As an adult child, you might not feel it’s your place to step in and dictate what your senior parents should do with their lives. But encouraging them to plan their future early will help you make sure that their desires and needs are met later on in life when your personal role might increase, and they might not be in a position to dictate their lifestyle.  Plan early and address the following areas that will help secure your loved one’s future:

1. Look at all resources –in order to help a senior plan for the future, take a look at all of the options by considering family who may be able to provide help, finances and other assets that could contribute to an aging loved one’s future

2. Understand that plans can change – when planning early, a guideline might be put in place. You might decide with the senior in your life that you will be a full or part-time caregiver. But, by the time they actually need help you might not be in a position to follow through. Accept that plans can change, be flexible, and have backup plans in place

3. Enlist help – a geriatric care manager or a senior care provider can help evaluate the future needs seniors may have to aid in planning

4. Organize the legal aspects – encourage your elderly relative to create a will, draft an advanced directive, establish a power of attorney, and go through the estate planning process

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us 925-280-9688.

Mental and physical issues arise in seniors with those additional years. Sometimes these problems go undetected, making it difficult to help your senior when they need it most. Mental health is just as important as a senior’s physical health. One of the most common problems with elderly mental well-being can be depression. Senior sadness can be much more than just a bad day, highlighting the need for more organized
forms of help.

• Loss of appetite — A change in appetite usually results in the most common sign a senior is depressed of unintentional weight loss.

• Generally disinterest—Seniors may lose interest in daily activities they once enjoyed or found pleasing.

• Sleepless nights—A depressed senior may have trouble sleeping through the night. This can also explain another sign your senior is depressed, increased fatigue.

• Increased Irritability—Some seniors’ personalities turn increasingly agitated or dispirited when feeling low or depressed.

• Unusual thoughts about death—Abnormal notions about death and dying arise in a down senior.

• Where to get a geriatric assessment—Seniors and senior caregivers can receive help and more information on these depression signs by visiting their primary care physician or other outlets such as hospitals, senior centers, religious affiliations, Medicaid offices, or a local Area Agency on Aging.

Source: National Pace Association

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Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us 925-280-9688.

With Christmas right around the corner, it’s down to crunch time when it comes to holiday shopping! To help you pick up some final gift items, here are some ideas of what to buy for seniors this holiday season:

• Items that allow them to pamper themselves – seniors on a budget are not likely to splurge on things they consider non-essentials. Buy them candles, soaps and body lotions that allow them to feel pampered at home. Gift cards to restaurants or spas are added luxuries

• Gift baskets – gift baskets with a combination of items, including some of the above, as well as seasonal foods, books, and craft supplies that they will enjoy and make use of are all great things to include! Gift baskets can be bought pre-fabricated or can be created at home

• The gift of companionship – seniors will most appreciate the company of their loved ones. If this is not possible, senior care services can be gifted for companionship and assistance at home

• Take an elderly loved one out for the day – a trip out for lunch around the holidays to see a movie or a musical event can be a very enjoyable way for them to spend a day and it will be memorable!

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Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us 925-280-9688.

After the loss of a spouse, friend or family member, seniors in particular may have a problem bouncing back to enjoy the holiday season, even many years later, because holidays might not be as they remember. This year, help someone in your life have positive holiday experiences again with these tips:

1. Allow memories and past rituals to live on – don’t discourage seniors from reliving those important memories of holidays past, thinking that it will prevent depression. Share memories of family members no longer with you, look at photos, and keep old family traditions alive

2. Make sure visiting seniors are comfortable – to help reduce the stress of seniors coming into your home over the holidays, make sure that your home is senior-friendly, with safety being the primary concern

3. Avoid impulsive holiday activities – to ensure that seniors can be involved with all holiday activities, avoid being impulsive that way seniors can be well-rested for more excitement

4. Focus on the joy – while it’s okay to reminisces, over the holidays make sure that all memories discussed focus on the positive

5. Create new traditions – while you can focus on incorporating old rituals into the holidays, create new ones as well that give the whole family, including seniors, new things to look forward to doing together. Holiday activities can’t just focus on the past

Via: ArticleBase

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Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us 925-280-9688.

