Pumpkin Seeds For Bladder Control

Could pumpkin seeds be the answer to bladder control?

It is estimated that one in six adults over age 40 are affected by an overactive bladder, though it is hard to get accurate numbers as this is a highly personal and embarrassing condition. Approximately 12 million Americans suffer from urinary incontinence every year. 

For women, many suffer from stress incontinence. The toll of having babies can weaken pelvic muscles resulting in leakage with coughs, laughs, or even in some cases when the person stands up too quickly. Men often suffer from incontinence due to an enlarged prostate gland.

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Getting Back Into the World With Incontinence

Do not let incontinence stop you from living your life. 

About 25 million adult Americans suffer from some level of incontinence. One in five women have incontinence. But just because you are not alone, does not make it easy to get out into the world, and go about life as if you are free from leaks.

The truth is, for many, men and women alike, incontinence gets in the way of their everyday living, and decreases their quality of life. This does not have to be the case. A few routine changes can help prevent leaks, protect you from embarrassment, and get you back to your favorite activities.

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New Year, New You: Helping Seniors Achieve Their Resolutions

Regular exams are essential to good health.

by Lynn Wilson, Founder of The CareGiver Partnership

Whether you’re a senior setting goals for the coming year or a family caregiver wanting an elderly loved one to succeed, read on for tips for maintaining health, independence and relationships.

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Telltale Signs Mom or Dad May Need Help

Dianna Malkowski

by Dianna Malkowski, Physician Assistant & Nutritionist

When visiting elderly parents or other loved ones this holiday season, look for signs of malnutrition and loss of mobility. Early identification and treatment can help a senior get back on track.

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Monitoring Systems for Elderly- How Technology Can Keep the Elderly in Their Homes

Technology can help reduce the risk associated with falls.

Many seniors want to stay in their homes as they age. This is called aging in place. While it is a far less expensive option than assisted living facilities, it comes with its share of risks and hazards. One of the biggest concerns is falls. Over 13 million seniors fall each year, and over a third of those occur in the home. When a senior falls and can’t get up it may be hours before someone comes along to help. This can turn a fall that may have just been a few bumps and bruises into a serious medical situation. What happens if dehydration occurs? Technology can help reduce the risk associated with falls. Monitoring systems for the elderly are a great option. Here’s what you should know: 

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Holiday Travel with Incontinence Is Manageable with Planning and the Right Products

Try our free online product finder tool!

by Lynn Wilson, Founder of The CareGiver Partnership

Holiday travel can be one of the season’s greatest pleasures. For those managing urinary or bowel incontinence, it can be much more enjoyable and worry-free with a little planning and the right products.

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Night Care For the Elderly

Improve night care for your elderly loved one. 

The night hours can be some of the most dangerous for seniors. When they get up at night they may be groggy or disoriented, when combined with lack of light, this can lead to falls. Falls can result in the need for emergency medical care, high expenses, and decreased health. Prevent this from happening with improved night care for the elderly.

What are some things you can do to improve night care for your elderly loved ones? Because most accidents occur when an elderly person leaves their bed, the first step is to help them stay in bed. The second is to make their environment safer for night time movement. And the third is to provide them with a way to get help should the worst happen. Let’s take a closer look:

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FINAL YEARS Stories of Parent Care, Loss and Lives Changed

Look for FINAL YEARS in paperbook around Christmas.

Guest Blog Post by author Dawn Kairns

I always knew I’d lose my parents, but was not prepared for what caring for aging parents really meant. How could I ever prepare myself for the way watching a loved parent suffer would affect me? Or how overwhelming and life-changing the loss of my parents would be?

We are moved by what we love. It was my dog and constant companion, Maggie, who inspired my first book, MAGGIE the dog who changed my life. Then caring for my declining parents moved me to write again, and to interview others to explore their varied experiences in caring for their aging and dying parents. Thus, FINAL YEARS Stories of Parent Care, Loss and Lives Changed was born.

I like to write about what is real—what touches people. To bring to light those things that lie in the recesses of people’s hearts. Those difficult feelings and experiences that are hard to talk about, and listen to.

