Benefits of Home Care Archives - Golden Heart Walnut Creek

What Are the Biggest Benefits of Home Care Assistance for Seniors?

Posted on July 22, 2024 by ltcep2023

One of the ways that families can get support caring for aging family members is through home care assistance. But what is this type of care and what are the benefits for families?

Individual Care Solutions

No senior has the exact same situation as any other senior. That means that when they have help from home care services, they have unique needs that don’t fit a cookie-cutter plan. Care services assess seniors’ needs and put an individual plan together to work for everyone involved.

Familiarity and Comfort

Part of why seniors opt to age in place is because they want to stay where they are comfortable and surrounded by familiarity. Home care assistance works to keep seniors as comfortable as possible, while also helping them to stay safe.

Improved Independence

Seniors want to maintain their independence, which can make some of them think twice about accepting help from elder care services and even family caregivers. The reality is that when seniors have help with daily activities, they’re empowered to do more of what they are able to do. They conserve energy and keep their independence.

Security and Safety

Safety is absolutely crucial for aging adults and part of why family caregivers are interested in home care assistance is to keep seniors safer. Caregivers spend time with seniors and learn how to help them be as safe as possible. They can also spot safety issues and warn families about them so they can make changes.

Social Engagement

Seniors who are aging in place still need to have social interaction. Unfortunately, though, they can find themselves becoming isolated very easily. Home care providers get to know seniors and engage them in conversation. They spend a lot of time with aging adults, helping them to feel less alone and isolated.

Flexibility and Convenience

Some seniors need a lot of help, but others need only a little. In some cases, seniors may want very specific help, but want to do most things on their own. Because home care assistance is so individually tailored, the help that seniors receive is flexible and solves the issues they’re facing.

Improved Quality of Life

When seniors know that they’re supported and when they are getting their needs met, their overall quality of life is going to be much better overall. This helps so much with mental and physical health, keeping seniors engaged in the world around them.

Improved Family Support

It’s tough to be a family caregiver. There are demands everywhere and family caregivers can feel pulled in too many different directions. If they’re not sure they’re helping in the right ways, they may feel uncomfortable, too. But home care providers help family caregivers understand more about their senior’s needs and get time away when they need it.

Home care assistance is there to help families and seniors to make the most of aging in place. Seniors’ needs change over time, and home care can adapt to keep up with those various needs as they become more complicated to manage alone.

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

Companion Care at Home Offers More Than Just Conversation

Posted on May 22, 2024June 7, 2024 by ltcep2023

Mental stimulation is vital for seniors, especially when they want to maintain both cognitive health and overall wellness. There are a lot of different ways for seniors to get mental stimulation, but possibly the easiest way is to start working with companion care at home. Companion caregivers offer more than just friendly conversations, although those are nice, too.

More Than Just Talking

Companion care at home is an easy source of conversation, of course. For seniors who don’t get out much or who aren’t able to spend time with other people as much as they might want, it’s helpful to have someone else there. But seniors need more than just conversation and elder care providers can help with that.

Tailored Care for Individual Needs

Some seniors like a lot of companionship while others need more time alone. Because of that, it’s helpful for aging adults to have options when it comes to working with companion caregivers. This type of care is very easy to customize, even as individual preferences change over time. It also helps seniors to feel more in control when they have a say how often they interact with companion caregivers.

Improving Cognitive Function

Companion caregivers get to know the seniors they spend time with regularly, so they get to know many of their preferences. Engaging in conversation, trying activities, and solving problems are all different ways to improve cognitive function in seniors. Being around other people is mentally stimulating in and of itself, so having home care providers there is a massive cognitive boost.

Reducing Boredom

Boredom is a huge problem for seniors. When they’re spending a lot of time alone and don’t have a lot of mental stimulation, that has a huge impact. Spending time with companion caregivers automatically alleviates boredom. That boost can inspire seniors to be willing to try new things, further reducing boredom.

Reducing Loneliness

Spending too much time alone is a common problem for aging adults. Often the other people in their lives are busy with other obligations and responsibilities. Many also live far away, making it difficult for seniors to spend time around the people they care about most. Companion care at home helps reduce loneliness simply by being there, but they can also help seniors get to events where they can be around other people more often.

Boosting Mood

Spending time with other people does a lot to boost moods for seniors, too. Even the anticipation of being around other people can do a lot to help improve moods. As seniors connect more with other people, they also feel a greater sense of purpose and accomplishment, which is important for overall well-being.

