Importance of Good Nutrition as a Person Ages

Healthy eating is always an important part of anyone’s health journey, but it is especially important for the elderly. While there are plenty of wellness perks of eating healthy, the three main reasons to routinely enjoy a healthy diet are:

• It keeps the mind sharp. People who eat plenty of green, leafy vegetables, fresh fish, nuts, and fruit tend to stay sharp-minded longer. These foods help a person stay focused on tasks and retain needed information. They may even help reduce the risk of dementia.
• It keeps the body in good shape. Good nutrition boosts a person’s immune system and helps reduce the risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Eating well can also reduce the risk of obesity, which can trigger many health conditions in the elderly.
• It increases a sense of well-being. Eating well provides the energy and fuel needed to enjoy life to its fullest, helping seniors enjoy each day more.

Helping Your Senior Make Better Food Choices

Many poor food choices are due to a lack of knowledge, a fear of the unknown, and an inability to prepare it. It can also be linked to budget concerns, but with proper planning, a little help, and a willingness to break old bad habits, your elderly loved one can be eating well in no time.

Five Tips for Better Meals for Your Senior

1. Work with them once a week on meal planning. Pick one day a week where you’ll shop with your loved one and then help them make a large batch or two of several healthy meals that can be stretched to be eaten most of the week. This will ensure they have something delicious and nutritious on hand when they get hungry, so they’ll reach for it instead of that frozen pizza.
2. Make small changes. If your loved one has a lot of bad eating habits, don’t look to change them all over night. Talk to his doctor about where to start – maybe it’s reducing his salt intake, eliminating sugary sodas from his drink supplies, or incorporating more fresh protein instead of fried foods.
3. Clean out those cupboards and the fridge. Are there pitfalls waiting for them in the freezer or on the back shelf of the pantry? Getting them out of the house reduces temptation.
4. Introduce seasoning. Good seasoning can reduce the need for excess salt or fatty sauces and dips, making many foods healthier.
5. Get help from a personal care at home provider. If your loved one needs daily help with meal preparation, a personal care at home provider can help him with preparing healthy meals that meet his dietary requirements. A personal care at home provider can also help with shopping, cleaning up afterward, and even making sure those leftovers are tossed after they’re no longer good to consume.

These small steps can help you rest easier knowing your senior is eating healthy.

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

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Health Concerns of Seniors Who are Underweight

Being underweight is considered to be anyone who has a BMI (Body Mass Index) of less than 18.5. For many seniors, it can be easy to slip into this danger zone of not only being underweight but being malnourished. As a person ages, they might lose a lot of their desire to eat for a myriad of reasons, and then without realizing it, have lost enough weight to put them at risk for other health conditions. Some of those health concerns include:

• A weakened immune system that could put them at greater risk of developing an infection
• Weakened bones that might break more easily.
• Decreased muscle strength which can lead to falls and injuries.
• Wounds take longer to properly heal.
• Cognitive decline.

Five Tips to Help Your Loved One Gain Weight

Before you begin any process of making changes to your loved one’s eating habits, make sure to talk with her physician first to receive guidance to help you navigate any health issues she may have or medications she may take.

• Make calories count. While you may have the goal to boost her daily caloric intake, making those calories count is vital to better health. It shouldn’t be all milkshakes and cake! Instead make sure meals and snacks are made up of nutrient-dense and protein-rich foods that have healthy fats, whole grains, and are low in sugar.
• Reconsider meal sizes. Your loved one may not be able to eat three large meals a day so consider serving five small meals. This can help alleviate possible digestion issues she might have with a larger meal.
• Make snacks part of the diet. Healthy snacks like nuts, dried fruit, and cheese and crackers can add extra calories each day.
• Add calories to drinks. While you don’t want to add a ton of sugar into her drinks, consider having her enjoy a smoothie with her lunch or a glass of milk with breakfast.
• Start an exercise program. Exercising can build muscle mass and increase appetite.

Better Meals with a Personal Care at Home Provider

If one of your main goals with your elderly loved one is helping her to eat meals that have more calories and making sure those calories are healthy, it can help to have a personal care at home provider step in and assist with meal preparation. A personal care at home provider will work with you and your loved one to help ensure she’s eating appropriate foods that taste great and will help her gain weight. You can provide the personal care at home provider with the dietary guidelines that will help your loved one increase her body mass healthily and they will gladly step in to help your loved one succeed in her goals.

