Old-time TV. My senior parents grew up on it and my mom continues to enjoy the programs from back in the 40s and 50s. I still have fond memories of Our Miss Brooks and Father Knows Best. What I just learned was that apparently they. along with many other programs, started out on the the radio before eventually landing on TV where I discovered them. Even more interesting is that iTunes has a wide variety of these shows available for free! Perfect for a Sandwich Generation senior home care giver and grandparent.

While doing some research, I discovered Old Time Radio. Just go to iTunes, iTunes store, and in the top right search box, type in Old Time Radio. You should see a handful of the podcasts they offer along with the words "See All." Click "see all" and you will be delighted to see:

• Old Time Radio Nostalgia
• Old Time Radio Comedy
• Old Time Radio Drama
• Old Time Radio Mysteries
• Old Time Radio Scifi
• Old Time Radio Shows
• Old Time Radio Thrillers
• Old Time Dragnet
• The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd
• Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod
• My senior dad's favorite genre – Westerns!
• And so many others

Most are listed as Kids & Family, so I would assume they would, indeed, be fine for every age, but, of course, it's always wise to check them before letting the grandkids listen. All of the above have that listing except Dragnet, which is under Arts. There are several other options that are actually being developed as a current project, which may have more language and other issues than the "Old Time" shows, so we're sticking with the oldies.  

Just to give you a tiny flavor of what you will find:

• Jack Benny
• The Shadow
• Superman
• The Life of Riley
• A Date with Judy
• Maxwell House Coffee Time
• Blondie
• The Bob Hope Show
• Fibber McGee and Molly
• Family Theater
• CBS Radio Mystery Theater
• Dr. Kildare
• Mister I.A. Moto
• The Fat Man
• The Falcon
• Mystery Playhouse
• Gangbusters
• Inner Sanctum Mysteries
• Hallmark Playhouse
• And many, many more.

For a Sandwich Generation senior home care giver and grandmother, who is also a full-fledged member of the Baby Boomer Generation, these Old Time Radio Shows brought back so many fond memories, including times spent with my dad and mom when I was very young, laughing our heads off over Eve Arden and her co-stars in Our Miss Brooks. 

Best of all, they are all FREE (always one of my favorite ways to save money), and I've subscribed to most of them. Once a week, I go through and pick a few from each of the categories and copy them (burn them) to CDs for my senior mom to enjoy on her beloved CD player. She has throughly enjoyed them. They are bringing back terrific memories, giving her a nice alternative to TV re-re-reruns, and "exercising her brain" – always a good thing.

They are also handy for those times when I'm going to be away for longer periods. Making up several of these CDs gives my senior mom a special treat and the cost is low since a 50-pack of CDs runs me about $15, or less if I find them on sale. That's only about 30 cents per CD. iTunes is such a wonderful resource for all of us in the Sandwich Generation, from our oldest senior parents to our youngest little grandkids! I love that you can Download thousands of popular radio programs on iTunes. Not to mention great music, sermons, business podcasts, and so much more!  How about you? Have you found any other interesting  old-time radio or TV shows online? We'd love to hear about them.

Post from: SandwichINK.com

Senior Parents Love Old Time Radio

Our weather is easing up a bit this week, but we have certainly had more than the norm of snow this year. As you know, this is my first real experience with serious snow – the kind that requires snow shovels, snow boots for women, men and kids, rock salt and careful walking.  Because of that, I was quite interested when Lauren Wattie from Jordan David, "the largest and oldest manufacturer of All-Traction™ Footwear," asked if they could send me some of their Spare Spikes ice cleats for shoes to "test drive them" so to speak. As a Sandwich Generation senior home care giver and grandmother, I am always on the look out for resources that can help my family, as well as all of you. I told them I'd love to check them out and share my honest opinion with each of you. In the mail arrived three pairs and here's the scoop.

