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Tag: Senior Health Issues

Seniors and Traumatic Brain Injury

Posted on by ltcep2023

Traumatic brain injuries, also called TBIs, can have a significant impact on individuals of all ages, but seniors are particularly vulnerable due to age-related factors. Understanding as much as possible about TBIs and how they impact seniors is so important for family caregivers. This can also help families to get the right help for their aging adults, like bringing in 24-hour home care providers.

Causes of TBI in Seniors

Seniors can experience traumatic brain injuries due to various causes. Falls are the most common reason for TBIs among older adults, often resulting from impaired balance, decreased mobility, or vision problems. Other causes include accidents during daily activities, such as bumping heads on furniture or cabinets, or even motor vehicle accidents. Additionally, older adults may be at increased risk of TBIs due to certain medications that can affect balance and coordination. Understanding the causes of TBIs in seniors is crucial in implementing preventive measures to mitigate the risks.

Lingering Effects of TBIs

Traumatic brain injuries can have long-lasting effects on seniors, impacting their physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being. Physical effects may include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and difficulty with coordination and mobility. Cognitive effects can manifest as memory problems, decreased attention span, and difficulties with problem-solving and decision-making. Emotional effects may include mood swings, irritability, depression, and anxiety. It is important to recognize these lingering effects and provide appropriate support and resources for seniors to manage and cope with the challenges they may face.

Preventing Brain Injuries in Seniors

Prevention plays a crucial role in reducing the incidence of TBIs in seniors. Strategies for preventing brain injuries include creating a safe living environment by removing hazards, ensuring proper lighting, and using assistive devices like grab bars and non-slip mats. Elder care providers can help with these tasks. Regular exercise and balance training can help improve strength and stability, reducing the risk of falls. Encouraging seniors to wear appropriate protective gear when engaging in activities with a higher risk of head injury, such as cycling or skating, is also essential. Furthermore, medication reviews by healthcare professionals can identify medications that may increase the risk of falls or affect balance, allowing for adjustments as necessary.

Helping Seniors Recover from Traumatic Brain Injury

Supporting seniors in their recovery from traumatic brain injury requires a multidisciplinary approach. Medical professionals, including neurologists and rehabilitation specialists, can assess the severity of the injury and create personalized treatment plans. Rehabilitation programs may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and cognitive rehabilitation to address the specific challenges faced by each individual. Emotional support is also vital, as seniors may experience frustration, anxiety, and depression during their recovery process.

Encouraging social engagement and providing a supportive network can help seniors regain confidence and improve their overall well-being. Hands-on help, especially with daily tasks at home is essential. Some seniors may need help around the clock from 24-hour home care.

Traumatic brain injuries can have a profound impact on seniors, necessitating a comprehensive approach to prevention, management, and recovery. By understanding how to help seniors manage TBIs properly, family caregivers can put the right solutions in place.

If you or an aging loved one is considering 24-hour home care in Tempe. AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!

Why Are Eye Exams Imperative for Seniors?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Vision and eye health are topics that lots of people don’t think about too much until they’re affected by something else. Seniors who aren’t going to eye appointments every year might find that they’re having a lot more difficulty with daily tasks. Personal care at home can help with these tasks and preserve independence for seniors, but it’s still vital to get to those eye exams, too.

Eye Health Changes Over Time

Eye health is an important aspect of health for seniors in particular. As the body ages, the risk of developing certain eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration increases. Seniors should prioritize regular eye exams in order to maintain clear vision and to catch any eye diseases in the early stages. Challenges like not driving any longer might make it more difficult to get to appointments, but home care providers can assist with transportation.

Eye Exams Help Detect Problems

Regular eye exams allow for early detection of any potential eye issues that may arise as well as maintain clear vision. Eye exams are especially important for seniors as age-related eye diseases can often be treated more effectively in the early stages. Additionally, regular eye exams can help reduce the risk of falls due to poor vision. If a senior notices a change in their vision, they should be sure to schedule an appointment with their optometrist immediately.

Vision Loss Is the Biggest Risk Seniors Face

If a senior chooses not to prioritize regular eye exams, they may be at risk of vision loss due to an untreated eye condition. Glaucoma can cause permanent injury to the optic nerve. If left to continue, that damage can lead to blindness. Cataracts are also a common eye condition among seniors. This condition occurs when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, causing vision to be blurred. Early detection and treatment of cataracts can help reduce the risk of vision loss.

Tests During an Eye Exam

Sometimes seniors are worried about what the eye exam is going to be like, so they don’t prioritize the appointment. Glaucoma tests involve a machine blowing a puff of air onto the surface of the eye to measure the pressure within the eye. Other tests might involve pictures of the retina as well as an in-depth exam by the eye doctor.

Being Proactive about Eye Health Is Important

Seniors who aren’t able to see well may need more help with daily activities like bathing, getting dressed, and grooming. Personal care at home can help with all of these tasks on a daily basis. Caregivers can also be there to assist with mobility and other concerns. Staying on top of eye health helps to reduce the problems that can lead to permanent vision loss.

