Keeping You Safe From COVID-19
Interested in a career at Golden Heart Senior Care. APPLY HERE!

Tag: Elder Care in Henderson NV

Dietary Changes Can Help With Arthritis Pain

Posted on by Craig Bass

Your mom’s arthritis is worsening, and she’s struggling to do things around her home that used to be easy. Her doctor has recommended several things to help with arthritis pain and inflammation, and one of them is her diet. How will dietary changes help her? Find out more about how nutrition affects arthritis, and how elder care can help.

The Benefits of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

The Arthritis Foundation recommends whole foods with minimal processing and healthy fats, especially extra virgin olive oil. For this reason, the Mediterranean Diet is ideal. The foods you focus on improve the gut biome that can help ease inflammation that triggers many common health issues, including arthritis flare-ups.

The foods to focus on in an anti-inflammatory diet include:

  • Cold water fish like anchovies, herring, sardines, and tuna
  • Heart-healthy oils, especially avocado, extra virgin olive oil, and walnut oil
  • Legumes such as chickpeas, kidney beans, and pinto beans
  • Nuts and seeds like almonds, pistachios, and walnuts
  • Produce including a variety of fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors, especially blueberries, broccoli, cherries, kale, and spinach. Nightshade vegetables like eggplant, red bell peppers, and tomatoes are also good
  • Whole grains, especially those that have gone through minimal processing like farro, hulled barley, and quinoa

When your mom is planning her meals, she should aim for her plate to be half vegetables and fruit, a quarter grain, and a quarter protein. She wants to eat more vegetables than anything else.

It might help her to have someone sit down and plan suitable meals and snacks all week. Once she has the menu plan built and posted on a fridge, corkboard, or online spreadsheet, she can build a shopping list. If she needs help shopping, get someone to go with her and make sure she chooses the proper ingredients.

Exercise Is Also Important

In addition to dietary changes, your mom should be getting daily exercise. A brisk walk for at least 30 minutes per day is a good start. If she can mix up the types of exercise she does, it’s even better. A bit of cardio, strength training, and Yoga or Tai Chi are good ways to get a variety while also developing breathing skills that help with relaxation.

What if she hates going outside for walks on her own? Arrange for a caregiver to join her on walks. Exercise helps strengthen muscles and joints, but it’s also helpful for weight loss. If your mom is overweight, losing some weight may help her ease arthritis pain in the ankles, knees, and hips.

Elder care services can help with arthritis pain that isn’t easing. Instead of struggling to do things on her own, your mom can have a helping hand with things like laundry, housework, and meals. Learn more about elder care by making a call.

Sources:
https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/nutrition/anti-inflammatory/the-ultimate-arthritis-diet

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.

How Does Elder Care Identify and Address Fall Risks for Seniors?

Posted on by Craig Bass
Elder Care in Henderson NV
Elder Care in Henderson NV

Aging adults are at unfortunately high risk of experiencing falls at home. Once a senior does fall, they are twice as likely to experience another fall. And if that person avoided serious injury the first time around, they may not be as lucky the next time a fall occurs. That’s why having as much help as possible, including from elder care providers, is an excellent way for family caregivers to help reduce fall risks for the seniors they love.

Elder Care Providers Get to Know Their Clients

When caregivers start working with aging adults, they get to know their clients and their needs very quickly. Individual health issues, ailments, and requirements are a huge part of finding the right solutions for any given situation. Home care providers genuinely care about the people they are helping and they want to make sure that they understand the challenges that aging adults are facing.

Assessing the Environment

Another big factor when identifying and addressing fall risks involves the environment itself. Is the lighting adequate? Are there grab bars wherever necessary? Loose flooring, home modifications, and other factors are all important to consider and caregivers do so as they assess what might be contributing to safety issues.

Caregivers Make Recommendations

After gathering information, home care providers might make recommendations to seniors and to family members. These recommendations are based on observations and experience helping other aging adults to be safe at home and avoid falls as much as possible. Some of the recommendations might require more effort than others, like adding a ramp in place of stairs. But others, like making it easier for seniors to access mobility aids, are simpler to implement quickly.

