Ann Lettington is our July employee of the month! Thank you so much Ann for being a hardworking, caring, thoughtful caregiver. We appreciate you being there for your clients when they need you. We want to let you know we are grateful and recognize the hard work you put in by naming you employee of the month. Thanks for all you do, Congratulations!
Aphasia is a common health condition that follows some type of brain injury. It impacts the ability to speak and/or comprehend written or verbal information. You’ll find aphasia appearing in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s, after a stroke, or as a brain tumor grows. It can be mild or severe. When it’s severe, it can seem impossible to communicate.
Up to 4 out of 10 cases of aphasia are caused by brain damage following a stroke. Almost 2 million men and women in the U.S. have aphasia. If your parent does, it can make it hard to have a conversation, but it doesn’t have to be impossible.
The Main Types of Aphasia
These are the main types of aphasia you may come across with your aging parent:
How Do You Communicate?
Patience is key to communicating with a parent who has aphasia. Keep your sentences short. Speak slowly and try to avoid higher levels of vocabulary.
Let your parent answer you. Don’t rush to fill in gaps. If your parent asks you to help find the right word, that’s fine. Never jump in and try to finish your parent’s sentences because it’s taking too long. Impatience only adds to the frustration.
If communication is getting difficult due to frustration, which can happen, step away and do something else for a bit. Go out for a walk, bake bread, or paint pictures together. You can have an enjoyable afternoon without having to speak to each other.
IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING SENIOR CARE IN JOHNSTON, 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!
Many family caregivers are familiar with hiring elderly care providers to look after their aging relatives while they are at work during the day or are otherwise busy. However, many seniors need just as much care in the night hours due to any number of physical or mental health issues. Elderly care providers can be scheduled for night care just as much as for daytime hours.
Some Seniors Depend on Family Caregivers
When aging adults rely on family caregivers and elderly care providers to help them with daily tasks, it’s because they are dealing with a physical or mental health issue. There are numerous reasons why seniors might need such a service, from post-surgery recovery or a broken bone to the after-effects of a stroke or heart attack. Some aging adults have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease and wake up in a panic, not knowing where they are.
Still other aging adults might be struggling with chronic conditions, like osteoarthritis, Crohn’s disease or Parkinson’s disease that make it difficult for them to stay in bed too long in the night and they need help frequently. Family caregivers are those loved ones that take over the responsibilities of keeping their aging relative safe, comfortable and as healthy as possible.
Night Care Requires Serious Help
In-home care at night for aging relatives is an important aspect of caring for an elderly loved one and should not be ignored. Some seniors are not sure of their own safety and hesitate to get up and walk to the bathroom or to the kitchen. Many seniors struggle with mobility and can’t get out of bed on their own, especially to use the bathroom. Other reasons why aging adults might need to get up in the night is to take medication, attend to hygiene needs, get a drink, warm up or cool down or to simply get comfortable.
Family caregivers could help their aging relative in the night, but they would be jeopardizing their own need for sleep. Experts agree that adults of all ages do benefit from a good night’s rest. Too few hours can significantly affect someone’s health. If a family caregiver must tend to their aging relative all day, then they deserve some respite at night. That’s where elderly care providers can come in to work a night shift and keep everyone happy.
The elder care provider who is scheduled to do night care will successfully manage any issues, large and small that arise in the night. Not only will they put the aging adult’s mind at ease as they try to sleep, but the family caregiver will also be able to relax fully. Night care is a period of time that is frequently overlooked by family caregivers, but once they’ve hired a night caregiver, they’ll be able to sleep well knowing their parent is cared for.
IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING ELDERLY CARE 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!
