Golden Heart Senior Care is proud to announce that Michele N. has been selected our April 2022 Employee of the Month. Michele is originally from Stockton, California and has a beautiful daughter who will be 28 years old this year.
Michele has worked in the medical/home care field for more than 30 years. She started out as a Home Health aide and Nursing Assistant then became an administrator of a home health company. She has also been a medical technician and has a background in clinical and forensic pathology.
Michele enjoys being a caregiver because there are many people who don’t have family or friends that she can help. She loves to see people happy and doing well.
Golden Heart is very proud to have Michele on our team!
May is National Stroke Awareness Month and it’s a great time for seniors and their family members to learn more about strokes. Seniors are more likely to suffer a stroke than any other age group. Medications, aging, and other factors can increase a senior’s risk of having a stroke. If your senior loved one has a stroke, getting them help immediately can make a significant difference in how well they recover from that stroke. That’s why family members and seniors should know these four symptoms of a stroke. If your senior parent experiences any of these symptoms, call for emergency help right away:
Numbness Or Tingling In The Face, Hands, Or Feet
Some people have numbness or tingling in their feet because they have a condition called neuropathy. But if your senior loved one has a very sudden onset of numbness or tingling or a “pins and needles” feeling in their face, hands, or feet, that could be a symptom of a stroke. It’s best to call for help right away just in case it is a stroke. Strokes can strike with no warning so if you’re not sure if your aging parent could be having a stroke or not err on the side of caution and call for help.
Difficulty Forming Words or Slurred Speech
If you are speaking to your loved one and suddenly they can’t seem to form a word, or their speech sounds slurred or halting that is a sign they could be having a stroke. Grasping for a word or forgetting a word that is on the tip of your tongue is normal. Slurred speech or a total inability to form words isn’t. Call for help right away if you notice this happen to your senior loved one.
Facial Changes
Another common symptom of a stroke is for someone’s face to change suddenly. Their eye or jay may droop on one side of their face. Or their mouth may droop in an odd way. If you notice a sudden drop or drooping in your loved one’s facial features or if their face changes suddenly call 911 right away. The sooner you can get them medical help the greater the chance is that they will be able to recover from the stroke.
Sudden Severe Headache
If your senior parent complains of a sudden blinding or severe headache it could be the onset of a stroke. Call for help immediately.
After A Stroke
If your senior loved one has a stroke, 24-home care is a great option for them to recover safely at home. The recovery process can take a long time after they are released from the hospital and they may need help at home to recover safely. Having a stroke raises the chances of having another stroke. 24-hour home care will ensure that your senior loved one is never alone so that no potential sign of a stroke goes unseen.
Golden Heart Senior Care is proud to announce that Phyllis R. has been awarded the January 2022 Employee of the Month. Phyllis has been part of the Golden Heart Team for one year, and has been a caregiver for 26 years. She is from Los Angeles, California and has lived in Las Vegas for about six years. She has worked in group homes in California for 22 years, worked with hospice, and clients with behavioral needs. She is a big proponent of keeping her clients in their homes because that is where they are the happiest.
Golden Heart is proud to have Phyllis on our team!
Your dad has a harder time living independently for some reason. He might have arthritis or dementia. He may have had a stroke and is regaining former skills.
Because of that, your dad becomes very frustrated when trying to do his tasks. You don’t want to get in his way, but you also want to make sure he’s supported. How can you help him complete his daily routines when he is so easily frustrated? Here are a few ideas and how home care can help.
Create a To-Do List
Create a to-do list that he can follow each day. It gives him structure to follow, which is especially helpful if he often forgets. A reusable to-do list is best.
Use a permanent marker on a whiteboard. Write his daily tasks in permanent marker, and make boxes next to each item that he can check off with a dry erase marker. That way, you’re not creating lists every day.
Step In Only as Needed
Don’t help your dad unless he really needs it. Let him try to do things on his own. When he struggles, offer to help.
Follow his cues. Make sure you offer and don’t just take over. Let him guide you into the areas where you help and step back when he doesn’t think he needs your assistance.
Teach Him Ways to Step Back and De-Stress
Frustration can lead to stress, and that stress makes him more frustrated. If your dad is feeling frustrated, it can help to stop and de-stress. Make sure he knows how to stop, take a deep breath, and clear his mind before he tries again.
