Coronavirus ( COVID-19) and Caregivers

Let's talk about the coronavirus for just a moment as relates to the family cared okay okay now I saw all the press conference this weekend. The CDC folks and all the cost of talk about this. That was a big ole press conference, I accidentally caught that will I watch the eye and what you so you don't have to and but you I wish you every happiness will take you. But it was they were told about the coronavirus and they were talking about how it is who it targets okay who who's who is more susceptible than others that I think I got a pretty good handle of the susceptible just that. Who experiences the short stick will they say that there actually little further and said that okay you will always have the anomaly of a healthy college student who gets it, but for the most part, you're going to be dealing with the elderly overweight because they have a hard time breathing the respiratory issues little bit more compromise diabetic and otherwise at risk individuals will guess what those people have a caregiver in their orbit yes and sadly to say the said say a lot of caregivers are themselves dealing with those issues. One of the land value talk about seven caregiver landmines and how you can avoid in my book, the number one is what we fail to see her own doctor regularly. We don't see her own medical needs and then number three is excessive weight gain and address somebody caregivers just put on the pounds. I mean I Shiseido I did. I mean, stress is a thing and if there's something a caregivers deal with that stress and thought of the call. Things well it it in an income they call it comfort food for reason and I've seen way too many caregivers who are obese pushing a wheelchair. So I'm just saying here's some things that you might want to be aware of number one let's start dealing with your health right away. Let's not even regardless of what's going on the coronavirus because I really do think that this thing is is going to be managed well okay work what we got all hands on deck on this yeah and you mentioned about the news conference earlier they were speaking about the risks to healthcare workers. Caregivers aren't like that applies to them as well simply because of their proximity to the vulnerable date indeed. And so, common sense is always good to be appropriate here. Okay list issues, since we wash up, you know we we we watch for certain things. But I want to deal with a couple things.

One, a Ms. stress. Caregivers are dealing with an enormous amount of stress and stress does what do you mean system in your ability to fight off infections and viruses and so forth your worn down were going to have to reduce that stress and let's get on this right now because if it's not the coronavirus this year is the flu next year or it's something that there's always going to be something lurking around the corner and let's not wait around. Let's start dealing with this dispute will be more proactive.

So what's the greatest way you can reduce some stress, both stress the first thing you do start breathing, coming just brief, just slow down your breathing for seconds and eight seconds outlets deal with that hydrate list to all these cuts and drink not in not sodas. You know not alcohol hydrate.

You know I'm not what we were trying to build upper body.Medicaid or body or or put more toxins into your body.

Okay so calories for that matter or calories yes and you know and I am not, by the way, I was really quite proud of myself.

Recently I just had some lab work done by sugars again cut a high okay okay I was real happy about it started watching it again and then also I have lapsed off of this nutraceutical that I take Shirley and I got back on it and turn if my sugars, my cholesterol everything else just start coming as I really don't like to take cholesterol medicine and I've struggled in the past with cholesterol but that's a behavior issue for me, mean Krispy Kreme is my kryptonite. That's why moved to Montana I am a long ways away from the near scripted asking. Like okay how close to the nearest Krispy Kreme and where's the nearest waffle home right there is there is no waffle house anywhere near us and we were 10 miles of the paved road. Okay, so if you go to cook either to cook it yourself for the most part, but I was really disappointed myself that I been taking this thing for a while and I would recommend you all take a look at it. It's called the goat out to a healthier life for you.com healthier life for you.com and contact us will be glad to see this information.

I would testing this on myself and turn if it doesn't really show results. So we don't argue with results of the ship, all right. And here's but here's what I want to get into today with with caregivers that want to get too far down the rabbit trails of these are things staying out of the hospital is imperative. Okay, let's just say that for us is caregivers their brick-and-mortar petri dishes cook anything fiscal her and if like going around the care about the daycare and lick in the bottom of the table and if that offends people in the healthcare industry you know I anomaly back it up.

Unfortunately, if you go ahead and just it's just you just got to be failing with me because I spent too much time in the hospital with Gracie. We didn't. She's been inpatient. Now in 13 hospitals inpatient okay, and and she said 80 surgeries and this is all been going on since 83 and all of her major infections came from hospitals while in a weird use. Where do people with infectious diseases and up exact a high level we rejoiced. Let me rejoice that you know, I know you like stats OIG are a big pair of numbers. How many ER visits.

Do you think happen every year across our great country due to falls fall, man. Okay, just had dinner just 350 million people, roughly 40% of them are over 60 are no more than with the in in 2015 they broke the record for the high school as I was doing stress that research on this good for anything close to the head and it was over 9 million then move every year going to the ER for falls right now over 65 age group represents 69% of hospitalizations caused by falls, the over 65 g okay now what happens when you fall in your elderly or you're already at risk. You know you run the risk of one of the things I talk about when you when you're stuck in bed. Whatever pneumonia hackers are not like rest right now.

Respiratory issues and this virus is a respiratory agent. It goes after you this way so falls or something to be avoided if we don't want to have to go to the emergency room where we run the risk of number one getting infection from other people who were sick we already got an a somebody who's in at risk individual. Gracie is my wife Tracy's of is as deal that with so many infections of the years and and keeping her out of hospitals is really important to us. One of reasons we moved up the box is because the air so clean out here feels like your lungs a been assaulted. It's it's it's about mold and mildew are not her friend Brian, nor are they Montanans friend and know Montana is not a friend mold and that's what we moved to a try colder area so because it helps with arthritis. It helps with a lot of things with her respiratory was and everything else and so that's why were here we were products of the South end both of us are and she is. We have great great many roots back there but at the same time. We just we had to make some some hard decisions on her health and so if you but if you fall a gray. She's a bilateral NPT baby talk about that. It is easy just joined with my wife is lost both of her legs.

A peaceful, that means that if you're going to try to walk onto prosthetic legs. I promise you you're going to have a fall I fall a bit.

I live in a place where there's a lot of snow and ice. I fell on the snow and ice and maybe going to do on stilts know if our unicycle and they beat me to we want to talk about a little few things that you can do to kind of minimize it. You cannot eliminate the fall, but what you can do is you can minimize the risk associated with said falls in that so important to me that I have a 2nd° black belt in one of the things we learned in martial arts in the art to take his house to fall and to slap out and I did the other day when I slid on the ice of the night, but at the same time. I still pop my head a little bit in every none of them still get hurt in some clinic crack in the what's this get that check cut to you know I don't you. I don't mind seeing flying unicorns a regular basis, but something about this doesn't seem like it's normal for that, but I'm trying to stay.

I trust at hospital. Gracie transitive hospital but you're going to fall you have aging parents are going to fall. You have a parent with Parkinson's.

Guess what falling is. The big risk is as a family member of mine has Parkinson's and two family members with Parkinson's and I was talking to the doctor about it in the docs that you know Parkinson's not to kill you is the false is the most leakage but with a stop at the end of the fall with the abrupt halt to the fall of but it's it's and so that's why we quick balance is a big key and in things such as that. So you don't want to put yourself in a situation where you can have a high risk event and and so let's go through the house and let's keep her self this myself silly with the whole coronavirus earbuds carefree cannot go and get mask everything else in and so forth. Understand that, but by the way does not protect you against the markets for other people. I think yeah and I think what we can do is, instead, let's just be a little bit safer was just a little bit safer at home.

Let's avoid going to the hospital and and so I would give you. I have 01234566 very easy things that you can do at home to keep help keep you and your loved ones safe from fall safer from falls so that you don't have to go to the doctor in the emergency room in an you will be around logistically know as Frank Burns on measures that would buy me to Dr. so much of that to be real sick people by this Peter Rosenberg this is hope for the caregiver.

This is the nation's number one chauffeur you was a caregiver 877-655-6755 gives you tips as well will be right.

Have you ever struggled to trust God when lousy things happen to you. I'm Gracie Rosenberger in 1983 I experienced a horrific car accident, leading to 80 surgeries in both legs and became I questioned why God allowed something so brutal to happen to me. But over time, my questions changed and I discovered courage to trust God that understanding along with an appreciation for quality prosthetic limbs led me to establish standing with help more than a dozen years we been working with the government of Ghana and West Africa, equipping and training local workers to build and maintain quality prosthetic limbs for their own people on a regular basis. We purchased ship equipment and supplies and with the help and inmates in the Tennessee prison. We also recycle parts from donated lambs all – is to point others to Christ. The source of my help and strength, please visit standing with help.com to learn more and participate in lifting others that standing without.com. I'm Gracie. I am staining with help caregiver here on the family talk to. I am Peter Rosenberger I am your host, this is your time you is a caregiver you feeling was going on in your headspace and that belly that was my wife Tracy Singh will she can sing.

