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Tag: Healthy Habits

What Mindfulness Exercises Can Help Your Elderly Loved One?

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care Assistance in Henderson NV
Home Care Assistance in Henderson NV

Is your elderly loved one feeling stressed? Maybe, they struggle with an anxiety disorder or they just need to take a break from the ups and downs in life. No matter what the situation might be for them, there are many mindfulness exercises that can help your elderly loved one tremendously.

Deep Breathing

One of the mindfulness exercises that you and home care assistance providers can encourage your elderly loved one to do is deep breathing. There are many videos online, programs, and apps that can teach your elderly loved one some very basic deep breathing techniques. You or a home care provider can sit down with your elderly loved one and help them to set up a schedule for doing this technique. It can help to reduce their anxiety, lower stress levels, and help to take the weight off their shoulders, too.

Gratitude

Many holistic treatment programs offer gratitude sessions. The main reason for this is because when a person recognizes the things they are grateful for, it gives them more of a reason to feel happy and uplifted. If your elderly loved one is having a tough time in life right now, maybe you or one of their home care assistance providers can sit with them to make a gratitude list. You could even get them a journal, so they can list things they are grateful for every day. Hopefully, this can help your elderly loved one to see all the good in their life.

Break Time

Everyone needs a break from time to time. In fact, it is crucial that everyone tries to take a break to themselves every day. Even if it is just for 10 or 15 minutes a day, taking breaks can allow people to get out of their own head. It can give them alone time and allow them to just let go of the stressors in life. If your elderly loved one isn’t great at giving themselves breaks, it may be helpful for you or a senior care provider to remind them to do this every day. Your elderly loved one can do anything they want during these breaks. However, remind them that it should be something for themselves – a nap, reading a book, sitting in silence, etc.

Conclusion

These are some of the best mindfulness exercises that your elderly loved one should try out soon. The more they do these types of exercises, the better it can be in reducing their anxiety and stress.

Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4868399/

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

Practical Ways That Seniors Can Maintain A Healthy Weight

Posted on by Craig Bass
Elder Care in Las Vegas NV
Elder Care in Las Vegas NV

During January, seniors should think about what their healthy weight range is and how they can stay at a healthy weight. That’s because January is Healthy Weight Awareness Month. Weight has a huge impact on health, especially for seniors. Being overweight can make seniors more likely to develop serious illnesses. It can also make existing health problems worse. If your senior loved ones are at a healthy weight there are some practical things they can do to maintain that healthy weight like:

Count Calories And Track Meals

If your senior loved ones are at a healthy weight now then they are doing something right. Encourage them to keep a food journal that lists everything they are eating each day and to use a calorie app on their phone or tablet to keep track of the calories that they are eating. For seniors the best way to maintain a healthy weight is to pay attention to the calories that they are eating and make sure they are not eating more calories than they should. More calories means weight gain.

Stay Active with Help from Elder Care

Continuing to get physical activity will help your senior loved ones stay at a healthy weight. Limiting calories to a healthy amount and getting regular exercise are the best things that seniors can do to stay at a healthy weight. Seniors who find that they are losing their motivation to be active can get encouragement and support from an elder care provider. An elder care provider can also help your senior loved ones track their meals and calories.

Develop New Hobbies

Most seniors end up overeating or snacking too much because they are bored. Trying new hobbies and picking up new skills will keep seniors busy, discourage them from snacking, and give them a sense of purpose again. A large number of seniors put off developing hobbies when they were younger because they had bills to pay and a family to support or children to take care of. So now is the time for your senior loved ones to explore some of the things they always wanted to try but were never able to. Encourage your senior loved ones to try new things like playing an instrument, learning a new sport, reading a whole series of books, painting, or gardening. You may even want to try one or two new hobbies with them and make it a family hobby.

Be More Social

Isolation and depression can also be responsible for seniors eating too much or not exercising and gaining weight. Seniors need to be see people and visit with other seniors in order to be healthy. Encourage your senior loved one to join a senior’s center, take an exercise class at the gym, join a craft circle, or participate in other social activities and groups. Volunteer work is a fantastic way for seniors to socialize and do some meaningful work.

