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  • Skin Cancer in the Elderly: Can Elder Care Providers Help?

    Elder Care: Do you worry that your elderly loved one will get skin cancer? If so, it is a good idea to learn about the many ways that skin cancer can be prevented. If your elderly loved one already has skin cancer, they will need to take certain precautions while they are receiving treatment, to prevent things from getting worse. You and elder care providers can work together to help your elderly loved one with these things.   Best Sun Safety Tips If you are trying to help your elderly loved one prevent skin cancer, there are some tips for prevention, such as: Wearing a hat while outside Putting on the proper amount of sunblock Using UV ray-blocking sunglasses Staying out of the direct sunlight If your elderly loved one won’t remember to do these things, you can hire home care providers. There are elderly care providers that are trained in caring for senior citizens, so they know how to help them with skin cancer prevention and with staying healthy in other ways, too.   Going to the Doctor If your elderly loved one isn’t that great at keeping up on assessing their skin for any changes, it would be best if you or an elder care provider took them to the doctor regularly. If they go every 6 months to 1 year, the doctor can do a skin assessment to check for new or changing moles, skin discoloration, or other changes to their skin. If there are any suspicious spots or changes, they can do biopsies or other tests to see if it is skin cancer. If your elderly loved one already has skin cancer, elderly care providers can drive them to and from their treatment appointments. At-Home Care for Cancer Does your elderly loved one already have a skin cancer diagnosis? If so, it is crucial they are taking their medications and following through with all recommendations their doctor puts in the treatment plan for at home. It could be truly beneficial for you to hire elder care providers who can be with your elderly loved one in their home. They can give medication reminders and help your elderly loved one on the tough days (ex. when treatments make them fatigued and nauseous).   Elder Care: Conclusion Do you want to help your elderly loved one prevent skin cancer? Maybe, they already have this type of cancer, but they need help with medication reminders or help with home chores or getting to appointments, No matter what situation they are in, you and elder care providers can help them.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder Care in West Hollywood, CA , please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388   Sources https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/skin-care-and-aging

  • Home Care: How Does Behavior Change in Someone Who Has Dementia?

    Home Care: You may be used to your elderly loved one acting a certain way. However, if they develop dementia, the disease will change their behaviors. The number one thing to remember is that it isn’t their fault. They are not able to control what is happening to them. Sure, there are some ways that you and home care providers can help to keep your elderly loved one calm. However, as the disease gets worse, there will be more behavior changes that become more severe, as well. With this being said, learning about the behavior changes can help you to better get a handle on what is or will be happening.   Aggressive/Threatening Behaviors Unfortunately, there are many senior citizens who have dementia that will become aggressive and threatening. Some of the ways that this behavior may come about include: Yelling and screaming Throwing things Hitting or being physical It can be tough to tolerate or deal with this behavior. At times, you may not even want to go over to your elderly loved one’s house. Sometimes, you can figure out what is causing the aggression (such as loud noises) and help to resolve the situation. Other times, it may be difficult to find out what is making your elderly loved one so angry. If you are having a tough time handling this behavior change, it may be a good idea to have home care providers take care of your elderly loved one more often. Anxiety/Worry/Fear If your elderly loved one has dementia, they may also experience anxiety, worry, and fear. They may be worried that someone is going to break into their home, even if they have security cameras. Your elderly loved one might be anxious because they have no control over what is going on. People with dementia often have many fears, too. They may seem unreasonable to you, but to your elderly loved one, they are very real.   Impulsivity People who have dementia will become impulsive. Your elderly loved one may have already been this way a bit, but it does get worse. Some of the things that your elderly loved one may be impulsive with include: Spending Agreeing to change plans Speaking without thinking The impulsivity can be a bit difficult to handle at times. If you are having a tough time coping with their impulsive actions, you can take a step back. You can have home care providers come over and stay with your elderly loved one, so you can take care of yourself for a while.   Home Care: Conclusion These are some of the ways that behavior changes can affect someone who has dementia. If your elderly loved one has this disease, hopefully by knowing about these changes, you can learn to cope with and handle what is happening or going to happen. If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care in Studio City, CA , please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388   Sources https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/managing-personality-and-behavior-changes-alzheimers https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181717/

  • Home Health Care: Are You Taking Care of Your Mental and Emotional Fitness?

