Hello Seniors, Families and Friends. Attached, please see some of the wonderful work our Community Liaison Kira is doing in the community. She loves to make seniors smile. For more information on how you can have Kira do an activity with your facility, please contact us at GoldenHeartScottsdale.com.
Heart disease is one of the most common illnesses among seniors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approximately 47% of adults aged 60 and older have some form of cardiovascular disease. This includes conditions like coronary artery disease, heart failure, and arrhythmias.
The American Heart Association reports that more than 80% of people aged 65 and older have at least one risk factor for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. That’s why it’s so important that your senior parent gets checked for heart disease if they have any of the common risk factors.
Seniors who have heart disease can often live quite comfortably at home, if they have home care. Home care provides extra support to seniors that are living with a chronic illness. A home care provider is a trusted friend who can help your mom or dad with everyday tasks, shopping and running errands, and making sure they take their medication.
If your mom or dad has any of these common risk factors for heart disease, talk to them about getting a checkup and getting screened for heart disease. Early prevention is the key to helping seniors live well with heart disease.
High blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease in seniors. As people age, their blood vessels become stiffer, which can cause an increase in blood pressure.
Hypertension puts additional strain on the heart, making it work harder to pump blood throughout the body. Over time, this can lead to heart enlargement, weakened heart muscles, and even heart failure.
If your senior parent has a sedentary lifestyle, a family history of high blood pressure, or is overweight they should get checked by a doctor to make sure they don’t have heart disease.
Having high cholesterol is another risk factor of heart disease that seniors should be aware of. As seniors age, their cholesterol levels tend to rise, particularly if they have a diet high in saturated fats, are overweight, or are inactive.
High cholesterol can cause the arteries to become clogged, leading to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. If your mom or dad has high cholesterol home care can help them make changes to their diet and lifestyle to manage it.
Diabetes significantly increases the risk of heart disease because high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves that control the heart.
Seniors with diabetes are more likely to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, both of which are major risk factors for heart disease. If your mom or dad has diabetes, home care can be a great resource to help them manage their diabetes and lower their risk of heart disease and other complications.
Obesity also increases the risk that your mom or dad will develop heart disease. Obesity can also lead to inflammation and stress on the heart, causing it to work harder.
Seniors who are obese often don’t get a lot of physical activity, which can make the risk of developing cardiovascular problems higher. Home care can help your mom or dad eat a better diet, move as much as possible, and monitor their health.
Reference
https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/risk-factors-for-heart-disease
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Sun Lakes, AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!
It’s a common misconception that people need less sleep as they age. Sleep is an important part of your elderly loved one’s well-being and without regular, restorative sleep, his health can suffer.
Sleeping is an important time for the body to rest, do some maintenance, and restore and replenish needed levels in the body. Without a healthy sleep life, your loved one increases his risk for multiple health issues.
So, how does your loved one go about getting a better night’s sleep? While he might be able to make the changes needed, he might also find that if he has other health issues, having someone stay in his home during both the day and night, will help him take the needed steps for better sleep. A 24-hour home care team will have someone stay with your loved one both when he’s awake and sleeping. A 24-hour home care provider can help with those middle-of-the-night changes or those bedtime routine changes that your loved one is trying to implement. Plus, having a 24-hour home care provider there at night, might help your loved one rest better knowing someone is there if he needs help with anything.
These tips are not just when your loved one goes to bed. Better sleep starts the minute he wakes up each morning.
With the consistency of better habits, your loved one will soon be sleeping better.
If you or an aging loved one is considering 24-hour home care in Cave Creek, AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!
To me, this post deserves more than one picture. For 15 years, I have been a founding board member of K2 Adventures Foundation, a 501-C3 non-profit. We help special needs children and families. One of our most donated and glitzy events is in the pictures. It’s called Masquerade. We reward military and other essential workers as well as people in need in large part based on what is raised this night. Please visit our Facebook page for more information. After a 15 year involvement, I really believe we set records for donations tonight. Congratulations Kristen, Kevin and K2 Adventures Foundation on another successful event.
Diet is going to be a crucial focus no matter what time of year it is, for seniors. Your loved one may have diet restrictions either for weight management or chronic conditions, but that does not mean they should have to skip out on Thanksgiving dinner. It just means you need to be conscientious of the menu. If a senior is aging in place alone, senior home care can help them come up with a small Thanksgiving meal to have during the week that caters to their diet needs. Here are some favorite dishes and alternative recipes to do instead, which can help your loved one enjoy the day but maintain their needed diet.
