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Macular degeneration occurs when the center of the retina starts to deteriorate. That section known as the macula controls your central vision, which is key to being able to drive, recognize objects and people, and identify colors. There is no cure for macular degeneration. It comes in two forms that affect more than 10 million men and women in the U.S. “Dry” and “wet” are the common forms of the eye disease. “Dry” occurs when deposits build up under the macula, which causes it to dry out and become thinner. “Wet” occurs when blood vessels form under the macula and rupture, which causes the macula to bulge.   Slowing the progression of macular degeneration is important. To do so, your mom or dad needs to stop smoking, change his/her diet, get more exercise, and wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays. Home care services are also an important part of a care plan when macula degeneration is diagnosed. There are four ways it helps.   Housekeeping As the vision diminishes, it’s harder for your mom or dad to clean the home. Someone needs to do the dishes to make sure they’re clean of all food particles and grease. Dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, and sterilizing counters are all daily or weekly chores that need to be done properly, which is hard when macular degeneration impacts vision.   Meals Cooking is impossible when there’s no central vision. Caregivers can pick up groceries, help your mom or dad with a shopping list, inventory kitchen supplies, and prepare meals. They can help feed your parent, clear the table, and do the dishes.   Personal Care When you cannot see, you can’t shave your face, armpits, or legs. You can’t brush and floss your teeth properly. You need help getting in and out of the shower or bathtub. Caregivers help with all aspects of hygiene, toileting, grooming, and personal care.   Transportation With macular degeneration, central vision diminishes. Your mom or dad cannot drive. People need to be available for trips to the store, medical and dental appointments, friends’ homes, and senior centers. If your mom or dad wants to go on a scenic drive, someone needs to be available. Leaving work isn’t ideal. Not every trip can be held off to the weekend. Caregivers are there to drive your mom or dad around as needed. It eases stress you experience when you’re trying to fit another trip into your already busy week. Make the arrangements by calling a home care agency.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Homecare 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: Macular.org

If your mom is suffering from hip pain due to arthritis, her doctor will have her try non-surgical treatments first. Exercises and weight loss are two she’ll try. If that doesn’t help, hip replacement surgery may be an effective route. If she has hip surgery, elder care services become an important part of her recovery. What Happens in a Hip Surgery? During hip surgery, the damaged areas of the hip joint are removed and replaced with an artificial joint that may be made from ceramics, metals, or plastics. The surgery takes a few hours. After the surgery, she is moved to a recovery room where the anesthesia wears off and pain is monitored. The goal is to get her up as quickly as possible to prevent blood clots. After a day or two, she’ll head home with a walker or cane to help her move around. As time passes, she’ll stop using the walker or cane. She’ll have a follow-up appointment with her surgeon for two or three months to see how things are going. Your family should expect the full recovery to take as much as 12 months.   How Can Elder Care Help? In the first weeks, your mom will need help moving around her home. She needs to walk around, but she’ll benefit from having someone there to encourage her. She will want someone to help support her as she gets in and out of a shower. She’s going to have a hard time standing for long periods of time at first. She may want an elderly care aide to cook her meals and help with the housework. Lifting a vacuum up and down the stairs isn’t going to be easy. A caregiver can do the vacuuming for her. Your mom may find it hard to drive the car until she has full use of her hip again. A caregiver can drive her to her follow-up appointments with the surgeon and physical therapist. The caregiver can take your mom to stores, senior centers, and friends’ homes. Arrange elder care services as soon as you can. If you’ve made the plans in advance, your mom can have a caregiver ready to help out when she returns home from the hospital. She’ll have help remembering to take prescription medications. She has a caregiver there to help her with ambulation. Call an elder care agency to arrange the services that will aid her recovery.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Homecare 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

Have you ever stopped to understand exactly what blood pressure readings mean? National Blood Pressure Education Month is here. It’s a good time to find out more about what your blood pressure readings mean and why it’s so important. Blood pressure readings look at the systolic and diastolic measurements as the blood travels through your arteries and veins. Systolic blood pressure is the extent of the force of the blood on the artery walls during a heartbeat. Diastolic blood pressure is the extent of the force of the blood between heartbeats. Systolic is the first number in a blood pressure reading, while diastolic is the second number. High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease. It can also impact your vision. It’s important to get the numbers to a point the doctor recommends.   The Blood Pressure Categories The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology recommend having blood pressure readings of 120 over 80 or lower. Once they go over 120 for systolic and are less than 80, the readings are in the “Elevated” stage and should be watched at home in a low-stress setting. Some people have what’s called “White Coat Syndrome” and anxiety at the doctor’s office increases blood pressure readings. Stage 1 involves having a systolic reading of 130 to 139 or a diastolic reading of 80 to 89. Stage 2 increases that to 140 to 180 or a diastolic of 90 or higher. Medications may be recommended in either of these stages. Hypertension is serious when the systolic reading is over 180 and/or diastolic is over 120. If the numbers suggest serious hypertension, tests to look for organ damage may be ordered. He will be given medications to get it under control.   What Do You Do if His Numbers Are Too High? What happens if your dad has high blood pressure? He’ll definitely need to change his diet and get more exercise. If he’s overweight, weight loss is important, too. He may be given a prescription for medications to help lower his numbers. If he’s going to forget to take his medication or struggle with a new diet, talk to him about senior care. He can have a caregiver stop by to help him with meals. He has a companion for daily walks or to cheer him on while he does the exercises his doctor recommends. He also has someone to remind him to take his medication. He’ll find that senior care is going to make his daily tasks easier to manage as he has someone there as often as he wants. If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Homecare 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

