Home Instead Senior Care providing the most trusted elder home care in America! Helps family caregivers cope with senior care in Dallas. Call us today at 972-239-3934.

Let us help you keep mom and dad at home!

The holiday season is upon us, and you and your family will see mom for a four-day visit. Knowing that your mom will need elderly care, here are some pointers to coordinate her care during those four days. As you live at a distance, you will also want to look into home care options for the long-term.

Here’s what you can do:

• Check the Internet and search Google for Home Care Dallas, Home Health Dallas, Elder Care and Senior Care Dallas. See what at home care services are available to your mom in Dallas. 
• You can also Google ”Dallas Elderly Government Services” and see what services can benefit your aging parent.
• Look into senior services such as Meals on Wheels, or other charitable organizations in your mother’s area.
• Browsing the web or checking the phonebook should give you options.
• Purchasing an emergency alarm system for your mom might ease your worries, especially if you’re trying to coordinate her home health from a distance. Pressing a button will signal for the appropriate response to any emergency to mom.
• You might also invest in gadgets that can help monitor your mom, as you will not always be there. For instance, some cooking devices actually limit how hot they can get.
• Home Instead Senior care Dallas provides non-medical Companionship, Homemaker and Personal Care services we provide include meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, laundry and ironing, escorting to appointments and events, incidental transportation, and assistance with ambulation, bathing, dressing and personal hygiene.

For more information visit these links:
http://www.laterlife.com/retirement-c5/retirement-caring-for-elderly-parents-living-in-their-own-home.htm
http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/2008/03/taking-care-of-aging-parents-as-a-family.html
http://gadgetophilia.com/10-gadgets-to-improve-parent-child-relation/

Home Instead Senior Care providing the most trusted elder home care in America! Helps family caregivers cope with senior care in Dallas. Call us today at 972-239-3934.

Let us help you keep mom and dad at home!

Checking up over the Holidays

During the holiday season, when our practice is open, we find that many adult children of our patients walk through our doors. Many of these individuals travel a long way to ring in the holiday celebrations with their aging parents, and know that while they are in town they can do more to help with their care.

Some meet with our doctors to discuss their senior’s overall health; others want to address specific concerns regarding what they have witnessed during their visit. While of course we have to maintain a level of confidentiality, we do what we can to help; because we know that being local creates the ideal opportunity for families to make arrangements and get seniors they help they need.

As a nurse specializing in senior care, it often falls to me to provide information on local resources to their families. I encourage the children to visit local nursing homes and assisted living facilities, speak with caregiving agencies and interview medical and non-medical in-home caregivers, and drop in on caregiver support groups to speak with others going through the same process. It can also be a good time for family members to speak with neighbors and friends who may have more information on the senior’s routines and would notice any concerning changes.

I’m a big advocate for in-home safety devices for seniors who live independently in their own homes, so I encourage families to assess the way their parents are living and identify any safety hazards. Being local, it’s the ideal opportunity to purchase and install safety products to help reduce the chance that an accident will occur.

Happy holidays to you and your families, but while you enjoy the time together, exercise proactive thinking about senior care and living.

Resources:

Seniors Resource Guide, Texas (http://www.seniorsresourceguide.com/directories/SanAntonio/search_topics.html)

Texas Aging Network
(http://www.texasagingnetwork.com/)

USA.gov Senior Citizens Resources
(http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Seniors.shtml)

Home Instead Senior Care providing the most trusted elder home care in America! Helps family caregivers cope with senior care in Dallas. Call us today at 972-239-3934.

Let us help you keep mom and dad at home!

Seniors Should Keep in Touch Too

After the holidays, the obligation often falls on the rest of the family and not the senior members to keep in touch. While it is important that seniors are made to feel important and loved year-round, beyond the holiday celebrations, seniors also need to make the effort to keep the lines of communication open.

The following are methods both sides of the family can use to make sure those who live away feel valued, regardless of age.

