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  • Emergency Information Sheet for Seniors: Could 911 Find What They Need?

    Emergency Information Sheet for Seniors: Could 911 Find What They Need?

    If you had to call 911 today, would the paramedics know what medications you take? Would they know about your allergies or medical conditions? What if you were unable to answer their questions?

    An emergency information sheet for seniors can provide those answers when you can’t.

    It is a simple thing to prepare. But during an emergency, it could save valuable time.

    Put Important Information in One Place

    In an emergency, you may be frightened, confused, injured, or unconscious. A family member who normally knows your medical information may not be there.

    That is why it is a good idea to have important information written down ahead of time.

    Texas Ready recommends that older adults have a special contact sheet with medical and emergency information. This includes medications and dosages, allergies, health conditions, emergency contacts, and medical providers. It can also include information about medical equipment and special needs.

    What Should Be on Your Emergency Information Sheet?

    Keep the information simple and easy to read.

    Consider including:

    • Your full name
    • Date of birth
    • Home address
    • Phone number
    • Emergency contacts and their relationship to you
    • Primary doctor’s name and phone number
    • Pharmacy name and phone number
    • Major medical conditions
    • Current medications and dosages
    • Medication allergies
    • Other serious allergies
    • Medical equipment you use, such as oxygen
    • Mobility needs, such as a walker or wheelchair
    • Hearing, vision, or communication difficulties
    • Preferred hospital, if you have one
    • Important information about an advance directive or DNR, including where the actual document can be found

    If you have a medical condition that emergency personnel need to know about immediately, make sure it is easy to see on the page.

    Where Should You Keep It?

    The refrigerator is a good place.

    This isn’t just a convenient household suggestion. Some emergency services specifically recommend it.

    The West Central Texas Council of Governments Regional 9-1-1 Program recommends keeping medical history, doctors’ phone numbers, and emergency contacts on the refrigerator in an envelope marked “EMERGENCY INFORMATION.”

    Some fire departments also participate in programs known as File of Life. These programs use a clearly marked medical information form that is kept on the refrigerator.

    The reason is simple: emergency responders need to be able to find the information quickly.

    Don’t put your emergency sheet in a desk drawer underneath five years of receipts and expect someone to know it’s there!

    Make It Easy to Recognize

    Put the sheet in a brightly colored envelope or clear plastic sleeve.

    Label it clearly:

    EMERGENCY MEDICAL INFORMATION

    Then place it prominently on the refrigerator.

    You may also want to tell family members, caregivers, and other people who regularly visit your home where it is located.

    Don’t Forget the Date

    Put a Last Updated date at the bottom of your emergency information sheet.

    This is important.

    Medications change. Dosages change. Doctors change. Phone numbers change.

    An outdated medication list could cause confusion during an emergency.

    Review the page regularly. You should also update it whenever there is an important change in your medical information.

    What NOT to Put on the Sheet

    Remember that this information will be kept somewhere easy to find.

    That means you should be careful about including information that an emergency responder doesn’t need.

    Do not put your Social Security number on a sheet displayed on your refrigerator. Texas Ready recommends keeping Social Security numbers separate from other emergency information for identity security.

    I would also avoid putting the following on an openly displayed sheet:

    • Bank account information
    • Credit or debit card numbers
    • Passwords or PIN numbers
    • Online account information
    • Copies of financial documents
    • Other sensitive information that isn’t needed for emergency medical care

    The purpose of this sheet is to help emergency personnel care for you. It isn’t meant to contain your entire personal record.

    Don’t Let It Become Outdated

    One of the biggest mistakes you can make is creating an emergency sheet and then forgetting about it.

    If you stopped taking a medication two years ago, it shouldn’t still be listed as a current medication.

    If your emergency contact changed phone numbers, update it.

    If you develop a new allergy, add it.

    A simple reminder on your calendar every few months can help you remember to check the page.

    Don’t Hide It

    An emergency information sheet won’t be very helpful if nobody can find it.

    Don’t put your only copy in a locked safe, filing cabinet, computer, or another place that emergency personnel wouldn’t know to check.

    Keep the basic emergency medical information where it can be found quickly.

    More sensitive documents can still be stored securely elsewhere.

    One More Thing: Make Sure 911 Can Find Your House

    Having your medical information ready is important. But emergency responders first have to find you.

    The West Central Texas Regional 9-1-1 Program recommends making your address clearly visible on your property and home. Reflective numbers can make an address easier to see at night.

    For those of us who live in rural areas, this can be especially important.

    Take a look at your house number from the road. Could an ambulance driver who has never been to your home spot it quickly, especially after dark?

    If not, that’s another simple safety project worth doing.

    A Little Preparation Can Make a Big Difference

    Hopefully, your emergency information sheet will sit on your refrigerator for years without ever being needed.

    That’s the best outcome.

    But emergencies don’t give us time to get organized.

    Taking a few minutes now to write down your medications, medical conditions, allergies, doctors, and emergency contacts can give first responders valuable information when every minute matters.

    And once you’ve made the sheet, tell someone you trust where it is.

    It’s a small job that can provide a lot of peace of mind.

    Elderly shower safely

    Carol’s Senior Care

  • After a Boil Water Notice Is Lifted: What Should You Do at Home?

    After a Boil Water Notice Is Lifted: What Should You Do at Home?

    When a boil water notice is lifted, it is certainly good news—but there are still a few things you should do around your home before everything goes completely back to normal. That became especially relevant for some of our neighbors in the Sharp and Davilla area this week, when Bell-Milam-Falls Water Supply Corporation issued a boil water notice on September 23 following a loss of water or low water pressure and later rescinded it.

    Once your water supplier officially lifts a boil water notice, the water has been determined to be safe to drink again. But water that was already sitting in household plumbing, filters, ice makers and appliances may need a little attention.

    Here are some simple steps to take.

    First, Make Sure the Notice Really Has Been Lifted

    Don’t assume the water is safe simply because the water is running normally again.

    Wait until your water supplier or local authorities have officially rescinded the boil water notice.

    In Texas, a public water system must correct the problem, return the system to normal operating conditions and complete required testing before a boil water notice can be lifted.

    For the recent local notice, Bell-Milam-Falls WSC announced later on September 23 that the notice affecting the Davilla and Sharp area had been rescinded.

    Flush Your Faucets

    After a boil water notice is lifted, it is a good idea to flush your household plumbing.

    Run cold water through your faucets for several minutes. This helps move fresh water through the pipes and clears out water that may have been sitting in your home’s plumbing during the disruption.

    Don’t forget faucets that aren’t used as often, such as those in a guest bathroom, utility room or outdoor sink.

    If your home experienced a noticeable loss of water pressure, flushing your faucets and showers is particularly important.

    Don’t Forget the Refrigerator and Ice Maker

    Your refrigerator may be connected directly to your home’s water supply.

    If ice was made while the boil water notice was in effect, throw that ice away. You don’t want to keep using ice made from water that was under the advisory.

    Your refrigerator’s water dispenser and ice maker may also need to be flushed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

    This is one of those little things that can easily be forgotten once we hear that the water is safe again.

    Check Your Water Filters

    If you have a refrigerator filter, under-sink filter or another point-of-use water filtration system, check the manufacturer’s instructions about what should be done following a boil water notice.

    Some filters may need to be replaced.

    A household water filter shouldn’t automatically be considered protection during a boil water notice. Most common household filters are not designed to remove every type of bacteria or virus that may be of concern during an advisory.

    That is why public-health officials generally tell residents to follow the boil-water instructions even when they normally drink filtered water.

    What About a Reverse Osmosis System?

    Some homes in our area—including ours—use a reverse osmosis system for drinking water.

    Even if you have an RO system, you should still follow the instructions issued by your water supplier during a boil water notice unless the manufacturer and local health authorities specifically say otherwise.

    After the notice is lifted, check the instructions for your particular RO system. Depending on the system and circumstances, filters, membranes or storage tanks may require flushing, sanitizing or other maintenance.

    Not every system is the same, so this is one situation where the manufacturer’s instructions matter.

    Run Your Water Softener

    If you have a water softener, public-health guidance recommends running it through a regeneration cycle after a boil water advisory has ended.

    That allows fresh water to move through the system before you return to normal use.

    Again, check your particular manufacturer’s instructions if you’re unsure how to do this.

    What About Coffee Makers and Other Appliances?

    Think about appliances around your kitchen that automatically draw water from a water line.

    That might include an automatic coffee maker, refrigerator dispenser, ice machine or other appliance.

    If the appliance received water while the boil notice was in effect, follow the manufacturer’s directions for flushing and cleaning it before using it again.

    For an ordinary coffee maker that you fill by hand, simply wash it as you normally would and begin with fresh water once the notice has officially been lifted.

