mental health Archives

In Canada, every June is Brain Injury Awareness Month. The reason we honor those with brain injuries is to shine a light on an often-invisible illness.

It all began when brain injury associations across Canada came together to enlighten people about a disability that affects more than 1.5 million people in often complicated, unique, and challenging ways.

Why Run These Campaigns?

By running these campaigns in national, provincial, and local areas, the hope is the existing obstacles and the prevalence of brain injuries will make people see the need for more services and support at all stages of brain injury recovery.

The people behind the scenes of Brain Injury Awareness Month ask you to follow them on social media. They also ask you use the hashtags #ShineALightOnBrainInjury, #BrainInjuryAcrossAmerica, and #BrainInjuryAwarenessMonth.

What’s a Helpful Resource?

Brain injuries can happen to anyone, anywhere, and at any time. One can find comfort in knowing there is support for people dealing with this obstacle. One fantastic website with information is braininjurycanada.ca.

You can find different ways to get involved including helping with campaigns and raising money for research. You can also become knowledgeable on brain injuries and how you can provide assistance and care. The website even has a section dedicated to health care professionals.

According to their website, Brain Injury Canada is a national charitable organization focused on education, awareness, and advocacy for the brain injury community. This resource site has been developed to be universally accessible and easy to navigate. It supports those living with acquired brain injury, their families/caregivers, and health care professionals. Prior to publication, all content on the website is first reviewed by one or more members of our Scientific Advisory Committee, all of whom have significant experience and are leading subject matter experts. Content is sourced using evidence-based resources included on source pages for your reference.

How We Can Help

At Next Day Access, we urge you to check out the Brain Injury Canada website. You can also help those suffering from brain injuries. Additionally, we at Next Day Access offer several different equipment and devices to help anyone living with a disability.

We understand how difficult it can be to adjust to a brain injury or any other form of disability. Our goal is to provide you or your loved ones with accessibility and mobility equipment to create a comfortable home. We offer equipment to help and home modifications to help keep loved ones safe at home. Contact us today and let us help.

Being a caregiver is a noble endeavor. Whether you are a caregiver by profession or taking care of a family member, we know at times it is not easy, and you could suffer from burnout. According to Pew Research Center, 40 million adults in North America are taking care of someone who is chronically ill, disabled, or aging.

Many times, once you are feeling signs of burnout, your brain could be suffering a psychological condition brought on by unrelieved stress. Here are a few warning signs that you might be feeling burnt out.

Warning Signs of Caregiver Burnout

You are always tired.
You have an issue with sleep-you either can’t sleep or have difficulty waking up.
Weight loss or weight gain due to changes in eating habits
A feeling of hopelessness
Neglecting your physical or emotional needs
Not spending time doing things you once enjoyed
Mood swings
Low immunity caused by stress
Beginning to get irritable with your patient or loved one
Physical problems like headaches or stomach aches
Anxiety about your future

Noticing these signs might upset you, especially if you genuinely care for the person you are helping, but you need to realize that you are only human. When your needs are not being met, burnout is bound to happen. Burnout does not mean you love them any less. It just means you need a break. Here are a few ways to avoid burnout as a caregiver.

How to Avoid Burnout as a Caregiver

Take care of yourself by making sure you eat a healthy diet and exercise. If possible, talk to a doctor about any sleep issues so you can get a good night’s rest each night.
Ask for help. No one can do everything. There are just not enough hours in the day, and it does not make you a terrible caregiver to ask for help. In fact, it makes you a better caregiver when you know your limitations.
Give yourself permission to get out of the house and enjoy yourself. Whether it’s getting a manicure or seeing a movie, invest in your happiness.
Check with your work regarding family leave benefits. This could help add more hours to your day.
Join a support group. Many other people are going through similar struggles and communicating with them can drastically improve your mood.
If you are a family caregiver, check into hiring a nurse from a company like Home Instead. They have nurses on call that can come and sit with your loved one to give you time to run errands etc.

At Next Day Access, one of our top goals is to be there for caregivers. Whether helping you decide on a wheelchair ramp or installing accessibility devices like grab bars in the bathroom, we exist to make life easier for you and your loved one.

