Aging in Place Archives - Golden Heart Walnut Creek

Why the Elderly Generation Is Choosing to Age in Place

Posted on September 19, 2023December 10, 2023 by Craig Bass

As your parents and grandparents become older, you may notice that a huge trend in the senior community is to age in place. It is crucial to look into all care options when helping your senior parent plan for the future. There are 24-hour home care options that make aging in place much easier. Some caregivers will work full-time shifts providing 24-hour care, or you may split the duties with your senior caregiver. Either way, this can be a great alternative to leaving their home and often makes a senior feel more comfortable about aging in place. 24-hour home care offers a way for seniors to receive help with bathing, dressing, eating, getting regular exercise, and everything else needed to be happy as they age at home.

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.

8 Warning Signs that an Aging Adult Needs Home Care Assistance

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Craig Bass

Home Care Assistance in Pleasant Hill CA

As people age, they may start to need extra help around the house. Home care assistance can you’re your senior with daily tasks like cooking meals, keeping up with laundry, and going to doctor’s appointments. But what does it look like when your senior really needs help now?

Loss of Mobility

If an aging adult is having difficulty getting around, they may need help with transportation and errands. Home care professionals can provide assistance with walking, getting in and out of bed, going to the bathroom, and more. They can also help your elderly family member to remember to use assistive devices so that she can move about more safely.

Extreme Forgetfulness

Forgetfulness is a common symptom of aging, and it can lead to missed appointments, forgotten bills, and other issues. Caregivers can help aging adults stay organized and on top of tasks. But there is a difference between normal forgetfulness and the more extreme variety. If you or your senior are in doubt, make an appointment with her doctor to assess the situation.

Difficulty with Household Chores

Aging adults may feel overwhelmed by the amount of work involved in maintaining a home, especially as their health changes. Elder care providers can help with tasks such as grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, and meal preparation. This makes life a lot easier and helps your elderly family member to continue to get her needs met.

Poor Nutrition

Seniors may find it difficult to shop for and prepare nutritious meals on a regular basis. This can very quickly exacerbate health issues and lead to bigger problems. Having home care providers assist with meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking takes that off your senior’s shoulders while still getting her the nutrition she needs.

Isolation

It isn’t easy to stay connected with other people. As your senior ages, she may even start to become isolated due to limited mobility or lack of transportation. Home care assistance can provide companionship and socialization, which can help reduce feelings of loneliness and depression.

Difficulty with Hygiene

Another possible area of concern is personal hygiene. This involves tasks like taking a shower or brushing her teeth. Instead of simply ignoring these vital tasks, it makes more sense for your senior to have help from caregivers who can maintain her dignity and independence while still assisting her.

Safety Concerns

Personal safety is incredibly important for your aging adult. With mobility concerns, housekeeping tasks, and so much more contributing to possible problems with safety, it makes sense to have someone there with your elderly family member. Home care assistance can help your senior with fall prevention and address other safety issues as they arise.

Unusual Mood Changes

Health issues are troubling enough, but they can contribute to emotional and mental changes as well. Your elderly family member might start to experience unusual or rapid mood changes that can cause you to worry about her well-being. Having home care assistance there with her can help you to keep tabs on how she’s doing.

Home care assistance can be a great way to help aging adults with daily tasks and activities. If you notice any of the warning signs mentioned above, it may be time to look into this type of care for your elderly family member.

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

5 Ways Your Senior Might Hide that She Needs Help

Posted on November 9, 2022 by Craig Bass

Elder Care in Moraga CA

You might not realize it, but your senior could be hiding some things from you. If your aging family member is afraid of accepting help from you or from elder care providers, she may go to extra effort to keep some of these details under wraps. Here’s what you need to look for to determine if she might need more help.

Her Home Is Not in Great Shape

How does your senior’s home look? If you’re not sure because she won’t let you in, that’s something that you need to address. Assuming that you are able to visit inside her home, take a look around. Piles of mail, signs that she’s having trouble cleaning, or unsafe areas are all big red flags that mean you need to take some action and ensure that she is safe.

