Benefits of Home Care
Humidifiers for COPD: Helpful or Harmful?
Learn from our home care experts when and if humidifiers for COPD should be used.
For seniors and anyone else with a lung condition like COPD, maintaining the best possible air quality within the home is vitally important. But are humidifiers for COPD the right solution? The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. If the air is too dry, for example, it can cause or exacerbate health problems including:
Chapped, dry, or itchy skin
Nose bleeds
Dry eyes
Sore throat
Aggravated allergy, asthma, and cold/flu symptoms like congestion
And more
However, air that is too humid can cause mold and mildew to grow, which can lead to a host of health problems along with potential damage to the home.
Humidifiers, when used properly, can help maintain the ideal level of moisture in the air (between 30 and 50%), and in particular for those … Read More »
Its that Most Magical Time of Year…!
Happy Holidays
from the Hired Hands Homecare family!
The Alarming Link Between Isolation and Alzheimer’s Progression
An attractive mature African American woman asks a question by raising her hand in class.
In the past several years since COVID-19 became a household term, seniors, who are most vulnerable to severe complications from the virus, became more isolated in order to stay safe. And while we already were aware that there are health risks connected with loneliness and isolation, we’re now beginning to realize another serious concern: how isolation and Alzheimer’s progression are linked.
Since people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia may struggle to understand and follow safety precautions, like wearing face coverings, reporting symptoms, and social distancing, isolation for these individuals became especially critical. But while maintaining these seniors’ physical health was the top priority, it’s also important to pay attention to their emotional wellbeing, which can also be negatively impacted without sufficient … Read More »
How to Effectively Handle the Extreme Emotions of Alzheimer’s
Screaming, crying, and other extreme emotions of Alzheimer’s can unnerve even the most seasoned family caregiver.
Of the many and varied challenging behaviors someone with Alzheimer’s may experience and display, perhaps the most heartbreaking is uncontrollable screaming and/or crying. Seeing a person you love in an inconsolable state of mind, and being completely unsure how to help or to understand what’s causing these extreme emotions of Alzheimer’s, is both painful and frustrating. How can you help a loved one with dementia feel calmer?
To begin with, realize that crying and yelling in dementia can occur as the result of:
Pain
Fear
Boredom
Sadness
Agitation
Frustration
Delusions, delirium, or hallucinations
Sundowning
An uncomfortable environment
Or a number of other factors
For the short-term, try these strategies to help:
Stay calm yourself, speaking to the senior in a soft, soothing tone of voice.
Try to uncover what’s causing the outburst. Maintaining a … Read More »
Make Sure You Have These Legal Documents for Aging Parents in Place
Finalizing all of the necessary legal documents for aging parents can be a challenge, but these tips can help.
If there’s one thing we learned from the COVID pandemic, it’s to be ready for anything. Although it’s human nature to want to procrastinate, particularly as it relates to the unpleasant topic of future planning and putting together all of the necessary legal documents for aging parents, now is the best time to take stock of your loved ones’ final wishes and make sure all of the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed, before the need arises.
Surprisingly, a number of older adults actually do begin the process of completing a will, trust, durable power of attorney, advance healthcare directive, etc., but for a variety of reasons, they never finalize these important documents. Attorney Carolyn Rosenblatt, author of … Read More »
WHAT AN HONOR!
HIRED HANDS HOMECARE Receives
2022 Best of Home Care® – Leader in Experience Award
Hired Hands Homecare is extremely proud to announce winning the distinguished 2022 Best of Home Care –Leader in Experience Award from Home Care Pulse, the leading national firm in Quality Assurance and Experience Management for the home care industry. The Leader in Experience Award is the highest recognition awarded by Home Care Pulse and is given to select home care businesses that consistently rank among the very highest in 10 or more quality metrics.
This accomplishment demonstrates our long-term dedication to excellent care and quality improvement. Over a 12-month period, Hired Hands received the highest client and caregiver satisfaction ratings in areas such as caregiver training, compassion of caregivers, communication, scheduling, client/caregiver compatibility, and more. Using feedback from clients and employees, as well as quality benchmarks from Home Care … Read More »
Happy Labor Day
It takes… AND WE HAVE… an Amazing Village!
As we head into the Labor Day weekend, we would like to humbly and sincerely salute and celebrate ALL the employees of Hired Hands Homecare. We are absolutely amazed at the dedication and compassion that is shown to the clients and families that we serve on a DAILY basis. Your generosity, professionalism, and smile make a huge impact every single day. And it is SO very appreciated on so many levels! When people are in the toughest times of their lives… we make magic happen. It is truly a gift and an honor to work alongside so many amazing people.
Please know that you make the world a better place…
and bring great comfort to folks that really need it!
With sincere gratitude,
Lynn, Mark & The HIRED … Read More »
How to Approach Money Management Issues With Seniors
Money management issues with seniors need to be addressed tactfully and with sensitivity.
Among the most difficult obstacles for older adults is recognizing the need for help with financial matters. Finances are both extremely personal and a representation of your autonomy, and adult children specifically can often be met with opposition when stepping into this arena when suspecting money management issues with seniors.
However, for a number of reasons, including the ever-increasing incidence of senior scams and cognitive decline, it’s essential to make sure that the financial assets our senior loved ones have acquired through the years are safeguarded, and that bills are paid correctly and on time. It’s an issue that needs to be taken care of delicately and with diplomacy. Try these strategies for an easy transition to assisting a loved one with monetary management:
The introductory … Read More »
How to Empower Seniors to Take Control for Better Chronic Health Care
Seniors know best what they’re dealing with; empower them to take control of their chronic health care needs.
When it comes to chronic health care, seniors are the experts, hands down, with up to three out of four seniors affected by a number of conditions that are ongoing, necessitate long-term medical treatment, and place restrictions on activities. With the never-ending barrage of bloodwork as well as other tests, physicians’ appointments and procedures, and medications, managing chronic diseases usually takes both a physical and emotional toll, and may quickly become daunting.
Dr. Mary Tinetti, chief of geriatrics and internist at Yale School of Medicine, said, “Once you get three, four, or five and six diseases, several things happen: Number one, almost guaranteed, trying to get one of these diseases under control is going to make one of the other … Read More »
7 Ways to Ease Hygiene Care for Someone with Alzheimer’s
Make hygiene care for someone with Alzheimer’s more comfortable with these tips.
Of the numerous challenges related to caregiving, the Alzheimer’s Association indicates that the most prevalent challenge is hygiene care for someone with Alzheimer’s, for various reasons:
Decreased sense of vision and smell
Comfort found in familiarity (i.e., desiring to wear exactly the same clothes repeatedly)
The challenges of bathing, compounded by cognitive impairment and confusion
Fear of falling, the noises and feelings associated with the water, and more
Cajoling, arguing, and logical thinking are hardly ever practical strategies with those impacted by Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Rather, attempt these innovative techniques if your loved one resists hygiene care:
Arrange the bathroom in advance so that the room will likely be comfortable and you will not have to juggle collecting supplies along with assisting your senior loved one. Warm the … Read More »
