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Author: Craig Bass

What Can You Do if Your Senior Is Depressed?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Depression can make your senior feel as if life and her situation are utterly without hope, but that doesn’t have to be the case. If you are seeing signs that your elderly family member is battling depression, it’s important to talk to her about what you’re seeing and about what she’s feeling. From there you can both take action that can help her in big ways.

Encourage Her to Talk to Her Doctor

The first step is always to encourage your senior to talk to her doctor. There may be underlying medical conditions that are contributing to the depression. Treating the underlying issue can often help to alleviate the depression, but not always. Regardless of the cause, once her doctor is aware of what’s going on, your senior can get additional help.

Stay Connected with Her

Often isolation and loneliness lead to depression. If this is the case for your senior, then staying as connected with her as possible is going to be helpful. Not everyone lives near their aging family members, of course, so using tools like video calling can be somewhat of a substitute. Finding time to spend with her, or at least to call her, can be helpful, too.

Work on a Plan that You Can Follow Together

Something else that can help is if you and your senior sit down together and work out a plan for helping her to manage her depression. This might involve following the care plan recommended by her doctor, adding talk therapy, or even using mental health apps on a smartphone or tablet. Other solutions, like starting an exercise plan after clearing it with her doctor, could be beneficial, too.

Find Extra Help to Offer a Hand

Part of what’s contributing to your senior’s depression might be the changes she’s going through as she ages. Some of the regular parts of her life that were easy before might be a lot more difficult now, and that can contribute to a sense of loss and sadness. Hiring elder care providers can be helpful because those necessary tasks still get done, but your senior doesn’t wear herself out in the process.

Depression can be an issue for your senior for a multitude of different reasons, so it’s important to help her to find all the answers that you can. She may not completely kick her depression right away, but your senior will know you’re in her corner.

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

How Can You Tell if Your Senior’s AFib Is Getting Worse?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Atrial fibrillation may be easy for your senior to get under control. If her AFib gets worse, though, some of her symptoms may get worse, too. Being as prepared as she can be for some of the symptoms she might experience can help your elderly family member to stay calm and keep a cool head about what’s happening. Here are some of the things she should be aware of as she continues to live with atrial fibrillation.

Her Heart Races When She’s Resting

One big sign that atrial fibrillation may be getting worse is that she’s feeling her heart race when she’s resting. Your senior’s doctor may want her to wear a Holter monitor for a time to see what her heart is doing over several hours, including when she’s resting. It might be as simple as adjusting her medication, or there may be other treatments that can help.

She’s Having More Trouble Breathing

If your elderly family member is experiencing shortness of breath it’s important to get to the root cause. Shortness of breath when she’s being extremely active might not be a big deal. But if she’s experiencing this while she’s sitting on the couch, that could be a sign of something else going on. Your elderly family member’s doctor might want to rule out other potential causes, but it can also be directly related to AFib.

She’s Getting More Edema in Her Lower Legs

Because atrial fibrillation affects how well your senior’s heart functions, edema can be a common side effect. Edema, or swelling in your senior’s extremities, can become quite severe. If this is a new symptom for her or if she finds that simple solutions, like elevating her feet, doesn’t help, this could be a sign that her heart issues are worsening.

She’s Feeling Extremely Tired

Fatigue is a common symptom with heart and lung issues. The body is already working so hard on basic functions that there’s not a lot of energy left over. If your senior is feeling a lot more tired than usual or the fatigue she’s experiencing is new for her since her diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, then her doctor needs to be aware of how she’s feeling.

One way that you can take some stress off your senior is to bring in senior care providers to help her with whatever needs to be done. This can help her to conserve her energy and rest when she needs to.

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

What Can You Do to Help Your Senior Emotionally After a Heart Attack?

Posted on by Craig Bass

After a heart attack, lots of stuff about your senior’s life may be in the process of changing. It’s a scary time, to be sure, which makes it even more important that you and she spend some time talking about how she’s feeling and how you can help her.

Talk with Your Senior about How She’s Feeling

Open up with your senior and ask her how she’s feeling, on an emotional level. Having a heart attack is a scary situation and it can bring people face to face with their own mortality very quickly. Your senior might be feeling a lot of regret about not taking better care of herself or she may feel upset about all of the changes she needs to make to her life now. All of her feelings are valid, and it’s important to help her to talk through them.

