By: Christopher Kain RN, MSN, CNL

Introduction
Blood Pressure plays an important role in health and longevity. High blood pressure, referred to as hypertension, can lead to deleterious health conditions like a stroke. It has been referred to as “the silent killer” because symptoms of elevated blood pressure are often subtle and not felt until a catastrophic health event. If you have a history of high blood pressure, you may be prescribed medication to control it. But did you know that certain breathing techniques can also help lower your blood pressure?

​Physiology of Blood Pressure
The physiological mechanism of how slow, deep breathing affects blood pressure is somewhat complex. It involves our nervous system, and something called the vagus nerve. Part of the vagus nerve is located between the lungs. When you take a deep breath, the lungs press against and stimulate it, which activates something called the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system controls the body’s ability to be calm and directly lowers heart rate and blood pressure.
 
Methods of Deep Breathing
Several methods of deep breathing have demonstrated success in lowering blood pressure:

• The 4-7-8 breathing technique consists of breathing in through the nose for 4 seconds, holding it for 7 seconds, and breathing out slowly over 8 seconds.
• Box breathing involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding breath for 4 seconds, breathing out for 4 seconds, and repeating the process.
• Modified Lion’s breath involves breathing in through your nose filling your lungs, and when you can’t breathe in anymore, open your mouth and let it all out.

 
Set the Stage
Whichever breathing method you decide to use, it is good practice to find a quiet environment. Get comfortable. Breathe in through your nose and not your mouth. Breathe out through your nose or mouth. Practice purposeful and intentional breathing. The more you do it, the more you will think about it. The more you think about it, the more you will practice it, and hopefully the lower your blood pressure will be.
 
Is Deep Breathing Working for You?
Is slow, deep breathing lowering your blood pressure? With anything that claims to improve or change something, it is a good idea to see if the claims are true for you. Everyone is different; it is not a one size fits all. Here are the steps to confirm if it is working for you:

1. Take your blood pressure before a deep breathing session.
2. Wait 2 minutes and take your blood pressure again. It is always a good idea to take 2 blood pressure readings and average them out because you will have a more accurate reading.
3. Perform a deep breathing method of your choice.
4. Take your blood pressure, twice, waiting two minutes between each reading.
5. Repeat this process for one week each time you deep breathe.
6. Review the blood pressure readings before and after deep breathing to confirm it works for you.

 
Conclusion
Purposeful, intentional, slow, deep breathing can positively impact you. The benefits are far-reaching. On a granular level, it can lower your blood pressure. Lower blood pressure has a direct impact on longevity and overall health. The positives of incorporating deep breathing sessions into your daily activities are well documented. But for some reason, a lot of us just don’t do it. Take 5 minutes today and do something that can make you feel better and improve your life.
 

​Hello city of Sacramento. I hope this message finds you well, or at least as well as you can be during these very scary times. We, the people of this world, are in a tumultuous state. Fear is running rampant along with COVID-19, and even more so now. Hospitals in Sacramento are reporting record numbers of patient admissions related to the Corona Virus. Healthcare workers are testing positive at alarming rates. Some epidemiologists believe this is just the beginning of the virus spread for us here on the west coast. If that is the case, we all need to be prepared on how to avoid the virus, decontaminate if we believe we have been exposed, and know when to go to the hospital. There is still so much unknown about it. For example, do we have lasting immunity once infected? How long is that immunity? What people are at a greater risk of becoming hospitalized? What are the risk factors? These are just a few of the questions that research is attempting to uncover now. Sadly, there have been very few medical breakthroughs thus far.
We here at In Home Care Sacramento would like to try to answer some of these questions in our blog. What can you do to mitigate or minimize the chance of virus transmission to you, and your family?

​A lot of what I am about to tell you, you already know. It has most likely been infused in to you from new stations, the CDC, friends in healthcare, friends not in healthcare, etc. But maybe there will be something in here that you have not heard, so please read on.

1. Wash your hands and wash them often. The magic number for handwashing duration is 20 seconds, and it does not hurt to go a little longer. Some like to sing the Happy Birthday Song, and that usually ends up being right around the 20-second mark. But beside duration, technique is also extremely important. Several studies have indicated that there is a large amount of the population that is not washing their hands effectively. Certain areas of the hand gets missed or insufficient amount of soap used, are two of the main reasons. Check out this video demonstrating proper technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seA1wbXUQTs
2. Avoid touching areas where the virus can enter your body, eyes, nose, mouth. This can be difficult to do, especially when you think, “I can’t touch my face, my eye is now itching.”
3. Keep your distance from those that you have not quarantined with. The CDC recommends staying 6 feet apart. I would strongly recommend staying much farther than that. Some studies have demonstrated the virus can travel up to 14 feet in the air. 6 feet just does not cut it in some situations.
4. This is self-explanatory but wear a face mask. Put away your pride, it is not about taking your rights away. It is about keeping my immunocompromised uncle safe, your mom with cancer safe, his or her child safe. It is not about you, so stop being selfish, and making it about you.
5. Cover your cough and sneezes every time. Also, stop using your hand! Hands touch things and when you cough in your hands, you are increasing the likelihood that you will transmit the virus to someone else, if you are infected. See this video on how to perform a proper cough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2jbEetZ8G4 Have you ever seen a video that demonstrates the amount of fluid aerosolized from a cough? It is crazy! Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eQdCvHMY-U
6. Be sure to clean and disinfect often. Always carry hand sanitizer with you. Every time you get back in your car, sanitize. Sanitize before you enter your home. Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize!

These suggestions are extremely important for your safety and the safety of others. I hope you found some of this information useful. We here at In Home Care Sacramento suggest you get well acquainted with the CDCs website and the information on COVID. See this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
In Home Care Sacramento is still actively providing home healthcare, in home care, and caregiver services to our customers in Sacramento. We are well trained on proper PPE usage as well as mitigating and minimizing the risk of virus transmission. If you need home care assistance, we are here and ready to support you in any way we can. Next week we will be talking about what to do if you think you have COVID-19. You can also visit us at http://inhomecaresacramento.com. Stay tuned and stay safe out there!

Anger, violence, aggression, and hostility directed at you, are characteristics and traits you never thought you would experience from a loved one. Sadly, as dementia worsens over time this too can become your nightmarish reality. I don’t know about you, but if my mom began cursing at me and emotionally berated me, it would break my heart. This is also relate-able to the caregiver that is not related to the individual they are caring for because emotional and physical abuse is also common in this situation.  So, having a game plan on how to deal with such issues of anger and hostility is extremely important for a caregiver and something we train our In Home Care Sacramento Staff on.
Fortunately, there are a lot of resources out there to help you cope and a lot of solutions too! Let’s talk about some thing that can help you deal with a loved one or individual that is displaying anger and hostility towards you or another person.

• Be aware of your environment and search out potential causes of irritation. Often a physical discomfort, like a pillow that is supporting your loved ones’ lower back get displaced causing them to be uncomfortable or a loud noise, can be a trigger. Or maybe there are too many people in the room congesting conversations and creating a lot of noise. Whatever it may be, be sure to investigate potential irritants and solutions.
• It is imperative that your demeanor and disposition reflects a calm and soothing manner. Feelings can be contagious. If you are irritated and frustrated, it is not difficult to transfer those feelings to another person. Be sure to communicate in a calm way and be clear with your message.
• Consistency can be your best friend. People like routines. People are more comfortable when they know what is coming next in the day, and what comes after that. No sudden changes or surprises please. Habits make us feel safe and comfortable. If you do not have control over your day, it is left wide open to all the disarray, change, spontaneity that people with dementia don’t like. Create a routine and stick to it.
• If your loved one begins to show signs of anger and aggression, be sure to give them space. Back off for a bit. This is important for your safety and the safety of the one you are caring for. Stepping back will also give you some time to think of a solution and a way to deescalate the situation.
• This may sound simple but be sure to take care of their physical needs. Be sure to assess for disease. Often an UTI can go undetected in the elderly for quite some time because, fever is not a reliable indicator. Also, hunger and thirst are important to satisfy. Dementia is confusion; your loved one may not realize they haven’t eater in 20 hours or had something to drink all day.
• Similar to what you would do with children, attempt to redirect. Try to get them to focus on something other than the irritant and away from the negative emotions they are experiencing.
• Attempt to understand the irritation and frustration, ask questions, and take the time to be a sleuth. Maybe you can clarify some things and perhaps get them down from their anger by simply asking what it is that is bothering them. Frustration can be linked to the understanding that they are failing and losing their memories.