    Home Health Care: Most people think of staying fit as eating right and getting enough exercise. Is that enough? Have you ever considered your mental and emotional fitness needs? There are four parts to emotional and mental fitness. They include being resilient, managing emotions, accepting yourself, and having self-esteem. Many family caregivers struggle most with self-care. How do you take care of your emotional and mental health when you’re a busy family caregiver? Home Health Care can give you the respite you need. Learn How to Boost Your Self-Esteem Many of your mental and emotional health needs to focus on feeling good about yourself. If you have poor self-esteem or a low self-worth, which is common with family caregivers, take steps to improve it. You are important, and it’s time to realize it. For some, losing 20 pounds and fitting into smaller clothes is a big way to boost self-esteem. If you are carrying some extra weight, extra daily walks and avoiding foods with added sugar can help you start to shed some of those pounds. Work out with your parents rather than supervising their activities. Make them take a walk with you or get someone to sit with them while you go for a walk. Other family caregivers find their self-worth and self-esteem increases when they accomplish something new. Sign up for a free class online and complete it. You might want to learn a new language. There are plenty of free apps to get you started.   Stay Social Socialization is a substantial part of being emotionally and mentally fit. You need support and companionship to manage your emotional health. People who are social tend to have lower rates of chronic health issues like heart disease and depression.   Discover Ways to Ease Stress That Work Best for You Find ways to reduce stress. Many people find exercise is one of the best ways to burn off angst and de-stress. Go for a brisk walk in the fresh air or take a Yoga class. You might discover that a kickboxing class makes you feel refreshed, or you might want to stay home, take a bath, and go to bed early. Sometimes, a favorite hobby is an excellent way to unwind. Find what works for you and engage in that activity regularly. It’s time to take a break. With 24-hour home care services, you’re not the only one helping your parents. You’re free to visit friends, go to work, and sleep through the night. Talk to a specialist in 24-hour home care to get started.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Health Care in Culver City, CA , please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388

  • Homecare: What Are the Benefits of Smart Devices for the Elderly?

    Homecare: As your mom and dad get older, they insist that they want to age at home. You agree with them, but you want to ensure safety is a top priority. Have you or your homecare provider looked into the benefits of smart devices when it comes to keeping your parents safe? What Can Smart Devices Do? There’s a wide range of intelligent devices on the market. Each one offers something different when it comes to safety and comfort. Here are a few of the best smart devices for seniors. Smart speakers are handy for playing music, games, and news and weather reports. Your mom and dad give the speaker a voice command and have all the information they need. They can also use it to build shopping lists and set reminders. Smart displays take the ability of a smart speaker and add a screen for visual content. Many devices allow you to make video calls to another family member or friend that has the same device. Your parents could tell the display to call you and stay in touch through a video chat. Smart thermostats can keep the home’s temperature set to specific levels during the day and night. If you want to check to make sure your parents’ house is warm enough during the winter, access the app and check. If there are problems, you can set up alerts to notify you when the temperature dips below a certain level. Smart alarms connect for fire, smoke, and carbon monoxide detection throughout the home. If carbon monoxide, smoke, or fire is detected downstairs while your parents are sleeping upstairs, the alarms in every room in the house are synced and go off. They have extra time to evacuate safely. Wearable smart devices, like a smartwatch, help your parents with personal health and wellness. These devices can track their heart rate, stress levels, and the distance they’ve walked during the day. Fall monitoring is available in some smartwatches. If they’re connected to a phone, it can call emergency services if your parent falls and doesn’t get back up or alert the watch that they’re okay. Some also have built-in oxygen saturation detection and monitors that pay attention to heart rhythms. If someone seems off, the watch alerts your parents to talk to their doctor. Pair Smart Technology With Caregiver Visits for Comprehensive Care at Home Companion care at home can be a better way to keep your parents safe and happy. Caregivers check-in and help your mom and dad with everything from medication reminders to housekeeping. Your parents have help with meals, laundry, and transportation. Call a homecare specialist to learn more.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Homecare in Silver Lake, CA , please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388

  • Senior Care: What Happens When a Senior is Low in Magnesium?