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

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Help with Activities of Daily Living

Simple tasks like taking a shower or changing clothes are tasks that are easy to forget about. When those tasks become difficult for seniors to handle alone, however, they may feel embarrassed about asking other people for help with them. Without that help, seniors might be at risk of injury, though. Home care providers who specialize in personal care assistance can help with these daily tasks, ensuring seniors are safe and healthy.

Adapting Daily Activities

One of the ways that personal care at home helps with daily activities is by suggesting ways seniors can adapt them for their needs. When seniors have someone else helping them figure out how they can still do certain tasks, they improve their ability to maintain independence, but they also know that help is available if needed. Elder care providers allow seniors to make the decisions about how things get handled, and they empower seniors to stay engaged in their daily routines.

Monitoring for Changes

It’s also important for seniors to have someone assisting them regularly who can monitor for changes. Seniors may not always realize when their needs are changing and how those changes affect their functional abilities. Home care providers can keep family caregivers informed, ensuring that seniors are getting the help that they need as their needs and health issues continue to change.

Emotional Support

It’s draining to have more trouble with tasks that used to be easy to manage. Sometimes seniors even withdraw from friends and other people they love. When personal care at home is there helping with daily tasks, they’re also offering emotional support for seniors. That support is invaluable, helping aging adults work through the emotional challenges that can come with aging.

Preventing Falls

Safety is always a concern for aging adults. When seniors have mobility challenges, like balance issues or other concerns, it helps immensely to have personal care at home providers there who understand their safety needs. Personal caregivers can help seniors address safety concerns, like tripping hazards, and have assistance with mobility concerns when engaging in tasks like bathing and dressing.

Personal care at home keeps seniors healthy and safe while offering assistance with daily tasks. They do this without reducing independence or dignity for seniors. In fact, having the exact help that they need and only when they need it does a lot to help seniors be more independent and to maintain dignity while doing so. Personal care providers allow seniors to age in place with as much grace as they possibly can.

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

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Cognitive Stimulation

Keeping their brains healthy and stimulated is so important for aging adults. There are lots of ways to help seniors keep their brains active and engaged. Conversation, memory games, reading, puzzles, and similar activities all foster cognitive stimulation and health. Spending time with elder care providers helps seniors to get more cognitive stimulation because of the activities that seniors engage in with caregivers.

Creative Expression

Being able to express themselves creatively is another enriching activity for aging adults. There’s no one way to practice creative expression, either. Seniors can engage in all sorts of arts, crafts, writing, or even making music. Finding new ways to express creativity helps to boost mental and emotional well-being for aging adults.

Physical Activity

Pretty much everyone has heard that physical activity is important for aging adults. But it doesn’t have to be exhausting or unpleasant in order for seniors to get benefits from moving more. Home care providers can help seniors remember to move more, even engaging in activities like impromptu dance parties in the afternoon.

Nutritional Assistance

Eating right helps boost overall well-being and quality of life, too. For many seniors, keeping up with meal preparation and planning is not easy to do, however. Home care providers help seniors to focus on what they can do and what they want to do while offering them healthy and delicious foods to eat on a daily basis.

Companionship

Social isolation robs seniors of so much enjoyment in life. Aging adults can easily become isolated simply because they start to have more trouble getting out and about or they stop driving. That can mean that they just aren’t able to keep up with social engagements any longer. Caregivers offer friendly conversation and companionship that is easy and that comes to seniors in their own homes.

Customized Home Care Plans

Every senior has different likes and dislikes. They also have different needs, requiring different types of care plans. Home care services offer unique plans for each person they help. Everyone has the assistance they need to meet their individual goals in their own timeframes. As needs and preferences change, the plans can change just as quickly.

Independence and Autonomy

Probably the most important part of helping seniors have the best possible quality of life involves protecting their independence and autonomy. Elder care providers are there to support seniors in the ways that they need and want, while allowing them to make their own choices about their daily lives. They’re supported in being who they are.

Home care services offer essential assistance in keeping seniors moving toward the best possible quality of life, whatever that means for them as an individual.

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

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Challenges Due to Aging

Aging itself is responsible for a great many of the challenges seniors experience with temperature regulation. Metabolisms slow down and circulation changes as well. These changes affect how well the body distributes heat, especially in the extremities.

