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Author: Craig Bass

Have You Cleaned These Germy Areas of Your Mom’s Home?

Posted on by Craig Bass
Senior Care in Las Vegas NV

When you think about germy areas in your mom’s home, you probably focus on the toilet, sink handles, light switches, remotes, and phones. There are germ-covered areas that people often overlook. Are you missing these critical areas when you clean your mom’s home?

Appliance Controls

Appliance controls like microwave buttons, stove knobs and control pads, and coffeemaker controls don’t get cleaned enough. You should be wiping them down each day. Clean appliance handles at the same time. Wipe down the refrigerator door and oven door handles.

The coffeemaker also needs to have its lines and reservoir washed out each week or two. It doesn’t take a lot of time to do this.

Pour four cups of white vinegar into the reservoir and let it sit for an hour. Top it up with water and run a complete coffee cycle. Rinse out the reservoir and refill it with clean water. Run a second coffee cycle. You may need to repeat that to get rid of the vinegar smell.

Cutting Boards

Cutting boards should be a hard surface to keep scratches away. Once a wood cutting board is scratched, bacteria can hide. Scrub them with salt and lemon to help kill germs.

If you get a glass or stone cutting board, you can place them in the dishwasher or soak them in a mix of water and bleach to kill bacteria. Ideally, get three cutting boards and use one for vegetables and fruits, one for meats, and one for cheeses.

Pet Toys, Dishes, and Bedding

Pet toys are exposed to saliva. That saliva is filled with bacteria. Toys and bedding also get covered in pet dander, yeast and mold, and coliform bacteria. Ideally, look for pet beds that you can wash and dry. Pet toys need to be cleaned and dried at least once a week or washed in hot soap and water if they’re not machine washable.

Each day, your mom’s pets need to have their water and food dishes washed out. Put them in the dishwasher or wash them by hand after soaking them in a mix of bleach and water for 30 minutes. If they don’t eat their canned food, don’t leave it sitting in the bowl overnight. They always need to start the day with clean bowls.

Hire senior care aides to help keep your mom’s house clean and sterile. With the help of professional caregivers, your mom’s house is rid of most germs, which allows her to stay healthy. Call a senior care agency to learn more about housekeeping and laundry services that help with disinfection within the home.

If you or an aging loved on is considering senior care in Las Vegas, NV, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

Five Ways to Add Fruits and Vegetables to Your Parents’ Daily Diet

Posted on by Craig Bass
Caregivers in Henderson NV

Current recommendations are for older adults to get around two cups of fruit and three cups of vegetables each day. That’s about five cups in all. Despite this recommendation, the CDC found that around 10 percent of adults get that much.

How do you make sure your mom and dad are eating the right amounts of fruits and vegetables? Here are five ways to make it happen.

#1 – Have a Vegetarian Day

One or two days a week, have a vegetarian day. Instead of making a meal that includes meat, focus on a vegetarian day. Your dad loves chicken curry. Make a chickpea curry that’s loaded with vegetables instead. The chickpeas provide protein, and you can add a mix of vegetables like spinach, red peppers, carrots, and onions to boost vegetable intake.

Once a week, serve a favorite sandwich with a pot of homemade minestrone. Minestrone is packed with vegetables like kale, zucchini, carrots, onions, tomatoes, and beans.

#2 – Grow Produce at Home

If your parents enjoy gardening, one of the best ways to increase the number of vegetables is by growing them at home. When they open their refrigerator and see a small supply of produce, they’re likely to limit what they eat. If they have a bountiful garden with plenty of fruits and vegetables, they’re more likely to eat them in quantity.

#3 – Get It Ready to Eat

Prepare fruits and vegetables and package in ready-to-eat portions. If there are cucumber, carrot, and celery sticks already washed and sliced, your parents can quickly grab them when they’re hungry. It would be best if you also considered making small containers of hummus or yogurt ranch dips to entice them into snacking on raw veggies.

#4 – Be Sneaky About Adding Vegetables

If your parents don’t like many vegetables, start sneaking them into their foods. Your mom loves having a smoothie each day for breakfast. Add a handful of purple kale to her blueberry smoothie. Add a strong flavor like banana or passionfruit to help hide the taste of the kale.

#5 – Hire Caregivers to Cook Meals

Washing and preparing the fruits and vegetables they eat may be too much for your parents. Arthritis pain in the wrists and fingers can make it hard to slice, peel, or cube produce. Scrubbing away the dirt may be too difficult.