We offer several different accessibility devices and mobility equipment to help you keep your loved one safe and comfortable as well as items that help put less strain on you, like patient lifts and walk-in bathtubs. We urge you to explore our website and see for yourself the many solutions we can provide for you and your loved one’s needs. Contact us today!

Every June, our nation honors Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers by raising awareness. Did you know that worldwide 55 million people are living with Alzheimer’s or Dementia? The hope is that by observing Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, more people will work to find a cure and help those affected by the disease.

What is Alzheimer’s?

According to the CDC, Alzheimer’s disease is a fatal disease that kills nerve cells and tissue in the brain. The disease involves a part of the brain that controls thoughts, memories, and language. It is considered the most common type of dementia. The condition is progressive. It starts with the patient having simple memory loss, and then it can lead to the loss of their ability to have a conversation and respond to their environment.

Unfortunately, scientists do not fully understand what causes Alzheimer’s disease yet. Several health factors along with individual-specific variables cause the disease. However, there is developing scientific evidence that healthy behaviors may help reduce the risk for subjective cognitive decline. Some scientists speculate genetics could be the cause of the disease. With a healthy lifestyle, disease progression could be mitigated. However, no scientific proof at this time substantiates this claim. Hopefully, Alzheimer’s Awareness Month can help raise money for additional research.

Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

Of course, memory problems are the first sign of Alzheimer’s, but you could be having memory problems for various reasons, such as certain medications or other factors. It is important to note that warning signs do not usually occur until after age 60. It is very rare for anyone under age 60 to be afflicted with this disease. However, if you are over 60 and your memory is resulting in any of the following issues, consult with a doctor.

Changes in mood, behavior, and personality
Poor judgment with increased uncharacteristic impulsivity
Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is a growing disease affecting millions of people a year. June is Alzheimer’s awareness month, and the more action on finding a cure or helping those with the disease and their caregivers is inspiredTrouble handling money or remembering to pay your bills
Problems with completing familiar tasks
Repeating questions or repeating yourself more often
Often misplacing items and then being unable to retrace your steps on where you could have left the thing.

How You Can Help and Observe Alzheimer’s Month

Visit the website alz.org. It will provide you with links and show you how to participate in activities to raise money and awareness for support, care, and research. Also, you can register for “The Longest Day.” On June 21^st, it is the summer solstice, meaning it is the longest day of the year. The theme is standing up to the darkness of Alzheimer’s. Supporters also wear the color purple in June to represent combining the calm stability of blue and the passionate energy of red.

If you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, we encourage you to seek out a support group. At Next Day Access, we will also support you and hope that our products can help make your loved ones more comfortable if they are aging in place with Alzheimer’s disease.

Sadly, many people in hospitals or nursing homes receive care that aligns not with their wishes. Aging adults need to voice their end-of-life requests to their families and caretakers. One of the biggest requests by aging adults is the desire to die at home surrounded by loved ones and not in a hospital room. If they express their wishes, the provider may see if palliative care or hospice care can be brought in for at-home treatment.

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care exists for patients living with severe illnesses such as heart failure or cancer. It is usually a step before Hospice care. The palliative care team focuses on treatment to provide the medication needed and maintain maximum comfort for the patient. The goals are to enhance the patient’s life by focusing on their quality of life and help release some pressure from caretakers or family. The organized services supplied by this type of care can be helpful to an aging adult.

A patient can receive palliative care along with curative care and may start at the time of diagnosis. Yet, over time if the doctor or palliative team believes ongoing treatment is no longer helping, they can either continue with comfort care or agree to call in hospice care.

What is Hospice?

The website seniorsafetyadvice.com provides an excellent definition of hospice.

Hospice is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient. They manage the pain and symptoms and attend to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by reducing pain and suffering. Hospice care provides an alternative to therapies focused on life-prolonging measures that may be arduous, likely to cause more symptoms, or are not aligned with a person’s goals.

Many people think hospice signals the end, but that is not always the case. Hospice services exist to help within the palliative care space as well. Although palliative care predominately exists for terminally ill individuals, it also treats illness. Even if your doctor says your loved one has a 20% chance of living, your loved one can qualify for palliative care.

Hospice care is beneficial for your loved one and helps the caretakers as well. Once the hospice nurse arrives, you can expect them to help make sure your loved one has all the equipment and medication needed and will then connect you with the appropriate person for the following services. Most hospice nurses, however, perform the following tasks:

Nursing care
Grief counseling
Social Work Services
Clergy visitations
Homemaking assistance
Physical therapy
Occupational therapy
Speech-language therapy
Pain management

At Next Day Access, we are here to help you as you go through these challenging days with your loved one or patient. We offer many different devices that help to ensure your loved one is safe and comfortable. We also offer a complimentary consultation to help you determine if you need additional accessibility devices at your home. Contact us when you are ready, and we will help.

As we age, we develop normal age-related memory loss, and sometimes our memory loss could relate to lack of sleep or stress. However, sometimes your frequent memory loss could be a sign of premature Alzheimer’s.

Studies show if Alzheimer’s disease is caught early, it can be treated with anti-dementia medication, which slows the progression of the disease. Unfortunately, however, many doctors attribute the signs of Alzheimer’s to getting older and not the disease. Here are some of the differences between normal forgetfulness and Alzheimer’s:

Retrieving Memories

You might have issues remembering things from long ago with normal age-related memory loss. Still, you usually remember something you might have forgotten with aids such as context clues. However, for people battling Alzheimer’s, even recent memories cannot be retrieved.

For example, when diagnosing a patient with Alzheimer’s, the doctor might give them three words. One of the words is “apple.” However, when the doctor asks the patient to repeat the three words, and they cannot repeat them, it could be a sign of Alzheimer’s.

Here is a portion of a summary from the website verywellhealth.com that shares the differences between forgetfulness caused by normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease.

Normal Aging

Memory improves with context clues.
Vocabulary and relationship understanding remains intact.
Able to remember the order of things and who said what.
Aware a memory problem exists.
Functioning remains good despite forgetfulness.

Early Signs of Alzheimer’s

Recent memory is poor, and cueing clues or contexts does not help.
Unaware memory problems exist.
They are frequently demonstrating poor judgment and decision-making.
Often disoriented to time and place
Difficulty with familiar chores
Repetitiveness becomes obvious
Memory intrusions occur

When a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, we at Next Day Access understand the heartbreak and frustration associated with the diagnosis. We are here for you. We offer numerous products that help people battling Alzheimer’s remain safe in their homes. Contact us today to schedule a complimentary consultation.

Cognitive decline, memory problems, and isolation issues are all problems that make aging adults vulnerable to mental health issues. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), a study of mental health in older adults ages 55 and older showed an estimated 20% of aging adults experience a form of mental health concern. The most common mental impairments include mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder, anxiety, or severe cognitive decline.

The CDC reports these conditions can cause impairments in physical health as well as mental health which can complicate the treatment of other disorders. It is usual for older adults to see mental health decline as they age, yet depression and anxiety are not regular parts of aging.

In addition to the possible clinical intervention in the form of prescribed medications or therapy, several resources and activities are available to help older adults feel engaged and in good mental health and spirits. Here are three tips to help aging adults boost their mental health.

Tip 1: Stay connected and engaged.

When you stay connected and maintain meaningful, strong social connections with family and friends, it helps tremendously with mental health. There are many church groups for aging adults or other community events you can attend. The CDC says social support is associated with reduced risk of mental illness, physical illness, and even mortality.

Tip 2: Play mind games.

The brain needs stimulation to stay sharp, just as the body needs physical activity to stay healthy. Keeping a sharp mind helps avoid cognitive decline as you age. An article in Harvard Health Publishing says, “Brain games can help sharpen certain thinking skills such as processing speed, planning skills, reaction time, decision-making, and short-term memory.” Some of the most accessible and common activities for aging adults include:

Writing and reading
Learning a new language
Working a puzzle
Playing Crossword or Sudoku brain games
Learning to play an instrument
Participating in trivia-style games- This could also be an outlet for making friends. Many restaurants now have trivia games, usually, once a week, where different trivia leagues compete against each other. You could join a league and make new friends while improving your cognitive health.

Tip 3: Exercise

Many forms of exercise could boost your confidence while strengthening your mental and physical health. You could choose to go on daily walks, do low-impact yoga, swim, or even take up ballroom dancing. Joining a gym or your local YMCA would be an excellent opportunity for you to check out the classes they offer and meet new people.

Not only does exercise have many physical benefits, but exercise also helps with managing stress, depression, and anxiety for aging adults.

At Next Day Access, we care about aging adults. Our mission is to make you feel safe, independent, and comfortable at home or on the go. We do this by offering several different products like wheelchair ramps, vehicle lifts, scooters, grab bars, and so much more. Contact us today and let us help improve your life.

Every April 7^th, the world celebrates World Health Day. It is a day each year to draw attention to a specific health topic of concern worldwide. This year’s theme is “Our planet, our health.”

Our planet, our health

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), they chose this year’s topic based on the belief, “In the midst of a pandemic, it is time to focus global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy and foster a movement to create societies focus(ed) on well-being.”

The Background

Unfortunately, 90% of people in the world breathe unhealthy air due to the burning of fossil fuels. Detrimental weather events, land degradation, and water scarcity are displacing people and causing sicknesses. Systems that produce highly processed foods and beverages are causing an increase in obesity, thus increasing heart disease and cancer.

The pandemic taught us about the weaknesses in our society and encouraged the urgency of re-establishing our pre-pandemic lifestyles. It reminded us we need to choose to eat healthier and exercise more. Rather than opt for convenience food, we should get back to cooking nutritious meals and planting sustainable gardens. The ultimate goal for this year’s World Health Day is to let individuals know they are supported and incentivize them to make healthier choices.

How We Help

At Next Day Access, your health is important to us, and we hope World Health Day reminds you to make healthy living a lifestyle. Helping you feel your best is also important to us. We know home modifications that create a space for living independently foster a sense of confidence. Helping our customers become more independent is our specialty. Every day, we supply people with mobility difficulties with the equipment needed to lead a more independent lifestyle. We offer everything from wheelchair ramps and motorized scooters to vehicle lifts and so much more. Contact us today for a complimentary in-home consultation.

Just because the people you love are getting older does not mean you cannot still have good times and lots of fun together. We happen to think that some fun activities with aging adults are actually beneficial to both parties.

You may not be playing tag or hopscotch, but you are keeping your aging family members emotionally happy and physically young by spending time with them. Here are a few suggestions for enjoying time with your aging loved ones:

5 Activities With Aging Adults

Exercise

If your loved one is mobile, walk with them around the block. If they need the aid of a wheelchair, they can stroll with you and push themselves. You can also try chair yoga with them or regular yoga if they are able. When your loved ones exercise, they improve cardiovascular health, prevent diseases like diabetes and arthritis, and help maintain bone mass.

Play Games

Have you been to the store and sat and stared at the board game aisle lately? There are many new and fun games for all ages. Some of the fun ones to play with your loved ones include:

Scategories
Yahtzee
Dominos
Checkers or Chess
Backgammon
Card games like Hearts, Bridge, Go Fish, War, or Spades

Do a Puzzle

The best thing about puzzles is they both relax you and stimulate the brain. A study from Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience found that you can lower your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s by doing puzzles. Another study from Princeton found that doing puzzles, including crossword puzzles, can increase dexterity. Doing a puzzle will greatly benefit you, too!

Gardening

Creating something together is a lovely activity to do with your loved ones. If you do not have the space for a personal garden, you can also sign up for a community garden. Once you choose the plants or seeds, you would like to bury start planning where to plant them.

You will oversee the heavy digging while your loved one directs you where to go. Once your plants grow a little, you both can work on pruning and watering. Then soon, voila, your team effort will have produced a beautiful garden.