There has been some research that has been conducted linking the walking speed of elderly patients to mortality rates. The findings indicated that patients who have a slow walking speed may be more apt to develop cardiovascular disease. In fact, a reduced walking speed is a red flag for doctors. It may mean that the patient will soon develop other health issues. Body movement is an important assessment and any change in the speed of these movements could be a cause for concern. A list of facts that link cardiovascular death to walking speed is below.

1. A slow walking speed in an elderly patient is associated with the increased risk of death due to cardiovascular issues.

2. Any decreased motor performance can be viewed as a risk factor.

3. Elderly patients should try to stay as active as possible. Introducing a walking exercise into a daily regime could reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

4. Walking speed can be used to predict future health issues. This may not be possible if the patient has broken a hip in the past 2 years, has a debilitating disease or dementia

Source: www.bmj.com

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Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us 925-280-9688.

While it might be a reality that older adults feel that they need less sleep, a new study shows that they don’t have more problems sleeping than most believe. Though many sleep disorders, like those outline below, are common amongst the American population, they are less common with older adults.

• Teeth grinding (bruxism) – an involuntary act which can cause problems with oral health and jaw pain

• Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome – a skewed internal clock that often makes it challenging for people to fall asleep before 2am and wake before 7am

• Sleep apnoea – this comes at varying levels of severity, and results in unusual sleeping patterns which can disturb sleep

• Insomnia – difficulty falling and staying asleep

• Restless Leg Syndrome – leg pain that comes with sleep that can interrupt sleeping patterns

This study shows that age shouldn’t be used as an excuse for poor sleep – those seniors who fail to feel well-rested should talk to their doctor about the potential causes and look for solutions.

Sources:

ScienceDaily

SleepDeprivation.com

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Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us 925-280-9688.

If you are a senior, or are a caregiver, you will understand how important it is to remain active. Seniors often live on a fixed income which limits them when planning trips. There is some great news! The list below will offer a few suggestions for day trips that do not cost a thing! These types of trips are a great way to get seniors out of the house, while providing some exercise and socialization.

1. When was the last time you visited the State Capitol? Probably many years ago, if ever. The State Capitol is open to the public and offers guided tours. This is a wonderful way to learn new things about the state you live in as well as a great way to spend the day without having to worry about what it will cost.

2. When going on a day trip to the State Capitol, or anywhere else, pack your own lunch. The buildings are usually situated on landscaped grounds that make for the perfect picnic location.

3. Do not forget to inquire about other public buildings. These buildings are paid for by your tax dollars, so feel free to enjoy them. The same goes for state parks and forests.

4. If you are still searching for a unique day trip, try a guided tour of the Governor’s Mansion!

Via: ehow.com

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Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us 925-280-9688.

Though gift exchanges tend to be a major focus of the holiday season, they should not take away from the holiday celebrations. Instead of focusing upon purchasing large gifts that seem to put the importance of status gift-giving first; choose holiday gifts for your elderly loved one that they are really likely to appreciate. This year, instead of spending a lot of money on something that your family member doesn’t really want or need, put together a practical gift basket and include the following items:

1. Purchase items that will aid in dental health – it might not sound like a glamorous holiday gift idea, but a senior’s dental health can really change their quality of life, especially over the holidays when they’d rather enjoy. In a gift basket, include a favorite toothpaste or denture cleaner, mouthwash, floss and a new toothbrush (buy electric, or one in their favorite color – something they might not splurge on!).

2. Stock up on other personal items – splurge a little bit and include personal items that are more than just the basics. If you know that they prefer a certain kind of scented soap or body wash, but typically stick to a cheaper bar soap, pick some up! Bubble bath, body lotion and other items they wouldn’t necessarily buy for themselves would also be appreciated

3. Include nutritious snacks – crackers, preserves, tea and coffee are all great things to include in a senior’s gift basket. Try to buy the items you know they love, but won’t get for themselves!

Via: Well Sphere

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us 925-280-9688.