If that’s the problem, caregivers are an easy solution. You can have caregivers visit with your parents while preparing meals they’ll love. Caregivers can wash and prep a variety of fruits and vegetables for them. Call an agency to arrange food preparation services.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html

 

If you or an aging loved on is considering caregivers in Henderson, NV, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

Golden Heart Senior Care Conducts Successful Caregiver Training

Posted on by Craig Bass
Pictured is Christy Swadkins, owner – Golden Heart, and Jesse Barnett, Community Liaison.

Golden Heart Senior Care recently conducted its monthly staff training that covered the following topics: Person Centered Care, Etiquette for a Smooth Shift and Engaging with your Client. The training was a huge success! There was fun, food and learning for all involved.

We want to thank our WONDERFUL caregivers for their participation and engagement during the training. They are the BEST!

If your loved one is on need of care, please call 702-800-4616 for a no obligation assessment.

Is Your Senior’s Bedroom Causing Her Sleep Trouble?

Posted on by Craig Bass
Elder Care in Summerlin NV

Environment matters so much in lots of the different issues your senior could be having. When it comes to sleep and problems with sleep, you really do need to consider her bedroom and some of the items in her bedroom as contributing factors. Here are just a few ideas to help you to narrow down possible culprits.

Check How Dark the Room Is

Having a dark bedroom is really helpful, because light can cause the brain to mistakenly send out “wake up” signals that aren’t what she needs. The downside to this, though, is that your senior might have trouble navigating if she needs to get up in the middle of the night and the room is too dark. Motion-sensing nightlights can help without completely waking your senior up. Elder care providers can also assist your senior getting into and out of bed at night safely.

Consider Making the Room Cooler at Night

Besides light, having the room even a touch too warm can also cause issues. You can either turn down the furnace a degree or two at night or consider using a fan in her bedroom. Some people find this to not be as comfortable as they want, either, so you might have to try a variety of different things to find the right combination for your senior. An elder care provider can help your senior regulate their temperature overnight.

Dim Screens on Clocks and Other Electronics

Alarm clocks, particularly digital ones, and other electronics your senior has in her room may be bright lights when it comes time for her to go to sleep. Many of these devices have a way for you to make the screens much dimmer, so it’s a good idea to try that. Some electronic devices may even have an option to remove the lights entirely, so check owner’s manuals for that information in order to turn the displays off when they’re not in use.

Double Check the Mattress

Something else to consider is that an uncomfortable mattress might not be obvious to your senior right away, but it can have an impact on how well she sleeps. Double check how old your senior’s mattress is. If it’s older than about 8 years old, it probably is due for replacement. She might experience faster results with a new mattress than with any other solution.
If your elderly family member has a lot of issues with insomnia, it might help for her to have someone there with her overnight, just in case. Elder care providers can offer companionship and they can help with anything your senior needs as well.

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

March 2021 Employee of the Month

Posted on by Craig Bass
Pictured is Christy Swadkins, Owner of Golden Heart, and Nina Jones, March 2021 Employee of the Month.

Golden Heart Senior Care is proud to announce that Nina Jones is the March 2021 Employee of the Month. Nina is an exceptional employee and Golden Heart is fortunate to have her on our team. She cares deeply for her clients and always puts their needs first. Nina is Simply the Best!

Nina, thank you for being such a wonderful Caregiver!

How Can You Help Your Senior to Get Proper Nutrition with Dysphagia?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Your elderly family member might develop dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, for a variety of reasons. What’s really important in managing dysphagia is ensuring that your senior is able to eat in order to get the nutrition that she needs. This might mean looking at food and meals a little bit differently since liquids need to be thicker and solid foods might be too difficult.

Consider What Vegetables and Fruits Can Be Pureed

Vegetables and fruits lend themselves well to purees, which can be thick enough for your senior to eat easily. Cooked beans, spinach, broccoli, and squashes are all full of vitamins and other nutrients that your elderly family member needs. When cooked, they’re also very easy to puree into a thick soup. Fruits are easy to turn into a fruit soup or to add to a smoothie or shake.

Healthy Fats Are a Great Idea

When calories need to count, don’t overlook healthy fats. Avocados, nut butters, and Greek yogurt are excellent choices. These foods have plenty of protein and fiber, but they’re also high in the types of fats that your senior needs in order to stay healthy. They’re also filling and can help your elderly family member to avoid losing too much weight.

Shakes and Smoothies May Work Well

One of the biggest staples of your senior’s new diet might be smoothies and shakes. While commercial nutritional shakes are plentiful on the market, they’re not always a great idea. They tend to contain a lot of sugar and possibly other ingredients that aren’t a good choice for your senior. Homemade shakes can include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and you can customize them every day for your senior’s tastes.