Make Sure She Gets to Her Doctor’s Appointments

Your senior likely has more than a few follow-up appointments with her doctor and possibly some specialists. Getting to those appointments is crucial, both for her physical well-being and for her emotional health. If you’re not able to go with her, you might want to consider arranging transportation for her. Elderly care providers can handle the driving and ensure that she gets safely to her appointments.

Following Doctor’s Orders Is Really Important

It’s just as important that your senior follows her doctor’s instructions, too. There might be a lot that she needs to do right now, like go to cardiac rehab or physical therapy, concentrate on eating a healthy diet, and starting new medications or treatments. All of this is important, but if it’s overwhelming for your senior, talk with her doctor about what’s most important for her to do first so that you can help her to prioritize.

Look for Other Solutions

There’s a lot of help out there for this type of situation. Your senior may find it comforting to join a support group made up of people dealing with the same things she’s facing. Or she might find it helpful to go to a therapist for a while. Regardless, there are a range of different options for her if she’s in need of some more assistance with her emotional health after such a big event.

Checking in with your senior’s emotional well-being now and again helps you to make sure you’re still on the same page.

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

Staying Connected this Holiday Season When You Can’t Be There

Posted on by Craig Bass

The holiday season of 2020 is going to be like none other. While there are lots of concerns by many people, one of the things that weighs heaviest on a caregiver’s heart has to do with the parents she is caretaking for. With the global pandemic caused by Covid-19 seeming to only get stronger and more deadly, many caretakers are going to have to look at new ways to let their aging parents that they’re in their hearts even if they can’t be in their homes.

As a caregiver, you may be actively involved in your parent’s life, already spending time in the home with your parent. Or, you may have already been doing most of the caretaking from a distance, such as running errands or dropping off meals at the doorstep. But the holidays make what has become “normal” in your life as a caretaker even more acute in the difficulties it can place on making someone know they are not forgotten about over the holidays.

So, while you may not be able to have all the grandkids go over the your parent’s home for the holidays and you probably won’t be bringing your aging parent to traditional indoor holiday celebrations such as a large family gathering, here are a few ways that might help your parent find joyful connections in the holiday season.

Flood your parent with cards.

Holidays are a great season to start a card avalanche. If your family celebrates Christmas, enlist family and friends to send a card every day during Advent so that your parent has something to look forward to while getting the mail. If walking to the mailbox is dangerous or reading cards is hard, ask your home care provider to read each card to your parent and make those needed trips out to the mailbox. Your home care provider can even help your parent write back; bringing back the days of pen pals might be a fun distraction for your parent.

Use technology to spend time “together.”

While it might not be as good as actually being in the same room together, the world of technology has been great with providing opportunities for us to see the faces and hear the voices of the ones we love no matter how far apart we are. Plan a time for your whole family to gather on a Zoom meeting and share stories from previous holidays. Or maybe have everyone show off their holiday baked goods. While technology can sometimes be a stumbling block for seniors, if you’re not able to help your parent with logging on and operating a device, your home care professional will be more than happy to set it up and then let your parent enjoy his “family time.”

Everyone loves a parade!

Who says parades just have to be during the summer? Have friends, family and neighbors get their vehicles all decorated in holiday attire and have someone turn on those Christmas carols as loud as can “legally” be and go drive down your parent’s street. Ask your home care provider to make sure your parent is up and ready to stand in the doorway and wave to all of the vehicles passing by. And if you know of any neighbors nearby that could also use the fun of a parade, make sure to invite them as well. You could even send out invites to the whole neighborhood.

No, this year will not be like any other. And yes, it’s going to have heartbreaks and you’re going to miss out on some long-standing traditions. These things may make both you and your parent sad. But, with a little planning and creativity, you might also create some unique one-of-kind memories that will be reminisced about for years and bring joy long after they’re over.

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

Key Elements to How Exercising Improves Memory

Posted on by Craig Bass

As you are taking care of your elderly loved one, one of the things that you will need to think about is their memory. There are many things that can impact your elderly loved one’s memory. Everything from the sleep they get, to how much exercise they get, to the things they eat and drink, will affect their memory. Today you can focus on learning more about how exercise can improve your elderly loved one’s memory.