As a family caregiver, coronavirus has to be on your mind. People can have the virus and not have any symptoms. Also, symptoms can vary from one person to the next. If you’re around them, you could contract the virus. If you bring it to your parents’ home, you put them at risk. How do you stay safe when you’re a family caregiver? If you come and go from their house and your house, what are the best ways to lower the risk of contracting the virus?   Limit Your Exposure to Others If you work outside the home, you need to consider your work environment. Are you crowded into an office space with others? Do you work with the public all day? If you can work from home, you should. If you have to go to work, stay at least six feet from others if possible and do not shake hands or hug any of your clientele. When you’re out for walks or running errands, keep a six-foot perimeter between yourself and others. After touching things others would touch, use a hand sanitizer or go wash your hands. Wear a mask if it’s recommended or required in your area. Different states have different guidelines. Be sure you know the rules if you go out.   Wash Your Hands Regularly You need to wash your hands with soap. Scrub under your nails, between your fingers, and up to your wrist for a full 20 seconds before rinsing your hands. Set a timer if you need to. Otherwise, slowly count to 20 while you create the lather and scrub. You need to ensure you’ve spent enough time washing them before rinsing the soap away.   Do Curbside as Much as Possible When you have the option, get curbside groceries and supplies. You order what you need online. You may need to pay online, too. You go to the designated spot at the store or restaurant and let them know you’re there. They’ll bring your items out to your vehicle.   Stay Home if You May Have Been Exposed Home care not only gives your parents the help they need, but it also gives you peace of mind. You may learn that someone at your work has coronavirus. If that’s the case, you have to stay home. If there’s a chance you’ve been exposed to COVID-19 or tests show you have the virus, you must take care of yourself and stop the spread. Don’t worry about your mom and dad. Arrange home care service and let caregivers help with meals, errands, housekeeping, and laundry.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder 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

Until you’ve been an Alzheimer’s caregiver, it’s impossible to know how rewarding and challenging it is. People with Alzheimer’s need plenty of assistance throughout the day. Family caregivers also need that support. Professional caregivers are essential components of any Alzheimer’s care plan. Personal Care and Grooming Ask anyone about their experiences caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s and you hear about unusual situations. Parents using toothpaste as an eye cream, glass cleaning wipes as makeup removers, and liquid soap as a moisturizer. When these situations start to happen, supervision is important. Items need to be in locked cupboards to prevent misuse. When a person needs them for grooming or personal care, the caregiver can pull the appropriate items from the cupboard and return them when they’ve been used. Over time, help with personal care, hygiene, and grooming are necessary. Toileting may be harder to remember to complete, which can lead to UTIs. Taking a shower or bath is often forgotten until body odor becomes an issue. Even then, memories of taking a shower may make that person insistent that that part of the day has been completed.   Meals People with Alzheimer’s often forget they’ve eaten and eat too much or think they’ve eaten and skip meals. Help with the timing of meals, snacks, and beverages is essential to prevent malnutrition and dehydration.   Respite Care Some people with Alzheimer’s get confused about where home is. They go outside to go for a walk and nothing looks familiar. If this happens, they keep walking in hopes of finding a familiar home or neighborhood. Once a parent is wandering, family caregivers have to be vigilant. If a parent gets up in the middle of the night, carers have to get up and make sure the family member stays inside. Alarms on doors and windows help, but people have experienced situations of family members trying to climb fences to escape. It can be tiring when you’re on the fifth night of interrupted sleep. With respite care, you take a nap, go on a vacation, or have time to unwind while a caregiver takes over. It’s one of the most important services for family caregivers caring for someone with Alzheimer’s.   Don’t wait until the last minute to hire caregivers to help your family. Handle as much of your mom or dad’s care as you can, but make sure you arrange home care to help out. Caregivers give you the break that you’re going to need as the disease progresses. You’ll have a much easier time if you have a trusted caregiver working with you.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Health 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