    You Don’t Have to Panic and Clean the Whole House

    Once the water supplier has officially announced that the water is safe again, there is no reason to turn the situation into a massive house-cleaning project.

    You don’t normally need to scrub every surface, wash every dish in the cabinets or throw away everything that might have come near tap water.

    Concentrate on the places where water actually sits or flows: your faucets, filters, refrigerator water system, ice maker and other water-connected appliances.

    A little common sense goes a long way.

    Keep Emergency Drinking Water on Hand

    A boil water notice is also a good reminder to keep some drinking water stored at home.

    Water interruptions can happen because of broken water lines, loss of pressure, severe weather, equipment problems and other unexpected events.

    Having bottled water available can make those first few hours much easier—particularly for older adults, families with small children, people with health concerns and households with pets.

    Here in rural Central Texas, it never hurts to be prepared for an interruption in water service.

    Back to Normal in Sharp and Davilla

    For residents affected by the September 23 notice, the good news is that Bell-Milam-Falls WSC has officially rescinded the boil water notice for the Davilla and Sharp area.

    Once a notice is lifted, taking a few minutes to flush your plumbing and check the appliances and filters that use household water can help get everything back to normal.

    At Driscoll Home Services, we keep an eye on local information that can affect homes and families throughout Milam County. Sometimes something as simple as knowing what to do after a water interruption can make taking care of your home a little easier.

  • Carol’s Quick Household Tip: Save Those Appliance Twist Ties

    Carol’s Quick Household Tip: Save Those Appliance Twist Ties

    When you buy a small appliance, the cord is often bundled with some pretty good twist ties. I hate to throw those away because they can come in handy for all kinds of little jobs around the house. Twist tie storage.

    The problem is figuring out where to keep them. Toss them in a drawer and before long they’re tangled together or buried underneath everything else.

    I found a simple solution using an empty spice jar with large shaker holes.

    Clean and dry the empty spice jar, then put your saved twist ties inside and feed the ends through the holes in the shaker top. The ties stay together in one place. But the ends stick out where you can easily see and grab one whenever you need it.

    It keeps those useful twist ties organized, gives an empty spice jar a second purpose, and costs absolutely nothing. Twist tie storage.

    Carol’s Tip: Before throwing away an empty spice container, take a look at the shaker top. Those big holes can make it a surprisingly useful little organizer.

    Driscoll Home Services.

  • Carol’s Quick Household Tip: Clean Ceiling Fans With a Pillowcase

    Carol’s Quick Household Tip: Clean Ceiling Fans With a Pillowcase

    Ceiling fan blades can collect a surprising amount of dust, and wiping them with a regular dust cloth often sends that dust all over the room.There’s an easier and much less messy way to clean them. Clean the ceiling fan with an old cotton pillowcase.

    Slip the pillowcase completely over one ceiling fan blade. With your hands on the outside of the pillowcase, gently wipe the top and bottom of the blade as you pull the pillowcase back toward you.

    The inside of the pillowcase wipes the blade clean while catching most of the loose dust inside instead of letting it fall onto your furniture, bed, or floor.

    Repeat with each blade, then take the pillowcase outside, turn it inside out and shake the dust out before washing it.

    Carol’s Tip: Use an old cotton pillowcase that you don’t mind getting dirty. It makes cleaning those dusty ceiling fan blades a lot less messy.

    Looking for more simple ideas? See more of Carol’s Quick Household Tips from Driscoll Home Services.

  • Carol’s Quick Household Tip: Turn a Paper Plate Into a Funnel

    Carol’s Quick Household Tip: Turn a Paper Plate Into a Funnel

    Have you ever tried to measure just a few tablespoons of Malt-O-Meal or Cream of Wheat from a box with a small opening? It can be difficult to pour out just the amount you need without making a mess or pouring out too much. Solve this by making a paper plate funnel.

    Here’s a simple trick I use.

    Pour some of the cereal onto a flimsy paper plate, then measure out the tablespoons you need. When you’re finished, there will probably be some cereal left on the plate.

    Instead of throwing it away, gently bend the paper plate in half. The fold creates a simple funnel that makes it easy to pour the extra cereal right back through the small opening in the box.

    It saves food, prevents a mess, and you don’t need a separate funnel.

    Carol’s Tip: This works great with Malt-O-Meal and Cream of Wheat, but you can use the same trick with many other dry foods that come in boxes or containers with small openings.

    Looking for more simple ideas? See more of Carol’s Quick Household Tips from Driscoll Home Services.

