Smiles and laughter are vital for all of us Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents, as are words of encouragement from inspirational Bible verses. I was looking for a picture that would illustrate this passage from Psalm 148:

Praise the LORD ! Praise the LORD from the heavens ; Praise Him in the heights ! Praise Him, all His angels ; Praise Him, all His hosts ! Praise Him, sun and moon ; Praise Him, all stars of light ! Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens ! Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created. He has also established them forever and ever ; He has made a decree which will not pass away.

Praise the LORD from the earth, Sea monsters and all deeps.

I found this guy – he doesn't look like a sea monster but he's definitely from the deeps of the ocean. Doesn't he look like he might be an elderly fish – maybe a grandpa to a whole school of grandkids? He put a smile on my face and I hope he will give you a big smile as well.

Happy Word-Filled Wednesday. For more photos and inspirational Bible verses to encourage you as you go about your Sandwich Generation day, caring for the elderly parents in your family and helping with your grandkids, be sure to visit Lori at All You Have To Give.

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!!!

I love my Toyota Sienna Minivan. It's easy to drive, has wonderful flexibility with the seating, and provides plenty of room for my senior mom, grandkids, strollers, wheelchairs, etc. It is also, happily, NOT on the current recall list for Toyota SUVs and other Toyota vehicles. However, if you or your elderly parents drive one of these:

2005-2010 Avalon

2009-2010 RAV4

2007-2010 Camry

2008-2010 Sequoia

2009-2010 Corolla

2005-2010 Tacoma

2008-2010 Highlander

2007-2010 Tundra

2009-2010 Matrix

2009-2010 VENZA

2004-2009 Prius

I wanted to be sure you knew there is a massive recall for many of them and they will need to be taken to your local Toyota Service department to have the correction made. You can read more about it at the Toyota Recall site.

It's also important to make sure we let our senior parents know AND follow up to be sure they get this fixed. It's a fairly major problem and not something we want our elderly parents to miss. 

Drive safe, and be sure to sign up for the FREE SandwichINK email to stay up-to-date on news of interest to 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

While my youngest grandson took a nap, I had my iPod plugged into my ear, listening to one of the Beth Moore Bible studies on the life and person of Jesus Christ. Something she said really caught my attention in a special way. She was talking about Jesus' directions, ""But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," Matthew 5:44. She then referred to Romans 12:9, "Let love be without hypocrisy." In other words, we are supposed to mean it,  not just "act” it.

As Sandwich Generation caregivers, we are sometimes caught in situations where we have to care for someone we don’t like very much. I’m so blessed to have good relationships with all my parents which has made my caregiving much easier. But I have talked to people or read articles by  those who are caring for parents or other elderly relatives they just don’t get along with. And even though I don’t have to deal with that specifically in my caregiving, I’ve certainly worked with people in the past who were challenges. As one of my pastors commented in a sermon, they are EGRP – extra grace required people.

God convicted me long ago to pray for the EGRP in my life. He has even led me to specifically pray for Him to bless them. It's definitely NOT always easy or even my first choice. But He has kept working on me, over the years, to choose to do this, even when I didn't feel like it.

I was excited and challenged by what Ms. Moore said in this Bible study (which I HIGHLY recommend, by the way). She offered a very practical suggestion how to do it and I love it!  She said, “I ask God to give me several verses so that I can begin to pray over them, praying for them, praying for how I feel about that situation, about that particular person and He will begin to give me the mind of Christ for that person and change the way I feel.”  Isn’t that a terrific idea?

Praying for and choosing a verse or two specifically for that person will keep us from the “I’m not sure what to pray so I’ll just pray, 'Please bless them and hold them close Lord,' over and over.” Don’t get me wrong. That’s an excellent prayer for them as well. BUT by having a couple (or more) of specific inspirational Bible verses to Scripture pray for them, we will be praying according to God’s will, we will be coating them in specific prayer, and we will be allowing God to work on our hearts and minds all at the same time. Sometimes we may be blessed to see these EGRP’s change as a result of our prayers. Many times we won’t. But I know, in my life, I’ve seen myself change for the better. Come to think of it, this would be a great gift for any of those we provide senior home care giving, not just EGRPs! What a gift to them and what a gift to ourselves.

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.

SENIOR HOME CARE GIVING:

Excellent article about dealing with beloved elderly parents forgetting who you are due to dementia such as that caused by Alzheimer's Disease.

Six myths of caregiving.
 
Elder Care 101:When do you stop an elderly parent from driving?   Via @DLindberg49

Next time you visit your elderly parent, check his or her fridge for expired items, especially salad dressings. Via @Seniors4Living
 
February & Valentine's Day activity ideas for senior care activity directors to use with senior citizens. Via @Carebuzz
 
EldercareABC Blog Carnival  has another interesting edition out including some excellent security tips for elderly parents.

Many blue foods have anthocyanins & phenolics, two powerful phytochemicals now being studied for antiaging benefits. One example: blueberries. Via @kimduess

Alzheimer's Reading Room: Dealing with Difficult Behavior Caused by Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. Via @SeniorsResource

Boomers and Seniors: News You Can Use blog carnival just came out this morning. It looks very interesting with articles about Excercising in Tucson,  Knee Pain issues, and a couple of entries from SandwichINK. There's even some fun videos to check out.

Speaking of Boomers & Seniors, SandwichINK is proud to announce we will be hosting the next Boomers and Seniors: News You Can Use blog carnival on January 26. If you are interested, we would love to have you enter an article or two in this blog carnival organized by Seniors For Living.  

GRANDPARENTS:

Golden Corral: All day, everyday, kids 3 and under eat FREE with adult purchases. My senior mom, my granddaughter and I love to eat there! It's a great place for the Sandwich Generation.   Via @ThriftyParents

GIVEAWAY: The Princess and the Frog for the Wii! From now until January 26, there is a fun contest for five free copies of these fun Wii games for kids. I bet our grandkids would love this! Via @WeekinRewind
 
American Girl fun for grandchildren and homeschooling programs.
 
Video Chat with the Grandkids at GrandMagazine by @ShaynePacker.

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT:

"Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day." Sally Koch. Via @Rainer_Seiffert

Caregiver's prayer – As for me, I trust in Thee O Lord. I say, "Thou art my God. My times are in Thy hand."

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. Epictetus. Via @AnneSadler:
 
"God's Desktop Picture"  Definitely puts worries into perspective!

I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. Abraham Lincoln. Via @KristenArnold

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
 
SANDWICH GENERATION:

Now that Christmas is over, it's time for "Stocking the Empty Gift Pantry™" as well as "The Magic Mason Jar Filled With (Potential) Lights."  These are great ways to save money via @frugalluxuries.
 
CaringBridge is an excellent resource for families dealing with health issues, from grandchildren to elderly parents. Via @MatthewBJohnson
 
Quick, easy, and healthy, Carl's Jr. has a new apple, cranberry, and walnut salad that "is yumaluma!" per @jeneanw.

Are heart attacks more common in winter?  Via @Carebuzz
 
Curry and black pepper may help to prevent breast cancer. (AARP )  per @ElderCareRN

Kaye

Can you tell I'm on a learning jag for our new wood burning stove? Now that I've learned about woodstove safety options for grandchildren and elderly parents, I'm on to investigating what I can burn in my woodstove.

Of course, wood is at the top of the list. I already knew seasoned Oak was one of the best woods to burn, along with Elm and Hickory, among others. I went with Oak and now have two lovely ricks stacked neatly inside my garage just waiting for me to add it to my firewood holder beside the woodstove. From there to the log rack inside, and then, glorious heat. Hmmm, but how do I start it burning? For that, I'll need a good firestarter. My grandkids and I collected all the twigs we found from our own trees plus a few from walks and filled a box. It's enough for a fire or two. Then what?

When my kids were young, I used newspaper to help start our fires so I headed for Google to get some more ideas and hit the jackpot. First I found a great ebook to help with using woodstoves, A Guide to Residential Wood Heating, from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. It is loaded with information about burning wood efficiently, purchasing and preparing your fuel supply, and wood stove accessories for the hearth.

Continuing on with my search I then found the directions for making actual fireplace logs out of newspapers at Instructables. I also found a site that discussed that process. Most of the writers think it makes too much ash. If you decide to make fireplace logs with your paper, they suggest two paper logs to one wood log. I think I'm going to wait on that idea for now. At least until my grandsons are old enough to do it and then I'll see if they would like a job!     

Finally, though, I came to the perfect site for me. As a busy Sandwich Generation senior home care giver and grandmother, speed and easiness are two of my favorite words. Woodheat has simple directions for tying newspapers into knots to use them as firestarters! I LOVE it! I can do it. My grandkids can do it NOW. My senior mom can do it. And it even looks like fun! It could even be a good research project for their homeschooling programs.

Some of my grandkids got to spend the night. This morning, I  had fun knotting away with them, and we added several of these to the firewood racks along with the logs.

After we had a serious talk about woodstove safety rules, I started the fire. I have to admit, the knots worked great but the fire dwindled quickly. I went back to Woodheat and found more help from them on how to build the fire. I later tried the top down version and I'm thrilled to tell you it's burning fairly well as I type.  Don't you love it when you find practical solutions that all the generations can have fun working on? Especially when it's one of those fun ways to save money like using the newspaper you already subscribe to?  I know I do!

Do you have more suggestions for what to burn in our new woodstove? We'd love to hear them. We'd also love to have you sign up for the SandwichINK free email so you don't miss any info or resources to encourage Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents.

Last year's ice storm is the talk of the town from Kentucky to Arkansas. It left many people without power for anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks! Now another big storm is predicted and everyone is wondering if history will repeat itself. I suspect it will be that way during each storm this year, and for the next couple of years.

I am hoping and praying it doesn't happen again anytime soon, if ever. Part of that is due to concern for senior relatives who were severely impacted by that last year. Part of that is due to business and personal needs. If it happens, though, I know that God is still in control and we are still in His wonderful arms.

If it does happen, though, I am looking forward to handwriting my posts during any power outage, while comfortably sitting in front of my wonderful wood burning stove. I just got the woodstove and woodstove fan cleaned and checked yesterday and discovered that, not only should it keep us warm and toasty, we can even cook potatos and soup with it! I added a couple of bags of potatos and some cans of soup to my grocery cart today, along with some rock salt, just in case. So I am as ready as I could be, I hope. 

How about you and your family? Have you touched base with any elderly relatives that may be impacted by upcoming winter storms? Are they prepared? Are you? Do you have any tips or ideas for ways to prepare? We'd love to hear them.

In the meantime, y'all stay warm, healthy, and blessed out there!     

P.S. Just in case we do get hit by a bad storm and I am left without power, I have set up several posts of interest for y'all who will hopefully still have power to enjoy until I can get back online. I probably won't be able to respond to comments very quickly, if at all, however. Sooooo, if you clicked a link to this page from SandwichINK or SandwichINK Real Estate Info, please know we are doing well, but are probably without power for a few days (or have a bad cold, as that is going around too). And do, please, leave your comments which we love. It may take awhile, but eventually they'll get posted AND responded to.

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!