One of the easiest ways to ease stress and frustration is by stopping everything and focusing on his breathing. Stepping outside for fresh air also helps. When he breathes, he wants to get his stomach to extend. Have him hold his breath in for a count of five and then slowly breathe out.
Invest in Equipment to Help Him
Support your dad by investing in tools that help him stay independent. A grabber tool can help him reach items he dropped or grasp items on upper shelves. Grab bars help him with stability getting in and out of the shower or bathtub.
Pay Attention to Changes
Pay attention to your dad’s changing abilities. As he gets older or his health changes, he may need more help than he currently gets. If you’re noticing those changes as they happen, you’re able to plan ahead.
You can arrange to help him more as he needs it. For example, you might see your dad suddenly having difficulty on the stairs. Before he falls, you could add services like laundry that stop him from having to go up and down the stairs to get to the laundry room.
Hire Home Care to Help
Your dad may not want to accept help from you. It can be challenging to rely on your children, especially when you’re used to being in a parental role. Your dad’s frustration may be related to his embarrassment.
To prevent the frustration linked to embarrassment, hire a caregiver to help him. Home care aides can help your dad with his daily routine. With home care, your dad has a caregiver to assist with housekeeping, laundry, transportation, meals, and anything else he cannot do independently.
If you are considering 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.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death throughout the United States. Nearly 700,000 people lost their life to this disease in 2020. While heart disease risk can be somewhat genetic, there are some lifestyle factors that have a strong impact on preventing heart health issues, as well. Senior home care will encourage your elderly loved one to follow through with these tips when you can’t be there:
Movement Should Be a Priority
One of the things that your elderly loved one should be doing to prevent heart health issues is moving around regularly. Studies show that people who walk between 8,000 to 12,000 steps a day have a much lower risk of heart health issues than people who walk fewer steps than this. In addition, other studies show that people who get up and move around a bit every hour or two are much healthier than those who sit around for hours at a time without getting up. You and home care providers can make sure movement is a priority for your elderly loved one.
No Smoking
Did you know that smoking isn’t only bad for the lungs? It is bad for the heart, as well. In fact, research shows that people who smoke have a much higher risk of strokes, heart attacks, and heart disease than non-smokers. It also shows that people who quit smoking have a lower risk of heart issues within the first 24 hours of not smoking. After more time, the heart disease and heart attack risk goes down even more.
Heart-Healthy Eating
How does your elderly loved one eat right now? Do they eat a lot of fatty, cholesterol-filled foods? If so, their risk of having heart issues is probably quite high. Studies show that in order to lower the risk of heart disease when it comes to the diet, people must eat heart-healthy foods and eliminate or limit sodium, cholesterol-filled foods. Some of the foods that should be avoided are fast foods, fried foods, packaged foods, and different kinds of margarine. Some of the foods that should be added to the diet are leafy greens, healthy fats, avocados, nuts, and olive oil. Eating a rounded, balanced diet is truly one of the best ways to prevent heart health issues.
Sleep Well, Sleep All Night
Did you know that senior citizens who get quality sleep and who sleep all night have a much lower risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes? According to professional resources, sleep helps to repair damage in the body which includes any damage done to the heart. So, the better your elderly loved one sleeps, the better it will be for their heart.
Conclusion
These are some of the top tips for improved heart health in the elderly. Now that you have these tips, you can better prepare your elderly loved one for lifestyle changes they will need to make to protect their heart. Don’t forget that senior home care can help your elderly loved one to make these lifestyle changes.
We are proud to announce that Golden Heart Senior Care and Golden Brook Group Home donated two big, beautiful baskets to “Friends of Parkinson’s,” Funny Bunny Easter Egg event.
Not only do we give to the senior community, but we also like to give to the children as well.
Have you noticed your elderly loved one needs more assistance during the night more than any other time of the day? If so, overnight care from 24-hour home care providers may be something that you need to consider. These home care providers can offer a lot of assistance to your elderly loved one leading up to bedtime, in their waking hours, and everywhere in between.
Supervision Overnight
One of the main reasons why your elderly loved one may need overnight care is to get supervision. Many senior citizens, especially those with dementia, wander aimlessly. They even leave their homes at times and get lost. One of the best ways to prevent this with your elderly loved one is to have someone there to supervise overnight. Many elder care providers are trained to do this.