  • Carol’s Quick Household Tip: Keep Your Cutting Board from Sliding

    Carol’s Quick Household Tip: Keep Your Cutting Board from Sliding

    Does your cutting board slide around on the counter while you’re trying to chop vegetables or prepare a meal?

    Here’s an easy fix: place a slightly damp dish towel underneath the cutting board.

    The damp towel helps grip both the countertop and the bottom of the board, keeping it much more stable while you work. You don’t need the towel soaking wet—just damp enough to keep it from slipping.

    It’s a small thing, but a steady cutting board makes food preparation easier and safer.

    Carol’s Tip: Wring the towel out well before putting it under the board. You want a little grip, not water all over your countertop.

    Looking for more simple ideas? See more of Carol’s Quick Household Tips from Driscoll Home Services.

  • Pantry Moths: Tiny Pests That Can Become a Big Nuisance

    Pantry Moths: Tiny Pests That Can Become a Big Nuisance

    Lately, a couple of our customers have been dealing with pantry moths. If you have ever had them, you already know what a nuisance these little pests can be.

    You may notice one little moth flying around the kitchen and not think too much about it. Then you see another one. Before long, you start wondering where in the world they are coming from.

    Unfortunately, the answer may be sitting right in your pantry.

    Where Do Pantry Moths Come From?

    Pantry moths, often called Indian meal moths, can come into the house in food that is already infested. That means having pantry moths does not necessarily mean that your kitchen or pantry is dirty.

    They can turn up in flour, cereal, rice, pasta, oatmeal, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, baking mixes and other dry foods. Don’t forget about dry pet food and birdseed, either. Those can be easy places to overlook.

    Once they get established, they can spread from one food product to another.

    Finding the Source

    Getting rid of the moths you see flying around is only part of the job. You need to find where they are coming from.

    Take the food out of your pantry and look through it carefully. Check opened packages, but don’t automatically assume an unopened package is safe.

    Look for small larvae, webbing, clumped food or anything else that just doesn’t look right. If you find an infested product, the safest and simplest thing to do is throw it away.

    And keep looking. There may be more than one problem package.

    Give the Pantry a Good Cleaning

    Once you have removed the food, vacuum the pantry thoroughly.

    Pay particular attention to corners, shelf edges, cracks and little spaces where crumbs and food particles can collect. Pantry moth larvae can wander away from the food before becoming adult moths, so don’t limit your search to the food packages themselves.

    After vacuuming, clean the shelves thoroughly. I would also suggest making a 50% solution of water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray all the cracks and crevices, then let everything dry before putting food back.

    This is one of those jobs where being thorough pays off.

    Store Dry Foods in Sealed Containers

    One of the best ways to prevent another pantry moth problem is to change the way you store foods that they like.

    Instead of leaving flour, cereal, rice and similar foods in cardboard boxes or thin bags, consider putting them into glass jars or sturdy plastic or metal containers with tight-fitting lids.

    This does two things. It helps keep pantry pests from getting into your food, and if you happen to bring home a product that is already infested, it can help keep the problem contained instead of allowing it to spread throughout the pantry.

    I also like the idea of keeping pantry foods rotated. Use the older packages first instead of letting things sit forgotten in the back of the cupboard. It saves food, saves money and gives you a chance to notice a problem before it gets out of hand.

    What About Pantry Moth Traps?

    Pantry moth traps can be useful, particularly for helping you determine whether moths are still present.

    But don’t depend on the traps alone.

    If there is an infested bag of flour, cereal, pet food or something else hiding in the pantry, removing the source is what really matters. You can keep catching moths, but more will continue to appear as long as they have somewhere to reproduce.

    Don’t Forget the Unusual Places

    If you have cleaned out the pantry and the moths keep coming back, start looking elsewhere.

    Check the dog or cat food. Check birdseed. Look through nuts, dried fruit, spices, baking supplies and packages that haven’t been used in a long time.

    Sometimes the source is something you would never have suspected.

    A Little Prevention Goes a Long Way

    Pantry moths aren’t the worst household problem you can have, but they certainly can be aggravating.

    The good news is that you can usually get them under control by finding the source, getting rid of infested food, cleaning thoroughly and storing your dry foods in good sealed containers.

    And the next time you see one of those little moths fluttering around the kitchen, don’t just swat it and forget about it.

    It might be a good time to take a look in the pantry.

    For help keeping your home clean and manageable, learn more about Driscoll Cleaning.