Source
https://www.ncoa.org/older-adults/health/diet-nutrition/healthy-weight

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.

Four Tips for Talking about Personal Hygiene Issues with Your Senior

Posted on by Craig Bass
Personal Care at Home in Las Vegas NV
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.

Easy Ways To Improve Your Senior’s Nutrition

Posted on by Craig Bass
Senior Home Care in Las Vegas NV
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.

Yoga Benefits for Senior Citizens

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care in Las Vegas NV
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.

How to Improve Your Diabetic Senior’s Eating Habits

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care Assistance in Henderson NV
Home Care Assistance in Henderson NV

One in every four seniors above the age of 65 and older have diabetes, as well as one in every 10 people 65 and under. As you can see, the numbers are extremely alarming according to the American Diabetes Association. Also, half of all older adults have pre-diabetes conditions, where the glucose level is higher than the normal range. This pre-diabetes can lead to diabetes type 2, if lifestyle and diet changes are not implemented. Often, it is reported that people are unaware and reluctant unless more serious complications occur. Home care assistance can help your loved ones to maintain a good routine and healthy lifestyle!

Complications related to diabetes:

There are other serious complications related to diabetes if not unchecked-

  • Risk of kidney damage
  • Risk for Alzheimer’s disease
  • Risk for heart attack or stroke
  • Risk of vision loss
  • Risk of nerve damage
  • Risk of severe infections
  • Risk of limb amputation

Diet Management:

  • Controlling carbohydrates: It is the most important aspect of the diet in case of diabetes, as carbohydrates are turned into glucose by the body which increases the blood glucose level. Eating a diet lower in carbohydrates by having lean protein like beans, chicken, fish, and whole grain foods slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream.
  • Consuming fat: A total fat free diet can lead to a low blood sugar and also can keep one hungry always. There are some necessary fats that are to be consumed on a daily basis. But trans fat and saturated fat are to be avoided.
  • Necessary Consumption: Lean protein like fish and chicken, good carbohydrates like lentils, sweet potatoes, peas, beans, good fats like avocado, butter, canola oil and green vegetables, leafy vegetables, rainbow fruits and vegetables like tomato, orange, grapes, apples etc. are advised regular dietary items.
  • Restrictions: Any type of added sugary foods and drinks like juice, lemonade, carbonated drinks, any sort of processed food or excessive milk products are dangerous in the case of diabetes.

Conclusion: Can Diabetes Change your Seniors’ Eating Habits?

One must understand that food, first and foremost, is nothing but fuel for our body to function. Having said that, it is also true that for humans, food is also a source of pleasure. There must be a balance between pleasure and fuel intake. Within limits, one can have flexibility in a daily food habit and make various choices that allow indulgence from time to time.

Home care assistance does this for your loved one. They provide dietary options for seniors to choose and keep to a healthy diet. More generally, the main aim of home care assistance is to provide a customized plan for each patient according to their needs and to ensure that how smoothly the plans can be implemented without hampering their existing routine. If you are interested in how home care assistance can help your senior and your family, give us a call today and review your options!

Source:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5509969/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/223797950_Nutritional_challenges_in_the_elderly_with_diabetes

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

Strength Training – How Does It Work and What Are the Benefits?

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care in Las Vegas NV
Home Care in Las Vegas NV

You’ve heard all about the recommendation that adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day. Your mom goes for walks with her dog, but that’s all she does. Her doctor recommends that she start adding strength training to her daily routine.

What is strength training? What types of activities does it cover, and how are they going to help her? Learn more about the benefits of strength training and tips for getting started.

The Benefits of Strength Training

Strength training involves exercises that build and strengthen the muscles you have. As you strengthen the muscles, it improves balance and coordination. It reduces the risk of falling. You also improve bone density.

