Stroke Symptoms – Speed is Everything
Published January 29, 2008Neurologists say that if they can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours they can totally reverse the effects of a stroke. The trick is recognizing stroke symptoms, diagnosing and then administering proper medical treatment within that 3-hour period. Speed is everything.
Someone came up with a potent 3-step process that can make all the difference. Since the symptoms of a stroke can be difficult to identify, awareness of the 3-step process can possibly avert brain damage and even death. Remember the acronym S.T.R.
S – stands for SMILE … ask the individual to smile.
T – stands for TALK … and to speak a simple sentence coherently. “It’s sunny out today” as an example.
R – stands for RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If the individual has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the signs of the stroke to the dispatcher. A new sign of a stroke … STICK OUT YOUR TONGUE. Ask the individual to stick out their tongue and if it’s crooked, goes to one side or the other, that is also a sign of a stroke.
As a home care professional in the Denver area, we have helped folks suffering from the effects of a stroke and it’s challenging, not to mention the suffering these folks endure. Quick action can help to maintain a better quality of life (and possibly prevent death) for someone prone to strokes … raise your awareness and be prepared to help someone exhibiting these warning signs.
Click on this link for more information regarding strokes and elderly care for the Denver Metro area.
Owner, Barton Home Care
Secure at Home With the Help of Reverse Mortgages
Published January 26, 2008Reverse mortgage proceeds can help make your home a secure environment
An interesting concept that is getting a lot of attention by our aging population is the conversion of their homes into safer environments. It’s just part of a larger movement to help people age in place. This is a more desirable choice for most aging Americans versus moving to assisted living facilities or in with other family members. Staying in one’s own home offers a sense of security and control. Most people are hesitant to give up those things.
There are many renovations and products available for safety conversions. Examples include raised dishwashers and lowered cupboards, curbless showers, slip resistant floor tile, combining full and half baths to create one large bath with easier access, or possibly turning an unused bedroom into a bath and laundry combination. There are accessibility specialists to give advice on design and equipment needed to make these changes and maintain independent living.
Certainly, there will be costs associated with these improvements, as there would be for any significant change in one’s home. Financing them may not be as difficult as might be imagined. One option could be a reverse mortgage, which enables homeowners over 62 to convert a portion of their home equity into tax-free cash. This cash can be used for streamlining one’s home for safety without requiring a monthly payment. The loan does not become due and payable until the borrower permanently moves out of the home.
For more information on reverse mortgages in the Denver area, check with Karen Barton, a reverse mortgage consultant with Wells Fargo.
Gerri Tyber
Operations Manager, Barton Home Care
Alzheimer’s Disease Warning Signs
Published January 19, 2008The Alzheimer’s Association has defined several common warning signs that may indicate the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease. People demonstrating several of these symptoms should consult a physician for a full examination and evaluation. Some common indicators are listed below.
Difficulties with abstract thinking like bill paying or performing basic calculations. Previously simple tasks like balancing a checkbook become very challenging or impossible.
Familiar chores, like preparing meals, become unfamiliar and difficult to perform. Someone with Alzheimer’s may cook dinner and then forget to serve it or forget that they even cooked it in the first place.
Diminished judgment leading to poor wardrobe choices or shopping purchases, etc.
Language issues—struggling for the right word and sometimes substituting inappropriate ones.
Consistently misplacing common objects like keys or glasses, beyond the scope of normal. Often these misplaced items turn up in totally inappropriate places, i.e., a remote in the refrigerator with no recall at all of how it ended up there.
Dramatic personality and mood swings may occur. Someone who is normally a passive personality may suddenly become very aggressive and outspoken.
There may be loss of time and place and general disorientation. An individual with Alzheimer’s may become lost in what should be a familiar place—like on their own street.
Loss of interest and involvement in usual pursuits, whether they be personal, social or professional. Someone who formerly enjoyed the Christmas holidays may now exhibit no interest in them at all.
Repeated memory loss that impacts the workplace and causes confusion at home.
