Dear Hello-Ease
Remember the Hints from Heloise articles? For those who don't, she wrote articles about helpful hints and tips around the house.
Interested in starting a series on what we've each found to be the MOST helpful tips for caregiving for our loved ones? I'll start, to get the ball rolling ..
My favorite DYI tips:
.. I make a combo lotion of A&D ointment and Baby Lotion for the perineal area. Smells great and very soothing and protective from incontinence. I mix it together in a clean zip baggy, massaging the mixure while still sealed, then cut a SMALL corner off and squeeze the resulting lotion into an old hand lotion pump bottle.
.. Rather than spend a lot of money on paper products, we bought dozens of wash clothes: use once, then toss in the laundry
.. We haunt the VA thrift stores for diapers and pads, getting them for pennies on the dollar
.. After a stroke, s/he might have a hard time drinking from a glass or cup without dribbling .. for $1 each we found these great sippy cups with screw on lids, instead of using straws that like to swirl in the glass and means less spillage with the cap if accidentally tipped over. They also happen to have the body of the cup segmented so that we can measure the drink. Bought about 10 of them, and as she drinks them, I keep them lined up on the sink drainer, so I can keep track of how much she's had (her fluid intake is vital in both directions: too little and it's bad for UTIs, too much and her congestive heart suffers)
.. Bibs: two clips strung together with twine or string or ribbon, clips onto the corners of pretty, absorbent towels (size to suit the situation)
.. We use gloves for almost everything in the bath and bedroom. Got some sturdy (pretty) tissue dispensers and hung them on the wall for easy access (can either load it with the box of gloves or just stuff the dispenser with as many as it will hold)
.. for easier turning/placement in the car, place a large shopping bag over the seat .. helps with the transfer and the turning just glides. Also provides protection for the occasional incontinence.
Products/Best Investments under $20:
.. TV tray, with tiltable top, with two L-shaped legs .. fits under almost any seat. ($10 on sale)
.. toothbrushes with suckers on the handle tip. Keeps it upright on the sink, and within easy reach of a wheelchair ($3)
.. wall-mounted toothpaste and soap dispensers .. especially great for those with limited or no mobility on one side ($13~)
.. battery operated wireless doorbell .. we taped a string to the part you normally put on the door and give it to her, and place the ringer somewhere we'll always hear it. That way, if she wants or needs our attention, we're literally on call. ($18)
.. Wound care: for bedsore protection/healing, I love a 3M product called Cavilon No-Sting Barrier Film. Acts like a second skin, and is especially great for those foldy areas ($13 - $20, spray and wipes versions)
.. For incontinence protection: thin vinyl 'rubber pants' .. elastic at waist and legs that we use overnight (3 for $10)
What's your advice for:
.. I'd love a DYI no-wash perineal cleanser. Any tips?
.. How about a DYI air freshener?
.. What's your favorite tip?
I keep her diapers in a pretty gift bag (3 for $1 at the $1 store.), on a low shelf by the toilet.
I also use gift bags at all her "spots" that she sits to read or play solitaire. They are great for all her dirty tissues and cough drop wrappers, that used to be everywhere. I line them with cheap lunch bags, and they last a long time.
She can't walk the yard to see the gardens, so I make sure to make her small arrangements of fresh flowers in a different room each day. (Herbs for the Kitchen).
The little things mean a lot.
We didn't have enough shelving space in the bathroom (it's TINY .. which makes for interesting maneuvering with the wheelchair, and we need to keep the floor area pretty clear). Found one of those metal/mesh, narrow 4-shelf units designed to go on the floor and hung it up on the wall, put a pretty trailing plant on the (unreachable) top shelf, and now it's got all our small bathroom supplies in a neat out-of-the way space.
Ketchup
Remove tarnish from copper and brass cookware. Squeeze ketchup onto a cloth and rub it on pots and pans. They should go back to their coppery color in minutes. Rinse with warm water and dry with a towel.
Rice
Use it to: Clean the inside of a vase or a thin-necked bottle. Fill three quarters of the vessel with warm water and add a tablespoon of uncooked rice. Cup your hand over the opening, shake vigor-ously, and rinse. (... when we did this growing up, we were told to put in dish soap also, so that when you shake it, it gets soapy inside and the rice acts like a brush, scrubbing inside with the dish soap.)
Tea
Use it to: Scour rusty garden tools. Brew a few pots of strong black tea. When cool, pour into a bucket. Soak the tools for a few hours. Wipe each one with a cloth. (Wear rubber gloves or your hands will be stained.)
A cigarette lighter and a can of spray paint.
Results? Burned his home and most likely killed the spider.
My dad is in the stage of constantly spilling his water - all over the side table and down to the floor. A poster here on AC said she used puppy pads. I bought those and it's perfect for all of dad's spills. The table and the floor pads soak up all that water. When I change it, it's so heavy with fluid.
Gout? A new study does support that eating cherries as a home remedy. Eat a cup and a half a day for several days will lower their risk of a flare up by 35%. Taking it along with their gout medication cuts the risk by 75%.
I wished I knew about this on my past 2 surgeries. I had headaches from no coffee and the stress/anxiety of my upcoming surgeries.....
"If you're a caffeine drinker and must have your fix daily in the morning, a sure way to avoid the caffeine withdrawal after surgery - ask your doctor/surgeon if you can take a caffeine tablet (NoDoz or Vivarin; one tablet is equivalent to one cup of coffee) with a sip of water first thing in the morning on the day of your procedure." Don't assume to take one. Ask - just in case it might conflict with your procedure.
If you need pest control services, go ahead and ask for a discount. Even though they may work for a big company, they are authorized to reduce the price for a customer at a drop of a hat. (This is so true! My dad did this with the termite exterminator. Dad mentioned bedridden mom, etc.. and how money was tight. He got a Big discount.)
"Tired of those sticky roll on deodorant screw on tops? Clean the threads on the deodorant container and apply a thin coating of Vaseline weekly to keep the annoying crud at bay!" Is this a GET A LIFE SITUATION?
"When going out into inclement weather when dressed in a long formal dress, take a large lawn and leaf garbage bag, cut out both bottom corners for your feet, pull the bag up to protect our gown from mud or slush and remove at your destination". I can just picture New York city socialites tip toeing around fith avenue in their trash bags.
Here's one I use almost daily.
I don't know about you, but my hands don't open jars like they used to. And finding one of those gizmos that ratchet on and turn it is a royal pain. Here's a quick fix that works on ANY container with a screw top you can't open:
Run the jar/container portion under COLD water, and rinse the lid in HOT water. The contractor and expansion difference between the two will ease the tension and let you open it with ease. Oh! Hallelujah!
LadeeC
Contractor = contraction
My nephew saw me struggling with the lid. He took the jar, flipped it upside down, firmly tapped the bottom, flipped it upward. Took a butter knife and slid it beneath the lid and gently widened the lid until it popped a noise. Tada! He then opened the jar.
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
'3' steps, STR. Read and Learn!
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. Chicken Soup)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
NEW SIGN OF A STROKE -------- Stick out Your Tongue
Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.
If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.
She also used the plastic bags to stuff throw pillows - she used a couple of these in bed under her knees - they were the right size and easy to clean...pull off the cover & replace the plastic stuffing. They were actually comfortable, too.