Senior Health Issues Archives - Golden Heart Summerlin

6 Ways to Help Seniors Avoid Complications from Untreated Cataracts

Posted on December 15, 2023 by ltcep2023

Among age-related eye problems, cataracts are some of the most common. Cataracts hinder vision, but they also affect overall well-being. Untreated cataracts make daily life more difficult and can cause seniors to experience loss of independence and other challenges. Senior home care providers are able to help aging adults with cataracts in a variety of different ways.

Monitoring Vision Changes

Seniors with untreated cataracts need someone who can help them to keep track of how their vision is changing. Cataracts cause blurred vision, sensitivity to light, trouble seeing at night, and fully impaired vision at times. Noticing new symptoms or noticing that symptoms are significantly worse can indicate that something else is going on besides the cataract, so it’s important that seniors get help in that situation.

Helping with Eye Care

There could be a variety of different reasons that seniors leave cataracts untreated. In that situation, it’s vital to ensure that they keep up with eye care. That might include daily eye drops or other types of eye care. Caregivers are able to stay on top of these needs for aging adults, helping them to remember to take care of their eyes.

Transportation Assistance

Often seniors with cataracts experience enough interference with their vision that driving is unsafe. Home care providers are able to do the driving for them, helping them to get to appointments and run errands when they need to do so. Having help with remaining mobile can help seniors to feel as if they still are a part of the community around them.

Help with ADLs

Activities of daily living are likely to be more difficult for seniors who cannot see well due to untreated cataracts. Keeping up with personal grooming, bathing, and meal preparation can be a lot more complicated than it ever was. Caregivers can make quick work out of these tasks, keeping seniors healthy and safe.

Fall Prevention

Another big safety concern is avoiding falls. Seniors who cannot see well due to untreated cataracts can very easily miss obstacles and other tripping hazards. Caregivers stay on top of potential hazards and offer mobility assistance around the house, helping seniors to stay safer and reduce their fall risk.

Offering Emotional Support

It’s easy to forget, but experiencing health challenges can have a serious emotional impact on aging adults. Losing vision, in particular, can be a huge loss. The more depressed and anxious seniors are due to loss of vision, the more they’re likely to withdraw and self-isolate. Home care providers offer valuable emotional support that can help seniors to deal with their feelings and have the companionship they need.

When aging adults are dealing with untreated cataracts, for whatever reason, they face a great many difficulties. Senior home care providers can be there for them, offering different types of support to meet those different needs and challenges. Whether aging adults ultimately decide to have cataract surgery or not, they need all the help that they can get to deal with the changes they’re experiencing with their vision.

If you are considering senior 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.

How Can You Tell If Your Senior Is Losing Their Vision?

Posted on March 24, 2023 by Craig Bass

Senior Home Care in Las Vegas NV

How do you know your senior might be losing their vision? There are several signs that may indicate a senior is losing their vision. The most common sign is a decline in the ability to see clearly, such as blurry or distorted vision. Seniors may also experience difficulty with depth perception or have trouble distinguishing colors. Senior home care is important when they begin to lose their vision as they can help them throughout their daily lives.

Sometimes it is hard to see the signs that a senior might be losing their ability to see. However, below are some additional signs to look for:

Difficulty reading: Seniors with vision loss may have difficulty reading small print, even with reading glasses.
Trouble seeing in low light: Seniors may have difficulty seeing in dimly lit areas or at night.
Sensitivity to light: Some seniors may become more sensitive to light as their vision deteriorates.
Blurred vision: Vision loss can cause objects to appear blurry or out of focus.
Difficulty with depth perception: Seniors may have difficulty judging distances or navigating stairs.
Decreased peripheral vision: Seniors with vision loss may have difficulty seeing objects or people to the side of them.
Difficulty recognizing faces: Vision loss can make it difficult for seniors to recognize faces, particularly in low light.
Changes in color perception: Seniors with vision loss may have difficulty distinguishing between certain colors.

If you notice any of these signs in your senior loved one, it is important to encourage them to schedule an eye exam with an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Early detection and treatment can help prevent further vision loss.

How Can Senior Home Care Help Seniors Who Are Losing Their Vision?

Senior home care can provide several ways to help seniors with low vision. One of the most important ways is by offering companion care to assist with daily activities. Caregivers can help seniors navigate their homes safely, organize and label household items to make them easier to find, and assist with meal preparation and medication management.

In addition to companionship, senior home care can also offer transportation services. Many seniors with low vision may feel isolated and unable to leave their homes, which can lead to depression and a decline in overall health. Caregivers can provide transportation to medical appointments, social activities, and other outings, allowing seniors to remain engaged and active in their communities.

Home modifications can also be made to help seniors with low vision. This can include adding brighter lighting, installing grab bars and handrails, and removing clutter to reduce the risk of falls. Caregivers can also assist with setting up and using adaptive devices such as magnifiers, talking watches, and large-print books or magazines.

Finally, senior home care can offer emotional support and companionship to seniors with low vision. Vision loss can be a difficult and isolating experience and having a compassionate caregiver to talk to can make a big difference in a senior’s quality of life. Caregivers can also provide encouragement and support to help seniors adjust to their vision loss and find new ways to stay engaged and active.

Conclusion

Overall, senior in-home care can provide a range of services and support to help seniors with low vision live safely, comfortably, and independently in their own homes. With the help of compassionate caregivers and adaptive devices, seniors can maintain their dignity and quality of life while managing their vision loss.

