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So many times, we do things without calculating the unexpected costs. Take, for example, being a caregiver for an aging parent or another family member. You probably never thought twice about stepping in and doing the right thing. Even if you live across the country or halfway around the world, you might have given up a few weeks of your life to step in and be there for this aging loved one. That is a wonderful, noble thing, but what if you live in the same town? You are far more likely to give up more of your life than you even realize. If you lived hundreds or even thousands of miles away and had to take a leave of absence from work or spend a few weeks or couple of months with the senior, you pretty much know what you are giving up to help them. But, when you live in the same town or close enough that you could stop by every day, the things you give up are often slipping away little by little, one day or one week at a time without you even realizing it. On top of the things you give up, you are likely dealing with stress as a caregiver. With prolonged stress comes an increased risk of serious health issues and other challenges. How much could caregiving be affecting your health? Let’s take a quick look. Prolonged stress increases the risk of serious health ailments. When you are stressed, it can lead to anxiety. Prolonged stress can dramatically increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, hypertension, high blood pressure, and many other serious health issues. Prolonged stress can be affecting your sleep. If you are not sleeping enough or soundly enough each night, you could be unfocused, ultimately leading to an increased risk of mistakes, missed opportunities, and accidents. That’s just the physical things that are affecting your health.   Prolonged stress can shorten your temper. You might normally be a very reasonable, rational person who doesn’t lose his or her temper very often. But lately you could be finding yourself snapping at every little thing. That’s what stress can do to your psyche. It can negatively impact your relationships, friendships, marriage, and even this relationship with the senior who depends on you. If that is happening, and it usually will eventually, turn to home care. A home care aide can provide the relief you need to help you cope with stress, exercise, eat better, and spend more time on the things that matter to you most.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring  Home Care Services 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

f your father has had a heart attack recently, it can certainly be a frightening experience for everyone. For him, he may have honestly seen his life flash before his eyes. For your mother, you, and other people in the family, you have breathed a sigh relief because he has a life. He survived. Now, though, it’s important to understand how things might change in the next coming weeks when he is discharged and sent home. Following a heart attack, there will be many things that change in your father’s life. Not all of these changes have to be permanent. He may be able to return to some semblance of normalcy in his life, but recovery will take time. He will need proper support. Often, the family is the one to step in and provide that kind of support. It might be a spouse, you, his adult child, other children, friends, neighbors, and others. That is all wonderful. In fact, there might not be anything better than having loved ones rally around to support you when going through a serious situation such as recovering from a heart attack or other medical emergency that landed you in the hospital. But, how much experience do any of those people have in supporting somebody as they recover from a heart attack ? For most people, most families, the answer would be little.   That’s why elder care is such an important topic to discuss. Most people don’t talk about elder care until they realize something like this is absolutely necessary. That’s because who really wants to talk about such a serious issue? Almost everyone regularly acknowledges they are mortal. They understand as the body gets older, they will face an increased risk of serious health issues, diminishing strength, and other challenges. But, for a person in their 40s, 50s, or 60s, they still don’t want to really actively think about such things until the time comes when they need it.   What can elder care do that family cannot? Family can certainly do just about everything an elder care provider will do, but the key difference, especially in helping your father recover from this heart attack, is experience. For an elder care provider who has worked with other seniors, their experience will far outweigh the benefits provided by the family. For example, while the family discourages activity because they worry about another heart attack , an experienced elder care provider will encourage your father to follow his doctor’s instructions, which may very well include exercise. Before dismissing this notion, look into how an agency can provide your father with the best elder care to help him recover properly from this heart attack.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring  Homecare 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