In the Caregivers Voice

In FINAL YEARS ten caregivers share their stories of tough roads of decision-making, family dynamics, grief, and healing. I weave my own account through each of their chapters. Reading these eldercare and parent loss stories in the caregivers’ voice will help you know you are not alone but part of a “hidden tribe” who share a common bond. In FINAL YEARS I explore with caregivers:

• Family of origin interactions, and our relationship with our parents.
• How the declining health of aging parents impacted us emotionally and in our day to day life.
• Whether or not siblings worked together to help declining parents. Was there conflict and if so, how did we resolve it?
• How parent decline and loss changes us and the choices we make in our lives.
• What decisions we have to make about parent care. 
• Were we at peace with our parents before they became ill? If not, how we did or didn’t make peace with them before or after they passed. 
• What happens to family dysfunctional patterns (if present) during parent illness?
• What coping skills and resources people called on when dealing with aging parents and their deaths.
• How we did or didn’t find support from friends in our grief?
• What were experiences with health care professionals like? Were they were helpful or hindering?
• What was clearing out the “stuff” in our parents’ home like?
• Were there feelings that were hard to come to terms with surrounding our parents’ decline/death? Do feelings still haunt us? How we came to terms with them.
• Did events or emotions like guilt and anger interfere with or prolong our grieving process?
• How we resolved our grief; how our culture is with grief.
• Unusual or unexplainable experiences after we lost our parents – what some people might call “paranormal.”
• Advice for those coming into the care of aging or dying parents.

Helping parents’ transition through aging and death changes many adult childrens’ lives forever. It shakes our very foundation. Caregivers often feel alone and don’t know where to turn for support in a culture where sharing emotional pain may not be well-received. Many tears are cried as difficult choices with loved ones are made. My hope is that you will find guidance for navigating your way through your parents’ final years as you find yourselves in these stories.

To learn more about FINAL YEARS please visit my website.  You can find FINAL YEARS here on Amazon in Kindle format. Look for it in paperback around Christmas. 

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About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visithttp://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.

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How to Choose Home Monitoring Systems for the Elderly

Consider Philips Lifeline

As senior loved ones get older, they may require more assistance and care. One way to find peace of mind while still allowing a lot of independence is to use a home monitoring system, or emergency alert system.

With millions of falls occurring each year, and over a third of them occurring at home, an emergency alert system or home monitoring system for the elderly is needed, but how do you choose from the many devices available on the market today? The following are a few considerations when choosing a home monitoring system for your elderly loved one.

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Elderly Care

Improve the care and comfort you offer your senior loved ones. 

Elderly care involves caring for the comfort, safety, and health of senior loved ones, while helping them remain as independent as possible. This can be challenging, and often thankless, but the right tools, resources, and aids can make life as a caregiver much easier, while also improving the care provided. 

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Convincing Mom She Needs an Elderly Monitoring System

5 Tips for talking to your parents about using an
elderly monitoring system in their home. 

Elderly monitoring systems are a great tool, especially for adult children who want to keep tabs on parents who live alone. However, sometimes, convincing your elderly mother or father that they should get a monitoring system is a lot of work. 

The following is a look at some tips for talking to your parents about using an elderly monitoring system in their home, and presenting it to them in a way that won’t feel offensive or like you are trying to control their life.

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The CareGiver Partnership Announces December 2013 Prize Giveaway and 2014 Sweepstakes

Enter this month to win these two prizes!

by Lynn Wilson, Founder of The CareGiver Partnership

Our final giveaway of the 2013 “Helping You Get On With Life” monthly sweepstakes includes a case of Elyte 100% cotton incontinence pads and a box of Heaven Scent disposal bags. And there are more valuable giveaways coming every month in 2014!

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Basic Bedside Care To Meet the Needs of Your Loved One

Consider the following for basic bedside care.

Learning the basics of bedside care can make taking care of a loved one far easier. The proper tools, resources, and support system is important, as well as taking the right steps to insure comfort, grooming, and emotional and mental care. Consider the following: 

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Elderly Care at Night

Every caregiver needs to consider night care for the elderly.

Night care for the elderly is something every caregiver needs to consider. The risks for falling and serious injury increase at night because the low light, disorientation, and lack of immediate help. Protect your senior loved one by doing two things: Helping them stay in bed at night, and making it safer for them when they do leave their bed. 

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5 Bedside Care Tips for Caregivers

5 Bedside Care Tips for Caregivers 

Bedside care is an essential part of caregiving. Caregivers should be concerned with the physical and mental well being of their loved ones. Many who provide care feel frustration because the person for whom they are caring is surly, uncooperative, and unpleasant. This can be due to pain, unhappiness with their life situation, and many other reasons. Despite the reasons, compassion and kindness is key. Unfortunately, this hard for caregivers when they are tired, overworked, and expected to do a lot. The following is a look at 5 tips for even the overworked caregivers:

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