Welcome Wisdom

Carrying on successfully during these challenging times… 

by Gail Arno, CMC – ECM Director of Care Management

The Coronavirus has certainly changed all of our lives, but we want you to know that Elder Care Management is up and running, with safety and caution as our first concern as we continue to serve our clients. We are providing redefined services to our clients- making visits, going both in and out of homes and facilities, only when the visits are absolutely necessary all the while using the recommended proper protective equipment and the guidelines suggested by the medical authorities with the CDC and State of California.

During these challenging times we encourage everyone to take good care of their own needs including paying attention to your mental health, your emotional needs, and your physical well-being and consider the following suggestions;

1. Stay informed! Take practical steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. Get the facts from the sources you trust and follow the recommendations given by those you believe deliver the facts. At some point, however, we all need to turn off the flow of news and turn our attention to the things in life that fulfill yet don’t worry us.

2. Engage in healthy activities and pursuits! Get good, quality sleep, eat healthy and well-balanced meals, stay away from those vices we know aren’t good for us, exercise your body and mind. Try walking, gardening, and routine exercise… listen to your body.

3. Take your medications! Make sure you are taking that which is prescribed to you and only exactly how it is prescribed to you. Make sure you are well stocked with your over the counter needs and your refills on prescription meds are available and filled in a timely manner. Consider using telemedicine or telehealth options instead of in-person visits to check in with your doctors.

4. Stay with that which you know! Sticking to routines is the best way to ease the uncertainty and the angst that surrounds us all these days. One of the few things we can control is how we act or behave so put those routines in place and follow them, it may be the only thing you can control. Stay in the present and don’t let the worries of the future creep in.

5. Stay connected (or reconnect!) with family, friends, loved ones, and other supportive networks in your life (faith-based endeavors, hobbies, arts) that are important to you! Embrace technology (it won’t bite you we promise), make phone calls, write an old fashioned letter, look at digital options- FaceTime, Facebook, Zoom, iPads, laptops, and smartphones…oh my! Connect, connect, connect.

6. Stay positive and keep your sense of humor! Even though we are in the middle of a real and present crisis there are still funny and humorous things all around us- we just have to look a little harder at times to find them. And when we do find them let’s share them. They say laughter is the best medicine. Let’s remember though to laugh with one another, not at one another.

7. Be a helper! Help others, check-in frequently, find purpose, meet your neighbors, and for some of us re-meet your neighbors, reach out to others, don’t be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help. Invest in your well-being and in yourself. We are all in this together and together we will find our way to our new normal.

Elder Care Management is honored to be your partner in managing the many challenges we all face in life now more than ever. Please turn to us when you need the experts in aging to meet these challenges. We are a knowledgeable, experienced, and certified team ready to respond to your needs at any time. Thank you for your continued support and interest. Stay safe and healthy in both mind and body!