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Author: Craig Bass

Is it Arthritis?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Arthritis is pretty common, especially in older adults. But it might surprise you to realize that some symptoms and situations associated with arthritis may make you and your senior question whether that’s what she’s dealing with now. Her doctor can confirm arthritis, but some of these signs can help her to realize that it’s time to bring the topic up at her next appointment.

Your Senior Starts the Day Slower

Arthritis is often worst in the morning, after your elderly family member has been lying down for hours at a time. This happens because those joints haven’t been moving, which allows inflammation to build up. Waking up with sore, stiff joints means that your elderly family member might be taking longer to get her day going and she may find that even getting out of bed takes longer than it used to take.

Her Major Joints Ache More than Before

Arthritis can affect any joint in your senior’s body, but she is most likely to notice it in the earliest stages in her large joints. She might find that she’s got more pain and stiffness in her hips, her knees, and her back. Hands are another spot where your elderly family member may be noticing more pain and irritation than usual.

Some Joints Are Visibly Swollen

Early in the day or when her joints are particularly painful, your elderly family member may start to notice that some of her joints are visibly swollen. Ice can help with that swelling, as can elevating the joint. Along with the swelling, your senior’s joints might also feel hot and look red. Those signs can calm down as the swelling is relieved.

She Mentions it’s More Difficult for Her to Move

In some cases, your elderly family member might not experience visible swelling or even a great deal of pain, but she might mention that it’s more difficult for her to move. She might find that her range of motion is more limited than it has been or that she’s experiencing discomfort. After she does get moving, it can be a little easier for her to move those joints.

If your elderly family member is experiencing painful joints, stiffness, and swollen joints, make sure that you talk to her doctor. There are treatments that can help. Also, consider hiring elderly care providers. They can help your senior to ease into her daily without as much pain and frustration as she may have been experiencing.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING ELDERLY CARE IN JOHNSTON, 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!

Golden Heart’s Employee of the Month!

Posted on by Craig Bass

Melanie Hasley is our employee of the month. Melanie is hard working and a good problem solver. We are so glad to have Melanie and we appreciate what she does for us. We hope you know how much we appreciate you Melanie. Congratulations!!!

What Can You Do to Jumpstart a Regular Exercise Habit?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Exercise is one of those habits that most people want to engage in regularly, but there always seem to be reasons to avoid it. If you’re trying to make exercise a regular habit, these tips might help you to prioritize it.

Find Someone You Can Exercise with Regularly

Exercising with a partner is a fantastic way to build exercise into your daily habits. When you feel as if there’s another person depending on you to show up for your workout, you’re going to be more likely to stick with the routine you’re building. Having an exercise buddy can help you to branch out and find new activities that you enjoy, even if you never thought about trying some of them.

Work out with Your Senior

You might find that it’s difficult to take time away to meet with someone else to exercise and that’s okay. Especially when you’re starting a new exercise routine as a busy caregiver, leaving regularly may not feel like something you can do. It might also be possible to exercise with your senior, especially if her doctor has shared with her that she needs to start an exercise program of her own.

Build Exercise into Daily Activities

It’s amazing how much movement and exercise you can build into your everyday activities. You can try a combination of different techniques, like standing up and walking in place during commercials or while you handle phone calls. Or you might take a five-minute break a few times a day to simply stretch and increase your flexibility. Take a few minutes to explore your goals around exercise and determine what you can do to meet those goals.

Consider Exercise Blocks to Be Just Like Appointments

When you make appointments, you probably do everything you possibly can to meet those obligations. As a caregiver, that’s probably doubly true. If you make your exercise blocks an actual appointment, you may be more likely to stick with it and to commit to that time for yourself. It’s an excellent way to encourage yourself to take the time that you need.

Getting started with a regular exercise program is not always an easy goal to meet, but it can give you some huge benefits as a caregiver. It’s worth taking the time to figure out what techniques work for you, if only so that you can focus on your own health a bit more.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING CAREGIVERS IN WAUKEE, 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!

Four Key Areas of Concern for Safety in Your Senior’s Home

Posted on by Craig Bass

Safety is usually at the top of the list for caregivers and for good reason. There are so many different ways that your senior’s home can be unsafe for her. It’s a good idea to take a few minutes and go through each room in the house assessing these main areas of concern.

Lights and Lamps

Lighting is extremely important and yet incredibly easy to overlook. It might go without saying that being able to see is what’s going to help your elderly family member to avoid the most obstacles in her home. But her current lighting and lamps might not be enough. Look into adding lighting or increasing the strength of the bulbs she’s currently got installed.

Staircases and Single Steps

If your senior’s home has a staircase, you probably already know that it can be dangerous. But single steps or areas with two or three steps can be just as dangerous. Look into ways to make those areas safer, if you can. Adding handrails and making sure that the steps are less likely to be easy to slip on is vital. Consider bigger solutions, like a stair lift, for a full staircase if that’s an option.

Shower Stalls and Tubs

Your senior’s bathroom might need some safety help, too. Water makes everything much more slippery and that means making sure your elderly family member can get into and out of her tub or shower stall safely. Handrails are an easy way to do this, but you also need to examine her flooring. Adding a rug with a non-slip backing can be helpful. It might also be time to consider a new tub or shower stall with either a low threshold or that features a walk-in option.

