SYNERGY HomeCare Magazine FALL 2019

FALL 2019

CAREGIVER SPOTLIGHT

WE CHAMPION OUR CAREGIVERS

SENIOR ROUTINES

WHY THEY BENEFIT YOU

MATTHEW

CAREGIVER

OF THE YEAR 2019 + 8 REASONS FOR IN-HOME CARE | SANDWICH GENERATION CARING FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN

MATTHEW AJ

What makes a great caregiver? Someone who is reliable and attentive, kind and compassionate? Absolutely. A great caregiver is someone who understands the needs of the person who they are caring for and assumes the responsibility with genuine support and concern. Being a caregiver is not easy. It requires patience and strength that not everyone possesses, yet there are thousands of incredible people in this world who take on that role every single day. ith all of the passion and hard work caregivers put into their work, it can be a challenge to name a single Caregiver of the Year. Of course, we want to recognize all of the caregivers who go out of their way to care for and bond with their clients…but we can only choose one person to hold the coveted title each year. For 2019, we have chosen a remarkable gentleman who exemplifies what it means to be a caregiver, has gone above and beyond to build an extraordinary relationship with his client, and has left a lasting impression on many.

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AJ and Matt at C2E2 Expo

This year’s Caregiver of the Year award was presented to the more than deserving caregiver for AJ Arkebauer. AJ has cerebral palsy, is quadriplegic and largely non-verbal, and needs assistance with mobility support, meals, and personal care.

Over the past two years, they’ve spent their time visiting museums, going to movies and exploring the outdoors. As the weather started changing, Matt realized that to venture out together, he might need to carry AJ – which reminded him of characters from Game of Thrones, Hodor and Bran. With the Chicago C2E2 Expo approaching, Matt and AJ

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worked to create their Game of Thrones looks, including growing out their hair and decking out AJ’s motorized chair to make it look like a wooden cart.

The costumes gained a lot of attention and praise – so much so, that the two were asked to join a Game of Thrones cosplay group that travels throughout the Midwest. They even got the attention of the actor who played Bran on the show!

Images courtesy of SYNERGY HomeCare of Chicago

Caregiver of the Year 2019

Matt

positive solutions to both everyday and larger concerns, and brings light and support not just to his client (and friend), but to his family and community. He is an absolute inspiration and is more than deserving of this year’s Caregiver of the Year award.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MATTHEW Our 2019 Caregiver of the Year.

2ND PLACE – MARIA S. 3RD PLACE – LAWRENCE A.

Matthew is a positive and motivating role model who symbolizes the powerful role a caregiver can play. He is innovative, finding

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SYNERGY HOMECARE

AMBER M. Amber embodies what it means to be a SYNERGY HomeCare caregiver. While Amber is 46 years old, her client, Louise, is 83 and they have become best of friends.

SHARON M. Sharon is a four-year veteran of Synergy HomeCare of Carlisle, providing outstanding care and exemplary reliability; she’s never late nor missed a shift. Sharon is reliable, caring and exceeds expectations.

AMBER

LAWRENCE

MARIA PELE

RUNNER-UP MARIA S. Maria is a 40-plus hour a week caregiver who works with our more complex client needs, specifically clients with advanced dementia and hospice. Her dependability is like clockwork, even making her 6 a.m. shift as we endured the worst overnight snowstorms and the 10 day polar vortex last January.

SPOTLIGHT RUNNER-UP LAWRENCE A. Lawrence is a passionate and loving person who cares for his clients as his own family. He is currently enrolled in nursing school and works full time with SYNERGY HomeCare.

He is especially delicate and kind to his memory care clients. In one instance, we had a combative and distraught client who suffers from dementia.

Lawrence joined his care team and learned on his first shift that he is a lover of music. Lawrence commenced to play the piano and his client began to sing along. They continued this same routine every night, and while learning more about the client, Lawrence began to better understand the best redirection techniques for him.

Maria enters John's world each morning with a smile and a comforting touch. She spends time connecting with him by holding his hand and talking with him and waiting until he is ready for her to enter his world.

Lawrence offered to meet the other care team members to help lead and teach them the best ways to keep the client calm and happy. The entire care team was so pleased with Lawrence’s guidance, as well as the family members of our memory care clients.

She is patient, loving, confident and strong. John's wife Mary said with ire and a scowl, "I promised John to honor his wish to live in his home and never put him in one of those nursing homes and because of Maria, and others at SYNERGY HomeCare, I've been able to keep that promise."

Maria has been with SYNERGY HomeCare for almost two years. She pitches in on short notice and has worked overnight in emergency situations with full care clients. She is a highly skilled and reliable caregiver and we are honored she was a runner-up for Caregiver of the Year 2019.

