RNS Private Duty Care

Happy Father's Day to all the men who love with a father's heart!

We wish you a fabulous day and hope you are able to enjoy the day with family & friends.

We provide a full range of care and resources that enrich the lives of seniors, plus ill and disabled adults.

Our care enables them to live happy, healthy, independent lives in the comfort and security of their own homes, or retirement communities. With the utmost integrity and trust.

To hear more about our services please give us a call! 913-203-7731

Alzheimer's is a type​​​​ of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. Below are a few more facts about Alzheimer's:

Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive problems that are serious enough to interfere with daily life.

Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of growing older. It is often mistaken and left undiagnosed because of misconceptions around significant memory loss as a normal sign of aging.

Alzheimer’s is a chronic disease, and the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s is aging. The majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older. It is more likely to affect women and communities of color.

Below are some tools to help empower individuals and their families to recognize the signs and symptoms, foster open conversations with family and healthcare providers, and understand ways to promote overall brain health.
* Memory loss
* Challenges planning or solving problems
* Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, work or leisure
* Confusion with time or place
* Trouble understanding visual images or spatial relations
* New problems with words in speaking or writing
* Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
* Decreased or poor judgment
* Withdrawal from work or social activities
* Changes in mood or personality

Early detection and diagnosis may allow more time to plan, which can improve quality of life and contribute to a more positive health outcome. Take the first step by talking to your doctor about screening.

Keep an eye out for next month's awareness article.

For the month of May our "Recognizing Noteworthy Staff Award" is a very special selection. Congratulations to two sisters, Rondie & Bryanda who joined us around the same time last fall. They are both rock stars!

RNS is grateful to have two caregivers who both understand the care needed for our clients and come to us with the same heart and work ethic. Both of those special traits are so needed for the seniors we serve!

We can't say enough how much we appreciate having caregivers who come to RNS as a team. They already have demonstrated working together as a family which is exactly what we work at achieving every day here at RNS Private Duty Care!

Congratulations to Rondie and Bryanda! We are so glad to say your family is now our family!

As we celebrate this Memorial Day weekend, we honor the memory of our loved ones who served and gave their all. They will never be forgotten.

We appreciate all our wonderful nurses and their commitment to our company.

Please help us this week in recognizing the invaluable contributions of all nurses worldwide.

100th birthdays are rare and momentous occasions to celebrate lives well-lived!

This week we celebrated with one of our clients their 100th birthday. It's an honor to continue caring for her and to celebrate this age milestone with her.

Happy Birthday Ms. Ingram!! We hope you have had a fabulous celebration week!

RNS is proud to announce for the month of April our Recognizing Noteworthy Staff
Award is Tangela B.!

Tangela has been with RNS for some time and has been such an asset to us as a company and her clients love her!
Tangela is so helpful in every situation ; she has the skill set and personality to enhance the home and care of any RNS client!

Congratulations Tangela!

RNS, every staff member is grateful for you becoming part of the RNS family!

April Awareness - Move More Month

National Move More Month is every April and the objective is clear and simple: get up and move!

Created by the American Heart Association as a way to help improve health of Americans everywhere, National Move Month is aimed at getting more of us to hit 10,000 steps every day or, even better, to hit that 20-minutes of aerobic exercise mark every day.

National "Move More Month" Statistics
* $1 trillion - the cost of heart disease
The economic costs of cardiovascular and heart disease are projected to reach $1 trillion by 2035 unless we take the time to move more and get more exercise

* 69% of people are overweight
About sixty-nine percent of US adults are obese and that statistic will only rise unless we do our part to create healthy habits and exercise more

* 80% is preventable
Eighty percent of cardiovascular disease in the US is considered preventable, especially by getting out and moving more.

Below are some ideas to get you moving:
Go for a walk
You’ve been doing it for most of your life and it’s one of the healthiest things you can do. Go get those 10,000 steps!

Go for a run
A little more advanced than walking but just as healthy and just as good for you. Get some miles in and chase that runner’s high.

Strength Training
If cardio isn’t your thing, you could always hit the gym for some good, old fashioned strength training.

Keep an eye out for next month's awareness article.

