Craig Bass, Author at Golden Heart Summerlin

What Type of Assistance Can Your Senior Receive During the Night?

Posted on April 7, 2022 by Craig Bass

24-Hour Home Care in Henderson NV

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.

Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/aging-place-growing-older-home

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.

How Can Elder Care Help Your Mom Manage Diabetes?

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Craig Bass

Elder Care in Las Vegas NV

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.

Sources:
https://www.diabetes.org/about-us/statistics/about-diabetes

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.

Understanding How In-Home Care Helps With MCI

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Craig Bass

In-Home Care in Henderson NV

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. If your dad has been diagnosed with MCI, you can take steps to help him age in place, like starting in-home care as soon as possible. Learn more about MCI and how it can impact your parent’s abilities now and in the future.

What Is MCI?

Upwards of 20% of adults 60 or older have MCI. It’s a condition where memory skills have gotten slightly worse than they should at that age. However, it’s not Alzheimer’s or dementia, and some people have MCI and never develop dementia. People who have had a stroke, diabetes, or depression are more at risk.

When you have MCI, you’re still able to complete activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living. Your memory isn’t that bad. Mainly, you might forget that you had an appointment. You might lose your keys and not recall the steps you took earlier that day.

Suppose your dad is at work and has been running the same machine for decades. He knows the steps to start the machine, run his product, change settings, and close the machine down at the night’s end. He starts forgetting the steps, and his boss issues multiple warnings.

That’s an example of MCI. He can still do his work, but he forgets steps along the way. It might be simple aging, but you worry that it’s the first sign of Alzheimer’s. It’s time to talk to an expert for guidance.

If you suspect your dad has MCI, you should take him to a doctor. It’s best to have his cognitive skills checked every six months to see if it’s progressing. If it does progress, the diagnosis shifts into dementia. Don’t let your dad stress too much about this. Only 10% to 20% of MCI cases progress to Alzheimer’s.

Talk About In-Home Care Now

What happens if it’s MCI, but there is suspicion it might be progressing? It’s important to stay calm. Your dad is likely scared, but you need to make sure he knows he has your support. Do this by coming up with a list of his goals for aging in place. See what he wants to happen.

Would he want to downsize or stay in his home? Does he want to have a family member move in, or would he feel that would intrude on his desire for privacy? Caregivers can stop by and offer the help he needs with housekeeping, meals, transportation, organization, personal care, etc.

In-home care services are ideally arranged before dementia worsens. In the latter stages of Alzheimer’s, your dad will not remember faces and names. Help him get acquainted with caregivers in the early stages.

By doing so, your dad has had time to adjust to having in-home care services. A familiar bond is formed with the caregivers that come to help out. Call an in-home care specialist to learn more.

Sources:
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-mild-cognitive-impairment

If you are considering in-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.

March 2022 Employee of the Month

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Craig Bass

Golden Heart Senior Care is proud to announce that Indra M. has been awarded the March 2022 Golden Heart Employee of the Month. We are so proud of Indra!

Indra has been an employee with Golden Heart Senior Care since July 2020. Indra is from Trinidad and Tobago, she has been married 27 years and has one beautiful daughter and a son in law. She retired from a mental hospital after 15 years of management in the food and housekeeping department. Indra enjoys working with her clients because they put a smile on her face and she puts a smile on theirs.

We are so proud of Indra!!!!

February 2022 Employee of the Month

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Craig Bass

Golden Heart Senior Care is proud to announce that Marvely C. has been awarded the February 2022 Golden Heart Employee of the Month. We are so proud of Marvely!

Marvely has been with Golden Heart Senior Care since July 2020. She was born in Jamaica and raised in England. When she was 24 years old she got married and moved to Germany.

After moving to the USA, she worked in a Jewish nursing facility where she became a caregiver and went to school at The Red Cross to get her CNA license.

Marvely has one daughter and three wonderful grandkids.

We are happy Marvely works for our organization, we are so proud of her!!!

Way to go Marvely!!!!

Cold Prevention Tips for Your Elderly Loved One

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Craig Bass

Senior Home Care in Henderson NV

While many people are taking steps to reduce the risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus and other illnesses, it’s still possible to come down with a cold. If you are caring for your elderly loved one, there are some cold prevention tips that can be shared with them. If your elderly loved one follows through with each of these tips, they will have a much lower chance of getting sick from a cold.

Hand Washing

One of the best tips for preventing a cold is hand washing. There are many resources out there that talk about how long someone should wash their hands and how to get the hands fully clean. In addition, by having your elderly loved one wash their hands regularly, it can help to prevent the spread of their germs to others and to their face. By doing this, they not only reduce the risk of others getting sick but lower the chances of themselves catching a cold or getting other illnesses, too.

Prevent Face Touching

Another reason that people often catch a cold easily is that they are touching their faces a lot. The more someone touches their face, the more chances there are for germs to spread into their nose and mouth – increasing the chances of getting sick. If you notice your elderly loved one touches their face a lot, it may be a good idea to have a senior home care provider who can remind them not to do this. If your elderly loved one can break this habit, they can keep themselves healthier.

Regular House Cleaning

Another way that your elderly loved one can lower their chances of catching a cold is by cleaning their house regularly. Research shows that germs are mostly on countertops, doorknobs, and other surfaces in the home. If someone doesn’t clean their house regularly, the germs are likely to get spread through the air and onto hands. Then, when someone touches others or their own face, the germs can spread, causing everyone to have an increased risk of getting sick. A senior home care provider can work with your elderly loved one to keep their home clean.