Positive Side Effects of Exercising

There are many positive side effects of exercising. Be sure that you share these side effects with your elderly loved one. They include the following:

  • Increase in heart rate
  • Increased insulin sensitivity
  • Perspiration
  • Less inflammation
  • Improved ability for the brain to make new cells
  • Better mood
  • Better sleep
  • Reduced anxiety and stress

When all of the side effects occur together, your elderly loved one will start experiencing improvements in their memory. Learning more about each one of these effects can help you to learn more about how exercising improves your loved one’s memory.

Reduced Inflammation

As previously mentioned, exercising helps reduce inflammation. If your elderly loved one has inflammation in their brain, it can lead to many issues. The brain isn’t able to send messages or form memories that well. Sometimes the inflammation is a result of stress. If this is a concern that you have for your elderly loved one, you should encourage them to dance, run, or take walks regularly. All of these things can help to reduce the inflammation in their body and brain. Remember, less inflammation means improved memory.

New Brain Cells and Blood Vessels

If your elderly loved one exercises, the blood flow to their brain will improve. When this happens, new brain cells and blood vessels can form. This growth causes the hippocampus to grow, improving learning and memory. One of the main parts of memory that is improved by this growth is memory storage.

Improved Mood

Exercising can help to improve your elderly loved one’s mood, as well. It might not seem like one’s mood has anything to do with their memory. However, have you ever been really upset and stressed? If so, when that happened, did you start forgetting things? It is very likely that you did. This happens the same for elderly people. If you or caregivers can encourage your loved one to exercise regularly, it can improve their mood and their memory.

Conclusion

These are some of the key elements to how exercising improves memory. If you or caregivers are taking care of your elderly loved one, help them make an exercise plan. Even 10 to 20 minutes of exercise a day could make all the difference in your elderly loved one’s memory.

Sources
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/moderate-exercise-may-improve-memory-older-adults

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

Is it Really Possible for Your Senior to Age in Place?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Has your senior told you that she wants to age in place for as long as possible? That’s a wonderful goal, if it’s actually something that she can achieve.

What Does She Need?

Take a closer look at what your senior needs in order to age in place. Does her home need modifying? Or would a declutter get her where things need to be? You also need to understand what her health needs are both now and in the future. That’s going to help you to project and fill in the blanks a little bit to try and meet her needs more accurately. You won’t be able to predict everything, but if you can start to understand now what she’ll need later, you have a more accurate picture.

How Likely Is it She’ll Change Her Mind?

Your elderly family member may be committed to the idea of aging in place right now, but how likely is it that she’s going to change her mind? Of course, a lot of that depends on what she needs and how well you think you’ll be able to meet her needs if she stays right where she is. If something dramatic were to change, how would your senior want to handle that? It’s better to ask that now while you’re still in the planning phase.

Is She Mobile?

It’s also important to look at your senior’s mobility needs. Is she able to get around well now? Is she still exercising or is she fighting that? What she’s doing now is going to affect her future, regardless of what else happens down the line. You need to have a plan for what happens if her mobility needs change, too. Is her home set up to be able to accommodate a wheelchair or a walker?

Will She Accept Help?

The other big consideration is whether your elderly family member is willing to accept help or not. If she’s resistant to help now, that can be problematic if she does continue to age in place. No one is an island and eventually she’s going to need assistance. Whether that help comes from you or from elder care providers, she’s going to be far closer to her goal of aging in place if she accepts assistance willingly.

There’s a lot that goes into this decision, both for you and for your senior. No matter how much you may admire and respect her wishes to continue to age in place, you have to be realistic about the situation, too.

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

What Are the Risks of Ignoring Hearing Loss?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Hearing loss counts as a chronic health condition. It’s one that many older adults face on some level. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, it’s one that 36 million Americans have. The older you are, the higher the risk.

People often delay treatment until they cannot hear or communicate well with others. People often wait a full decade before seeking hearing aids to help them hear.

Don’t ignore the signs of hearing loss in your parents. Know the signs and understand the common causes of hearing loss. If you seek testing and early treatments, you help your parents avoid many of these risks.

