Top Creative Shopping Hacks for Caregivers: :How to Find Solutions from Unexpected Places

Best Places to Find Creative, Low-cost Solutions for Caregiving Challenges.

Welcome to another episode of "Doing it Best with Eldercare Success." I'm your host, Nancy, and today we're talking about creative shopping solutions to make caregiving easier and more enjoyable, even fun! Today, we'll explore how to think outside the box and find innovative tools in unexpected places, whether you're at a hardware store, a grocery store, or even your favorite ice cream shop. This episode is packed with practical tips and ideas to help you be more resourceful, save money, and solve everyday caregiving challenges creatively. Even those that feel insurmountable.

Key Takeaways: How to. . .

• 📓 Find new places to find better solutions.
• 🍦 Be more innovative with everyday things to solve problems.
• 🛠️ Leverage low-cost tools and supplies safely and more effectively.

Episode Goals:

This episode aims to inspire you to learn how to be more creative and resourceful in working to resolve everyday problems. By thinking outside the box and finding innovative solutions during everyday shopping trips, caregivers can make their lives easier and more enjoyable while providing better care for their loved ones.

🌐 Helpful Links:

• Podcast: Eldercare Success (please share with those you care about)
• Book: How to Survive 911 Medical Emergencies, Step-by-Step Before, During, and After
• Eldercare Success on YouTube
• Eldercare Success, link to ask Nancy a question: A small blue tab on the right side of the page says "Send a Voice Mail Message to Nancy." Click on that and follow the directions on the pop-up.  Then, send me your comments and questions so I can answer them on the show.

🎧🎤Host: Nancy May has gone from the Boardroom to the Emergency Room to care for her aging parents and educate business owners, corporate employees, and leaders with more strength and confidence in doing well and doing good.  Nancy is the five-star author of How to Survive 911 Medical Emergencies, Step-by-Step Before, During, After! and an award-winning expert in managing the complexities of caring for an aging parent or family member, even from over 1200 miles away, or more for a Free File-of-Life to www.howtosurvive911.com. 

Nancy is also the  Co-Founder of CareManity LLC and the private FaceBook group Eldercare Success.

Disclaimer: The views, perspectives, and opinions expressed in this show are those of the show guests and not directly those of the companies they serve or that of the host or the producer CareManity, LLC. The information discussed should not be considered medical, legal, or financial advice. Please seek advice from your own personal medical, legal, or...

Episode Transcript

Nancy May (00:00):
everybody.
It's Nancy May with another episode ofDoing it Best with Eldercare Success.
Well, of course you're doing it best.
Why would you want to do it any other way?
Before I start this episode, I wantto give a shout out to a gentleman
who shared a comment in Apple podcast.
I don't have his name.

(00:20):
It was just a handle, but you'llknow who it is if you're listening.
And I want to say, thank you so muchfor your comments and for sharing
with others that you know as well.
His comment is, I'm a disabledmiddle aged man who is a caregiver
to two aging relatives, onewith a rare form of dementia.

(00:41):
The host is gentle, kind, andencouraging, and knowledgeable,
and the information presented makesa big difference in our lives.
Thank you, and enjoy your day in paradise.
Well, whoever you are, I want tosay thank you so much for sharing
your comments and your thoughts
and for your enjoy your day in paradise.

(01:04):
You know what, every day can bea good day, especially when we
make it an Eldercare Success Day.
On that note, if you do not have thebook, How to Survive 9 1 1 Medical
Emergencies, I recommend that you do.
There are tips that will save youmoney, which every caregiving family is
challenged with at some point, how to getbetter help in the ER, and even how to

(01:27):
get discharged faster, and a lot more.
It's not just about 9 1 1.
It's about getting the carethat your loved one deserves.
And you do too, because peaceof mind and peace of heart is
something that we all deserve.
Now let's jump into this episode.
this week, I'm talking about howto be more creative in finding new

(01:50):
tools to make your caregiving easier.
And every day better for thosethat you love and care for, too.
Over the years, I learned that shoppingfor things specifically marketed to
caregiver needs can get expensive.
Many are overpriced, break easily,or don't serve our purpose as well.
So, somewhat out of desperation, Istarted thinking a little differently,

(02:14):
with every store I entered, for whateverreason it might be, even Harbor Freight,
Petco, or my favorite ice cream store,which, down in Florida, is Papa Clyde's.
I just love theirEverything Chocolate Chunky
Moose Tracks.
Yum.
But I digress.

(02:35):
Here's what I mean, and here'show you can start doing this too.
Start by keeping a small notepad orusing a note taking app on your phone
of all the physical and emotionalchallenges that you're facing in
caring for your folks or a loved one.
This will build your, what Irefer to as, aha mental note when
you're walking into any particularfacility, no matter what it is.

(02:58):
Every shopping trip can be anadventure and create solutions
to many of your problems.
Every time I went grocery shopping, notjust for milk or bread or things that I
needed at home, But even thinking aboutthe things that mom and dad might need
to make their life a little easier, Iwalked down the aisles thinking, hmm,

(03:18):
can I use this for something else?
For example, ice creamstore or grocery store.
If mom and dad are just not eatingor wanting to eat because it's
boring, you're sitting there, you'rewatching television or they're
sitting there and watching televisionand every day is kind of the same.

(03:39):
It's hard to get excited about a mealthat just doesn't excite you, right?
So, ice cream cones might be away to actually spice things up.
You know, you don't have tohave spaghetti on a plate.
You could have it in an icecream cone, top it with a
little cheese, and munch away.

(04:00):
All right, it might get alittle sloppy, but who cares?
That's what a sponge is for.
Or a napkin, even better yet,garbage bags that smell good.
Now, all right, garbagedoesn't smell so good.
And Lysol smells evenyuckier, in my opinion.
but garbage bags that smell likelavender, that's kind of interesting.

(04:24):
And especially if you'redisposing of incontinent products.
Now back to food, palates change withage and sometimes our parents will prefer
things that are sweet, sugar is not alwaysthe best thing, especially if you're
diabetic, But sometimes they actuallyprefer spicy things over sweet things.
You can figure that out pretty easilyby just testing a few changes on

(04:46):
their dinner plate or breakfast plate.
They might like jalapeno Cheerios.
You never know.
Now if you're in Lowe's or Home Depotor even Harbor Freight, here are a
couple of things to think about too.
Walk down the aisles andthink about grab bars.
Yeah, they have grab bars.
Some of them are notactually particularly safe.

(05:08):
So make sure that the ones that youhave at some kind of grip mechanism
in the back, usually a littletexture, the slippery things don't
work so well, or the bars that don'thave texture on them may not work
so well, especially in the shower.
pleasing, putting hands on aslippery bar that have no texture

(05:28):
with soap on them can be dangerous.
Just be careful.
Remember that when you go intoHome Depot and look for grab bars.
Getting up and down stairs canbe tough, especially just that
little lip from the garage intothe kitchen or into a pantry area.
You can get ramps at Home Depot or Lowe'sthat are designed for mechanical devices.

(05:52):
Ideally, you want those ramps to havesome sort of cushion Or something
that your feet or your parentsfeet are not going to slip on.
The metal ramps are not so good,but if all else fails, get a piece
of carpet, glue it down to thatramp and make sure that they don't
slide off or you don't slide off.
If you don't want to spend money on a rampbecause they can get expensive, There's

(06:16):
nothing like a couple of 2x4s to givesupport, especially one down the middle,
And a big flat piece of particle board.
You can paint it to look pretty,or like I said, tack down carpet.
It works perfectly.
And don't forget microwaves and otherdevices in Home Depot or Lowe's.
The reason why I mentioned that is becauseif you have a gas stove or an electric

(06:40):
stove in your parents home, and they'rejust having problems with neuropathy or
forgetfulness, The best thing you can dois to make sure that those are unplugged
if mom or dad are there by themselves.
give them a small microwaveand show them how to use it.
let me tell you a quick storyabout an electric oven that my mom

(07:01):
and dad had in a care facility.
One day, I go visit Mom and Dad.
I came down from the north to thesouth, and yes, I called myself the
Wicked Witch from the north, becauseI would fly down, visit Mom and Dad,
always smiling, and usually stir upa little trouble for the caregivers,
or I wouldn't say the caregivers, butthe facility management, who tended

(07:22):
not to think too much about safety.
I don't think they even thought aboutramifications of a lot of things, although
they were one of the better placesin this area where Mom and Dad lived.
Pretty doesn't always mean good.
In any case, what was happening on thistrip, I learned, is that Dad was storing
straw baskets on top of an electricstove in Mom and Dad's apartment.

