What’s Kim Doing Now?

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Over the last several months I have been co-hosting mini-presentations at various locations in The Greater Tampa Bay area to invite professional caregivers have lunch and learn more about The New Age of Caregiving Symposium and why they would want to attend.

Celebrating 1 year of The Caregiver Hour
Kim Linder celebrates the 1 year anniversary of The Caregiver Hour radio show with Jennifer Naster from The Fountains of Boca Ciega Bay. Their chef baked a beautiful and delicious cake.

The response has been sensational. I am very grateful. Recently, Jennifer Naster from The Fountains of Boca Ciega Bay in St. Petersburg, FL helped me with one of our mini-presentations at her beautiful community. We had 17 various healthcare professionals attend who represented different aspects of our caregiving field. Such as Bob Nordstrom, an elder law attorney, Robin

Blinder, professional organizer, Ronda Pelusio, admission liaison from a rehab center, Patricia Hall from The Guardian Association, and Chuck Bingham from a senior publication. Individually, we are very purposeful and focused, but when we get together we become extremely dynamic. Our commitment to helping seniors and all types of caregivers is uplifting and powerful. We go the extra mile to help any caregiver in need.

As a group, we believe there are many aspects of caregiving that need to be addressed and many of us as individuals have experienced the hardship of caregiving as well. We get the challenges, the heartbreak, the ups and downs, the twists and turns. In Gail Sheehy’s book, PASSAGES in Caregiving turning chaos into confidence, she perfectly describes how a caregiver named Felicitas began having chest pains and dizziness and tried to pass it off as [Oh! it's nothing. It's going to pass. For five years she never went to see a doctor.] Unfortunately, this is why hundreds of caregivers become ill or die while taking care of a loved one. As Felicitas said, “I wasn’t thinking of myself, just taking care of others.” This is dangerous thinking, but Felicitas is not alone. That is why as healthcare professionals we want to embrace this “new age of caregiving” era and become more conscious of our thoughts and actions that will allow us to take responsibility of how it effects others, as well as ourselves.

It’s time to create the balance of taking care of our loved ones or clients and to circle back and take care of ourselves.

Proclaiming “Caregiver Day” in Tampa Bay

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could devote a day to honoring caregivers?

The answer is yes and there’s a good chance that it could happen in the Greater Tampa Bay area. Here’s what’s happening…..

This past Friday, 24, 2011 was an exciting day for me. I visited the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco and Pinellas, Inc. to co-sign with Helen King, who is the Deputy Director of the Agency. The letters are being sent to various municipalities asking for the dignitaries to put their stamp of approval on a proclamation stating Friday, September 23, 2011 as “Caregiver Day” in our area and to be announced at The New Age of Caregiving Symposium that same day.

There are over 1 million professional and family caregivers in The Greater Tampa Bay area and it feels exhilarating to recognize their devotion to taking care of their loved ones, have an understanding of the endless hours of care they provide, and the unique challenges they face sometimes alone. The Symposium is symbolic of recognizing professional and family caregivers as their day to create balance in their lives, re-energize their spirits and provide them resources and information. What a proud moment we will have at the Symposium as we stand up and shout “Yes, It’s Caregiver Day in Tampa Bay!”

Quick Healthy Tips for Caregivers

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

Barb M. Mahlmeister RD, LD/N

This guest article is provided by, Barb Mahlmeister with Natural Choice Nutrition.  She is the guest on our upcoming March 14th show entitled:  “How To Be Health From The Inside Out” – a continuation of our month long focus on nutrition and wellness.

The question arises when we are taking care of loved ones, family members or friends ‘how do I have time to eat healthy balanced meals.’ Here are a few tips that I used when taking care of my family members.

On The Go Meals
•    Stop by the deli counter for low-sodium deli meats and bring a sandwich with you
•    All markets have sliced vegetables. Dip vegetables in hummus
•    Fruit cups in its own juice
•    Whole fruit
•    Plain low fat yogurt or cottage cheese
•    Oatmeal in individual servings—Just add hot water, add ground flax seed for fiber
•    Make your own trail mix:  almonds, walnuts, raisins (10 nuts, 1/4C of raisins) Put in individual baggies
•    Protein shakes or protein bars (meals replacement) are great in a pinch
•    Don’t forget to consume water, bring a full stainless steel water bottle with you
•    Bring whole wheat crackers, top with peanut butter or cheese slices
•    Remember to bring a cooler with an ice pack to keep foods at appropriate temperatures

Think Bulk and Prepare In Advance
•    Cook double or triple the portions that you normally would.  For example, if you plan on barbequing, purchase extra meat, chicken or turkey sausage; cook all meats. After eating one meal cut the leftovers into individual portions and freeze it for later use.
•     Legumes (dried beans) can be cooked in a crock pot overnight. Again, divide into containers and freeze.
•    Hard boil a dozen eggs and store in the refrigerator
•    Bake several sweet potatoes and reheat the next few days
•    Make meatballs, sauce and lasagna and freeze for future meals
•    Frozen vegetables are a great option and will keep until use
•    Rotisserie chicken and prepared salad is always a good stand-by meal

A little preparation time up front will help for future meals

Barb M. Mahlmeister RD, LD/N
Natural Choice Nutrition
www.naturalchoicenutrition.com
barb@naturalchoicenutrition.com
813.495.2719

 

Quick Healthy Tips for Care Givers

The question arises when we are taking care of loved ones, family members or friends ‘how do I have time to eat healthy balanced meals.’ Here are a few tips that I used when taking care of my family members.

 

On The Go Meals

· Stop by the deli counter for low-sodium deli meats and bring a sandwich with you

· All markets have sliced vegetables. Dip vegetables in hummus

· Fruit cups in its own juice

· Whole fruit

· Plain low fat yogurt or cottage cheese

· Oatmeal in individual servings—Just add hot water, add ground flax seed for fiber

· Make your own trail mix: almonds, walnuts, raisins (10 nuts, 1/4C of raisins) Put in individual baggies

· Protein shakes or protein bars (meals replacement) are great in a pinch

· Don’t forget to consume water, bring a full stainless steel water bottle with you

· Bring whole wheat crackers, top with peanut butter or cheese slices

· Remember to bring a cooler with an ice pack to keep foods at appropriate temperatures

 

 

Think Bulk and Prepare In Advance

· Cook double or triple the portions that you normally would. For example, if you plan on barbequing, purchase extra meat, chicken or turkey sausage; cook all meats. After eating one meal cut the leftovers into individual portions and freeze it for later use.

· Legumes (dried beans) can be cooked in a crock pot overnight. Again, divide into containers and freeze.

· Hard boil a dozen eggs and store in the refrigerator

· Bake several sweet potatoes and reheat the next few days

· Make meatballs, sauce and lasagna and freeze for future meals

· Frozen vegetables are a great option and will keep until use

· Rotisserie chicken and prepared salad is always a good stand-by meal

 

A little preparation time up front will help for future meals

 

 

Barb M. Mahlmeister RD, LD/N

Natural Choice Nutrition

www.naturalchoicenutrition.com

barb@naturalchoicenutrition.com

813.495.2719

Selecting the “Right” Home Care Provider

Saturday, January 15th, 2011

We all need a little bit of help sometimes, but the challenge can be sorting through & identifying the good guys.  It is my hope that this short article & the attached informational flyer will provide you with the tools to facilitate a successful journey.  

While there are many home care agencies in existence these days that offer similar services, it is the differences from one company to the next that should be considered when navigating through the selection process.  Please invest a little bit of time on the front end of your journey and come away with a genuine sense of confidence in the choices that were made. Meeting expectations is good, but when it comes to caring for those we love, isn’t it important to exceed expectations?

It probably seems obvious, “a no-brainer” of sorts, to look at providers that have been in the home health industry for a number of years, are licensed, bonded & insured as well as have a proven record of quality customer service.  Well, that could not be more critical, especially when it comes to inviting people into your lives and your home.  A proven track record & how a company values their employees can speak volumes in terms of credibility.

How does the agency recruit, screen, hire & train their professional caregivers?  Clearly, there are laws & regulations in place to help direct minimum requirements with regard to this aspect of home care, but what else does the company do?  How do they go above & beyond?  Will they schedule caregiver interviews for new clients?  What happens if the agency’s caregiver were to become injured while on duty in your home?  Does the agency utilize subcontractors versus actual employees? Are the agency’s caregivers covered by worker’s compensation & liability insurance?

Clearly, the economy is a factor in many of our decisions.  The key is to find a realistic balance between quality service, safety & cost.  There are so many incredible resources at your disposal so never hesitate to ask questions & please keep in mind that knowledge is power.  The best defense against potential “bad guys” is a really creative offense.

The following are a list of important questions to ask when selecting a home health care agency provided by Arcadia Home Care & Staffing.

http://www.arcadiahealthcare.com/pdfs-loc/StPetersburg/choosing-a-home-care-agency.pdf

Breathing exercise for grounding and stress reduction

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

On the 12/20 show we concluded a 3 part series with our special guest Dr. Ron Shemesh about the mind-body-spirit connection for caregivers. We were also joined by Ann Fuller, R.N. with the American Holistic Nurses Association.

In the following video, Ann takes us through a breathing exercise that helps reduce tension and assists you in being grounded.

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