First of all, you are probably wondering, as I was, what exactly are Spare Spikes? As Lauren put it, they are "ice safety footwear that can best be described as winter walking “ice slippers” that are light-weight, compact, and fit easily and conveniently over all types of shoes and boots." 

I also discovered, partly from their website and partly from my senior mom's and my experiences:

• Basically, they are a flexible rubber sleeve with spikes/cleats in the bottom that increase traction and can reduce slips and falls in slippery, outdoor winter conditions.
• There are eight small cleats and even an extra cleat in case one falls off. That's how they got the name Spare Spikes.

• For myself, they were, indeed, really easy to get on and off. My senior mom, however, was unable to do them by herself. She just doesn't have the range of motion needed to put them on alone. It's fine for her because she lives with me and I can help her. Another dear senior of mine who lives alone wouldn't be able to use these at all as he would not be able to get them on without help, due to his health issues and limited range of motion. 
• They are definitely nice and light weight – less than four ounces per foot. For those struggling with things like arthritis foot pain, that is wonderful!
  
• They are barely noticeable when on your feet and they can be easily folded in half and even carried in a pocket or purse – although I'd make sure I had a couple of large plastic bags to pop them into as they do get wet after walking in the snow. 

• Ours ran a bit small. My senior mom wears 8.5 and I wear 8.5-9. According to the chart, she would wear a small and I would wear a medium. When we tried them on, the small was too small for her tennis shoes. The medium fit both of us quite nicely. HOWEVER, I noticed another reviewer whose husband – a younger runner – needs them to fit extra tight for running and he thought they ran a bit big. So if you are a marathon runner, keep that in mind.

I tried them out on thick snow, thin crunchy snow, and an icy walkway.  In the past, wearing only my tennis shoes, I've only occasionally noticed some slippage issues as I walk in the snow and ice. Wearing these definitely provided a bit more traction, though. I especially noticed this with the thinner, slipperier areas. It doesn't mean I didn't slip or slide but when I did feel a little slippage, I also noticed they kind of grabbed to give more stability as I walked. 

I am blessed with an excellent sense of balance. I think it comes from spending every summer climbing all over rock piers as my dad fished and my mom relaxed on the beach. As a result, walking in the snow rarely bothers me, other than the occasional piece of ice I miss spotting.  My senior mom, on the other hand, has reached a point where she is not comfortable walking in snow or ice at all without my arm to help her. It's just too slippery for her. Even with the snow spikes on, neither of us felt comfortable letting her "test drive" them in the snow itself.

They do seem to be quite handy. If you have to go out in the snow on a regular basis, perhaps to walk a dog or on your way to work in dressier shoes, I think they would be a big help. I live in my tennis shoes and Keens, so I get excellent traction from both them. Therefore,  I don't need to wear Spare Spikes on a regular basis. Especially since I go in and out of the house too often, and they can be hard on floors and carpets. I'd have to take them off and put them on several times a day. However, I do intend to put them in the car as part of my winter weather emergency kit. Very useful for emergencies for both my senior mom and myself! And in a situation like that, she would definitely appreciate having them!

Jordan and David's website was quite interesting, including a history of ice cleats in general. I would have enjoyed reading this to my senior dad to see if he remembered any of the original types that existed. You can find ordering information at their Spare Spike site, Winter Walking, where I was pleased to note you have a 30 days money back guarantee to try any of their products. They do have to be returned in an unused and salable condition, the same as most shoe stores require. It would give you a chance to make sure the Snow Spikes fit, that you or your senior parent can, indeed, easily get them on, and that they will work well for you. 

Overall, I think these are an excellent option for the Baby Boomer Generation. They make a nice alternative to living in snow boots for women and men. They are particularly useful for those who have to go out in the snow with shoes that offer little or no traction. They would also be very useful for seniors who can put them on themselves or have someone who can help put them on and who already go out in the snow now, giving them an extra measure of safety. And as I said before, they will definitely be added to my Sandwich Generation senior home care giver "tool kit" for emergencies for both my senior mom and myself. 

