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HomeChoice Network – in home non-medical services for seniors

1. Assess Your Actual Needs – Someday, you may take up exercising, but the treadmill/stairmaster/bowflex has been gathering dust for some time. Wouldn’t a good pair of walking/running shoes be more useful and take up significantly less space? Does anyone actually sit in the chair in the corner? How often do you eat at the table? When was the last time you used your stereo?

Deciding what you really need requires a good long look at how you live your life daily and prioritizing the activities and items that are already a part of your actual lifestyle–not those activities or items that you want to be part of your lifestyle, but haven’t gotten around to yet.
• Take a walk through your house or apartment and evaluate everything you come across (furniture, books, food, etc.). Ask yourself if you’ve used it in the past year and, if so, how often? Be honest with yourself.
• Consider that most of the stuff people keep without using is a tribute to an unmet goal. The most common example is probably exercise machines that we always say we’ll use, but don’t. Then there are those books we intend to read, that table we eventually want to have dinners and brunches on, etc. We keep things around “just in case”, or hoping that their presence will eventually encourage us to use them. But let’s be realistic, if seeing that treadmill get a coating of dust hasn’t inspired you yet, what makes you think it ever will?
• For stuff that you really have a hard time getting rid of, make this agreement with yourself: Put the items in storage. If you don’t need or use them within 6 months, give or throw them away.

2. Measure Your Furniture – You will need to know how your furniture will (or won’t) fit into your new space – particularly large items such as your sofa and your bed – so measure everything.

You will also need to get the room measurements of your new space. Ask if you can take measurements or if there is a floor plan available to you. Don’t forget about the location of doors and windows as this will be a factor in furniture placement.

Once you have these measurements, make a floor plan using your furniture’s measurements. Try using Better Homes and Gardens’ Arrange-A-Room online software to simplify the process (requires registration but is free). This will give you a much better idea on what you can keep and what will have to go.

3. Assess Your New Storage Areas – How many times have you moved into a new place only to realize – too late – that you have overestimated the amount of storage space? While you’re getting room measurements, make sure to properly assess the storage situation you’ll be inheriting. Will you have fewer kitchen cupboards? How many closets will you have? If you are moving into an apartment, does it have a storage locker and, if so, what are its dimensions?

Assessing exactly how much of the new space is dedicated to storage will give you and idea of the volume of items you need to dispose of before moving in. Don’t forget hidden storage areas you currently use in your old place. If you place a lot of items above the kitchen cabinets in your current home, for example, find out if the cupboards in the new place have storage in that area as well.
4. Ransack Your Old Storage Areas – Go through your storage areas first (attics, basements, closets, etc). You will be surprised to find out what you’ve put away instead of gotten rid of. If you’re like most of us, you will find boxes of items that haven’t seen the light of day for years and there’s a reason for this: you don’t need them. Get rid of them at once. Hesitation will only melt your resolve.
• Don’t forget to go through your bathroom cabinets, kitchen and “junk” drawers. We have a tendency to accumulate unnecessary items in these places. Get rid of empty bottles, balls of twine, expired medicines and beauty products, and your collection of plastic margarine containers. Be brutal.
• How you dispose of these unnecessary items will depend on how much energy and/or time you have. The easiest thing to do is to load them up on a truck and drop them off at the nearest thrift shop.
• If you live in an apartment building or townhouse complex, notice boards and drop off areas for giving unwanted items to neighbors is sometimes provided.
• Call up your friends and relatives and see what they need. You may be able to enlist their help in the move for a promised dresser/bed/armchair!
5. Sell Your Stuff – If you’re in need of a pre-move windfall, try these:
• Have a yard sale (or a series of yard sales).
• If you have time before the move, utilize sites such as Craigslist and eBay to sell off the best stuff. You’ll likely get more money for your items this way but it is more time consuming.
• Craigslist is a good avenue for selling larger items such as furniture, appliances and home decor items to people living in your area. If you have the means, offering delivery will often produce quicker sales.
• eBay is a good venue for selling collectible items such as old albums, comic books, and figurines. Make sure to take good quality photos of the items and offer good descriptions. Remember that you are a salesperson. Sell those products!
• Used designer clothing can be resold in consignment shops. These stores can be found in your local business directory. Be sure to shop around. Some stores offer better rates than others.
6. Get Organized – Before you move into your new place, it’s a good time to work out some storage solutions for your stored items. You can do this as you pack. Place your storage items in decorative storage boxes that can be moved and placed in the new storage areas without much effort. Plastic bins are great for moving and storing, come in many sizes, are stackable, and the see-through ones make finding what you need a snap. The measurements taken of the new storage areas will ensure a good fit. Come moving day, these boxes will be much easier to deal with.
• Label everything by room. Don’t think that you will remember big television box is actually full of pots and pans. You won’t.
7. Move Large Items First – Move your furniture into your new home first. You will have the most energy for this task at the beginning of the move and it will also give you a better indication of where the smaller things will go. Do not merely fill a room with furniture with the idea of sorting it all out later. There is nothing worse than trying to navigate through small rooms littered with boxes and stacks of furniture after a day of moving.

Place furniture in the rooms as you go, according to the plan you made earlier. If you have done your homework correctly, your big items should fit in nicely and already give you a sense of home (and a place to sit while taking a break from all of your hard work!)
8. Put Away Storage Items – Contained items that are meant for storage can be placed directly in their allotted spaces where they will be out of the way. By putting these things away as you move in, you’ll be saving yourself the stress of dealing trying to maneuver through tiny, packed rooms during the next few days.
9. Organize Boxed Items – Your labeled boxes can now be put into their respective rooms and the unpacking can begin. Begin with the bathroom, as that is the room most likely to be needed immediately. If you have only kept the basics, unpacking this room will be a breeze.
10. Organize Your Space As You Unpack – Utilize closet and cupboard storage solutions as you unpack. This way, more can be stored in these tight spaces and you will be setting a precedent for how your new, smaller space will be used. Don’t fall back into lazy habits or your downsized place will get you down.
11. Relax And Enjoy! – You have now entered the realm of living small. You no longer have to worry about the financial burden or time draining tasks of maintaining a home too big for your needs and you have simplified your life by surrounding yourself with only those things that are most important to you. Rejoice!

The following is a checklist of essential information which is routinely requested in order to authorize care or to pay for treatment. Use this check list to identify the documents you have and where they are located.

Personal Information

• Full Legal Name
• Social Security Number
• Birth Certificate
• Marriage Certificate
• Death Certificate (Deceased Spouse)
• Divorce Decrees
• Military Records

o    Branch of Service
o    VA Identification Numbers
o    Veterans Military Service Record (DD-214)
o    Dates of Service

• Driver’s License
• Passports
• Citizenship Papers
• Will
• Trusts
• Life Insurance Policy/Policies
• Disability Insurance Policy/Policies
• Longterm Care Insurance
• Security Deposit Boxes

o    Location
o    Number
o    Key Location

• Church Membership and Contact Information
• Waiting List(s) for Retirement Communities, Assisted Living Communities, or Nursing Facilities
• Information on Cemetery Plots and Funeral & Burial Arrangements.
• Care for Family Pets

• Health Care Providers

o    Physicians
o    Clinics
o    Pharmacy
o    Therapists

• Living Will
• Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
• Medicare Number and Card
• Medicaid Number and Card
• Medicare D Prescription Program Information
• Health Insurance Policies
• Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR)
• Advance Directives

This list is only a guideline. Please discuss any special case circumstances with your responsible parties.

HomeChoice Network serves residents of Moore County, North Carolina. We serve individuals who live in Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Aberdeen and surrounding communities.  HomeChoice brings non-medical services to the home, enabling senior adults to meet the day-to-day requirements of independent living while continuing the activities they enjoy.

Contact HomeChoice for more information about elder care in Moore County, North Carolina

Milk

Use it to shave with if you have nothing else to serve as a barrier. (For a luxury leg shave, try whole cream.)

Clean patent lather shoes to a gleaming shine by rubbing them with a little milk on a soft cloth. Leave to dry and then buff them.

