for Older People Archives - Page 6 of 10 - Home Care & Home Nursing in Ireland from Myhomecare

Myhomecare proudly sponsoring Friends of The Elderly Day Trip to Kilkenny June 30th 2017

Friends of the Elderly Day Trip to Kilkenny Castle

Members of Friends of the Elderly and volunteers on Kilkenny Day Trip

Friends of the Elderly Ireland

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Friends of the Elderly is a non-profit Irish volunteer charity situated on Bolton Street in Dublin City. Not funded by the Irish Government, all funds raised are from individual donors, volunteers and corporate help. The charity was established nearly 40 years ago with the aim of bringing friendship and companionship to elderly people who might live alone or feel lonely. Starting off with only a handful of Irish and French volunteers, the organisation has expanded tremendously and has grown to over 300 volunteers and 500 elderly members.

Volunteers at Friends of the Elderly provide support, social engagement, inter-generational activities and community-based services. There are social engagement programmes such as: Home Visitation, Friendly Call Service, Social Club and organising Day Trips or Social Events.

Staff from Myhomecare got involved in the first of the annual summer trips carried out by Friends of the Elderly, which took place on Thursday June 30th to the beautiful city of Kilkenny.

Kilkenny Castle, Friends of the Elderly Day Trip June 30th

Starting off in the Friends of the Elderly Centre on Bolton Street, Dublin City, we were greeted by Fiona Daly. Fiona is the Administrator and Programme Coordinator at Friends of the Elderly. Fiona introduced us to some of the members and we provided companionship, friendship and assistance to our partners throughout the day.

There were around 60 older members and 6 volunteers, including 3 staff members from Myhomecare. For the day trip we departed the centre on Bolton street that morning and headed for Kilkenny. We stopped off in Carlow at The Woodford Dolmen Hotel in Carlow for tea and scones. All the staff were very accommodating and the grounds were stunning.

We continued on our journey and arrived in Kilkenny before lunch-time. We walked around the grounds of Kilkenny Castle and admired the wonderful medieval architecture of the castle and the city. We then got a tour of the city by Kilkenny City Tours. This tour is an absolute must if you are in Kilkenny. Fantastic views and history about the city. Our tour guide had excellent knowledge of the city and was very entertaining! For more info, visit: http://visitkilkenny.ie/historic_kilkenny_city_road_train

Later that evening, we made tracks for home, stopping off at The Gandon Inn in Cappakeel, Portlaoise, Co. Laois. The staff here were very welcoming. The three-course meal was delicious. There was music after the meal and people were everyone was enjoying the music, craic and dancing. We made our way back to Dublin that night and everyone sang songs on the bus on the way home. The atmosphere was heart-warming. It was a truly special day, spent with wonderful people alongside a fantastic organisation that really makes a difference. Volunteering can one be of the most rewarding things you can do. By giving a little time, you are making an impact on an elderly persons life and gaining a friendship at the same time.

For more information on Friends of the elderly visit: http://friendsoftheelderly.ie/

Advice for Older People, Caregiver Advice

A bit about Dementia. Myhomecare sponsoring The National Dementia Care Conference Wednesday 15th February.

Dementia Care Conference 15th February

Royal Marine Hotel Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.

Sponsored by Myhomecare.ie

THE CONFERENCE

The annual conference, which is now running three years, is taking place this Wednesday, February 15th in The Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire. Organised by The Commercial Media Group, the conference will focus on future vision for Dementia care in Ireland and will enable and equip delegates to critically review their approaches to the care of patients with dementia. Representing the myhomecareie.wpengine.com team and attending the conference are Homecare Assessors Jonathan O’Donnell and Susanne Kelly.

Susanne, who has experience nursing dementia patients in the past, said that this is her first time attending the conference and she is looking forward to it. Susanne hopes to improve dementia care and incorporate new guidelines into existing myhomecare plans. On the day, Johnathan and Susanne will be promoting myhomecare by providing information about the brand, distributing materials and products and building relationships with other similar services. They will be speaking to clients and answering the questions of potential clients.

Dementia in Ireland

It is estimated that 42,000 people in Ireland have dementia.

But, what is Dementia? Dementia is not one single disease. It is a collective term used to describe a group of symptoms which cause damage to the brain and impair memory or thinking such as forgetfulness.

What can cause Dementia? Dementia can occur after a stroke, brain tumor or head injury. Age is the most significant risk factor in developing dementia and it affects 1 in 70 people in Ireland aged 65-70 and affects a staggering 1 in 5 people over the age of 80. Genetics is another risk factor that can play a part in the role of developing dementia. Although we cannot control our age or our genes, we can control our lifestyle and evidence shows that our lifestyle habits can increase the risk of developing dementia.