Home health care has many advantages over the alternatives, but one disadvantage from not being in a health system or nursing facility is lack of support for the caregiver. Caregivers are tasked to care for Seniors for the most part by themselves. That said, experiences caregivers that can work independently are extremely valuable. Understanding and living the solutions described are necessary to success. Believe it or not, senior in home care, home health care, and home caregivers’ roles can be dangerous. You’d think, “well here is this nice little old lady, she’s cute as a button”, not realizing she is quite capable of causing injury to you. Take the time to understand the resources provided. For more information, you can visit us at http://inhomecaresacramento. If you have questions or would like a free consultation, give us a call at 916-702-8552.

​Independence is often not even a thought until one’s independence is affected or interrupted. The ability to care for yourself can change dramatically from one year to the next, one month to the next, or even one day to the next. As you age, you lose the ability to move and groove like you once did. You can easily forget, and attempt to do things as you once did, and perhaps suffer an injurious fall. Or, maybe you are affected by a brain disease that causes you to forget. Maybe you forget your name or how to complete certain tasks, or maybe you forget where you live! Have you ever seen a News Report that states “Missing, 80-year-old man with dementia, wandered outside of his home, missing for 3 days.”? Very scary for the affected person and the family. If you and your family have gotten to this point, then undoubtedly you have inquired in to what options are out there. You probably looked at a Skilled Nursing Facility, Board and Care Home, or several different alternatives out there. My question to you, have you looked at In Home Care, or Home Healthcare? In Home Care Sacramento may be right for you.
Have you ever visited a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) or a Board and Care? If you have, then I am sure you encountered some things that you or your loved one will not appreciate. The last time I entered in to a SNF was to visit my father. The hallway smelled like feces. As I walked down the hallway, I could not help but look in to some of the rooms. The occupants appeared depressed, some just sitting or laying there staring off in to space. I could not help but feel a little depressed too. And to have my father in this environment?! I don’t think so! After a little rehab from a broken humerus, he was released home and boy was that a special day. The moment he sat down in his special chair I could visibly see the stress released from his body. He was no longer in an uncomfortable environment with strangers, he was now in the comfort of his own home with his loved ones. Stress is a precursor to disease. When you dissect the word disease, dis-ease, simply means a body that is not at ease. Stress causes a body to not be at ease. So, when you are considering your options for care, it would be prudent to evaluate how much added stress would you or your loved one experience in a SNF versus hiring In Home Care Sacramento for your at home healthcare needs.
As you age, you lose more and more independence and at some point, you will most likely lose your ability to drive a vehicle. One of our goals at In Home Care Sacramento is preserve as much independence and comfort as possible without jeopardizing or sacrificing what is most important to you. A lot of the people we talk to emphasize the importance of remaining in their home and community. They also hope to preserve as much as their lifestyle as possible, which includes going out to lunch or dinner, visiting with friends, and exercising. All this can be accomplished by hiring In Home Care Sacramento for all your home healthcare needs.
Like the famous sitcom Cheers would say, “you want to be where everybody knows your name”. I don’t know about you, but I live in a community where everybody, or mostly everybody knows my name. It wasn’t always like this. Two years ago, my wife and I moved to a new community development. The first few months were tough. We did not know anyone. We missed our old neighbors and friends. But, as time passed, we began to connect with neighbors and develop relationships. Fast forward to today, some of our best friends are in the community we moved to two years ago. Imagine you or your loved one must move to a SNF or assisted living facility. Change can be hard. Change can also be harder as we get older. Moving to a new home is extremely stressful and if you or your loved one is sick, this could be an enormous burden to take on. Why risk increased disease progression and unhappiness? Senior In Home Care may be the most viable option for you.
If you are reading this you may be thinking that in-home care is too expensive, and you can’t afford it. Or, in-home care cannot provide the same quality of care you would receive in a SNF. Well, there is no easy answers to these questions but what I can tell you is that the cost of in-home care versus a SNF is comparable and in some cases cheaper. Also, In Home Care Sacramento offers the same level of care at home that you would receive in a SNF. This is not a one size fits all, or black and white, because there are so many different types of people, diseases, insurances, etc. Nonetheless, even if in-home care were a little more expensive, which in some cases it is, we are confident the benefits of receiving care in the comfort of your own home far outweigh the alternatives.
We here at In Home Care Sacramento hope that you have found the information we provided useful. Our intentions are to help you retain independence and remain in your home where you are the most comfortable. We can help you achieve that. Take the time today to give us a call for a FREE consultation. We look forward to hearing from you.