Help Seniors Follow Doctors’ Orders

It isn’t always easy to follow doctors’ orders, especially when those orders are frustrating. That means that lots of seniors make choices that aren’t necessarily the right ones, especially if they do want to avoid a fall. Elder care professionals are there to remind seniors about the various small things they can do, like exercising and eating regularly, to stay healthy and to avoid a fall.

Keep Family Caregivers Informed

Family caregivers are often overwhelmed by everything that goes into caregiving. With the help of elder care providers, caregivers are able to have a better idea what their senior’s needs are, especially around fall prevention. This can be a huge help when it comes to putting plans in place to help aging adults to avoid falls and the injuries that can result from a fall at home.

Falls and the injuries that falls can cause are preventable for seniors, but it’s a lot easier to do when there is experienced assistance available. Identifying risk factors and safety concerns is the first step in developing a plan and elder care providers can help family caregivers to do just that. Ultimately, all of this works toward helping aging adults to be more confident, independent, and safe at home, which is what everyone involved wants.

Reference
https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/guide/fall-prevention-strategies

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.

Healthy Food Options for Seniors with Tooth Loss

Posted on by Craig Bass
Elder Care in Henderson NV

Full or partial dentures are a common dental aid for the elderly. Your elderly loved one may be having difficulty chewing and swallowing after receiving new dentures. While your loved one’s new dentures may make them feel awkward at first, there are certain things they may do that may help.

It might be challenging to encourage a senior to eat more if they experience discomfort while doing so. If you’re too busy to shop for groceries or prepare meals for your elderly loved ones, or if you’re concerned about their safety in their own home, it may be time to look into elder care options. Even dentures can guarantee your aging loved one is eating well and receiving enough to eat.

It is possible for seniors who have lost all of their teeth to still eat healthily. It’s important to remember that many healthy soft meals can taste great. Incorporate these items into your elderly loved one’s diet if poor tooth health prevents them from eating normally.

Yogurt Is Healthy, Affordable, and Nutritious for Seniors

Yogurt is versatile, serving as either a breakfast or snack item. For example, its taste may be altered by adding pureed fruit or honey. It’s a good source of protein, which elderly people who have trouble chewing tough meat may not receive enough of in their diets. To make this lunch as healthy as possible, choose yogurt with a low-fat and a low-sugar option.

Eat a Scrambled Egg Breakfast

Eggs are a fantastic way to add protein to your family’s diet. To make the eggs more manageable for consumption, you may modify their consistency. You can serve eggs on their own, but they’ll have more nutritional value and taste if you add some softened veggies, such as bell peppers, in little bits or pureed before you scramble them.

Make a Soup for Dinner

Seniors on a soft-food diet may get dissatisfied with their diet out of boredom. Soups are fantastic since they allow you to regularly surprise your loved one with various tastes. Alternate nights of minestrone and chicken noodle soup. Keep in mind that you’ll need to cut the components for the soup even smaller than you would if you were eating it by yourself. Using a hand blender will help the soup mix into a smoother consistency, making it more straightforward for your loved one to swallow. The best thing about soup is elder care can help make it and then freeze it to eat later on.

Baked Fish with Rice

Fish is a great way to add healthy fats and protein to your family’s diet, and it is also much more tender than other varieties of meat. Soft-meat eaters are better off with salmon and cod than swordfish or mahi-mahi. Crunchy breading should also be avoided, so look for a recipe that employs citrus juice or fresh herbs instead.

Oatmeal is Great for Seniors

Breakfast cereals and granola bars may no longer be an option, but there are other ways to ensure that your loved one is getting enough whole grains in their diet. Oatmeal, like yogurt, is adaptable because of its flavoring options. Instead of sugar, you may use applesauce to sweeten the oats. You may add nut butter to your oats to make them more flavorful.

Source
https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/tooth-loss/seniors

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.

