March 2023 - Golden Heart Summerlin

How Can Family Caregivers Understand the Emotional Needs of Seniors?

Posted on March 31, 2023 by Craig Bass

Home Care in Las Vegas NV

Addressing physical needs for seniors is really important as they age, of course, but there are emotional needs that have to be met, too. Sometimes those emotional needs are unknown even for the aging adults themselves. It’s hard to face big changes, especially when they seem to be coming too quickly. One solution that can help is to hire home care providers to assist with underlying concerns.

Addressing Loneliness and Social Isolation

One of the most common issues facing aging adults is that they’re more likely to be lonely and dealing with social isolation. This happens because their social circle often shrinks due to friends moving, passing away, or becoming homebound. Family members may also be much busier and unable to visit often. As health changes keep seniors close to home, they’re even more likely to become isolated. Finding solutions for loneliness, like bringing in home care providers, can resolve a great many issues for seniors.

Watching for Depression and Anxiety

Seniors can also experience anxiety and depression. There are lots of potential causes for depression ranging from grief and loss to feeling helpless about life. Anxiety might be caused by changes in set routines, fear of injury, or even worries about losing independence. All of these issues are very real and valid concerns, even if the likelihood of them impacting someone seem small. What matters is that the person is able to talk to someone about how they’re feeling. Often family caregivers need to just be there for their aging adults.

Protecting Against Loss of Independence

Independence is something that seniors treasure, and for good reason. Being able to continue to live on their own terms, and often in their own homes, is crucial. Often this is a reason for seniors to avoid accepting help, sometimes even from family members. Elder care providers are able to help seniors manage daily life without harming their sense of independence at all.

Preventing Loss of Identity

In the prime of life, people tend to feel as if they know who they are. Their identity might be wrapped up in what they do for a living or in their relationships with other people. As they age, they may feel as if they start to lose that identity because aging brings changes that are difficult to predict. Family caregivers can help to prevent loss of identity by encouraging seniors to participate in the activities that align with their preferences and interests.

Working through Fear of the Future

There can be a lot of fear in aging. Seniors may worry that their family members won’t be able to take care of them or that their own health will worsen significantly. Whatever their worries are, seniors need to know that they’re heard. Asking about those fears and working through solutions ahead of time can help.

Seniors have some big emotional and psychological needs and family caregivers can do a lot more for the people they love than they might think. Sometimes the key is to bring in home care providers to offer practical help where it makes sense to do so.

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.

How Can You Tell If Your Senior Is Losing Their Vision?

Posted on March 24, 2023 by Craig Bass

Senior Home Care in Las Vegas NV

How do you know your senior might be losing their vision? There are several signs that may indicate a senior is losing their vision. The most common sign is a decline in the ability to see clearly, such as blurry or distorted vision. Seniors may also experience difficulty with depth perception or have trouble distinguishing colors. Senior home care is important when they begin to lose their vision as they can help them throughout their daily lives.

Sometimes it is hard to see the signs that a senior might be losing their ability to see. However, below are some additional signs to look for:

Difficulty reading: Seniors with vision loss may have difficulty reading small print, even with reading glasses.
Trouble seeing in low light: Seniors may have difficulty seeing in dimly lit areas or at night.
Sensitivity to light: Some seniors may become more sensitive to light as their vision deteriorates.
Blurred vision: Vision loss can cause objects to appear blurry or out of focus.
Difficulty with depth perception: Seniors may have difficulty judging distances or navigating stairs.
Decreased peripheral vision: Seniors with vision loss may have difficulty seeing objects or people to the side of them.
Difficulty recognizing faces: Vision loss can make it difficult for seniors to recognize faces, particularly in low light.
Changes in color perception: Seniors with vision loss may have difficulty distinguishing between certain colors.

If you notice any of these signs in your senior loved one, it is important to encourage them to schedule an eye exam with an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Early detection and treatment can help prevent further vision loss.

How Can Senior Home Care Help Seniors Who Are Losing Their Vision?

Senior home care can provide several ways to help seniors with low vision. One of the most important ways is by offering companion care to assist with daily activities. Caregivers can help seniors navigate their homes safely, organize and label household items to make them easier to find, and assist with meal preparation and medication management.

