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Tag: Home Care in Moraga CA

Supporting Seniors with Hearing Issues: Navigating the Highs and Lows

Posted on by ltcep2023

Hearing loss is a prevalent issue among seniors, affecting their quality of life. According to the World Health Organization, approximately one in every three persons over the age of 65 has debilitating hearing loss. While this condition can quickly impact communication and social relationships, there are effective approaches to assist seniors in navigating both the emotional and practical aspects of hearing loss. Here are a few things to know about hearing loss and how home care can help.

Understanding the Impact of Hearing Loss

For many seniors, hearing loss is much more than simply losing the ability to hear sound. It also has an impact on their capacity to communicate, enjoy social occasions, and feel connected to their loved ones. One important task for family members and home care when it comes to assisting seniors is to recognize the impact and handle the situation with empathy. Also, it’s important to consider how it may influence their confidence, self-esteem, and sense of independence.

Creating a Supportive Communication Environment

Changing how communication happens is one part of supporting seniors with hearing issues. This doesn’t mean shouting, but rather speaking slowly, clearly, and at a reasonable volume. The truth is that shouting actually makes it harder for those with hearing issues to hear. Also, face-to-face conversations allow seniors to read lips and facial expressions, which can improve comprehension. With these things in mind, it’s important to keep background noise and distractions to a minimum. Also, to promote lip-reading and better listening in group settings, seniors need to be seated in a well-lit area that is closer to the speaker.

Additionally, practicing patience and being okay to repeat things is essential. If seniors are having difficulty understanding, it’s important to reword the sentences rather than simply repeating them, as particular sounds or words may be more difficult to digest.

Promoting the Use of Hearing Aids

Hearing aids can be quite beneficial for seniors with hearing loss. However, many seniors are hesitant to use them due to stigma, inconvenience, or the belief that they will not be effective. Home care and loved ones can help seniors be more comfortable with wearing hearing aids by providing them with education, ensuring they meet with the audiology team, and offering moral support. Also, assisting with hearing aid maintenance, such as cleaning, battery replacement, and other tasks, might help alleviate their anxiety.

Practice Active Listening

Making seniors feel heard, whether they have hearing loss or not, is critical to their well-being. Active listening includes giving them undivided attention, acknowledging their emotions, and allowing them to express themselves. This demonstrates that they are valued as well as what they say is valued. For seniors who might be less willing to talk due to their hearing issues, ask open-ended questions that encourage them to process their feelings.

Exploring Assistive Technologies

Aside from hearing aids, a range of assistive technology can help seniors hear better. These include amplified telephones, television listening devices, and personal sound amplifiers. Closed captioning on television shows, as well as specialized alarm clocks or doorbells that use flashing lights instead of sound, can also assist seniors and keep them safe.

When dealing with hearing issues, especially if they’re new, seniors need a strong support network who understand their hearing issues. This network can include family, friends, home care, and others who will encourage seniors to express their feelings and try new technologies to help them better handle the highs and lows of hearing loss.

Sources:
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/communicating-with-people-with-hearing-loss
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7295162/
https://www.helpguide.org/wellness/health-conditions/hearing-and-mental-health

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

Different Nuts Your Senior Should Add To Their Diet

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care in Moraga CA
Home Care in Moraga CA

Diet is crucial for a senior to maintain a healthy life, especially if they wish to age in place. Nutrient-rich foods like nuts can help a senior maintain weight, energy levels and reduce risks of chronic disease. Eating healthy helps boost immune systems and keep a senior’s mind sharp instead of feeling sluggish all of the time.

Finding food for your loved one can be challenging, especially when there is so much misinformation online. Your senior should always be talking to a doctor or someone they trust with their health. When a doctor gives you directions on eating, you should always try to follow them. Here are some nuts a home care provider can prep for your senior loved one.

Cashews

One of the best things about cashews is they’re filled with protein which can help keep a senior full for longer. They are super low in calories, especially raw cashews, and they’re filled with dietary fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Cashews make one of the best snacks for a senior; the only downside is they can be relatively expensive. They are nuts that require a lot of labor to grow and process for consumption, so their cost is higher than other nuts. However, for a tasty snack, this is something that home care may want to pick up for your loved one.

Walnuts

If you’re worried about your seniors’ weight and the doctors say they need to gain more weight, they should snack on walnuts! These nuts are filled with protein and healthy fats, making them great for weight gain. In addition, walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce inflammation and boost heart health, making them a great option for seniors.

Almonds

When you think of snacking on nuts, you may automatically think of almonds. They are often the first found in the store, and they can be healthy. Eating almonds can help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. They can also help to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, which is vital for seniors. Almonds are the perfect snack if a senior is trying to manage their weight!

Hazelnuts

These are funky nuts because you do have to prep them unless you get pre-peeled hazelnuts. They come with an outer shell that needs to be peeled before consumption. These nuts have tons of vitamins and minerals like vitamin E, folate, magnesium, and zinc. All of these are so important for health, and a senior needs a certain amount of each. Hazelnuts are not always on store shelves because they are typically harvested from August to October. These are also nuts that are more expensive in stores because they grow in clusters that have to be handpicked, unlike other nuts! Each tree also takes a long time to mature, which can impact the price of nuts.

If your senior needs to focus on diet, finding the right kind of nut can be crucial for them. All nuts have different flavors and textures; seniors may need to experiment to find the kind they like and how to eat them. Some nuts are best plain, in yogurt, or even on a salad. If you are worried about certain vitamins and minerals, it’s time to have home care help drive a senior to get some blood work done.

Reference
https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/ss/slideshow-healthy-nuts

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

Helping Your Elderly Loved One Continue Living at Home

Posted on by Craig Bass

Are you worried that your elderly loved one will need to move into assisted living? If you are, did you know there are some ways that you might be able to keep them living at home? If you follow these tips, your elderly loved one might be able to stay at home longer than you ever expected.

Encouraging Physical Movements

It is important that elderly adults move around as much as they possibly can. This doesn’t mean they have to do excessive exercise. However, they should do daily walking and light exercise. Flexibility exercises are great for elderly adults. These types of exercises keep their body stronger and more mobile, as well. If you encourage your elderly loved one to be physically active, this could keep them in their own home.

Focusing On Their Abilities

It is also important that you focus on your elderly loved one’s abilities and not just their weaknesses. The more you can focus on their abilities, the more they will be able to continue doing. Instead of always focusing on what your loved one needs help with, be sure you ask them to do things they are capable of doing. This will help them to stay independent for longer.

Make Tasks Simpler

One of the other ways you can keep your elderly loved one more independent is by making tasks simpler. Break up tasks into smaller parts. This way your elderly loved one doesn’t get overwhelmed. They will feel more independent and be more successful in getting tasks done if they are made simpler.

Reducing Their Frustration

The less frustrated your elderly loved one is, the more likely it will be that they can remain in their own home. This is because the behaviors that happen out of frustration often exacerbate your loved one’s mood. They make them more forgetful, angry, and irritated. This type of mood is more likely to get your loved one placed in an assisted living home.

Hiring Home Care Providers

Another way you can keep your elderly loved one at home is by hiring home care providers. These providers will be at your loved one’s home to help them with grooming, self-care, and other things they need help with. If you haven’t hired home care providers yet, be sure to do so soon, especially if your elderly loved one needs help with things.

These are some of the tips to help your elderly loved one stay living at home as long as possible. Start implementing these tips today to see which ones help your loved one the most. Once you have figured this out, be sure you use those tips on a regular basis.

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

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