January 2023 - Golden Heart Summerlin

Does In-Home Care Really Boost Your Mom’s Independence?

Posted on January 27, 2023 by Craig Bass

In-Home Care in Las Vegas NV

Independence is critical to older adults. They do not want to feel like they’re a burden on their families, and moving into a retirement community isn’t always a desirable option. Have you considered how in-home care can boost your mom’s independence?

She’s Able to Shower and Dress With Ease

Your mom may have a hard time showering and dressing, but her caregiver can help her. Her caregiver is there to help her choose an outfit that suits the weather forecast. Her caregiver helps her get dried off completely and can assist with moisturizer if needed.

Your mom has help buttoning her shirt and pants, zipping zippers, and tying shoes. She won’t have shoelaces to trip on or be partially dressed because her fingers can’t manipulate the small buttons and fasteners.

She No Longer Struggles

When your mom has in-home care aides helping out, she no longer has to struggle to complete her daily tasks. Her caregivers can clean her home, doing only the cleaning chores your mom cannot do on her own. They can cook meals, do the laundry, change the sheets, and sweep or vacuum floors.

Her caregivers are also able to accompany your mom on walks, get her mail, and help her organize the junk mail from the bills. If she needs help remembering to pay bills on time, deposit checks, or dispute a bill, her caregiver can help. Caregivers can also remind her when it’s time to take her prescription medications.

She Has Friends

How social is your mom? Some older adults are simply unlikely to socialize as friends have moved to other states seeking warmer weather. Your mom’s caregivers become family friends. She has people around to talk to each week. If she likes having company while she watches a movie, she has it. If she wants a caregiver to play cards with, that’s an option.

When your mom has caregivers stopping by each week or every day, her social circle grows. It helps her socialize more. As she socializes, she’ll gain confidence, which may make her more likely to explore options like volunteering and joining community groups.

Her Caregiver Does the Driving

Your mom isn’t supposed to drive anymore, but her caregiver can. This enables your mom to get out of the house as often as she needs. Her caregiver can bring her to her appointments and wait in the waiting room with her. Her caregiver can take her shopping and help her run errands. If your mom wants to go on a scenic drive, she just needs to ask.

Learn More About In-Home Care

It’s time to make the arrangements your mom needs to maintain her independence. Talk to an in-home care specialist about your mom’s home life, health issues, and care needs. You’ll get answers regarding prices and schedules.

Source
https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/keeping-seniors-safe-in-their-own-homes

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.

What Can Your Senior Expect with Companion Care at Home?

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Craig Bass

Companion Care at Home in Summerlin NV

There are lots of different types of caregiving assistance available, including companion care at home. This type of care offers your senior the chance to build a relationship with friendly caregivers who are able to spend time with her talking or engaging in a variety of activities. For many seniors, this type of care is really beneficial. But what can your senior expect when you sign her up for this caregiving experience?

General Conversation and Companionship

Having someone to talk to for a couple of hours, even just once a week, can do so much for your elderly family member and her emotional well-being. Often seniors find that they are spending more and more time at home on their own, without as much contact with other people as they might have had in the past. This can lead to isolation, which can be a big emotional problem for your senior.

Social Engagement During Meals

Some aging adults find that it’s a lot more difficult to eat alone than it used to be. Having someone there with her during meals can ensure that your senior is eating regular meals and that she’s getting the nutrients that she needs. Just that one change can make a big difference for your senior’s overall well-being.

Encounters that Boost Quality of Life

Companionship does a lot to just enhance your senior’s overall quality of life. Social interactions seem to be light and inconsequential on the surface, but they meet some deep needs that every person has. When caregivers stop by and offer a friendly ear to your elderly family member, they’re helping to meet those needs and boost your senior’s quality of life.

Partnership During Recreational Activities

If your elderly family member enjoys activities like playing cards or board games, she might find that they’re a lot more enjoyable when she has someone there with her. Caregivers are able to spend time with your senior, help her to set up and play games, engage in crafting activities, or offer countless other types of support during recreational activities. This is also a great way to ensure that your senior is getting this type of cognitive enrichment.

Updates to Family Members

It’s also really important that you and other family members are getting accurate information about how she’s doing. This is even more crucial if no one lives near your senior to see what life is like for her firsthand. Companion care at home can help you to stay informed about what is happening so that you can make accurate decisions based on facts instead of guessing.
Every senior’s experience with companion-based caregiving is going to be different because every person’s needs are different. If your elderly family member does need a little more hands-on help, home care may be a better fit. Your elderly family member still gets the benefits of having someone there with her, but she also has the support that she needs in order to have a safe and happy life as she ages in place.

Reference
https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/making-home-care-work

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

Golden Heart Summerlin Partners with the Alzheimer’s Association and Cleveland Clinic

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Craig Bass

Golden Heart Senior Care is proud to partner with the Alzheimer’s Association and the Cleveland Clinic in presenting to the residents of Sun City Summerlin the benefits of a healthy mind and brain. We want to thank our friends at the Cleveland Clinic and the Alzheimer’s Association who presented at this event.

Boost Your Mom’s Social Life With Senior Home Care

Posted on January 13, 2023 by Craig Bass

Senior Home Care in Henderson NV

Socialization is important to your mental and physical health. People who socialize regularly have been found to gain benefits like a stronger immune system and a lowered risk of depression. The CDC shares a few alarming statistics about loneliness and isolation.

Loneliness and isolation may increase the risk of dementia by 50%.
The stroke risk increases by 32%.
The risk of heart disease increases by 29%.
Isolation and loneliness are just as detrimental as smoking or obesity.
The suicide risk increases in people who feel isolated.
People with heart disease who are isolated or lonely have a 68% higher risk of hospitalization.

As your mom gets older, she spends more time at home and her social outings aren’t as frequent. After retirement, it’s common for work friendships to become more distant as people move to new areas to be closer to family, in a warmer area, or in a place with a lower cost of living.

You worry about her always being alone. While you spend as much time visiting your mom as you can, you have work responsibilities, children, and friends you need to fit into your weekly plans. Did you know that senior home care can help improve your mom’s social life?

Your Mom Makes New Friends

Each caregiver who works with your mom becomes a friend. Your mom has someone to join on walks, watch movies with, or talk to. She no longer has to eat alone as her caregiver can cook meals for her and sit with her at the table.

You can have a senior care aide stop by once a week, a few times a week, or every day. During those visits, her caregiver is there for socialization, but there are the added benefits of having help with housekeeping and laundry.

Her Confidence Grows

As she gets used to spending time with new people, she gains confidence in her ability to socialize. The more confident she is, the braver she is at trying new things. You might find her wanting to start volunteering or joining community groups and clubs.

That confidence boost is good for your mom’s mental health. It makes her feel valued and appreciated. All of this continues to help her expand her comfort zones and meet others.

Senior Home Care Provides the Socialization That Your Mom’s Missing

Senior home care providers offer regular chances to get out and explore the community. Your mom doesn’t have to drive, she has a caregiver available for rides to museum events, theater performances, socials at a local senior center, and community center clubs and classes. Your mom has her caregiver with her if she needs the boost of confidence walking in and registering.

Make sure your mom has the support she needs at home and when out running errands or enjoying a day out. Senior home care services like companionship are essential in helping her stay socially active, even as her abilities change. Call a senior home care agency with your questions.

Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/lonely-older-adults.html#

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

Is It Time for Your Senior to Stop Driving?

Posted on January 6, 2023 by Craig Bass

Home Care in Henderson NV

In 20 years, the number of drivers aged 65 or older increased by 68%. In 2020, almost 200,000 older drivers were involved in crashes that required a trip to the hospital. Changes in vision, mental function, and flexibility can all increase the risk of a crash.

Sometimes, an older adult needs to stop driving for safety reasons. Dementia, severe arthritis, medication side effects, and vision loss are all reasons your mom may need to let someone else drive. When it’s time to take away your mom’s keys, what is the best approach?

Ask an Expert’s Opinion

Before you even discuss your mom’s need to hand over the keys, ask your mom’s doctors for their insight. Her eye doctor will know if her vision is likely to impair her safety while driving. If she has dementia, her doctor will tell you when it’s time for her to stop driving.

If arthritis is keeping her from being able to turn far enough to check her blind spots, she might be able to work with a physical therapist and regain some flexibility and keep driving. Or, she may be ready to let you and other family members handle the driving.

You can ask the DMV to request your mom go in for another driving test. While it’s not a legal requirement, if you feel your mom’s driving is unsafe, some states allow you to discreetly let the DMV know and they’ll assess her skills. That removes you as being the villain trying to take away her keys. The blame now lies on someone else.

Be Honest

If it’s time for her to stop driving, you need to be honest with your mom. She won’t be happy. But, it’s important for her safety and for the safety of others. She has to have seen stores of older drivers accidentally driving into buildings or causing serious traffic accidents. That’s why it’s important to give up the keys when her ability to drive is impacted.

Bring in Support

You might want to have your mom’s trusted friends or religious officials join in on the conversation regarding her safety. She might not want to hear it from you, but she can’t ignore a friend’s or pastor’s advice.

You don’t have to be the only person advocating for your mom to stop driving. Have your siblings join you, but make sure you’re not ganging up on her. Give her space if she’s becoming angry.

Make Sure She’s Able to Still Go Out

You might be pleasantly surprised that she doesn’t care. She just wants assurance that she can still leave her home, run errands, and not be isolated.

Home care advisors can help you schedule the services your mom needs the most. With home care aides assisting with transportation, your mom doesn’t have to feel stuck at home or isolated.

Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/older_adult_drivers/index.html

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

Month: January 2023