Craig Bass, Author at Golden Heart Summerlin

4 Ways to Help Your Senior Prevent Illness

Posted on December 10, 2021 by Craig Bass

Companion Care at Home in Summerlin NV

Food poisoning, skin infections, UTIs, and influenza are four of the most common infections in the elderly. It’s possible to reduce the risk through a few routines. If your dad is slowing down and having a harder time taking care of himself, these are the areas to help him with.

Home Cleanliness

Your dad’s home needs to be cleaned. If he struggles to wipe down faucets, doorknobs, counters, and sinks, someone else needs to clean these surfaces for him. Vacuuming carpets, mopping hard floor surfaces, and doing the laundry also help prevent the spread of germs.

Personal Care

If your dad cannot bathe without some assistance, make sure he has the help he needs. He might need support getting in and out of the shower, but he’s okay bathing himself. It could be that he cannot reach areas when he’s washing himself and needs help with lathering all of his body.

Arrange to have a professional caregiver helping him with personal care and grooming. If he needs help cleaning up after using the toilet, make sure someone is with him to help out.

Meal Preparation

Proper storage of raw foods is essential. When your dad purchases groceries, meats need to go into the refrigerator or freezer as soon as he’s home. They shouldn’t sit out on the counter for hours. If they are in the car for that long, make sure he has insulating grocery bags or a cooler with ice packs.

Once cooked, many dishes need to be consumed within two or three days. If leftovers don’t get eaten in that time frame, they should go into the freezer with a label explaining what the item is.

Check regularly for food recalls and safety issues. The FDA is a good place to start looking for these recalls. If your dad has an item that is part of a recall, remove it from his refrigerator, freezer, or cupboards and return it to the store for a refund.

He shouldn’t risk eating it unless the recall involves an allergen that won’t affect him. For example, some recalls are for products where the ingredients didn’t declare they contain nuts. If he has no nut allergy, he won’t have to worry.

Hire Companion Care Services to Help Him at Home

Choose companion care at home to ensure your dad doesn’t risk his health to an infection. With a caregiver helping with meal preparation, housework, laundry, and personal care, many common infections are avoidable.

Learn more about companion care at home by talking to a specialist in home care. Call and ask about prices, services, and schedules.

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.

Four Tips for Talking about Personal Hygiene Issues with Your Senior

Posted on December 3, 2021 by Craig Bass

Personal Care at Home in Las Vegas NV

If you’ve noticed some changes in your elderly family member’s hygiene habits, you might be trying to figure out how to bring that topic up. It’s more difficult than it seems, especially if you’re still trying to determine exactly what’s causing problems for her. These tips can help when you’re ready to open up a conversation.

Pause for Some Reflection Beforehand

Sometimes when you’re busy you might notice something and just say what you’re thinking without reflecting on it first. There are some times that that can be less helpful than you want it to be. One of those times is if you’re noticing your senior having difficulty with personal care tasks. It’s helpful to notice what’s going on and pause to think a little more before talking with your elderly family member.

Wait for the Right Time to Talk

Just as there are the right things to say and the wrong things to say, timing is a huge factor in all of this. Personal hygiene conversations can be embarrassing regardless, but if you’re talking with your senior without thinking first about whether it’s a good time or whether there are other people around it can be worse. Choose wisely, and the conversation might go a little better.

Consider What Could Be Making These Tasks More Difficult for Your Senior

There’s a lot that can make personal hygiene more difficult for your aging family member. If she’s having health issues or she’s experiencing difficulty with mobility, that all affects what she’s able to do. Even if the situation is a result of cognitive changes, it’s important to understand what the contributing factors are.

Line up Some Possible Solutions

It also helps if you come into the conversation with some ideas about how to make this all easier on your senior and on you. Personal care at home is an excellent answer, and it’s an answer that can help your senior more than she might realize. Elder care providers can ensure that your senior is able to safely bathe, change into clean clothing, and have help with other hygiene needs. Personal care at home is able to do all of this without damaging your senior’s independence or dignity, which is crucial.