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.

How Does 24-Hour Home Care Help With Chronic Conditions?

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Craig Bass

24-Hour Home Care in Henderson NV

It’s often impossible to avoid a chronic health condition as you age. Three out of five older adults have at least one chronic condition, and two out of five have two or more. What chronic health care conditions benefit from 24-hour home care? Many of them do.

Arthritis

Start with one that most people have at some point. Arthritis is a joint condition where the joint has been exposed to so much use over the years that the cushioning within the joint degrades. It can reach a point where bone rubs against bone causing pain and stiffness.

Not much can be done for arthritis short of exercise, over-the-counter medications, and heat/cold therapy. But, there can reach a point where joint replacement surgery is best. This is often a knee or hip joint.

After surgery, your mom needs someone with her while she heals. She’ll need someone awake and available to help her walk to the bathroom. She may have medications to take all day and night, and that requires someone to be very aware of the timing. Hire 24-hour home care aides for tasks like this.

Cancer

It’s estimated that men have a 42% chance of getting cancer in their lifetime, and women’s risk is 37.5%. If cancer does impact your mom’s health, she needs support while undergoing common treatments like surgery, chemo, and radiation.

She will need someone with her if she’s feeling sick or weak. Your mom needs someone to help her out at night when she needs to get up and use the toilet or get a drink or snack.

Alzheimer’s and Other Forms of Dementia

Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia. As the years pass, your mom’s care needs will increase. Don’t be surprised to find your mom sleeping no more than an hour or two at night. As the area of the brain that regulates sleep deteriorates, sleep will become a problem.

With 24-hour home care aides in the home, someone is there and ready to redirect your mom from wandering off. Your mom has someone to cook her a meal or prepare a snack, keep her company, and assist her with things like putting on a movie or getting dressed.

Heart Disease

Heart disease is often managed through careful diet, exercise, and medications. Your mom also needs to manage stress. After a heart disease diagnosis, she may struggle to remain calm. If she’s the type of person who will question every little twinge, it will help her feel less anxious if someone is with her for now.

As your mom adjusts to how her medications make her feel and her changing lifestyle requirements, arrange to have caregivers with her day and night for companionship. She won’t feel so alone.

Arrange 24-hour home care as soon as you know what your mom needs. Talk to her doctor and get an idea of her care needs going forward. From there, talk to a home care specialist about the cost and availability of 24-hour care services.

Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/chronic-diseases.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5796733

If you are considering 24-hour home 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 to Strengthen Your Immune System as You Age

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Craig Bass

Home Care Assistance in Las Vegas NV

Seniors with robust immune systems are better able to fend off illness and disease. By promptly identifying and reacting to outside intruders like bacteria, viruses, and other microbes, it aids in the prevention of diseases. Home care assistance can play a role in improving a senior’s immune system. Reminding your senior to take their prescriptions, providing nutritious meals and helping to maintain a clean home are just some of the ways home care assistance can help. Here are 5 other natural ways for seniors to strengthen their immune systems.

Get Enough Sleep

It’s critical for elders to get enough restorative, high-quality sleep to strengthen their immune systems. Sleep helps the body repair and replace its cells, giving the immune system the energy it needs to combat bacteria and viruses. A weakened immune system that is more vulnerable to colds, the flu, and other infections is associated with poor sleep. Seniors should therefore make an effort to acquire 7-9 hours of good sleep each night. The idea that older people require less sleep is a fallacy that circulates online. That is untrue and will significantly impair their immune system going forward.

Reduce Tension

Through enhancing sleep, lowering inflammation, and lowering the risk of cortisol-related disorders, minimizing stress helps strengthen the immune system in seniors. As it aids in the removal of toxins, the repair of cells, and the promotion of healing, sleep is crucial for maintaining a strong immune system. Seniors can sleep better by reducing stress and anxiety, which will help their bodies recover from the day. By shifting attention away from the cause of stress and toward relaxed breathing and meditation postures, stress-reduction exercises like yoga or mindfulness can lower inflammation in the body.

Decrease Inflammation

A protective reaction to damage, infection, or discomfort is inflammation. White blood cells emit chemicals that set off a variety of intricate bodily reactions, which is what causes it. Symptoms include pain, heat, redness, and swelling. An elderly person’s immune system can be severely impacted by persistent inflammation. A senior’s immune system may be impacted by inflammatory processes because it will be less capable of responding to both fresh antigen exposures and pathogenic bacteria that are already present. As a result, there is a higher chance of infection, a longer healing time, and other issues.

Workout

Seniors’ immune systems can benefit from regular exercise by increasing the flow of white blood cells that fight infections, promoting the generation of antibodies, and enhancing general physical fitness. This can lower their risk of contracting significant health conditions by enabling them to fend off ordinary colds and minor infections. Home care assistance can help your senior stick to a regular exercise schedule as directed by their doctor.

Check your Vitamin Intake

A senior’s immune system may suffer significantly if they are too deficient in several vitamins. Blood tests performed in a doctor’s office are the only technique to accurately assess a vitamin level. A senior who is low in something may be able to make up for it through food or supplements, according to their doctor.

Seniors who consume a balanced diet, get enough sleep, exercise frequently, and wash their hands frequently can enhance their immune systems.

Reference
https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/ss/slideshow-immune-system

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.

Tag: Senior Health Issues