Remove ink stains on clothing by soaking the area in milk. This can take from half an hour to overnight to remove the stain completely.

Repair fine crack in china plates and cups by boiling them in milk. The milk reacts with the kaolin in china and closes the crack. Place the plate in a pan, cover it with milk (fresh or reconstituted powdered milk) and bring to a boil. As soon as it starts to boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Nail Polish

Make cup measurements visible by using a brightly colored polish to trace over basic measurement levels.

Mark levels in a bucket with a color that stands out.

Seal an envelope by brushing a little clear polish on the underside of the flap.

Keep your belt buckle shiny by covering new or just-shined belt buckles with a coat of clear nail polish.

Stop a windshield crack from spreading by brushing both sides of the glass with polish to fill it in.

Soda Pop

Clear out a slow drain by pouring a 2-liter bottle of cola down the drain to remove the clog.

Make cut flowers last longer. Pour about ½ cup of clear soda (Sprite, 7-up & etc.) into the water in a vase full of cut flowers. The sugar with the soda will make the blossoms last longer.

Clean car battery terminals. The acidic properties of a cola will eliminate corrosion.. Pour some soda pop over the battery terminals and let it set. Remove the sticky residue with a wet sponge. (Do not wear metal jewelry when cleaning the residue)

Loosen rusted-on nuts and bolts. Soak a rag in soda and wrap it around the bolt for several minutes.

Baking Soda

(The all around household Hero)

Extinguish a grease or electrical fire. Scatter the baking soda powder by the handful to safely put the fire out.

Clean combs and brushes in a baking soda water solution.

Wash coffee pots made of glass or stainless steel (not aluminum) in a solution of 3 TBS of baking soda to 1 quart of water.

Clean barbecue grills. Wet the grill, sprinkle on the baking soda, let soak, then hose off with a high pressure stream of water.

Clean a greasy garage floor. Sprinkle dry baking soda on the floor in the greasy areas, let stand for an hour, scrub, and rinse it off.

Clean a badly burned pan that has burned-on food. Pour a thick layer of baking soda directly onto the pan, then sprinkle on just enough water to moisten the baking soda. Leave it soak overnight, then scrub it clean the next day.

Clean plastic shower curtains. Soak in a baking soda water solution overnight then rinse.

Eliminate foot odor by sprinkling baking soda in tennis shoes, socks, boots and slippers.

Freshen your carpet and upholstered furniture. Sprinkle them with baking soda. Allow to sit undisturbed for a half hour or longer, and then vacuum.

Eliminate water rings on finished wood with a paste of baking soda and toothpaste. Dip a soft cloth in the paste and lightly rub the water spots away.

Get rid of ants in your house by mixing equal parts of baking soda and salt together. Sprinkle the mixture wherever you see the intruders coming in.

Fill nail holes in plaster and dry wall with a paste of white toothpaste and baking soda.

Dryer Sheets

Dryer Sheets will freshen the air. Place an individual sheet in a drawer, or hang one in a closet, health club locker, or work locker, or under the seat of your vehicle.

Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded sewing needle through a sheet before sewing.

Prevent musty luggage odors. Leave a sheet inside travel baggage between uses.

Soak cookware with burnt or baked-on food in warm water with a dryer sheet or two. Makes clean-up easier than you would expect. Also works on cook tops and dingy cabinet doors.

Eliminate static electricity from your clothes, stockings and hair, by patting with a sheet.

Dissolve soap scum from shower door and tile walls. Clean the surfaces with a sheet.

De-stink your pets. Scrub dogs or cats, especially wet ones, with a dryer sheet before they enter the house.

Vinegar

Remove stubborn price tags or stickers. Paint them with several coats of vinegar, let the fluid soak in for five minutes, then wipe away the residue.

Kill weeds in paving stones and sidewalks. Fill a spray bottle with straight vinegar and spray multiple times between cracks.

Make wool sweaters fluffier. Drop in a couple of capfuls of vinegar during the rinse cycle for an extra-soft feeling.

