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Month: February 2022

4 Things Family Caregivers Want Family Members To Know

Posted on by Craig Bass
In-Home Care in Las Vegas NV
In-Home Care in Las Vegas NV

March 3rd is a day to celebrate all that family caregivers give to their senior loved ones and to the family members who can’t be close enough to help care for senior parents. But family members that take care of senior family members don’t do it for the praise, or the gifts. They do it because they genuinely love their senior family members and want to help them be happy and healthy at home. This year you should shower your family caregiver with gifts and love but also keep in mind these things that family caregivers want seniors and other family members to know:

They Consider It A Gift To Spend Time With Senior Loved Ones

Almost all family caregivers say without hesitation that even though caregiving can be difficult they are grateful for the chance to spend as much time as possible with a senior parent or senior loved ones. Very few, if any, family caregivers regret putting their lives on hold when necessary to prioritize the care of senior loved one. They don’t see it as a burden or a chore. It’s a labor of love for to help the seniors they love be safe and happy in their own homes.

It Does Get Frustrating

However, just because family caregivers love spending time with senior family members doesn’t mean it can’t be challenging at times. Helping seniors who have serious medical problems, or who need lots of medications that need to managed, or who have other special challenges can make caregiving very frustrating. Sometimes caregivers need the chance to talk, to vent, or to cry when they are frustrated. If your family caregiver trusts you enough to open to you then you should be their sounding board. Listen to them without judgement and without criticism. If you’re too far away to help with the daily care of your senior loved one the leas you can do is listen.

Sometimes They Are Overwhelmed

Many caregivers never want to admit when they are overwhelmed because they are afraid it will make them seem weak or not committed to caring for your senior parents. But the truth is that caring for seniors can be overwhelming, especially if your senior loved one has a medical condition like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. If you see signs that your family caregiver is overwhelmed. try to help them out by encouraging them to talk about how they are feeling. If they don’t want to talk to you about it suggest they join a caregivers support group or get help form a trained mental health professional.

In-Home Care Is A Huge Help

In-home care providers can lighten the load for family caregivers. Getting in-home care for a senior loved one will give your family caregiver a break. It also gives them someone else to help manage your senior loved one’s care and help them with personal care, transportation, shopping, and other things that your senior loved one may need help. In-home care can be truly invaluable to a family caregiver and senior in need.

If you are considering in-home care in Las Vegas, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

How Seniors Can Make Healthy Meals With Canned Food

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care in Summerlin NV
Home Care in Summerlin NV

Canned food is something that seniors should keep in their kitchen cupboards. Canned food is easy to cook with, it lasts for a long time, and it can be a healthy alternative to using fresh vegetables that might go bad or require a lot of preparation. Just make sure that your senior loved one has a can opener that someone with limited grip strength can use. February is National Canned Food month. It’s a great time for seniors and their families to learn these easy ways to use canned food to make healthy meals:

Canned Meats Are A Great Protein Source

Canned meats are a great source of protein for seniors. They come in small cans or large cans so seniors who are on their own don’t need to buy a lot of food they won’t eat. And canned meats like tuna, salmon, and chicken can be eaten in many different ways that easy to prepare. Canned salmon and tuna are a fantastic source of healthy Omega 3 fatty acids too. Seniors can mix tuna and salmon with spices and dressing for a delicious protein rich dish. Canned chicken can be added to green salads, thrown into soups, or tossed into a pasta sauce to add some healthy protein.

Rinse Canned Vegetables For Better Flavor

Canned vegetables are an easy to make alternative to fresh or frozen vegetables. They just need to be heated and they’re ready to go. But sometimes people find the taste of canned vegetables a little salty. To get canned vegetables to taste as good as frozen vegetables your senior loved one just needs to rinse them off before cooking them. Rinsing them in a little cold water will restore the great taste of canned vegetables.

Make One Pot Meals With Canned Foods

Often seniors prefer to make easy meals, especially if they have mobility challenges. A home care provider can help seniors cook more complicated meals with fresh ingredients. But, when seniors are alone, canned foods make it easy for them to make healthy one pot dishes. Seniors can make a delicious quick and easy one pot meal by adding their favorite canned vegetables to some rice or pasta. They can toss in some beans, chickpeas, or canned chicken for protein and within minutes sit down to a delicious meal all made in one pot.

Canned Fruit Is Great For Dessert

Seniors who are watching their weight can enjoy a sweet treat anytime of the year with canned fruit. As long as the fruit is packed in water and not sugary syrup canned fruit is a great dessert for seniors. The fruit is soft and easy to eat. It’s already portioned in appropriate servings. And since canned foods last for a long time seniors won’t have to worry about the fruit going bad before they can eat it.