Carpeting and Other Flooring

Your senior’s floor can help or hinder her progress through her home. Check for anything that could be a tripping hazard, like clutter, and then make sure that the floor itself doesn’t create a problem. Area rugs need to be taped or have a non-slip backing or padding. Check carpets for worn spots that can catch your senior’s foot as she walks through. Avoid using any cleaning products on bare floors that cause them to feel slick.

If your senior also has mobility problems, having home care providers available can be a tremendous way to assist her. They can help her to navigate safely in her home and help with other tasks, too.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING HOMECARE IN ANKENY, 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!

Golden Heart’s Employee of the Month!

Posted on by Craig Bass

Stephen Stegall, III is this February’s employee of the month. We are very appreciative of Stephen, he takes good care of his clients and does his work well. Stephen’s clients are very happy and so are we. Congratulations Stephen, and keep doing what you do!!!

Asking for Help Might Not Be as Difficult as it Seems

Posted on by Craig Bass

If you’ve had iffy results asking for help from family and friends in the past, you might be reluctant to ask for their help now. Sometimes it feels easier to just keep trying to do it all yourself. But that gets exhausting.

Get an Idea What Needs to Be Done

Sometimes you’re so busy getting everything done that you’re not even sure anymore what needs to be done and what you could even ask someone else to do. That’s when the idea of even asking for help starts to feel overwhelming. Try to make a running list of what you do during the day to help you to figure out what you might be able to delegate to someone else. While you’re making the list, don’t worry about who might do what or whether it’s a task you can hand over or not. Your first step is getting clear about what has to get done on a regular basis.

Little Tasks You May Be Able to Hand Off Right Away

Once you’ve got your list, it’s much easier to go through and determine what small tasks are ones that you can turn over to someone else. Some of the tasks that you don’t necessarily have to do yourself could be things like running errands, picking up prescriptions, or household tasks. If there are people in your life who can do those things for your senior, hand those tasks over.

Figure Out Who Can Handle Bigger Tasks

The little tasks add up to more than you might realize. By now, you should have the bigger tasks left on your list. Some of those may be tasks that you still feel you need to handle, but others may be ones that you would be okay delegating if you had someone you trusted ready to take the reins. Talk to family members or other people who might fit that category and determine if they’re willing to do what you’re asking them to do.

There Are Still Answers

It can be shocking to hear “no” to a request you’ve made for more help. It’s especially shocking when you’re hearing that same negative response every time you ask for help. But it’s important to remember that your friends and family don’t have to be the only source of assistance you access. Elder care providers can meet those needs you have for assistance and they can do so quickly and efficiently, which is exactly what you need during these busy days as a caregiver.

If you’re still feeling worn down, there may be more you can delegate that you haven’t actually let go of yet. Go through this process again and talk to elder care providers about what else they can handle for your senior. They may be able to handle far more than you expect.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING ELDER CARE 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!

Four Areas to Consider When Assessing Needs for Your Senior

Posted on by Craig Bass

Being a caregiver means that you need to spend a good bit of your time assessing how your senior is doing and what she needs in order to meet her own goals, like aging in place. It can help to categorize those different areas so that you ensure you’re covering all of the bases for your elderly family member.

General Safety Issues

Your senior’s overall safety is a huge consideration. Any issues, big or small, that have an impact on her overall safety need to be addressed as quickly and as thoroughly as you can. This might mean taking over home maintenance tasks for your senior or making sure her home is clutter-free and clean every week.

Physical Health and Conditions

Your senior likely has at least one or two chronic health conditions that need to be watched, but there may be others developing, too. You also need to pay attention to changes in her mobility and whether she’s experiencing pain or other issues that need to be addressed. Other issues, like dietary considerations, sleep habits, and whether she’s exercising or not can also factor in. Your senior’s health can seem to change much more quickly now than it did in the past.

Problems with Her Memory

Memory issues are a massive concern both for aging adults and for their caregivers. For so many seniors, those small senior moments can feel as if they’re a harbinger of something a lot bigger, like Alzheimer’s disease. Not every memory issue means that your elderly family member is developing Alzheimer’s, but if she’s concerned at all, her doctor can do some tests to see what’s happening.

Her Emotional Well-being

Emotional wellness involves not just your senior’s moods, but also factors such as whether she’s socializing as she normally would. Withdrawing is sometimes necessary and it can be normal, but if your elderly family member has withdrawn to the point that she is isolating herself, that’s not a good sign. She can be susceptible to depression and to other psychological problems that are better avoided.

This can be a lot for you to keep up with tracking on your own. Senior care providers can help you to notice even small differences in your senior’s behaviors or health that you might not have noticed otherwise. They can also help to take over some of the tasks that have become more difficult for your senior, all while offering friendly companionship.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING SENIOR CARE IN CLIVE, 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!

Golden Heart’s Employee of the Month!

Posted on by Craig Bass

Laura Capps is our January employee of the month. We appreciate Laura’s dedication and work ethic. She has been a great help to us at Golden Heart. We want to say thank you Laura for all of your hard work and dedication, we really appreciate it. Congratulations!!!!

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.