Review of Products for Caregivers

Have you made any New Year's resolutions yet? Let me guess. There is something about improving your health, right? And maybe something about reducing stress? Well, we have found some things that might help! Check out our latest picks, including easy-to-take calcium supplements, medical alert bracelets, and a monitor to help keep your loved ones with Alzheimer's safe.

Upcal D Calcium Citrate Powder

Did you know that the recommended daily intake of calcium for people over 50 is 1200 mg per day? And many older adults do not get that much calcium from their daily diet. Consider that one cup of milk only has about 300 mg of calcium. A slice of cheese has a little less than 300 mg of calcium. Therefore, many older adults could benefit from a calcium supplement.

It's important to choose the right calcium supplement, however. There are several types of calcium that can be found in supplements, including calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Calcium citrate is absorbed better than calcium carbonate by all people, but even more so by older adults who sometimes don't have as much stomach acid as younger people (stomach acid is required for breaking down and absorbing calcium carbonate). You can buy calcium supplements that are pills that you swallow, but these pills are often quite large and may be difficult to swallow. You can also buy chewable calcium citrate supplements, but they may not taste very good.

If your loved one needs a calcium supplement, Upcal D may be the answer. Upcal D is a powdered calcium supplement that can be added to any drink or to foods like yogurt or pudding. It has no flavor and you won't ever notice it in your drink. One dose contains 500 mg calcium citrate plus 250 IU vitamin D, which helps the calcium be absorbed better.

Upcal D is made by Global Health Products, Inc. You can order it from a number of places, but the best price I've found is at Colonial Medical, where you can get a box of 120 doses for just $11.95. Visit Colonial Medical at www.colonialmedical.com or phone them at 800-323-6794 to place an order.

MedicAlert Bracelet

Many people with serious health conditions or drug allergies or other special needs wear medical alert bracelets. These bracelets are engraved with pertinent medical information, like "diabetic" or "Alzheimer's" or "allergic to morphine." In an emergency, health care workers can know information they might need to know in order to save a life, even if the patient isn't able to communicate. I recommend anyone with a serious health condition wear one.

You can order medical alert bracelets from many different companies, but I suggest you use MedicAlert. That's because they offer more than just an engraved bracelet. For an additional fee, your loved one can be enrolled in their 24-Hour Emergency Response Service. They will be assigned an ID number, which will be engraved on their bracelet along with a toll-free number. When emergency medical personnel call the number, they will be given all sorts of valuable information about your loved one, including detailed medical information, a list of medications your loved one takes, and any other pertinent information. This is a valuable service because you just can't engrave that much information on the bracelet. There's only so much space. But with this service, health care workers will have easy access to all the information they need. Whenever your loved one's information changes, for instance when their doctor prescribes a new medication, you just log into your account online and update the info.

MedicAlert offers a wide variety of bracelets, some costing as little as $9.95. Enrolling in the 24-Hour Emergency Response Service costs $39.95 for the first year and $27 per year after that. If you are unable to afford that, they sometimes offer reduced rates based on need. To buy a bracelet and sign up, visit them online at www.medicalert.org or call them at 888-633-4298.

Talking Motion Detective Patient Monitor with Remote Voice Alert

When a loved one has Alzheimer's, keeping them safe can be a fulltime job. People with Alzheimer's usually reach a stage where they begin to wander. They may try to go down to the basement when they cannot safely navigate the stairs, or they may try to go outdoors where they might wander away and get lost. They may also go outdoors in their pajamas in the winter and develop hypothermia. Unfortunately, you can't watch them every minute of the day and night. You have to sleep sometime. Or you may just be in another room attending to something, and that could give Mom the chance to slip out the door.

The Talking Motion Detective Patient Monitor can be a godsend in these situations. It consists of up to six motion detectors that monitor "hot zones" and a speaker unit that you keep with you. You can pre-record alerts that will be broadcast to you if your loved one starts to wander. The monitor will announce, "Mom is going downstairs" or "Dad is going out the back door" or otherwise tell you what's happening. You can purchase additional speakers which can be kept in the "hot zones" that will give instructions to your loved one, like "Stay upstairs, Mom" or "Don't go outside, Dad."

The Talking Motion Detective is available from The Alzheimer's Store for $152.95. Additional speakers are available for an additional cost. You can order online at www.alzstore.com or you can phone 800-752-3238.

Assist-A-Tray

This is a great device for someone who needs a little help getting up and down off the sofa or in and out of a favorite chair. It's a swiveling tabletop on a stand that can be used to hold a laptop, books, papers, even serve a meal. It fits easily with any sofa, chair, or recliner. When you're ready to get up, you just push the tabletop aside. Then you grab onto the sturdy handle and use it to help pull yourself to your feet. The handle can support up to 250 pounds and is adjustable in height.

The Assist-A-Tray is available from Dynamic Living for $174. To order call (888) 940-0605, or visit their online store at www.dynamic-living.com.