Pleasanton Senior Care
How to Get the Most out of Senior Doctor Visits
We’ve all opened the door to the doctor’s office and had our hearts sink at the sea of patients waiting to be seen, wondering just how long we’ll have to wait, and how much quality time we’ll actually get with the doctor once we are seen.
With as many as 87% of seniors diagnosed with at least one chronic health condition, senior doctor visits are a frequent occurrence. And with doctors so busy throughout the year, particularly so during cold and flu season, it’s important to take a little time prior to appointments to plan how to best maximize time during healthcare visits.
Hired Hands Homecare’s California senior care team offers the following tips to help seniors maximize time with their doctors, to improve overall health and wellbeing and ensure all medical needs are fully addressed:
Prior to Each Appointment
Before your senior loved … Read More »
California Senior Care Tips for Older Adults with COPD
If you’re providing care for a loved one who struggles with COPD, you certainly are aware that outdoor air pollutants can exacerbate symptoms. However, did you realize that bad air quality in the home can also be concerning? Cleaning the air in the senior’s home can help everyone breathe more easily and be more comfortable.
The tips below from our California senior care experts can help:
No Smoking! Don’t smoke or allow others to smoke in your loved one’s home. If there is a fireplace in the person’s home, be aware that it can also be a source of irritation for those with COPD.
Reduce Chemical Exposure. Household chemicals such as paint and cleaning products can aggravate COPD symptoms, so decrease the use of toxic chemicals and keep lids on cleaning products when not being used. There are also healthier cleaning choices like … Read More »
Join Us! Supporting Seniors in Dublin
Join us this Saturday, October 7, 2017 for the 35th Annual Dublin Senior Info Fair!
The City of Dublin, in cooperation with senior service professionals, is hosting a comprehensive “need to know” information fair designed for seniors, their adult family members, and caregivers. We encourage seniors and their families to PLAY, EXPLORE & CONNECT and learn about healthy lifestyles. Receive valuable information, referrals and services, including free flu shots, blood pressure checks, and balance and grip strength testing.
The Dublin Senior Center will be hosting the 2017 SENIOR INFO FAIR on Saturday, October 7, 2017
from 10:00am – 2:00pm.
7600 Amador Valley Blvd, Dublin.
For more information, please call (925) 556-4511 or email seniorctr@dublin.ca.gov.
Beat the Heat! Important Considerations for Seniors and Caregivers
In the Bay Area, they’re forecasting TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT for the upcoming Holiday Weekend!
We all suffer in hot weather. However, for elderly and disabled people and those with chronic health conditions such as vascular disease or diabetes, the weather does not have to hit 100 degrees to cause heat stress or even deadly heat stroke.
As we age, we gradually lose the ability to perspire and regulate our body temperature. This is why older people tend to overdress — they don’t feel heat the same way anymore. Heart rates do not speed up-or return to normal-as fast during exercise. Older skin also thins and offers less protection from the sun. Poor circulation, heart, lung and kidney diseases, and high blood pressure increase the risk for heat-related illness. Being overweight or underweight also increases risk.
Medications taken for a variety of diseases … Read More »
Reduce Dry Skin in Seniors with These Tips
As we grow older, our skin becomes drier and more fragile. According to Medscape, as many as 75% of older adults live with dry, flaky skin, which is not only easily damaged (bruised, scratched, or cut), but also often results in uncomfortable itching. This is why senior skin care is so important.
The most prevalent areas for dry skin in older adults are the elbows, lower legs, and forearms. For seniors who are less mobile than they used to be, dry skin may also have a role in the development of pressure sores from remaining in one position too long in either the bed or a chair.
Dry skin can also result from the loss of oil and sweat glands. If your senior loved one is experiencing the discomfort of overly dry skin, Hired Hands Homecare can help! Try these tips to … Read More »
Did You Know About These Payment Options for Adaptive Devices?
Could your senior loved one benefit from more stability in the shower or tub? Does he or she require a walker or rollator to move around? Then it’s very likely that you’ll soon be looking to buy in-home adaptive devices. It’s also likely that you’re wondering how to pay for these assistive products, and if any of them may be included under Medicare or insurance.
Like in-home care services, there are various different options when it comes to buying home care supplies and equipment. The following are some of the possibilities available to assist you or a loved one in purchasing home medical products:
Medicare
If a person has Medicare Part A and qualifies for the Home Health Benefit, then Medicare will pay for 80 percent of the allowable cost for medically required durable medical equipment. If a person is covered by Medicare … Read More »
How to Ensure a Senior’s Home is Safe for Parkinson’s Care at Home
Since those with Parkinson’s disease are at a heightened risk for balance and vision concerns, they’re also at an increased risk of falling. The in-home care specialists at Hired Hands Homecare in California have a wealth of experience in providing safe Parkinson’s care in seniors’ homes, and can help reduce the risk of falls by providing a thorough safety evaluation of the home, room by room. Here are some tips to get started on making your senior loved one’s home safer, more comfortable, and as accessible as possible:
Bedroom:
Place a firm chair in the bedroom for the senior to sit in while dressing, and include a sturdy footstool for his/her use when putting on socks and shoes
Remove any portable space heaters, electric blankets, and any other potential fire hazards
Secure a bed rail between the box spring and mattress
Use nightlights in strategic … Read More »
From Frail to Fit: Best Exercises for Seniors
The benefits of exercise don’t diminish as we age, and it’s incredibly important for older adults to maintain as active a lifestyle as possible. Even those who are bedridden or wheelchair-bound have a full range of options available to strengthen, improve resistance and flexibility.
The first step is always to check with the physician to get a recommendation on the best exercises for seniors that fit with your loved one’s activity level and medical history. Initially, exercising even for as little as a few minutes a day, repeated several times throughout the day, can greatly enhance the senior’s health and wellbeing.
Following are several examples of the best exercises for seniors:
Aerobic Exercises: If whole body movements aren’t possible, exercises from a seated position are available to build cardio strength. When possible, good options include:
Swimming or water aerobics
Dancing
Walking
Tai Chi
Bowling
Resistance Exercises: To build and … Read More »
Help for Caregivers Struggling with Guilt
Most of us are juggling a number of balls at any given time, and for caregivers, it often feels like they’re juggling knives and flaming swords on top of it. It’s common to feel overburdened and guilty when you’re a caregiver for a loved one, whether that person is your spouse or your parent.
Guilt can manifest in many ways. Maybe you feel like you’re spending too little time with your loved one. You may feel guilty about considering an assisted living facility for your loved one. You might feel guilty when your loved one’s dementia-fueled behaviors caused you to snap. Or you could feel guilty about neglecting your own children’s needs in order to care for your senior loved one.
The most important things to remember are: You are doing the best you can, and it’s okay to seek help.
Let’s take … Read More »
Tips for Family Caregivers to Overcome Dementia-Related Personal Care Battles
Assisting a senior you love with personal care needs – tasks like taking a bath, getting dressed, and helping with toilet needs – can be uncomfortable for both the senior and yourself. It requires the senior to set modesty aside and allow herself to be vulnerable. And when Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia is added to the mix, the senior’s feelings of distress may become overwhelming, resulting in an outburst.
The exact trigger behind these outbursts can vary from one person to another, but some of the more common reasons are:
Loss of control. A person’s sense of independence can feel as though it’s slipping away in a number of areas for older adults, and trying to remain in control over the most basic functions becomes even more important.
What can help: Help the senior to feel as much in control … Read More »