You will see more about hurting what the hope of the caregiver.com hope for the caregiver.com and you can look at our music tablet to see all the things she's done and we've done together have done a CDL close. Also, the caregivers available to them aware of your this will be available to download on all the dot-coms and so forth. Here in the next couple weeks, but we been running a special to help support with this work is doing the show when you could be a part of that hope for the caregiver.com just go out there on the tab.

This is giving you part of it.

Whatever's on your heart will send you copy the CD 877-655-6755 877-655-6755 if you want to be part of the show were talking about things you can do to keep your loved one, out of the hospital, particularly now that this virus is going around everybody's little bit nervous about it.

I get it. I think that all hands on deck. I think the CDC, the present VP parents all the others doing a marvelous job. However, we still have some things we can do to be a little bit more safer and a little bit more prudent I think in our daily journey as a caregiver to following us peace of mind. Well, that's true, and is not just for just the viruses from just in general, but falls are big part is us in the last segment 9/9,000,000 ER visits every year in this great country are false because of false and then and then if if you go to be hospitalized during the fall. Guess what the over 65 group represents almost 70% of the ones that are hospitalized for. So if you're taking care of an aging parent or you aren't aging. Your caregiving spouse, and your in that it doesn't matter. There's some different ways that you can get hurt and you can fall in here some things that we can to right now that you, and none of these things.

One of these things may cost money.

I'll let you figure out what is good. I guess as long as I don't have any income of music for this to do. But that's okay. Number one well lit rooms well and lit rooms. Make sure that the rooms will lit that everybody can see because Like I I got the short end of the stick genetically in waterways, but vision was one that I came on came out on top, and I often have the whole house rather dimly lit and a friend come over and say what you doing live in a cave like Mel will lit rooms, particularly with seniors whose visions may indeed be fading as you want to make sure that the lights are brightly scattered around the room so everybody can see everything I one of the things I is somebody who little somebody has mobility impairment. Wife is to prosthetic legs and is often wheelchair but but when she has a prosthetic leg. I hate carpet I hate carpet. I hate Jonah just hated all yeah hard. I don't like it up for all you carpet manufacturers out there.

I'm sorry I God bless you for what you did I hate and there is a market for you. There's a market game is just not at my house in and when you're dealing with wheelchairs and prosthetic legs. Carpet is just not your friend. I mean I'm sorry and gives it will you put my feet get cold. That's what you what will Gracie sleep don't get cold. I do not wish to wear slippers okay. I always wear shoes because she is not as careful about start things that she drops on the floor. Why should she be so. She studies as careful about that and in the non-ionic deck. I've known I never thought about all I can say is if she drop something sharp on the floor.

I promise you I will find it will lit rooms, move the fall hazards such as throw rugs, throw rugs are very nice but if they're going to be there. Make sure they are incredibly secure, and that you know that they're not a fall hazards are not in a place where there's just going to be a propensity for somebody to fall or slip or whatever you are one of those nonslip nonstick things that you can put underneath them is like five bucks at Walmart. You know, it means just if you can't do that. Just get rid of you know just now just movable furry nephew got cards or visiting or something if you got carpet this. There's no shame. There is therefore now no condemnation for people who have carpet up not say that but I just personally don't because we do with wheelchairs and prosthetic legs. That's it's not easy with carpet for us, but it is also hardwood and tile and linoleum and vinyl and all those things much easier to clean. Let me just say grab bars in the bathrooms. This is where your falls happen, grab bars in the bathroom are huge help if you don't know how to properly install them there plenty people out there that can help you there. Services that do that and there's codes of what you can do to make it for disability. You know, excess but but try them out. Make sure that they're in the right place to put them. You know, grab bars for John, for example, would be much differently grab bars for a normal size.

He would be right on five 1217 for those of you. Yesterday was rather tall.

