SENIOR HOME CARE

Did you know cinnamon increases Cognitive Activity and helps ward off Alzheimer's Disease?

The BBC reports that brain radiotherapy used to treat brain tumors may lead to mental decline. Extreme caution is necessary!  Per @nerdnews

Delirium is an often overlooked condition in elderly patients, particularly during a hospital visit, yet it can increase the risk of death. Very interesting and informative article!  Per @daccarte

Check out the latest EldercareABC Blog Carnival with tips to help those taking care of elderly parents dealing with incontinence, an elderly care waiver program that sounds great, and more, including a link to yours truly.

Found some more interesting walking cane resources of interest.

 A Walking Cane is not just for walking. Think Cane-Fu. Per  @LongBeach_News

"Smart canes" use outdoor RFIDs to help blind navigate. Per @stevesilberman

OK – we have ALL got to really work on our cholesterol!  More Research Links Cardiovascular Health to Alzheimer's Disease! Per @GeriCareFinder

These cute pix of tired critters remind me of hardworking caregivers who are all tuckered out! I’m planning on adding them to my senior mom’s photo slide show along with the grandkids. What cute pix! 

And speaking of cute pix – here’s even more that should give any and all senior home care givers a “Merry Heart.” :)

Here's an interesting article about the book, Contented Dementia, due out September 22. As the UK Times Online puts it, “Dementia: A new way to treat it - A radical approach to dementia care has been invented by a grandmother who has no medical training. Now the professionals are taking notice”  Per Maddy at SandwichedGenes

Alzheimer's Caregiving: Home Safety Per @mike_gamble

Carol – @Carebuzz – found some great articles this week:

Great little brochure on emergency preparation for senior adults. Adult daughter rushes to ER where her senior mom has suffered a stroke and lapsed into a coma. They hadn’t followed the 40-70 rule so didn’t know what their aging mom wanted, what to do, etc. Have you followed the 40-70 rule? Inner ear disorders – often called vestibular disorders – are a common cause of dizziness in older adults.

GRANDPARENTS

This is one of those fun and easy kids coloring pages sites for our younger grandkids. It’s all done online so it’s also a great way to help them learn to use the computer.

This site provides free printables and resources of great interest for homeschooling programs. You can print out all sorts of interesting writing papers for your grandkids to enjoy using along with several other items of interest.

As I’ve written before, I do enjoy the contests online. I just won a fun personalized pillowcase from @toothfairycyber.  I’m looking forward to receiving it and telling you all about it. Should be grand fun for grandkids!

BABY BOOMER GENERATION

Looking for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe for your grandkids? Or the recipe for Olive Garden's Sam Remo Dip to tempt your aging dad’s taste buds? Check out Copycat Recipes!

7 days without Bible study makes 1 weak caregiver!     Here are some fresh new ways to study the Bible.

Another “plug” for my favorite roadside Knights – AAA. "Just got great service from AAA roadside service. Replaced my battery in 105 degree heat." Per @TomZiglar

It's important to be prepared for the Swine Flu. It's also good to keep a balanced sense of humor. The Secret Identity Of Swine Flu’s First Celebrity Victim!

One last chuckle – This restaurant is "made for caregivers." Hilarious sign!

Kaye

What do you do when all the grandkids come to visit you at your small apartment for a couple of days, the rain is pouring, and the “natives are getting restless?” We love to head for Chuck E. Cheese.

I’m not going to tell you it’s the cheapest grandkid date in town. McDonald’s and Chick-Fil-A are cheaper, and they are high on my list as well!

Chuck E. Cheese, however, combines the climbing fun of a McDonald’s playland and the game-playing fun of an arcade. It even has a hint of the ride fun of Disneyland, all wrapped up into one great mouse-hugging time for grandma and grandkids. And if you compare the cost of a date there to one to the big D (Disneyland), it is quite cheap!

One of the best things about them is their focus on safety. Each person gets their hand stamped with a special matching stamp for their whole group. Now mind you, I still do count heads constantly. That’s just who I am. But I also can sit and nibble carrots from the fresh salad bar, while they have fun playing games and accumulating tickets to buy the extremely cheap, yet immensely satisfying little toys. Not only that, when they run out of tokens, they’ve got an awesome playland-style climbing gym that’s wonderfully free.