Would you or a special senior in your family like to give them a try? I have one pair, size small, which should fit women's shoes 7-8 or men's shoes 5-6 1/2. Leave a comment below to be entered in a drawing for these Spare Spikes. Be sure to add your name and your email address. For extra entries for this drawing, you can:

• Sign up for the FREE SandwichINK email which will not only get you an extra entry for the Spare Spikes but it will also keep you up to date on all kinds of Sandwich Generation resources and info to help and encourage those caring for the elderly relatives in their family along with their grandchildren. Make sure you then come back and leave a separate comment that you signed up.
• Tweet this, then come back and leave a comment that you did.
• Write about this at Facebook, come on back and leave yet another comment. 
• And, finally, blog about this, and, of course, one final comment. 

Each comment/action counts for one entry. The contest ends on March 14, 2010 at midnight. After that, one name will be randomly picked from all the entrants' comments and posted here, along with sending the winner an email. That person will then have one week to contact me with their mailing adress, otherwise another winner will be randomly picked.  

All right, all of you Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents. This is a fun contest just for you! Enjoy!

UPDATE 3/24/10 CONGRATULATIONS TO MARY FROM ELDERCAREABC WHO WON THE SPARE SPIKES!!!

Post from: SandwichINK.com

Lighter Alternative to Snow Boots for Women and Men of the Sandwich Generation

SENIOR HOME CARE GIVING:

Dale Carter is Hosting "How to Help when Both Aging Parents are Ill & Declining", TODAY, 01/19 at 11 a.m. EST on BlogTalkRadio.  If you are reading this after that time/date, though, you will still be able to listen to it on an archived copy.

Your Local Disability Rights Office can help with adaptive equipment.  Per @caregiving

Very thought provoking!  Senior Care Advice in Exactly Three Words. Don't forget to peek at the comments as well – even more good ones there. Yup, including one from me. I have to confess, I used one our pastor once taught us – JOY = Jesus, Others, you. Works well for all parts of life including senior home care giving AND grandparenting.  

CAREGIVING IN AMERICA magazine is premiering this month. It targets 50 million US caregivers of family & friends. WOW! Can you believe there are that many of us! Via @ElderCareRN

Do you need some crochet hat ideas for a beloved elderly parent going through chemotherapy? @HookingStitches suggests that you crochet a Rasta hat like one of these for them.  And maybe even make some extras to donate to @halosofhope and her ministry of making crochet hats for cancer patients. Isn't that a wonderful ministry idea for senior home care givers who have a bit of extra time but can't leave the house!
 
Tips for Aging Adults on Conserving Memories. Via @Carebuzz. I highly recommend Twitter. It will definitely keep your mind active and engaged as you learn all sorts of interesting new things.  

Speaking of my grand-YorkiPoos, I guess it's never too soon to think about providing senior home care for an Elderly Dog. I nursed my beloved little kitty through cancer before she died several years ago and have had several elderly relatives who have had to take care of their elderly dogs and cats! Good info to think about! Via @HomeHelpIreland

Older adults miss out on lots of activities/field trips. Why not get them a transport wheelchair?   Great tip from @TeamPribisko

Don't forget to check back here next Tuesday. Instead of Tuesday Twitter, it will be the Boomers and Seniors:News You Can Use blog carnival, with lots of great info for you. AND if you are a writer / blogger about boomers and seniors topics, we'd love to have you submit a post!  

GRANDPARENTS:

The owner of Legoland has purchased Cypress Gardens, the venerable Polk County, Florida attraction.. Sounds like another LegoLand to make our grandkids happy is in the works! Via @relogal
 
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT:

Grandparents' and parents' prayer: O Lord, Let Your work appear to Your servants And Your majesty to their children [and grandchildren].

"As a kid, I thought of "old" as 40. Now, "old" is merely a state of mind, never an age." Love that! Via @Seniors4Living and @ageopportunity

Senior Home Care Giver's Prayer – O Lord, satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

“Anyone can serve the Lord when it makes sense and is easy. But it takes commitment to do the Lord’s will when you don't understand." @pastorkjl

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." Martin Luther King. Via @PaulaRobinsonRN

I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in Whom I trust.

BABY BOOMER GENERATION / SANDWICH GENERATION:

Wider at the Waist? Watch Out for Dementia. Oh dear! Gotta get back to walking daily!!!
   
Yoplait Smoothies From Freezer to Fabulous Giveaway – Head to Moomettes’ for a chance to win a Yoplait Smoothie AND blender! 

A Trojan in the guise of a W2 form attached to spam purportedly from IRS is making the rounds. As always, don’t click directly on links from sources you don’t know. And NEVER give out info to sites you didn’t go to directly. And sometimes, not even then!

Walgreen Threatens To Pull Pharmacies From Medicaid Program.  Via @PattyGrace 

Too much TV may have deadly toll! Good for us to know for our elderly parents, our grandchildren, AND ourselves!

If you are going to watch TV, you might want to munch a few almonds. Eating 1 oz of almonds a day, abt 23 whole almonds, can lower LDL cholesterol levels.   RT @ElderCareRN

Post from: SandwichINK.com

Twitter Resources for the Sandwich Generation, Including: Chemo Crochet Hats, Senior Home Care…for Dogs, Almond Health…

After a long day of errands and lots of driving, I went downstairs to make dinner and watch CSI Miami, before heading back to the office to work on writing projects. Just as I was about to click on the DVR controller, Katy Couric popped on the screen to announce that next up was a CBS News story about Alzheimer's Disease. Needless to say, I headed straight to Twitter to let others know about the show, then went back to watch it myself.

It was very interesting. I hate to admit to a touch of self-focus, but the biggest jolt for me was the statement that, "Starting next year, 10,000 baby boomers will turn 65 years old each day. That means over the next four decades the number of patients could triple – to 16 million." YIKES! And I'm only in my mid-50s!

CBS showed some good screen shots of what the suspected causes of Alzheimer's Disease might be and talked about tests that are currently being run in the hopes of finding a cure. If you didn't get to see it, you should be able to watch it at the CBS news article, Alzheimer's Disease, Where America Stands.  You'll also find other videos and links about Alzheimer's Disease there, including poll results on whether people think they will find a cure for Alzheimer's in their lifetime.

In case the videos have moved, you should also be able to find them at:
Finding a Cure for Alzheimer's

Notebook: Alzheimer's Disease

Dr. LaPook on Alzheimer's

All in all, it was a very good TV news segment about Alzheimer's Disease with lots of good info at the website as well. Kudos to CBS News for turning the spotlight on this difficult disease.

Post from: SandwichINK.com

Alzheimer’s Disease is in the News!

It's a winter wonderland around here and I'm proud to announce that my senior citizen mom and I have survived our first real live snow storm. Granted, it wasn't the worst blizzard ever to cross North America. For two women who have always lived near one coast or the other, though, it was a pretty big deal. Up til now, a light dusting of snow was enough to make us get all excited at the "real snow." The fact that it all melted away within an hour was beside the point. But this – this was two days and nights of snow falling and about four inches of snow on our lawns. Enough for my granddaughter and myself to have a fun little snow fight. Enough for my senior mom and myself to take a delightful Sunday walk in the street, since the sidewalks are still thick with snow. It's been downright exhilerating! And in the midst of all this fun, I discovered a new group of "knights in shining armor" – those who drive snowplows. While we were busy snoozing on Friday, they were out bright and early making the roads safe for me, and others , when I had to head out to a doctor appointment. I was so grateful to all the terrific snow plow drivers and now pushers for the wonderful jobs they did. Even the street in front of my house was plowed which was much more than I expected!

I was so impressed, I did a bit of research on line and discovered a great site full of winter safety tips for driving in the snow during a snowstorm, written by snow plow drivers. If they're recommending these, they must be really good. I was happy to see I already follow several of their rules. I also learned some new tips, including "NEVER pass snowplows!  These vehicles cannot stop or maneuver as well as a compact car can! Do NOT try to pass the snow plow or truck – that could easily cause an accident."

I have to admit, I also got a great chuckle at this video I discovered of a newswoman who had a "close encounter of the snow kind" with a snow plow in the middle of a winter storm! I must also say how impressed I was with her great attitude in the situation.  (By the way, did all you in the baby boomer generation catch that fun reference to Close Encounters of the Third Kind? ).

I am also now the proud possessor of a light-weight, easy to use snow shovel. It turns out it's pretty easy to do some shoveling to make a path for us to walk and for me to safely back down the driveway. It's also great exercise, burning about 250-300 calories per hour! For a member of the baby boomer generation, that makes me feel pretty terrific! Of course, it'snot so easy for my aging mom.  So if you're looking for ways to help your elderly parent, how about popping on over and surprising them with a walkway and driveway all de-snowed by you and your trusty snow shovel? A great gift to them AND to you! How's that for a win-win situation.

How about y'all? Do you have snow in your neck of the woods? How are you doing with it all? Who's your favorite hero in all this? We'd love to hear!

Post from: SandwichINK.com

Snow Plows and A Snow Shovel For This Baby Boomer

SENIOR HOME CARE GIVERS:

Alzheimer's Disease – A perspective from the Front Row. Via @ElderCareRN

A New Year for Medical Advances. Via @Seniors4Living

Tips For Taking Care of the Elderly.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Increases Cancer Risk.

Addressing Senior Ailments as a Caregiver. Via @Carebuzz

Grab Bars are Great. 

Learn about more advance directives and 'Do Not Resuscitate' orders.

GRANDCHILDREN:

Fun with grandchildren – snow painting! I'd never heard of this fun idea before. I'll have to give it a try wiith my grandchildren some day.  

Happy Birthday to Cissy King today! Here is a clip of Cissy's first Lawrence Welk appearance. Enjoy!

When I was young, I loved going to my grandparents on Saturday nights to watch Lawrence Welk with them. I have such fond memories of those times. Now I am building similar memories with one grandchild as we watch the Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana. I'm looking forward to sharing this video of Cissy King with her and enjoying a five-generation memory maker! 

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Through God we shall do valiantly.

SANDWICH GENERATION:

If you enjoy turning your photos into a lovely scrapbook album but don't have a scanner for your very old photos, you can use a Photo Scanning Service To Preserve Treasured Memories. 

Yummy SandwichINK Salad recipe at VegWeb.

10 ways to save money in 2010.  Via @FMFblog

Enjoy all those Christmas candy canes with a good conscience.  Peppermint candy canes have many benefits. (And when they run out, peppermint flavored Icebreakers gum is good too.)  

I personally recommend consulting with an attorney to prepare a will for yourself or an elderly parent. If you definitely prefer to do it on your own, or just want some ideas to do your own preparation before visiting your attorney, this site could be helpful.  Do Your Own Will, free online.

For more twitter resources for the Sandwich Generation and their homes, please visit SandwichINK Real Estate Info. Among other Twitter tidbits there, you'll find an interesting article about one of this member of the Baby Boomer Generation's favorite Judy Garland movies, Meet Me In St. Louis, complete with tons of interesting photos. Bet your senior parents would enjoy it as well.