If you have a pedestal sink in the bathroom 1. It would be advisable to remove it because people tend to lean on the pedestal sink and they're not as secure as a cabinet sink yeah they they lend themselves to. There's deception. There is I have a story from a guy in college who just he ripped it right off the wall. It was terrible and it is the CIA and in and guess what, that becomes a plumbing nightmare as well yeah but when you got when you got love on some sort.

That's why you gotta love one who is leading on said sink and using it on a regular basis just to lean on you run the risk of something so secure that sucker.

I mean really get it secure. And if you can replace it with a cabinet sink they're not very expensive but that's the one that may cost you a little bit of money but that of the grab bars but the still very affordable and flooding is not where you use and avoid heels avoid heels at all possible.

If it all possible, and then make multiple trips to the car instead of caring too much into the house were often in a hurry and that's with accident happened.

Okay that's with accident when were in a hurry slowed her out slow to pay this fee. Roseburg… Hope for the caregiver those ways you can protect your you and your loved one from a fall that would maybe require you going to the emergency room that would be bad. There's a virus going around. Perhaps you've heard of 877-655-6755 877-655-6755 will go away. I dispute Rosenberg's mirror help somebody walk for the first time I've had that privilege many times through our organization. Standing with hope when my wife Gracie gave up both of her legs follow this horrible Rick that she had as a teenager and she try to save them for years and if it just wouldn't work out. And finally she relinquished him and thought wow this is that I'm not happy legs anymore. What can God do with that and then she had this vision for using prosthetic limbs as a means of sharing the gospel to put legs on her fellow amputees and that's what we been doing now since 2005 was standing with hope. We work in the West African country of Ghana and you can be a part of that through supplies through supporting team members through supporting the work that we're doing over there, you can designate a limb.

There's all kinds of ways that you can be a part of giving the gift that keeps on walking and standing with hope.com would you take a moment ago understanding with hope.com and see how you can give they go walking and leaping and praising God.

You can be a part of that@standingwithhope.com as a caregiver. Think about all the legal documents you need power of attorney will, living wills, and so many more than about such things as disputes about medical bills. What if instead of shelling out hefty fees for a few days of legal help.

You paid a monthly membership and got a law firm for life while we are taking legal representation and making some revisions in the form of accessible, affordable, full-service coverage.

Finally, you can live life know you have a lawyer in your back pocket who at the same time is an empty it's called legal shield and its practical, affordable, and must for the family caregiver visit caregiver legal.com that's caregiver legal.com. Isn't it about time someone started advocating for you www.dotcaregiver.com on independent associate. Have you ever struggled to trust God when lousy things happen to you. I'm Gracie Rosenberger in 1983 I experienced a horrific car accident leading 80 surgeries in both legs and became I questioned why God allowed something so brutal to happen to me. But over time I questions changed and I discovered courage to trust God that understanding along with an appreciation for quality prosthetic limbs led me to establish standing with help more than a dozen years we been working with the government of Ghana and West Africa, equipping and training local workers to build and maintain quality prosthetic limbs for their own people on a regular basis. We purchased ship equipment and supplies and with the help and inmates in a Tennessee prison. We also recycle parts from donated lambs.

All of death is to point others to Christ.

The source of my help and strength, please visit standing with help.com to learn more and participate in lifting others that standing without.com.

I'm Gracie. I am staining without and caregiver heroin channel Sirius XM this is your show for as a family caregiver 877-655-6755 877-655-6755. This is the nation's number one show for the family caregiver and we are committed to helping strengthen you as you care for someone who is dealing with a chronic impairment of some kind.

Doesn't matter what it is false or Socratic impairment. There's going to be a character is just the way it works and we will make sure you're doing okay that was my wife Gracie singing from her new record resilient. That is she in rust half gospel recording on this was to you want to copy that record hearsay doing good standing with who preferred her story.

You've heard her share her journey with this thing 80 surgeries.

Both legs amputated. All this is been going on since 1983 and she said she wanted to go out and create a way of helping her fellow amputees literally rise and walk and we been doing that for 15 years and were going back to Ghana this summer working the West African country. Gotta get patients that come from as far as Nigeria to be treated. There and we send regular supplies and civil Shipment it's going out being picked up Tuesday of prosthetics, supplies and parts and recycled prosthetic limbs.

