Nebraska - East, Iowa - West

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34-35Jesus words on love spoken some 2,000 years ago inspire and form our Christian ministry today at Presbyterian Homes & Services.For Alice Musiak, a housekeeper at Valley Ridge in Burnsville, MN, showing love is the best thing she does all day every day. She says, Ive been a housekeeper for three years. And I love it. I cant imagine doing anything else.Alices daily To Do List takes her around campus and into the homes of residents where she creates special moments with them.Recently, she noticed a resident with dementia, who was feeling down. Knowing she had just lost her husband, Alice tells what she did next: So, I grabbed a daily devotional book called Jesus Calling from our community library. I sat beside her and asked, Will you read me a devotional?Just last week, the same residents son came to visit. When he entered The Arbor, there was his mother, reading aloud from another Bible devotional as Alice followed along closely.So, he quietly pulled up a chair to listen, too, and commented softly, Mom always loves reading her Bible.Alice following along as resident reads from Christian Bible devotional Later, Alice made her way up to the laundry room on the third floor. Along the way she got a special request from a resident. Alice, can you help me with my puzzle? I cant fit any pieces in my puzzle. Im having a hard time.Alice explains, So I helped her, and it was really fun. Known by residents for her heart of gold, Alice giggles, I show it!Alice is truly a blessing here at Valley Ridge, comments Matthew Rectenwal, Environmental Services Director.To Alice, housekeeping is not about a To Do List. Its about the power of connection and filling residents homes with love.We Will is a series that spotlights inspiring examples of teamwork at PHS. With Gods blessing, We Will work together to build a better, brighter future for the older adults we serve.

BE THE DAUGHTER AGAIN!10 Ways to Take Care of Yourself While Caring for Someone ElseMillions of Americans take care of a friend or family member with a serious health condition. Being a caregiver is a labor of love, and it can be stressful. Here are 10 helpful hints for reducing stress, so you can be an effective caregiver and still have a little time for yourself.1. PLAN OUT MEDICATIONSStart by making a visual chart to organize all medicines, vitamins and supplements that your care recipient takes. Include notes on dosage, its purpose, when to take it, and any special instructions. You could go another step and include the prescribing doctors name and phone number, and the date to order refills. At least once a week, fill up medication dispenser(s) with all daily medications. Categorize them by times, such as morning, afternoon, evening, and bedtime. Include any pictures or visual references that help you and your loved one remember what, when and how to take them, such as a sun for morning or a depiction of what the pill looks like in shape, size and color (for example, a large pink circle or a small white and red oval).2. SCHEDULE GROCERY DELIVERYMany grocery stores offer online ordering and free delivery. Take advantage of this service so you can save the time you would be running errands to spend time with your loved one, or take some extra time for yourself.3. ORDER FROM A TRUSTED ONLINE PHARMACYSimilar to grocery delivery, many registered pharmacies offer online prescription refills, call-ins, and drive-through pickup service. You can even order online and have medications sent by mail. Be sure to use a registered pharmacy that you have vetted, as some rogue or scam sites have popped up recently. If you are in doubt,read more about choosing a safe online pharmacy.4. HIRE A CLEANING SERVICEHire a cleaning company for your home, or your loved ones home so you are not busy housekeeping on top of everything else. Caregivers often straddle two households and cleaning can be a lot to keep up with. Professional cleaning companies offer deep-cleaning services. Even if you pay for a service once a month, or every few weeks, it can offer peace of mind that one more thing is off your plate.5. RECRUIT OTHERSCaring for an older family member often requires teamwork. For example: one sibling might be local and take on primary caregiving responsibilities, while a long-distance caregiver can also have an important role. Long-distance caregivers can help by handling things onlinefor example, researching health problems or medicines, paying bills, or keeping family and friends updated. Dont underestimate the value of a phone and email contact list to help you easily delegate responsibilities or share updates.6. SCHEDULE FAMILY MEETINGSStart by defining the caregiving responsibilities. You could set up a family meeting and, if it makes sense, include the care recipient in the discussion. This is best done when there is not an emergency. A calm conversation about what kind of care is wanted and needed now, and what might be needed in the future, can help avoid a lot of confusion. Agree in advance how each family members efforts can complement one another, so that you can be an effective caregiving team. Ideally, each of you will be able to take on tasks best suited to your skills or interests.7. TAKE TIME OFFThink about your schedule and how it might be adapted to give you some respite from your primary caregiving responsibilities. Be realistic about how much you can do, what you are willing to do, and dont be afraid to schedule breaks for yourself. For example, you might coordinate holiday and vacation times with other family members, or call in home health aides. Remember that over time, caregiving responsibilities may need to be revised to reflect changes in your or your loved ones situation.8. CALL IN HOME HEALTHYour parent(s) or the person you care for may need increasing help to continue to live in their own home. Arrange for professional caregivers, such as home health, nursing aides, or companion care assistants to complement your caregiving responsibilities. Some people find it hard to have paid caregivers in the house, but most also say that the assistance is invaluable. If you are reluctant, remember that an in-home aide may leave you more energy to devote to caregiving, as well as some time for yourself. You can also try it for a short time, and then decide.9. SEEK SUPPORTDont forget to ask for emotional support from your spouse, or close friends. Words of appreciation, encouragement, and the simple act of listening may not seem like much, but they can make a world of difference. You can also seek out local support groups for caregivers, or join online forums. Having someone to talk with, vent, or just to hear encouraging words from can help you keep going when you start to feel burnt out.10. CREATE A PLANIn time, the person youre caring for may need to move to an assisted living or nursing home. If that happens, you can contact a navigation agency to help you select an appropriate senior living solution. CareMATRIX Senior Living Navigators offer a free service with a completely personal approach:We get to know you and your loved ones needsThen we help identify a range of appropriate living and/or care arrangementsCareMATRIX coordinates and accompanies you on all toursAnd we follow up with you and the care staff to assure long-term success

