February 2023 - Golden Heart Summerlin

How Does Elder Care Identify and Address Fall Risks for Seniors?

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Craig Bass

Elder Care in Henderson NV

Aging adults are at unfortunately high risk of experiencing falls at home. Once a senior does fall, they are twice as likely to experience another fall. And if that person avoided serious injury the first time around, they may not be as lucky the next time a fall occurs. That’s why having as much help as possible, including from elder care providers, is an excellent way for family caregivers to help reduce fall risks for the seniors they love.

Elder Care Providers Get to Know Their Clients

When caregivers start working with aging adults, they get to know their clients and their needs very quickly. Individual health issues, ailments, and requirements are a huge part of finding the right solutions for any given situation. Home care providers genuinely care about the people they are helping and they want to make sure that they understand the challenges that aging adults are facing.

Assessing the Environment

Another big factor when identifying and addressing fall risks involves the environment itself. Is the lighting adequate? Are there grab bars wherever necessary? Loose flooring, home modifications, and other factors are all important to consider and caregivers do so as they assess what might be contributing to safety issues.

Caregivers Make Recommendations

After gathering information, home care providers might make recommendations to seniors and to family members. These recommendations are based on observations and experience helping other aging adults to be safe at home and avoid falls as much as possible. Some of the recommendations might require more effort than others, like adding a ramp in place of stairs. But others, like making it easier for seniors to access mobility aids, are simpler to implement quickly.

Help Seniors Follow Doctors’ Orders

It isn’t always easy to follow doctors’ orders, especially when those orders are frustrating. That means that lots of seniors make choices that aren’t necessarily the right ones, especially if they do want to avoid a fall. Elder care professionals are there to remind seniors about the various small things they can do, like exercising and eating regularly, to stay healthy and to avoid a fall.

Keep Family Caregivers Informed

Family caregivers are often overwhelmed by everything that goes into caregiving. With the help of elder care providers, caregivers are able to have a better idea what their senior’s needs are, especially around fall prevention. This can be a huge help when it comes to putting plans in place to help aging adults to avoid falls and the injuries that can result from a fall at home.

Falls and the injuries that falls can cause are preventable for seniors, but it’s a lot easier to do when there is experienced assistance available. Identifying risk factors and safety concerns is the first step in developing a plan and elder care providers can help family caregivers to do just that. Ultimately, all of this works toward helping aging adults to be more confident, independent, and safe at home, which is what everyone involved wants.

Reference
https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/guide/fall-prevention-strategies

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

How to Strengthen Your Immune System as You Age

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Craig Bass

Home Care Assistance in Las Vegas NV

Seniors with robust immune systems are better able to fend off illness and disease. By promptly identifying and reacting to outside intruders like bacteria, viruses, and other microbes, it aids in the prevention of diseases. Home care assistance can play a role in improving a senior’s immune system. Reminding your senior to take their prescriptions, providing nutritious meals and helping to maintain a clean home are just some of the ways home care assistance can help. Here are 5 other natural ways for seniors to strengthen their immune systems.

Get Enough Sleep

It’s critical for elders to get enough restorative, high-quality sleep to strengthen their immune systems. Sleep helps the body repair and replace its cells, giving the immune system the energy it needs to combat bacteria and viruses. A weakened immune system that is more vulnerable to colds, the flu, and other infections is associated with poor sleep. Seniors should therefore make an effort to acquire 7-9 hours of good sleep each night. The idea that older people require less sleep is a fallacy that circulates online. That is untrue and will significantly impair their immune system going forward.

Reduce Tension

Through enhancing sleep, lowering inflammation, and lowering the risk of cortisol-related disorders, minimizing stress helps strengthen the immune system in seniors. As it aids in the removal of toxins, the repair of cells, and the promotion of healing, sleep is crucial for maintaining a strong immune system. Seniors can sleep better by reducing stress and anxiety, which will help their bodies recover from the day. By shifting attention away from the cause of stress and toward relaxed breathing and meditation postures, stress-reduction exercises like yoga or mindfulness can lower inflammation in the body.

Decrease Inflammation

A protective reaction to damage, infection, or discomfort is inflammation. White blood cells emit chemicals that set off a variety of intricate bodily reactions, which is what causes it. Symptoms include pain, heat, redness, and swelling. An elderly person’s immune system can be severely impacted by persistent inflammation. A senior’s immune system may be impacted by inflammatory processes because it will be less capable of responding to both fresh antigen exposures and pathogenic bacteria that are already present. As a result, there is a higher chance of infection, a longer healing time, and other issues.

Workout

Seniors’ immune systems can benefit from regular exercise by increasing the flow of white blood cells that fight infections, promoting the generation of antibodies, and enhancing general physical fitness. This can lower their risk of contracting significant health conditions by enabling them to fend off ordinary colds and minor infections. Home care assistance can help your senior stick to a regular exercise schedule as directed by their doctor.

Check your Vitamin Intake

A senior’s immune system may suffer significantly if they are too deficient in several vitamins. Blood tests performed in a doctor’s office are the only technique to accurately assess a vitamin level. A senior who is low in something may be able to make up for it through food or supplements, according to their doctor.