Did you know you can recycle they go to prison in Tennessee run by core civic and we have a rule of the faith-based programs at core civic.

This and it goes to this workshop were all these guys come in they volunteer to do this in the prison. These are inmates and they disassembled the used prosthetic limbs that come in very cool and we can recycle the foot that need the pylon. The adapters are connectors the screws the prosthetic socks. The belts the letters the sleeves of their in good shape. The shoes please send the other shoe still just a little thick with one she wanted. Do you want to see more about that standing with.calm standing with.com be a part of this show be a part of that you could sponsor the prosthetic limb outreach you can sponsor the show whatever's on your heart to do will send you a copy of Gracie CD and I think you like is called resilient and she is indeed resilient and I think you'll be very pleased with this be a part of what were doing okay it's it's for the 100 and those who care for them staining without.com.

We talked a lot today about some of things we can do as caregivers to minimize the risk of a us or our loved one going into the hospital and you know there's a virus going around all talk about everybody's kind of freaked out a little bit about it was the news media deals is that the media are and so we want to make sure we help the news media and other people that are supplement their incomes, and so have them out there for their panic notice is on high alert. I should was a get paid they get paid for their panic they get paid to pay the yearly outing for gotta give these a letter to John so we we talked about six things that you can do to avoid fall risk, fall risk around portable double wrap this up real quick for you to be in the show but is one of much falls are bad falsity to the hospital there over 9 million falls a year in our country and that that are going to the hospital and of the hospitalizations resulting from a fall. Guess what, 69% of those hospitalizations are that 65 in each age group it up. So if you think your aging parents or you yourself are in that group. Be aware you fall in that category. No put into the job a you you you or your loved ones are are at risk if there and that category just just think through this so let's make sure we have number one well lit rooms, remove the fall hazards such as throw rugs install grab bars in bathrooms. Make sure that get somebody who knows how to do it with codes to properly anchor those things in. If you don't know of someone you reach out to me will find somebody in your area somewhat will read yet it is Elder services at one yet don't we do not wing asked me how I know that asking later after the show. If you have a pedestal sink in the bathroom, make sure that thing is secured and consider replacing with a cabinet sink because that's where people lean on when the moon run the bathroom in those things are just not as though we did that for my parents got rid of it and that has Parkinson's. So we got rid of the owners storage space yes it is. Wear comfortable shoes and avoid heels.

I know that a lot of people like to wear high heels. They're not there not really good for being a caregiver.

Let me just say I don't asked me how I know it's just like this to put it out there for 16 had a thing okay well I just say that you're in Montana cowboy boots are a thing. I don't wear cowboy goods ride mature in Montana and I wear cowboy boots and I were hiking boots and I have look at and feed the horses with and there they go up to my knees and then on a boot warmer than a put on every morning and I have one foot to the put on and I never had a need for that sort of thing, but I immediately understand how others like you got a pair of warm boots and the good to 40 below which is helpful out here what I am because it's that grade or Fahrenheit that's just cold. John is just below is where they cross the either that's added.

I don't care I don't know method is I don't care. Just cold. Make multiple trips to the car instead of try to carry too much into the house were altered in a hurry. That's when accidents happen. Okay, now here's some health tips keep those bathrooms and kitchen areas clean.

Watch for mold and mildew build up from what I've been told by the CDC. What I was listening. They tell me this, that it call behavior. This is CDC what I've understood from these people that are giving this press conference the fourth it's a respiratory type of thing that were dealing with here so mold and mildew are not your friend with respiratory issues. Okay. And so watch for that hydrate hydrate hydrate and here's the last little will but will his last will help tip. Make sure to thoroughly clean your CPAP and other breathing assistive devices for both caregivers and patients with few music CPAP. Make sure it's clean. You see William Shatner come on a talk about how to clean up the he does broken out by the lake the joke was going to write.

No know he does.

By the way, and there's also stuff it.

Hopefully here I will put this out and hope the caregiver.com.

Our podcast is free so number one podcast for caregivers in the world you can see that it hope for the caregiver and try this out and see our these for my parents.

It works go to my pillow.com in order stuff and use the promo code caregiver just I did it I will sheets from appearance really like this for so dried up. Hopefully caregiver.com Peter Rosenberg help caregivers make better caregivers