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Holiday Wellness Check – Right At Home Outlines 10 Signs An Aging Loved One Needs Help

The holidays are often a time for happy reunions with family members and friends. Whether you live far from your loved ones, or your job and other commitments prevent you from visiting more than once or twice a year, you may be surprised to see that your aging loved one is beginning to show signs of decline.

Family gatherings are one of the best times to assess how your loved one is doing and look for signs that may indicate there is cause for concern. Libet Callahan, RN, BSN, president of the South Shore office of Right at Home, providers of non-medical in-home care services to seniors and disabled adults throughout the South Shore, advises family members of the 10 signs to watch for:

Weight loss
Not maintaining his/her personal appearance and hygiene
Not remembering when to take medication and not knowing what condition each medication is treating
Not eating nutritious meals or not eating at all
Food in the refrigerator or on the shelves that is past its expiration date or molding
Not maintaining the home by doing chores such as cleaning bathrooms, washing floors or regular vacuuming
Not paying bills – unpaid or unopened piles of bills are a red flag
Not taking proper care of a pet
Avoiding or having difficulty ascending/descending steps
Limiting contact with or lacking an interest in the outside world

According to Ms. Callahan, “Ultimately, a single, isolated sign doesn’t necessarily mean your loved one is in trouble. Sometimes you can just feel a change in a person even if you can’t articulate it. If there are numerous signs and you believe that your loved one may be having difficulty, you need to address it with your loved one and other close family members. Your aging loved one may be in need of a number of services – from companionship to personal care and homemaking – and Right at Home can help.”

Single-service care options such as meals-on-wheels or an adult daycare may be enough. But, oftentimes a multi-service provider such as Right At Home is needed to provide the companion, homemaker and personal care services that enable seniors and those with disabilities to remain in the comfort of their home for as long as possible.

If you have concerns about a family member, take Right At Home’s online Care Assessment by visiting http://www.rightathome.net/southshore/. For questions or more information, contact Right At Home at 781-681-3545.

About Right At Home
Right at Home provides non-medical in-home care services to seniors and disabled adults throughout the South Shore. Right At Home is among the first in the state to earn Accreditation from the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts. As a private-pay home care agency, Right At Home can provide services in settings other than the home, such as in assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement facilities, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and hospitals.

Right at Home provides care services of companionship, homemaking, physical assistance, hygiene and wellness. In addition, Right At Home accommodates clients in special care situations providing home care for Alzheimer’s and other dementia, osteoarthritis, hypertension/stroke, diabetes, heart disease, neuromuscular diseases and disorders, cancer recovery, hospice/palliative care support, mental health, traumatic brain injury and paraplegia/quadriplegia. All Right At Home caregivers are fully insured and bonded, must pass a vigorous background check, complete a training program and pass a competency test before being placed with a client.

The company serves the following areas: Abington, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton (East Side), Carver, Cohasset, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Hingham, Holbrook, Hull, Kingston, Marshfield, Middleboro, Milton, Norwell, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Randolph, Rockland, Scituate, Wareham, Weymouth and Whitman. Right at Home has offices located at 800 Hingham Street, in Rockland, MA and 38 Resnik Road in Plymouth, MA. For more information contact 866-681-3545 or visit the website at http://www.rightathome.net/southshore/.

Libet Callahan, RN, BSN

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Boot Camp for New Dads Offer Tips for Keeping Your Baby Safe Around the Holidays

Boot Camp for New Dads (http://www.bcnd.org), a non-profit orientation program for fathers-to-be, operating in more than 260 hospitals, clinics, schools, fire stations and churches around North America and internationally, has worked with hundreds of thousands of dads over the past 19 years. One of the most important concepts they teach new dads is how to provide a safe environment and keep the baby safe. The holidays are busy and it’s more challenging than ever to keep the baby away from choking hazards and other dangers.

Greg Bishop, founder of Boot Camp for New Dads and author of two fatherhood books, shares tips from his second book, Crash Course for New Dads – Tools, Checklists and Cheat-Sheets for keeping your baby safe around the holidays:

Toxins. Sprucing up the house before the holidays? Giving yourself a manicure before heading out to that holiday party? Paints and lacquers, even nail polish and remover should not be used in the vicinity of your baby. A newborn’s immune system is not fully developed, and these substances can be harmful even in small doses.

Smoking. Though you and your spouse may not smoke, visiting relatives may not have a problem with lighting up around your baby. Unlike you, your baby can’t move out of harm’s way. Ask visiting smokers to take it outside or to the garage, far away from your baby’s lungs.

Pockets. It’s always merry with a houseful of family and friends at the holidays. But, with so many people moving around; sitting down and standing up – be aware that things can fall out of your guests’ pockets without anyone noticing. You’re may grab hold of a small item and have it in her mouth before you know it. Even swallowing a single penny might require your baby to go through surgery. Stay aware and don’t be afraid to ask your guests to empty their pockets before holding your baby.

Salt and Honey. Though you know the rules about not feeding salt and honey to your baby; family and friends may not. Although you can’t keep sodium out of your baby’s food, excess salt is detrimental to his kidneys and blood pressure. And, up until your baby turns one year old, babies should NEVER be fed honey. Honey can cause infant botulism, which could lead to death. Be sure that well-meaning relatives who may not be aware of the rules don’t allow your baby to sample even a bite of holiday cuisine without checking with you first.