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SHARON

Caregiver

Maria's daily client is John, a retired American Airlines senior executive, who now suffers from advanced dementia.

He lives in his own world, which we affectionately call "John's World." Each day we remind ourselves that we need to enter his world in order to properly care for him. John can be combative and resistant to transfers and changing.

He is known to scratch, bite and even go limp during transfers; every day is different with John.

Amber is both granddaughter and mother to Louise.

She protects her like a mother bear protects her cub.

Louise had two heart bypass surgeries and two strokes in the past decade. Last year, she was put on hospice.

Amber has been extremely diligent about making sure Louise takes her medications, eats well and drinks enough fluids. Louise has thrived under Amber's care so much that she was taken off hospice!

An email from a client's brother stated how Sharon had made his brother new curtains out of material she had.

He wanted to give her something for doing this and she said it was her pleasure— just wanted to make him smile. She also hems his pants.

When we call Sharon in a pinch, she is always there for us. For example, when one of her regular clients called because he was not feeling well and asked if "Rosebud," yes this is his name for her, as she makes him think of the roses that she brings him, could come help him on her day off. She juggled her schedule and said she'd be there in an hour.

Amber and Louise participate in every activity provided at the retirement community. They are regulars at beach ball chair volleyball, board games, bean bag baseball and craft events. They are often seen together laughing hysterically. Other residents have said, "I want a caregiver like Amber," or, "I want Amber to be my caregiver." Louise's nephew, Rick, who lives close by, has so much confidence in Amber that he and his wife recently left for a long vacation to visit family back east—something they would not have done in the past because they would not have felt comfortable leaving "auntie" alone.

She is always eager to help, this is not the first time she dropped everything to help a client. Sharon goes above and beyond for our Synergy HomeCare clients. She proudly wears our logo every day and we are thrilled she is such a vibrant member of our team.

PELE M. Pele not only delivers great care, she shares her gifts with her clients, including singing for them, which they love and appreciate.

she met all deadlines and made a demanding schedule look easy.

Her clients would never guess that while caring for them, she was the primary caregiver for her grandfather, taking care of him seven days a week.

While caring for her grandfather and clients, Pele not only maintained open communication with the office,

We are so fortunate to have him in our SYNERGY HomeCare family, as he is always striving to improve the lives of his clients to the absolute best of his ability.

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Louise moved to Tucson to live with her sister in a retirement community. When Louise's sister passed away a few years ago, Louise was alone. This is how Amber became Louise's caregiver and has been with her five days a week for the past two years.

Sharon cares for five of our clients. She brightens their days by bringing them flowers from her garden or crafts she made. She also buys materials to make crafts with her clients, which is well-received. During the winter holidays, she decorated several of her clients' doors who were no longer able to do it themselves.

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Even when her grandfather passed away, she didn't want to let her clients down and continued to care for them.

We are so thankful for her big heart big and commitment to the Synergy HomeCare family. We recently promoted Pele to a Lead Caregiver. Her hard work and dedication are true values of SYNERGY HomeCare which is why she was nominated for this award.

Clients’ names have been changed to respect their privacy.

Published by SYNERGY HomeCare four times annually, serving the home care community. For questions, call 877.432.2692 or visit synergyhomecare.com.

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your children that you might not be able to attend all of their after school games or explaining to your parents that your kids’ needs come first. You can assign new chores to kids and spouse so they can help you with the day-to-day management of the household.

A great way to help with communication is to hold a weekly family meeting where members have the opportunity to voice concerns, suggestions and emotions. By talking openly about the situation rather than hiding from it, your family is more likely to adapt better and help more.

Moms feeling the squeeze while caring for family and parents

orty percent of moms stuck in the sandwich generation, between ages 35 and 54 who care for their family and aging parents, report extreme stress levels, according to an American Psychology Association survey.

Stress of this level can take its toll on relationships with everyone in the family, including themselves.

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“It’s not surprising that so many people in that age group are experiencing stress,” says psychologist Katherine Nordal, PhD, executive director for professional practice, American Psychological Association. “The worry of your parents’ health, and your children’s well-being, as well as the financial concern of putting kids through college and saving for your own retirement, is a lot to handle.”

If you’re a mom or a family member stuck in the sandwich generation, it’s vital to realize the importance of not letting stress destroy your family; it’s time to learn how to manage stress in a

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positive way. Often, the way the mother manages stress is used as a model by the rest of the family—modeling healthy stress management is the answer for you and your family to survive the squeeze of the sandwich generation.

STRATEGIES TO HELP MANAGE YOUR STRESS Always take care of yourself first Remember the last time you flew on a plane and the flight attendant demonstrated the oxygen mask?

They said, “Put the oxygen mask on yourself before helping others.”

The same goes for you as you juggle caring for two generations of family. After all, if you don’t take care of yourself, who will?

The best rule to live by while in the sandwich? Take time for yourself.

Even if it’s just a walk, a swim or a bike ride, do something for

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yourself that you enjoy. Eat well and drink plenty of water.

ASK FOR HELP FROM FAMILY OR OTHERS If you have other siblings or family nearby, it’s a terrific idea to reach out to them for support.

Ask them to cover for you one

day every week, or what will be of the greatest help to you. You’d be surprised at how many friends are willing to lend a hand occasionally.

One of the greatest gifts you can give to someone stuck in the middle of the sandwich generation is to hire an in-home caregiver to help out when needed. A day off will help minimize stress and it can allow you to be the daughter again!

YOU ARE JUST ONE PERSON: IT’S OK TO FEEL GUILTY You can’t handle all the changes and challenges that come with caring for two generations by yourself. Accept that you can’t always manage everything and allow yourself time to feel guilty if necessary—most women in this situation do feel guilty about not being able to do everything for everyone. (Remember, this is normal, and so are you!)

COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR FAMILY When you have your entire family on the same page, you’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel and your family will, too.

Others may surprise you by how willing they are to help.

The first step is managing everyone’s expectations by telling

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RESPITE CARE TO THE RESCUE One of the greatest gifts you can give to someone stuck in the middle of the sandwich generation is to hire an in-home caregiver to help out when needed. A day off will help minimize stress and it can allow her to be the daughter again!

A caregiver can not only care for kids and parents, they can help with meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, and errands. This is a proven stress reliever that will make a big difference to your wellbeing.

Your

DREAMS CAN COME TRUE after 50!

Go ahead. Tell us your dream! seniorgenie.synergyhomecare.com

Write a compelling story about your dream and the passion behind it.

Each winner will live their dream, up to a cost of $5,000.

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EIGHT REASONS IN-HOME CARE IS FAVORED

BY SENIORS

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amilies often appoint a relative to be the primary caregiver of a loved one who needs help at home.

Others choose long-term residential facilities or skilled nursing facilities when medical attention is routinely needed. But in-home care offers many significant benefits for those seeking non-medical care that the alternatives don’t.

In-home care is a preferred method of care for seniors, family members with special needs and those who require post-hospital care. When it comes to choosing caregiving solutions for a loved one, there are several factors involved— and several choices.

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Here are the top eight reasons why having in-home care for yourself or an aging parent truly eclipses the typical alternative methods of caregiving.

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1. COST-EFFECTIVENESS – A study published by the American Journal of Medicine shows clients who received home care after a hospital discharge could save roughly $6500 over the course of a year and decreased risk of readmission. For others who require daily assistance, the flexibility of in-home care to meet personal and individual needs allows individuals the opportunity to receive care part-time or fulltime, or for respite care.

2. INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION AND CARE – Traditional institutions for caregiving do not compare to the one-on-one attention that in-home care offers.

While caregivers are attending to several individuals at once in a facility, in-home caregivers are responsible for one individual.

Time, energy and attention are only focused on one person to provide companionship and improve social interaction – which plays an essential role in the overall quality of life.

3. MAINTAINING INDEPENDENCE – People value their independence, especially seniors. Many of them who require assistance in daily living feel the stress and anxiety that comes with being unable to independently care for themselves. In-home care helps maintain a sense of control over their lives, and offers more freedom, while still having the support of a caregiver to assist with many tasks and chores they are unable to do. Those who require less assistance typically opt for in-home care instead of reducing their level of independence.

4. FAMILIARITY – People with Alzheimer’s and dementia function better with familiarity and routine. Being able to stay in the same neighborhood, wake up in the same home and follow the same routine are valuable to individuals who suffer from cognitive disorders.

5. MAINTAINING CONNECTIONS – Independence is not the only thing that individuals maintain when they receive in-home care. They are given the opportunity to maintain relationships and connections with those around them. They are able to stay involved in their communities, keep connections with local service providers and health care professionals and visit places of familiarity that they enjoy.

6. KEEPING PETS – Many alternative methods of caregiving do not allow the individual the opportunity to keep beloved family pets or get new pets. Owning pets can reduce anxiety, stress and depression. It can also contribute to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and even help improve physical activity. While other caregiving options take away the opportunity to keep pets, in-home care can actually provide help in caring for the pet.