Companion care at home is a huge part of helping seniors to improve their overall quality of life. They offer conversation, but that’s just a small part of how they help aging adults to have a better experience every day. Spending time with other people, even just a few hours a week, can have a huge impact on how seniors feel about their lives.

If you or an aging loved one is considering companion care at home in Danville, 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.

Is Your Elderly Loved One Needing Help Now?

Posted on June 28, 2022 by Craig Bass

Senior Home Care in Alamo CA

Many elderly adults want to stay independent for as long as they can. If they can keep controlling every aspect of their life, things are generally great. But, what happens when an aging adult starts needing help immediately? Will they tell you? Since they might not say anything to their family members, it is up to you to recognize the signs that your elderly loved one needs help from senior home care sooner, rather than later.

Basic Tasks

How will you know when your elderly loved one needs help with basic tasks? Some of the things you will notice they are having issues with include:

Talking
Dressing
Walking
Climbing steps
Cooking
Eating
Managing medications

If you start noticing these issues, it is time to get your elderly loved one senior home care services. These home care providers can cook for, talk to, dress, and help your elderly loved one in many other ways, too.

Hygiene Assistance

Have you noticed your elderly loved one needs help with their hygiene? You might notice they don’t bathe often enough. It might seem like their appearance is sloppy or they smell foul. If this is the case, it would be a good idea to check with your elderly loved one about getting home care services. Let them know it is okay that they aren’t able to do these things on their own anymore. Senior home care providers don’t mind helping senior citizens with these tasks.

Taking Care of Responsibilities

Has your elderly loved one been slacking on taking care of their responsibilities? Some of the things that you might notice include:

Unopened mail
Papers piling up on their coffee table
Unreadable checkbook
Unpaid bills
Bank account overdrawn
Utility bills overdue
Prescriptions not being filled
Not returning phone calls
Dishes a mess

If you notice your elderly loved one needs help with these responsibilities, it would be a good idea to get them help from senior home care providers.

Health Changes

There may be a range of health changes that you notice in your elderly loved one, too, such as:

Burns
Problems swallowing
Appetite changes
Weight loss
Incontinence
Spilling things
Muscle weakness
Insomnia
Memory loss

Have you noticed your elderly loved one displaying any of these health changes? If so, it may not be a bad idea to address these issues now.

Attitude Changes

Do you recognize attitude changes in your elderly loved one? Some of these changes that might be displayed include:

Sadness
Depression
Feelings of despair
Refusal to communicate
Argumentativeness
Emotional crisis

If these things are realized, it may be a cry for help. Talk to your elderly loved one to see if they need some assistance.

Conclusion

If you recognize any of these changes above, senior home care may not be the worst idea. If you need to know more about these services, don’t hesitate to let our team know today. We can help you decide if these services are right for your elderly loved one.

Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-are-signs-aging-parent-needs-help

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

Is It Time For Elder Care For Your Senior Parent?

Posted on May 26, 2022 by Craig Bass

Elder Care in Lafayette CA

Sometimes the adult children of seniors have a hard time noticing when their senior parents start to struggle with everyday tasks. It’s hard to see your senior parent as someone that is changing and getting older. And sometimes parents don’t want to talk to their children about issues that they’re facing or medical conditions that are getting worse. But at some point, you and your senior loved one will have to talk about what is the next step for them. If your senior loved one is determined to stay in their home, discussing the benefits of elder care is the best place to start.

Elder care can be the lifeline that a lot of seniors need in order to live comfortably and safely in their own homes. Services are customizable so that your senior parent gets exactly the help they need based on their medical conditions, current health, and lifestyle. And as your senior parent’s needs change the elder care that they receive can change too. Some seniors have a hard time accepting help, but they find that it’s easier to get help from a caregiver than from their children. Having a conversation with your senior parent about getting in-home help is never easy. But if you’re seeing any of these signs it’s time to have a conversation with your senior parent about elder care:

Dishes Piling Up

If you see dishes, pots, and pans piling up in the kitchen and not getting cleaned or put away that’s a good sign that your senior loved one needs some help around the house. Maybe the dishes are too heavy for them to comfortably hold, or maybe they don’t have the strength to stand at the sink and do dishes, or maybe they are struggling to reach up or bend down to put things away. If you see dishes and pots and pans that don’t get put away for days on end it’s time to talk about elder care.

Dust Piling Up

If you notice a thick layer of dust on tables, lamps, window blinds, the TV, and in other places that could mean your senior loved one is struggling with housework. Because dust and other allergens can make it tough for seniors to breathe this is an issue that needs to be addressed swiftly.

