Keeping You Safe From COVID-19
Interested in a career at Golden Heart Senior Care. APPLY HERE!

Author: Craig Bass

Five Tips for When Your Senior Doesn’t Know She Has Alzheimer’s Disease

Posted on by Craig Bass

When your senior has Alzheimer’s disease, that changes life for both of you. It’s even more difficult when she doesn’t realize what she’s experiencing.

Avoid Talking Down to Her

There may be times that your senior acts or behaves in a way that makes you want to talk to her as if she’s a child. But that’s a big mistake. Remember that she’s an adult with a cognitive illness and that she deserves to maintain her dignity as much as possible.

Mind Your Tone

Something else to remember is that your senior may not understand why you’re giving her certain instructions, but she does understand your tone of voice, the volume you’re using, and the body language you’re displaying. The undercurrents are there, even if she doesn’t fully understand why. Keep your tone of voice even and use open and loving body language and facial expressions. She will respond to those.

Choices Will Solve a Lot of Issues

There’s a lot about Alzheimer’s disease that steals control from your senior. That’s frustrating, even if she doesn’t fully understand how or why. One answer that can solve more problems than you might expect is to give her choices. They don’t have to be big choices, either. Simple things like, “Do you want to wear this shirt or this one?” can create a lot more calm for her.

Give up on Being Right

Your senior is in a different reality right now than you are or than she’s experienced in the past. She’s going to do and say some odd things that don’t match up with reality as it exists. If you harp on that, it’s going to frustrate her. So many situations are much easier to just agree with and move on, otherwise you’ll create an argument where one doesn’t need to exist.

You’ll Experience Stress

This is not going to be easy at all. Caring for a senior with Alzheimer’s disease involves a great many situations that create stress. Take care of yourself so that you can take better care of her as well. Working with home care providers allows you to take time away that you very definitely need.

There may never be a time that your senior understands that she is dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, but that’s not the important part at this point. How you help her to stay as safe and as healthy as possible is what’s important.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING HOME CARE SERVICES 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!

Golden Heart’s Employee of the Month!

Posted on by Craig Bass

Tracy Johannes is our September employee of the month. Tracy has taken extra shifts, shown up on time, and has properly documented her work. We want to thank you, Tracy, and let you know that we see and appreciate your hard work. We’re grateful for you. Thank you for being a reliable and dedicated employee. Congratulations!!!

How Can You Tell Driving Is Becoming a Problem?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Senior Care in Des Moines IADriving is a big deal for your senior. On one hand, it allows her to be really independent. But on the other, she might be at a point where driving is not completely safe for her.

She Doesn’t See Well Lately

Your senior’s vision is directly correlated to how safe she is behind the wheel. She needs to be able to see and react to obstacles and objects in her path. If she wears glasses or contact lenses, your elderly family member needs to keep up with whether her prescription is changing at all. Sometimes vision changes are so subtle that the first indication that there’s something different is when she goes in for an eye exam.

She’s Made Some Changes to Her Driving Habits

Everyone has certain habits around their driving. But if your senior is markedly changing hers, like getting nervous about driving during certain circumstances, like when it’s raining out, that can be a sign that something more is happening. She might not even notice that she’s making those choices, but they’re still impacting how she drives.

The Car Isn’t Looking So Good

Have you taken a look at the car itself? This one step, taken regularly, can help you to spot all sorts of issues much more quickly than you might expect. If you’re noticing scrapes, dents, dings, and other types of damage, this can tell you that your elderly family member might be having a lot of trouble that she isn’t telling you about.

Your Senior Is Mentioning or Hinting about Her Feelings Around Driving

It’s entirely possible that your senior is experiencing some new feelings around driving. She might be stressed or frustrated by the idea of driving. Even if she doesn’t talk to you about those feelings, she might start vaguely hinting or mentioning them to you in subtle ways. Listen carefully to try to determine whether she’s telling you something more important.

Other People Are Talking about Her Driving

What are you hearing from other people? Neighbors and other family members might make a comment or mention something that happened that they witnessed. It’s a good idea to try to follow up on those comments, even if they seem to just be an off-the-cuff mention. There could be more going on.

It’s so crucial for you to keep tabs on your senior’s driving as much as you can. Let her know that you’re concerned because you want her to be as safe as possible. Encourage her to try new solutions, like relying on senior care providers to do the driving. Those ideas can keep her mobile, but in a much safer way.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING SENIOR CARE IN DES MOINES, 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!

Graduating from the 10,000 small businesses program – Goldman Sachs

Posted on by Craig Bass

As a Goldman Sachs graduate, I have now become an alumni of this prestigious organization. This business group helps businesses like ours grow and thrive in our respective industries. To read more about Goldman Sachs, please see the complete press release.

Are You Overwhelmed by Suddenly Discovering You’re a Caregiver?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Elder Care in Urbandale IAAs odd as it might sound, plenty of caregivers suddenly realize that they’re the primary family member caring for an elderly family member. That can be a scary and eye-opening moment for you, especially if this wasn’t your goal.