Post from: SandwichINK.com

Twitter Tuesday Resources: Alzheimer’s Disease Perspective, Advance Directives, Snow Painting, Cissy King…

After I finished adding a new real estate article about grab bars to my Active Rain website, I spent some time reading various blog entries including one by Skip Frenzel. He is a specialist in long term care and senior real estate. I noticed he was in the process of putting together a list of caregiver websites as a resource and asking for suggestions. After putting together a list of some of my favorites, I realized this list would be of interest for you as well. So here tis:

• Carebuzz  – Carol at Carebuzz always has plenty of useful info on her site including this article on Medicare D.
• Caregiving – A site full of information and encouragement, they specialize in insights, information, and inspirations.
• A Psychiatrist with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) -  David writes from the unique perspective of a physician who has Lewy Body Dementia. He knows the technical details AND how it feels to deal with the disease.
• Transition Home Aging – Dale's goal is to provide insight and information to adult children of aging parents so they may “thrive and find joy” in every stage of life!
• Alzheimer's Reading Room – Bob DeMarco is a full-time caregiver for his mother who has Alzheimer's Disease and writes to share the information he has learned as he deals with this illness.
• EldercareABC blog -  An interesting site with an online community for caregivers of aging parents designed by
  caregivers of aging parents. They also have a regular blog carnival centered on eldercare.
• Taking Care of the Folks  – An RN and a caregiver with plenty of useful tips from the trenches.
• Seniors For Living -  This site has several writers, leading to a well-rounded resource site. One of my favorite series there is the Boomers and Seniors: News You Can Use blog carnival. Lots of great info for caregivers. And now that you've read about all these great sites, you can can find even more wonderful resources for caregivers in their article, Top Senior and Boomer Blogs and Sites on Twitter.

By the way, be sure to visit Skip Frenzel's website. He has a link to a very interesting article about the penalties for missing deadlines when siging up for Medicare. Very useful information!

Post from: SandwichINK.com

8 Caregiver Sites I Appreciate

Moving to a new state with an aging parent brings with it all sorts of new, interesting, and sometimes difficult changes. One my senior mom and I have discovered is colder weather than we've ever experienced before. Now, all of you who live where it is often cold are probably wonderfully acclimated and would think our weather is a piece of cake. But for a senior woman along with one from the Baby Boomer Generation who had previously lived in the temperate areas of both coasts, a steady dose of 20-40 degree weather accompanied by occasional wind, rain and even snow is definitely chilly!

We're learning to deal with it and you'd be quite proud to hear that we are still walking outside fairly regularly. Today's walk was a bit harder than usual as I forgot to grab a hat and my ears just froze. My mom started the walk out saying she didn't need any scarves but by the end of the walk, she had changed her mind! She hates wearing her knit hat as it bunches her hair up. Scarves are better, but they can be tricky for those with arthritis. They're hard to arrange when you have limited motion and if you drop them, they're hard to pick up. I recommended something a dear friend suggested to me a couple of years ago when I was visiting her icy area. It's a wonderfully warm, comfy, and good looking 4-in-1 scarf, cowl, tube scarf, hat, neck warmer, and/or neck gator. I kid you not. I found all those names out there!  Basically, it's a long tube, often with ties at one end. You put it over your head and arrange it around your neck. Now you have a pretty neck warmer. If you want more warmth coverage, you pull it up a bit. It's long enough to cover your whole head, as if it was a fleece or knit hat. It's cute, it's warm, and once it's on, it's easy.

My friend bought hers at Ross a couple of years ago. By the time she told me about it, they were all gone. I finally found the same item online at Ebay, but they're not there any more. At least they weren't on the day I wrote this.  

I spent an hour or two researching and found that while it's got a bunch of names it's VERY hard to find! I persevered, though, and finally tracked down a similar product online at Sears. It's listed with the mens scarves but it really is a unisex item. I decided to purchase two of these Covington Fleece 4-in-1 mens scarves so she can have one and we can have a spare and to share. They were on sale and the shipping price was the same whether I bought one or two, so I was thrilled. When they arrived, I found they are a bit on the small side, which is strange since they were in the men's department. I'm going to keep two of them for backups to my favorite one, but my mom will return hers as she doesn't like such a tight feel. That's the nice thing about having ordered it from Sears. I can go into the store and return them easily.

I also discovered a fleece neck warmer at eBay. It doesn't come up over the ears and head, but it does look like a nice option when used with a knit hat. It is just a tube that goes over the head and keeps the neck warm. Very handy for aging parents who don't want to have to deal with scarfs getting in the way of dealing with walkers, etc.

For those who are blessed with the gift of being able to knit, SimpleKnits has a knitting pattern to make these cowl scarves. What a great present these would make for those special seniors in your life, not to mention yourself! I am thinking of giving them a try for next winter.   The writer says it's very easy. Unless you, like me, have a hard time with dropped stitches!

For that reason, I prefer crochet patterns. I was delighted to find a couple of those as well. Hook And Needles has a pretty Flexi-Cowl crochet pattern that would make lovely scarves as well.

Last but not least, here is a wealth of womens and mens scarves of ALL types at Crochet Pattern Central. They have crochet patterns for regular womens and mens scarves as well as  several neck warmers and cowls.  The one by Bernet would make the hooded scarves I love. It is listed as an intermediate project though…  Hmmm, If I could just train my computer to crochet for me…     My senior mom and I would both love these though, so I may just have to give them a try!  If any of you are brave enough to give them a go, we'd love to see photos of your works of art, or should I say, Scarves of Art.

Post from: SandwichINK.com

Cowls, Tube Scarves, Neck Warmers, Neck Gators, Oh My!

Happy Second Sunday of Advent! My senior mom and I returned late this week from visiting family. It was so wonderful to see family members we rarely see and we were thrilled with all the wonderful hugs and love. Then we got to come home to even more wonderful hugs and love from family we are blessed to be close to. Talk about a wonderful HIGH for the week.

It wasn’t all happy and roses though as we had to deal with some health issues for a close senior relative, including a CAT scan to see what, if anything, was causing some stomach discomfort. After a lot of prayer and concern, the doctor said nothing major was showing up and that hopefully the discomfort would pass, otherwise more tests would follow in the coming weeks.

So far, praise God, the pain seems to have vanished and our dear kin is doing much better. I was so encouraged by all the prayers from our family, including one grandchild who even asked her class to pray. It is such a blessing to see the fruit of our teaching blooming so wonderfully in the next generation! And it is so encouraging to see God’s hand at work, even in dark situations. This time, it looks like He is giving us a reprieve. I know another time He may allow us to go through “high waters.” I also know that, even then, we can rest solidly on His promises including one of my absolute favorites from Isaiah 41:10:

Do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Surely I will help you,

SURELY I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

I LOVE that second SURELY, don’t you! What a wonderful verse to give us hope during difficult situations! And what a blessing to be surrounded by family and friends who God often uses to encourage us.

One of my online friends who is great at that is Denise Brown from Caregiving.com. Today, she is kicking off a “Caregiving Holiday Progressive Blog Party” for care givers. To any and all who are visiting from that party, WELCOME! The goal of SandwichINK is to provide information and words of encouragement to all care givers, with a focus on the Sandwich Generation. The Sandwich Generation is made up of those who are providing senior home care to aging parents while still caring for kids at home and/or even helping extensively with grandchildren. Many of us are also in the Baby Boomer Generation.

I’ve been a member of the Sandwich Generation for over ten years, helping with senior parents, including my father who is now in heaven after battling with Parkinson’s Disease for over 15 years. I also help care for four of my many wonderful grandchildren, and deal with a wide variety of issues in that arena including special needs. Life is always challenging, never boring, and definitely rewarding and I am so grateful to God for that! I enjoy helping others, both through hands-on care and through my writing. SandwichINK, along with SandwichINK Real Estate Info (where I combine my love of real estate with the needs of the Sandwich Generation), both give me a chance to do just that!

I’d love for you to sign up SandwichINK’s free email. You’ll get regular updates on all that’s going on here, including fun projects for grandparents, great resources for senior home caregivers, tech tips to keep your computer working well, happy holiday ideas like Advent wreaths and fun Christmas tree ornaments, and so much more!

