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Tag: Elderly Care in Phoenix AZ

What Causes Hearing Loss in Aging Adults?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Hearing loss can be a frustrating situation for your senior because it can make it difficult for her to communicate with and connect with the people around her. She can also lose some of the hobbies and other parts of her life that she really loves.

Long Term Exposure to Loud Noise

One of the most common reasons that people lose their hearing is from long term exposure to loud noises. This type of hearing loss might happen gradually, over years of exposure to loud noises. Ear protection can help to reduce hearing loss, but your senior might have already experienced the noise that contributed to the damage in her inner ear.

Damaged Eardrums

Sudden hearing loss is often the result of a damaged ear drum. This can happen due to an injury, such as a blow to the head, or because of something that was pushed into the ear canal. This is a big reason that cotton swabs are not recommended for ear cleaning. But an infection can also cause a ruptured ear drum, so it’s important to get to your senior’s doctor if she suddenly loses her hearing.

Earwax Buildup

Over time, ear wax can start to build up in your elderly family member’s ear canal. When that happens, it’s more difficult for sound waves to get where they can be interpreted. If your senior’s doctor is able to remove the ear wax, she can likely experience a full recovery of her hearing.

Other Health Conditions

Those other health issues that your senior battles every day, especially diabetes or high blood pressure, don’t just impact those systems of her body. They can also contribute to hearing loss. Likewise, a stroke can affect the hearing in one or both of your senior’s ears. There may be other health issues that affect her hearing, too.

Ototoxic Medications

Ototoxic medications are medications that are known to be damaging to hearing. Many of these medications are prescription medications, and the ototoxicity may be listed as a potential side effect. But what most people don’t realize is that there are a lot of ototoxic medications that are extremely common over the counter medications. These are things like aspirin and ibuprofen. If your senior already has hearing loss, talk to her doctor about what medications she may want to avoid or take sparingly.

As your senior’s hearing changes, it might be beneficial for her to have some extra assistance. Elderly care providers can make sure that she’s safe and that her needs are met, especially if you’re not able to be there with her.

If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring elderly 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!

What Are the Warning Signs of a Stroke?

Posted on by Craig Bass

A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is blocked or interrupted. When the brain doesn’t receive enough blood, it also doesn’t get the oxygen and nutrients it means. As a result, brain tissue can be damaged or even destroyed. While a stroke can be deadly, more people are surviving them today thanks to better medical treatments and greater awareness of stroke symptoms. When family caregivers know the symptoms of stroke, their older family members can receive treatment faster. The sooner treatment is received, the more likely it is that the outcome will be a good one.

Signs of a Stroke

To help people remember and recognize the signs of stroke, the American Heart Association uses the acronym F.A.S.T. The letters mean:

  • Face Drooping: When you look at your older family member, does it appear that one side of their face is drooping? If you’re not certain, ask them to smile. If their smile looks lopsided, they could be having a stroke.
  • Arm Weakness: During a stroke, one arm may feel weak or numb. Ask them to raise both arms. When one arm drifts downward, it is a sign of stroke.
  • Speech: Stroke can cause slurred or garbled speech. Ask your older family to repeat a simple phrase back to you to check for speech problems.
  • Time: If you see any of the above signs of stroke in your older family member, call 911 immediately. Even if the symptoms go away, they should go to the hospital since they may have had a mini stroke, which can be a sign that a bigger stroke is coming.

Preventing a Stroke

The most effective way of preventing a stroke in an older adult is by helping them to live a healthier lifestyle. This includes exercising and eating a healthy diet. Other steps you can help your aging relative to take are:

  • Managing high blood pressure.
  • Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight.
  • Managing diabetes.
  • Quitting smoking.
  • Drinking alcohol only in moderation.

Elderly care can assist older to reduce their risk factors for stroke. For example, an elderly care provider can prepare healthy meals and encourage the senior to be more physically active. Elderly care providers can also help with managing high blood pressure by reminding your loved one to take their medications and cooking low salt meals. Should the older adult have a stroke, an elderly care provider can call 911 to ensure they receive the immediate help they need.

Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/signs_symptoms.htm
https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/stroke-symptoms
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/symptoms-causes/syc-20350113

If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring elderly 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!

Alzheimer’s Disease: What Physical Symptoms Should You Know More About?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Does your elderly loved one have an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis? If so, it would be helpful if you could learn more about the symptoms of their disease. The more that you and their elderly care providers know about the symptoms they have, the more help you can give them when they need it. There are different types of symptoms that your elderly loved one may experience. Today, you can focus more on learning about the physical symptoms that your elderly loved one may develop.

Behavior Changes

Your elderly loved one could start by having behavior changes. These often occur before any physical symptoms occur. For instance, your elderly loved one’s disease may start with some memory loss. They may forget where they put their keys or have trouble holding a conversation because they can’t remember certain things. Social interactions may become more difficult for your elderly loved one. From there, as their Alzheimer’s disease progresses, they may develop physical symptoms, as well.

Physical Symptoms That May Be Noticed Early On

In addition to the behavior changes that your elderly loved one could experience with Alzheimer’s disease, there are physical symptoms that they may develop early on, too. Some of these symptoms might include the following:

  • Picking at their nails
  • Wringing their hands together
  • Losing bowel and/or bladder control
  • Losing the ability to do things they have always been able to do

If your elderly loved one has started displaying one or more of these physical symptoms, you may want to hire more elderly care services for them.

Advanced Physical Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease

In addition to the above-mentioned Alzheimer’s disease symptoms, your elderly loved one may also experience other physical symptoms. These symptoms may include the following:

  • Lack of personal hygiene
  • Worsened bowel and/or bladder control
  • Not able to groom themselves
  • Losing physical mobility
  • Vision issues
  • Higher risk of developing pneumonia
  • Losing awareness and balance
  • These symptoms will often occur as the disease progresses.

If your elderly loved one has gotten an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, it is important to get them the care that they need. It can be tough to handle these symptoms. However, you can hire an elderly care provider who is trained in this disease. They will be able to help your elderly loved one as the disease progresses. The elderly care provider will be able to assist your elderly loved one in the things they are no longer able to do.

Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/managing-personality-and-behavior-changes-alzheimers
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-are-signs-alzheimers-disease

If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring elderly 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!