Home Care: Does your mother refuse to move in with you? Does she also refuse to go to a nursing home? If so, neither you nor your mother is alone. Most people over 65 want to live independently.The phrase “stubbornly independent” was probably first used to describe old people who just want to enjoy living on their own, once the children have grown. And why shouldn’t they? Aging baby boomers have, it could be argued, earned the right to their independence. They want to do the things they enjoy and have their privacy. Don’t Fight It; Downsize It Unless a father or mother is a present danger to himself or others, it’s wiser to give in to a parent’s desire to age in place. Fortunately, there are many construction and technological advances that can make aging in place less difficult. While the vast majority of oldsters aim to age in place, they don’t necessarily want to age in that cumbersome two-story, four-bedroom house with a basement washer and dryer. According to some aging specialists, the best home for a senior is a condominium.   Why Condos Are So Great For Seniors and their Home Care Providers Condominium units are usually, though not always, all on one floor. And many of them feature elevators. That eliminates the stair challenge that slows down many older people. They tend to be smaller than family homes which means they are easier for your parents or their home care aides to clean. Condos allow seniors to remain homeowners without all the effort that goes into maintaining a single-family home. There’s no yard work with a condo, and the exterior maintenance is undertaken by third-party contractors hired by the condominium association. While there are regime fees to be paid, these costs may well be offset by lower utility bills and greater safety. Condominiums often feature amenities that are hard for single-family homeowners to afford. A typical condominium complex will have a swimming pool, a clubhouse with a pool table and other game options, and a shared space for socializing. Some condo complexes have full gyms, restaurants, and grocery stores. These amenities may be a strong selling point for your parent, especially if he or she enjoys swimming and staying active. Condominiums are often more secure than single-family homes. High-rise condos often have doormen and keyed elevator access. Even less pricey condominiums have security doors and security cameras. Home Care Providers can also be helpful by coming over daily to assist your senior.   Over 55 condos Condominiums, by their very nature, encourage social engagement more than single-family homes. And that’s where the phenomenon of the over 55 community comes in. Some condominium complexes are restricted to ownership by people who are in their late fifties or older. The advantage to these complexes is that your parents automatically fit in with the other residents, making social connections even more likely. These complexes are sometimes located in very desirable locations, where they may be more affordable than the surrounding properties.   In brief If your mother or father enjoys the benefits of home care , condo living can maximize the benefits of that service. Instead of spending most of her time cleaning and maintaining a huge home, your home care aide has time to engage your parents socially and make sure they are living the highest quality of life possible. In conclusion, condominium living may be safer and easier for many people over 65 who are resistant to the idea of living with adult children or in assisted living facilities. It’s not a bad idea to discuss such downsizing with an aging parent. Be sure to emphasize the amenities and social opportunities.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring  Home Care 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 Sources https://culleninsuranceagency.com/ https://www.bbvausa.com/

Psychological assessments are used for many purposes. These assessments include an in-depth evaluation of someone’s mind. They can be used to help diagnose mental illness and other health issues . If you are concerned about the state of your elderly loved one’s psychological well-being, you can see if their doctor will order a psychological assessment for them. You or an elder care provider can take them to this appointment to be evaluated. There are many different ways that this type of assessment can help your elderly loved one. Adjusting to Life Changes There are many age-related changes that happen to the elderly. Some of these things include the following: Retiring Losing a spouse Losing other loved ones or friends Having health issues Moving to a smaller home All of these things can cause a range of psychological symptoms. They can even lead to a mental illness. If your elderly loved one is going through these things and they are having trouble, a psychological assessment might not be a bad idea. This type of assessment can help them find the source of their symptoms. It can help them to figure out what to do from there, as well.   Assessing Mental Health Are you concerned about your elderly loved one’s mental health state? If so, then it is important that you have them get a psychological assessment. In this assessment, the psychologist can help your elderly loved one to figure out what is going on. They will ask your loved ones questions about their life and how they are feeling. This is not only going to help the psychologist, but it will help your elderly loved ones to better understand themselves, as well. If your elderly loved one is diagnosed with a mental illness, they can get the treatment needed to help them feel better. Your elderly loved ones may also need an elder care provider to help them manage their medications or other treatments.   Better Health Management When it comes to your elderly loved one’s health, it is important that they know how to manage it in the best ways possible. If they don’t seem to be managing things well right now, a psychological assessment might be able to help. It could help your elderly loved ones learn what changes they need to make to improve their health. The psychologist can recommend exercises and programs that might benefit your elderly loved one.   Conclusion These are some of the ways that a psychological assessment might benefit your elderly loved one. If you have been worried about your elderly loved one’s psychological or overall well-being, you might want to see if their doctor can refer them to a psychologist.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring  Home Care Services 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   Sources https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5840906/