For the month of March, RNS is happy to present Kaitlyn M. as our recipient of the Recognizing Noteworthy Staff award!

Kaitlyn has been with multiple RNS clients and has been loved by all! Kaitlyn has the unique ability to adjust her skills for every client she provides with care!
She also has many times put her own plans aside in order to help wherever there is a need for any RNS clients. The management of RNS staff greatly appreciates how Kaitlyn is always willing to help us out just like she does the seniors she is so dedicated to. Kaitlyn has a unique skill set and personality that blends perfectly with the many seniors RNS serves.

Kaitlyn, thank you for your strong dedication and we are so grateful you made RNS your home and hope to have you part of the family here for many years to come!

March Awareness - Kidney Awareness
Get to know your kidneys - No matter your age, learning about your kidneys can prevent or slow the progression of kidney disease.

Learn about kidney health:
* Your kidneys make urine and remove waste and extra fluid from your body.
* If your kidneys are struggling, they will work harder to keep up.
* You can lose up to 60% of your kidney function before you notice any problems.
* It’s important to take steps to keep your kidneys healthy today.

Understand your risk for kidney disease:
* If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or a family history of kidney disease, or if you are over age 65, talk with a health care professional about your risk for kidney disease.
* Checking on your kidneys is the best way to know if they are healthy.
* Your health care professional can help you get tested for kidney disease and talk with you about your test results.

Embrace a kidney-healthy lifestyle:
* Take steps to build healthy habits.
* Eat healthy foods you enjoy.
* Be active for 30 minutes each day.
* Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep at night.
* Quit smoking and limit your alcohol intake.

We are happy to announce our February Recognizing Noteworthy Staff Award goes to Nyriel!

Nyriel has been a very valuable employee with RNS for almost a year. We hope she remains with us for many years to come! Nyriel has become a bonded member of her client's family and has provided ongoing care. She makes a great match for both her client and herself!

Nyriel consistently puts her client's needs before her own personal time and always creates an environment of safety and fun!

We appreciate having a caregiver who is so dedicated to RNS and brings such a strong work ethic!

We are so grateful she found us and we want her to know how grateful we are to have her as part of our RNS family! Thank you!

Are you super bowl ready? We are!

Go CHIEFS! 🏈

We are pleased to announce our first Recognizing Noteworthy Staff award for 2024 goes to Lynn S.! Congratulations Lynn!

Lynn has been a consistent face to her ongoing clients this past year and continues to stay dedicated to them. She goes above and beyond for each of them. She's been very successful in helping her clients by encouraging them to get back to the tasks & social life, they've always loved to do.

We are so thankful to have Lynn as part of the RNS team. We look forward to many more years with her!

Thank you for all your dedication & hard work over the last year Lynn! ❤️

February Awareness - American Heart Month

You have the power to take action to protect yourself against heart disease. Small heart-healthy actions like adding more movement to our day or choosing healthy foods, can have a big impact on protecting our hearts.

Learn Symptoms of Heart Disease

One good way to show support for American Heart Month might be to get educated about warning signs and symptoms that could be indicators of heart disease. Some of the most obvious warning signs for heart issues are fairly well known, such as pain, pressure or tightness in the chest, or chest discomfort (called angina). But it’s also important to consider some of these other warning signs that could indicate problems:

• Shortness of breath, including coughing or wheezing
• Pain in a variety of places such as the jaw, neck, throat, back, or upper belly
• Swelling in the feet, ankles or legs
• Pain, weakness, numbness or a cold feeling in the extremities (arms and legs)

Help Prevent Heart Disease

Preventing heart disease and heart problems can be a very individual activity, but it can also mean getting involved in community events in celebration of American Heart Month. After all, health can be encouraged as a social endeavor that promotes accountability and resources that can’t necessarily be accessed when a person is on their own!

Along the lines of healthy choices that people can make to work toward the prevention of heart disease, doctors often recommend a change in various lifestyle habits:

• This may include eating a healthy, well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, fish, and less use of sweets or unhealthy fats.
• In addition, those who are more physically active can help with heart health as well as reducing weight.
• Reduction of alcohol consumption and quitting smoking are other ways to act preventatively against heart disease.