The transition from home to a memory care community can be challenging not only for the new resident but also for family and friends. Although some individuals adjust very quickly, getting truly comfortable takes time perhaps weeks or even months. During the first few days or weeks following a move to memory care, our staff encourages family and friends to visit as much as they are able. The presence of loved ones can help reassure the resident that they have not been forgotten and will help them accept their new home. However, some friends and family arent sure how to react (what do I do what do I say what do I talk about?). Here are seven suggested activities for visiting with your loved one:Read and write letters. To further assist individuals adjusting to their new home, ask friends or family members to send letters, cards and other correspondence. You can also help your loved one send letters and cards to grandchildren, friends and others.Keep up with current events. Read the local newspaper, a magazine article or talk about current events. Keep the topics lighthearted and positive.Join resident activities. Whether its enjoying a sing-a-long, watching a movie, or going on an outing, join your loved one in experiencing life at the community. We guarantee youll smile.Reminisce about the good old days. Everyone loves stories. Talking about past holidays, fun times growing up, or past experiences can be fun, and can trigger good memories. Just avoid putting someone with memory loss on the spot. Avoid asking, Do you remember? Just tell the story. They may even surprise you and join in!Embrace the silence. Dont feel like you need to talk the entire time. You may even consider bringing things to work on while you visit, such as knitting, or a book to read. You may even know some of their favorite activities and bring something you can enjoy together such as a puzzle, crochet project or their favorite movie.Bring in their favorite treat or meal. Does Aunt Penny love pretzels? Is Grandpa crazy for chocolate chip cookies? Bringing their favorite treat will surely bring a smile to their face and yours!Help decorate their room. Bring their favorite items from home and add to the familiarity of the space. If its close to a holiday, bring decorations to mark the occasion.All are opportunities to create a moment of joy for your friend or loved one and make their day more special. Remember: Agemark staff are here to help. If you need suggestions, want advice, or simply need support, please ask. Were here for you!

National Parents Day is July 26th, a time to celebrate your mother and father and let them know how much they are loved and appreciated. As parents get older, many will turn to their adult children to help them in the next steps of senior living. Many of these adult children live an average of 450 miles from their parents and are having to assume the role of a long-distance caregiver. According to the National Center on Caregiving, approximately 5 to 7 million adult children in the U.S. are long-distance caregivers.Assisted Living Locators, a leading nationwide senior placement and referral service, is encouraging long-distance caregivers to use this commemorative day as an opportunity to start the dialogue about how they can best assist their aging parents during this transition. The company provides free, personalized help finding housing and care solutions for seniors and their families.To honor National Parents Day in July, Assisted Living Locators nationwide network of senior care advisors will post photos of their parents and share caregiver strategies for helping aging parents across social media channels and on the company website.This month is an opportunity for long-distance caregivers to assess the current lifestyle of aging parents and evaluate what can be improved to strengthen their loved ones health and happiness, said Angela Olea, Assisted Living Locators CEO RN. No matter what stage of life your parents are in, talking about long term care and creating a plan now for the future can help them live their life on their own terms.She stated the next step for long distance caregivers in the transition toward senior living is to have a needs assessment conducted by a knowledgeable professional to help understand your loved ones physical and cognitive condition.Olea added that Assisted Living Locators senior care advisors provide an in-depth assessment of all the clients needs, along with thoughtful analysis and recommendations for best-fit care options. Long-distance caregivers can begin their assessment process with an easy-to-use online tool on the Assisted Living Locators website, which then directs you to a local senior care advisor for a phone or video call in-take interview to learn about the best options to meet your needs.During COVID-19, senior care advisors provide virtual tours with qualified vetted home health, hospice, assisted living, memory care and adult family homes. They can also give families status updates on visitation and acceptance of move-ins for assisted living communities and skilled nursing facilities in your area.