Finding the right answers for your elderly family member’s hygiene needs can feel complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. Home care services can offer just the right amount of assistance whenever your senior needs it.

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.

Thank the Family Caregiver in Your Parent’s Life

Posted on November 26, 2021 by Craig Bass

In-Home Care in Las Vegas NV

The Tuesday following Thanksgiving is named National Day of Giving. It’s a global movement designed to get people to give to others. Whether you’re marking the day by volunteering for a local non-profit or shop exclusively at local farms and locally-owned shops, it’s time to give back.

One way to celebrate National Day of Giving is by thanking the family caregiver taking care of your senior parent. If your brother or sister, aunt or cousin is caring for your senior parent, here are some of the best ways to support them.

Ask What They Need

Reach out to the family caregiver and ask what’s needed. Stop by for a day and help out. If your sister is there every day and is sick of cooking meals, offer to cook for her. Make a meal for your parents and your sister to eat together. Wash the dishes after.

You might find your brother would love to have someone else help out with the yard work for a change. Help out and rake while he watches a movie with your parents. Do the shopping for him.

Treat Them to a Meal at a Favorite Restaurant

Pick a night to take the family caregiver out to dinner. Pick the caregiver’s favorite restaurant and go out for a meal together. If that’s not possible, order takeout and bring it to the house.

Make sure you tell your family member that you’re doing this. That way, a meal isn’t prepared and ready to serve when you show up.

Buy a Gift You Know They Love

Your sister is an avid reader. Purchase an e-reader and gift card she can use to fill it with books. Your brother has been talking about a movie that’s coming out next weekend. Buy tickets and take him to see it.

Pay attention to the things you hear your siblings talk about. For National Day of Giving, treat your family member to whatever you know they want but haven’t taken time to purchase.

Arrange Services to Ensure They Get a Break

If you have a family caregiver who is with your parents every day, make sure they have the chance to take a break. They need a few days off each week. Respite care is one way to ensure a family member has days off.

Respite care is an essential service where an in-home care aide stops by. The aide stays to help out while the family caregiver takes a break. Make arrangements for respite care by calling an expert in in-home care.

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.

Is Home Care Right For Your Mom?

Posted on November 19, 2021 by Craig Bass

Home care in Summerlin NV

Your mom is aging and wants to stay in her home. One way to do this is by hiring caregivers to help out. How do you know if home care is the best decision for her?

Sit down with your mom and ask these questions. Once you have her answers, gather the family and discuss her feelings and theirs.

How Well Does She Do With Daily Activities?

Activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living are important indicators of the necessity for home care. If your mom cannot remember to take her daily prescriptions, she needs someone to remind her.

Suppose she is no longer able to drive to stores or her doctor’s office. Can you take off all of the days she’d need a ride? Would caregivers help you avoid having to cut your hours at work or rearrange your plans?

ADLs and IADLs include things like cooking meals, paying bills, shopping for household supplies, and cleaning the home. If she struggles with any of these, it indicates a need for home care.

Does She Feel Lonely or Isolated?

How many visitors does your mom get each week? Does she ever say that she feels lonely? Caregivers from a home care agency can offer companionship services. Your mom doesn’t have to feel alone or isolated.

Her caregiver can take her out to lunch or a museum, join her on appointment days, and help her shop for groceries, clothes, and other essentials. She always has a friend available on the days she wants company.

Is It Hard for Her to Shower, Dress, and Take Care of Her Oral Care?

Can your mom shower and dress on her own? Does she put on clothing that’s appropriate for the weather? If she’s having difficulty brushing and styling her hair, zipping her pants, and putting on shoes, she needs someone to help.

What about her teeth? Can she brush and floss her teeth on her own, or does arthritis pain in the finger joints make it impossible? Home care helps with personal care, grooming, and hygiene.

Don’t Wait, Hire Caregivers Now

Home care is one of the best ways for your mom to stay independent as she ages. With a helping hand, she lives at home without risking her safety or happiness. A home care aide assists with more challenging activities of daily living.