Talk to Your Senior’s Doctor for Additional Ideas

It’s really important to consider your senior’s overall health and not just getting more calories into her however you can. That can be one goal, but her other health issues may mean that certain foods just aren’t a good idea no matter how they’re prepared. Talk to your senior’s doctor about what she should be eating and what alternatives might work best for her.

This new way of eating in order to keep your senior nourished while she deals with dysphagia can be complicated for both of you. It can help to have home care providers there to help your senior with meal preparation and even with eating if that has become a challenge, too.

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HOME CARE IN SUMMERLIN, NV, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF SUMMERLIN. 702-800-4616.

Why Is Deep Vein Thrombosis Such a Serious Threat?

Posted on by Craig Bass
Elderly Care in Summerlin NV

March is Deep Vein Thrombosis Month, which makes it a good time to learn a little more about DVT and how it can impact your senior’s life. DVT is a serious condition that can become emergent very quickly. DVT involves blood clots forming in the deeper veins of your senior’s body, typically in the legs. Those blood clots can break free, wreaking havoc throughout the body. Learn more about DVT and how it affects your senior, as well as how elderly care can help.

DVT Can Lead to Pulmonary Embolism

Pulmonary embolisms, or PE, can occur when a clot or a small piece of a clot breaks off from the DVT and travel through your senior’s blood vessels and into the lungs. Large enough clots can block blood flow, which can be a fatal situation. This is the equivalent of a stroke in your senior’s brain. An elderly care provider can be with your senior when you can’t, making it possible for them to spot the signs of a stroke earlier than if they were alone.

DVT and PE Can Also Cause Heart Failure

A pulmonary embolism can also cause blood flow to and from the heart to stop or to slow down dramatically, especially when the pulmonary arteries are clogged. As the heart works harder to try to get that blood flowing, damage is created, even possibly a heart attack. The damage afterward, even with a mild pulmonary embolism, can dramatically shorten your senior’s life.

Post-thrombotic Syndrome and Elderly Care

Post-thrombotic syndrome happens during or after a DVT. Your senior might experience chronic swelling and pain in her leg. The swelling impedes blood flow, which creates serious issues in terms of keeping her extremities healthy. Skin can start to break down and the worst-case scenario can include amputation. Elderly care services can assist your senior following a hospital stay for DVT.

Preventing DVT Is Vital for Health

Preventing deep vein thrombosis is crucial for your senior’s overall health. If she’s been on bed rest or is not as mobile as she used to be, moving more can help. It’s important that she avoid crossing her legs or doing other things that can block blood flow in the legs. Other issues can contribute to DVT, such as being overweight and smoking. Talk to your senior’s doctor about her risk factors and about what she can do to prevent DVT.

Dealing with a DVT diagnosis can feel like a lot for your senior. It can help for her to have some hands-on assistance, both with tasks that have become more difficult and to assist with mobility concerns. Elderly care providers can take on that role for your senior, ensuring that she’s safe and has someone with her in case her situation changes.

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING ELDERLY CARE IN SUMMERLIN, NV, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF SUMMERLIN. 702-800-4616.

Is Memory Loss Always Dementia?

Posted on by Craig Bass
Senior Care in Henderson NV

One of the reasons your elderly family member might be so concerned about memory loss is that this is often an early sign of dementia. But memory loss is related to other health issues, too, and the memory loss she’s experiencing could be reversible.

Head Injuries

One reason it’s so important to minimize fall risk is because your senior can become seriously injured. Most injuries involve hips and wrist or arm injuries, but head injuries are also a big problem. Your elderly family member could have a bruise on her brain or even a concussion. Head injuries are nothing to play with, so she needs to talk to her doctor right away.

Tumors or Infections in the Brain

It’s a lot more difficult to spot situations such as a tumor or infection in the brain. Memory loss might be what causes your senior to talk to her doctor, who runs the tests necessary to discover these situations. Not all tumors equal untreatable cancer, so finding the problem early is always better for your senior’s recovery.

Malnutrition

When your elderly family member isn’t eating enough or she isn’t eating well, she can suffer from malnutrition. Not getting enough nutrients means that her body cannot function as well as it should, and that includes her brain. She may start to experience memory issues, lack of concentration, irritability, and even depression due to lack of nutrition.

Medication Side Effects

Side effects from medication can cover a lot of ground. One of many different types of side effects can include memory loss. This side effect can occur even if your senior has been taking a specific medication for a while. Changes to dosage or to how the medication is made can have an impact. If your senior notices that her side effects from medications are changing, she needs to let her doctor know. Senior care providers can watch for signs of side effects from medications, as well as remind your senior loved one when to take their medication.