    Senior Care: Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a key role in the human body. Many studies show that adult men need between 400-420mg per day while women need 310-320mg per day. The best way to ensure that magnesium levels stay high enough is by eating healthy foods and home cooking meals with magnesium-rich ingredients. Senior care providers will be there to support your beloved senior when they need help cooking and other small chores. Although no one makes a meal thinking about vitamins and minerals when they cook, it should be something that everyone, even seniors, starts to think about. Often there are not many symptoms of low magnesium until it is way below what it should be. This means if it becomes incredibly low, it can be dangerous for seniors. Senior care providers will look out for your parents and help them attend doctor’s appointments. Senior home care providers help ensure seniors can live independently as they age. Instead of having a senior community take care of your parents, they can live on their own and age in place. Having someone there to keep an eye on your parents can relieve the whole family. Your seniors’ health should be a priority, and this is the best way to ensure that happens. What Foods Are High in Magnesium? There are many things a senior can do to ensure they are getting the full amount of magnesium they need to be healthy by eating well-rounded meals. There are tons of delicious ingredients filled with magnesium that can make incredible meals. Here is what you can look for when helping your senior shop at the supermarket. Leafy greens Legumes Yogurt Dried beans Oat bran These can all help make great meals throughout the day and can be beneficial to sneak in meals. Seniors with diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, alcohol dependence, or older adults will be most at risk of magnesium deficiency.   Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency Many seniors may not even know they are low in magnesium unless they get tested because these symptoms won’t show up until someone is severely low in magnesium. This is a crucial part of a diet but can often go overlooked. It can be especially hard for seniors who eat tons of packaged foods to get the proper amount of magnesium. Here are a few symptoms you can look for. Nausea Having an upset stomach can be normal when it comes to magnesium deficiency. This can come in waves meaning off and on. It can also lead to body weakness and fatigue. These tend to be mild symptoms of low levels of magnesium.   Numbness or Tingling Sensations The lower the magnesium levels are the worse the symptoms are. It can get worse unless it is treated by a doctor. They may need to take medications or add it other ways into their diet.   Senior Care: Seizures One of the most severe symptoms of magnesium deficiency is that it has been linked to seizures. This may need multiple medications to treat. If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Senior Care in Toluca Lake, CA , please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388 Sources: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/

  • Home Care Services: Vegan Holiday Dishes For Seniors

    Home care services providers will help your senior plan meals for the week and will work around whatever diet a senior follows. Some seniors may have been vegan as younger adults and stuck without during this next phase of their life. Being vegan as an older adult can be challenging because they have to focus on cooking well-rounded meals to ensure they get all of the nutrients they need to stay healthy. Home care services can easily help with this by finding the right recipes. It can be harder to stick with the vegan diet during the holidays, but that is why having some go-to recipes this year will really be helpful. Finding fun holiday recipes that are also vegan can be challenging since this was not a huge trend when the seniors were younger. However, now that being vegan is in the limelight of the health community, you can find tons of ingredients with vegan alternatives. Almost anything can be vegan now with the help of soy cheese and tofu. Home care assistance will help a senior sort through what they want to eat weekly, plan meals, and then help the senior shop for ingredients. They do all the small household chores that need to be done to help a senior feel more comfortable with aging in place. If you are looking for some good vegan holiday meals, look no further, they are right here for you! Mushroom Wellington Instead of a beef wellington like you’d get in the restaurant, opt for a veggie version. This recipe has a nice juicy mushroom right in the middle. The best part of this recipe is that it has a very meaty texture thanks to the mushroom inside. It can be a new Christmas favorite in the senior’s house and a go-to recipe for them to make. This recipe also doesn’t take that long for home care assistance to help with. Vegan Dip The holiday season is a time when most people snack, but what can a vegan senior snack on? Well, this vegan artichoke dip is perfect for crackers, cucumbers, carrots, and even peppers. It is easy to make and can be saved for up to five days. This is a perfect choice for seniors who feel like snacking throughout the holidays rather than sitting down for one big meal. Cranberry Salsa Are you looking for something quick and festive to put together? Cranberry salsa is festive and super tasty. It has a nice creamy flavor thanks to the vegan cream cheese and can be made in under 10 minutes. This is something the whole family including those who are not vegan will absolutely love. Vegan Carrot Soup One of the best aromas during the holiday season is ginger. This ginger carrot soup is creamy, delicious, and has the best smells. It will leave the whole house feeling warm and comforting. It is one of those recipes that will quickly become a staple in every household. Having home care services on hand can be a huge help in creating these flavorful dishes for your senior.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care Services in San Marino, CA , please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388

  • Home Health Care: What Should Family Caregivers Expect as Alzheimer’s Disease Progresses?

    Home Health Care: Alzheimer’s disease is a challenging disease to handle. Your mom has had Alzheimer’s for years, and it’s progressing to the point that she needs Home Health Car e services. She cannot be alone at any hour as she is always trying to “go home.” She’s wandered away before, and you don’t want her to get outside and get lost. That’s just one of many situations that can occur with Alzheimer’s disease. Every person is different, so your mom may experience every possible stage of the disease’s progression. Or, she may only experience a couple of them. No matter what happens, your family needs support through it. Problems With Toileting Your mom no longer remembers to use the toilet. As incontinence heightens, she’ll need someone to remind her when to go to the bathroom. She may need incontinence pads or underwear. Someone needs to be there to help her get cleaned and changed throughout the night.   Loss of Speech In the latter stages, your mom may stop talking. If anything, she’ll say one or two words during the hours you are with her. Sometimes, the things she says will be made-up words and make no sense. When she cannot communicate with you, she may become frustrated and lash out. She’ll push you away and shut down. Caregivers can help her when she’s trying to avoid any interactions with you.   Inability to Bathe or Dress Your mom will eventually stop being able to dress without help. She won’t be able to wash her hair or take a shower without someone helping her. At this point, an accident in the night can require a complete change of pajamas and bedding. Waiting until morning increases the risk of a UTI. For that reason, it helps to have caregivers in the home throughout the night.   When Is It Time for 24-Hour Home Health  Care? In the latter stages of Alzheimer’s, 24-hour home care is an essential service for your family. You might be the primary family caregiver, but it’s impossible to be there every minute of the day. For your physical and mental health, you need to take breaks. When should you look into 24-hour home care services? When family caregivers are burning out, it’s time to discuss it. If you fall asleep or forget to do things that put your mom at risk, it’s important to consider home care services. If you’re frustrated to the point you lash out in anger, pick up the phone and get others to help care for your mom. Schedule 24-hour home health care by calling an agency and asking to talk to a specialist. Discuss your mom’s care needs and whether anyone in the family regularly stops by to spend time with her. A care plan is created from those answers. At that point, you can go over the cost of caregivers and schedule services.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Health Care in Century City, CA , please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388

  • Elder Care: What Can Your Senior Do about Added Sugar in Her Foods?

    Elder Care: Whether your senior has health issues that affect her blood sugar levels or not, looking more closely at the added sugar in her diet can be really important. Having help from you and from elder care providers, with the actual process of swapping out added sugars can make a difference. Natural Sugars Exist in Foods Sugar is a naturally occurring substance and it is in a lot of fruits, vegetables, and other foods, too. Grains and milk also contain natural sugar. Natural sugar content is just that. It isn’t added into the food after it’s processed. That’s the sugar that the food contains naturally on its own. There are a variety of different types of natural sugars, like fructose, glucose, and lactose. Added Sugars Are a Different Story Added sugars are exactly what the name sounds like. These are sugars that are added to the food, in an effort to make the food more palatable or to serve as a type of preservative. Added sugars are the true danger when it comes to dietary sugar intake for your senior because these types of sugars can really add up. And most of the time, they’re not necessary in her diet. They offer calories, but they don’t offer nutrients. Make Sure to Read Labels Carefully One of the best ways to start getting familiar with added sugars and recognizing when they’re in a food is to start reading food labels. The FDA requires manufacturers to include added sugar amounts on the nutritional label. Added sugars should also be listed in the ingredients for the food, but they might not be called sugar. Ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, and any word ending in -ose indicate that there is added sugar in the food. Make Replacements Easier on Your Senior Once you and your senior are aware of the sources of added sugar in her diet, it’s a lot easier to start making some replacements. Swapping out pre-packaged desserts for fruits instead can make a huge difference because your senior is getting other nutrients and less sugar. Reduce juices, as those are mostly sugar, and look for versions of favorite foods with lower sugar content. Grocery shopping can be exhausting enough, but then with challenges like reducing added sugar intake, your senior might feel overwhelmed. Elder care providers can be a huge help with errands like shopping, and they can also help with cooking and other household tasks. Being able to lean on elder care services can help your senior to make big improvements in her diet without a lot of extra effort on her part.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder Care in Century City, CA , please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388

  • Senior Care: What Does Senior Home Care Involve?