Read Together

You could maybe even join a book club! there are books on countless topics, so there’s bound to be something you will both like. If your loved one can still see without eye strain, you can take turns reading, or if they prefer, you can read the book to them.

We hope you have enjoyed our suggestions on spending a wonderful time with your loved one. At Next Day Access, we proudly specialize in selling products to help your aging loved ones live more comfortably, safely, and independently. Schedule a free estimate and see how we can help you.

Are you preparing your home so you can safely age in place? Here is a checklist to help ensure every area of your home is accessible and safe. At Next Day Access, we offer an assortment of mobility and accessibility products available. Check out how to improve the comfort and safety of your home.

Your Accessible Home Checklist

1. Entryway to Home

You will need to invest in a wheelchair ramp or a vertical platform installed at the front door. We also offer thresholds which allow mobility devices to maneuver over a front entry step.

This can help an aging adult enter the home with more ease. Lastly, make sure there is plenty of lighting in your entryway.

2. Throughout the Home

Doorways need to have a 36-inch width to allow wheelchairs and walker devices room to maneuver.
Area rugs are trip hazards. It is best to put away all area rugs.
If the home is a 2-story, consider installing a stairlift or elevator to help you access your bedroom.
If you are in a wheelchair, to turn comfortably, you need a 60-inch open radius. Therefore, make sure furniture is arranged so you can move easily.

3. In the Kitchen

Arthritis or developing weakness can make turning knobs difficult. Instead, consider a touchless or lever handle faucet.
Move everyday items to accessible places and consider hide-away or pull-out cabinets for easier use.

4. In the Bathroom

The bathroom needs to be at least 5 feet by 8 feet to fit a wheelchair comfortably.
Floors can become slippery. Installing non-slip flooring or non-slip mats can prevent falls. You can also include the non-slip mats in the bathtub.
A shower chair and a hand-held shower needs to be installed in the shower.
Grab bars need to be placed strategically throughout the bathroom.
A walk-in-tub should be considered sooner than later. Stepping over a bathtub is a leading cause of severe falls for older adults.

Lastly, a ceiling lift for safe transfer is a fantastic solution to help if you or your loved one have limited mobility. A caregiver can assist with transfer from bed to chair or from room to room.

If you or your loved one needs help deciding which mobility and accessibility, contact us at Next Day Access. During the consultation, we will come to your home to help show the many areas that might need a solution.

Getting in and out of your car can be quite difficult when faced with limited mobility. At Next Day Access, we provide solutions for older adults, people with limited mobility, or disabilities, wanting to remain independent and continue living at home. Part of being independent is accessing your vehicle when you need to go for a drive. We offer a variety of products to assist you to safely get in and out of your car. The equipment on this list is perfect for people needing help with automotive mobility.

Swivel Seat Cushion

The swivel seat cushion aids users with getting out of their vehicles. The design is simple. It is a round cushion you sit on when you get into the car. When you are ready to leave the vehicle, the cushion rotates towards the door. It helps pivot hips and rotate legs out of a car. The cushion works best on leather seats but can also be used on cloth. A bonus of the Swivel Seat Cushion is that it is made of memory foam, which makes it not only safe but comfortable.

HandyBar

An ultimate automotive safety tool. The HandyBar helps the user sit or stand safely and comfortably while entering or exiting the vehicle. The bar is designed with a non-slip grip to provide stability and balance. It is lightweight and stores easily in your glove box, door compartment, or purse. The unique product also duals as a seat belt cutter and a window breaker in the case of emergencies.

Car Caddie

The Car Caddie provides ease when getting in and out of the vehicle. The support handle is compatible with any vehicle that has a frame around the entire window. It is a durable and strong nylon strap that can support up to 250 pounds.

All of these products can help support you or your loved one. With limited mobility, entering and exiting the car can become troublesome. However, these solutions can help you continue an independent and active lifestyle. If you are struggling to figure out what accessibility and mobility solutions you need, our accessibility experts can help. Next Day Access offers free in-home safety consultations to evaluate homes. Contact us to learn more about how we can make your home safer and more comfortable.

Source: https://stander.com/