Seniors who consume a balanced diet, get enough sleep, exercise frequently, and wash their hands frequently can enhance their immune systems.

Reference
https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/ss/slideshow-immune-system

If you are considering home care assistance 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 Featured on Las Vegas Morning Blend

Posted on February 16, 2023 by Craig Bass

Golden Heart Senior Care was proud to be featured on the Morning Blend on Channel 13 Las Vegas. Community Liaison Joyce Kreus discussed the many benefits of compassionate home care and the important process of matching seniors and their caregivers.

Click here to watch the entire segment!

How Do You Care For Your Parent Without Taking Over?

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Craig Bass

Senior Home Care in Henderson NV

You’re the main family caregiver in your household, and your dad’s mobility is changing. He needs help, and you’re in a good position to help out. How do you help your dad out without taking over? Here are a few ways to support your dad without becoming the parent, and how senior home care can help.

Talk to Him and Establish a Care Plan

Be upfront with your dad and talk about his need for care with his desire to also remain independent in his home. Make sure he knows that you want to ensure this is possible.

By involving your dad in his care plan, he’ll feel that he’s making the decision. That ensures he feels at ease when you do have to help him. That’s the ultimate goal. You want him to be comfortable with asking for help.

Ask His Doctor For Guidance

What are your dad’s health concerns? His health has to take priority, so you need to make sure you know what his doctor says he needs to do each day. Does he have medications to take? Does he take them on time and the right way?

Ask your dad’s doctor about the things he’s supposed to do each day, whether it’s exercise, diet, or pills. Take notes and verify with your dad that he is prioritizing his health. If he needs help remembering to take his pills, shop for low-sodium foods, or walk every day, make sure you help him.

Let Your Dad Try First

Let your dad try first and then step in and help out if he can’t do something. Let him ask when he needs assistance. For example, he needs to change his sheets. If he wants to do it, let him try and help out only when he asks.

Or, he wants to make soup for dinner but he has a hard time chopping vegetables due to arthritis in the joints. You could prep the ingredients for him and let him do the rest.

Accept Criticism Without Getting Defensive

When your dad criticizes how you did something, don’t get defensive. What he says may upset you, but don’t get defensive. If you do, the situation may only escalate into a big argument. If possible, consider what he said and see what is feasible to change to make him happier.

Bring In Senior Home Care to Offer the Care He Needs

Are you finding your dad is argumentative and uncooperative when you’re trying to help out? This is more common than you might think. He may not be comfortable having his child help out. Hire senior home care aides to assist him.

Senior home care aides are there to ensure your dad maintains his independence, so he’ll feel that he’s in control. That makes him happier and eases your stress. Talk to a senior home care specialist to learn more.

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 Age-Related Memory Loss or Something Else?

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Craig Bass

Home Care in Summerlin NV

Memory loss is something that often happens to seniors as they get older, but it may not always be caused by age. It can be caused by medication side effects, poor diet, chronic illness, depression, alcohol abuse, poor sleep habits, feelings of isolation, vitamin deficiencies, lack of physical activity, head injuries, exposure to toxins in the environment, physical trauma to the brain and exposure to infectious diseases.

As we age, we lose brain cells that are responsible for storing memories. Some degree of memory loss is a natural part of growing older and is no cause for concern. There are some symptoms, however, that should be checked out by a doctor. Symptoms include:

Lack of focus
Inability to complete tasks
Confusing similar items or actions
Unable to recall conversations or events

Types of Memory Loss

It is important to understand the different types of memory issues people face as they grow older, and what can be done to improve their memory.

1. Short-Term Memory Loss

Short-term memory loss is a decline in the ability to keep information in your mind for brief periods of time. Sometimes it will resolve on its own, but there are other times when it will require treatment.

2. Long-Term Memory Loss

Long-term memory loss is a decline in the ability to remember information over a longer period. There are many different reasons for long-term memory loss and each type will need a different treatment plan. Make sure to go over with your senior’s home care providers if you think they are exhibiting this condition.

3. Alzheimer’s and Dementia

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s or Dementia, but there are treatments available that can slow down the progression of the disease. You should talk to your doctor about what treatments are available to your senior if they are diagnosed with these illnesses. Home care providers will be an important piece in your senior’s recovery and treatment.

4. Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression are common conditions among older people, there are many different treatments available for these conditions, including medications and therapy. It is important to treat these conditions as soon as possible so that they do not get worse over time and have a negative impact on your senior’s quality of life.

How to Improve Your Senior’s Memory Loss

If your senior is diagnosed with a specific memory-related disease, such as Alzheimer’s, follow your doctor’s treatment plan. And whether your senior’s memory loss is caused by aging or not, there are many options available to help them improve their memory, such as:

Mental exercises
Taking vitamins and supplements
Physical exercise and movement
Meditation and other calming techniques
Learning new things

Conclusion

It is important to do some research about the different signs and symptoms of age-related memory loss to find out if it really is just that or something else. Either way, looking into getting qualified caregivers from a home care agency can keep your senior happy, healthy, and independent. Call us and schedule an appointment we will help you find the best option for your senior.

Source
https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/ss/slideshow-reasons-memory-loss

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.

Month: February 2023