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Month: October 2020

Tips for Supporting Your Elderly Loved One While Encouraging Them to Stay Independent

Posted on by Craig Bass

Do you want to help your elderly loved one to stay independent for as long as they can? If so, there are various things that you can do. The most important thing for you to remember is that you can support your elderly loved one without having to take over everything completely.

Making Items Easier for Them to Access

If your elderly loved one wants to stay independent, one of the things that you can do for them is to make items easier for them to access. For instance, if their short sleeve shirts are currently on a shelf higher up in the closet, but your loved one can’t reach their arms up that high anymore, you can bring those down to a lower shelf. Think about where everything is placed in their home and move things according to their needs.

Easy to Wear Clothing

Your elderly loved one probably has a certain style of clothing they like to wear. However, if they are having trouble using their fingers on buttons and/or zippers, you might want to get them easy to wear clothing. This might include loose-fitting shirts, pull up pants, and pants that have elastic waistbands.

Technology with Voice-Activation

If you want to help your elderly loved one stay independent, you can also get them some technology that is voice-activated. There are so many different devices that could be beneficial for your elderly loved one. Google and Amazon both have products that are great for the elderly. Some of the things this type of technology can do include the following:

  • Playing music
  • Locking and unlocking doors
  • Controlling the home’s thermostat
  • Controlling the lights
  • Telling the time
  • Making phone calls

If you want to help your elderly loved one do these things, you can check into some of this technology today.

Hiring Elderly Care Providers

If your elderly loved one wants to stay independent, but they do need extra help, you can always hire elderly care providers. The elderly care providers can offer the help and support that your loved one needs, while still allowing them to do things on their own.

Conclusion

These are some of the tips for supporting your elderly loved one, while still encouraging them to stay independent. Remember, if your loved one does need extra assistance, there is no shame in hiring someone to provide the help that they need. Elderly care providers can be there whenever your loved one needs, day or night.

Sources
https://www.hhs.gov/aging/healthy-aging/index.html

If you or an aging loved one is considering elderly care in Howey-in-The-Hills, FL, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Clermont today. 1-888-423-4046.

Four Habits That Family Caregivers Should Embrace

Posted on by Craig Bass

As a family caregiver, you can’t push aside your own needs. Self-care is important if you want to stay healthy. How do you do that when your parents need your help every day? These four habits are the ones you must embrace if you’re going to care for your own mental and physical health.

Get Enough Sleep

Make sure you’re getting the recommended seven or eight hours of sleep each night. To succeed at this, it’s good to create a routine. Go to bed an hour before you need to drift off to sleep. Put on a fan or air purifier for white noise and read a book for that hour. When the hour is up, turn out the lights and close your eyes.

It can help to come up with a way to calm your mind. One way to do this is by imagining you’re in your favorite place. Imagine walking up a mountain trail to a field full of lavender. You might imagine you’re walking down a quiet beach with the surf hitting your toes.

Take a Daily Walk

Each day, take a walk and bring your parents along. It gets them the exercise they need. It also helps you clear your mind, breathe some fresh air, and get your daily recommended 30 minutes of activity. Daily exercise helps lower the risk of many chronic health conditions and reduces stress. All of that is beneficial.

Make sure the walk is at a brisk pace. If your parents can’t walk fast, push them in a wheelchair. You could also walk a little ahead of them and loop back. This way, you’re getting your heart rate up and pumping blood around your body, which is the goal of daily exercise.

Choose Healthy Foods

A healthy diet is another component to better health. Aim for a daily diet that provides:

3 cups of dairy
2 ½ cups of vegetables
2 cups of fruit
¾ cup of whole grains
5 teaspoons of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats

Dairy options can include nut milks that are enriched with vitamin D if needed. When it comes to vegetables and fruits, try to get a variety of colors each day. Orange, red, blue/purple, green, and white foods are important. Leafy greens, white cauliflower, red and blue/purple berries, and red tomatoes are examples of daily options.

Take Time Off

If possible, take one or two days off every week. If you work five days a week, try to have weekends off. It may be hard to manage this, but it’s important to have time for your favorite activities, the right amount of sleep, and socialization.

How do you make sure your parents don’t have to go without while you’re taking time for self-care? Hire home care aides on a part-time basis. Just one day per week gives you the break you need and ensures your parents aren’t alone. Talk to a home care specialist about respite care and other helpful senior care services.

Sources:
https://health.gov/our-work/food-nutrition/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines/guidelines/chapter-1/a-closer-look-inside-healthy-eating-patterns/#food-groups

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Center Hill, FL, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Clermont today. 1-888-423-4046.