There is no fear of the caregiver taking over. Caregivers will step back and let her do the other tasks she can do on her own. Call a home care agency to learn more.

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.

Easy Ways To Improve Your Senior’s Nutrition

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Craig Bass

Senior Home Care in Las Vegas NV

November is Good Nutrition Month and now is a great time to pay more attention to your senior loved one’s nutrition. Seniors often struggle to eat enough food and to eat nutritious foods. Sometimes seniors skip adding fresh vegetables to meals because they have a hard time shopping. Other times they may find it difficult to prepare fresh vegetables which need to be chopped or cut and cooked. And often seniors don’t get enough protein because they don’t want to make a large meal just for themselves. If your senior loved one isn’t getting the right nutrients here are some easy ways you can get your senior parent to eat better:

Meal Preparation

The easiest way to encourage your senior loved one to eat more nutritious foods is to prepare them ahead of time for your senior loved one. Either you or a senior home care provider can take fresh vegetables and wash, cut, chop, peel, and prepare them. Then portion them into single servings and put those containers into the fridge clearly labeled. Do the same for proteins by preparing chicken breasts, steaks, burgers, or any other type of protein your loved one enjoys. Cook them, portion them into individual servings, label them, then put them in the fridge. Your senior loved one can choose a protein and whatever they vegetables they want for each meal and easily heat them up in the microwave.

Sharing Meals

Sharing meals with your senior loved one is another way you can encourage them to eat better quality foods. Or have a senior home care provider share meals with them during the week if you’re busy at work and can’t make it to your senior parent’s house for a meal. Being able to share a meal with someone else is often enough to get seniors to make better choices about what they are eating.

Supplements and Drinks

Nutritional supplements and drinks don’t replace the vitamins and minerals that seniors can get from fresh vegetables and fruit. They also don’t replace animal protein like chicken breasts. But supplements and protein drinks can be an excellent way to supplement a senior’s diet to make sure that they are getting the extra nutrients they need and getting them in the right amount. Before you start giving your senior loved one any supplements or nutritional drinks you should ask their doctor if there are any foods that your senior should stay away from because of the medication that they are on.

Subscription Boxes and Food Delivery

If the reason why your senior loved one isn’t getting the right nutrition is that they don’t like to shop or find it difficult you can sign them up for a food delivery service or a CSA farm share box that will deliver a box of fresh locally grown vegetables and fruits directly to your senior loved one’s door on a regular schedule. That way your senior parent can enjoy fresh food without the hassles of shopping every few days to get it.

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.

4 Reasons Why Senior Pets and Seniors Are a Perfect Match

Posted on November 5, 2021 by Craig Bass

Personal Care at Home in Summerlin NV

It’s Adopt A Senior Pet month which means it’s a great time to consider adopting a senior pet for your senior loved one. Pets and seniors are a perfect match. Pets provide love, companionship, and socialization for seniors so that they have a lower chance of developing depression. Spending time with pets has been proven to lower stress levels for seniors and reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke. Adopting a pet that needs to be walked, like a small dog, is the perfect way to get your senior loved one out of the house on a regular basis. Here are a few more reasons why senior pets are the best companions for seniors:

They’re More Settled

Puppies and kittens are adorable, when they’re sleeping. When they’re awake they become tiny furry balls of chaos flying through the house. They get into everything. And they climb things, knock things over, pull down curtains, and use their tiny baby teeth and claws on everything with paw range, including humans. Older pets have already gone through their crazy baby stage and they are more settled into adult behaviors.

They Don’t Need A Lot Of Vet Care

Older cats who have been neutered don’t really need a lot of vet care except for their yearly checkups and vaccinations. They don’t need multiple rounds of expensive vaccinations like babies, and they don’t need expensive spay/neuter surgery. A healthy older pet can be very affordable for seniors, especially if you choose a high quality food that will keep them healthy.