Underlying Health Conditions

Some health issues that seniors tend to experience can contribute to feeling cold easily. Diabetes, anemia, thyroid issues, and heart conditions can all be a part of the problem. Keeping these conditions under better control can help with temperature regulation. But it’s also important to realize that some medications that are meant to help with these issues can also have side effects that impact temperature regulation.

Decreased Activity Levels

Very often seniors are less active as they age than they were when they were younger. That decrease in physical activity can contribute to feeling colder more often. Physical activity helps to generate heat in the body, which helps the body maintain its core temperature. When seniors are more sedentary, it’s more difficult for their bodies to generate the heat they need.

Decreased Appetite

Many aging adults don’t eat a lot of food and this can cause issues with temperature regulation. Poor nutrition and eating fewer calories than they truly need affects both energy levels and metabolism. Dehydration is another issue seniors battle and getting too little water may have more trouble with circulation as well as feeling colder.

Keeping Seniors Warmer

There are lots of ways seniors can stay warmer and more comfortable. Layering clothing and maintaining a comfortable temperature inside the house helps. It also helps a great deal for home care providers to help seniors eat nutritious meals regularly. Senior home care providers can also monitor seniors to see how well they’re doing overall. When home care providers notice signs that seniors are more sedentary than usual or that they are experiencing other challenges that could cause them to feel colder than usual, they can help seniors find solutions for those problems.

A variety of different factors can cause seniors to feel colder than they should. The key is for family caregivers to determine what could be contributing to the problem so that they can solve those issues. Senior home care providers can help considerably with this goal, helping aging adults to be as comfortable as possible. Feeling warmer and avoiding cold-related health issues improves overall well-being and quality of life, making it easier for seniors to live the lives they want while they age in place.

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

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What Are ADLs?

Activities of daily living, often abbreviated as ADLs, are fundamental daily tasks that people do in order to take care of themselves, to stay healthy, and to remain independent. These tasks include activities like dressing, bathing, mobility, toileting, eating, and more. Seniors can have more trouble with these tasks for a variety of reasons ranging from cognitive changes to declining health or physical limitations.

Customized Care Plans

The first way that home care offers the help seniors need is through customizing care plans to meet individual needs. Caregivers work closely with the care recipient to understand what they need and want, what their routines are, and any other mitigating factors. These care plans aren’t static, either. They are adjustable as needs change.

Bathing and Personal Hygiene

Personal hygiene is essential for physical health, emotional well-being, and comfort. Caregivers can help seniors to bathe and take care of any personal hygiene tasks. This can feel embarrassing for some seniors at first, but caregivers offer compassionate support without judging or making the person feel bad about needing help with personal tasks.

Grooming and Dressing Help

It’s amazing how intricate some clothing and fasteners can be. As seniors age, it can be more difficult to manage getting dressed on their own. Home care providers help seniors to continue looking their best, while also wearing clean clothing that makes them feel their best.

Nutritional Support and Meal Preparation

When seniors aren’t eating healthy meals, that has a huge impact on their overall health. Home care assistance ensures that seniors are eating healthy meals on a daily basis. If seniors need more help with planning meals and grocery shopping, caregivers can help with that, too.

Mobility Assistance

Maintaining mobility is a huge part of helping seniors to remain independent. Senior home care services help seniors to have the support they need with tasks like transferring between surfaces, walking, and even exercising. Seniors with a high risk of falling can greatly reduce the likelihood that they might fall if they have mobility assistance on a daily basis.

Toileting and Incontinence Care

Incontinence is a sensitive issue for so many seniors. Home care providers offer support with toileting, getting to the bathroom safely, and establishing bathroom routines. Incontinence care is nothing to be embarrassed about, and having this assistance can reduce the chances of seniors experiencing UTIs and other health issues.

Monitoring and Reporting Health Issues

There’s more involved, however. Family caregivers who live far away or who are extremely busy may not be able to keep up with everything that is happening with the seniors they love. Caregivers can help them to stay aware of health issues and other concerns that families need to start addressing.

Getting help with ADLs does not mean that seniors have to move or that they are unable to care for themselves at all. Senior home care providers offer the support necessary for aging adults to do what they can and to know that they have assistance when they need it.

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

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Stay Connected with Family

Maintaining strong ties with family members is crucial. Regular phone calls, video chats, and visits from family can provide emotional support and a sense of connection. Video calls and regular check ins can greatly improve a senior’s social connection with family.