Source
https://food.unl.edu/healthy-bites-february-national-canned-food-month

If you are considering home care in Summerlin, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

Tips for Keeping the Mind Sharp as a Senior Citizen

Posted on by Craig Bass
24-Hour Home Care in Las Vegas NV
24-Hour Home Care in Las Vegas NV

Are you worried about your elderly loved one’s mental state? Does it seem like they are forgetting things more often, but they don’t have Alzheimer’s disease? You might even notice that your elderly loved one just isn’t doing much physically or mentally. If this is the case, there are some tips to help them keep their mind sharp that you and 24-hour home care providers can help with, if needed.

Improving Physical Health

Physical health and mental health do go hand in hand. For example, studies show that people who exercise regularly have better memory, concentration, and focus. If your elderly loved one isn’t exercising often, you can help them to create an exercise plan. If they stick to that plan or, at the very least, start exercising regularly, it can help to keep their mind sharp. As always, consult with your senior’s primary care physician before beginning any exercise regimen.

Lowering High Blood Pressure

Did you know that high blood pressure can affect one’s mental state? Many people who have high blood pressure often feel overwhelmed and stressed. Sure, there are physical health reasons such as lowering the risk for heart disease for why your elderly loved one should manage their blood pressure. However, lowering their blood pressure can also help to keep their mind active and sharp. If your elderly loved one needs to take prescription blood pressure medications, you or a senior care provider can remind them to take those.

Regular Brain Games

Another way that your elderly loved one can keep their mind sharp is to play regular brain games. There are a range of online websites and apps that your elderly loved one can use to challenge their mind. There are also other brain games they can play or do such as:

  • Brain teasers
  • Board puzzles
  • Trivia games

If your elderly loved one doesn’t want to do these on their own and you can’t be there to play the games with them, you can hire 24-hour home care providers to help with this.

Conclusion

These are just some of the many ways that your elderly loved one can keep their mind sharp. Now that you know about these tips, be sure to share them with your elderly loved one. You can ask them if they would like help in following through with any of these recommendations. If so, you or a home care provider can assist them. If, at any point, you are truly concerned about your elderly loved one’s mental or brain health, have them see their doctor about any issues that are happening at that time.

Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/cognitive-health-and-older-adults

If you are considering 24-hour home care in Las Vegas, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

Proper Handwashing Tips During the Covid-19 Pandemic and Flu Season

Posted on by Craig Bass
Elder Care in Summerlin NV
Elder Care in Summerlin NV

The Covid-19 pandemic is still going on as we all know. It is still very important that everyone washes their hands and takes safety precautions to prevent or at least keep the spread of Covid to a minimum. Proper hand washing tips should still be shared to remind people to prevent the spread of germs. However, it is also important to note that flu season is here now, as well. Proper hand washing can help to reduce the spread of flu germs, too.

Take the Proper Steps

It is important that you and your elderly loved one are taking the proper steps to wash your hands. The steps that should be taken include:

  • Use warm water to wet your hands
  • Cover hands with soap (get in between fingers and under nails)
  • Scrub hands completely for 20 seconds minimum
  • Rinse your hands with warm water
  • Dry hands and put the towel in the dirty clothes

It is crucial that people in the home aren’t sharing a towel. If your elderly loved one needs more hand towels, you or an elder care provider can go to the store to get more towels for their home.

Washing Long Enough

It is very important that you and your elderly loved one are washing your hands long enough. Just washing hands for a few seconds isn’t going to get the germs off. Depending on which health website you look at, they may have different recommendations for the length of time to wash hands. However, it is crucial that you and your elderly loved one are washing your hands for no less than 20 seconds. Even if they are going to use hand sanitizer, it should be rubbed onto the hands fully, not just applied quickly.

When to Wash Hands

Another thing to keep in mind is when you and your elderly loved one should be washing your hands. The times that it is a must to wash your hands to help prevent the spread of germs are:

  • After using the bathroom
  • When getting home from a public area
  • Before eating
  • After getting groceries

If you and your elderly loved one can wash your hands during these times, at the very minimum, it can reduce the chances of getting Covid-19 and the flu.

Conclusion

These are some of the proper handwashing tips for you and your elderly loved one during the Covid pandemic and flu season. Doing these tips all year round would be the most effective and helpful.

Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html

 

If you are considering elder care in Summerlin, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.