How to be Social, During Social Distancing

Humans were created as social beings, we all need interaction with people to stay sane! While we know social isolation has a big impact on our well being, many folks have never experienced like this: where our isolation is compelled by forces beyond our control and is likely to continue for some time.

The good news is that even though we are physically isolated we can still be social. We are blessed to live in a time where technology has advanced enough to connect us in ways we never dreamed of as recently as 20 years ago. The opportunity in all this is to get better acquainted with these digital opportunities, embrace them in the spirit of fun, and do not be intimidated by technology. 

You are not too old to learn these new tricks, and ironically you may find yourself with more social connections to friends and family than ever before!

Here are some strategies that may help you stay social during these difficult times.  

1. Video Chat one-on-one with Friends, Family or your Therapist. 

Just talking on the phone does not always do the trick, seeing a person’s face while you talk to them will give you a much more intimate connection. Not only will the interaction feel more normal but also it can give you a sense that there is someone in the house with you. Speaking and seeing family and friends regularly is an important part of our wellbeing.

There are several common tools folks are using to see each other. A free ZOOM subscription is one of the easiest ways to go video. Just signup at zoom.com and schedule a meeting. It’s really that easy. For Facebook folks, live streaming has become popular and it has conferencing features that allow many people to be visible on the call.

2. Don’t Grow a Beard. Keep your Routines.

In these times try to stick to your routine. Psychologists stress that just because you are not visiting anyone or going to work, you shouldn’t forgo your daily shower, grooming, exercise, and dressing routines. If you attended yoga, cooking, or any extracurricular activity classes, try attending them online. Almost every class-based exercise program has an online version now, you can support your local businesses while still keeping fit. Arguably, keeping your mind and your immune system healthy is more important than ever right now, so getting out of bed and making yourself move is a discipline you really have to have. Experts advise that working out while in isolation will have a “tremendously positive effect” on your health and wellbeing. If your capacity to exercise is restricted due to a health condition or disability you should still aim to move more than usual. 

3. You Can Still “Go to Church”

You can also connect to a live stream church or religious service. Many churches and Synagogues are using ZOOM or Facebook Live to connect to the flock during COVID-19. Maintaining your spiritual connection to your faith and your community is one of the very best ways to get support, and keep your sanity during forced isolation. If you find that you struggle with the process of downloading and using technological platforms ask someone from your community to assist you. You can also arrange for calls from either a church leader or a community member for weekly check-ins and chats. 

Unfortunately, isolation and loneliness are going to be the common experience of many during this pandemic. It may sound like a cliché, but perhaps we can try and look at the cup half full. Ironically the pandemic is actually creating new communities and new opportunities for socialization. A sense that we are all in this together pervades the planet like never before, and as time passes we are coming together to find new ways to be social, and to help each other through this crisis. 

4. You can be safe, social, and still cared for in your home.

The pandemic may be active, but the needs of seniors who are choosing to stay at home have not changed. In-home care agencies like UMC Homeworks, are busier than ever providing aid, companionship, cleaning, and assistance to seniors who are isolated at this time. Our aides are health screened every day, stocked with protective equipment (PPE) and still visit our seniors in their homes all while maintaining social distancing and elevated hygiene protocols. 

In addition to daily home care, we are one of the few home health agencies that arrange for pastoral care that provides spiritual and emotional support in the home.

For more information on our senior home care services and home-care-safety in the time of COVID-19, please contact us today or visit our website at https://homeworks.umcommunities.org/

Original content posted on https://umcommunities.org/blog/how-to-be-social-during-social-distancing/

Help Yourself to Help Others

We see it all the time – caregivers putting all of their energy into helping others and not allotting the same time or energy to take care of themselves. In these challenging times, it’s more important than ever that you take care of yourself. Here are five simple tips for even the busiest of people:

1. Meditate: Start your day off with a short 5 to 10-minute meditation, visualizing the things for which you’re most grateful. Morning meditation fills you with positive energy and helps kick-start your day.
2. Work Out: A brisk 30-minute walk or workout at the gym stimulates your brain, improving your mood and energy and leaves you happier and more relaxed. Exercise can also help you fall asleep faster, providing that much deserved rest after a long day.
3. Sleep: It is important to let your body and brain rest. By getting more sleep, you improve your decision-making, health and mood.
4. Schedule Time for Yourself: The lack of time for yourself can cause you to build up resentments. By scheduling “me” time, you can help avoid health problems, irritability and negative emotions.
5. Talk to Family and Friends: Those closest to you encourage you, motivate you, and celebrate YOU! Your relationships generally make you healthier, happier, and give you the ability to tackle those tough situations.