    What is senior home care? Many people have an idea, but they don’t realize the full range of available senior care services. Take a closer look at all of the ways a caregiver can help your mom and dad at home. Your Parents Become More Social After retirement, retirees may increase the number of hours at home. Their friends move away seeking a lower cost of living or to be closer to grandchildren and children. Does that sound familiar? If it does, your parents may feel lonely and isolated. With regular visits from their caregiver, they enjoy socialization. Their caregiver can take them out to area attractions, stores, or senior centers for events and classes. It enables your parents to stay active and engaged in their community. Your Parents Have Help With Medications Remembering to take medications each day can be difficult at any age. If you’re not used to taking pills consistently, it takes time to get into the habit. Your parents have new medications that have been prescribed and need to remember when and how to take them. Your mom has a prescription for iron supplements that she must take with a meal, but the medication used to help strengthen her bones has to be taken on an empty stomach. Keeping track of all that is hard for her. You could hire a caregiver to help her keep track of everything. They Have Help With Daily Chores Your parents do what they can around the house, but some chores are more challenging than they used to be. Arthritis pain, side effects from medications, and vision changes can impact how well your parents do. They can have caregivers helping them with light housekeeping. Have the caregiver vacuum the carpets and stairs. Your parents could have the caregiver take over the laundry. They might want their caregiver to sterilize surfaces like their faucets, door and appliance handles, and counters. Caregivers Can Take Over Driving Some older drivers learn they’re not the best drivers anymore. It can be related to vision or pain in the joints when turning the neck or back far enough to thoroughly check their blindspots. Slower reaction times are another reason older drivers need to hang up the keys. While your parents shouldn’t drive, it doesn’t mean they have to stop going out. They can let their caregiver drive them around to stores, restaurants, parks, medical offices, etc. They get to the places they need to visit, and they don’t have to take chances doing so. Once you know your parents’ goals for aging, talk to a senior care at home specialist. You’ll learn more about prices, services, and how to arrange caregiver visits. Make a call and get started on your parents’ care plans.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Senior Care in La Canada, CA , please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388

  • Senior Health: What Can Your Senior Do to Prevent Diabetes?

    Senior Health: There are a lot of factors that contribute to diabetes, and your senior may have more control over potentially developing type 2 diabetes than she might think. It all comes down to making some big choices and following through on them for good senior health . Talk about Her Risk Factors with Her Doctor You and your senior need to understand her risk factors for developing diabetes before you can make many changes. If your senior has a family history of diabetes or has other health issues that can contribute to developing diabetes, that makes a big difference in whether or not she’s more likely to develop diabetes herself. Your senior’s doctor can help her to put together a plan that works to lower her individual risk.   Increase Her Physical Activity If her doctor agrees that it’s okay for your senior to exercise more, then adding more movement to every day can help her to improve her overall health. More exercise can also help to reduce her blood sugar and insulin resistance, which can decrease her overall risk of developing diabetes. It’s always a good idea for your senior to start out slowly with any new exercise program, and it might be a good idea for her to have help available while she’s exercising. Personal care at home can make sure she’s safe and that any other needs are met.   Look More Closely at Her Diet Diet is tremendously important in terms of decreasing diabetes risk. It’s a common misconception that eating a diet high in sugar causes diabetes. That’s not what causes diabetes but lowering her intake of foods that are high in added sugar can be a good idea. It’s also important for your senior to eat plenty of protein and healthy fats in order to keep her body healthy. Having home care providers helping with meal preparation can be a factor in helping your senior to eat healthy meals. Senior Health: Get Help Where She Needs it Most Self-care is an important part of your senior being able to reduce her risk of developing diabetes. If your elderly family member is spending a lot of her time and energy being overwhelmed by life’s challenges, she may find it even more difficult to do what she needs to do in order to stay as healthy as possible. Personal care at home can tackle those tasks for your senior so that she can spend energy making decisions that support her overall health. Preventing diabetes means helping your senior to do all that she can now in order to avoid bigger senior health issues later. If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care in Toluca Lake CA , please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388

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