In Home Care Sacramento provides home healthcare to individuals that would prefer to receive healthcare services in the comfort of their own home. Home healthcare has become a very important and prominent facet of caregiving and healthcare over the last decade as more and more individuals prefer to stay in their homes to receive the necessary care. From seniors that have dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, to people recovering from a surgery, home health care provides a wonderful, and often less stressful alternative to staying in a hospital or healthcare facility. The purpose of this blog is to describe to you the advantages and disadvantages of receiving such care in your home.

Let me first start by telling you a little about myself. I am a Registered Nurse. I have worked in all different types of hospital and healthcare departments from gastrointestinal procedures, emergency room, research, Intensive Care Units, and Hospice. Throughout my career and most especially during my time as an ICU and Hospice Nurse, I discovered the need for a service that provided medically appropriate and monitored care to people that prefer and often yearn to be in the comfort of their own home. The most common theme and phrase I would hear from the people I cared for was, “I just want to go home.” And there is a good reason this is the most common theme, because that is where people feel the most comfortable. On a personal level, I am currently helping my mother and other family members grieve the loss of my father. He was sick and suffering for a long time. He spent time in and out of different hospitals and rehabilitation facilities with much disdain, until he decided enough was enough. Long story short, my father was able to come home and spend his last days in his bed with a view out to the hills that he knows and loves. Nursing care was provided throughout and made his passing peaceful. I am convinced that my father being at home was a huge component of a smooth and graceful transition to whatever it is that is after this terrestrial existence. That is why I created In Home Care Sacramento.

My situation is not all that uncommon and in fact, as baby boomers age, this will be more and more common. People are busy with their jobs and children and caring for someone who is ill or in need of care can be extremely difficult from many different viewpoints. It can take a physical, emotional, and spiritual toll on you and that can be tough to recover from. Also, often times your loved one that needs is located in a different city, state, or even country, making it even more of a challenge to ensure they are receiving the quality care. You could find yourself flying or driving from your location to your loved one’s home or care facility many times in a short period of time. We want to ensure the ones we love are getting the best care possible so we often feel obligated to make those trips over and over again until we become exhausted in the process. But, it does not have to be that way. Give In Home Care Sacramento a call today and find out how we can help.
How nice would it be to know that your family member is in the best hands possible, receiving the care they need, and in the comfort of their home? I am sure this would lift a huge weight off your shoulders as it did for me and the situation with my father. So let’s talk about what In Home Care Sacramento can do for you.

• Our professional caregivers can be there when you can’t be
• We help your loved one with activities of daily living (ADLs) like providing personal care with bathing, brushing teeth, and medication reminders
• Skilled nursing care will be provided from licensed nurses or medical assistants ensuring your loved one receives the necessary medical care
• Assist with diet and nutrition by providing nutrient dense meals and assisting with consumption
• Medication reconciliation and to ensure your loved one is taking their medication at the right time and dose
• Companionship and social interaction
• Light household chores
• Research shows that at home healthcare results in comparable or improved outcomes
• At home care could be a less costly alternative to care provided by a hospital or facility

​This list by any means is not exhaustive. There are many more advantages to at home healthcare and probably the most important that is not included in preceding list, is the fact that your loved one will experience far less stress in their own home versus a healthcare facility. When an individual is able to minimize stress, they have the best opportunity to heal more efficiently than otherwise. Stress is the precursor to disease, and dis-ease, is simply a body that is not at ease. Environments that we know, places we have spent a considerable period of time, provide us with a calming effect. It is these spaces that give us the best opportunity to heal in the best way possible. And that is why we here at In Home Care Sacramento created this wonderful service.
If you are trying to decide how to care for your loved one, I hope you have evaluated the benefits and advantages of contacting a home health care agency for at home care. We here at In Home Care Sacramento are just a phone call away.
Do you have questions about In Home Care Sacramento? Would you like a free home healthcare consultation? No problem, give us a call today. Our caregivers are standing by. You can also visit us on the web at http://inhomecaresacramento.com.