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Month: December 2019

Tips for Handling Heat Emergencies at Your Dad’s House

Posted on by Craig Bass

If your dad’s heating system has issues, how long would it be before you found out? As winter moves in, you need to be concerned that he’s warm enough.

In some areas, technicians who can fix furnaces and boilers are in short supply. A frozen regulator on a propane tank will stop his heating system running, but a technician may not be available for a week or two. Propane and heating oil deliveries may be slower than usual due to a shortage of drivers.

If there is a heat emergency, what do you do? Here are some of the best ways to handle things.

Invest in Electric Space Heaters

In a pinch, a space heater can warm a room enough to last him until a technician comes out. Some of the more energy-efficient options include infrared and ceramic heaters. They’re also safer than a kerosene space heater that produces carbon monoxide.

Features to look at include automatic shut-off if the heater is bumped or tipped over. Models with timers are great if your dad is likely to forget to shut it off when he goes to bed.

No matter which model you purchase, make sure he knows to keep it away from furniture, walls, and curtains. He needs to set it so that there is clearance of three feet or more from other items.

Move Him Elsewhere for Now

Move him into your home, a friend’s home, or a hotel until his heating system is working aging. He’ll be safe and warm, which gives you peace of mind. If he has pets, this may be harder to manage. He’d have to be okay leaving them behind or putting them in a kennel if you cannot find pet-friendly accommodations.

Push the Company

When it comes to the elderly being cold, you may have a bit more sway with the company that services your dad’s heating system. Make sure they know the system belongs to an elderly person who lives alone. It may get a technician to his home faster. Be prepared to pay higher rates, however. Many technicians drastically raise prices if they have to adjust their schedule to fit in an emergency client.

Sometimes, you live too far away to check on your dad as often as you want. Have you looked into having caregivers help? Caregivers can stop by each day or once a week to check that your dad is warm enough. They can make sure he’s taking his medications, eating and drinking enough, and getting to his appointments on time. Home care services give long-distance caregivers the peace of mind they need.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING ELDERLY CARE IN INDIANOLA, 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!

Holiday Party at Illahee Hills!

Posted on by Craig Bass

Please join with us and our friends at Illahee Hills independent living community in Urbandale on Saturday December 21st from 2 – 5 pm! Golden Heart Senior Care would love to spread the holiday joy with you and the seniors we work with. Please join us for fun filled FREE activities for all ages.

• Professional pictures with Santa, as well as, family pictures.
• Hot cocoa and cider by the fire.
• Hershey Kiss Bingo.
• Write a letter to soldiers overseas.
• Also be entered to win the Golden Ticket!

Golden Heart Senior Care has put together a wonderful holiday gift basket for the lucky person who receives the Golden Ticket.

Four Tips You Can Use When Challenging Dementia Behaviors Appear

Posted on by Craig Bass

So often the behaviors that a senior with dementia exhibits are both confusing and frustrating. Your elderly family member isn’t trying to frustrate you, but you need to find ways to deal with those behaviors appropriately.

You’re Not Going to Be Able to Control the Behaviors

The first thing to understand is that your senior isn’t able to control these behaviors and you’re not going to be able to control them, either. The best way to get any sort of “control” over what’s happening is to really examine what’s causing these behaviors for your senior and deal with those triggers and instigating events in the best ways possible.

Find the Triggering Events

Accommodating your senior’s needs is going to result in fewer challenging behaviors with dementia. Your aging family member is almost always dealing with an unmet need. That might be that she’s hungry or that she’s tired or that she needs something else. Regardless, there’s a triggering situation that you can help her to resolve, if you can figure out what’s causing the situation. Run through a list of basic needs first and then assess what’s going on when these behaviors appear.

Remember to Hang Onto Compassion

The best tool to have in your kit when you’re dealing with challenging behaviors is your own compassion. This is not easy for you, of course, but it’s also difficult for your elderly family member. There’s no way that she would rather ask repetitive questions or wander away from her home if she had another way to resolve what’s happening for her. Try to keep that in mind while you cope.

Talk to Your Senior’s Doctor and Educate Yourself

Your senior’s doctor can be a huge source of help with these types of behaviors. There are quite a few triggers that seem to result in similar challenging behaviors in a great many people with dementia. Learning as much as you can about challenging behaviors can really help. Something else to consider is that bringing in elderly care providers is also helpful. They have a lot of experience helping family members with dementia and their caregivers, so they can help you, too.

Remember that dementia changes your senior’s ability to think and to understand what’s happening around her on a daily basis. She’s not in the same reality you’re in, so your interactions with each other can feel strange on both sides of that equation.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING ELDERLY CARE IN INDIANOLA, 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!