They’re Perfectly Happy To Nap All Day

Senior pets are the best napping companions. They are perfectly happy to curl up with your senior loved one and sleep away the day or the night. Seniors can enjoy having their furry companions around while they watch TV, read, play games, or do tasks around the house. But when it’s time to nap or to sleep at night seniors are more likely to get the deep rest they need when they have a furry cuddly bundle of love to curl up with.

They’re Easier To Care For

Caring for senior pets is much easier for seniors than caring for puppies or kittens. Crate training a puppy, or training the puppy to signal when it needs to go outside, can both be time-consuming, difficult processes. Older dogs are already trained and don’t need the extra time and care that puppies do. Older cats are pros at using the litterbox and tend to not have accidents like kittens do. And seniors who are worried about taking care of their senior pets can get help from a personal care at home provider. A personal care at home provider can make sure that the pets are walked and fed and have plenty of clean water so that your senior loved one doesn’t have to.

Source:
https://aginginplace.org/seniors-and-pets/

If you are considering personal 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.

What Are the Best Ways to Take Your Mom Out When She Has Dementia?

Posted on October 28, 2021 by Craig Bass

Companion Care at Home in Henderson NV

As dementia progresses, it gets harder to take your mom out of the home. She becomes fearful because nothing is familiar. She doesn’t even recognize her house when you drive back in the driveway.

Before you take her out, ask yourself if she really needs to go. While she has to be there for appointments, a trip to the grocery store isn’t necessarily essential for her to attend. When you have to take her out, these tips can help make it less stressful for both of you.

Tell Her It’s Time to Go an Hour in Advance

If your mom tends to delay getting ready, tell her it’s time to go an hour or so in advance. If you have to leave at noon, tell her it’s time to go at 10:50. That way, her repeated trips to the bathroom to brush her teeth, take a shower, or go to the toilet again won’t make you late.

Have Something Tempting to Get Her to Follow You

You might have to tempt your mom to follow you. You know she loves chocolate. Have her favorite chocolate in hand and use that to get her out to the car. Keep repeating that she can have it as soon as she’s in the car.

You might not want her having food in the car. Use something equally tempting like her favorite cellphone game, a book, or a magazine.

Promise to Go to Her Favorite Place

Instead of telling her she has to see her doctor, tell her you’re going to lunch at her favorite restaurant. You can keep that promise, but do it after she’s gone through her appointment. Once she’s seen her doctor, go out to lunch or for an early dinner.

Have Someone Else With You

It can be easier to manage trips out if someone else is helping. You have to go shopping, but you also have to take your mom to her dentist. Bring someone else.

While you’re shopping, you may find your mom keeps adding things to the cart that she says she needs. The person with you can be running the extra items back when she gets distracted by something else.

Arrange Companion Care at Home for Her

Sometimes, it’s better to leave your mom at home. While you may be used to weekend shopping trips together, it may be overwhelming to her now. Hire a companion care at home aide to spend time with her when you’re running errands. A companion care at home specialist can help you understand the pricing and how to schedule services.

If you are considering companion 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.

October 2021 Caregiver of the Month

Posted on October 28, 2021 by Craig Bass

Our valued Golden Heart Caregiver, Lorna, has been recognized as our October Caregiver of the Month! Lorna migrated to the United States from the Philippines in 1980 and received her citizenship in 1996. Lorna enjoys fitness in her free-time and deep-sea fishing, and a hidden talent of hers is playing guitar! Lorna says that her biggest inspiration for being a caregiver, among many other things, is the true value of life. Her favorite thing about in-home care is building bonds with her clients; including the unconditional trust that’s formed, the smile they give when they look forward to seeing her, or holding her hand to let her know they need her. Lorna’s best memory on the job is when she went on a walk with her client, and they both had so much fun talking and laughing that neither one realized it was past time for Lorna to go! The two shared a good laugh after that. Lorna’s five year goal is to become a trainer and teacher for other caregivers. She says she would love to be able to share her knowledge to help other caregivers be efficient and successful in this field. Lorna is proud of her self-love, and her ability to “embrace the good, resist the bad, and let go of the ugly” that she’s developed over years of learning. We are proud of her, too! We are lucky to have passionate caregivers like Lorna on our team. Congrats, Lorna!