How to prevent Dementia – Lifestyle habits – Diet/Nutrition – high fat contributes to heart disease, high blood pressure and bad cholesterol which are all associated with dementia. Smoking – damages the heart, lungs and vascular system. People who are heavy smokers in their mid-life, double their risk of developing dementia. Alcohol – due to its antioxidants, research shows that drinking a moderate amount of red wine might actually reduce the risk of forming dementia. However, drinking alcohol excessively can increase a person’s risk of developing a form of dementia called Korsakoff’s Syndrome. Exercising – lack of physical activity can cause heart problems and can increase the risk of developing vascular dementia.

Recognizing The Signs

Not everyone with dementia will experience the same signs and symptoms.

Recent memory loss – repeating themselves.

Difficulty completing familiar tasks – cooking a meal.

Difficulty in communicating – forgetting simple words.

Disorientation – getting lost.

Misplacing things.

Changes in mood.

Changes in personality – acting fearful.

Inability to control emotion.

Loss if initiative – no interest in going out.

Fore more information about the Dementia Care Conference visit: http://cmgevents.ie/events/the-national-dementia-care-conference/

For information on myhomecare and dementia plans visit www.myhomecareie.wpengine.com

Advice for Older People

Meet Samantha – Our eHealth Project Co-ordinator

As eHealth Coordinator it is my responsibility to expand eHealth & connected health projects within Myhomecare, and develop new projects to integrate eHealth applications and technology into the routine delivery of home care nationwide.

As eHealth Projects Coordinator, I engage with research organisations to ensure we are developing our ehealth projects in line with best-practice of the National HSE eHealth Strategy.

Responsibilities

To expand Nursebuddy or similar service to clients within Myhomecare.
To promote Myhomecare Connect through partnership development.
To launch, manage and evaluate eHealth pilot projects and to produce recommendations for roll-out through the regional teams to expand the service.
To provide eHealth management with assistance on emerging eHealth projects, including needs assessments, new proposals, policies and procedures, pilot projects, roll-out, and report writing.
To demonstrate commitment to Myhomecare eHealth Vision.

Our latest project is the MyHomecare Connect app, which puts your loved one at the centre of their care. It is a individualised platform bringing clinical and social elements together to enable Client independence. Our App promotes effective communication and Safety reassurance through featured tiles such as;

My Health Record – Where in which health readings are stored. Health Readings are taken by the carer/Nurse in there shift and once they update this in their records it is available for the family immediately.
My Motion Activity- The motion activity Tile is an active live feed to know where in the home your loved one is. The record all of the data comes from ambient devices in the home.
My Calendar- Online calendar of Appointments and Social events that is on locally to encourage socialisation.
My Fitness Plan- Tailored exercise routine videos to encourage activity and movement.
My Circle – Messenger Service for all involved with the client. When there is any change in app notifications highlight the new information.

All information is important when you are providing a supporting circle of care for your loved one. Simple examples, such as the arrival of a carer, knowing your loved one has been up and about through motion detectors or having access to medical readings when they are taking can limit your level of intervening therefore improving client independence.

To learn more about Myhomecare Connect or to speak with Samantha please call Samantha Myles on Freephone 1800 400 900 or email smyles@myhomecare.ie

Myhomecare Connect - Homecare from Anywhere

Advice for Older People

Turning your retirement years in to your Golden Years

There comes a stage in life when we will all need to hang up our boots and admit it’s time for retirement. Avoid letting this time slip away, turn your retirement into the time you want. You can now finally achieve all the things you have only dreamed of doing over the past 40 odd years.

Just one thing you need to remember, today, you are as young as you will ever be. Use this, take advantage of your youthfulness. Many people look at retirement and assume it will be a disconnected, meaningless lifestyle. You are in control, you have the power to change this.

Growing older and wiser as our hair turns to silver threads is inevitable, but we can embrace these years ahead and grab as much from them as possible.

Don’t underestimate the Importance of Occupation after Retirement……..

“I’ve often been asked, ‘What do you do now that you’re retired?’
Well..I’m fortunate to have a chemical engineering background and one of the things I enjoy most is converting beer, wine and rum into urine.
It’s rewarding, uplifting, satisfying and fulfilling. I do it every day and I really enjoy it.”

Quoted from: Harold Schlumberg

Harold is an inspiration to us all. Take a leaf out of his book, do something that is rewarding, uplifting, satisfying and fulfilling to you.

As we grow older, we fear our ability to make a difference fades. In these times we need an everyday hero like Harold to remind us that regardless of age or generation, we can make a difference. Become an inspiration to all other retirees, find the courage to do what makes you happy and share it with others.

Make sure you are counted in your retirement, spend time with family, maintain good health (exercise, take up a class,etc.), pass on your years of wisdom or peruse a personal interest. Turn your retirement in to Golden years with memories made of joy and happiness.