Olive Oil

Polish wood furniture with a teaspoon of oil and a soft ray.

Remove paint from your skin

Fix a squeaky door by using a rag or cotton swab to apply olive oil to the top of the problem hinge.

Tissue Box

Store plastic grocery bags in the empty box.

HomeChoice Network Inc. is a local company founded by senior service professionals who strongly believe that seniors prefer to remain independent and comfortable in their own homes. Our mission is to bring non-medical services to the home, that will enable the senior to meet the day-to-day requirements of independent living while continuing those activities they enjoy.

Alka-Seltzer

Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait 20 minutes, brush and flush
Remove burned food from cookware.  Fill your cookware with warm water, then dissolve six tablets and allow to sit for an hour or so.

Sooth Inset bites. Dissolve two tablets in water and saturate a cloth or cotton ball with the solution, and place on the bite for 30 minutes. Don’t do this if you are allergic to aspirin, which is a key ingredient in Alka-Seltzer

Aspirin

Remove perspiration stains from white fabric by dissolving two aspirin in half a cup of warm water and applying to the stained fabric. Leave for a couple of hours before washing.

Eliminate chlorine discoloration from hair by dissolving eight tablets in a glass of water and rubbing into your hair. Leave fro about 10 minutes and then rinse and shampoo.

Reduce pimples by making a paste of water and crushed aspirin. Cover each pimple with this paste: rinse after a few minutes.

Banana peel

Polish leather shoes with a de-stringed banana peel. Finish by buffing with a soft cloth or paper towel.

Fend off aphids by burying a dried or cut-up banana peels a few inches deep around the base of rosebushes.

Treat scraped skin. Rub minor scrapes with the inside of a banana peel to promote healing.

Shine your houseplant leaves. Rub them down with the inside of a banana peel to remove dirt and to make them shine.

1. Determine how many cups of green tea you want to make. The original guideline for brewing is one teaspoon (5 ml) of green tea leaves (or pearls) per one cup of water. This will yield one cup of brewed tea
2. Measure out the desired amount of green tea leaves (or pearls) and place them in your tea strainer or sieve.
3. Fill a non-reactive pot or pan (glass or stainless steel) with water and heat it to about 180 °F (80 °C). You can use a candy thermometer to watch the temperature, but if you don’t have one, then keep an eye on the water so that it doesn’t boil.
4. Place the filled tea strainer or sieve into an empty mug.
5. Pour the heated water into the mug, over the tea leaves.
6. Steep the tea leaves for 2 – 2 1/2 minutes but not any longer, or else your tea will become bitter.
7. Let your tea cool a few moments and enjoy your perfect cup of green tea.

TIPS

• Filtered water is especially recommended, especially if your tap water has a distinct taste or smell.
• You can shorten your preparation time by heating your water in your microwave.
• A glass coffee press (if you’re making more than one cup) or a glass mug (if you’re making one cup at a time) will allow the tea to cool quickly, minimizing bitterness.
• If you drink a lot of green tea, consider installing a hot-water dispenser on your kitchen sink. The temperature is perfect for green tea.
• To re-use your tea leaves (or pearls) just plunge the tea strainer into a cup of ice water immediately after the steeping process. Depending on the type of tea you’re using, you should be able to get at least one additional use of your leaves or pearls.

WARNING

• The biggest mistake you can make with green tea is to steep it in water that’s too hot. Green, white or silver teas are different from black teas in that they need water that’s only about 180° to 185° (80 °C to 85 °C).
• The second biggest mistake is to steep for too long. Green tea shouldn’t be steeped for more than 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. White or silver teas should be steeped for even shorter periods–a minute and a half is usually perfect.