Cognitive Impairment

Senior Care in Walnut Creek CA- Risks of Ignoring Hearing Loss

Doctors at John Hopkins completed a 12-year study of dementia and hearing loss. In that study, people with mild hearing loss were twice as likely to have dementia. People with moderate hearing loss were three times more likely. Severe hearing loss increased the risk by 5x.

The belief is that hearing loss causes the brain to degrade at a faster rate. It also impacts social activities, which may also be a factor in dementia.

Depression

People who cannot hear have higher rates of depression than others. Signs of depression may not be known to you. Pay attention to your parents’ daily routines. Have they stopped doing the things they enjoy? Are they avoiding social activities? Do they sleep longer or deal with insomnia?

Other signs of depression are appetite changes leading to weight loss or weight gain. Irritability, confusion, and fatigue are also signs.

Difficulty Driving

If your mom or dad cannot hear sounds, they may find it hard to drive safely. Part of safe driving is being able to hear another driver’s horn, police, fire, or ambulance sirens, or the bells at a rail crossing. They also need to be able to listen to their car’s engine and other components to make sure everything is operating correctly.

Fall Risk

The final issue with hearing loss is that it can increase the risk of a fall. If your parents can’t hear, they cannot hear their pets coming up behind them on stairs or in the yard. They can’t hear traffic coming up the street.

There’s also the risk of not hearing problems within the home that could cause a fall. If a deck rail, step, or board is giving way, your parent may not notice until it breaks. Hearing loss can keep your mom or dad from hearing a tile crack and loosen. All of which could lead to a fall.

When hearing loss is impacting your parents’ lives, arrange senior care services for the tasks they can’t do on their own. If they cannot hear, they may be unable to drive. They may find it hard to understand what their doctors tell them during appointments. Senior care can help them with those and other struggles that come from hearing loss.

Sources:
https://www.asha.org/Articles/Untreated-Hearing-Loss-in-Adults/

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

Foot Care Tips for Your Elderly Loved One

Posted on by Craig Bass

Proper foot care is important for your elderly loved one. Unfortunately, caring for the feet is a commonly overlooked. The better foot health your loved one has, the more active they can be. As people get older, they can develop a wide range of issues with their feet. Some of the common foot issues elderly people have include bone spurs, bunions, and more. If these issues aren’t treated properly, they could cause mobility problems for your elderly loved one. Mobility can help your elderly loved one to stay social and to be healthier. The good news is that you and elderly care providers can help your loved one to maintain proper foot care.

Going to the Podiatrist

One of the ways to ensure that your elderly loved one is getting the best foot care is by making sure they are going to the podiatrist regularly. The podiatrist will check your elderly loved one’s feet for any concerns. If there is a problem, they will give your loved one the proper treatments.

Daily Feet Inspections

Does your elderly loved one have diabetes? If so, it is important to know that people with diabetes have a higher risk of feet issues. You should encourage your elderly loved one to inspect their feet every day. Diabetics often have severe feet issues that can even cause an amputation to be needed. It is essential that you help your elderly loved one avoid this at all costs.

No Barefoot Walking

Your elderly loved one needs to walk with proper footwear. If they are walking barefoot, there is more of a chance that they will get a foot disease or an infection if their feet. In addition, walking barefoot can cause more balance issues for your elderly loved one.

Dry and Warm Feet

If your elderly loved one’s feet are constantly being left wet, there is a much higher chance that they will get an infection. It is important that you and their elderly care providers help your loved one to keep their feet dry and warm.

Toenail Care

In addition to actual foot care, your elderly loved one needs to have proper toenail care, as well. Their toenails should be trimmed regularly. Having longer toenails can cause your elderly loved one discomfort. If they are ripped off, this could cause excess bleeding.

Conclusion

These are some of the foot care tips that you should include in your elderly loved one’s schedule. It is imoprtant to ensure that your loved one maintains their foot health. If they have any serious health issues with their feet, it could mean major surgery or even an amputation.

Sources
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/healthy-aging-tend-to-your-feet.page

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

Better Breakfast Month – Pantry Staples for Healthy Breakfasts

Posted on by Craig Bass

What pantry staples should be on hand for healthier breakfasts? September’s Better Breakfast Month is a good time to explore the things your parents could be eating to start their day off in a tasty, nutritional way.