Make New Friends

Seniors can seek out social opportunities in their communities to meet new people and build friendships. Joining clubs, senior centers, or local groups based on shared interests can be a great way to connect with others. Seniors should visit the local senior center or library to find new friends.

Volunteer

Volunteering is a meaningful way for seniors to engage with their communities and give back. It provides a sense of purpose and can lead to new friendships. Seniors can choose from hundreds of volunteer opportunities in everything from social services to politics.

Join An Exercise Club

Physical activity has numerous benefits, including reducing loneliness. Seniors can participate in exercise classes, walking groups, or other activities that promote physical and social well-being.

Find New Hobbies

Pursuing hobbies and interests can be an excellent way to meet like-minded individuals. Whether it’s painting, gardening, or playing music, shared hobbies can lead to friendships. When seniors retire and have a lot of time on their hands they can finally try some of the hobbies and activities they’ve wanted to try for years.

Attend Social Events

Seniors should look for social events and gatherings in their communities, such as concerts, lectures, or cultural events. These outings offer opportunities to meet people and enjoy shared experiences.

Explore Online Communities

For those comfortable with technology, online communities and social media can be valuable tools for connecting with others who share their interests.

Adopt A Pet

Pets can provide companionship and reduce feelings of loneliness. Seniors who are able to care for a pet may benefit from the emotional support and interaction they offer. And seniors with pets can socialize with other pet owners.

Support Groups

Joining a support group for seniors dealing with similar challenges or life transitions can provide a sense of belonging and understanding.

Take Classes

Many communities offer classes for seniors, covering a wide range of topics from art and music to technology and history. These classes not only stimulate the mind but also offer social interaction.

Intergenerational Programs

Programs that bring seniors together with younger generations, such as mentoring or volunteering with children, can create fulfilling connections and a sense of purpose.

Stay Open to New Experiences

It’s important for seniors to stay open to new experiences and opportunities. Trying new activities or taking on new challenges can lead to unexpected social connections.

Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/lonely-older-adults.html
https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/social-isolation-loneliness-older-people-pose-health-risks
https://www.ncoa.org/article/navigating-social-isolation-and-loneliness-as-an-older-adult

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

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Here are a few reasons your loved one may be considering aging in place.

Moving Causes Stress

One of the biggest reasons a senior may not want to move from a nursing home is because they have created a home filled with memories they do not want to leave behind. If they can live at home and be healthy, they shouldn’t have to move. When a senior chooses to move, they are also choosing to get rid of personal possessions, their home, and things they have come to love. Moving is stressful for anyone, but it can be exceptionally hard for seniors. When they are healthy enough, it may be the best option to keep them home where they can thrive in a stress-free environment.

They May Feel Attached to the Community

As your senior lives in one place for a long time, they will come to know their neighbors and community. It can be a lot to ask them to give that up. They will be attached to their community and feel safe in their home, which greatly benefits aging in place. You can set their home up with security systems and other household products that make it easy for seniors to live and thrive in their community.

It May Help Them Heal

When you take a senior out of a space, they know it can hurt their health. If they’ve just had surgery and you place them in a home that is not their own, it can cause stress, and they will not heal as fast or at all. When you allow your loved one to age in place, it will help them heal from emotional trauma and physically too.

Being At Home Gives Them Freedom

One of the biggest reasons seniors choose to age in place is because they still feel free and independent. Even with the help of 24-hour home care, they are not living in a place with a structure set by someone else. They will be in charge of their routines and can do what they want when they want. They can also choose the family and caregivers who help them age in place, and that sense of control can make a senior feel better as they age.

If you or an aging loved one is considering 24-hour home care in Pleasant Hill, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.

The post Why the Elderly Generation Is Choosing to Age in Place appeared first on Golden Heart East Bay.

July is Social Wellness Month and now is a great time for seniors to get out of their comfort zones and try to be more social. Making friends and maintaining social connections is very important for seniors, especially for seniors that are living independently. Even though there are a lot of benefits that seniors get from living independently it can make staying socially connected a little challenging. During Social Wellness Month, seniors should make an effort to make new friends and reconnect socially with the world. Some things that seniors can do to break out of their comfort zone and make new friends are:

Rely on Companion Care at Home

Companion care at home gives seniors the social connection they need without them having to leave the house. Companion care at home is a great way for seniors that have chronic medical conditions or mobility challenges to get the important social connection they need to avoid loneliness without having to struggle to get out of the house. Talk to a local care agency today about the benefits of companion care for seniors.

