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Author: Craig Bass

How to Help Your Senior This Holiday Season

Posted on by Craig Bass

Although you may like the holidays, it is not always easy for your senior to get in the holiday spirit. This may be a time they used to love to spend with their partners and family, and not all seniors have their family. However, whether you are an elder care provider or an older adult child, there are some things you can do to help your loved one enjoy and get through this season.

Involve Them in Plans

Even if you don’t live with your elderly parents, you can still involve them in things like holiday plans and preparation. You can invite them over to celebrate advent every Sunday, decorate for Christmas together, and plan other Christmas activities for your senior. Your senior may have physical limitations making this holiday season feel more unenjoyable, but you can still find things for them to do or have elder care help them do these things.

Modify Your Traditions for Your Senior

Everyone wants to have family traditions, but when you start caring for a senior, you need to be flexible. Seniors with dementia may not be able to do everything when they want, even with the help of elder care. Help them remember what traditions they love and what you want your kids to grow up knowing but don’t be afraid to change or shorten traditions. You have to be flexible when you start caring for your loved one.

Help Minimize a Seniors Stress

Holidays can have a ton of pressure on the whole family, especially when you can’t be flexible. You not only need to help them de-stress, but you also need to learn to relax. Seniors can pick up on the moods and feelings of other people. This means when you are stressed, your senior will likely experience it too. When you start to feel overwhelmed, take a step back, focus on your senior, and ensure they are feeling okay. When you need extra help, it is important to find the right home care specialist to help your family.

Focus on Creating Memories

Your senior will not be around forever, so getting them involved with your family is crucial. This is time to allow them to spend joyous moments with the grandkids and snap photos of everything you want to remember. The holiday season allows your seniors and kids time to spend together and gives your kids memories they will cherish forever. Put your senior first, especially if they are alone during this time.

Take Them Out

Not all seniors can drive, and even with the help of elder care, they may not get out often. You can take them out to Christmas events and ensure they have something to do with your family. This is the time to see a local Christmas tree lighting or even stroll around to look at the neighbor’s Christmas decor. Your senior can do many easy things with your family, but you may have to pick them up and take them to do these things.

If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Apache Junction, AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!

What are the Benefits of Compression Socks?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Hello Senior Community. Compression socks can help with a lot of health issues. Compression socks can help with blood flow, can help prevent ulcerations, can help with pain or swelling and can help reduce incidence of thrombosis. Putting them on can be a challenge. They are often worn incorrectly. Wearing compression socks incorrectly can have a very negative effect on blood flow and cause problems. It is important to be sure NOT to have folds or bunching of material when wearing compression socks. To learn more about compression socks, either phone Golden Heart Senior Care at 480.622.3557 or visit this link.

Thank you for being a caring person. Have a safe and happy holiday season.

Our Caregivers Do the Right Things Right!

Posted on by Craig Bass

Happy Holidays Senior Community. We have a couple of caregivers who have done some exceptional activities as far as caring for their clients. At Golden Heart, we are in the habit of catching people doing the right things right. When we do, we give them what’s called reward bonu$ point$ that they can use for lots of different types of gift cards. I would like to thank two caregivers WA and AT for doing the right things right. And for these two ladies, we are awarding them 500 bonu$ reward point$ to be used for gift cards. All caregivers, do something fantastic so that we can reward you with bonus points. We would love to help you put the shopping worries behind you. Happy Holidays everyone.

Welcome Our Newest Caregiver, PG!

Posted on by Craig Bass

Hello Senior Community. As we continue to improve our efforts and help more clients, we hire more caregivers. Please meet our newest. Her name is PG. PG does a great job wherever she goes. Clients love and appreciate her efforts and attitude. Thank you for giving your best effort everyday, PG. We’re lucky and happy to have you on our team.

Keep up the great work!

Rodney Malone

Getting More B12 Into Your Senior’s Diet

Posted on by Craig Bass

Vitamin B12, commonly known as cyanocobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin required for optimal adrenal gland function, nerve tissue health, and red blood cell synthesis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every 31 persons over the age of 51 had inadequate vitamin B12 levels, according to the results of a 2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. More than 5% of people over 65 are also affected by the deficit. Vitamin B12 is especially essential for older persons since the body’s absorption of the mineral decreases with age.

Seniors might acquire dietary deficits and other major health problems as they age. Maintaining a good quality of life might be difficult for some seniors, but senior home care can assist them in accomplishing this aim. Families may rely on senior home care professionals to assist their elderly loved ones in making lifestyle choices that will boost their chances of living a longer and healthier life.

