Moving to a new home can be exciting, but it can also be stressfulespecially for your pets. Animals thrive on routine and familiar surroundings, so sudden changes can cause anxiety. With a bit of planning, you can ensure your furry friend feels safe and secure throughout the moving process. Here are the best strategies to make the transition smoother for both of you. Plan Ahead Before the move, its important to take a few steps to set your pet up for success. Schedule a Vet Visit: Make sure your pet is healthy and up to date on vaccines. If youre moving to a new area, ask your vet for recommendations and get copies of your pets medical records. Update Microchip & ID Tags: Double-check that your contact information is current. If youre changing phone numbers or addresses, update those details on your pets microchip and ID tags. Stick to a Routine Pets find comfort in consistency, so try to stick to their usual routine during the transition. Feed them at their regular times, keep walks on schedule, and offer them plenty of attention along the way. Create a Safe Space During the Move Moving day can be chaotic, with people coming and going. To prevent your pet from getting stressed or trying to escape, set up a quiet, pet-safe room with their bed, toys, and water. This will help them feel secure. If youre traveling with your pet, make sure they have a comfortable carrier or harness for safety. Take it Slow in the New Home When you arrive at your new place, introduce your pet gradually. Start with one room that has their toys and bedding, then allow them to explore other parts of the house at their own pace. The familiar items will help them adjust faster. With Bluestar by your side, moving with pets doesnt have to be overwhelming. Careful planning, personalized support, and expert execution ensure your pet will be happily exploring their new environment in no time. Ready to make your next move stress-free? Contact Bluestar Move Management today and let us take care of the details so you can focus on what matters.
We live in a time when more families are separated by distance than ever before. Its common for aging parents to retire to a different state or for adult children to relocate for work or lifestyle changes. Additionally, theres a generation that is often overlookedthe sandwich generationadults balancing the demands of caring for aging parents while raising their own children. This dual responsibility can lead to feelings of guilt, whether you live nearby or far away. Its important to recognize that these emotions are normal but can interfere with your ability to provide effective care. Guilt can make us feel that our best efforts arent good enough, causing us to abandon strategies that could make a difference, even when we cant be physically present.Long-Distance Caring SolutionsHere are strategies to ensure your parents receive necessary care while managing your responsibilities: Utilize Technology Video Calls: Use Zoom or FaceTime for regular check-ins. Health Management Apps: Encourage your parents to track their health online. Coordinate Local Help Hire Professional Caregivers: Consider home care services for daily activities. Engage Family and Friends: Enlist local relatives to check in regularly. Plan Visits Wisely Maximize Visits: Combine quality time with essential tasks like grocery shopping. Create Care Packages: Send essentials and comfort items to show your support. Releasing the GuiltTo navigate these challenges, its crucial to let go of guilt: Set Realistic Expectations: Accept that you cant do it all and ask for help. Practice Self-Compassion: Recognize that feeling guilty is normal and allow yourself to learn from mistakes. Seek Support: Join caregiver support groups for shared experiences and advice.