Turkey is a traditional meal for Thanksgiving and luckily it is one of the healthier options for seniors. If they do not like turkey or they are living on their own they can opt for a smaller bird like chicken. These are both birds that senior home care can help prepare in advance at the beginning of the week to enjoy on Thanksgiving. These are the best lean sources of protein filled with vitamin B, low carb, and easier to digest than other types of meat. This can easily be baked in the oven and smaller birds won’t take very long to roast.
Because potatoes are high in carbohydrates, which can cause blood sugar increases, especially for individuals with diabetes or insulin resistance, they might not be the best option for seniors. However, mashed potatoes are a staple in Thanksgiving meals, so if you are looking for a replacement, try mashed cauliflower. This is a vegetable that is lower in carbs and calories making it the perfect side for those who are looking to eat low carb and maintain a healthy weight. Mashed cauliflower is also a great choice for seniors who are trying to manage their blood sugar and digestive health. Cauliflower is healthy and it has a versatile flavor. Whatever herbs you add is what it will taste like so you have so many options to work with.
Baking carrots, broccoli, yams or brussels sprouts is such a good option for seniors. These are healthy, filling, and full of nutrients that a senior loved one needs to be healthy. Thanksgiving can be one of the healthiest celebrations out there; you just have to think things through. Baking carrots and other vegetables can be done on one pan and herbs have little to no calories making it perfect for your loved one who is focused on health. They will taste good, be easy to make, and your senior loved one can fill up on them.
Green beans are usually another staple in Thanksgiving meals and luckily they are something that can be great for a senior to consume regularly. Many dishes contain bacon which is high in sodium and fta but a good alternative is to use turkey bacon instead. You can do everything the same as any other recipe but use alternative types of bacon instead to lower sodium and fat levels in the dish.
If you or an aging loved one is considering senior home care in Maricopa, AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!
Again, this picture has nothing to do with this article. But, it illustrates how we like to get out into the community. Please see what our clients are saying about us:
For the past year or so, the aide assigned from Golden Heart has been MC. I wanted to reach out to thank you for sending her to work with and assist my mother. I have joined M and my mother at multiple doctor’s appointments where she actively listens and assists my mother and the doctors. At home, she is an active participant in my mother’s day and attends to her needs providing very good care. My mother seems to be pleased with M and M also seems genuinely interested in my mother’s well-being.
Please accept this email with my gratitude for your employee’s positive and caring service.
We are so proud of the work we do. More importantly, we so very proud of the team that helps us do it. For information on how to get a caregiver like this for you or a loved one, please visit us at GoldenHeartScottsdale.com.
This picture is not related to this article but illustrates how we love to get out into the community. Some of our clients are on hospice. We’ve redacted the names. Please see what the hospice nurse had to say about our caregiver:
——I had the pleasure of meeting them yesterday, along with C’s caregiver, L. WOW! She is truly amazing! I was really impressed by her approach—she didn’t just “tell” C what to do; instead, she asked him questions, allowing him to come to his own conclusions. She is kind, caring and so great with him. L is a true professional. You are lucky to have her on your team.
We love to have a great time with those who need care. Here are pictures of some of our friends having a great time painting and winning gifts. For information on how you can receive an activity or engage your patients for a day, please contact us at GoldenHeartScottsdale.com.
Everyone uses the phrase “laughter is the best medicine,” and while you can’t laugh away a serious health condition, learning to laugh at life and enjoy the world around you can improve your overall health in many aspects. Your elderly loved one is no exception to that rule. A little laughter can go a long way to helping to improve her health.
There are three ways that laughter can benefit seniors – physically, socially, and mentally. Let’s look at just some of the benefits in all three categories.
Physically
Mentally
Laughter can also help with mental health concerns.
Socially
Add Laughter to the Menu with a Companion Care at Home Provider
Maybe your loved one feels like she just doesn’t laugh that often and doesn’t know how to get started. She doesn’t need to alter her personality to learn to laugh more but she might need a few starting points and having someone like a companion care at home provider help her find the funny things in life might be just what the doctor ordered. Here are a few ways your loved one and her companion care at home provider can increase her daily laughter.
If you or an aging loved one is considering companion care at home in Cave Creek, AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!
October is National Eat Better, Eat Together Month. While many look at this month as a time to remind parents that having meals with their children together is an important part of having a healthy household, the same can also be said for your elderly loved one. Below are some great tips for sharing a meal together with your senior this month and how home care assistance can help.
The benefits of sharing a daily meal with someone are huge, and it can make a big difference in the quality of life for an elderly person, especially one who lives alone.
If you do not live near your loved one, or can only visit on weekends, how do you encourage her to eat better by eating together this month (and hopefully well into her future)?
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care assistance in Ahwatukee, AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!
