Sandra Bell is our April Employee of the Month. Sandy has taken extra shifts, shown up on time, and properly documented her work. We want Sandy to know that we see and appreciate her hard work. We’re grateful for you Sandy and thank you for being a reliable dedicated employee. Congratulations!
Month: March 2019
It’s Almost Time for Gardening – Four Reasons to Get Your Parents Involved This Year
It may not feel like it where you are, but spring is on the way. It’s a good time to start thinking about gardening. Are your parents hesitant? Give them four reasons to start gardening.
Gardens Feed the Bees
The National Agricultural Statistics Service is a division of the USDA that tracks honey bee activity. Establishments with five or more honey bee colonies reported hive declines of 16 percent in the first quarter of 2018 and 10 percent in the second quarter.
While mites are a leading cause of honey bee decline, pesticides used on commercial crops can harm bees. Fruits and vegetables grown without pesticides may help bees find safe sources of pollen.
When you plant a backyard garden, you’re providing food for the bees within two miles. In areas where food supplies are low, bees have been known to fly two or three times farther to find pollen.
They Save Money
In 2013, the USDA reported that adults could eat fresh fruits and vegetables for $14.70 to $18.20 per person, per week. For elderly men and women on limited budgets, this puts a couple’s grocery bill at as much as $36 per week on just produce.
Growing your own fruits and vegetables saves money. A pack of seeds can cost less than $2 and have enough seeds to grow dozens of plants. If you think about how many tomatoes, squashes, or bell peppers each plant provides, you get a lot of vegetables for a matter of pennies.
They Enjoy Fresh Vegetables Without Leaving the House
When transportation is a problem, it may be hard for your parent to go out regularly to shop for fresh produce. With a backyard full of fresh vegetables, it doesn’t matter. Your parents will have a variety of homegrown produce nearby.
It’s Good Exercise
Walking around the yard, bending over to pull weeds, and digging with a shovel are all forms of exercise. If your parents need ways to bend and stretch, gardening does it. In addition, moving around a wheelbarrow full of mulch or manure works out the arms.
Do you worry about your parents being outside for too long? Caregivers offer more than help with housework and meals. Caregivers can keep track of the time your parents are outside and have them move to the shade or go inside. They can make sure your parents stay hydrated. Talk to a home care agency to discuss the many services caregivers offer.
Sources:
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/fruit-and-vegetable-prices/
IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING IN-HOME CAREGIVERS IN NORWALK, IA, FOR AN ELDERLY LOVED ONE, CONTACT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF DES MOINES, IA AT 515-631-5033. OUR CARING STAFF CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS!
Is Cardiac Rehab Right for Your Senior?
A heart attack is a life-changing moment. This is a serious medical emergency that can have lasting effects for your senior’s health, both physical and emotional. As soon as your parent suffers this type of medical event, you must plan for treatment and management of their heart health moving forward. This might include the doctor recommending cardiac rehabilitation. It is important to remember that not all treatment options are right for everyone, and that it is vital to work with your parent and their doctor to make the decisions that are right for them. This starts with understanding what cardiac rehab is and what it can mean for your parent.
The goal of cardiac rehab is to improve cardiac health after a serious health issue such as a heart attack or heart failure. There are three primary elements to this type of care, including:
- Support for exercise. Getting physically active is extremely important for improving and maintaining heart health. This can be frightening for an elderly adult who has recently experienced a heart attack, especially if they have not been active before. Rehab will include counseling and training in what type of exercise to perform and how much
- Heart-healthy education. Many people are not aware of what it takes to keep their heart healthy. Rehab will include education regarding issues such as personal risk factors, the importance of quitting smoking and how to quit, nutrition guidance, and more
- Stress reduction. Stress can be extremely hard on the heart, especially one that is already damaged. Cardiac rehab will include counseling to help reduce stress and protect your parent from the damaging effects while supporting better mental and emotional health and well-being
Ensure for your parent that if there’s a heart attack, the top priority in their house is helping them to prevent another one. Seniors who have suffered a heart attack are at high risk of facing another. Each subsequent heart attack has a much higher risk of more severe complications and lasting consequences, making improving heart health and reducing risk critical to your parent’s ongoing health and well-being. Elderly care can help them to accomplish this goal and improve their overall quality of life. An elderly home care services provider can give your senior a wide range of customizable services specifically designed to help them deal with their health in ways that are right for them, pursue independence and autonomy, and encourage finding meaning and fulfillment in their daily life. As a family caregiver, this can make you feel more confident and reduce your stress as you manage the needs of caring for a loved one.
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cardiac-rehab
IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING IN-HOME ELDERLY CARE IN CLIVE, IA, FOR AN ELDERLY LOVED ONE, CONTACT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF DES MOINES, IA AT 515-631-5033. OUR CARING STAFF CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS!