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Author: Craig Bass

How Can You Prepare Yourself for Life After Caregiving?

Posted on by Craig Bass

When you are a family caregiver for an elderly parent, it is easy to feel as though your entire life is devoted to this responsibility. You may not even think about life beyond your care efforts, or what it might be like if you were no longer caring for your aging parent. At some point, though, your care relationship will come to an end, and you will need to be prepared to move on with your life. While you might not want to think about this, taking the time to plan and prepare for it now will help to make the transition much smoother, and allow you to move forward in a healthier way.

Some ways you can prepare yourself for life after caregiving include:

  • Maintain your relationships throughout your caregiver journey. Don’t neglect your friends, partner, children, and professional relationships while you care for your parent. While you might have to cut down on some activities, be sure to stay in touch with the people who mean the most to you so they are still there when this arrangement ends
  • Keep up with your favorite hobbies and interests while you care for your parent. This will not only give you something to enjoy after, but will help you to feel more connected to yourself
  • Find new hobbies or interests. This will allow you to focus on learning more and improving your skills and knowledge as you transition out of being a family caregiver
  • Take care of your own health and well-being while you are caring for your parent. This means eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and taking steps to protect your own mental and emotional health and well-being.

Taking care of yourself now is a wonderful way to prepare yourself for the future. When you are a family caregiver for an elderly adult, it is easy not to think about yourself or your own needs. Neglecting yourself, however, can result in serious stress, exhaustion, and even burnout. You may also experience strain on your relationships and distance from the things you enjoy most about life. By introducing senior care into your care arrangement with your parent early, you allow yourself the flexibility, time, and support to continue managing your own needs, and maintaining the elements of your life that make it yours. This means better health and well-being while you care for your parent, and a stronger connection to your life when this care arrangement comes to an end.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING CAREGIVERS IN AMES, 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!

In-Home Care Needs are Skyrocketing

Posted on by Craig Bass
In-Home Care Needs are Skyrocketing

Communities across the globe have many different ways of caring for their elderly relatives. In the United States, medical technology has evolved to extend the lifespan of both men and women, meaning there are many decades of living after traditional retirement. Better medicine and advanced treatment options also mean that seniors are living with chronic illnesses and diseases, which can affect how well they can take care of themselves.

As the aging baby boomer population reaches this critical point of needing assistance with daily tasks, many are looking to ways they can still live at home but have some kind of in-home care. Fortunately, families have many options to achieve this goal.

Health Challenges for Aging Adults

Seniors are more likely to develop serious and chronic health issues that affect their bodies to the point where they might struggle to do basic daily tasks. Conditions like osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, broken bones and more can prevent them from taking care of themselves and their home. If they try to do things like housecleaning and preparing meals when they aren’t strong enough or have good balance or stamina, they could actually put themselves at risk of harm or injury.

Beyond Family Caregiving

When it comes to managing a household and daily living tasks for an aging relative, family members who step up and take the responsibilities on are known as family caregivers. Family caregivers may do most of the chores themselves and do things like grocery shop, manage finances, drive elderly loved ones to medical appointments and do housecleaning.

Family caregivers are usually involved in personal care of their aging relative, from helping with baths to getting them ready in the morning. All this one-on-one care can take a lot of time and energy. If the family caregiver has other responsibilities, they have to pick and choose between everything, leaving something or someone untended. Family caregivers soon realize they cannot do it all themselves.

Elder Care Providers Fill the Gap

In the times when family caregivers cannot be with their elderly loved one in the day or night, but the senior is unable to take care of things on their own, elder care providers can help. They are professionals who are trained to help aging adults with daily living in their own home. These elder care providers can assist with personal grooming and hygiene, activities around the house and even light chores.

Above all, they can be companions for the aging adults and on hand in the event of an emergency. Family caregivers are also relieved of guilt and worry when an elder care provider is around, because they know their aging loved one is not alone or struggling. When comparing the benefits of in-home care versus other options, it’s no wonder that elder care provider services are skyrocketing.

When the time comes for families to make some hard decisions about daily care for an elderly loved one, it’s certainly worth it to consider hiring an elder care provider.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING ELDER CARE IN INDIANOLA, 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

Stephen Stegall Sr. is our May Employee of the Month. We appreciate Stephen’s dedication and work ethic. We want to thank him for taking good care of his client’s needs. We’re grateful to have him with us. Congratulations Stephen! Keep up the good work!

Personal Hygiene Tells You a Lot about What’s Going on with Your Senior

Posted on by Craig Bass
Personal Hygiene Tells You a Lot about What’s Going on with Your Senior

How often your senior washes her hair, showers, and even how she dresses can be a big clue about some of the issues she might be facing. It’s important to look at those tiny details so that you can help her to find solutions when she comes up against a problem.

Changes to Your Senior’s Routine Can Indicate Problems

The biggest thing to know about your elderly family member’s personal hygiene is that when changes happen, it’s usually a result of other changes behind the scenes. Your elderly family member could be having physical issues, such as mobility problems, that restrict what she’s able to do. She could also be experiencing cognitive issues that convince her that she doesn’t need to bathe. All of this is cause for concern.

Simplify Routines for Her

One solution that can help quite a bit is to simplify your senior’s routines. If you help her to lay out her clothing choices the night before, that can be a visual reminder to bathe. Instead of wearing a complicated hairstyle, she might enjoy trying a new one that is a little easier for her to do on her own. Even your senior’s current style of dressing might benefit from a little bit of simplification. All of this can help her to feel as independent as possible.

Add Some Tools to Her Routine

Another option is to add some tools to her routine to help your senior to deal with the changes she’s experiencing. For instance, a shower chair and a longer shower head hose can allow her to sit as she bathes, which can take a lot of stress and strain off her body. Talk to her doctor about any other sorts of tools that might be helpful for her.

Get Some Extra Help

At a certain point, your elderly family member may need even more help with personal hygiene tasks. Senior care providers can help immensely with this because they are thorough and they help to preserve your senior’s dignity at the same time. Although this can be incredibly embarrassing for your elderly family member, it really doesn’t have to be.

If you haven’t been noticing much about how often your senior showers or how well she’s taking care of herself, now is the time to start noticing those details. Even small changes could be an indication that something else is changing and needs to be addressed.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING SENIOR CARE IN AMES, 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!

Addressing Driving Issues

Posted on by Craig Bass

Home Care in Johnston IA: Addressing Driving IssuesLetting your senior continue to drive without talking about driving, how she feels about driving, and her safety is not the best choice you could make. It’s really important to have open, honest conversations about driving so that you can help her to find alternatives when that time arrives.

Be on the Lookout for Vehicle Damage

If you’re not already familiar with whether your senior’s car has existing damage or not, you might want to take a quick walk around the car. Make note of where you already see damage, including scuffs and dings. Take the time to walk around the car every week or so as well, so you can compare. Marks that look as if they’re a result of parking lot damage might not be an issue, but other problems, like dents in the bumper, could mean that your senior is bumping into objects.

Check with the Department of Motor Vehicles

Check with your Department of Motor Vehicles about obtaining your senior’s driving record. In some states you may need to have a power of attorney in order to get this information. In others, it’s enough for you to be your senior’s caregiver. Her driving record can let you know if she’s been involved in accidents or if she’s been pulled over by law enforcement.

Talk to Your Senior about Driving

What you’ve done up to now involves gathering information. You need to do this before you try talking to your elderly family member about whether you feel she should give up driving or not. Keep in mind that driving might be a source of independence for your elderly family member. The idea of giving up that independence might not sit well with her at all.

Work out Some Alternatives

If you bring alternative transportation ideas to your elderly family member, she might be more amenable to the idea of sliding out of the driver’s seat. For instance, home care providers are an excellent choice for taking over the driving. They understand your senior’s needs and they can ensure that she’s safe and that she gets everywhere that she wants to go.

How you approach the issue of driving with your aging family member matters a lot. If you’re argumentative or saying things in a way that causes her to be defensive, you might not get as far as you hope. Tread carefully and make sure that you’re paying attention to what she’s saying and to what she’s leaving unsaid.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING IN-HOME 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!

Golden Heart’s Employee of the Month!

Posted on by Craig Bass

Sandra Bell is our April Employee of the Month. Sandy has taken extra shifts, shown up on time, and properly documented her work. We want Sandy to know that we see and appreciate her hard work. We’re grateful for you Sandy and thank you for being a reliable dedicated employee. Congratulations!

It’s Almost Time for Gardening – Four Reasons to Get Your Parents Involved This Year

Posted on by Craig Bass

Caregivers in Norwalk IA: Getting Your Senior Involved in Gardening this SpringIt may not feel like it where you are, but spring is on the way. It’s a good time to start thinking about gardening. Are your parents hesitant? Give them four reasons to start gardening.

Gardens Feed the Bees

The National Agricultural Statistics Service is a division of the USDA that tracks honey bee activity. Establishments with five or more honey bee colonies reported hive declines of 16 percent in the first quarter of 2018 and 10 percent in the second quarter.

While mites are a leading cause of honey bee decline, pesticides used on commercial crops can harm bees. Fruits and vegetables grown without pesticides may help bees find safe sources of pollen.

When you plant a backyard garden, you’re providing food for the bees within two miles. In areas where food supplies are low, bees have been known to fly two or three times farther to find pollen.

They Save Money

In 2013, the USDA reported that adults could eat fresh fruits and vegetables for $14.70 to $18.20 per person, per week. For elderly men and women on limited budgets, this puts a couple’s grocery bill at as much as $36 per week on just produce.

Growing your own fruits and vegetables saves money. A pack of seeds can cost less than $2 and have enough seeds to grow dozens of plants. If you think about how many tomatoes, squashes, or bell peppers each plant provides, you get a lot of vegetables for a matter of pennies.

They Enjoy Fresh Vegetables Without Leaving the House

When transportation is a problem, it may be hard for your parent to go out regularly to shop for fresh produce. With a backyard full of fresh vegetables, it doesn’t matter. Your parents will have a variety of homegrown produce nearby.

It’s Good Exercise

Walking around the yard, bending over to pull weeds, and digging with a shovel are all forms of exercise. If your parents need ways to bend and stretch, gardening does it. In addition, moving around a wheelbarrow full of mulch or manure works out the arms.

Do you worry about your parents being outside for too long? Caregivers offer more than help with housework and meals. Caregivers can keep track of the time your parents are outside and have them move to the shade or go inside. They can make sure your parents stay hydrated. Talk to a home care agency to discuss the many services caregivers offer.

Sources:

https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/rn301137d/jq085n95f/mc87pt22m/BeeColonies-08-01-2018.pdf

https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/fruit-and-vegetable-prices/

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING IN-HOME CAREGIVERS 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!

Is Cardiac Rehab Right for Your Senior?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Is Cardiac Rehab Right for Your Senior?A heart attack is a life-changing moment. This is a serious medical emergency that can have lasting effects for your senior’s health, both physical and emotional. As soon as your parent suffers this type of medical event, you must plan for treatment and management of their heart health moving forward. This might include the doctor recommending cardiac rehabilitation. It is important to remember that not all treatment options are right for everyone, and that it is vital to work with your parent and their doctor to make the decisions that are right for them. This starts with understanding what cardiac rehab is and what it can mean for your parent.

The goal of cardiac rehab is to improve cardiac health after a serious health issue such as a heart attack or heart failure. There are three primary elements to this type of care, including:

  • Support for exercise. Getting physically active is extremely important for improving and maintaining heart health. This can be frightening for an elderly adult who has recently experienced a heart attack, especially if they have not been active before. Rehab will include counseling and training in what type of exercise to perform and how much
  • Heart-healthy education. Many people are not aware of what it takes to keep their heart healthy. Rehab will include education regarding issues such as personal risk factors, the importance of quitting smoking and how to quit, nutrition guidance, and more
  • Stress reduction. Stress can be extremely hard on the heart, especially one that is already damaged. Cardiac rehab will include counseling to help reduce stress and protect your parent from the damaging effects while supporting better mental and emotional health and well-being

Ensure for your parent that if there’s a heart attack, the top priority in their house is helping them to prevent another one. Seniors who have suffered a heart attack are at high risk of facing another. Each subsequent heart attack has a much higher risk of more severe complications and lasting consequences, making improving heart health and reducing risk critical to your parent’s ongoing health and well-being. Elderly care can help them to accomplish this goal and improve their overall quality of life. An elderly home care services provider can give your senior a wide range of customizable services specifically designed to help them deal with their health in ways that are right for them, pursue independence and autonomy, and encourage finding meaning and fulfillment in their daily life. As a family caregiver, this can make you feel more confident and reduce your stress as you manage the needs of caring for a loved one.

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cardiac-rehab

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING IN-HOME ELDERLY CARE IN CLIVE, 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

Pabitra Biswa is our March Employee of the Month. We want to thank Pabi for being caring, dedicated, and there for our clients. We also want to say thanks for her hard work and the fantastic job she does on her documentation. Pabi, we are so grateful to have you with us, and we want to show our appreciation by naming you employee of the month. Congratulations!

Why Does a Senior with Alzheimer’s Disease Wander?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Elderly With CaneWandering is one of the more disturbing behaviors that people with Alzheimer’s disease can develop. It’s upsetting for you as her caregiver because she can go missing so easily. These are some of the big reasons why your elderly family member might wander.

She’s Following Old Habits

Recent memories and experiences are more difficult for your elderly family member to process and to remember with Alzheimer’s disease. This is often why your elderly family member mentions the past a lot or tries to follow old habit patterns, such as trying to get ready for work when it’s been a few decades since she went to work regularly. Those old habits feel more comfortable than her life now does.

She’s Afraid or Upset

When something happens that your elderly family member isn’t expecting or that upsets her, she may want to simply leave that situation. It’s a coping mechanism that people experience before Alzheimer’s disease, but they don’t necessarily act on it. This is a way for your elderly family member to try to protect herself from something she doesn’t want to be around.

She’s Confused

Confusion is extremely common for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Your senior’s brain just doesn’t work the same way that it used to so things just don’t make as much sense as they once did. Your elderly family member may experience greater degrees of confusion at different times of day, so it can help for you to track what’s confusing her and what’s going on around that period of confusion.

She’s Restless or Bored

When your elderly family member has excess energy or is bored, that can manifest as a need to wander. You might want to try experimenting with an exercise plan that her doctor recommends. Another idea is to find activities that are challenging but not too difficult for her. This allows her to stave off boredom more readily.

She Has a Basic Need that Isn’t Being Met

One really big reason that your elderly family member might seem to wander more often is that it’s more difficult for her to meet basic needs on her own. If she’s hungry or if she needs the bathroom, she might forget where to go to meet that need. Labeling rooms can help, but it can also help to have a fairly tight schedule that includes bathroom breaks, snack times, and other important events. That way it’s easier to narrow down what your senior might need.

Getting to the reasons behind your senior’s wandering can help you to curtail it. Working with elder care providers can help you to get there faster. They can help you and your senior find new routines that help to prevent these and other potential causes for wandering and other Alzheimer’s disease habits.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING IN-HOME ELDER CARE IN WAUKEE, 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!