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.

Yoga Benefits for Senior Citizens

Posted on October 22, 2021 by Craig Bass

Home Care in Las Vegas NV

There are numerous activities that senior citizens can benefit from. If you are helping to care for your elderly loved one, you may want to have them try out yoga. Studies show that elderly people who practice yoga can feel better emotionally, improve their health, and receive other benefits.

Staying Independent

Does your elderly loved one feel as if they are losing their independence? Maybe, there are some tasks they have had to get help for from you or home care providers. This may be making your elderly loved one feel bad about themselves. If this has happened, you should try talking your elderly loved one into doing yoga. Being able to accomplish the different moves and strengthening their body through yoga practice can help your elderly loved one to be more independent. It can boost their confidence in the things they are still able to do, as well.

Improving Mental Health

Has your elderly loved one been struggling with mental health issues? Maybe, they struggle with anxiety now that they are retired. Your elderly loved one may feel on edge a lot of the time because they don’t know what to do with themselves. If you want to help your elderly loved one to improve their mental health, you or a home care provider should get them into yoga. Research shows that yoga can reduce anxiety, depression, symptoms of PTSD, stress, and so much more. The more your elderly loved one gets into yoga, the more it can help to improve their mental health.

Improving Physical Health

Did you know that yoga can have positive affects on a person’s physical health? It isn’t just for boosting confidence and improving mental health. Research shows that various yoga poses can help with different aspects of physical health. Some of the physical health ailments that can be improved by doing yoga include weight, arthritis, chronic pain, inflammation, balance issues, and much more. Is your elderly loved one struggling with any of these issues? If so, you and home care providers should remind them to practice yoga every day.

Conclusion

These are some of the many yoga benefits that senior citizens can gain. If your elderly loved one needs help improving their physical health, mental health, or feelings of independence or confidence, you should encourage them to practice yoga. There are various yoga programs and apps that can help people to learn yoga. Your elderly loved one can start with the most basic yoga positions and move up from there.

Sources
https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-11-2013/health-benefits-of-yoga.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.

Home-Monitoring Technology: Is it a Good Idea for the Elderly?

Posted on October 15, 2021 by Craig Bass

Elder Care in Henderson NV

Are you taking care of your elderly loved one? If so, are there days when you can’t make it to their house? Maybe, you even live quite far away and can only visit with your elderly loved one about once a month. If this is the case, Elder Home-monitoring technology may be a good idea.

Fell in the Past

Has your elderly loved one ever fallen in their house? Sure, they may claim it was just a slight misstep. However, studies show that elderly people who fall once are more likely to fall again. They may be worried about falling which can make their balance even worse. If your elderly loved one has fell in the past, it may be time to get home-monitoring technology. There are necklaces, bands, and bracelets they can wear. If they do fall or if they feel as if something isn’t right, they can push the button on the device. It can alert you, an elder care provider, or the police.

Spending a Lot of Time Alone

How much time does your elderly loved one spend on their own? Many senior citizens go days or even weeks without seeing another person. This can lead to a lot of issues. If this is the case for your elderly loved one, it may be a good idea to have a home camera system installed. With some of these camera systems, you can talk to your elderly loved one through them and they can talk back. It can be a great way to communicate and to visually see what is going on at your elderly loved one’s house.

Watching for Cognitive Issues

Another reason why you may want to get home-monitoring technology for your elderly loved one is to watch for cognitive issues. If you aren’t there often, you may miss out on the signs of dementia or other cognitive conditions. While a home camera system can’t replace face-to-face check-ins, it can be a great help during the times you can’t be there to see your elderly loved one. If you do start noticing issues, you can hire elder care providers to care for your elderly loved one.

Conclusion

These are some of the reasons why you might want to get home-monitoring technology for your elderly loved one. Now that you know how beneficial this type of technology could be for them, you can start looking into which systems or products to get.

Sources
https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-takes-action-modernize-medicare-home-health-0
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK315926/

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.