(07:46):
Now that's fine if Dad didn't bumpinto the buttons that were on the
front, not on the back of the stove.
By the way, if you do have an electricappliance, please make sure that you buy
one or have one with the buttons in theback, so that they don't accidentally bump
into them if they're going to use them.
So, I see that Dad stored these drawerbaskets, collecting creamers and sugars

(08:09):
and anything else he could find, includinglittle crackers for Mom, Who really
didn't feel like going down to the diningroom to have a meal three times a day.
I get it.
It's alright.
But, my concern was that Dad didn'treally know his way around a kitchen.
So, a small efficiency kitchen.
He would bump into things, turnaround, not even knowing that he

(08:32):
had twisted a knob, or bumped hiship on a corner and got in a bruise.
That's okay.
I loved it anyway, Dad, and I still do.
But my concern was what wouldhappen if he bumped into those
knobs and the stove turned on.
Oof, Could You Imagine, CookedMom and Dad, Alright, so
that's a little too graphic.

(08:53):
On that afternoon, I marched down tothe general manager's office and just
inquired about their liability insurance.
and then proceeded toexplain what had happened.
Within seconds, the maintenance, I haveto laugh here about this one, but truly,
within seconds, the maintenance departmentwas down there unplugging that stovetop.

(09:14):
Honestly, I hope they checked inevery other apartment too, because
it wasn't just my folks thatwere dealing with that, I know.
I'm pretty sure that there wereothers in their facility that were
dealing with similar challenges.
so other things that you can find eitherat Lowe's, Home Depot, or Harbor Freight,
or any other kind of fix it store, arewall outlets, now I'm not talking about

(09:36):
the 3D wall outlets that you might puta light in, or something like that,
But I'm actually talking about thephysical plate that goes onto the outlet.
There are some that actually have littletiny lights that are light sensitive,
and there's no need for a nightlight.
There are three little lights on thebottom, and when the lights are off, they

(09:56):
light up and show your way down the hall.
I love those because there's nothing tobump into, nothing to fall off the wall,
you know, like a nightlight or somethinglike that, and could get broken because.
You never know, wheelie walkers smashinto things, glass lights can shatter
and cause all sorts of problems.

(10:17):
But those little light plates are a gem.
I love each and every one of them.
And then finally, well, notfinally, but it's just another
way to think about things,
Is the no hands needed waste basket.
I love those.
You just wave your hand over them, the lidgoes up, and pop, in your garbage goes.

(10:37):
Whatever that might be, We ascaregivers rarely have a free hand.
so I love those no handsneeded waste baskets.
These are just a few things toget you thinking differently the
next time you walk into your nextneighborhood retail establishment.
It doesn't matter what it is.
Like I said, Lowe's, Home Depot,The Grocery Store, Or even

(11:01):
your favorite ice cream store.
There are lots of ways to thinkdifferently about solving problems
that you're dealing with every day.
and my guess is that you might evencome up with a few brilliant ideas
that can be shared here with others.
If you do go to EldercareSuccess.
live and leave a message for me.
There's a little button on the side thatsays leave Nancy a voicemail message.

(11:24):
You can leave a voicemail or just leaveme an email and say, Hey Nance, here's a
tip that I found blah, blah, blah store.
It might help others.
I'll share it here on the showand I'll mention your name too.
Why do we do this?
Because, I'm pretty sure that youwant to be in Eldercare Success.

(11:44):
I do too.
And finally, If you like theshow, please let me know.
You can do it on any of yourpodcast listening platforms,
and on eldercaresuccess.
live.
Sharing is caring.
It can be your gift to somebody that youknow, a friend, a family member, or even

(12:05):
a stranger, because it's my gift to you.
Be well, stay well, and we'llsee you soon and hear you soon.
Bye bye.