Her Appearance Is Off a Bit

When your elderly family member is having a tough time keeping up with everything that she needs to do, she might start to make some small changes. For instance, you might notice that she’s wearing the same clothes every time you see her. Or she might be wearing brand-new clothing every time you see her. These small changes can be big indications that there’s more going on behind the scenes.

She’s Forgetting Important Tasks

Are you hearing that your senior is forgetting about appointments? Or is it possible that she’s forgetting things like her medications? Everybody can be forgetful now and again, but these types of issues can add up to trouble quickly for your senior and might mean that she needs help from elder care providers sooner rather than later.

You’re Worried She’s Not Eating Well

Food is another area that can tell you a lot about how your elderly family member is really doing. If she’s losing weight without trying or is getting sick more often, she might not be eating well at all. It’s important to understand what is happening so that you can help her to find a solution. This can be as simple to resolve as hiring home care providers to do the cooking for your senior.

Her Car Is Showing Signs of Trouble

Your senior may be especially protective of issues around independence, like maintaining her ability to keep driving. But that might not be safe for her to do anymore. Instead of telling you that, you may find that your senior continues to drive. Look for signs of trouble on the car itself, like scratches, scuffs, or dings. These indications let you know that it might be time to have someone else, like elder care providers, doing the driving instead of your senior.

A lot of these decisions your senior may be making come back to not wanting to lose independence and dignity. What helps is to let her know that you want to preserve both as much as you can for her and allow her to keep living her life on her terms. But that might mean that she needs to accept some help.

Source
https://www.webmd.com/palliative-care/news/20220413/americans-over-50-want-to-age-in-place-at-home-but-many-arent-prepared-poll

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

Helping Your Senior with Nighttime Struggles

Posted on July 14, 2022 by Craig Bass

24-Hour Home Care in Moraga CA

You hear your mom call out from their bedroom and you go in to help her for the fourth time tonight. You are glaring at the clock only to see the night isn’t even half over and you are exhausted. Does this sound familiar? If so, it may be time to consider hiring 24-hour home care to take care of your elderly parent during the night. In the meantime, there are some tips for senior citizen overnight care.

Dealing with Insomnia

One of the common issues amongst elderly people is insomnia. Does your elderly loved one have a difficult time sleeping at night:? If so, one of the things you or home care providers can do is to make their bedroom more sleep-inducing. Some of the ways you can do this include:

Turning off electronics
Getting blackout curtains
Having them do a non-stimulating activity before bed

Hopefully, at least one of these tips will help your aging parent to get better sleep at night. These tips may not work the first few nights, but if your elderly loved one can try them out for a bit, they might help after awhile.

Dealing with Overactive Bladder Issues

Does your elderly loved one have to use the bathroom a lot during the night? Maybe, they even have accidents because they can’t make it to the bathroom quick enough. If this is the case, it may be very tiring trying to help them out of bed and get them safely to the bathroom, especially if they are up multiple times a night and you have other things you need to do during the daytime. If this is the case, you may want to consider hiring 24-hour home care providers. The providers can stay with your elderly parent overnight to help them with getting to and using the bathroom.

Dealing with Chronic Pain

There are many senior citizens who struggle with chronic pain. Sometimes, it is due to arthritis, cancer, degenerative disc disease or a number of other conditions. The truth is that sleeping can be very difficult when someone has chronic pain. If this is the case for your elderly loved one you can hire home care providers to help them get comfortable throughout the night. You can also hire home health care providers to get your elderly loved one the pain medications they need during the night.

Rely on 24-Hour Home Care for Help

These are just some of the many different tips that you can use for your aging parent overnight. If they have other issues such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, or another condition that keeps them up or gets them up throughout the night, 24-hour home care can help them to manage those conditions, too.

Not sure what all home care services your elderly parent or loved one will need? Don’t worry. You can always reach out to our team to find out more about the available overnight services for senior citizens.

Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/aging-place-growing-older-home

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

Tag: Aging in Place