Family Caregiver Tips

The Questions You Need Answered During Holiday Visits With Seniors It’s been months since you’ve had the chance for a nice, long visit with Mom. Now that the holidays are here, you’ll have some quality time to catch up. Naturally, you will want to make the most of this time with each other, but it is also the ideal time to assess how she is really doing, and if you're picking up on any changes in her health that perhaps have gone undetected through phone conversations and FaceTime. Holiday visits with seniors provide the perfect opportunity to get a closer look at any potential areas for concern to ensure safety and wellbeing. To help you think through areas you may wish to evaluate, we’ve compiled the following list of questions. Some of these questions you may wish to ask the senior outright, while others may be answered by observing the home environment and the person herself. Physical/Mental Health Do you notice any bruises or other injuries that could indicate a fall? Is she eating more or less than usual? Has she gained or lost weight?…

How to Help Introverted Seniors Have a Happier Holiday Hold onto your hats…the holidays are here! Even though there are plenty of people who flourish on the frantic pace of celebrations and parties, there are others who balk at the idea of stepping outside of their comfort zone and into more intensive social requirements. It might simply boil down to one main distinction: introversion vs. extroversion. And it is important to know which category the seniors in your life lean more towards, so you can ensure the right type of socialization to help them feel most comfortable. In particular, it’s important to know how to help introverted seniors enjoy social time according to their own personal comfort level. What’s the Distinction Between Extroverts and Introverts? The truth is, none of us are fully one or the other. Imagine a continuum with introversion on one end and extroversion on the other. We all fall somewhere along that continuum. The chief characteristics of introversion include a more quiet, reserved, and internally-focused point…

The Incredible Senior Health Benefits Gained Through a Simple Hug Remember during the height of the pandemic, when social distancing was the norm and we had to settle for virtual visits? One of the most fundamental aspects of being a human – physical touch – was set aside in order to protect us all from harm. Yet what we thought was providing a senior health benefit was actually causing quite a lot of harm. We quickly learned how detrimental social isolation is to all of us, but in particular, for seniors. It’s especially important for older adults who have experienced isolation or loneliness to feel connected to those they love, and there’s a simple but highly beneficial solution: hugs. Research has revealed the following incredible health effects obtained by giving and receiving hugs: A strengthened immune system Reduced stress Regulation of the production of white blood cells Fewer negative emotions, like anger and loneliness A boost in positive emotions, like contentment, security, and happiness Lower blood pressure and a regulated heart…

5 Ways to Overcome Caregiver Isolation Who would imagine that spending so much time taking care of another person could also cause you to feel incredibly alone? The hard facts are that caregiver isolation is extremely common, for a number of reasons: Mental or physical exhaustion: you’re simply too depleted to want to socialize Guilt over enjoying time apart from the loved one in your care Resentment toward those whose lives seem so much easier And much more Whatever the cause for the isolation you might be feeling as a caregiver, it’s essential to take measures to overcome it. Social isolation can bring about serious health conditions, including heart problems, depression, stroke, high blood pressure, and difficulties with attention and memory, just to name a few. Our home care experts recommend starting today with implementing one or more of the following tips: Start the day with an optimistic mindset. It might take some effort at first if you’ve been feeling down for some time. A great way to begin is with fifteen…

Top Senior Technology Tools to Promote Safe Living at Home “You are always free to choose what you do with your life. To make changes in your future, make new choices today.” – Brian Tracy Identifying where to reside in our older years is not easy. Nearly all older adults choose to remain at home for a lifetime, but it is not without concerns. Will it be safe? What about mobility issues or any other physical limitations? What happens if a senior falls and can’t get up? The good news is, there are a wide variety of senior technology tools that make aging in place feasible for older adults. Technology is regularly evolving and developing, offering solutions to the difficulties which could surface as we grow older. Just look at several of these tech devices and how they’re improving life at home for seniors! Remote Patient Monitoring Remote patient monitoring connects individuals with their doctors in groundbreaking ways: wearable devices to trace vital signs, smart pill bottles with sensors, bio-ingestible capsules older adults can swallow,…

Understand Broken Heart Syndrome and How to Help Someone Who Is Grieving In his documentary about grief, George Shelley uses an analogy of glitter. Toss a handful of glitter into the air, and it’s going to settle into most of the cracks and crevices of the room, impossible to fully sweep up and remove. Individuals who have lost a loved one can relate. Yet in some instances, grief can be so overwhelming that it can result in a serious and aptly-named condition: broken heart syndrome. Understanding this condition and how to help someone who is grieving may not fully alleviate the person’s pain, but it’s a good place to begin. Broken heart syndrome is a very real physical condition from the intense stress experienced in certain types of grief (such as one spouse losing the other after decades of marriage). The medical term is takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a temporary enlargement of the heart that prevents it from pumping blood effectively. And, it’s more common than you might know. A number of high-visibility examples include Johnny Cash, who passed on just…