Around the world, people are worried about coronavirus. At this point, seasonal influenza is a bigger risk, as are chest colds, head colds, and many other common viruses. In some areas, older adults are being urged to stay at home as a precaution. You may need to help your parents by running their errands for them. You don’t want to bring home a virus to your parents. When you are out running errands for them, what’s the best way to avoid contracting a virus?   Wipe Down Shopping Carts Stores often have dispensers with disinfecting wipes. Wipe down the cart handle, sides, and seat area where a phone or purse may be set down. Use a second wipe to wipe off your hands when you’re done. If the wipes are missing or empty, go to customer service and ask if they have refills available.   Dodge Those Who Are Coughing or Sneezing A good rule of thumb is to keep a six-foot gap between yourself and someone who is sick. If you hear someone coughing a lot, keep as far away as possible. Spray from a sneeze or cough will travel. If you can do the shopping at times of the day when the store is less crowded it will also help.   Carry a Hand Sanitizer Carry and use hand sanitizer when you can’t get to a sink. Make sure it has at least 60 percent alcohol. Moisturizing agents help prevent your skin from drying out.   Wash Hands As Soon as You Get Home Even if you take extra precautions, at some point, you’ll have touched something that is covered in someone’s germs. People who pick up produce to examine and set it back down spread germs that way. The same is true of every package in a store. When you get home, wash your hands. Put away the items, toss your reusable bags in the wash, and wash your hands again. Washing hands often is the best way to prevent contracting a virus.   If You Do Pick Up a Virus, Stay Home If you do become sick, stay home. You might feel that your parents need you, but it’s not worth risking their health. Their immune system may not be as effective as yours. Elderly care services are one way to make sure they have someone available to help when you’re sick. Caregivers can run errands for them, help with housekeeping and meals, and keep them company. Call an elderly care agency to arrange temporary home care services while you’re sick.   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

Your senior’s mental health is an important aspect of her overall health and it’s one that neither of you can really afford to overlook for long. When you pay attention to some of these details, you can spot issues before they become a bigger problem for your elderly family member.  Her Moods Are Off Occasional moodiness is one thing, but if your senior is consistently having trouble regulating her moods or even understanding them herself, that could be a problem. Some moodiness can be a result of either a health condition or even a medication that’s treating a health condition. Getting to the root of the situation can help your senior to find a solution that actually works for her.    She Doesn’t Seem to Be Socializing In the past, your elderly family member might have had a much different social life than she has now. Friends and family members can move away, which may leave your senior feeling at loose ends when it comes to spending time with people. She may also feel less like being around a lot of other people, which can contribute to feelings of loneliness if she’s not getting social interactions in other ways.   She’s Making Decisions That Are Confusing for You Your elderly family member isn’t always going to make the same decisions you would or even make decisions that you completely understand. But if you’re finding that the vast majority of the decisions your senior is making are ones that confuse you, her thought processes might not be functioning the way that they did in the past. That could point to cognitive changes or other mental health concerns.   She’s Having Trouble Concentrating or Completing Simple Tasks As your elderly family member ages, she may find some things more difficult, like completing simple tasks that she’s handled just fine a million other times. That can be frustrating for her or even cause her to lash out in anger. She may also have more trouble concentrating. These situations can arise for a variety of reasons, so it makes sense to talk to her doctor about what she’s experiencing to rule out medical causes. These situations may not mean that there’s necessarily anything going wrong for your elderly family member right now. But they could also mean that she needs some extra help. Senior care providers can help you to determine what your elderly family member needs the most and do what they’re able to do to alleviate those concerns for her.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home 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