You might find yourself dealing with far more of your senior’s needs overnight than you might expect. This can be particularly true if your elderly family member is dealing with any of these sorts of health issues. Finding a solution might also be one of your biggest priorities. Insomnia Insomnia is a huge problem for older adults for a variety of different reasons. Your elderly family member might be taking medications that keep her awake or she might have other difficulties, like a poor sleep schedule that has her out of synch. This can be a problem for you even if you don’t live with her, especially if she calls you in the middle of the night.   Chronic Pain Pain makes all sorts of normal activities difficult, especially including sleep. Talk to your elderly family member’s doctor about how you’re helping her to manage any pain she’s experiencing. Some methods of pain management work better during the day and others are more effective for helping your senior to sleep. Your senior may also find that sleeping with pillows, cushioned mattress toppers, and other assistive devices helps.   Overactive Bladder If your elderly family member has issues with an overactive bladder, she may find that she’s getting up far more often overnight than she really should have to. This interferes with her sleep and can be problematic in other ways. If your senior takes medications at night that makes her drowsy or wobbly on her feet, this is a situation that is ripe for a serious fall.   Dementia Dementia creates other problems at night. Your elderly family member might battle insomnia because of her dementia and find that she is up in the middle of the night doing things that wake you up or keep you from sleeping. She might watch TV loudly, for instance, or decide that the middle of the night is the perfect time to rearrange the kitchen. This can be frustrating and upsetting for both of you. One of the best ways to manage overnight issues for your senior is to bring in senior care providers. This is especially true when you are not able to get any rest overnight because of your senior’s needs. That’s not sustainable and will send you careening into burnout very quickly. Senior care providers can take the night shift, letting you rest up for taking care of your senior during the day.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring  Home 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

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and you might be fresh out of ideas about what to get your aging parent as a small token of your love for her. It can be hard to find the perfect little reminder of how much you care for your parent. Maybe she’s got everything she needs or maybe after getting her small gifts for scores of years, you’re just fresh out of ideas. The following gift ideas should all run for under $20 and some will be completely free, but all will let your aging parent know how much you care for and appreciate her. Order dessert from her favorite restaurant. Sure, you can get the whole meal but if you want just a little something special, order a slice of her favorite cheesecake or pie of her favorite pie to celebrate how sweet you think she is. Buy her a fun, new kitchen gadget. Maybe it’s a great time to get a cutting board in the shape of the state she lives in (or was born in). Or you can get her something to help her in the kitchen like an automatic can opener or a mandolin for slicing up fresh fruits and vegetables. Let her know you support her efforts to eat healthily and you want to recognize that with a kitchen gift. Buy her a new book. If you know what your parent loves to read, get her the next book in the series or find her a new book on her favorite topic. She can spend hours enjoying herself with a good book. Pamper her in comfort items. It could be a new pair of fuzzy socks or a thick blanket to snuggle under while reading her new book. Some of these items can even be personalized with photos of her loved ones so that she’ll feel surrounded by her love ones even when she’s home alone snuggled in on a cold night. Pay for her to take an online class. If your parent is comfortable with using her computer, sign her up for a community online course. A zoom class on writing your own book or learning to paint with watercolors, will not only provide her with a new hobby, but she might also create some new friends that she can meet up with once the world is back to its healthy self. Brighten her day with flowers or plants. While many parts of the country are buried under snow and ice, make sure your parent’s home is full of green and color. A bouquet of flowers can bring momentary life to her kitchen or living area, but a plant can bring years of green and freshness to her home. Depending on your parent’s green thumb abilities, pick the perfect plant for her. Pamper her with a massage or painting her nails. While you can’t go out for most of these types of activities right now, why not do it yourself? Pick up your parent’s favorite nail polish and help her create beautiful nails for showing off. Or if painting nails is not her thing, offer to give her a shoulder massage or even a foot massage. Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity for you to step away from the normal tasks of being a caregiver and spend time pampering your parent with your time and a special gift.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring  Elderly Care 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