Some of my best tips for a fun time there:

• Go Monday – Friday between 10-12 in the morning. It’s usually fairly empty. Even if a day care group or a mom’s group comes, it’s still not that crowded. (When schools are out, that may change a bit. You could call in advance to see if there are a lot of events scheduled.)
  
• If you help with your grandkids’ home schooling program, it’s a great place to go to as a reward for a month of hard work and good behavior; learning something extra-difficult like all their times tables, or maybe even a get-together for the whole home school group to compare notes, plan for the year, and socialize while the kids play.
• Pick a table on the end in the center (I try to get the same one each time) and put something they will easily recognize as yours on it . I always tell them if they can’t find me and need me, go find our table and stand on the seat and wave til I spot them. We’ve only needed that twice but it worked great both times.
• Air Hockey is wonderful for almost all ages . And it really makes the 25 cent tokens last a long time. On the other hand, the games where they just put in a quarter to see if it lands somewhere they want EAT those quarters faster than you can say “Grandma, can I have more tokens!” I’ve started limiting those to just a couple, even if they do pay out in lots of tickets!
• Our Chuck E. Cheese has a fun car ride that takes a picture of them while they ride . Sometimes I stand behind them to get my pix with each of them. It makes a fun addition to the photo album.
• If all your little ones are younger, you’ll be happy to know that they have a semi-enclosed tot’s section as well. Mine includes tables so we can eat right there and keep a closer eye on them.
• One caveat – it is rarely quiet . If noise bothers you, go as close to opening as you can, when it will be about the quietest.
• If you have a grandkid who is scared of larger-than-life dressed up characters, like you often see at Disneyland, be forewarned. A giant mouse by the name of Chuck E. Cheese does wander around. While most of our grandkids will absolutely love him, it’s good to know in advance if you have a shy one.
• If you go to the Chuck E Cheese website , you can sign up to get free email with lots of great token and pizza deals. They also have a variety of token and pizza deals when you get there.

Whatever the age, Chuck E. Cheese is a fun place for the grandkids AND the grandparents . We always have a blast inside, even if it’s raining outside! And the pizza is yummy too!

For more articles about family fun, from more tips for traveling with grandkids to frugal shopping tips for grandkids , visit FamilyFriday at HomemakerBarbi .

Where can you go to find out about great education programs, fun games to play with the grandkids, information about Alzheimer’s Disease, fun contests, and so much more – all geared for the Sandwich Generation? Why, to SandwichINK’s Monday Micro-Blog tips and tweets, of course

But first, I want to begin with a big THANK YOU on this Memorial Day, to all our brave soldiers everywhere, and to all those who have given their life for us and for this nation. THANK YOU for your time, your service, and your protection. We appreciate you more than you will ever know!

Resources for Grandkids – for play and for their homeschool program:

• Gary Olltwit is a former IT teacher, homeschooler and educator who has a wonderful website with over 100 free educational programs . Another great resource for your homeschooling program.
• A great resource for fun activities for home and for your homeschooling program is the Family Friday post at Homemaker Barbi . There you will find fun ideas from Barbi, along with posts from other writers with plenty more ideas. It makes a great resource for grandparents, especially those who are helping with the homeschooling program
• Fun Crayola Fireworks show for you and your grandkids to enjoy
• Check out this Homeschool Freebie From Legos.
• I used to love to spend the whole summer running around barefoot. Arthritis won’t let me do that anymore, but I have some grandkids who love to do it too.Nowadays we need to watch them a little closer when they do, as Mommy Babble explains.
• Encouragement: You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies, for Your words are ever before me.
  
• Finally, here are a couple of cute and educational videos our grandkids might enjoy. Could be a great addition to your family’s homeschooling program!

Here’s the Alphabet ABCs:

And here’s the alphabet by their sounds:

Caregivers:

• Don’t forget, if you have a friend or relative using a walker or rolling walker, SandwichINK is giving away a special WalkerWonder banner for Fathers.
• Encouragement: Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart
• Viki Kind & Suzanne Holman present, “Keeping Sane, Healthy and Professional When Your Parent Has Alzheimers “ , at BlogTalkRadio.
• My Battle With Alzheimers by author Barry Hines, is a very interesting and bittersweet article.
• New Old Age features an article discussing an easier email option for the older generation, Easier E-Mail for the Older Generation.
  
• The 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease.
• Alzheimer’s Communication Tip — Touching Foreheads was such a sweet article about touch making such a difference in an Alzheimer’s Patient.
• Interesting possibilities for Alzheimer’s Disease . Researchers link cocoa flavanols to improved brain blood flow.
• Traumatic Brain Injury and the Elderly by Seniors For Living.
• Encouragement – The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust.

Sandwich Generation Hints, Helps, and Tips

• Fall TV Show Updates
• Did you know that a membership in AARP saves you 10% off most books and and a whopping 35% off selected titles at Borders every day!
• I’ve found that high quality tennis shoes make for more comfortable feet even when you have arthritis in them. Peanut Butter and Smelly’s Dad is giving away a pair of  New Balance Tennies that look like they will work great. I’ve entered to find out. Care to join me? 
• Do you have an iPhone and love country clipart? Trinas Country Clipart has really cute Country iPhone wallpaper.
• Creating a Collage Using Gimp.
• Seniors Tutor Kids Through the Experience Corps – a simple way to stay and feel young at heart!
• Remember the fun sayings like “the cat’s meow” and “the bee’s knees” ? How about “bright as a penny” and “Johnny come lately.” Read more fun Old Time Sayings at Franks Senior News.
• Just a reminder, if you have the grandkids today, Friday’s article was all about Memorial Day Fun With Grandkids

I would like to end this post, on Memorial Day 2009, with another BIG THANK YOU to all our brave service men and women AND their spouses and kids AND their extended family who sacrifice their being close to home in order for them to serve and protect our nation! THANK YOU, too, to those families who have lost a beloved to the sorrows of war for the sake of our nation and its safety!  THANK YOU! GOD BLESS YOU!

This week Twitter had several links of interest for us in the Sandwich Generation :

Caregivers:

As the economy continues to struggle, elder abuse cases are on the rise. If your aging parent is being cared for by an outside party, it’s always vital to monitor the situation closely.

Encouragement – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!

Grandparents:

“You acquire much of the thinking, mannerisms, and characteristics of people you are around.” Zig Ziglar. What a great reminder to us grandparents of the importance of the examples we set . Each day we have new opportunities to help build that very vital spiritual heritage in our grandkids.

Of course, a heritage of good memories is also great. Here is a recipe for some wonderfully awesome gooey fun for you and your grandkids . I’ve enjoyed playing with this goop when helping with my grandkids at vacation Bible school and it is really neat. Very easy too.

Janice and Susan of 5 Minutes for Mom have an interesting post about Janice’s article that was recently published in Guideposts . “Did your journey of building a family take tears, tantrums and begging? Ours did…”

If any of your grandkids are homeschooled, Heart of Wisdom’s home school book store is having a sale and you can save up to 50%!

Sandwich Generation/Baby Boomers:

I really enjoyed the “tongue-in-cheek” article,  This Old House , about growing older, by Lynn Mosher. I hope you do, too.

With fire season getting closer, we can never have too many reminders to pay extra attention to fire prevention – for your own home, your aging parents’ homes, and don’t forget to share the info with your kids and grandkids as well.

Elizabeth Blake (whose blog had the wonderfully gooey recipe above) shared some great links for sunscreen clothing . If you or an aging parent suffer from skin cancer, or if you are trying to protect your grandkids tender skin, you might want to check out Sun-Togs and Coolibar for extra protection from the summer sun.

Questions and concerns about 401k and IRAs? Pop over to ChristianPF and read up on 401K Questions Answered and Retirement Plans. It’s never too early or too late for those of us in the Sandwich Generation to start saving smartly.

Need a fun break from caregiving and grandparenting? Moomette has some fun contest and giveaway links. A couple have expired but most are still available for you to enter to win all sorts of fun goodies.

Just wanted to remind you that SandwichINK will be hosting the Boomer & Senior Blog Carnival on May 27. There’s still plenty of time to submit a post for it.

With the downturn in the economy, we in the Sandwich Generation are getting more and more company.

Encouragement – Blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

If you are one of the growing number of Baby Boomers and Caregivers on Facebook, check out Seniors For Living’s brand new Facebook page.

That’s it for today. Enjoy your Sandwich Generation surfing!

Teachable moments with grandkids rarely come at planned times . I can prepare ahead, have a great story book about Jesus or positive character traits, some wonderful Bible coloring pages and be all set for a special time with my grandkids.  Then I go over to babysit and all the plans get thrown out the window. The grandkids are sick, the grandkids have to be somewhere so there is no time, or they are just not in the right frame of mind for what I had planned. Those are the times I “punt” and we just read stories, sing songs, or do something else simple.