Conclusion

Do you feel that your elderly loved one is getting sick a lot? What about during the winter months or when spring is almost here? Does your elderly loved one catch colds often? If this is the case, you should encourage them to follow the tips noted above. These tips can significantly reduce their risk of catching a cold. Not only that, but if your elderly loved one follows through with those tips, they can reduce their chances of spreading germs to other people, too.

If your elderly loved one has already gotten sick, a senior home care provider can help monitor their condition while you are away. Elderly people can get sick very fast, even from the common cold. If your elderly loved one doesn’t seem to be doing well, make sure they see a doctor as soon as possible.

Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/cold-weather-safety-older-adults

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.

Learn These Four Facts on American Diabetes Association Alert Day

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Craig Bass

Home Care in Las Vegas NV

The American Diabetes Association established Diabetes Alert Day to fall on the fourth Tuesday each March. The goal is to raise awareness of the realities of diabetes and the impact it has on your health. Have your parents seen their doctor and talked about their diabetes risk?

Maybe, your mom or dad has already been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes. It’s important to learn what to do to prevent diabetes from worsening their health. These four diabetes facts are essential for you to know.

The Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors

Several other health issues increase your risk of type 2 diabetes. If your mom or dad has any of these conditions or histories, it heightens the risk.

Family history
Heart disease
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Obesity
Sedentary lifestyle

Diabetes also impacts the risk of being diagnosed with chronic health conditions like gum disease, stroke, and heart disease. That’s why it’s essential to get tested for prediabetes.

Millions Have Diabetes or Prediabetes

In the U.S., around 96 million adults have prediabetes. Of those, 80% may not even know it. There are no symptoms, and it’s often silent until a blood test reveals high glucose levels.

Over 37 million people have diabetes. About 20% of those people do not realize it. Type 2 diabetes accounts for nine out of ten cases of diabetes. This is a 2x increase in just two decades.

Prediabetes Shows an Increased Risk

Your parents’ doctors can check their risk for prediabetes to determine the risk of developing diabetes down the road. An A1C test is a blood test that checks the average glucose levels in the blood.

If the A1C test is used, make sure your parents do not have underlying health issues like anemia, kidney disease, or liver disease. Those conditions can impact the results.

Medications Help Lower Blood Sugar Levels

The first steps to managing diabetes are losing weight, exercising often, and eating a healthy diet. Your mom and dad should skip sugary, high-fat foods and focus on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, non-fat dairy, and lean protein.

If those steps don’t help, medications may be recommended. One of the options for type 2 diabetes is a medication that slows glucose production within the liver. These medications aid in how your body uses insulin.

Arrange to Have Home Care Providers Helping Your Mom and Dad

Whether your parents have diabetes or have a higher risk due to prediabetes, they need to pay close attention to their health through diet and exercise. If they don’t feel comfortable shopping for groceries and cooking meals, bringing in home care can be the best step you take.

With the help of home care aides, your parents have someone supporting them regarding exercise routines, meals, and medications. Their caregivers encourage them to go for walks or put on an instructional Yoga video. They provide medication reminders, assistance with shopping, and help with menus and meal preparation. Call to learn more.

Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/quick-facts.html

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.

Eight Things Your Mom Should and Shouldn’t Do After a Hip Fracture

Posted on March 4, 2022 by Craig Bass

Personal Care at Home in Henderson NV

Around 300,000 older adults fracture their hip each year, receiving injuries that require hospitalization. Women are more likely to fracture a hip. Your mom is now part of that statistic. What should she do and not do after fracturing her hip? Here are a few things to remember and how personal care at home can play an important role in her recovery.

She Shouldn’t Cross Her Legs

Sitting with crossed legs isn’t often advised for a couple of months. Your mom’s doctor will tell her the appropriate amount of time, but it’s usually between six and eight weeks. Remind your mom to ensure she doesn’t forget and go to sit with her legs crossed.

She Should Use Higher Seating

Sitting down on a low seat is challenging. Your mom may find it hard to get back up. Bar stools with a sturdy back and comfortable seat are helpful when it comes to sitting.

She may need a booster on her toilet. If that’s not possible, make sure she has a personal care at home aide to help her stand back up after going to the bathroom.

She Shouldn’t Bend Over

It may take several days or weeks before your mom can bed down from a sitting or standing position. She shouldn’t bend more than 90 degrees when standing up. If she drops something, someone needs to get it for her.

She Should Work With a Physical Therapist

Your mom should work with a physical therapist to regain a full range of motion. In between therapy sessions, she must continue doing the recommended exercises on her own to build muscle strength and aid in her recovery.

She Shouldn’t Stop All Activities

Your mom may need to limit the amount of time she spends exercising, but she shouldn’t stop completely. She should work out enough for the muscles to stop aching and take a break before straining anything.

She Should Use Heat to Help Loosen Her Muscles and Joints

Ice packs can help ease pain, but heat helps loosen your mom’s muscles and joints. Before doing her exercises, your mom should apply a heating pad for 15 minutes.

She Shouldn’t Sit With Her Knees Higher Than Her Hips

Your mom needs to watch how she sits. Her knees need to be an inch or two lower than her hips. It reduces the stress placed on the hip joint. It makes it easier to stand up, too.

She Should Let Personal Care at Home Help

Your mom needs to let others help out. She needs to listen to her doctors and do as they say. That might mean slowly building strength after a hip fracture.

Make sure your mom follows her medical team’s recommendations. Hire personal care at home aides to help her change sheets, do the laundry, clean the home, and get to and from stores and medical offices. Call an agency to learn more.

Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/falls/hip-fractures.html

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

4 Things Family Caregivers Want Family Members To Know

Posted on February 25, 2022 by Craig Bass

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 February 18, 2022 by Craig Bass

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.