Understanding Vitamin B Deficiency

Seniors with insufficient vitamin B12 levels might develop pernicious anemia, which causes inexplicable tiredness, fast heart rate, joint discomfort, and trouble breathing. Memory loss and other cognitive impairment symptoms are typical in B12-deficient elderly and may be misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s or mental illness. Confusion and despair are common cognitive symptoms, as are hallucinations and paranoia. Other symptoms include numbness or tingling in the limbs, loss of muscular coordination, an inflamed and swollen tongue, and jaundice. Although symptoms may be mild at first, they might worsen with time and cause the deficit to worsen. Here are some ways senior home care can help to get more vitamin B in a senior’s diet.

Dairy Products Can Be Added to a Senior’s Diet

A bowl of fortified cereal is a simple method to receive B12. Whole-grain products often provide 25 to 100% of the daily minimum intake. Adding low-fat milk, skim milk, or yogurt to dry cereal boosts the B12 content by 15 to 20%. Another fantastic way to obtain nutrition is by consuming a couple of eggs and a dairy product.

Consume More Lean Meats

Vitamin B12 is abundant in lean meat. As an alternative, consider buffalo meat. Buffalo meat is naturally reduced in calories, saturated fat, and total fat content, while still supplying heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids to seniors. Organic grass-fed beef is another rich source of B12.

Seafood Can be Added Into Meals

Four to five ounces of salmon, sardines, or trout in a lunch or dinner meal is an excellent approach to increasing B12 levels. Clams are an additional option. Three ounces of clams provide 100 percent of the necessary dose of the vitamin, as well as iron, selenium, zinc, and protein.

Adding Nutritional Yeast On Foods

Vegans, vegetarians, and seniors who do not consume red meat can consider adding nutritional yeast to their diets. To increase daily consumption, add one tablespoon to casseroles or other meals. Although certain plant foods include trace levels of vitamin B12, nutritional yeast is a superior source.

When In Doubt, Check with Their Doctor About Supplements

Vitamin B12, folic acid, and other B vitamins are often included in over-the-counter multivitamins. When inserted beneath the tongue, sublingual vitamins dissolve. Seniors with severe deficits are often administered vitamin B12 injections as a supplement. Other medication alternatives include vitamin-containing nasal gels.

Source
https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/what-to-know-about-vitamin-b12-dosage-for-older-adults

If you or an aging loved one is considering senior home care in Queens Creek, AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!

Meet Our Mascot, Bella!

Posted on by Craig Bass

Hello Senior Community. We work very hard to take care of our clients. If you don’t believe us, just take a look at our mascot. Her name is Bella. Bella is quite tired after spending a day visiting seniors in a community that appreciates dogs and visitors. Well Bella, thank you for being a great sport today. Enjoy you rest. You earned it.

How Can Personal Care at Home Help Seniors with Diabetic Eye Disease?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Your dad has had diabetes for some time, and he’s starting to struggle more than he used to. His doctor says he’s losing his vision. November is Diabetic Eye Disease Month and a good time to address your dad’s growing need for personal care at home.

What Causes Vision Loss?

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness among diabetics. It occurs when blood sugar levels are not carefully managed. The blood vessels in the eye may rupture and leak blood into the retina.

If this continues to happen and isn’t treated, fluid may start to leak into part of the macula. The macula swells with this excess fluid and it distorts central vision. Macular edema and diabetic retinopathy caused by diabetes can rob your dad of his vision.

In addition, people with diabetes have a slightly higher risk of developing other eye conditions like glaucoma and cataracts. Both of which can impact your dad’s ability to see clearly over time.

Yearly eye exams are essential to helping your dad retain his vision. If he fails to do this, however, he could end up permanently blind.

Are There Signs to Look For?

What signs should your dad look for? Often, there are no clear indicators of eye disease until the vision is diminishing. He should watch for an increased number of floaters, bright flashes of light in the eyes, vision that changes from one day to another, and dark areas in his vision.

He should also pay attention to colors that don’t look as vivid as they used to. If he notices any of these or finds his vision is a lot blurrier than it ever was, he should make an appointment to see his eye doctor ASAP.

Difficulties With Personal Care That Happen With Vision Loss

As your dad’s vision goes, he’s not going to be able to see items within his home. He may be able to feel his way to a room, but he could trip over any items in his way. Judging the height of his bathtub’s side is an issue and could lead to him falling.

Your dad isn’t going to be able to distinguish a bottle of shampoo from the conditioner. He won’t be able to tell his shampoo and body wash apart. He’s not going to be able to see his face to safely shave. It’s all going to require an adjustment.