Resilience is a form of internal strength that helps you handle difficult situations. You can’t change your situation as a family caregiver, but you do have the power to change how it affects you. A resilient caregiver is better equipped to handle frustration and stress without it impacting mental, physical, or emotional strength. Expect the Unexpected Don’t come up with set-in-stone ideas of how each day will go. A to-do list is a good way to stay on track, but it isn’t always going to work the way you plan. Your parent may wake up after a restless night and not want to cooperate. While their argumentative behavior can seem unfair since you’re only trying to help, don’t take it personally. Instead, shift plans to accommodate their lack of sleep. Instead of trying to fit in a full 30-minute workout, suggest you go window shop in an outdoor market.You might need to drop plans for your parent to exercise and have a lazy day watching movies instead. You can make up the exercise on another day.   Learn How to Change Your Mood Find ways to change your mood. If your parents are being demanding and driving you crazy, stop, take a deep breath, and change your mood. You may need to put on some music and dance some of your angst away. You might need to go to another room and count to 10 before returning to whatever was frustrating you. If your mom has told you you’re not folding towels as she likes, don’t get mad. Take a few deep breaths and ask her to do it so that you can watch and learn. If you need to, have her fold all of the towels while you do something else. Don’t take her comments personally. Brush them off and move on.   Breaks Are Important A resilient caregiver knows when to walk away and take a break. You can’t do everything. Work demands need to come first if you need the income. Your parents’ needs have to come second. They could have someone else helping them so that you can focus on your own priorities. Make sure they’re aware of your financial needs and that bills have to come first. Look into respite care services or part-time caregivers with a local home care agency. Caregivers come and help out while you go on vacation, take a day off, or have a few hours to run errands or have time alone. Call a home care agency to make arrangements.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring  Homecare 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

It is not unusual at all for aging family members to refuse help from others. That’s frustrating for you, especially if it’s painfully obvious that she does need help. Here are some ideas for moving forward. Take a Closer Look at What’s Happening You may know for sure that your senior needs more help, but it doesn’t hurt to take a closer look before you insist on anything. Talk to your aging family member about her health, about what’s tough for her to do now, and about where she thinks she would finally want help. Ask her about her goals in the months and years to come. Does she see herself aging in place, or does she have another plan? This is information you need, regardless of what else happens.   Give Your Senior Some Options Choice is a huge issue for aging adults. There are so many ways that aging and other situations take choice away from your senior. That’s often a reason that older adults have for not accepting help, incidentally. So, collect some options. Maybe you offer to help her with meals once a week, freezing them for easy access later. Or perhaps one of the choices is that elderly care providers come in a few times a week. Make the choices reasonable ones that solve some of the issues you uncovered when you talked with her.   Talk about the Positive Benefits of Those Options Avoid running down these options, even if there are ones you don’t like. Focus on the positive benefits of all of these choices. You want her to be more open to accepting help, so you’ve chosen the options you offered her carefully and any of them will give her more assistance than she has now. So, make sure that you’re offering all of those selling points.   Accept What She’s Telling You Ideally, your senior sees things from your perspective finally and changes her mind. But you also have to accept the possibility that she might not. That may mean that at some point, you are going to have to accept what she’s telling you at face value. If she continues to resist for now, you may have to go along and help in the ways that you’re able to help. None of this is easy. It’s difficult for your senior and it’s difficult for you as her family caregiver . That’s why you have to be open and loving and just do what you can do.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring  Elderly 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