Applesauce

Unsweetened applesauce is a must-have for making apple muffins. You can also use it to sweeten overnight oats, yogurt parfaits, and homemade granola bars. Purchase jars of unsweetened applesauce or make it yourself using peeled, chopped apples and water.

Vitamin C is one reason to keep applesauce on hand. It’s high in the antioxidant. There’s also fiber and vitamin B-6.

Dried Apricots

Keep dried apricots on hand for topping cereals. Chop them up and use them in overnight oats, muffins, or yogurt parfaits.

Dried apricots are a great source of vitamin A and potassium. They’re also a good source of iron, vitamin B-6, and calcium. They even contain a small amount of fiber.

Frozen Berries

Buy a bag of frozen berries and keep them on hand for breakfast smoothies. You can use naturally sweetened juice to make a fruit smoothie or kefir or yogurt to make fruit and yogurt smoothies.

Frozen berries are a great source of antioxidants like vitamin C. The seeds in some berries also have omega-3 fatty acids. Some studies have found that berries are one of the best fruits for brain health. Plus, they taste good in parfaits, oatmeal, muffins, and by themselves.

Whole Oats

Whole oats are a handy breakfast item to keep on hand. Make plain overnight oats and keep it in the fridge for easy warm or cold breakfasts. You or your parents can top the oats in things they enjoy each morning.

Oats are a good source of fiber. Fiber absorbs water and helps prevent constipation. Soluble fiber also draws cholesterol from the intestines and helps move it out of the body. Steel-cut oats are ideal. If you’re making overnight oats from steel-cut oats, use the ratio of 1.75 cups of milk to 1 cup of oats.

Would your parents eat more if they had someone helping them? Breakfast is an important meal, so it’s not one they should be skipping. Home care services cover things like grocery shopping and meal preparation.

If your parents don’t like to eat by themselves, caregivers can be on hand to join them for a meal and do the dishes after. Home care aides are friends and helpers who will keep your parents happy and engaged. Call to learn more.

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

Cancer Treatments and In-Home Care: How Can it Help?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Is your elderly loved one dealing with some sort of cancer? If so, this can be difficult for their mind and body. It can be a constant struggle for your elderly loved one to keep up with their independence. With everything they have, your loved one might keep trying to do things on their own. However, it is alright for them to ask for and get help. It is alright for you to help them get the services and assistance that they need. Home care services might benefit your loved one the most. The elder care providers can help your loved one to have the best quality of life.

Recovery Support

If your elderly loved one has received cancer treatments and they are trying to recover, it could be taking a huge toll on their body and mind. It is important that they have the help and support that is needed to get through each day and get stronger. Some of the ways that elder care providers can help your loved one include the following:

  • Assistance with waking up and going to bed
  • Getting help with grooming and dressing
  • Prepping meals
  • Light housekeeping
  • Going to get prescriptions
  • Reminding your loved one about taking their medications
  • Scheduling and transporting your loved one to appointments
  • Offering companionship

These measures can help your elderly loved one to feel more comfortable. The elder care providers can make your loved one’s life easier, as well.

Depression Management

Anyone who gets diagnosed with cancer is likely to experience some level of depression. If your elderly loved one needs help with their depression, home care services can help with this. The elder care providers can be there for your loved one when they need to vent. They can be there to help your loved one with household tasks to make things easier. By doing these things, the provider is helping your loved one to manage their depression.

Personalized Care

If your elderly loved one needs to get cancer treatments, they deserve the most personalized care possible. The doctors and the hospital will certainly providing your loved one with the personalized care they need. Your loved one should be able to get this type of care in their home, as well. The elder care providers who come to your loved one’s home will take their individual situation in mind. Then, they will adjust their care based on what is happening with your loved one.

Anybody who has to deal with cancer treatments is in a tough situation. It can be scary, irritating, frightening, and much more. It is important that your elderly loved one gets the best in-home care possible.

Sources
https://www.cancer.org/treatment/finding-and-paying-for-treatment/choosing-your-treatment-team/home-care-agencies/types-of-services-available.html

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