• Make regular phone calls, beyond just on birthdays or special occasions. Calling just to chat will let the other party know you’re thinking about them
• When a family member phones, make them feel welcome and make sure you always appear approachable
• Send photos to your loved ones to let them know what your immediate family has been up to, it’s as close as they may get to actually being there
• Send “just because” gifts
• Allow children to call their elder relatives anytime they want to share some news, or let them mail a hand-drawn picture
• Remember to allow the other person to talk and show interest in what’s important to them

This holiday season, put your feet up and make new memories with your family, but remember to keep in touch throughout the year. Seniors don’t need to wait for their families to take the first step; you’re never too old to pick up the phone.

Home Instead Senior Care providing the most trusted elder home care in America! Helps family caregivers cope with senior care in Dallas. Call us today at 972-239-3934.

Let us help you keep mom and dad at home!

Learning How to Ask for Help

The senior clients that we work with come to us only after they and their families have recognized their need for caregiving assistance. We know that for a senior, one of the biggest challenges that they face as they age, is coming to terms with the changes they’re experiencing, and acknowledging that they may need help to carry on their lifestyle. Once they have made this recognition, the next step is approaching the subject with their loved ones and asking for help.

Speaking with family members of seniors, we know that the type of help they offer takes a variety of forms. Often, it depends on the time that a relative is able to commit to helping the senior, based on the other responsibilities in their life. Seniors often ask them for assistance with basic tasks, like driving them to appointments, taking them shopping, or picking up prescriptions. Although seniors are often reluctant to ask for as much, some family members are able to provide part or full-time care assistance; while others take control of hiring a professional caregiver or research suitable assisted living facilities.

Home Instead Senior Care providing the most trusted elder home care in America! Helps family caregivers cope with senior care in Dallas. Call us today at 972-239-3934.

Let us help you keep mom and dad at home!

This year when you visit the elder in your life in their assisted living home for the holidays, come prepared to offer your companionship and entertainment. While your companionship alone can go along way to make it an enjoyable holiday for an elder relative; simple activities will create bonding experiences to pass the time.

Try to pick activities that they might find enjoyable:

• Playing cards
• Bridge
• Chess
• Board games
• A family movie

Seniors often enjoy reminiscing about events and people that bring back happy memories, so consider bringing a family photo album with you when you visit, or go for a walk and discuss what’s happening in the lives of the relatives you have in common. If you have a pet, and your loved one’s nursing home allows it, bring it with you for a day. Interacting with dogs in particular have proven benefits when it comes to ridding seniors of depression.

This holiday season, regardless of what you do with the senior in your life, enjoy and celebrate together.

Source: http://searchwarp.com/swa79063.htm

Home Instead Senior Care providing the most trusted elder home care in America! Helps family caregivers cope with senior care in Dallas. Call us today at 972-239-3934.

Let us help you keep mom and dad at home!

Holiday Visits: Knowing your Loved One is Okay

The holidays are a time when family and friends come together to celebrate the season. For many families with aging members, it can be a rare occasion that allows them to check in and see how their loved one is okay. Detecting elder care issues when living a long distance away can be challenging, so without distracting from the holiday celebrations, quietly assess the senior’s lifestyle and physical health to make sure no issues are occurring when you visit.

Below are 10 signs to look for which may indicate a problem. Many are applicable whether the senior in your life is living independently or a community care facility.

1. The senior is becoming socially isolated and stays at home
2. They seem to be struggling to keep up with chores
3. Communication skills are visibly declining
4. Neglecting responsibilities; bills or mail are unopened
5. They appear unkempt, hygiene is poor
6. They have lost a substantial amount of weight for no reason
7. There are unused prescription medications in the home
8. Bruises are visible on their body, possible indicating falls or injuries
9. They are showing signs of confusion or disorientation
10. You have a feeling things just aren’t quite right

After you return home have a family or friend check in, call your loved one regularly and ensure they visit a physician on a regular basis to monitor their well-being.

Source: http://www.caring.com/blogs/caring-currents/10-signs-a-senior-needs-assistance

Encouraging Independence

Seniors living with Alzheimer’s encounter a number of challenges when it comes to day-to-day living and performing tasks that the rest of us may find routine. Those who are in the later stages of the disease may require the full-time assistance of a professional or family caregiver.

