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Month: September 2024

5 Ways Seniors Can Improve Their Emotional Wellness At Home

Posted on by ltcep2023

October is National Emotional Wellness Month and now it a great time to find ways to help your senior parent improve their emotional wellness. Making sure that your senior mom or dad is emotionally healthy living at home is just as important as making sure that they are physically healthy.

Seniors who are living at home have a high risk for loneliness, depression, and anxiety because they don’t get as much social contact as they need. Visits and phone calls from family members go a long way toward helping seniors stay emotionally healthy, but it’s not always possible for family members to completely meet their senior parent’s emotional needs.

If you’re worried that your mom or dad may be lonely as they age at home try talking to them about some of these highly recommended ways for seniors to improve their emotional wellness at home:

Companion Care At Home

Companion care at home is a wonderful way to make sure that your mom or dad is getting the social engagement they need. When your senior parent has companion care at home they get regular visits from a companion who will spend time with them. A companion will share meals, conversation, and activities with your mom or dad.
A companion that visits your mom or dad on a set schedule may play games with them, do puzzles, watch movies, or help them learn more about hobbies that interest them.

Making Donation Items

Seniors sometimes struggle to find a sense of purpose, or a reason to get up each day. Making items to donate to charity can be a fantastic hobby for your mom or dad. Making things with their hands can relieve stress, improve happiness, and give them a sense of accomplishment.

There are hundreds of organizations that need handmade donation items like pet rescues and shelters which accept handmade blankets and crate pads, NICUs that always need warm and cozy hats, booties, and blankets for babies, and charities that collect cards, letters, and other items to send to other lonely seniors.

Taking Online Classes

Online classes are a way for seniors to stimulate their minds and explore subjects they were interested in but never had time to pursue. Your mom could have wanted to study fine art, but never had the time before. Or your dad may enjoy taking a class that is an in-depth look at his favorite historical time period.

There are many colleges and universities that now offer classes online for free, or have free video overviews of different topics.

Joining The Library

Even if your mom or dad can’t easily get out of the house they should join the local library. Since the pandemic many libraries have expanded their services and now offer digital books, video book clubs and discussion groups, and many other social opportunities that are perfect for seniors. And it’s all free.

Using Social Media

Using social media is also free, and it can be a fun way for seniors to reconnect with family and friends. Some seniors are even making their own social media content and making social connections with people of all different age groups.

Reference
https://nationaltoday.com/emotional-wellness-month/

If you or an aging loved one is considering companion care at home in San Ramon, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.

Risk Factors for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

Posted on by ltcep2023

When a blood clot occurs in one of the deep veins of the body, usually in the legs, it is called a deep vein thrombosis or DVT. A DVT can cause swelling and pain but sometimes occurs without any noticeable symptoms. While there isn’t usually any great risk of blood clots in the legs, the danger lies in the fact that it may break loose and head to another area of the body where it could cause serious issues and possibly even death. It can travel through the bloodstream and get lodged in the lungs, blocking blood flow and causing a pulmonary embolism.

Who is at Risk for Getting a DVT?

A DVT can happen to anyone at any time, but certain conditions and health issues may make having DVT more common. And because your loved one is elderly, his risk naturally increases each decade of his life after 60, compounding the risks listed below.

  • Being Overweight. Obesity increases the risk of developing DVT because of the increased pressure on the veins located within the legs and pelvis.
  • Being a Smoker. Those who smoke increase the risk of developing DVTs because of the damage to how the blood flows through the body due to smoking.
  • Having some cancers and/or going through some cancer treatments. If your loved one has cancer or is currently being treated for cancer, talk to his doctor if it will put him at greater risk for developing a DVT.
  • Having Heart Failure. Because the lungs and heart don’t work as strongly as they would in a healthy person, someone with heart failure may be more dangerously affected by even a small DVT that breaks off.
  • Not Moving for Long Periods. One of the most common triggers of DVT is the lack of movement. International flights where you sit for 8-10 hours at a time can increase this risk. The risk is also increased for anyone who is bed-ridden, or wheelchair-bound.

Home Care Assistance Can Help Seniors Reduce the Risk of DVTs

If you know your loved one is going to be bedridden or wheelchair-bound for a significant amount of time, having a home care assistance provider visit to help stimulate blood flow in the leg and assist with moving around can help reduce the risk of your loved one developing a DVT that could break off and lead to serious consequences. A home care assistance provider can help your loved one stretch out his legs or walk around if that is possible.

A home care assistance provider may also be able to help with lifestyle changes that will have positive impacts on your loved one’s overall health, including reducing his risk for a DVT. A home care assistance provider can help make healthy meals to keep his weight at a healthy level and support him with daily exercise to keep the legs moving and increase the caloric intake he needs each day, so he doesn’t put on more weight. A home care assistance provider can even help if your loved one is ready to quit smoking by providing support and accountability.

Finally, your loved one’s doctor may suggest he wear compression socks to help reduce his risk of developing a DVT. These can be difficult for some elderly people to put on properly: a home care assistance provider can help.

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care assistance in Clayton, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.