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Golden Heart Employee of the Month For May 2024

Golden Heart Senior Care is proud to announce that Giti B. is the May 2024 Employee of the Month!

Giti has been a Caregiver for more than 2.5 years and always wants to make a difference in the lives of her seniors. She particularly likes to provide a healthier lifestyle and atmosphere for her clients. Giti is definitely simply the best!

Please join us in congratulating Giti on her being selected the May 2024 Golden Heart Senior Care Employee of the Month!

Are There Signs of Loneliness and Social Isolation in Seniors?

Humans are social beings, although the individual needs do vary in terms of how much socialization is right for each person. When aging adults aren’t getting enough social interaction, there are signs, even if they might seem a bit subtle. Family caregivers can stay alert for these indications, which then allows them to put solutions in place, like bringing in companion care at home to spend time with seniors.

Physical Signs

Sometimes physical signs are the easiest ones to spot in aging adults. Seniors might experience changes in appetite or weight loss that they didn’t intend. Unfortunately, changes in eating habits can quickly lead to malnutrition, so this needs to get addressed quickly. Other physical signs might include reduced energy levels or fatigue. Some seniors may also start to neglect their personal hygiene or their appearance might change.

Cognitive Signs

For some seniors, loneliness and social isolation cause cognitive symptoms. That might look like confusion or forgetfulness that have increased over time. Or seniors might have trouble concentrating, making decisions, or solving problems. Sometimes seniors don’t realize they’re not getting enough social engagement and start to worry that these signs are related to true memory problems or cognitive illnesses like dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Resolving the emotional issues, like the loneliness, helps to reverse these symptoms.

Emotional Signs

Many aging adults experience the emotional symptoms of isolation and loneliness. Some of these look very much like depression, including persistent sadness, irritability, or mood swings. Seniors may also appear less interested in hobbies or activities that they usually love engaging in. These signs often appear because seniors are frustrated by how they’re feeling and how much they miss social interactions.

Tips for Family Caregivers

Family caregivers are already doing so much. In fact, it’s so easy to overlook some of these signs when family caregivers are balancing caring for seniors with other obligations, like a career and caring for others. Taking the time to regularly communicate with seniors and really stop to listen can help. Non-verbal cues may say a lot more than seniors will verbally, too. It can be tough for anyone to admit that they’re lonely and that they need more companionship.

Companion Care at Home Can Help

Home care services are a great way to offer seniors hands-on assistance with tasks. But if what seniors primarily need is companionship, then companion care at home is the better solution. Companion caregivers drop in to visit with aging adults, spending time with them engaging in hobbies, building meaningful connections, and just talking with seniors. This is a powerful way for seniors to get the emotional support and social engagement that they have been missing. These visits can happen on a timetable that suits the aging adult, making it convenient for them and their needs.

Recognizing that there’s something missing is the truly important first step in solving the problem of social isolation. Companion care at home offers personalized emotional and social support, helping seniors to reduce their loneliness and isolation and promoting a fulfilling life.

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.

Employee of the Month – April 2024

Golden Heart Senior Care is proud to announce that Maria Christina Rona has been chosen as the April 2024 Employee of the Month.

Maria is spiritual and has three children. She has been married for 16 years. Her eldest daughter is in school studying nursing. Her youngest daughter is is high school and her youngest son is in middle school.

Maria has been a caregiver for 16 years, starting in California. She is a licensed Pharmacy Tech, but enjoys being a caregiver over a Pharmacy Tech. The majority of her family works in a field that care for others. Her moto is “just be a good person, love who you can, help where you can, and give when you can.”

Please join us in congratulating Maria on being chose the Employee of the Month.

How Does Home Care Help Families Stay Involved?

No one can do everything, and that includes even the most involved family caregivers. When family caregivers want to make sure that the seniors they love are getting all the help they need, home care services are often the best choice. Home care providers offer hands-on help that ensures seniors are getting their needs met and that family members are able to keep juggling all of their responsibilities.

What Is Home Care?

Home care services offer seniors essential support that helps them to stay independent and safe while they age in place, or stay in their homes for as long as they can. The types of help that elder care providers offer can include help with activities of daily living like showering, brushing their teeth, and changing clothes. Professional caregiver assistance is also helpful with preparing meals, mobility, and light housekeeping tasks, among other necessary tasks. Caregivers can also help with transportation, mobility, and companionship.

Involving Family Members in Care Plans

While elderly care providers have experience helping seniors with their daily needs, family members offer a different type of support. Family members and family caregivers know their seniors est. They understand a lot more about what seniors want to do with this stage of their lives and they want to do all they can to make those goals possible.