You’re the Closest One to Your Senior

If you’re geographically the closest family member to your elderly family member, that might have automatically made you her caregiver as far as everyone else is concerned. This sort of caregiving starts out slowly, often with you stopping to check in on your senior. Before you know it, you’re doing more and more for your elderly family member. It’s important that you really examine how you got to this point because any lingering resentment over how it happened can color your relationship with your senior.

You Have More Time Available than Anybody Else Does

It’s also possible that there are plenty of other family members in the area, but you’re the one who has the most spare time. Being a caregiver takes up a lot of time and energy, especially if your senior needs a good bit of help. Your other family members might want to help out more, but be unable to do so because of other commitments. Again, it’s a good idea to do some deep diving and see if you are feeling resentful at all about this so you can deal with those feelings.

You’re Willing and Able to Get Things Done

Besides time and proximity, there’s also the willingness to get things handled. Sometimes family members or your senior waffle about making solid decisions. They might know what needs to be done, but put it off. If you’re an action-oriented person, that might be how you ended up in the position you’re now in. That’s not a bad thing, but you might have thought your involvement was more temporary.

Find Support for Yourself While Caregiving

No matter how you ended up in your position as a caregiver, it’s vital that you build a support network for yourself. Even if this is temporary for you, it’s crucial for you to have a system that holds you up when you need it. Other family members might be able to do this for you, but your best option is to hire elder care providers. They’ve got the experience in caregiving that you can truly lean on and learn from, especially if you’re feeling unprepared.

If you really aren’t able to continue being your senior’s caregiver, it’s time to hold a family meeting and formally hand over the reins to someone else. But if you can do this, it’s something that is incredibly rewarding and that means so much to your senior.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING ELDER CARE IN URBANDALE, 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!

Five Things to Learn from Your Senior’s Eating Habits

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care Services in Altoona IA: What do you know about your senior’s eating habits?

Your senior’s eating habits can tell you a great deal about what is going on with her mentally, emotionally, and physically. You might have to dig a little deeper to get to the bottom of why she’s doing what she’s doing, though.

She Might not Be Getting Out

If your elderly family member is avoiding going out as often as she once did, she’s probably not getting to the grocery store, either. That can mean that she’s letting her fridge and pantry get pretty empty before she does anything about it. The foods that she does have on hand might not be the best choices for her.

She’s Having Trouble Cooking

Cooking is not as easy for an older adult as it might have been. It can also take a lot of energy and time that she would rather spend in other ways. Your senior might not feel as safe as she once did in the kitchen, too. The problem is that she might not mention these things to you, so you could be stuck guessing.

Food Isn’t Appealing

Whether the issue is physical or emotional, food might not be appealing to her right now. That’s a problem, though, because her body needs fuel whether she’s interested in ingesting that fuel or not. Without eating, she’s likely to become weaker and her immune system might be compromised.

She May not Remember Eating

If your elderly family member is having trouble with her memory, she might think she ate or believe that she ate, even if she didn’t. She might not recognize hunger cues, either, which complicates this situation even more. If this goes on for too long, she runs the same risks as if she were deciding not to eat on purpose. Her strength and her immune system are both at risk.

She Needs Help

What’s really important to remember no matter what issues your senior is having around food is that this is a vital concern. If she’s not getting proper nutrition, for whatever reason, that’s something you need to step in and remedy for her. She needs your help, and probably in ways that you didn’t expect to have to provide for a long time yet.

How well and how often your senior is eating is important information. Home care providers can fill in those gaps for you. They can also take over preparing meals for your elderly family member so that you can be sure she’s eating regularly and that those meals are full of healthy foods.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING HOME CARE SERVICES IN ALTOONA, 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!

Golden Heart’s Employee of the Month!

Posted on by Craig Bass

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!

Communicating With a Parent Doesn’t Have to Be Impossible After Aphasia Hits

Posted on by Craig Bass

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:

  • Anomic – It’s hard for people with anomic aphasia to come up with words for things they want to talk or write about. Reading and comprehension are fine.
  • Broca’s – Speech is very limited and often kept to no more than four-word phrases. Reading isn’t typically a problem.
  • Global – A severe form where the patient is rarely able to speak and understands very little verbal or written communication. It’s common following a severe stroke.
  • Mixed – Speech is limited. Plus, writing and reading skills are there but on a child’s level.
  • Primary Progressive – This is a typical form seen in Alzheimer’s. Brain tissue degrades to the point speech, writing, and reading skills slowly disappear.
  • Wernicke’s – Speech may seem fluent, but the comprehension of what the words mean is lost, so sentences and phrases seem jumbled.

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!

Hiring Elderly Caregivers for Night Care

Posted on by Craig Bass
Elderly Care in Norwalk IA: Hiring Elderly Caregivers for Night Care

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!

Golden Heart’s Employee of the Month!

Posted on by Craig Bass

Laura Capps is our employee of the month for June! Laura has been very helpful to us at Golden Heart. We really appreciate Laura and want to make sure we recognize her hard work and dedication by naming her employee of the month. Congratulations Laura, keep up the hard work!