While it is crucial that caregivers provide them with assistance and supervision to maintain their safety, seniors with Alzheimer’s should also be encouraged to maintain as much of their independence as possible. Areas of the home where they may be self-sufficient should be safety-proofed, and access should be made as easy as possible. Caregivers should consider placing senior safety devices in the bathroom in particular, if they are able to remain independent, to reduce the likelihood of accidents.

It is also important to keep seniors away from areas of the home which may pose a physical threat. Caregivers must establish which areas are to be off-limits, and potentially dangerous objects should be kept in areas that cannot be accessed. By establishing these limitations, it will also reduce the senior’s levels of frustration.

Caring for a senior with Alzheimer’s can be challenging, but by establishing guidelines, encouraging independence and providing a safe, structured environment, a senior’s well-being will be greatly enhanced.

Home Instead Senior Care providing the most trusted elder home care in America! Helps family caregivers cope with senior care in Dallas. Call us today at 972-239-3934.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas is one of the best alternatives to assisted living and nursing homes in Dallas. Your loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Caregiving for Elders at Home

When grandma called me a work one day crying, saying she forgot where she put her keys… I knew instantly, she needed home care help. I could not be there personally because my job was very demanding and had 2 small children to care for.  So, I began the search for home care help for grandma. 

I drove over to grandma’s that afternoon, and together we came to the decision that I would help her hire a caregiver. Together we decided to hire someone part-time from Home Instead Senior Care, and left it open to adding more hours as grandma needed more help. we talked about what she needed like help in the kitchen, grocery shopping, running errands and someone to take her to her weekly doctor’s appointment. 

What is so wonderful is that I never hear fear in grandma’s voice. She has come alive because she knows someone is looking out for her.  Grandma’s lovely caregiver has been coming into her home and is doing a great job. This makes me have more peace of mind at work and I know that grandma is in  good hands.

Home Instead Senior Care providing the most trusted elder home care in America! Helps family caregivers cope with senior care in Dallas. Call us today at 972-239-3934.

Sugar: A Natural Source of Energy

Energy can come from many sources, and is especially important for those in their senior years, because a decline in energy can result in a decline in brain function. Many seniors experience problems with their memories, have trouble forming thoughts when communicating, and find decision making challenging. Since this is such a common issue, many seniors seek a simple and easy solution to boost their mental powers. The answer is quite simple, really; with physical energy comes an optimally functioning brain.

As I mentioned, energy comes from many sources; exercise, sunlight, problem-solving, and of course diet. A great source of energy is sugar; or rather, glucose, in its natural, non-processed form. Fresh fruits and juices will release the natural energy that keeps a senior’s ability to concentrate and process thoughts sharp. Additional foods like bananas, which contain potassium, help glucose release gradually from the bloodstream throughout the day; while, peppermint helps refresh the mind, and fiber boosts your energy levels. Exposure to sunlight also helps overall well-being, which only benefits your physical and mental ability to function day-to-day.

So, to keep your mind in optimal shape as you age, look to sugar as a natural source of energy.

Image: canada.com

Home Instead Senior Care providing the most trusted elder home care in America! Helps family caregivers cope with senior care in Dallas. Call us today at 972-239-3934.

“I had a fall.” These can be chilling words to hear if you are a caregiver, spouse, child, or friend of an older person.  The possible consequences can be devastating: bruises, broken bones, hospitalization, loss of mobility, and loss of independence.

The fear of falling can lead older adults to limit their activities. This can actually increase the risk of falling as lack of exercise and reduced movement impairs flexibility and balance. 

Falls are the leading cause of injury among Americans over age 65, sending 1.8 million seniors to the emergency room in 2005, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing falls is a key component of healthy aging.

Experts say that efforts to prevent falls should include management of chronic conditions, limiting the number of medications to reduce adverse side effects, physical therapy to increase range of motion, and “fall-proofing” the home.

The first step to fall-proofing the home is to create open paths through each room.  Furniture should be re-arranged so that seniors can walk through each room without have to maneuver around tables and chairs.  There should be a clear path from the bed to the bathroom that is wide enough to be negotiated in the dark.