Then there are the times like today . Two are recovering from a bug and one still has it. I came over for the day with no real plans since I knew they weren’t feeling good. We had a great time in the morning working on some of the best paper airplanes .  (I’ll be writing about those later this week!) Then we headed upstairs for naptime. We have started a fun project for the summer with the Fruit of the Spirit (that’s coming up soon), so we’ve been singing a fun song to learn the verse and talking about the first of the fruits, love.

What started as a short story about Moses and the Golden Calf, turned into one of those  wonderful and special teachable moments all of us grandparents love! We started talking about Moses and his love for God. From there we talked about how God gave the ten commandments to Moses. I explained that the ten commandments could be summed up by Jesus’ words in Mark 12, “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength…You shall love your neighbor as yourself .” I added that Jesus also taught us to, “…love your enemies, do good to those who hate you .” (Luke 6:27b).

Grand-twin 2 asked, “Why do we have to love our enemies ?” I explained that if we are loving and kind to someone who doesn’t know Jesus, and they see that, then they might realize how real Jesus is and how much He loves them.

From there, I went on to tell them the story of Corrie Ten Boom , one of my spiritual mentors. She was a Christian who risked much and lost many to help Jews escape from the Nazis. I told them about the time, years after the war, when she met one of her meanest guards and she struggled with rage against him. Yet God spoke to her heart and enabled her to forgive this enemy and love him with Christ’s love, rejoicing that he was now a brother in Christ.  As Wikipedia puts it, “In her book Tramp for the Lord, she writes, ‘For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely as I did then.’ She also wrote (in the same passage) that in her post-war experience with other victims of Nazi brutality, it was those who were able to forgive who were best able to rebuild their lives.’”

At 5 and 6, I’m sure my grandkids didn’t fully understand all that we talked about . I am thrilled, however, at the seeds God planted today in extra fertile soil and so grateful for the opportunity to be used by Him in this manner.

Looking for some fun and frugal ideas for crafts with your grandkids? Maybe a fun way to supplement their home schooling program? I’ve got three great resources for you !

Fun-With-Pictures has a website full of fun coloring pages for kids along with other printables and activities. One of my grandkids loves it for its Batman pictures. They also have Pooh, Care Bears, and other “name brand” pix. On top of that they have a lot of plain-Jane pictures such as fairies, cars, trucks, dinosaurs, and more.If you are like me and want to be notified when they add pictures, you can even go to the bottom of the page and click on one of the RSS buttons and you’ll start getting their occasional blog updates.

Uptoten is a very cool site I just discovered, thanks to Stumbleupon (I will definitely be telling you about Stumbleupon in a future post!). It looks like a lot of fun for both the kids and me! I had fun experimenting with their Kaleidoscope and I’m betting my younger grandkids will enjoy it as well. And be thrilled to have something they can “do” on the computer themselves after we push the button.

They have coloring pages where the children do the “painting” online, and then can print out their masterpieces. No mess for me – and lots of fun for them! They have a raft of other goodies and I am looking forward to exploring them with the grandkids.

This is a combination site – it offers a free portion with ads and that’s what I’m going to start with. It also offers a paid-for site which you might want to look into later, if you really enjoy it and want the added protection of no ads and no external links. The paid option reminds me of Webkinz which we really love, but does seem a bit more pricy. It might have more to offer though so I will definitely be checking it out. (If you have tried it, please let us know what you think about it – both the free side and the paid side. Just leave a comment at the bottom of this post. We LOVE comments!

Kaleidoscope

Coloring Pages offering pictures you can color online – In that same area, they had several other choices, including a word and color match game.

ReadyMech – This site offers cute patterns for little paper toys that you can print out, cut out, and assemble. You should use matte paper for these projects, and they are only supposed to take a few minutes to assemble. I would think they would be entertaining for all ages, though the younger children will need more help, of course. There are a couple of the patterns I would not care to use with my grandkids – a skull, for example. But the little girl called Jules is adorable and there are some super-hero type ones that boys will like.

CAVEAT – All of these sites look like they are fun, educational, and entertaining. They can be a great addition to a fun playtime with your grandkids and even be great for their online homeschooling. It is important to note, however, that they, along with all other sites on the internet, do require close supervision for your young and not-so-young grandkids. It’s especially vital to note that the first two sites both have ads and links to other sites.

That said, let’s have a safe and fun time giving them a whirl!