When your dad’s vision is diminishing, it’s important that you arrange the care services he needs for oral care, grooming, and hygiene. He may also need assistance with toileting while he adjusts. A personal care at home aide helps with all of that.

Personal care at home can help him take care of his teeth and gums, help him wash his body and hair, and get to the toilet on time. Call a personal care at home advisor to learn more.

If you or an aging loved one is considering personal care at home in Fountain Hills, AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!

Congratulations to Summit Hospice!

Posted on by Craig Bass

In our business of caring for others, you meet some great people working for some great companies. One company that we have shared a lot of street time with is Summit Hospice. When a company you know and respect moves into a new office and has an open house, we support their efforts. I didn’t take enough pictures. To Summit Hospice, I would like to say congratulations on your new space. Your office is beautiful. Your team is well trained. And, your work in the senior community is much appreciated. Congratulations on your new office. Keep helping the community in which we work. Our seniors appreciate your efforts.

Dental Care Tips for Senior Citizens

Posted on by Craig Bass

This is the time of year we are looking forward to candy on Halloween, big meals on Thanksgiving, and family dinner for Christmas. But where does that leave your teeth? Many seniors forget how important it is to focus on dental hygiene as they age. However, seniors must keep a routine need to maintain a consistent dental hygiene routine, too. Here are a few important oral health tips and how companion care at home can help with them.

Never Stop Brushing Or Flossing

If you’ve been taking good care of your teeth your whole life, you know the fundamentals already: brush and floss twice daily. Some alterations may be made to these two fundamentals despite their continued significance as you mature. You should treat your teeth and gums gently since they have endured a lot just by being alive. Plaque becomes more stubborn and more rapidly accumulates in people over 50.

Something that may help your seniors stick to a brushing and flossing routine is to have them switch to an electric toothbrush with very soft bristles. Companion care at home may also help remind them to floss after each meal to keep the bacteria down.

Use Mouthwash But Be Careful

A strategy change may be required if you have been using mouthwash many times daily. While it’s true that using mouthwash regularly may help reduce the likelihood of developing cavities or plaque, it also has the potential to alter the mouth’s pH and lead to dry mouth. While dealing with an elderly person, you should exercise caution when using mouthwash due to the prevalence of dry mouth in this demographic. You just need to give your teeth and gums a quick rinse before night. Also, you might benefit from trying something that doesn’t include alcohol.

Implants and Dentures

Dentures may not be your best choice if you’ve lost teeth and are looking into replacing them. In many cases, dental implants might be a far better option than traditional dentures. Implants are a permanent solution that mimics the appearance of your natural teeth without the risk. Implants stabilize your jaw bone, improving your chewing, and protecting your jaw joints from damage. Consult your dentist for advice tailored to your needs.

Dentures need special attention to hygiene. Dentures need daily cleaning with a denture-cleaning solution. In addition, you should remove your dentures and rest your mouth often. It is recommended that dentures be removed from the mouth for at least four hours every day (when sleeping is ideal).

Watch for Medication Side Effects

What, if any, drugs do you take? Maybe they’re making your mouth dry, which might be bad for your teeth. If you suffer from dry mouth, you should know that it’s not only an irritation; it may also be harmful to your oral health since it makes it easier for plaque to stick to your teeth and speed up the progression of cavities and gum disease. Keep an eye out for any changes to your mouth, teeth, and gums after beginning a new medicine. If you’re experiencing any symptoms related to your medication, you should schedule an appointment with your dentist immediately.

Focus On Drinking Water

If you’re thirsty, choose water instead of soda. Regular citrus fruit juices and sodas contain a lot of sugar. Consuming an excessive amount of sugary beverages may lead to a decrease in dental enamel, the development of cavities, and even tooth loss. If you want to help out your mouth, ditch the sugary drinks and drink plenty of water instead. There are many positive effects on one’s health by regularly consuming water. Water is a natural preventative for dry mouth and will help rinse away acids in your mouth.

Source
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-care-seniors

If you or an aging loved one is considering companion care at home in Scottsdale, AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!

Thank You, Maria!

Posted on by Craig Bass

Hello senior care community. When you have someone who does a good job at work, we feel it’s important to recognize them. Our Office Assistant Maria, comes into the office every day with a smile, big energy and a can do attitude. Maria, we are lucky to have you as part of our office team. Enjoy your gift card as a thank you for doing and awesome job and having an awesome attitude. Thank you for all that you do.