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Golden Heart’s Employee of the Month!

Our employee of the month this November is Mark Miracle. Mark is a hard-working dedicated employee. We appreciate how much he cares for his clients, and how much he helps them, and we know our clients appreciate it too. We are very grateful to have Mark with us and we value what he does for us. Congratulations Mark!!!

Illahee Hills Chili Cook-off!

Illahee Hills independent retirement home invited us to participate in their chili cook-off on October 18th! Many residents came and participated in the event. There were eight different chili recipes to try, ours being one of them. We truly enjoyed the time we got to spend with the residents at Illahee Hills and look forward to the many events coming up with all the holidays coming around!

 

Four Clues that Your Senior’s Vision Is Changing

Vision changes aren’t always something your senior realizes are happening immediately. Vision can change slowly over time until it gets to be a serious issue for your senior and her safety. But how can you tell that your elderly family member might have trouble seeing well?

You’re Noticing She’s a Little More Clumsy

When your senior’s vision is not working as well as it used to, walking around and avoiding obstacles becomes a little more difficult. You might notice it at first as your senior suddenly seeming to be more clumsy than usual. Or you might see that she’s relying on handrails more often, especially in unfamiliar places. If she’s reaching for objects and missing them more often than not, that can be related to vision problems as well.

Food and Drinks Are Posing Some New Problems

If your elderly family member isn’t able to see well, that can be giving her problems with eating and drinking, too. First off, she might not be able to see her foods very well. That might not seem important at first, but if the visual appeal of food has always been important to her, she might not be eating as much or as often as she used to eat. The second big indication of vision problems can be that your senior might be spilling more food than usual.

Her Hobbies Have Changed

Many of the hobbies and activities that your senior finds entertaining might involve her vision. As her vision starts to worsen, she may very well stop engaging in those activities that she loves. She might start switching out reading for listening to audiobooks, for instance. If she isn’t doing the things that she loves and she hasn’t replaced them with a substitute activity, she might be at risk of developing depression without fully realizing the cause.

You’re Noticing Small Changes

There are so many little changes that can pop up because of vision difficulties that they might be difficult to spot. Your senior might have burned out bulbs that she doesn’t change, for instance. That can happen when she doesn’t realize how dim the room is without those lights. Or there might be other changes, like worsening handwriting or a much more creative wardrobe than usual.

Your senior’s vision affects much more of her life than either of you might realize. It helps to have someone else who can spot some of these subtle signs. Senior care providers, for instance, can help you to see some of these indications so you can talk with your elderly family member’s eye doctor about what’s going on.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING SENIOR CARE IN NORWALK, IA, FOR A SENIOR LOVED ONE, CONTACT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF DES MOINES, IA AT 515-631-5033. OUR CARING STAFF CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS!

Benefits of Turning to In-Home Care for Help

As a family caregiver, you must consider the benefits of turning to in-home care for help. While at first, it may seem you can take everything on by yourself, in time that will change. You will start becoming stressed, burned out, and may even begin resenting the person you are taking care of. This wouldn’t be a good thing at all. By turning to in-home care for help, caregivers can get the break they need, along with many other benefits.

Familiar Surroundings

The person who you are taking care of will be able to stay in familiar surroundings. They won’t have to move out of their home or your home and explore new places. They can proceed throughout each day in the comfort of their own home. Caregivers will also be able to visit in the same familiar surroundings, as well.

More Privacy

If you are taking care of someone and you hire in-home care, there will be more privacy for that person, as well. When someone moves into an assisted living or nursing home facility, they may have their own room, but privacy isn’t that great. When staying at home and getting the care they need there, they get the privacy they need, too.

Independence

If you want your loved one to stay as independent as they can, for as long as they can, then you will want to hire in-home care. The home care providers will be there to help them out with things, as needed. However, your loved one can still feel and act independently.

Comfort

Comfort is another big benefit for everyone when it comes to hiring in-home care providers. Both your loved one and your entire family will probably feel more comfortable than if they were to move into a nursing home. They can sleep in their own bed, have their family visit more often, and enjoy the familiar surroundings. It often takes a while for people to feel comfortable after moving, especially senior citizens. Staying at home while getting the care they need is beneficial for their comfort.

Family Company

As previously noted, it is easier for the family to come and visit when the loved one stays in their own home. Many seniors and disabled people enjoy having the company of their family and it helps to prevent depression.

There are many benefits of turning to in-home care for help. The benefits extend both to the person who is receiving the care and to the family members or caregivers of that person, as well. If you know someone that needs in-home care, don’t hesitate to make the decision to hire someone right away. The benefits are outstanding and the individual who needs the assistance would probably greatly appreciate the extra assistance.

Source
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/aging-place-growing-older-home

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING CAREGIVERS IN WEST DES MOINES, IA, FOR A SENIOR LOVED ONE, CONTACT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF DES MOINES, IA AT 515-631-5033. OUR CARING STAFF CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS!