Help an Older Loved One Breathe Easier With COPD

As we age, our homes become more than just a place to live; they become sanctuaries of comfort, filled with cherished memories and familiar surroundings. However, over time, these spaces can become cluttered or difficult to navigate, making daily life less enjoyable and even more challenging. Thats where A Call to Order Professional Organizers comes inour goal is to help you transform your home into a place of peace, safety, and warmth. Whether you or your loved one is preparing to downsize or simply enhance their living environment, creating a senior-friendly sanctuary is an essential step toward maintaining a high quality of life.Creating a Space That Reflects Comfort and EaseOur homes should feel like a reflection of who we are and what we love. As we grow older, it becomes increasingly important to have a living environment thats both functional and comforting.Simplify Your Space, Simplify Your Life: One of the first steps to creating a senior-friendly sanctuary is simplifying your living space. This doesnt mean parting with every meaningful item but rather making room for the things that bring joy and comfort. Decluttering can open up your home, reducing stress and making it easier to move around. At A Call to Order, we guide you through the process with compassion, helping you sort through your belongings in a way that feels manageable and uplifting. Together, well keep the items that truly matter and find meaningful ways to part with what no longer serves you.Functionality Meets Warmth: Its not just about eliminating clutter; its about creating a space that feels warm and inviting. Think of it as balancing practicality with comfort. Simple changes like rearranging furniture to promote easier movement, adding softer lighting, or incorporating colors and textures that bring peace can have a profound impact. We help you arrange your space so that its easy to navigate while maintaining the sense of home thats so important.Adding Personal Touches to Foster JoyWhen it comes to creating a home that feels like a sanctuary, the details matter. Often, its the personal touches that transform a house into a home.Display What You Love: Over the years, we collect treasuresphotos, artwork, souvenirsthat tell our personal stories. Rather than letting these items become part of the clutter, display them in intentional ways that spark joy. Whether its a favorite collection of books, a gallery wall of family photos, or a cherished heirloom, these personal touches not only enhance your space but also keep your most important memories front and center. At A Call to Order, we help you create beautiful, organized displays that highlight the things you love, bringing warmth and personality into every room.Comfortable and Senior-Friendly Design: As we age, physical comfort and accessibility become increasingly important. Senior-friendly design doesnt mean sacrificing style, but it does mean paying close attention to how your home functions. We work with you to ensure that your space is safe and accessible, whether its by adding grab bars in the bathroom, adjusting the height of frequently used items, or creating pathways that are clear and easy to navigate. With a focus on both beauty and functionality, well help make your home a true sanctuaryone where you can move with confidence and ease.Emotional Well-Being Through Thoughtful OrganizationCreating a space that supports emotional well-being is key to making your home a sanctuary. A clutter-free, organized environment does more than just look niceit creates peace of mind and a sense of calm.Less Clutter, Less Stress: Its amazing how much lighter and more peaceful life feels when our surroundings are organized. Clutter can be overwhelming, leading to anxiety and frustration, especially as we age. By focusing on organizing key areas such as the kitchen, bedroom, and living space, we can reduce daily stress and make your home feel more open and manageable. A Call to Orders team knows how to create systems that work for you, ensuring that everything you need is within easy reach, and every item has its place.A Space for Relaxation and Reflection: As we design your sanctuary, we consider how each space will be used and how it can enhance your daily life. Perhaps your favorite chair becomes the perfect spot for morning coffee and reflection. Maybe we create a cozy reading nook or arrange your bedroom to maximize relaxation and rest. By intentionally organizing and decorating your space to suit your lifestyle, we help you build an environment that nurtures both body and mind.Transforming your home into a sanctuary of comfort is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself as you age. With the help of A Call to Order Professional Organizers, your space can be more than just a homeit can be a reflection of who you are, filled with warmth, joy, and peace. Through thoughtful decluttering, personalized design, and senior-friendly functionality, well help you create a space that not only meets your practical needs but also brings you comfort and happiness every day.Whether youre preparing for a transition or simply want to improve the quality of your current living environment, A Call to Order is here to guide you with care, compassion, and expertise. Let us help you make your home the peaceful sanctuary you deserve.