Effective Communication Is Key

Communicating effectively keeps everyone involved aware of what is going on, what challenges are cropping up, and how the senior’s needs are changing. Keeping family members involved in the care of the senior they love means ensuring that everyone is working toward the same goals. This leads to the best outcomes for the person receiving care.

Personalized Care Plans Work Better

Needs change and they’re unique from one senior to another. Home care providers are able to help families figure out what their aging adults need most and how to help them get those needs met. Keeping care plans flexible allows families to adjust as their senior’s needs, health, and even preferences change. Keeping up with those changes is a lot easier with experienced help from caregiving professionals.

Flexibility Helps Families Adjust

It can be tough for family caregivers to come to terms with how much life is changing for the seniors they love. So many family caregivers once relied on the seniors in their lives for their own care and well-being, and experiencing the changes in those roles can be tough to adapt to. Help from home care services and using flexible care plans gives family caregivers the time and space they need to come to terms with their new normal.

Seniors are always better off when they have family members involved in their care as much as possible. Home care services make it easier for family caregivers and seniors to find the support and resources they need to make the most of this experience. Overall, seniors benefit because they have support from dedicated home care providers and from the family members who love them.

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.

Podcast with Vegas Healthcare

Bob Swadkins, the owner of Golden Heart Senior Care, participated in a podcast with Vegas Healthcare on March 11th, 2024. It was a pleasure working with Diego Trujillo.

Check out the podcast here!

What Are Some Common Issues Home Care Can Help Seniors Manage?

Daily life brings some big challenges for seniors, especially when their health begins to deteriorate. Fall risks, cognitive issues, mobility challenges, and more all bring difficulties that can make it tough for seniors to be as independent as they want to be. Those challenges also impact quality of life, affecting mental and emotional well-being. Home care providers can do a lot to address some of these challenges for aging adults.

Increased Fall Risk

Falling is a leading cause of hospitalization and injury for aging adults. As seniors age, their fall risks tend to increase as a result of health issues, cognitive changes, vision changes, and general safety concerns in their homes. If seniors do experience a fall, their risk of falling again increases dramatically, further complicating life. Having elder care providers there with them can ensure that these issues are addressed before they cause seniors to experience a fall.

Cognitive Decline

Cognitive decline can occur for a variety of reasons, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. These changes in how their brains function can impair judgment, memory, and decision-making abilities. Home care services offer support to seniors who are experiencing changes in how their brains work, making it easier for them to stay safe at home.

Sensory Changes

Seniors may not realize how much they depend on their senses, especially vision and hearing, until those senses start to change. Those changes have a huge impact on how well seniors are able to communicate and may cause them to start isolating themselves. Elder care services offer not only practical support, but also understanding companionship, which boosts quality of life significantly.

Mobility Difficulty

Mobility is another common challenge for seniors. Whether they’re experiencing changes to mobility because of illness or because of other issues, no longer being as mobile as they once were affects daily life. It also makes it difficult for seniors to keep living their lives the way they want to. Home care providers can help seniors to use assistive devices properly and keep them safe while assisting them with daily mobility.

Personal Care Challenges

Difficulty with tasks like dressing, grooming, and bathing might seem to be superficial, but it directly relates to hygiene. Personal care at home is there to offer compassionate assistance with these delicate tasks. Their help ensures that seniors can maintain their dignity while also remaining safe and comfortable.

Transportation Challenges

Driving limitations and lack of access to easy transportation can seriously limit quality of life for aging adults. They may find it impossible to get to vital appointments like meeting with their doctors and socializing becomes much more difficult. Elder care providers can do the driving, ensuring that seniors are safe and able to go wherever they want whenever they need to.

Home care services can be an essential part of ensuring that aging adults are able to face the challenges of growing older with dignity and independence. Some of these issues may continue to worsen over time, and home care is able to adjust and keep up with seniors and their changing needs.

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

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.

What Family Members Should Know About Senior Home Care

If you’re new to taking care of a senior parent, you’re probably getting a lot of information thrown at you. It’s ok to feel a little overwhelmed. But you should know that you don’t have to go through any stage of caring for a senior parent alone. There is always help available for you, and for your senior parent. If your elderly parent is determined to continue living independently and you’re worried about their health and safety, you should know about senior home care. Senior home care is a service where an experienced care provider will visit your parent on a regular basis to help them with activities of daily living.

Your senior parent will have as much support as they need with things like housework, driving, running errands, getting to the gym, cooking meals, and much more. When your senior parent has regular visits from a home care provider you can feel better about them living independently.