If your senior has COPD, she may still want to try to exercise. Exercise can help to strengthen her lungs as well as the other systems in her body. Because of her COPD, she’ll want to do the right types of exercise and avoid overdoing it. Does Your Senior Feel up for Exercising? For some people with COPD, exercising is much more difficult than they expect it to be, even when they start out slowly and carefully. Talk to your elderly family member about how she feels about the idea of exercising and what she wants to gain from exercise. If she doesn’t feel as if it’s something she can do, she may be right, even if that’s a topic you revisit some other time.   Talk to Her Doctor Before Starting Any Exercise Plan Most of the time you’ll have a conversation about exercise with your senior because her doctor has already brought it up. But if this is a new idea for your senior, make sure to talk with her doctor first. Even people with severe COPD can benefit from exercise if it’s the right amount and type of exercise. Your senior’s doctor can help her to determine what the best course of action is for her.   She’ll Need a Plan Any good exercise routine starts with a plan. Your elderly family member might want to consider starting out with pulmonary rehabilitation. This is a combination of physical therapy and other treatments and educational components that helps her to get the most out of the exercise. As your senior’s body and her lungs become a little bit stronger, she may find that exercise helps her to have more energy and stamina than she did before.   Conservation of Energy Is Still a Big Deal Even with improved energy levels, your senior still needs to be careful about how she expends her energy. People with COPD can experience exacerbations at any time and having the strength to deal with those can mean watching what she does at other times when she’s feeling stronger. Working with elderly care providers to have help around the house may be what she needs to hang onto the energy she does have.   There’s a lot to consider if your senior is planning to become more physically active, even with something as serious as COPD affecting her health. Work with her medical team to make sure that she’s as safe as possible while she exercises.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder 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 a family caregiver for an elderly parent or loved one, you are probably feeling the stress that often accompanies such a designation. The responsibilities of caring for an elderly parent can take a toll on caregivers, especially when complex health concerns or mobility issues play a role. It can also be difficult for some seniors to come to terms with the fact that their role has been reversed when they begin to require the help of their adult children. This can cause resentment and in some cases a struggle for independence which can lead to more stress for the caregivers. Here are some helpful ways that family caregivers can help to relieve some of their stress: 1. Talk it Out It’s important when you are feeling stressed to find healthy ways to talk about it. There are many group meetings, online forums, and even one on one therapy sessions that you may find helpful for talking about your life. If you aren’t comfortable talking to people that you don’t know, consider journaling. Many people find the practice of keeping a journal to be very cathartic and it doesn’t cost much to get started. Plus, you can journal almost anywhere you are.   2. Hire Help One of the best ways to relieve the day-to-day stress that many family caregivers are feeling is to hire the professional services of a home care company. They will provide compassionate and trained caregivers who will come into your senior’s home and help them with daily tasks such as grooming, meal preparation, medication help, and other elder care tasks. You can be assured that they will treat your senior parent or loved one like family and take some of the responsibilities off of your plate so that you can take some time for yourself to relieve some of your stress.   3. Take a Break If you are feeling overwhelmed and it’s possible, consider taking a small break to clear your mind and step away from the situation. If a friend or family member can step in for a few hours, or even a few days, plan a getaway so you can practice self-care or take a class for yoga, journal, or do whatever else helps you unwind and relieve your stress in a healthy way.   4. Get Enough Rest It is also vital that you are getting enough sleep so that you can focus and handle the emotions that inevitably come along with being a caregiver for a family member. Talk to your doctor or medical professional if you are having difficulty falling or staying asleep, and take extra steps to ensure that your sleeping area is conducive to sleep. Many caregivers find themselves getting up early and then staying up late to be able to get all of the things that they need to do finished for the day which can eventually catch up to them and cause health issues.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Health Care in Pasadena, CA , please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388

Hepatitis C, commonly called Hep C, is a disease that affects the liver. It is caused by a virus and is transmitted through the blood and other bodily fluids. It injures the liver by causing inflammation and scarring. Eventually, Hep C can affect the liver’s ability to do its job. While eating a certain way won’t cure Hep C, it can help to support the liver and improve your aging parent’s health. Hep C’s Impact on Diet The treatments for Hep C can affect your parent’s desire to eat. Interferon treatment can cause a lack of appetite. It can also lead to nausea and vomiting as well as a sore mouth and throat. If Hep C has causes cirrhosis, that may also cause appetite loss and result in malnutrition. Hep C often occurs alongside other medical conditions that can further affect the way your parent eats. For example, they may also have high blood pressure, which means needing to eat less salt. Other conditions that can occur with Hep C and change the way a senior eats are diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. Although the treatment of Hep C doesn’t require a special way of eating, not eating well can cause more damage to the liver. For example, a poor diet can lead to weight gain, which can lead to fatty liver disease, a condition that can also cause cirrhosis.   Eating Healthy with Hep C Everything your parent eats requires work from the liver. Therefore, it stands to reason that what they eat can affect liver health. Some foods that can help to support liver health are:   Fruits and Vegetables: Your parents should try to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. They are important for providing important nutrients, like folate, folic acid, and vitamins A, C, B12, and B6.   Protein: Protein is important for creating new, healthy liver cells and helping to repair those that have been damaged. Older adults should try to eat lean proteins, including fish, skinless chicken, eggs, nuts, low-fat dairy, and soy products.   Whole Grains: Whole grains are a good source of fiber. Choose products that list a whole grain within the first few ingredients. Elder care can help your parent to manage Hep C and support their liver health. An elder care provider can cook meals that are healthy and help to keep the liver as healthy as possible. Elder care providers can even help with meal planning and grocery shopping. In addition to assisting with preparing meals, an elder care provider can also help with disease management by reminding them to take medications at the right times.   If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Homecare in Glendale, 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.medicalnewstoday.com/ https://www.healthline.com/ https://www.webmd.com/