2022-04-27_teneshia.persaud_Caregiver duties 8am - 9_30pm.docx

General Caregiver duties 8am to 8 - 8:30pm  or whenever he wants to go to bed:

(Hours may vary slightly weekly) :

Monday: 8am - bedtime (Benisha)

Tuesday: 8am - 5pm Benisha ( Shelley comes at 5pm - bedtime) tbc

Wednesday: 8am - bedtime Benisha

Thursday: 8am - 4pm Benisha ( Shelley comes - bedtime) tbc

Friday: 8am - 4pm ( 8 hr) We need to find some one ( Shelley comes at 3pm or 4pm. )

Weekends: Shelley

COVID: No Cleaning lady since Covid started, so general cleaning is appreciated

( vacuum, dusting where necessary on the main floor only)

We also ask that Gerry’s caregivers continue to wear masks when working within 6 ‘ of him.

The 1st of every month test the Medic Alert System by pressing the button, and then pressing “cancel”.

Shower and weigh him Monday and Friday mornings. Sponge bath on the other mornings.

Laundry and help with any ironing. Lay out any sweaters on towels downstairs to dry, and hang any of his shirts. They are mostly cotton and will shrink if put into the drier. thx

What we need to track

1)  GP asks for a Large BM @ 2-3 days, soft med. daily)  Let Christine know if he hasn’t had a large BM, we might have to give him a Senakot or a Doculax at night and if that does nothing a suppository next day after his afternoon nap should be discussed. He usually responds after 2 hours. If not, we need to ask the VHA nurse to administer a fleet enema.

2)  Intake: and continue to give him at least a total of to 6-8 cups of fluids throughout the day.

3) His day time napping: average now is 2 3/4hrs to 3 hours ( mark down times in the blue binder, just to collect data)

Daily routine ( Gerry is 95 years old and has dementia, so routine is very important to him)

8am - raise hospital bed to hip height. He takes his PJ top off himself, needs help with slippers. Take Gerry’s blood pressure while he sits on the edge of his bed. Write it down on pad. He stands using the super pole. Wheelchair him to the bathroom for his toilettries. He shaves / brushes his teeth on his own. Exchange night with day catheter bag, write down how much he voided during the night.

He needs his glasses to see far away. They are usually on his white dresser or by his bed.

While he’s back sitting on his bed, involve him in choosing his own clothing for the day.

Black pressure socks during the day ( white socks at night)

Aveeno for any dry skin on his back and calves. He also likes Volteren rubbed on his knees. He also uses roll on antiperspirant. Change is white night socks for black pressure socks. Help get him dressed, but allow him to do what he can do like buttoning up his shirt, pull down his t-shirt etc. It’s physio lol

Rinse night bag with diluted mixture of vinegar and water.

VHA PSW come in the morning ( 8am - 9m) and in the evening ( 5pm - 7pm) for an hour.

9am - He lies down for a cat nap while you prepare breakfast. Before you get him up again, pour 1 cup of bird seed & peanuts out on the area in front of the picture window & check if bird feeder is 1/2 full. He may call you when he’s ready to have breakfast.

Breakfast: cut mango/ papaya, diluted juice/ & breakfast from a variation of things. Mix 1tbsp Orange flavoured Metamucil in water only when he is ready to drink it, so it doesn’t get too thick.

Sat: fried egg and fruit etc. Sun: warmed up ( 3min.in toaster oven) croissant & yoghurt

Mon: yoghurt or oatmeal    Tues: 1 egg sunny side up   Wed:cottage cheese  Thurs: 	              Fri:

dispense meds from blister packs  into a little shot glass and check for any extra meds in separate containers ( Vit B12)  usually on the dining room table. He will use his Spireva inhaler and need to rinse his mouth in a glass of water afterwards

9:30am - help him get out of bed and comb his hair, Gold bond to treat any Actinic keratosis sores on his scalp.  Jean cap to stop him from scratching them

if he feels up to it and safe for both of you to do so, have him use his walker to go to his computer as far as he can walk, pulling wheelchair behind him. Might need to stop and rest 3-4 times.

When finished, he will most likely want to be pushed in front of his computer afterward

clear, clean kitchen, make bed, check linen for cleanliness and replace if necessary. Throw in laundry hamper. Whenever there’s enough, do laundry downstairs and hang shirts etc in the furnace room

top up water for his CPAP machine only to max line ( wipe mask and tubing daily, clean monthly)

11am ish- (He might want to go earlier) a power nap in his electric recliner in the TV room, after which encourage Gerry to do his seated exercises, walk with walker and pull wheelchair behind him, or kitchen counter exercises (at this time he is doing 4 exercises 25 reps each

Engage with him. Play dominos or a board game, in the summer take him outdoors on his scooter. He loves to exercise his sense of humour. Have fun !