Thank you for stopping by and have a blessed Christmas season! Don’t forget to click on Caregiving.com‘s Party Widget to find more interesting Progressive Party sites!  And check back tomorrow for A Pause for Advent!

Post from: SandwichINK.com

Merry Christmas to All, including Caregiving’s Progressive Christmas Party

With more and more of the Baby Boomer Generation providing senior home care for our aging parents, it stands to reason more of us are traveling together as well.

This can be very rewarding, however it can also add some challenges to our trip planning. Here are 12 tips to help:

1. Most hotels offer handicapped suites. Even if your senior parent is fairly spry, they may appreciate the extra room and the extra grab bars that are usually available with those. Not only that, if your elderly parent has hearing problems, some of the disability rooms even offer doorbells and telephones with a choice of ringers or lights to notify you of guests/phone calls.
2. This can also protect them from being inadvertently assigned a room on the upper floor with no elevator available. That happened to me two years ago and I did ok, but it would definitely have been hard on my senior mom.
3. Speaking of stairs, thanks to that incident, I now always ask if there are elevators and, if not, I make sure I request ground floor rooms even if they don’t have accessible rooms, at the same time I make the reservation. (I have to admit, it wasn’t that easy for me to lug the suitcases up and down those stairs!)
4. Check each hotel room over when you are getting your senior parent settled in. Look for anything that could cause a nasty slip and fall accident! Fall protection is always important, and even more so when traveling in strange surroundings.
5. If your senior parent has a disability parking permit, be sure to tuck it in your purse along with any card that may come with it. Even if they don’t use the placard all the time, traveling can be quite exhausting and your elderly parent may be extra glad to have it handy.
6. It’s important for us to realize that a senior parent often doesn’t have as much energy as us and plan for plenty of rest breaks for them. If it’s possible, you might want to consider separate rooms which can give them the option for cat naps while you work or visit with others.
7. If you do get separate rooms, be sure to request adjoining rooms, if those are available, and otherwise rooms that are across from each other or side by side. If you don’t make that request when you schedule the rooms, you might wind up quite a ways apart. An elderly parent who is exhausted can easily become disoriented in new surroundings. They’ll feel better, and so will you, if you’re close to each other.
8. Also, be sure to forewarn anyone you are visiting that your parent may need plenty of rest time. If they don’t need it, that’s wonderful. If they do need it, there’ll be less disappointment and frustration on both sides.
9. We try to always get hotel rooms with a refrigerator and microwave. That way, if your aging parent needs to stay in the room while you go out, or gets sick while traveling, you can stock their room with cup-a-soup, crackers, lunchmeat, bread, condiments, and sodas. Then they can eat foods they like even when you are not there.
10. Even if your senior parent doesn’t normally use a walking cane, it can be useful to pack one if they have it. Arthritis foot pain or knee pain flare-ups, tiredness, or just plain tripping can make it worth its weight in gold!
11. When traveling together regularly, make sure you sign up for the various hotels’ frequent traveler programs and put both rooms on one rewards card, even if you pay for the rooms separately. These are great ways to save money and by combining the trips on one card you’ll earn reward points faster which can lead to free rooms and other discounts. You can then share the expenses and the savings equally.
12. If an aging parent gets ill on the road, it can be a difficult experience for both of you. You probably already keep copies of their health insurance information in your wallet which will help make things a bit easier. If not, now’s a great time to start. You might also want to write down the phone number and address of the urgent care center and hospital closest to your hotel BEFORE you need it.

Traveling is never easy, and often, the older you get, the more challenging it can be. It’s still quite worthwhile but it definitely pays to go out of your way to make things as easy as possible for your elderly parents. They’ll get to enjoy the travel experience but will appreciate your thoughtfulness in making sure they also get plenty of rest and Tender Loving Senior Home Care, even when you are all away from home.

Post from: SandwichINK.com

12 Travel Tips for Senior Home Care Givers