Decorations. Holiday decorations are a feast for the eyes. Unfortunately, they are also a choking hazard to babies and toddlers who may find small pieces and put them in their mouths. When decorating your home, use the “slide-and-hide” technique. Take a toilet-paper tube and use it as a measuring device. If an object can slide down the tube, it can also slide down your baby’s breathing passage. Put those decorations that don’t pass this test away until your baby is much older. And, of course keep a watchful eye on your baby when visiting relatives or friends with older children who may have decorations and small toys around their home.

About the Boot Camp for New Dads Program

Boot Camp for New Dads has worked with more than 200,000 new dads at their workshops held over the past 19 years. After attending a Boot Camp for New Dads “hands on” educational workshop, dads-to-be are better equipped to face the challenges and opportunities of fatherhood. Men attend the class when they are expecting their first baby, and are joined in the workshop by “veterans” who had previously attended and have returned with their two to four-month-old baby in tow. They are able to give the dads-to-be a realistic idea of what to do and what to expect when their first baby comes. For many men attending, it’s their first time holding a baby.

Boot Camp for New Dads

Now celebrating their 19th year, Boot Camp for New Dads is nationally acclaimed as the “Best Practice” for preparing men to be fathers and has been named a U.S. Navy Model Program. Boot Camp for New Dads has prepared more than 200,000 men for fatherhood over the years.

With more than 4.1 million births (National Center for Health Statistics), and approximately 1.5 million men becoming new dads every year, it’s more important than ever for fathers to realize that being a “good provider” is only part of the very central role they have in their children’s lives.

For more information about Boot Camp for New Dads, visit www.bcnd.org. To arrange an interview with Greg Bishop, please contact sdubin@prworkzone.com, (781) 582-1061.

National and International Locations

Boot Camp For New Dads locations include ALASKA (Anchorage); ARIZONA (Chandler, Flagstaff, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sun City); ARKANSAS (Jonesboro, Paragould, Springdale); CALIFORNIA (Apple Valley, Bakersfield, , Fresno, Garden Grove, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Madera, Merced, Mission Hills, , Oakland, Orange, Pomona, Port Hueneme, San Diego, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, , S. Lake Tahoe, Travis, Valley Springs); COLORADO (Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Durango, Fort Collins, Fort Carson, Greeley, Longmont, Thornton, Wheat Ridge); CONNECTICUT (Bristol, Danbury, New London); FLORIDA (Brandon, Clearwater, Hollywood, Jacksonville, North Palm Beach, Orlando, St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach, Sarasota, Tampa); GEORGIA (Atlanta, Elberton, Gainesville, Marietta, Savannah); HAWAII (Pearl Harbor, Schofield); ILLINOIS (Aurora, Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago, East St. Louis, Evanston, Freeport, Geneva, Great Lakes, Highland Park, Libertyville, Moline, Oak Park, Rockford, Springfield, Urbana, Winfield); INDIANA (Anderson, Bluffton, Hammond, Indianapolis, Jeffersonville, Kokomo); IOWA (Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Jefferson, Sioux City); KANSAS (Junction City, Topeka); KENTUCKY (Paducah); LOUISIANA (Covington); MAINE (Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Waterville); MARYLAND (Annapolis) MASSACHUSETTS (Beverly, Ipswich, Lowell, Nantucket, Plymouth, Weymouth, Springfield); MICHIGAN (, Ann Arbor, Bay City, Centreville, Iron Mountain, Ithaca, Kalamazoo, Niles, St Joseph, Ypsilanti); MINNESOTA (Brainerd, Duluth, Robbinsdale); MISSISSIPPI (Tupelo); MISSOURI (Jefferson City) MONTANA (Billings, Helena, Miles City); NEBRASKA (Kearney, Lincoln, Omaha); NEVADA (Las Vegas) NEW HAMPSHIRE (Manchester, Portsmouth); NEW JERSEY (Princeton) NEW YORK (Glens Falls, Little Falls, Mineola, Rome, Utica); NORTH CAROLINA (Burlington, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Concord, Ft. Bragg, Greensboro, Monroe, Raleigh, Shelby); NORTH DAKOTA (Grand Forks); OHIO (Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, East Cleveland, East Liverpool, Garfield Heights, Lima, Lorain, Mayfield Heights, Middleburg Heights, Orange Village, Portsmouth, Toledo, Warren, Westlake, Youngstown); OKLAHOMA (Claremore, Oklahoma City, Tulsa); OREGON (Corvalis, McMinnville, Salem, Silverton); SOUTH CAROLINA (Columbia, Pickens, Walhalla); TENNESSEE (Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis); TEXAS (Amarillo, Dallas, Fort Hood, Longview, Lubbock, Plano, San Antonio, Texarkana, Waco, Webster); VERMONT (Barre, Brattleboro, Middlebury); VIRGINIA (Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Hampton, Richmond) WASHINGTON (Everett, Fairchild AFB, Longview, Olympia, Puyallup, Yakima); WEST VIRGINIA (Wheeling); WISCONSIN (Florence, Green Bay, Madison, Oshkosh, Watertown, Wausau); JAPAN (Atsugi, Yokosuka), ITALY (Sicily); UNITED KINGDOM [a.k.a. Hit the Ground Crawling] (Birmingham, Liverpool)

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