In addition to companionship, senior home care can also offer transportation services. Many seniors with low vision may feel isolated and unable to leave their homes, which can lead to depression and a decline in overall health. Caregivers can provide transportation to medical appointments, social activities, and other outings, allowing seniors to remain engaged and active in their communities.

Home modifications can also be made to help seniors with low vision. This can include adding brighter lighting, installing grab bars and handrails, and removing clutter to reduce the risk of falls. Caregivers can also assist with setting up and using adaptive devices such as magnifiers, talking watches, and large-print books or magazines.

Finally, senior home care can offer emotional support and companionship to seniors with low vision. Vision loss can be a difficult and isolating experience and having a compassionate caregiver to talk to can make a big difference in a senior’s quality of life. Caregivers can also provide encouragement and support to help seniors adjust to their vision loss and find new ways to stay engaged and active.

Conclusion

Overall, senior in-home care can provide a range of services and support to help seniors with low vision live safely, comfortably, and independently in their own homes. With the help of compassionate caregivers and adaptive devices, seniors can maintain their dignity and quality of life while managing their vision loss.

If you are considering senior 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.

Employee of the Month

Posted on March 20, 2023 by Craig Bass

Golden Brook Residential Care Home, a sister company to Golden Heart Senior Care, is proud to announce that Osiris H. has been awarded the Employee of the Quarter for the 1st Quarter 2023.

Osiris has been married for 19 years with three beautiful children and 9 wonderful grandchildren. He is originally from Ohio and has lived in Las Vegas for the past 8 years.

Osiris has been a caregiver for many years from working with seniors who have Dementia and Alzheimer’s to children that have been abused along with mental health challenges. He also worked as a truck driver driving big rigs.

Osiris enjoys being a caregiver because it feels like giving back to humanity, also caregiving has its own heavenly rewards.

Golden Brook is very proud to have Osiris on its team!!

Companion Care At Home Reduces Stress For Seniors

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Craig Bass

Companion Care at Home in Las Vegas NV

April is Stress Awareness Month, and if your senior parent is aging in place, you should know how stress could be affecting them. Loneliness is reaching epidemic levels among seniors according to medical researchers, and as a result seniors are facing increased risks of heart attacks, strokes, depression, and anxiety. Seniors who are aging at home get a lot of benefits from being in their own home but loneliness is something that seniors who are aging in place and their families need to watch out for.

Companion care at home can help reduce the stress that seniors are by eliminating some of the loneliness that seniors struggle with. When seniors have companion care at home they have reduced stress because they have a friend they can talk to, a companion to hang out with and go places with, and someone who will be checking on them if their family lives too far away to visit regularly. Some of the ways that companion care at home reduces stress for seniors are:

Helping With Errands

Seniors can quickly get overwhelmed by the tasks that need to be done to manage a household like making a shopping list or a list of the errands that have to be done and arranging transportation. When seniors have companion care at home, they have someone who can help them make the lists and do the errands so that seniors don’t have the stress and anxiety of figuring everything out on their own and trying not to make a mistake.

Sharing Meals

Eating alone can be stressful and unpleasant. Many seniors opt to eat snacks or light meals rather than make a big meal just for one person. And as a result many seniors don’t get enough to eat. Being malnourished puts stress on the body and the mind. Sharing meals with a companion and having someone to talk with and chat with while preparing meals and washing up dishes can turn meals from a nightmare into a happy occasion for seniors.

Taking Seniors Out For Activities

Getting out into the world is important for seniors. Staying in the house can lead to anxiety and stress about going out to do things and see people. When seniors have companion care at home they have someone to encourage them to go out and do fun things. They also have someone who will take them to the movies, to a café, to go shopping, and to do other activities.

Going To Appointments

Going to appointments like medical appointments, hair appointments, or to get a medical pedicure can be very stressful for seniors. Having to get themselves to the appointment, find their way around, wait, and then reverse the process to get home can make some seniors so stressed they actually skip doing medical appointments. But with a companion who can give them encouragement and support as well as helping them physically get to the appointments and get around seniors are much more relaxed about getting to necessary appointments.

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

Your Elderly Mom is Hoarding. What Do You Do?

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Craig Bass

Home Care Assistance in Henderson NV

Caring for an elderly parent is never easy, and you may face challenges you did not expect to face. Elderly loved ones may hoard or cherish things that belong in the trash. However, you can’t just go through your seniors home and start throwing things away. Hoarding is a disorder characterized by excessive accumulation of items, often considered to be of little or no value, and difficulty in discarding these items, even if they are no longer of use or have no sentimental value. And believe it or not, this is a real disorder and needs to be handled with care.