Osteoporosis affects approximately 10 million men and women in the U.S. When you strengthen the muscles, it also helps maintain the bones. Strength training reduces your mom’s chances of developing osteoporosis.

Strength training also helps lower the risk of other chronic health conditions and improves flexibility. Plus, strong muscles and joints can help prevent severe arthritis pain.

A 2015 study looked at the health data for close to 400,000 adults up to 80. Those who completed strength training exercises twice a week were less likely to have conditions like obesity and diabetes.

Aim For Twice a Week

Your mom wants to work on strength training exercises two days a week. The best fitness plan is one that varies the activities. She could walk twice a week, do strength training twice a week, and ride a bike or swim laps on the other days.

What types of activities should she engage in? Strength training workouts focus on the muscles in different areas of the body. One day, she could do legs and hips. On the next day, she could do her arms and shoulders. Abs and back muscles round out her plan. If she keeps circling through these areas, she’ll find muscle strength improves within weeks.

Getting Started With Strength Training

Ask your mom’s doctor if it would be advisable to have her work with a physical therapist. If she has health issues or has fallen in the past, it’s a good idea to have her work with therapists. She’ll target her strength training to match her wellness goals.

If her doctor says there are no limitations as long as she doesn’t push herself too hard, start with beginner videos. Some require equipment like weights or resistance bands. Decide if that’s worth the expense. Otherwise, look for videos that don’t require equipment.

With home care services, she stays safe when she lives alone by having help with daily chores. This is important if she has fallen in the past. She also gains companionship, which makes a difference when it comes to staying motivated with exercise routines. Call a home care agency to make arrangements.

Sources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/strength-training-builds-more-than-muscles
https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(18)32137-8/fulltext

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.

Six of the Best Habits to Embrace as You Age

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

As your parents’ caregiver, you need to keep your well-being in mind. At the same time, you also want them to stay in the best possible health, making it important for them to embrace healthy habits. Team up and make sure all of you are taking steps to improve your health.

Choose Meals and Snacks Wisely

Added sugars, high sodium items, saturated fat, and processed flours are all poor dietary choices. It’s time to embrace a diet that focuses on whole grains, lean proteins, healthy unsaturated fats, and a lot of fresh produce.

Make as much as you can from scratch using fresh fruits and vegetables, grains like farrow and barley, and healthy fats like walnut oil or extra virgin olive oil. Canned low-sodium beans are high in fiber and low in fat, so they’re a must-have. Stop snacking on cakes, cookies, and doughnuts. Instead, enjoy nuts, raw vegetables, and fresh fruit.

Exercise Often

Every day, you should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity. If you feel you can do more than half an hour, feel free. Mix it up, too. Put on a Yoga or Tai Chi video before you shower in the morning. Go for a walk after dinner. Add weight training and aerobic activities throughout the week.

Stop Smoking

If you or your parents still smoke, it’s a good time to stop. Talk to your doctor about cessation aids that will help you kick the habit. Within weeks of quitting, your blood’s carbon monoxide levels return to normal.

You’ll find it’s easier to breathe. It also helps lower your blood pressure and reduces the risk of many chronic health conditions like gum disease and lung diseases.

Check Your Blood Pressure

See your doctor each year for a blood pressure screening. You may want to ask about electronic monitors you can use at home to track it so that you’re not dealing with doctor’s office anxiety when the reading is taken.

Drink Plenty of Water

Everyone should be drinking about two liters of water per day. Set this as your goal, and do your best to reach it each day. Some foods will add water to your daily intake, but it’s also essential to drink enough water throughout the day.

Make Time for Fun

It’s just as crucial for you to take breaks. If you’re busy helping your mom and dad and keeping up with work, stop and think about your last day off. Has it been months or years since you did something fun like take a vacation or went out with your friends?

Hire senior care aides to help your parents for a few days. While their needs are covered, you’ll have time to go on a trip. Take some days off, sleep in, and lounge around the home for a chance.

No matter how you decide to relax and unwind, make sure you take this time for yourself. Senior care is the best way to ensure everyone’s needs are covered.

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

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.