What We Dont Know We Dont Know in Health Care: September 24, 2024 -Oral Care, Monitored Meals, and Aspiration PneumoniaProper oral care is crucial for maintaining optimal health. Keeping the mouth clean not only helps maintain the protective properties of saliva but also reduces bacteria in the mouth which can be a source of infection in aspiration pneumonia. In addition, monitoring meals and assisting with feeding for those at high risk for aspiration is also a necessity. The process of swallowing involves dozens of muscles that start in the mouth and include the pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. These muscles can become weakened with age and from various, often age-related diseases.  The aging population is especially at risk for aspiration pneumonia due to comorbidities, frailty, and conditions that can impair swallowing.  As a result, aspiration pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death from infection in individuals over the age of 65. One study shows that 1 in 10 deaths from pneumonia in elderly nursing home residents may be prevented by improving oral hygiene (Sjogren et al., 2008). Unfortunately, proper oral care and monitoring of meals is often overlooked in the health care setting.  Perhaps the greatest reason for this is the challenge that almost every health facility faces today: adequate staffing. When I started working in acute care as an RN over 20 years ago, nursing assistants (these are the staff generally responsible for proving oral care in an acute care setting) were typically responsible for 5-7 patients. Nurses had 3-5 patients (this was on a step down cardiac unit). Between the nurse and the assistant, we were able to provide oral care at every meal and offer one-on-one assistance to any patient that was at risk for aspiration. This is no longer the case.  RNs oftentimes look after upwards of 8 patients, and there is generally either no nursing assistant on the floor or only 1 for a patient load that can exceed 20.  Consequently, proper oral care is neglected.  I have often seen patients that are aspirating during meals, but do not have adequate staffing on hand to provide them with the supervision and monitoring that they need. This presents a hazardous catch-22: the aging individual needs to eat to maintain nutritional needs yet he/she needs assistance with eating to prevent aspirating pneumonia.   How can this be remedied? If the family is present, they can provide oral care and meal monitoring. If meal monitoring is required for an at-risk individual, its recommended to touch base with the health care team to inquire as to what the specific aspiration precautions are (every individual may have a different need and/or recommendation). A care companion can also be hired to provide the needed care. I hired a companion for my father when he was in a skilled nursing facility. He was not getting his teeth brushed or flossed regularly, and I was seeing a decline in his dentition. Having this extra support provided him with much needed assistance and the care companion had the added benefit of encouraging him to eat more at every meal, something that was a bonus as he was not meeting his nutrient needs. Touching base with staff to request that oral care and meal monitoring be done can also be helpful. Having an advocate to ensure necessary care is getting done can also be very effective in the health care setting.  What is proper oral care and effective meal monitoring?  Proper oral care includes brushing the teeth for at least 1 minute after every meal. It also includes using a soft bristle brush, fluoride toothpaste, flossing daily. A final component of oral care that is often not discussed is denture care. Dentures should be cleaned at least once per day and removed at bedtime. Removing them prior to sleeping can greatly reduce the risk of pneumonia (Iinuma et al. 2014). Effective meal monitoring includes adequate supervision during mealtime for those at risk of aspiration. Such supervision includes ensuring the individual is properly positioned for a meal (head of bed as high as can be tolerated and supine position), takes small bites, eats slowly, swallows a couple times in between each bite, and intermittently takes a sip of liquid to clear the mouth of food particles. The use of straws is generally not recommended for an individual at risk for aspiration as it propels the food to the back of the throat and hence can increase risk. I recall when I was working as a Registered Nurse (RN) in acute care that I was constantly removing straws from the bedside of at risk individuals and often reminding them to eat slowly and swallow at least twice between each bite to ensure food clearance. Individuals at risk for aspiration often require a modified texture diet as it can further prevent the aspiration of food and liquids.   This is a brief summary of the attention to detail needed in addressing oral hygiene and meal monitoring amongst the aging population. Both measures can play a significant role in reducing aspiration pneumonia.  If you would like more information on understanding proper oral care or any other questions that you may have regarding aging life care, please feel free to reach out to me.    Sources:1.      Sjogren P, Nilsson E, Forsell M, Johansson O, Hoogstraate J. 2008. A systematic review of the preventive effect of oral hygiene on pneumonia and respiratory tract infection in elderly people in hospitals and nursing homes: effect estimates and methodological quality of randomized controlled trials. J Am Geriatr Soc. 56:21242130. 2.      Iinuma T, Arai Y, Abe Y, Takayama M, Fukumoto M, Fukui Y, et al. 2014. Denture wearing during sleep doubles the risk of pneumonia in the very elderly. J Dent Res. doi: 10.1177/0022034514552493 3.      F Muller, 2015. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4541086/#   

As individuals age, they often experience changes that can impact their ability to live independently. Recognizing the need for home care can sometimes be challenging, both for the elderly person and their loved ones. Nonetheless, understanding the various reasons why home care might be beneficial is crucial.