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

Posted on by Craig Bass
Elder Care in Henderson NV
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.

Post-Surgery Tips for Your Elderly Loved One

Posted on by Craig Bass
Elder Care in Henderson NV
Elder Care in Henderson NV

Surgery is a big deal. No matter what your elderly loved one has to get surgery for, it is important that you and your loved one are prepared for what will happen after their surgery. The good news is that there are some general post-surgery tips for you and your elderly loved one. Having these tips can help to ensure you are both more prepared for what to expect when their surgery is done.

Emotional Support

Depending on what type of surgery your elderly loved one is getting, they might need some emotional support afterward. For instance, if your elderly loved one is getting heart surgery, it may be a very scary experience. Your elderly loved one might need someone to be around to help them cope with these emotions. You, an elder care provider, and a therapist may all be great options. Even if you don’t think the surgery is a big deal, that may not be the case for your elderly loved one. Try to remember they are the one going through this and they may need your emotional support.

Physical Support

Your elderly loved one might need physical support after their recovery, as well. Depending on the type of surgery they are having, the time frame for this type of support can vary. For instance, if they are having an exploratory laparoscopy, the recovery time will usually vary from a few days to a few weeks. However, if your elderly loved one is having open-heart surgery, for instance, they are going to need a lot more care and support. If this is the case, you might need to hire elder care providers to help.

Attending Follow-Up Appointments

It is also very important that your elderly loved one attends all of their follow-up appointments. These are essential so that their doctor knows how things are going. Just a phone call to the doctor isn’t enough. It is essential that your elderly loved one goes into the doctor’s office. If you can’t get them there, be sure to ask an elder care provider to drive your loved one there. If there are concerns before your elderly loved one’s appointment, be sure to call the doctor so you can get them in sooner, if needed.

Conclusion

These are some of the post-surgery tips that you and your elderly loved one should know about. If you use these tips, you can help your elderly loved one to have a smoother recovery process. It is important to remember that no surgery is easy or simple. Even ones that seem basic can still take a toll n your elderly loved one. Due to this fact, your elderly loved one is likely going to need at least some physical and emotional support after their surgery.

Sources
https://www.healthline.com/health/postoperative-care

 

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

What Can Your Senior Do to Maintain a Healthy Weight?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Maintaining a healthy weight may help your senior to manage other health issues she’s experiencing, but it can be difficult for her to do. That’s especially true if your senior has had trouble with her weight for a long time. There may still be some things that you can try together.

Get an Idea Where She Stands, According to Her Doctor

Make the first stop on this issue a conversation with your senior’s doctor. This is going to help you and your elderly family member to understand where she is right now. Her overall health affects your senior’s ability to do anything about her weight, including changing her diet or starting an exercise plan. So, start out by figuring out where she is now.

Look More Closely at Your Senior’s Diet

If dietary changes are something that your senior can do, that’s your first set of changes. Start tracking what your senior is eating now and just observe. There’s no need to change anything right away. Look at when she’s eating and what she’s eating. Then you can start to swap out processed foods for whole foods, for instance. Start with little changes and you can keep seeing big results.

Include Exercise, if She’s Cleared for It

Assuming your senior’s doctor has cleared her for exercise, it’s time to find something that she enjoys doing. That might be walking or swimming, or even something else that’s active, like gardening. The idea is to start gradually increasing your senior’s activity level over time. That’s going to help her to move more and to fire up her energy a bit.

Don’t Stress about it if This Takes a While

The last thing you want to do is to stress your senior out about her weight. If she’s spending a lot of time worrying about her weight, that’s not going to help at all. Take some of that strain off of her and don’t focus solely on her weight. Focus on how she’s feeling and whether there’s anything that you can do to help her, like bringing in elder care providers to handle tasks that have become a little more difficult for her.

Maintaining a healthy weight is important, but it’s not worth your senior’s mental health, either. It’s far more important overall to help your elderly family member to make healthy food and exercise choices, and the weight will take care of itself.

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