Family Caregiving

Senior scams costs older Americans upwards of $2.6 billion per year, and can come in a

Senior scams are all too common. Find tips to protect your loved ones here.

wide range of guises. And scammers are often so crafty and good at what they do, any of us could find ourselves victims. For many older adults who may feel lonely or isolated, the joy in talking with someone on the phone may make them more vulnerable to these scams.

One particular red flag to keep in mind is that if the caller asks for money or confidential financial information, beware! The caller may even say that he or she is from a reputable organization, such as the Social Security Administration or the local police department. Keep in mind that these organizations will NEVER call to request funds over the phone.

Some … Read More »

Find help for traumatic brain injury recovery here.

Providing care for a loved one who has encountered a traumatic brain injury can be more manageable when armed with knowledge and understanding. The recommendations below, courtesy of Hired Hands Homecare, providers of the best elderly care Santa Rosa and the surrounding area offer, can lessen stress and frustration for both family caregivers and traumatic brain injury survivors.

Healing Requires Time: Recovery for an individual with a brain injury very often takes years. Even though the person may seem to be recuperated on the outside, some days will probably be better than others, and pushing the person too hard can lead to setbacks. Be patient and stay away from negativity.
Look at Things from a Different Outlook: Try to place yourself in the shoes of the individual with the brain injury, and view … Read More »

Learn how to strike a balance between safety and independence for senior parents.

It’s a disagreement that develops for a number of families: senior parents adamantly like to age in place in their own homes, while their relatives are worried about their safety. And there’s a debate to be made in both scenarios. Seniors, especially those who live alone, confront many different risks: falls that could bring about serious injury, challenges in preserving way of life to which they’ve become accustomed as aging advances, even a susceptibility to fraud artists. Yet independence for senior parents is vital to self-worth, regardless of age.

Defining a balance that suits the requirements of both sides may very well be difficult, but there are several important factors to bear in mind that will help.

Let go of ageism. While there is certainly credibility to worries … Read More »

Review these essential tips when caring for senior parents.

Now that your mom is no longer able to drive, and is starting to move around a bit more slowly, you and your siblings have decided to split her care needs amongst yourselves. One of you will have to take her to the doctor’s office, grocery store and beauty shop. Another person needs to help with her household chores and laundry. And of course, the yard and flower beds need to be maintained. But there are additional crucial aspects to caring for parents that need to be addressed as well, yet often go unnoticed until there’s a problem.

The following list of to-dos to keep in mind when organizing a plan of care for your aging parents is a great place to start:

File all important personal documents like financial information on … Read More »

Learn tips to better get along with siblings when sharing the care for senior parents.

As kids, we were taught to share our toys and also our parents’ attention. Not surprisingly, the feelings associated with those memories can carry with us well into our adult years. As wonderful as it is to have brothers and sisters, there are also times when it leads to increased stress levels, such as when caring for aging parents. While loving each other and considering your siblings’ feelings were impressed upon us at an early age, a lingering sense of sibling rivalry can remain an obstacle when making tough decisions and making an effort to fairly share caregiving needs for our aging parents.

Gregory French, president-elect of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, explains, “What a family member considers ‘fair’ is very much dictated … Read More »

Learn how to best respond to challenging Alzheimer’s behaviors.

Alzheimer’s disease often presents complex issues for both the person diagnosed and his or her loved ones. As the disease progresses, challenging Alzheimer’s behaviors often manifest, as seniors increasingly express their needs through actions instead of language, and these behaviors can often be inappropriate in nature. For instance, seniors with more advanced Alzheimer’s disease may display the following:

Agitation and aggression
Inappropriate sexual behavior such as:

Taking off clothing or touching themselves in public
Using obscene language
Accusations that a spouse is having an affair

Hallucinations
Depression

Behaviors such as these can be embarrassing and troubling for Alzheimer’s caregivers, but they can also be extremely confusing and frustrating for the person with Alzheimer’s, who most likely cannot understand why the behavior is inappropriate or upsetting to others.

As an Alzheimer’s caregiver, it’s essential to keep in mind that any … Read More »

Learn ways to ease stress when providing Alzheimer’s care for a loved one.

Some of the busiest people working today are providing Alzheimer’s care for a senior loved one, but that’s not all. Although Alzheimer’s caregivers have their hands full with that role alone, many also work long hours at full-time jobs, shuttle the kids to school and other activities, run errands and take care of the home, and prepare dinner for the family on top of their caregiving duties. When do they have time to just relax? When providing Alzheimer’s care, it can often feel like your day never ends, and stress and poor sleep can wear down your body as well as your mind. Caregiver burnout is a real and serious condition that can result in, among other things, physical health problems, depression, feelings of being isolated, … Read More »

The holidays are the perfect time to spend together with family—from the tiniest baby to the family’s matriarch, and each person in between! And this holiday season, whether you’re getting together for a special meal, a holiday party, or a trip to an exciting destination, it’s crucial to be prepared. Consider these holiday ideas for seniors from the Tri Valley home care professionals at Hired Hands Homecare to make any outing safer and more enjoyable for your family.

First, talk through the type of holiday outing that your senior loved one can both enjoy and feel comfortable participating in. Depending on his or her needs and ability level, you could decide on simply going for a leisurely family drive to enjoy viewing holiday light displays, get together in a family member’s home to decorate the house, enjoy a holiday performance at … Read More »

It’s holiday time once again, which means it is also the perfect time for a “holiday reality check.” If you haven’t seen your elderly loved ones in a while, now is a good time to examine how your senior loved ones are doing and take the necessary steps in keeping seniors safe. With frenzied lifestyles or long distances separating families for a lot of the year, subtle (or not-so-subtle) indicators can very easily be overlooked. Keep a lookout for the following indications that additional care could be required, and bear in mind that looking for warning signs is not for the purposes of judgment or critique; it’s a check for wellness, well-being and safety.

Physical appearance: An unusually disheveled appearance of a senior loved one may be discovered during a holiday visit. Failing to stay up with daily hygiene routines such … Read More »

The holiday season presents a unique chance for you to visit with a senior loved one and spend some good quality time together – something that can be difficult during the rest of the year. Additionally, it is a very good time to be sure that your senior loved one’s holiday is safe in addition to being merry. Whether your senior loved one is enjoying the season in your household or his or her own, taking into consideration these holiday safety tips for seniors can assure that everyone’s holiday is joyful and bright.

Safe Decorating:

In your loved one’s home, or your own if he or she will be spending time there:

Use very simple decorations that don’t cause clutter. Always make certain that there is sufficient space to walk.
Keep extension cords out of the way of walking areas to prevent stumbling over … Read More »