8. REDUCE CAREGIVER BURNOUT – Family members who are responsible for the care of a loved one often suffer from caregiver burnout. Not only are they responsible for their own families and jobs, but they carry the weight of making sure that their loved one is safe and that their needs are met. In-home care helps take that extraordinary pressure off family members and provide reassurance that their loved ones are provided for and safe.

In-home care is a high-quality service that has a significant value to people who require assistance in their daily living and also for their families. If you are faced with the daunting task of choosing how to care for a loved one, be sure to take a deep look into in-home care and all of the amazing value it has for you and your entire family.

7. COMFORT – Of all of the benefits that in-home care provides, comfort is probably the biggest. Peoples’ homes are a safe place for them, holding security and precious memories. Having that safety and comfort alone can reduce anxiety and depression.

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for hobbies, socialization and much more.

If the senior in your life adores the holiday season, they’ll appreciate making a daily list of all they must do to prepare for festivities and celebrations. Having a list and crossing off the “dids” is a satisfying feeling.

Many seniors suffer from health issues like anxiety, depression, and cognitive problems that cause stress and confusion. Simple tasks like personal hygiene can become difficult and cause stress. Routines in daily living can help seniors manage everyday tasks and create a sense of control and independence that many aging adults feel a lack of as their mental and physical health starts to decline.

WHY ROUTINES ARE GOOD FOR SENIORS

Consistency and routine are valuable to all and necessary for many. Northwestern Medicine explains that “people are creatures of habit, and routines offer a way to promote health and wellness through structure and organization.”

or seniors, health and wellness are a concern and a priority.

Daily routines offer more than just a few benefits for aging adults and can be a critical element in adult behaviors, sleep habits, appetite, mood, health and overall well-being. As loved ones, friends and caregivers, it’s important to remember that the holidays can often trigger sadness and loneliness for seniors.

Keep an eye on them during the holiday season to ensure their daily routines are consistent, that they’re sleeping and eating well and that they are not isolated.

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This is a Wednesday to do list that SYNERGY HomeCare’s brand ambassador, Grandma Lill, 89,

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uses every day. While her daily calendar largely looks the same, she makes exceptions to add weekly chores such as laundry or grocery shopping, and removing more strenuous plans such as swimming. For the most part, each day includes exercise, socializing and well planned meals, followed by a restful sleep.

STRESS REDUCTION Routines allow seniors to spend less time trying to figure out what to do and more time on activities that provide meaning and enjoyment. This isn’t just a benefit to seniors but also to their caregivers. Knowing what to expect each day can minimize stress and reduce the chaos that can happen in life and create room 2019

HEALTHIER EATING HABITS Seniors who do not plan out meals can miss out on essential nutrients that they need in their diets.

Forgetting meals or forgetting to go to the grocery store to buy food are typical problems for aging adults as well. Advance meal planning can help seniors stay on track with diets and balance daily nutrition, and it can also help improve sleep habits and mood.

decline in quality of sleep. Aging adults require 7-8 hours of sleep each night for their bodies to heal appropriately and to perform crucial physiological processes.

Good sleeping patterns can significantly increase overall health and quality of life – and good sleeping patterns can improve by implementing a consistent sleep schedule.

MANAGING DEMENTIA SYMPTOMS Daily routines offer benefits to anyone who follows them; however, for seniors with dementia, the benefits are much greater. Jed Levine, the Executive Vice President and director of programs and services for the New York Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association explains that people with dementia experience greater difficulty when attempting to do new things. Routine in daily living

can help aging adults retain the ability to remember and perform daily tasks like brushing teeth, taking medications, and eating meals. Be sensitive about your loved one’s feelings regarding the holidays and proceed accordingly.

A high-quality of life is a primary goal for seniors, but reaching that can be difficult. However, with the help of medical professionals and caregivers, seniors have a much higher chance of reaching this goal and improving mental, physical and emotional health.

Just like any person, seniors are going to experience good and bad days, but keeping consistent routines and structure, especially during the holidays, can provide the opportunities for aging adults to get the most out of each and every day, as well as give them something to look forward to.

For seniors who aren’t able to grocery shop or plan and prepare meals, home care services provide such services to ensure they are eating well and as planned.

BETTER SLEEPING PATTERNS Many factors affect sleeping habits and patterns in the elderly, especially during the holidays.

Poor exercise, medical problems, medication, appetite and stress are just some factors that cause a

Grandma Lill

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CARE FOR EVERYONE At SYNERGY HomeCare, our caregivers are incredible individuals with an unmatched ability to care for everyone. Call or visit our website to find out more.

877.432.2692 | SYNERGYHOMECARE.COM FALL

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