senior safety
Safety vs. Independence for Senior Parents
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 »
7 Ways In-Home Care Can Promote Senior Medication Compliance
While many of us may think we’re following the rules with regard to taking our prescriptions, medication adherence mistakes actually occur quite frequently, and the effects can be devastating – especially when it comes to mistakes with elderly prescriptions, which often result in hospitalization. In other cases, older adults intentionally avoid following the doctor’s orders for their medications – such as by taking only half of the prescribed amount to save money and make the medication last longer, or by stopping the medication altogether, feeling as though they don’t need it or because of unwanted side effects.
It’s vitally important to be sure that a medication is always taken exactly as prescribed, and never stopped or modified without first consulting the prescribing doctor. Yet for a senior’s busy family members, it can be overwhelming to stay on top of their loved … Read More »
Protecting Your Loved One from Financial Fraud
When we hear about “elder abuse,” our first reaction is likely to think about physical or psychological abuse. Sadly, there also exists financial abuse, and it’s more common than we may think. Elderly Americans are the victims of fraud adding up to more than $2.6 billion per year, according to statistics.
Fraud can occur in many ways, from online scams to people stealing directly from their victims. If you’re a caregiver to a senior, you may want to ensure that he or she is aware of the risks of being scammed and how to reduce that risk.
Techniques used by fraudsters
Telemarketing, computer “phishing,” and befriending lonely seniors are popular techniques among fraudsters. Telemarketing fraud occurs when people call seniors and convince them to buy something they don’t need (often with recurring payments), or to buy items or contribute to causes that don’t … Read More »
Helping Someone Who Hoards
Do you think that someone you care for is compulsively hoarding? Is his or her situation becoming more and more difficult to manage? Are you worried?
Compulsive or pathological hoarding, officially called disposophobia, is more than just gathering or living with clutter. It’s an excessive gathering of objects, regardless of their value. The idea of giving away or throwing away any of the objects, even trash, causes great stress.
Hoarding causes several problems. Too many objects in a living space can cause problems with hygiene – both in the home and with personal hygiene if washing facilities are blocked. Extreme clutter can encourage social isolation, due to embarrassment about the state of the home and the inability to clean up well enough to go out. And the clutter also can be a safety hazard. Clutter can cause falls, destroy home foundations, and … Read More »