Other Health Issues

There are many other health issues that can mess with your senior’s memory, too. If she’s dealing with liver issues, kidney issues, or even thyroid issues, those can affect her memory. She needs to talk to her doctor about how she can adjust to improve her memory.

Memory issues can be scary for your senior. It helps to have someone else there with her on a regular basis, like senior care providers. They can help with whatever needs to be done and also ensure that she is safe.

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING SENIOR CARE IN HENDERSON, NV, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF SUMMERLIN. 702-800-4616.

Being a Caregiver for Mom Can Take a Toll

Posted on by Craig Bass

You will find, as you support your elderly mother through a variety of health issues, that it’s no easy task. While it may have seemed relatively simple enough at the beginning (check in on her, get some groceries and drop them off, drive her to a doctor’s appointment, etc.), the time commitment is significantly increasing.

Maybe you never considered yourself a caregiver, but that’s precisely what you are. Her expectations may have changed as well over this time. In the beginning, she may have appreciated whatever help you could offer, but now it might be an expectation.

Given enough time, this can place an incredible amount of pressure on that family caregiver. You.

What kind of stress are you under?

You might not feel the same kind of stress as you would if you had lost your job, were unable to pay the rent or mortgage, or otherwise financially strapped. However, stress is stress, no matter what is the cause and how significant it is affecting you.

As a caregiver, stress is a part of life. You simply can’t get around that fact. Even if you have a great relationship with this individual, are more than willing to help out, over time it’s going to place increased pressure on your life.

It could affect your sleep at night, relationships, and even your career. As a caregiver for your elderly mother, eventually that pressure and stress is going to take a toll on you.

How might caregiver stress manifest itself in your life?

Without adequate sleep, you might be unfocused, have an increased risk of safety issues yourself, or even snap at others. You might have a shorter temper now as a result and find yourself losing your cool far more often than is normal.

That stress, prolonged, can lead to serious health issues on top of that. You might have an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, high blood pressure, and the list is long and growing.

The older you are, the more likely caregiver stress is going to impact you in more significant ways. If it takes a toll on you to the point where you simply can’t do the same things you use to, then how beneficial are you going to be as a caregiver moving forward?

The best thing anyone can do is discuss the prospect of hiring home care to help. You can still be a caregiver for your mother, but with a home care aide helping, that can make a world of difference for everyone, including you.

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING CAREGIVERS IN LAS VEGAS, NV, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF SUMMERLIN. 702-800-4616.

What is the Healing Process Like After Knee Replacement Surgery?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Knee replacement surgeries follow severe injuries or arthritis cases. When non-surgical treatments no longer help improve mobility or help with pain relief, surgery may become the only viable option. It’s a relatively new surgery with the first knee replacement taking place in 1968.

Statistically, more than 750,000 knee replacement surgeries happen each year. Most patients are in the range of 50 to 80 years of age when the surgery takes place.

During knee replacement surgery, the damaged cartilage and bone are removed. Implants are placed on the ends of the two bones where the joint forms. pacers are added to keep the ends from rubbing. Finally, the kneecap may be shaped to allow a piece of plastic to prevent rubbing on the back of the bone.

After a knee replacement surgery, it will take time and care to recover. Blood clots and infection are possible risks that your parent needs to be monitored for. Following the doctor’s orders is also key to a successful recovery. That’s where home health care helps out.

What Happens Back at Home

The hospital stay following knee replacement surgery is usually no longer than three days. Back at home, your mom or dad may need pain relievers. Over-the-counter medications are preferred, but the surgeon may prescribe prescription pain relievers for a few days. Home health care nurses can help with medication administration.

As there is a risk of infection, home care nurses check incisions for signs of infection. With wound care services, the nurse makes sure the wound is clean and bandaged correctly. Bathing techniques that keep the bandage from getting wet are also important.

Physical therapy starts in the hospital. Your mom or dad may need to work with a physical therapist at home to help restore movement in the knee and strengthen the leg. Mobility exercises are important and need to be practiced daily until your parent is walking up and down the stairs with ease.

Occupational therapy may be needed to teach your parent how to use a walker until the knee is strong enough. Occupational therapy can also help your parent with daily activities like driving and stepping over objects like a bathtub side.

Make Home Health Care Part of the Recovery

A home care agency can arrange home health care services to make sure your dad’s recovery from knee replacement surgery goes well. He can have physical therapists help him strengthen his knee in his home. He’ll have a nurse to help with wound care. Senior care services can also be scheduled simultaneously, so that the activities of daily living can also be handled. Make arrangements for home health care by calling an agency and asking for more information.

Sources:
https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/total-knee-replacement/

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HOME HEALTH CARE IN LAS VEGAS, NV, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF SUMMERLIN. 702-800-4616.