Hello Seniors, Families and Friends. As many of you know, I have coffee weekly with a group I call my guys. My guys are a group of guys, mostly widowers, who have coffee and talk every week. Yes, I am younger than they are. I do remember most of this. One of the guys brought it to coffee this morning. Will place a smile on a lot of your faces. Enjoy.
When you start taking care of a senior parent that is aging in place, one thing that you may need to help them do is find appropriate medical care in their area. Finding good medical care can be overwhelming, especially for seniors. Navigating the maze of what providers are in the insurance network but also provides the care that your senior parent needs can be confusing. Beyond medical care, hiring senior home care to offer non-medical support is crucial to your parent living safely and comfortably at home.
When it comes to finding the right medical care for your senior parent, these tips should help you make sure that your loved one is getting the care they need:
Seniors should have a primary care doctor that is a geriatrician. A doctor that specializes in medical care for seniors is the best person to provide referrals and other healthcare that seniors need. They also are the best doctors to perform routine exams and screenings.
Create a comprehensive medical history for your senior parent. Include information about current medications, past surgeries, allergies, and any chronic conditions. Having this information easily available can streamline communication with healthcare providers. Keep a digital copy and also keep several hard copies that can be given to doctors or medical providers.
Verify your parent’s insurance coverage and understand the details of their plan. This includes knowing the network of providers covered, copays, deductibles, and any pre-authorization requirements. This information will guide your choices in selecting healthcare providers.
Your senior parent is going to need yearly checkups for general health as well as things like vision and hearing screenings, cancer screenings, and other routine appointments. Schedule those now because getting those appointments can be difficult and the wait times can be long.
If your senior parent has medical conditions that require specialty care put in the request for referrals with their primary care doctor or the insurance company, then follow up after a week or so to make sure the referrals come through. You will need to referral to schedule any kind of specialty care for your senior parent.
In case of an emergency, you must know where your senior parent wants to be treated. Sit down with them and research local facilities that are in-network for their insurance. Make sure it’s written down in their health plan notes what emergency room they want to be taken to if there is a need for emergency care. Also make note of what hospital they prefer. It’s also a good idea to write this information on a sheet of paper and post it on the fridge, next to the phone, or in some other central place in case the senior home care provider needs it someday.
If you or an aging loved one is considering senior home care in Phoenix, AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!
New Year’s resolutions are a great way for people to look at changes they want to make over the next year. Many people use that time to decide to radically change how they eat. Seniors might still be stuck in those habits, thinking it’s a good time to do so. But sometimes those changes might not be the best ones to make, especially if seniors are dealing with health challenges. Home care providers can be a huge help when it comes to any dietary changes that seniors do want to make.
The big issue with making resolutions about dietary changes is that they often are so restrictive that they tend to fail fairly rapidly. When seniors make dietary changes, it’s important that they’re making changes that support their health and that they stick with them. The changes that seniors make around food and eating need to be ones that are sustainable, gradual, and achievable.
Before making big dietary changes, seniors need to talk to their doctors about what those changes should be. Seniors often are battling health conditions and taking medications and this information is essential to understand when it comes to meeting nutritional needs. Healthcare professionals can offer personalized advice that helps seniors to improve their health and well-being while also eating better.
Making huge changes and completely overhauling an entire diet all at once is a terrible idea for seniors. It’s much better and more sustainable to make gradual, small changes over time. Instead of moving directly from eating frozen dinners, for instance, to only eating fresh fruits and vegetables with every meal can be a huge change. It might also be more than some seniors can physically handle preparing for themselves, which is why senior care providers can be an excellent help during these changes.
Meal planning is incredibly helpful for anyone who wants to eat a healthier diet over time. Planning out meals and snacks in advance helps to ensure that seniors are regularly eating a balanced and nutritious diet that is also tasty and satisfying. This allows seniors to be more proactive about making the small, healthy changes to their diet that they want to make.
Mindful eating involves being fully present while eating. Seniors who are eating more mindfully are more likely to listen to their bodies’ hunger cues, eat when they’re truly hungry, and notice when they’re full. Eating healthier and more nutritious foods can also help seniors to feel fuller faster because they’re getting more nutrients.
Making any changes to eating habits and overall diet just isn’t easy for every senior out there. Physical limitations, memory issues, and mobility challenges are just a few of the reasons that seniors might need more help. Home care providers can offer lots of assistance with meal preparation, running errands like grocery shopping, and so much more.
Deciding to be more cognizant of nutrition is really important for seniors, but making big sweeping changes as a New Year’s resolution might not be the best way to make this happen. Home care providers can help aging adults to make the little incremental changes necessary to improve health.
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Phoenix, AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!
Hello Seniors, Families and Friends. Many times, when a senior has a situation that pushes them to share space with a loved one, it can be very demoralizing and confusing for the person who has the need. Please recognize that the person who has the need in many situations are going through either mental, physical, emotional or some other type of failure that is causing them to need assistance. Many times, the person willing to share space and help are not sure what things to say to their loved one to help them accept their new normal. According to an AgingCare.com newsletter published in January, answers that include the following should assist in helping the person with the need to accept their new normal. Your answers should include and highlight the following;
1. It should recognizes and HEARS your loved ones issues and concerns by restating them.
2. It should offer and describe some level of HOPE.
3. It should finalize by letting them know you enjoy their company and want to enjoy good times with them again along with providing the best and safest solution.
For more information, please feel free to contact us at one of the methods herein.