Grateful for the amazing friendships that have blossomed in the workplace!

Whether it's sharing a coffee break, tackling projects together, or simply supporting each other through the highs and lows, work friends make the journey so much more enjoyable.

Regularly consuming blueberries may protect against cognitive decline in people who are at risk of dementia, according to a new study.

More than 55 million people around the world are living with dementia. Every 20 years, that figure doubles, putting the number of people living with dementia at close to 140 million in 2050.

Unfortunately, there is no treatment for dementia—a disease that costs more than $1.3 trillion worldwide—but researchers have uncovered mind-boosting benefits derived from certain foods and beverages, such as coffee, tea, vitamin B-rich fruits and vegetables—and now, blueberries.

Blueberries are packed with micronutrients and bioactive flavonoid compounds such as anthocyanins. Anthocyanins lend the potent berry its deep blue and purple coloring and also protect the plant from stressors such as infection and oxidation.

The present study builds on preliminary studies touting the potential of blueberries to improve cognitive performance and brain function. The study focused on middle-age populations with the goal of identifying methods of disease prevention and risk reduction.

For the present study, researchers administered the equivalent of one-half cup blueberries as whole, freeze-dried blueberry powder, or placebo, to participants—overweight men and women ages 50 to 65 with subjective cognitive decline. This form of cognitive impairment is considered one of the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The participants were also insulin-resistant and were considered to have an elevated risk for future dementia.

Further, blueberry supplementation produced a reduction of fasting insulin and a trend for increased mitochondrial uncoupling. Mitochondrial uncoupling has been associated with greater longevity and reduced oxidative stress.

The study’s findings position blueberries as a potentially powerful tool to protect against neurocognitive decline in vulnerable individuals.

Happy New Year from RNS Private Duty Care. May this year be filled with new opportunities, exciting challenges and memorable achievements!

Cheers to a wonderful 2024!

We are excited to congratulate Blake T. for being our December Recognizing Noteworthy Staff recipient!!!

Blake has been with the RNS team for 2 years & has continuously shown her dependability & kind nature. Blake continues to commit 3-4 nights a week to her on-going client & does it with a smile! Her client's spouse has described her as "detail-oriented & reliable". Any client she has been with has relayed how Blake goes above & beyond for anything they needed.

The RNS team values her hard work & dedication to any client she has cared for & we are proud to present this award to her. Thank you!

'Tis the season for smiles and twinkling lights! 🎄🎁✨

We had the pleasure of attending the Kansas City Home Care Association Annual Luncheon this week. During the event they recognized some wonderful caregivers and one of them was our very own!

Antoinette joined the RNS team just recently but has already demonstrated how valuable it will be to have her as a caregiver! Antoinette has already provided care for multiple clients and every single one is requesting her back.

Antoinette had zero caregiving experience when she was interviewed but asked us to give her chance. In the words of her client, "you hit it out of the ballpark giving me Antoinette".

RNS Private Duty Care is proud to have nominated Antoinette for the 2023 Outstanding Associate Award because she is! Thank you!

A festive little elf spreading holiday cheer dropped by our office today!

Thank you to Sassy Face KC for the goodies!

She caught us off guard in the best way possible! 🎁✨

December Awareness - Physical and Mental Self Care during the Holidays

For most, the holiday season brings joy and excitement. We get to spend time with our loved ones. However, for others, it might be a time where stress, grieving, and other problems may affect our ability to be happy. We may mourn those who are longer with us and your client may be mourning a loved one as well.
Dealing With Grief at The Holidays

Dealing with grief is never easy, and during the holidays, it can be especially painful when it seems that everything around you is about joy. Acknowledging that things will be different and that there will be some difficult moments is an important first step. But there are ways to get through this period of time and find moments of grace, especially if you engage with those who care most about you.

In order to continue to provide exceptional care for your client(s), self care is crucial during this time.

Below are some tips for working through grief during the holiday season:

Keep your daily routine
Talk about your feelings
Try something new
Let yourself off the hook
Honor those who have passed
Ask for help if needed
Be good to yourself