Home is the preferred place for most seniors to age. For a number of years, that may be a relatively easy option. But the final months or weeks may become especially scary, painful, or difficult to manage at home. That’s when hospice care is there to help. Hospice care is a wonderful service that’s generally staffed by caring individuals committed to helping your loved one experience…
Long before a senior needs full-time care, they begin to lose some physical ability or steadiness. Often simultaneously, they also tend to become more fragile. Falls and fractures in the elderly are so common that one out of every three people over 65 fall at least once each year! You may recognize your loved one’s condition and you may be afraid of them…
While technology won’t cure disease or prevent aging, there are a number of companies with devices and apps that are aimed at helping you care for your loved ones–even when you can’t be in their home with them. And anything that removes stress, helps maintain healthy routines, and alerts you to possible dangers can also contribute to better health. Combining technology and senior care can make a difference. A system that…
The specific requirements of caring for your loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia depends on what stage their mental deterioration has reached. As their condition progresses, not only will they need more direct care, but changes may need to be made in their living conditions. Whatever stage your loved one is at, here are four important things that you should do:…
It is estimated that four million Americans are currently suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease or a related form of dementia. Almost half of all nursing home patients suffer from the disease. There, we often find dementia patients slumped over in wheelchairs, seemingly unresponsive. Communicating with older loved ones in later stages of dementia and finding ways to offer them some quality of…
Driving is a symbol of freedom and independence. Many people find it hard to give up driving, even when they know they can no longer do it safely. On the other hand, sometimes a senior knows in their heart they should stop driving, but continues to drive because they are unaware of other, more suitable options. If you have concerns about an older adult driver,…
Alzheimer’s disease accounts for a majority of dementia cases. Regardless of what you call it, Alzheimer’s care can create challenges for both family and professional caregivers. The time it takes for Alzheimer’s to run its course varies from person to person. It seems to be affected by gender as well as the onset of age. There is no way to accurately predict the timing of…
When a person has had an injury, serious illness, or minor stroke, rehabilitation exercises can be hard–mentally and physically. Exercise can be boring for anyone, but especially tedious when the smallest movements are difficult or painful. Too often the effort reminds you of what you can not do, and with that there is the attending anxiety of wondering if you will ever be able to do it again. Seniors have lived…
The specific activities of an in-home caregiver depend on the client’s needs, but they always involve attentiveness, compassion, and empathy. These people-skills are every bit as important as the caregiver’s skills in assisting a person into or out of bed or off the toilet, managing food and medicine timetables and interactions, cooking appropriate foods, operating oxygen equipment, emptying catheter bags, and properly doing household chores. For…
How important is a strict diet for seniors? For some people a strict diet can feel too confining and just thinking about dietary rules can even make them crave what they “cannot” have. For other people, it can be a relief to know what they will be consuming and when, that they will always like. And their digestive system and…