Some of the other things that you should know about home care include:

There Are Various Types of Senior Home Care Services

There are various types of services available to meet the needs of seniors living at home. So, no matter what level of care your senior parent needs there is a home care service that can help. Some common types of senior home care are:

  • Personal Care Services: Assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, grooming, and toileting.
  • Companion Care Services: Companionship, emotional support, and assistance with light housekeeping, meal preparation, and errands.
  • Respite Care: Temporary relief for family caregivers, allowing them to take breaks and attend to their own needs while their loved ones receive professional care at home.
  • Post-Hospital Care: Help for your senior parent when they transition home from a stay in the hospital. Medication reminders, ambulatory assistance, transportation to follow-up visits and more.

Specialized care is also available for seniors with conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Assessment and Care Planning Are The First Steps

It’s ok if you’re not sure what type of care your senior parent needs. When you get in touch with a home care agency they can assess your senior parent’s current condition and help you decide what type of care would be best. If your senior parent’s needs change in the future the type of care that they receive can change too.

Home Care Is A Collaboration

Effective communication and collaboration between family caregivers and home care professionals are essential for providing quality care to seniors. Care providers will communicate with you and work with you to fine tune the care that your senior parent is getting. Working together you and an elder care provider can make sure your senior parent is comfortable and safe at home.

Caregivers Know The Value Of Independence

Home care providers understand why seniors choose to remain at home and they’re committed to offering the compassionate care and support that seniors need to live well independently. If you can’t visit your senior parent every day, or if you live far away, senior home care makes it possible for seniors to live well at home.

Reference
https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/aging-caregiving-older-adults

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 Year!

Golden Heart Senior Care is proud to announce that Darcel Steward has been named the 2023 Golden Heart Employee of the Year. Darcel is an AMAZING caregiver always providing the best care possible to her clients. She is also the ultimate team player. Darcel is SIMPLY THE BEST!

Please join us in congratulating Darcel as the BEST OF THE BEST!

What Is the Best Way to Help Seniors Cope with Trouble Driving?

For most seniors, driving is about way more than just getting from Point A to Point B whenever they want. It’s also about having freedom and independence, even when there are parts of their lives that are changing. When it starts to become obvious that seniors are having more trouble driving, it’s vital for family caregivers to start making plans. Solutions can be as easy as hiring home care assistance to help out with transportation.

Take Action Before Trouble Gets Big

The really important thing for family caregivers to remember is that they need to take action before the problem gets too big. Addressing driving issues proactively helps to prevent injury and damage. It also allows everyone involved to take the time to really explore alternative solutions in a way that is honest, open, and not rushed.

Watch for Changes in Behaviors

Behavioral changes can offer important indications of all sorts of possible issues, including increased driving difficulties. Signs like increased anxiety about driving, more hesitation about driving, trouble navigating familiar routes, and reluctance to drive at all are ones to pay close attention to. Damage to vehicles could indicate trouble with spatial awareness and hiding damage is another big clue.

Visit Healthcare Providers to Get More Information

Visiting healthcare providers early on in this process can help seniors and family caregivers to make the best decisions about how to proceed. Scheduling an appointment with medical providers allows everyone involved to talk about health conditions that could impact driving, like vision changes, cognitive decline, or side effects from medications. Healthcare providers can help families to put together a timeline for phasing out driving.

Make a Plan for Dealing with Driving Issues

After gathering as much information as possible, it’s time to make a plan. Some seniors may still be able to keep driving, especially under very specific circumstances. Family caregivers need to sit down with their aging family members and talk about what is feasible and safe to do going forward. Now is a great time to talk about solutions like having home care providers available to do the driving.

Foster Independence and Safety by Getting Help

Home care assistance can seem to some seniors at first as a way for them to lose even more independence. But in reality, caregivers offer support only as needed, which allows seniors to remain independent while also getting valuable help that they need. This makes life easier for seniors, but it also makes life safer overall. When seniors don’t have to worry about how they’re going to get places when they need to, that’s going to reduce a lot of stress.
Helping seniors to get past the problem of losing their ability to drive is a complicated process that needs to be handled delicately. Making these plans sooner rather than later is always the better idea and home care assistance can do a lot to ensure that seniors understand that they’re able to keep living their lives, just with a little help when necessary.

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

Employee of the Month – December 2023

Golden Heart Senior Care is proud to announce that Kaleb S. is our Employee of the Month for December 2023. Kaleb is originally from San Francisco, California. Kaleb enjoys being a caregiver because he is able to help and care for others and feels like helping others is his calling.

Please join us in congratulating Kaleb as our December 2023 Employee of the Month!! Thank you Kaleb for all you do for the clients and being a wonderful outstanding caregiver.