- Bring any mail/ junk mail to Gerry’s computer (usually is delivered in the late morning)

- help Gerry / Chris with running the house. Eg notice what needs fixing. Use the pad by kitchen phone or text to communicate with other caregivers and Christine. We are a team.

think of 2 dinner suggestions for that evening and offer Gerry the choice before lunch, so you have time to de-thaw anything that is taken out of the freezer. Frozen food is labelled in freezer. He likes variety but nothing spicy or bitter. We are trying to help him stay under 200 lbs

make homemade salad dressing ( Christine will show you this easy recipe: lots of parsley, 1 garlic clove, honey, olive oil and apple cider vinegar)

VHA Nurse usually comes 3 times a week to attend to Gerry’s catheter ( Mon., Wed., and Fri)

1pm Lunch:  might simply be diluted 1/2 juice 1/2 water, cold cuts on ½ slice of bread, and some cut fruit. He has no midday meds. Empty day bag and write down how much he has voided throughout the day on the pad with his BP. He has a tendency for retention even with his catheter.

2pm    Gerry naps usually for an hour or 1 1/2 hours in his recliner. If he’s had a bad night, let him sleep longer.

after his nap ask if he’d like a decaffeinated cup of coffee. He may use his blue spiralator, which should be rinsed every once in a while.

check voicemails if the red light is on, then take kitchen phone off the hook during nap times

ask yourself what else could be done. E.g. take kitchen garbage out if full; garbage pick up calendar in the top cupboard over broom closet; in the winter time, please shovel a path from the back door to the garage in the winter for yourself to get to the garage ( 20 yards) and shovel/ sweep the ramp by the front door. We have a snow clearing service to clear driveway and the walkway to the front door. If it’s a sunny winter’s day, Gerry likes sitting out in his wheelchair by the front door feeling the sunshine’s warmth. He needs to wear warm clothing. (hat, scarf, leather gloves, throw blanket)

after his nap, see if he can use his walker to walk to his computer.

Monday water plants, 2 tbsp of water for orchids only a week.

Tuesday afternoon take either garbage / garden garbage or recycling containers to end of driveway for pick up Wednesday morning

maintain a grocery list, own the freezer/ fridge ( ie know what we have and what needs to be eaten before expiry date) If you have a car, do Grocery shopping once a week while he has his afternoon nap. He will not get up during that hour you are away.

He enjoys checking in with his computer, so ask if he’s up to walking with the walker.

5:00pm Walk him to the TV Room. (stopping and letting him sit whenever his legs fatigue)

He loves the tennis and figure skating which we have recorded. Go to List on the converter and you’ll find something we’ve recorded.

VHA PSW whenever they come have them change Gerry into his PJs and bathrobe

6:00pm - 6:30pm  Dinner : always a small salad, 2 veg. 1 protein/ fish. Ideally, fish 2xs / wk. fresh cut fruit or blueberries or raspberries, a little beer stein w/ alcohol free beer. eg chicken veg soup, roasted chicken; schnitzel; duck confit ( buy it at Loblaws to be warmed up); hamburger, German sausages etc. He likes variety.

Set up dinner in front of TV with dinner meds 1/2 - 1 cap of Restoralax with water depending how loose his BM was the day before

Clean kitchen, turn on outdoor lights and leave them on overnight. ( During the Christmas season, turn off outdoor Christmas lights. Switch is in the Christmas wreath. ) Leave regular outdoor lights on, pls and back door light.

Set up basics for breakfast. ( meds, pink cloth napkin, blue little glass to rinse his mouth after Spireva.

Put out his bed time meds by his bed table with a glass of water. Put white night socks on.

8:00pm - 8:30pm  (He’ll let you know if he wants to go to bed earlier) He stops watching TV, is pushed to the computer for a quick check. Then is taken to the bathroom to get ready for bed including a sponge bath.

Once he’s lying in bed, his hospital bed has to be lowered to 9” off floor.

Let Christine know of any Amazon or other deliveries to the house. (e.g. Tena pull ups, medical gloves)

At the end of your day, lock front and back doors.

Thank you and have a safe trip home.