No Food In The Fridge

Check out the fridge the next time you visit your senior loved one. If there’s little or no food in there it could mean that your senior loved one is having a hard time making meals. Or that they are having a hard time shopping for food. Elder care can help with both of things and a caregiver will make sure that your senior loved one is eating nutritious meals every day. If you notice a lack of food in the fridge and the cupboard it’s time to talk about getting some home care for your senior parent.

Source
https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/choosing-to-live-at-home

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

How to Handle Last-Minute Changes to Schedules You Thought Were Set

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Craig Bass

Personal Care at Home in Concord CA

When you work, take care of your dad, and have your own home to manage, last-minute schedule changes are aggravating. You had an appointment scheduled on a day your brother had off, but now it has changed. Your brother can’t take the new day off, so you’ll have to bring your dad with you or find someone else.

As the stress builds, you are snapping at everyone. You don’t mean to, but the pressure is too much. It would help if everything went as planned, but life doesn’t always cooperate. What can you do to handle last-minute changes?

Take a Deep Breath

Before you panic, stop and take a few deep breaths. You can’t change everything, but you can lower your stress levels by breathing. If you’ve never tried yoga before, the breathing and stretches in that exercise and medication program will help you de-stress and relax.

See If It’s Possible to Reschedule

Sometimes, you can reschedule. If the appointment is a quick blood test at your doctor’s, ask if it’s okay to put it off. Your doctor may recommend going to an office that’s closer or having a nurse come to your home for the blood draw. If that option presents itself, take your doctor up on it as long as you get the referral for your insurance.

Some appointments are too important to reschedule. If it’s a screening like a mammogram or a colonoscopy that took months to get, you need to keep it. In that case, it’s time to ask family members and close friends to help out.

Talk to Other Family Members

Now that you’re a bit calmer, talk to others in your family. Explain the situation and see if anyone is free. It’s not always going to work out to your benefit, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. If someone is free, you’ve resolved your scheduling conflict.

What if no one can help you? It’s okay. Don’t take it out on them. Instead, start looking for local personal care at home agencies.

Hire Personal Care at Home Aides to Fill In

Don’t let the stress of last-minute changes get to you. Make arrangements to have trained caregivers stay with your dad while you take care of appointments, meetings, or whatever else is going on.

Focus on what you need to do and know your dad is in excellent hands with his personal care at home. Make arrangements and learn more about the cost of personal care at home by talking to a home care expert.

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

How to Make Your Senior’s Doctor Appointments More Productive

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Craig Bass

In-Home Care in San Ramon CA

Many senior citizens have to go to the doctor quite a bit. They may have to see their primary care doctor once a year or more. If the elderly person has health problems, they may need to see a cardiologist, pulmonologist, allergist, or other types of doctors.

Do you often have to take your elderly loved one to their doctor’s appointments? If so, there are some tips on how to make their appointments more productive.

Being Prepared for Every Appointment

One of the best tips regarding your elderly loved one’s appointments with a doctor is to be prepared for all of them. When your elderly loved one needs an appointment, it might be best if you or a senior care provider makes it. This way, there will be no mix-ups with the date or time. You can make sure someone is able to drive them to and from their appointment. In addition, you or the in-home care providers can make sure your loved one’s insurance cards are available and the paperwork is filled out.

Make a List of Questions

For some appointments, you may not have a lot of questions. However, there are going to be some doctor’s appointments for your elderly loved one that you have questions about. For example, what if your elderly loved one has to see a cardiologist after a heart attack? You are going to have questions about how to prevent another heart attack, what medications they need to take, and how to improve the health of their heart. Making a list of the questions you have can make things go smoother at the appointment. The list can also help to ensure you aren’t forgetting anything when going to the appointment.

Understanding the Treatment Plan

It can be very helpful for you or an in-home care provider to attend doctor’s appointments with your elderly loved one. The reason for this is so someone is there to understand the treatment plan. Oftentimes, elderly people will go to their doctor’s appointments, but forget what the doctor told them by the time they get home. If you or a home care provider goes to the appointments, there won’t be confusion about the treatment plan.

Conclusion

Does your elderly loved one have a lot of doctor’s appointments? If so, the tips mentioned above can help to make those appointments more productive. In addition, if you follow through with those tips, you can help to ensure your loved one commits to their treatment plan.

Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/doctors-appointments-tips-caregivers

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