Home care assistance may not want to help your parents when their living situations are too dangerous. It can put the caregivers in a dangerous situation and impact how well home care assistance gives professional care. So, before you have anyone else in the house, it is crucial to go through the house with your senior and eliminate anything unnecessary. However, this isn’t always so simple, so here are some tips to help you start.

Understand the Why?

There are so many reasons why a senior would hoard things, and some of them may surprise you. Understanding what your loved one holds value to them can help you go through their stuff easier than if you don’t understand the why. Some things may provide a senior a sense of comfort and security that other things do not give them. Also, hoarding can be a way to cope with the signs of aging because it provides them with some form of control.

Can Hoarding Be Medically Treated?

When you think of treatments, you automatically assume a doctor needs to diagnose your mom or dad, and then they get medication. That may not be fully true. A senior can go to a doctor, and the underlying condition may be treated to help the hoarding indirectly. However, there is no magical cure for physical things, which is something you should keep in mind. They also may need to see a therapist on top of a doctor to figure out any mental illnesses and to work on them for mental health.

How to Help a Hoarder?

The first thing you need to do is sit and talk to them. When you understand what they are and are unwilling to give up, you can create a plan. Explain that you’d first like to get rid of the trash they don’t need and let the senior help you! This is their house, and they should always get the final say. You may be surprised that a lot of the trash is still there because a senior didn’t have the means or any way to get rid of the stuff they held onto.

Always keep your seniors involved with the plan. For example, if they have a box of stuffed animals, encourage them to donate or even give to the dementia ward in a hospital! Finding ways to offload stuff in a meaningful way will help your senior feel good about getting rid of the stuff. But remember you should be listening to all of their feelings as the plan progresses.

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

How Does 24-Hour Home Care Help With Chronic Conditions?

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Craig Bass

24-Hour Home Care in Henderson NV

It’s often impossible to avoid a chronic health condition as you age. Three out of five older adults have at least one chronic condition, and two out of five have two or more. What chronic health care conditions benefit from 24-hour home care? Many of them do.

Arthritis

Start with one that most people have at some point. Arthritis is a joint condition where the joint has been exposed to so much use over the years that the cushioning within the joint degrades. It can reach a point where bone rubs against bone causing pain and stiffness.

Not much can be done for arthritis short of exercise, over-the-counter medications, and heat/cold therapy. But, there can reach a point where joint replacement surgery is best. This is often a knee or hip joint.

After surgery, your mom needs someone with her while she heals. She’ll need someone awake and available to help her walk to the bathroom. She may have medications to take all day and night, and that requires someone to be very aware of the timing. Hire 24-hour home care aides for tasks like this.

Cancer

It’s estimated that men have a 42% chance of getting cancer in their lifetime, and women’s risk is 37.5%. If cancer does impact your mom’s health, she needs support while undergoing common treatments like surgery, chemo, and radiation.

She will need someone with her if she’s feeling sick or weak. Your mom needs someone to help her out at night when she needs to get up and use the toilet or get a drink or snack.

Alzheimer’s and Other Forms of Dementia

Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia. As the years pass, your mom’s care needs will increase. Don’t be surprised to find your mom sleeping no more than an hour or two at night. As the area of the brain that regulates sleep deteriorates, sleep will become a problem.

With 24-hour home care aides in the home, someone is there and ready to redirect your mom from wandering off. Your mom has someone to cook her a meal or prepare a snack, keep her company, and assist her with things like putting on a movie or getting dressed.

Heart Disease

Heart disease is often managed through careful diet, exercise, and medications. Your mom also needs to manage stress. After a heart disease diagnosis, she may struggle to remain calm. If she’s the type of person who will question every little twinge, it will help her feel less anxious if someone is with her for now.

As your mom adjusts to how her medications make her feel and her changing lifestyle requirements, arrange to have caregivers with her day and night for companionship. She won’t feel so alone.

Arrange 24-hour home care as soon as you know what your mom needs. Talk to her doctor and get an idea of her care needs going forward. From there, talk to a home care specialist about the cost and availability of 24-hour care services.

Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/chronic-diseases.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5796733

If you are considering 24-hour 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: March 2023