When you are tempted to say, Hello, fall plan also to say, Hello, flu shot. When fall is in the air, so are influenza and other viruses. The 20232024 flu season in the United States was characterized by elevated activity. Some estimates for the season include up to 65 million flu illnesses, 30 million flu medical visits, 830,000 flu hospitalizations and 72,000 flu deaths. Despite this impact, data indicates only 53.9% of U.S. children and 48.5% of U.S. adults received a flu vaccine during the most recent flu season. Imagine what the flu season statistics would be if getting an annual flu shot was as popular as pumpkin spice! We recommend you get the updated flu vaccine annually by the end of October to ensure the best coverage during the peak of the flu season, which starts to ramp up in October, peaks between December and February and fades in the spring. Receiving the flu shot in the fall also helps provide protection through the holidays, when people often gather and travel. Annual flu vaccines are especially important for those over the age of 65, who are at greater risk of developing serious illness from the flu due to age-related changes in immunity. Between 70 and 85% of all flu-related deaths occur in people 65 years and older and 50 to 70% of seasonal flu hospitalizations are in this age group. Since immunity from annual flu shots lasts about six monthsenough to cover the peak of the flu seasonand the flu strains the shot targets each season are different, its important to make your flu shot an annual tradition. The shots work by stimulating your body to produce protective antibodies within about two weeks. Since the flu vaccines first civilian use in 1945, the vaccines have been made from dead, or inactive strains of the flu, so its impossible to get sickened by the flu from vaccines. Its not the shot, but the creation of antibodies that can result in some side effects, which many mistake for flu-like symptoms. Really, any side effects, like briefly not feeling well, are signs the vaccine is working. Side effects can include soreness at the injection site, headache, low fever or muscle aches. Some people have no reaction at all. Symptoms of being sick with the flu involve fever, chills, extreme fatigue, muscle aches and more for several days. Getting the vaccination can reduce the duration and severity of illness and the risk for hospitalization from influenza. Theres a bonus: getting vaccinated also helps protect other people, including those who are vulnerable to health complications from the flu, such as children, pregnant women and people with underlying illness, like cancer, COPD, diabetes, asthma and congestive heart failure. Potential complications related to the flu can be pneumonia, stroke and heart attack. Living in independent living, assisted living, nursing homes and other group living also puts people at risk, because flu and other communicable diseases can spread more rapidly. Another vaccination recommended in the fall is for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, particularly for adults aged 75 and older and for adults 60 to 74 who are at higher risk for severe RSV. That includes adults with heart or lung disease, weakened immune systems such as from cancer, or other underlying conditions including severe obesity and diabetes. RSV is a common respiratory virus that causes mild, cold-like symptoms. It can be dangerous for some infants and young children, as well as older adults. Symptoms of severe RSV include: fever, severe cough, wheezing, rapid or difficulty breathing, and bluish skin tone due to lack of oxygen. Like other respiratory infections, a cough or sneeze can easily spread RSV. People are typically contagious for up to eight days, but some people can be contagious for as long as four weeks, even after they stop having symptoms. Older adults only need to get an RSV shot once. Getting flu and RSV shots is easyand you can get them at the same timewith many pharmacies offering walk-in shots. Healthcare Network has walk-in Convenient Care open Thursday to Saturday until 7 p.m. for preventative services, as well as diagnosis and treatment of minor illnesses. If you havent gotten your shots yet, there is still time to celebrate fall with immunizations. Afterwards, you may even want to treat yourself for being proactive with a pumpkin spice latte. About the Author Dr. Salvatore Anzalone, Vice President of Clinical Business Development at Healthcare Network, has been a board certified physician for over 35 years. Healthcare Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing quality healthcare that is accessible to everyone, regardless of employment, income, or insurance status. For more information about services, visit HealthcareSWFL.org or call 239-658-3000.
Home Instead of Fort Myers, provides personalized in-home senior care services to aging adults in North Fort Myers and Fort Myers. Our professional caregivers, known as CAREGivers, are dedicated to enhancing the aging experience by providing practical support with a human touch. What is Home Care? Senior care services from Home Instead help to enhance the aging experience by providing practical support at home with a human touch. Our professional caregivers immerse themselves into wherever home is to assist with common activities of daily living and build a lasting relationship with you and your family.Our home care services can help aging adults stay engaged in everyday life with tailor-made support by professional caregivers to stay safe and well at home. Its our mission to provide a care plan personalized to your familys needs to bring comfort, connection, and quality of life in the place that they love the most, their home.Interested in joining our team of professional caregivers? Home Instead offers rewarding careers for individuals passionate about assisting seniors with activities of daily living. We are looking for compassionate individuals to join us in making a difference in the lives of seniors. View all available jobs and apply now to become an Entry Level CAREGiver with Home Instead.
Home Instead can help with compassionate, senior home care services. Non-medical home care focuses on helping seniors with the daily activities they need to engage in to remain safe and healthy. Many seniors need help to get their day started with assistance showering, preparing breakfast and taking their medications. Likewise, help before bedtime, or even overnight, can be an important safety net for seniors at home who often are more apprehensive at nighttime. One of the most important needs of a senior who lives alone is often simple companionship. The companionship component of a professional caregivers job can be just as vital as the physical assistance a professional will provide.