This month we want to shout out our awesome caregivers who have birthdays this month! Happy Birthday to Yazmin, Maggie and Christine! You all work with excellence and are such a joy to be around! We wish you a great birthday this month.
We’re thankful for Thanksgiving season because it allows us to express our gratitude to our clients and team members. We are grateful to serve our community through the holidays. Happy Thanksgiving all! If you haven’t joined the Golden Heart Community call us today to learn how we can assist you or your loved one this holiday season. 925-203-3039
Congratulations Evan on receiving the November’s Golden Star. As you know, this is an award that is provided to the team member whom we believe contributed above expectation this month. Others said that you were supportive, encouraging, and worked hard. We are proud to say that you are a valued member of our the Golden Heart family. Congratulations Evan!
We grow stronger together! We had the privilege to celebrate and partner with Martinez Senior Center. Everyone had so much fun! We believe everyone deserves great quality care and we are privileged to deliver this everyday. If you or your loved one have questions about how caregiver can work with your situation call us today. (925) 203-3039
In the latter stages of Alzheimer’s disease, it’s harder to communicate with your mom. She often forgets who you are, so she won’t speak or becomes fearful of the stranger in her home. How do you connect with her at this point?
Think back to the foods your mom loved to make when you were younger. Was she known for her homemade bread? Start making bread and see if she’ll help measure or add ingredients to the bowl. Kneading the dough is an excellent way to work arthritic fingers and wrists. It also enables you to release stress. Your mom may enjoy doing this with you.
Once it’s baked, you also have a loaf of bread you can serve for a snack or afternoon tea. Your mom might remember having tea parties when you were younger and find that is an enjoyable way to engage with you now.
Be artistic in some way and see if your mom joins in. Get crayons and coloring books and color. She may join you. Paints are another way to engage with her. A box of watercolors or a paint-with-water book are both good ideas.
If those don’t seem like things she’d enjoy, you can look at other types of arts and crafts. She might enjoy creating a collage using old photos or modeling chocolate flowers from marzipan or fondant to decorate cupcakes.
Music is one of the best ways to connect in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Play music you know your mom loved when she was younger. She may surprise you by singing along or dancing to the beat.
When you’re choosing music, try to focus on the music from the time that seems to be most familiar to her. If she often talks about her favorite foods as a teen, look for music from her teen years. If her early-20s are the time she finds most familiar, choose songs from that era.
In-home care services are just as helpful to your mom as they are to you. Your mom gets to interact with someone new. It helps her with socialization. In-home care providers are experienced in getting people with dementia to join them for activities, so your mom will stay busy and engaged.
Plus, you get to take a break and leave your mom in the hands of a professional caregiver. Call an in-home care provider to learn more.
Drinking the right amount of water every day is a lot more important than your senior might realize. Dehydration is a huge problem for older adults and it’s much easier for your senior to become dehydrated.
The human body is mostly water, so when your senior isn’t getting enough water every day, she’s more likely to develop health issues. The right amount of water helps to flush waste through her body and helps to regulate her body temperature. Water is also crucial for keeping joints and muscles lubricated and moving freely. Without enough water, your senior’s organs start to suffer and her overall health can fail quickly.
Most people are familiar with the recommendation to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. That’s a basic guideline, but other recommendations can suggest a range anywhere from 11 to 15 cups of water per day, depending on gender. That’s a lot of water to just start drinking, so it’s always a good idea for your senior to gradually increase her water intake. Keeping track of water intake might be easier with home care assistance during the day.
The good news is that your elderly family member does take in water from other things, like the food that she eats. This is another reason that having a diet high in fruits and vegetables can be beneficial. Many foods, like melons, berries, and leafy greens, are high in water content. Eating plenty of broth-based soups regularly can also help with water intake. Elder care services can be helpful if your elderly family member needs assistance with eating healthier meals more often.
Ultimately, your senior may need more or less water than the average general recommendations. It’s an excellent idea to work with your senior’s doctor to come to a more customized recommendation that takes her health and needs into account. Once she has a goal in mind, it’s easier to come up with possible solutions to help her to meet that goal. Home care assistance can remind your senior throughout the day to sip water while helping her in other ways, for instance. Finding ways to gamify water intake can help quite a bit.
Getting enough water on a regular basis can do a lot to improve how your senior feels and how her body functions. She may be surprised just how much better she feels when she’s properly hydrated.
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care assistance in Walnut Creek, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.