Compassionate Home Care for Seniors in New Jersey
United Methodist Communities HomeWorks is committed to providing comprehensive and coordinated care, fostering independence at home in Monmouth, Middlesex, and Ocean counties. Our dedicated and compassionate caregivers help our clients through their daily activities and provide professional medical care support.

To find out more about our services, please contact us today.

Original content posted on https://umcommunities.org/blog/help-yourself-help-others/

5 Tips to Protect Your Information When You Shop Online

As the online shopping industry continues to evolve, so do the scams. It is important to take steps to protect yourself.  Here are five tips to protect your information when you shop online.

1. Use complex passwords: Try for passwords with a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols or very long passwords. Both are harder to crack. And don’t use the same password for all your accounts!
2. Review your financial statements: If you see an unfamiliar charge on your account, contact the institution right away.
3. Look for security signs: You should see an https in front of the web address or a lock icon at the end verifying its safety.
4. Use your credit card if possible: If you need to dispute a charge it is much harder to resolve if the money has already been taken out of your bank account.
5. Check the seller’s reputation: Online reviews are priceless. And if you are shopping on eBay or another site with independent sellers choose one with a track record of high satisfaction scores.

Compassionate Home Care for Seniors in New Jersey
United Methodist Communities HomeWorks is committed to providing comprehensive and coordinated in home care for seniors, fostering independence at home in Monmouth, Middlesex, and Ocean counties. Our dedicated and compassionate caregivers help our clients through their daily activities and provide professional medical care support.

To find out more about our services, please contact us today.

Original content posted on https://umcommunities.org/blog/five-tips-protect-info/

The Importance of Proper Discharge Planning

If you are being discharged from a hospital or skilled nursing facility you have the right to discharge planning and to participate in the process. During your stay, your doctor and the staff will work with you on this process. You and your caregiver (a family member or friend who may be helping you) are important members of the planning team.

Discharge planning is an important tool for making arrangements for on-going healthcare needs across the healthcare settings. Patients and their families should begin by reading all discharge documents carefully including their rights, discharge evaluations and discharge planning documents. They should also question treating physicians, nurses and social workers about necessary services as the patient’s condition improves or declines and voice opinions and concerns and participate fully in all care decisions.

Here are some discharge planning action items to consider:

• Where care will be provided and who will help after discharge.
• Whether the patient understands his or her health condition, what problems to watch for, and how to handle them.
• Level of knowledge about the medications prescribed and what conditions they were prescribed for including how and when to take them.
• Whether any equipment is needed when returning home, such as a walker.
• Whether and for how long the patient will need help with activities of daily living and chores such as bathing, dressing, grooming, using the bathroom, shopping for food, making meals, doing housework, paying bills, getting to doctors’ appointments, picking up prescriptions, etc.
• The patient’s or family member’s comfort level with performing care tasks such as using medical equipment, changing a bandage, or giving a shot.
• Whether family members or other caregivers understand the help needed from them.
• Concerns about how well family members are coping with the patient’s illness.
  Whether the patient knows which doctor or other healthcare provider to call if there are questions or problems.
• Understanding what appointments and tests will be needed in the next several weeks after discharge.
• Whether the patient has been provided with understandable written discharge instructions.
• Whether the patient understands the need for home health, nursing, or hospice services and how to go about obtaining them.
• Level of knowledge about community resources.
• Understanding what insurance will cover for prescription drugs, equipment, and services that will be needed, and what the patient will have to pay for.

If you think you are being asked to leave a hospital or other health care setting (discharged) too soon you may have the right to ask for a review of the discharge decision by the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization (BFCC-QIP) before you leave.

A BFCC-QIP is quality improvement organization (a group of doctors and other health care experts under contract with Medicare) that reviews complaints and quality of care for people with Medicare. To get the phone number for your BFCC-QIP visit Medicare.gov/contacts, or call 1-800-MEDICARE. You can also ask the staff for this information. If you’re in a hospital, the staff should give you a notice called “Important Message from Medicare,” which contains information on your BFCC-QIP. If you don’t receive this notice, ask for it.

Compassionate Home Care for Seniors in New Jersey
United Methodist Communities HomeWorks is committed to providing comprehensive and coordinated care, fostering independence at home in Monmouth, Middlesex, and Ocean counties. Our dedicated and compassionate caregivers help our clients through their daily activities and provide professional medical care support.

To find out more about our services, please contact us today.

Original content posted on  https://umcommunities.org/blog/importance-proper-discharge-planning/