1. When you are sick stay at home and don’t go out – not even to see friends or family.
2. If there’s something that can’t wait, can you call from home and ask a friend to fill-in for you for a day?
3. Remember, you’ll just slow everybody down even more if you give this cold to several friends or relatives
4. Use tissues if you’re sniffling, sneezing, or coughing and throw them away immediately when you are done. Even if you usually carry a handkerchief, use tissues for colds and dispose of them. Don’t put them in your pocket. If you find that one tissue is too big, cut them in half.
5. Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. A tissue is ideal, but if none is handy, sneeze or cough into your bent elbow rather than into your hand.
6. Wash your hands often, after blowing your nose or using the restroom and before handling food or dishes. You should be doing this anyway, but take special care now. Remind others who live with you to do the same.
7. Clean surfaces that you handle often. Doorknobs, light switches, keyboards, mice, and telephones are good places to start, but watch what else you touch. This is a good job for one of those disinfecting wipes or a bit of spray cleaner on a soft cloth.
8. Wash clothes, bedding, and towels. As the symptoms start to subside, a bit of extra laundry can go a long way toward keeping the rest of the family healthy.
9. Open up. Try to get a little bit of extra ventilation into your home, even if it’s winter. Use your judgment.

Holiday Shopping

• Don’t carry large amounts of cash. Never display the cash you carry.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Avoid dark or secluded areas where you could become a crime victim. Park in a well lighted area as close as possible to an entrance.
• Put all packages in the trunk. Do not place packages or bags on the seat or on the floor of your vehicle, where prying eyes can see them.
• Be sure your vehicle is in good operating condition and has plenty of fuel.
• Keep your vehicle locked at all times.
• Keep your purse closed and carry it securely under your arm. Never place your purse on a counter, leave it in your shopping cart, or let your children or grandchildren carry it.

Holiday Travel

• Be sure all your property is marked.
• Ask a neighbor to watch your home while you are away, and to pick up mail and package deliveries. Make sure neighbors have a phone number so they can reach you in an emergency.
• Set automatic timers to activate your lights and other appliances to give your home an occupied look.
• Be sure your home is locked and that the shades, blinds, and draperies are in their normal position.

Home for the Holidays

• Do not place gifts and other valuables where they can be seen by someone looking in from outside your home.
• Keep your doors and deadbolts locked at all times, even when someone is at home.
• Never let a stranger enter your home.
• Do not leave notes outside to indicate that you are away from home.
• Don’t advertise your new microwave, stereo, or TV by leaving the empty boxes at the curb. Put all discarded gift boxes in trash bags.
• A keychain whistle or panic alarm and deadbolt locks make excellent holiday gifts

Remember, medications are only beneficial when taken as prescribed. This article will assist you with keeping your medications organized or assist you with helping someone else keep his or her medications organized.

For people who must deal with taking long-term or high amounts of medications, this situation can be very stressful. It can be easy to miss a dose or even overdose. Managing your medication effectively can help reduce harmful errors and give you the peace of mind to concentrate on wellness.

1.    Make a list, check it twice. Create a spreadsheet or word document on your computer or, simply use note paper to list all of the medications you take

• the name
• dosage
• frequency
• side effects you experience
• allergies
• expiration date; and
• if or when the medication has stopped.

2.    Create a dosing schedule. Using the same tools, make a dosing chart for each medication, noting the amount and time each should be taken. Make copies of this list and always take it with you so that you can track your dosing no matter where you are.
3.    Organize your pills. Pick up one of these handy weekly pill organizers from a drug store. They can be very helpful. If you take many meds on a daily basis, you will need an organizer with seven or more compartments to organize each day’s doses. But be careful, once you put the meds in this compartment it may be hard to distinguish what they are so it may be helpful to have a physical description of each pill nearby
4.    Set a reminder. Budget permitting, there are handy electronic pill reminders out there. Or you can use your home alarm clock, wristwatch or cell phone alarm.
5.    Rest easy. With these easy steps for organizing your medications, you can be confident that you are following your doctor’s orders properly. Be diligent, be organized and be well.
TIP:
Even if you use a pill organizer, remember to check your prescription labels often. Check expiration dates and refill information. Knowing when you are running low or nearing an expiration date will allow you to call for a refill ahead of time and you will avoid missing a dose.
Things You Will Need:

• daily pill organizer
• spreadsheet or word processing program; if you do not have access to a computer, a weekly planner will be fine
• a list of all your medications and prescriptions (write these down or type the list)
• an alarm clock or wristwatch