Reduced Fall Risk
Does your elderly loved one have a high risk of falling at nighttime? Maybe, they have balance issues or a health condition that causes the higher risk of falling. It could just be that your elderly loved one isn’t that steady on their feet when they get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. No matter why their risk is higher, it is vital that someone is able to help your elderly loved one prevent falls at night and during the day. You can get 24-hour home care services for the nighttime, so your elderly loved one doesn’t have to be alone.
Mobility Assistance
Your elderly loved one could benefit from 24-hour home care services because the home care providers can help them be more mobile, as well. For example, if your elderly loved one generally has accidents due to irritable bowel syndrome or urinary incontinence, the overnight senior care providers can help them get up and to the bathroom sooner than if they tried to do it on their own.
Medication Reminders
Does your elderly loved one have medications to take late in the evening or first thing in the morning when they get up? Do they usually forget to take these medications because of the odd hours? If so, you may want to hire 24-hour home care providers, so they can give medication reminders to your elderly loved one. With these reminders, your elderly loved one can stick to their medication regimen much easier.
Mental Health Benefits
Does your elderly loved one struggle with depression and/or anxiety? Maybe, they have PTSD and can’t be alone at night. No matter what type of mental health issues they have, hiring 24-hour home care providers to stay at their house overnight to help them feel more at ease could be just what your elderly loved one needs.
Conclusion
These are some of the types of assistance that your elderly loved one can get during the night. Now that you know about how much 24-hour home care providers can help your elderly loved one during the nighttime, you can reach out to book these services today.
The American Diabetes Association reports about 15.9 million older Americans have diabetes. A percentage of them don’t even realize it. Your mom has just been diagnosed by her doctor. What happens now?
Talk to Her Doctor
Ask your mom if you can go to a doctor’s appointment with her. While you’re there, ask questions you have and any you’ve heard your mom ask at home but fails to ask. This may include what equipment she needs to manage her health, such as devices that test her blood sugar levels and track them in an app.
Smart insulin pens are gaining popularity. See if it’s an option for your mom if she needs insulin as part of her treatment plan. You should ask about glucose meters and which is going to be the easiest for your mom to use.
Clean Out Her Kitchen
Your mom needs to stop eating foods that do not benefit her health. Go through her kitchen and compost or donate items like white rice, all-purpose flour, sugar, corn syrup, sweetened drinks and sauces, and processed snack foods.
Stock your mom’s cupboards with whole grains like oats, millet and spelt. Buy brown rice and quinoa, too. Fill up her refrigerator with plenty of non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens and cruciferous veggies.
She needs to have lean proteins, including fatty fish like salmon and mackerel. Low-fat dairy is also important. Hire a caregiver to work with her to create balanced meal plans that focus heavily on vegetables with each meal and snack.
Start an Exercise Routine
Ideally, your mom wants to get 30 minutes of moderate activity each day. It’s best if she can mix up activities. She could swim laps one day, take a walk another, and ride an exercise bike on the third day. She might want to sign up for a Tai Chi class to help ease stress while toning muscles.
The more active she is, the better it is for her health. If she’s not an active person, encourage her to join you. Take family walks together when you can. Pick a different nature trail each week and gather grandchildren and siblings for a day out. After the walk, you could treat your mom to lunch out or a picnic.
Arrange elder care services for encouragement. Instead of exercising alone the rest of the week, your mom could have her caregiver join her on walks around the neighborhood or at a local park.
Hire Elder Care Aides to Assist Her at Home
Arrange elder care services to ensure she takes care of herself. Your mom needs to change her lifestyle by watching what she eats, exercising often, and checking her blood sugar levels.
Caregivers offer reminders and provide the support she needs to stay on track. From medication reminders to help with preparing meals, a caregiver makes a big difference. Call a specialist in home care to learn more.
If you are considering elder 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.
Golden Heart Senior Care is proud to announce that Michele N. has been selected our April 2022 Employee of the Month. Michele is originally from Stockton, California and has a beautiful daughter who will be 28 years old this year.
Golden Heart Senior Care is proud to announce that Phyllis R. has been awarded the January 2022 Employee of the Month. Phyllis has been part of the Golden Heart Team for one year, and has been a caregiver for 26 years. She is from Los Angeles, California and has lived in Las Vegas for about six years. She has worked in group homes in California for 22 years, worked with hospice, and clients with behavioral needs. She is a big proponent of keeping her clients in their homes because that is where they are the happiest.
Golden Heart Senior Care is proud to participate in the following community events:
