Category: Caregiver in Randolph MA

A New Year’s resolution list can help caregivers make positive changes.

by lachanceWeb

We either love them or avoid them, but no matter what our stance on New Year’s resolutions, there is something incredibly refreshing about stepping into a whole new year, providing us with a clean slate and the chance to make any modifications we want to improve total well-being or to accomplish a brand new goal or dream.

For family caregivers, New Year’s resolution lists tend to be particularly significant, mainly because they affect not merely the caregivers themselves, but their senior loved ones. It’s important, however, to keep resolutions sensible. Resolving, for instance, to get a full eight hours of sleep each night, while caring for a family member who has problems with sundowning issues in Alzheimer’s, could be setting yourself up for disappointment.

Try instead to think about one of the following resolutions especially developed with family caregivers in mind:

  1. I shall reach out for help and support, and take assistance when offered.
  2. I give myself permission to say “no” to requests to prevent dealing with more than I am able to handle.
  3. I will make my own health (both physical and mental) a priority, making sure that I set up and keep medical-related checkups and appointments.
  4. I will remind myself that self-care is not selfish, and that by taking good care of myself, I’m able to take better care of my loved one.
  5. I will take note of my energy level, and make a plan in order to avoid allowing myself to reach the point of exhaustion, burnout, or depression.

 

Starting with a no-cost in-home consultation, we will listen to the particular needs and challenges of your loved one, and develop a customized plan of care to fulfill those needs, through many different services such as:

  • Help with personal hygiene, dressing, ambulation and transfers
  • Running errands, such as buying groceries and picking up prescriptions
  • Accompanied transportation to medical appointments and enjoyable outings
  • Light housekeeping and laundry
  • Meal planning and preparation, according to any prescribed dietary plans
  • Engagement in conversations, reminiscing, games, and exercise, along with other pastimes that are of interest to the older adult
  • And many others
Elder Care in Randolph MA: Elderly Hospital Stay

Tips for When Your Elderly Loved One Needs to Stay in the Hospital

by Francineglide Victoria

If you don’t currently have a plan for if your elderly loved one needs to stay in the hospital, it is time to change that. There are many things that could happen to cause your elderly loved one to be an inpatient at the hospital. While you can hope that these things don’t happen, it is still a good idea to have a plan for if they do. The tips mentioned here today can be good if your elderly loved one needs to stay in the hospital.

 

Elder Care in Randolph MA: Elderly Hospital Stay
Elder Care in Randolph MA: Elderly Hospital Stay

 

Having the Plan

The first thing you need to do is to have a plan. Who will stay at the hospital with your elderly loved one? Is someone going to stay with them when they go home? Who will take care of their medical bills – whether those are private pay or insurance covered? Will your elderly loved one need things from home? Having a plan in place ensures that your elderly loved one doesn’t feel more stressed than they already will be if they are in the hospital. In addition, it allows you and the home care providers to know and be prepared, too.

 

Getting the Best Advocate

Who is going to be your elderly loved one’s advocate if they need to stay in the hospital? Someone needs to be there to ensure your elderly loved one is getting the best care. There needs to be someone who will talk to the doctor and ensure all tests that are needed will be done. Will this be you? Is there another family member that would be a better advocate for your elderly loved one? Think about this ahead of time, before your elderly loved one needs to stay in the hospital.

 

Having Comfort in the Hospital

The hospital can be a very uncomfortable place no matter what. If your elderly loved one needs to stay there for more than a day or two, it would be best to have some things there that bring them comfort. For instance, you or a home care provider could bring your loved one their slippers, a favorite pillow, their sleep mask from home, or other things that bring them comfort. If you can help your elderly loved one to feel more comfortable, it is possible that this could help them heal faster.

 

Conclusion

These are some of the tips that could be helpful if your elderly loved one has to stay in the hospital for any length of time. Some elderly people have to stay in the hospital for months and others only have to stay there for a short period of time. Regardless, if your elderly loved one is going to be in the hospital for more than a couple of days, these tips can help them feel better while they are there.

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring a Elder Care in Randolph, MA, call the caring staff at Rivers of Hope today at 508-857-0629. Providing Independent, Dependent, and Companion Care Services in Brockton, Boston, Braintree, Avon Randolph, Abington, and the surrounding areas. riversofhopes.com

 

Sources

https://www.nia.nih.gov/

 

Home Health Care in Randolph MA: Senior Home Safety

How to Make Sure Your Elderly Loved One is Safe Living Alone

by rohMarketing

Many elderly adults will fall and get injured in their own homes. Other elderly adults will get stuck in their homes in the case of a fire. This may be because they didn’t hear the fire alarm going off.

 

Home Health Care in Randolph MA: Senior Home Safety
Home Health Care in Randolph MA: Senior Home Safety

 

If an emergency like this occurs, what is your elderly loved one going to do? You don’t have to worry. There are many ways that you can make sure your elderly loved one is safe living alone. By implementing the following tips, you can help to keep your elderly loved one safer while living in their home alone.

 

Have a Good Place for Emergency Numbers

Accidents are bound to happen, especially when it comes to elderly adults. This doesn’t necessarily mean your elderly loved one will have an accident, but it is always best to be prepared. For this reason, it is essential that you have your loved one place emergency numbers in a place they can easily get to them. It may be best to have emergency numbers in more than one place. The bathroom, bedroom, living room, and kitchen are all great places to put these numbers.

 

Reduce the Risk of Falls

Many elderly adults will fall in their own homes. If you want to help protect this from happening with your elderly loved one, you need to reduce the risk that they could have a fall. This means removing any loose rugs or carpets, getting your loved one non-slip socks, placing an anti-slip mat in the bathtub, getting them a walk-in bathtub, installing grab bars in the bathroom, and more. You should also place motion-sensor lighting throughout the home, so your loved one can see easily if they get up throughout the night.

 

Know the Neighbors

It is also important for your elderly loved one to know their neighbors. If you or an elder care provider can’t be there every single day to check in on your elderly loved one, maybe their neighbors can stop by to check on them. In addition, if there is an emergency, their neighbor could get there the quickest.

 

Fire Safety Improvements

As previously mentioned, not every elderly adult can hear a fire alarm going off. If your elderly loved one has a fire in their home, will they be able to hear it? If not, you can install different types of fire alarms in their home. These will flash a bright light to let them know there is a fire. In other fire alarms, an alert will be sent to the fire department as soon as smoke is detected. This may be something that your elderly loved one needs.

 

These are some of the ways to assure that your elderly loved one is safe when they are living alone. Implement these tips to keep your elderly loved one safe from here forward.

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Home Health Care in Randolph, MA, call the caring staff at Rivers of Hope today at 508-857-0629. Providing Independent, Dependent, and Companion Care Services in Brockton, Boston, Braintree, Avon Randolph, Abington, and the surrounding areas. riversofhopes.com

 

Sources
Nia.nih.gov
Cdc.gov

Home Care Services Randolph MA: Parkinson's and Dementia

Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia: What Do You Need to Know?

by rohMarketing

Research shows that there are many people who have Parkinson’s disease who will get dementia, as well. This is often referred to as Parkinson’s disease dementia. This type of dementia will be caused by protein deposit buildups in one’s brain. If you are wondering if this is something that your elderly loved one has, there are some common symptoms that you should be looking out for.

 

Home Care Services Randolph MA: Parkinson's and Dementia
Home Care Services Randolph MA: Parkinson’s and Dementia

 

Forgetfulness and Memory Loss

If your elderly loved one has Parkinson’s disease and they start forgetting things or experiencing any form of memory loss, they might have Parkinson’s disease dementia. Parkinson’s disease is difficult enough to deal with and adding dementia into the mix only makes things tougher. However, the sooner that you and your loved one’s senior care providers know about this disease, the more you can support them.

 

Trouble Concentrating

With Parkinson’s disease dementia, your loved one might also experience trouble concentrating. Due to the buildup of protein deposits in their brain, their concentration can be affected.

 

Experiencing Delusions and/or Hallucinations

When someone has Parkinson’s disease dementia, their brain is affected in many ways. Due to this fact, the person with this type of dementia might start experiencing delusions and/or hallucinations. These can be frightening for them. If your loved one starts experiencing these symptoms for any reason, you should have them see their doctor immediately.

 

Issues with Communication

Have you noticed that your elderly loved one has had issues verbally communicating things to you and their senior care providers lately? If you have noticed this and your loved one also has Parkinson’s disease, they could also have Parkinson’s disease dementia.

 

Excessive Irritability or Anger

Other symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include excessive irritability and anger. While there could be many reasons for your loved one experiencing these issues, you should still have their doctor check it out.

 

Lack of Judgment

As previously mentioned, any form of dementia does a number on one’s brain. With this being said, if your loved one has Parkinson’s disease dementia, you might notice they have a lack of judgment recently. Due to the protein deposit buildups on their brain, different areas of their brain are affected. This can be the cause of their lack of judgment.

 

Sadness and/or Depression

Many people who find out they have dementia, of any type, will become sad or depressed. This might also be the case for your elderly loved one. If you do notice they are depressed, talk to their doctor about it and let your loved one know you are there for them.

While there is not a cure for Parkinson’s disease dementia, at least the more you know about it, the more you can be there to support your elderly loved one.

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Home Care Services Randolph, MA, call the caring staff at Rivers of Hope today at 508-857-0629. Providing Independent, Dependent, and Companion Care Services in Brockton, Boston, Braintree, Avon Randolph, Abington, and the surrounding areas. riversofhopes.com

Sources

Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

 

Homecare in Randolph MA: Risk for Heart Disease

Is Your Elderly Loved One at an Increased Risk for Heart Disease?

by Francineglide Victoria

Research shows that heart disease is the number one cause of death throughout the United States of America. There are far too many deaths that are caused due to conditions related to the heart. If you and elderly care providers are helping to care for an elderly adult, it can be helpful to know more about the risk factors for heart disease. There are some changes that can be made to prevent heart disease.

 

Homecare in Randolph MA: Risk for Heart Disease
Homecare in Randolph MA: Risk for Heart Disease

 

High Cholesterol Levels

High cholesterol levels are the main cause of heart disease. According to the CDC, there are over 35 million people that have high enough cholesterol levels that it will lead to heart disease. Exercising and dieting could help to lower your elderly loved one’s cholesterol levels. By doing this, they could possibly prevent heart disease.

 

Smoking

Many people only think about lung cancer when they talk about smoking. However, research also shows that smoking can lead to heart disease. If your elderly loved one is a smoker, it is important to help them quit. The sooner they quit, the sooner they can protect their heart and prevent heart disease.

 

High Levels of Stress

While just about everyone will suffer from stress at some point in their life, those who live with high levels of stress regularly will have an increased risk of heart disease. If your elderly loved one experiences high levels of stress, be sure to help them in any way that you can. Help them find enjoyable hobbies, therapy, or exercises that relieve their stress. Yoga, swimming, gardening, walking, and meditation are all great for relieving stress.

 

Living a Sedentary Lifestyle

Does your elderly loved one sit down most of the time? Have they lacked when it comes to exercising or other physical activity? If so, they will have an increased risk of heart disease. Keeping active is one way to prevent heart disease.

 

Consumption of Alcohol

Those who consume a lot of alcohol will have a higher risk of developing heart disease, as well. Consuming alcohol increases blood pressure levels and puts more empty calories into one’s diet. Both of these things can be contributing factors to heart disease.

 

High Intake of Sodium

If your elderly loved one eats a lot of salt, they will have an increased risk of heart disease. Foods such as processed foods and fast food are often chocked full of sodium. If you want to help your loved one to prevent heart disease, help them to lower their intake of sodium.

These are some of the reasons why someone might have an increased risk of heart disease. Now that you know more about these risk factors, you can help your elderly loved one to prevent heart disease.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Homecare in Randolph, MA, call the caring staff at Rivers of Hope today at 508-857-0629. Providing Independent, Dependent, and Companion Care Services in Brockton, Boston, Braintree, Avon Randolph, Abington, and the surrounding areas. riversofhopes.com

Sources

https://www.cdc.gov/

https://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/

https://srahec.org/american-heart-month/

Caregiver in Randolph MA: Senior Tips

Four Reasons Your Senior Is Avoiding Her Cane

by Francineglide Victoria

If your elderly family member has been experiencing problems with her mobility, her doctor might have recommended that she give a cane a try. That idea doesn’t always go over well, though, especially for aging adults who have a stubborn streak.

 

Caregiver in Randolph MA: Senior Tips
Caregiver in Randolph MA: Senior Tips

She Truly Believes She Doesn’t Need a Cane

In your head, you’re never really the age on your driver’s license, right? It’s the same for your senior. She may very well be in denial about the fact that a cane is going to help her to maintain her balance and stability. Even if she understands her physical limitations, for some people the idea of relying on a cane is just on the other side of acceptable.

She Doesn’t Really Know How to Use the Cane Properly

Lots of people think that they know how to use a cane, but they really don’t. And if your senior is in the category that doesn’t, she might be feeling awkward and in danger with her cane. A good first step is to work with her doctor or even with a physical therapist to get used to the cane. Once she has a handle on it, she might realize just how helpful her cane is.

She Worries She’ll Lose Independence

Independence is a big issue for a great many seniors. Your elderly family member may worry that by using a cane, she’s admitting that she’s helpless and that she is dependent on you and on others for help. But that’s not what a cane is all about. Having and using her cane properly can be the key to allowing your senior to be as independent as she wants to be.

 

She Believes the Cane Will Make Her Fall

If your senior is convinced that using her cane is going to make her fall, she might have witnessed people who aren’t using their canes properly doing so or she might worry that she’ll trip while using the cane. Used improperly, her cane may get in her way. But if your elderly family member is using her cane the right ways, she’s not going to be at a greater risk of falling. If anything, her cane can help her to avoid taking a fall.

Another option is to consider hiring elderly care providers. They can gently remind your senior to use her cane regularly and ensure that it’s right there waiting for her when she needs it most.

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring a Caregiver in Randolph, MA, call the caring staff at Rivers of Hope today at 508-857-0629. Providing Independent, Dependent, and Companion Care Services in Brockton, Boston, Braintree, Avon Randolph, Abington, and the surrounding areas. riversofhopes.com

Elderly Care in Randolph MA: Balancing Life at Home and Work

Can You Actually Get Everything Done at Home and at Work?

by Francineglide Victoria

Getting started as a caregiver can be overwhelming. That’s true many times over if you’re balancing your own home life as well as your career. That’s a lot that you have to manage and it doesn’t get easier if you’re ignoring that there are some changes you need to make in your approach.

 

Ultimately, what you need to do is to focus on how to make life easier for you in your various roles.


Do What You Can to Plan for Emergencies

It sounds absurd sometimes, especially when you’re in the middle of an emergency, to think that you can plan for emergencies. To some degree, though, you can. At your job, you probably have a variety of contingency plans you can lean on. That’s the same sort of planning that you need to do at home and for your caregiving duties. Try to anticipate what could happen and imagine what you would need in order to cope effectively.

 

Define Your Goals and Your Priorities

Your goals tell you where you want to be. Your priorities, on the other hand, are what help you to determine how you’re going to get to your goals. When you prioritize all of the things that you have to do, you know what has to be done next and then after that. Those smaller steps are what get you closer to completing your goals. If you’re not doing things according to your priorities, you’re not going to hit your goals.

 

Master the Art of Delegation Now

Delegation is a skill that has to be learned. Some people are naturally good at it, but most other people need to practice a bit. Figure out to whom you can delegate tasks at work. This might be to coworkers or to people who report to you. You might be able to find ways to automate some tasks. At home, family members may be able to pitch in as well. When it comes to caregiving duties, though, you might feel more at a loss. This is where elder care providers come in. They can help you by taking over so many of the tasks that are difficult for you and you’re senior to manage on your own.

 

It takes time to develop a system that works for you and that works for the rest of your life. If you’re trying to rush solutions into place, you might not be as happy about how those solutions are working out.

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Elderly Care in Randolph, MA, call the caring staff at Rivers of Hope today at 508-857-0629. Providing Independent, Dependent, and Companion Care Services in Brockton, Boston, Braintree, Avon Randolph, Abington, and the surrounding areas. riversofhopes.com