Talk to your elderly family member about whether she’s experiencing any anxiety around falling. If she is, you may have noticed that she’s not as mobile as she used to be or she only walks when she has someone to hold onto. Her Anxiety Makes Sense There are a lot of reasons that your senior’s anxiety about falling absolutely makes sense. If she were to fall, she is twice as likely to fall again. People who fall often sustain mild to serious injuries, and sometimes those injuries have lifelong effects. If your elderly family member is experiencing severe anxiety about even the idea of falling, she might be spending a lot of time and energy avoiding doing things she used to do. This can create what’s called a self-fulfilling prophecy, in which she makes a fall more likely.   Find a Way for Her to Be More Active If your aging family member isn’t very active right now, that’s a problem. Talk to her doctor about what she can do to start exercising and becoming more active in a way that is safe for her abilities and conditions. Then help her to stick with that plan. She doesn’t have to do anything extreme at all. What you’re aiming for is for her to regain some confidence in her ability to move, as well as some strength and some balance.   Look for Safety Hazards Do a safety sweep of your senior’s home. Look for anything that could be a tripping hazard or that could contribute to a fall. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, get some help. Senior care providers have experience spotting potential safety issues and they can help you to see what you need to change. They can also help your senior to do some of the things around the house that she’s been avoiding. Having assistance with mobility and with personal care tasks can be part of what helps your elderly family member to move a little more.   Seek Help for the Anxiety There’s probably still going to be some anxiety. Talk to your elderly family member’s doctor about what else you can do to help your senior to resolve this issue. There may be other treatments that her doctor can recommend, like occupational or physical therapy. Talk therapy may even be a beneficial route to take. Getting past her fear about falling is important for your senior to do, but it may not be an easy task.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring  Elderly Care in Encino, CA , please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388

If you are wondering how to help make things easier for your elderly loved one, one thing you can do is to hire elder care providers. These providers are able to offer many services for your elderly loved one. Whether your elderly loved one needs daily help or help every once in a while, the elder care providers can be there for them. Learn more today about the services an elder care provider can offer for your elderly loved one. Care for Dementia Does your elderly loved one have dementia? If so, you may already realize how much care they need. Your elderly loved one might need help with the following: Remembering to take medications Getting to appointments Cooking Daily grooming and personal hygiene Eating Getting dressed The elder care providers can offer this type of care for your elderly loved one. They can even create a custom care plan designed to meet your loved one’s needs.   Offering Companionship There is something called companion care. With this type of care, the elderly care providers would be at your elderly loved one’s home to help reduce loneliness and social isolation. There are many elderly people who suffer from severe depression. If you find that your elderly loved one is dealing with any of these things, elder care providers are able to help.   Taking Care of Animals Does your elderly loved one have an animal they aren’t able to care for on their own any longer? Maybe they have a dog they love dearly, but they are no longer able to bend down to feed them each day. The elder care provider would be happy to help your elderly loved one care for their animal. Research shows how beneficial pets can be to the elderly. If you want to ensure your elderly loved one is able to keep their animals, you can get elder care services today.   Surgery Recovery Does your elderly loved one have surgery coming up? If so, your elderly loved one is going to need someone to help them when they are recovering. If this is the case, elder care providers have experience with the recovery process. They can assist your elderly loved one with daily tasks and personal tasks during this process.   Conclusion It is important for family caregivers to know that elder care providers can help with so many things. These are just some of the services that an elder care provider can offer for your elderly loved one. If you can think of other services that your elderly loved one might need, you can check with the elder care provider to see if they can help.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring a  Senior 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   Sources https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/facilities/home-care/Pages/Home%20Care.aspx