December 2nd, we toast to the mixed breeds of the world, so raise your water bowls high … because this one’s for the mutts! December 2 is a nationally celebrated day that recognizes our furry family members. Celebrate this day by posting a picture of you and your mixed bred dog.
Month: November 2021
Merry Christmas 2021
Merry Christmas from the Golden Heart family to yours. Wishing you a delightful Christmas. “Christmas gives us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the important things around us.” – David Cameron
December Birthday Shout Outs!
This month we want to shout out our awesome team members who have birthdays this month!
Happy Birthday to Michael our owner and Lupe one of our caregivers! You both lead with excellence and are such a joy to be around! We wish you a great birthday this month.
4 Ways Seniors Can Make Their Senior Pets Comfortable
November is Adopt A Senior Pet Month and senior pets are the perfect companions for your elderly loved one. But just like your senior loved one senior pets could use a little extra comfort most of the time. It’s essential that your senior loved one’s senior pet have food that is appropriate for their age and get the medical care they need to stay healthy as they get older. But they could also use some extras like these to keep them cozy and comfortable too:
Heated Beds
Even though they have fur during the cold winter months senior pets always appreciate a heated bed to keep them extra cozy, especially if your senior loved one’s home tends to be a little drafty. There are heated pet beds that are battery operated and have a heating element inside the bed. There are also self-heating pet beds that contain a liner that holds onto your pet’s body heat and traps it to heat the bed. With self-heating pet beds there’s no danger that the bed will become too warm for the pet so those are the most popular choice of heated pet bed. If your senior loved one does choose a heated bed that contains a heating element make sure that their senior home care provider checks the bed regularly to make sure it’s not getting too warm.
Boots
Senior dogs who have to go outside in all types of weather can benefit from having booties or shoes on their paws when they go out. In addition to protecting your senior loved one’s floors by preventing those paws from getting muddy and tracking mud into the house these boots also protect the dog’s paws from cold, snow melting crystals, hard concrete, and from very hot pavement in the summer. There are many different styles of boots and shoes for dogs available in all sizes, even for large dogs. A senior home care provider can help your senior loved one put on the dog’s boots or shoes before going out for a walk.
Canned Food
Canned pet food is something that many senior pets appreciate. The soft texture is just right for senior pets who may have missing or damaged teeth. Soft food can also be easier on sensitive stomachs. And canned food contains extra water which is something that many pets need because they tend to not drink enough water throughout the day. If an all canned food diet isn’t something that your senior loved one can do it’s nice to give their senior pet an occasional can of food, especially if the pet isn’t feeling well.
Pet Steps
As pets gets older their joints can get stiff and ache just like people’s joints do. Pets will appreciate a good set of pet steps that will allow them to climb onto the couch or the bed easily and to get down easily without having to jump down and put a lot of stress on already stiff and sore joints.
If you or an aging loved one is considering senior home care in Orinda, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.
Home Care For Seniors Makes The Holidays Bright
The holidays are coming fast. The holidays can be a happy time spent with family, but they can also be a sad time for many seniors. Seniors who have recently lost a spouse or a loved one, seniors who are aging in place and are stuck inside because of bad weather, and seniors who are far away from their loved ones all can struggle with depression during the holidays.
Even if you have plans to visit your senior loved one during the holidays, you should consider the many benefits of elder care during this busy time. If your senior loved one has regular visits from an elder care provider, you can be sure that they are getting the warm companionship and help that they need to keep their spirits up during the holiday season. And if your plans change because of a delayed or cancelled flights or bad weather you won’t have to worry about senior loved one being alone for the holidays. Some of the other ways that elder care providers can make the holidays bright for your senior loved one include:
Holiday Baking
The holidays just aren’t the same without delicious treats that only get made once a year. An elder care provider can help your senior loved one shop for all of those special holiday treat ingredients and bake cookies, cakes, candy, and other traditional holiday treats. Seniors will love being able to bake all their favorite holiday specialties for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, and other events. They will also enjoy just eating them with a cup of cocoa or tea on a cold winter night.
Hanging Holiday Decorations
Your senior loved one may no longer be able to easily balance on a step ladder to hang holiday lights and decorations. They also may need assistance putting up a holiday tree and putting out of their holiday decorations. Many people treasure their holiday decorations and have curated special collections of decorations over many decades. When you can’t be there to help your senior loved one decorate an elder care provider can make sure that your senior parent’s home gets decorated the way it should.
Singing Carols
Holiday music can turn anyone’s mood from sad to happy. An elder care provider can create holiday music playlists and play holiday music and sing along with your senior parent. It’s great for seniors to spend time singing and dancing, especially seniors with dementia. And holiday classics are great music for seniors because they are familiar tunes and lyrics that your senior loved one will recognize instantly as soon as the music starts.
Sending Holiday Cards
If your senior loved one has arthritis or a medical condition that makes writing difficult an elder care provider can help them write out holiday cards and get them ready to send. A senior home care provider can also take all of those cards to the post office or arrange to have them picked up so that they get mailed in plenty of time to arrive before the holidays.