Join A Club

Clubs are fantastic ways for seniors to make friends with people who have the same interests that they have. There are lots of different clubs seniors can explore. Almost anything a senior is interested in there is a club of other seniors who are interested in the same thing. Crafting, painting, hiking, pets, exercising, golf, books, movies, and more all have clubs that seniors can join. Seniors can also look online for virtual clubs that they can join using video chat so that they can meet and talk with other seniors about hobbies, books, and other things that interest them.

Volunteer

Volunteering is a fantastic way for seniors to get out of the house, be more active, and make friends. When seniors are volunteering they can meet new people from all walks of life as well as have a reason to get up in the morning. Seniors can volunteer with any number of groups that do good in the community and provide social connections and friendships that can help seniors stay well as they age. Many seniors find that volunteering gives them a new sense of purpose and determination. There are many local organizations that rely on volunteers who would love to have more seniors volunteer their time.

Visit The Local Senior Center

Almost every city has a senior’s center, but many seniors don’t realize how valuable these centers are. At your local senior’s center your senior parent can find clubs like book clubs to join. They can take classes, workout in the gym, find other seniors to walk with, and enjoy the benefits of having a space just for seniors. Often senior centers have live music on regularly scheduled days and other activities that are open to seniors. Encourage your senior parent to check out the local senior center and take advantage of everything it has to offer.

Reference
https://nationaltoday.com/social-wellness-month/
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/psychological-benefits-of-friendship

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

The post 4 Ways Seniors Can Break Out Of Their Comfort Zone And Be More Social appeared first on Golden Heart East Bay.

Hoarding is when a person collects objects and things and never gets rid of them. These objects will fill up a senior’s home, and it can be dangerous because it can create chaotic paths and even impact the cleanliness of a senior’s home, encouraging pest infestation. There are so many reasons why your seniors may hoard, and they may not even know they are doing this toxic behavior. So, how can you help them and help them get rid of things so they can live independently? Here are some tips to help you address your senior’s hoarding, and how senior home care can help them work through the process.

Learn What Signs Are of Hoarding

Most of the time, you may clearly see that a senior is hoarding, but if you don’t visit often, it can be less obvious. Sometimes senior home care may mention issues, or they may be denied access to certain rooms due to the acquisition of stuff. Here are some other signs to look for.

1. A Growing Collection Of Things– The most obvious sign is the collection of things without getting rid of other things. Sometimes these things are of no value and can be junk to you but special to the seniors.
2. Spaces Becoming Cluttered– There may be so much stuff that their normal living spaces become cluttered. When things become too cluttered, it can be dangerous for your loved one and even for senior home care who is helping them.
3. They Can’t Throw Things Away– If your senior has collected things and they are trash, it can be hard for them to throw things away. Even if you ask them to throw something away, they may refuse, believing that they need it in the future.
4. Losing Items– Among all the cluttered objects, your loved one may start losing important things necessary for everyday life. When it becomes too much senior home care may not even be able to help.
   There may be more signs of hoarding, but these are the main things to look for.

How to Treat Hoarding Behavior

It can be easy to judge your loved one when they are collecting too much stuff that you don’t think is worth keeping. However, the best thing you can do is encourage and support your loved one through this hard time in their life. There are multiple ways to help your senior treat their hoarding behavior, but it will take time and patience.

Set Small Goals Together

Instead of going through their house and throwing everything away, start with one drawer at a time and then work on one room at a time. Small goals will lead to a huge outcome in the long run. This may seem like a slow way to get rid of things, but it will help a senior get used to throwing things out.

Focus on Safety

One thing you should be doing is focusing on safety for your senior. If they want to live alone, they need to be able to move around their house. Doorways, hallways, and floors should be clear of clutter. If they can’t keep the floor cleaned off, you may need to help them. This can be one of the small goals to work on.

Always Be Understanding

Seniors hoard for many reasons, and you must try to understand their side without judgment. Some seniors hoard because they can’t move around enough to get rid of things, or maybe something has a good memory for them. Either way, you need to help them throw away trash or moldy things and allow them to hang on to things with good memories.

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

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