Seniors need to prioritize eye exams regularly in order to protect their vision and ensure that their eyes are healthy. Avoiding these appointments doesn’t mean that seniors won’t eventually have trouble with their vision, so it’s important to make it easier for them to get to these appointments and to take care of their eye health at home.

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

4 Unexpected Sources Of Stress Seniors Are Dealing With

Posted on by Craig Bass

April is Stress Awareness Month and it’s a good time to talk with your senior parent about the stress that they’re under and how you and elder care can help them manage it. Many children don’t realize that their senior parents are under a lot of stress every day because they typically don’t talk about it. Sometimes they don’t recognize it, and sometimes they just don’t want to talk about it because they think that it’s not something that should be talked about.

But stress can have a big impact on a senior’s health. It can make existing health conditions worse, and increase the risk of a senior developing serious health problems like heart disease. Stress also can contribute to mental health problems like depression or anxiety. Some of the sources of senior stress that you might not be aware of include:

Loss Of Purpose

Seniors often struggle after they retire because they feel like they have lost their sense of purpose. For many seniors going to work every day was their purpose, and without their professional achievements they feel worthless. Even seniors who are enjoying their retirement can still feel stress about losing their routine, going to work every day, and feeling a sense of professional satisfaction at the end of the day.

Death Of A Loved One

If your senior parent has lost their spouse, a sibling, or someone else that was very important to them and a huge part of their lives that loss can cause major stress. All of a sudden your senior loved one could be alone without the comforting presence of someone that they had in their lives for decades, or possibly even all their lives in the case of a sibling. The grieving process is slow, painful, and extremely stressful for seniors. It can help to encourage your senior to get some professional help dealing with a major loss.

Loss Of Independence

Seniors worry quite a bit about losing their independence as they get older. That’s one of the reasons why so many seniors prefer to age in place. They want to live independently in their own homes. But health problems and mobility challenges can make it very difficult for seniors to keep up with housework, cooking, shopping, and household management.

Worry About The Future

Worrying about the future is another common source of stress for seniors. They worry about their health and what will happen if they get sicker. They worry about what will happen to you and they don’t want to be a burden. Everyone worries about the future, but you can help a senior parent worry less about the future by talking about it with them. Talk about their final wishes, and come up with a plan for the future so that they can feel more relaxed.

How Elder Care Can Help

Elder care can relieve a lot of stress for seniors. Elder care providers can come in and help seniors with the housework, shopping, and other tasks so that seniors can have the comfort and safety of living at home without having to do all the heavy lifting themselves. They can offer companionship, transportation and a friendly face on a regular basis that seniors can rely on. Elder care can also reduce stress for family caregivers and other relatives helping to care for a senior by offering dependable respite care.

References
https://www.health.harvard.edu/stress/stress-relief-tips-for-older-adults

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

What Is Social Anxiety?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Getting your mom to leave the house and go to social functions is proving impossible. She used to be more comfortable visiting family and attending gatherings with friends, but that’s changed. Have you looked at social anxiety as the reason this is happening? Social anxiety affects about 7% of the population, and it usually appears around the age of 13. It may not seem likely to happen in older adults, but it can, and it often goes hand-in-hand with health issues like dementia. People with dementia are likely to withdraw and become very anxious in social situations. Here are a few things to consider about social anxiety and how home care can help.

Understanding the Realities of Social Anxiety

When a person has social anxiety, they’re constantly in fear of what other people are thinking or saying about them. They live in fear of being judged, doing something wrong or foolish in front of others, or saying the wrong thing.

A person with social anxiety may reflect on something that was said months or even years ago and be filled with shame. Rather than go through this, it’s often easier to avoid social situations. Withdrawing from public events, family gatherings, or reunions is common behavior with social anxiety.

People with Alzheimer’s disease are often easily agitated, and this is due to anxiety. As memories, names, and facial recognition diminish, it’s easy to become anxious in large gatherings. There’s too much activity, noise, and conversation to be comfortable.

Helping Your Mom Deal With Social Anxiety

Your mom’s memory care doctor is a great source of information on how to help with Alzheimer’s-related anxiety issues. Sometimes, medications can help ease anxiety, but that’s just one option.

Prepare your mom in advance for gatherings. Pick and choose the ones to attend, and try to stick to small events where your mom will be very familiar with people.

Make sure that people know your mom has Alzheimer’s. They need to know some tips for keeping her from feeling awkward or anxious. If she asks a question over and over, they should just keep answering it without saying she’s already told them that.

You might want to consider having business cards printed up that have Alzheimer’s tips printed on them. Your mom sees you slipping someone a business card and won’t think much of it. If you speak up and say she has Alzheimer’s where she can hear it, she might feel self-conscious and that can worsen the situation.

Follow Your Mom’s Cues

How can you help your mom when she’s experiencing social anxiety? Don’t push her into situations that make her uncomfortable. If there is a gathering that she must attend, make sure it’s on familiar ground, such as her home, where she has a safe place to go if she feels uncomfortable.

It may be best to stop pushing her into social events with family and friends. If she’s scared and anxious, let her stay home while you go. A home care provider can offer your mom one-on-one companionship at home that may make her feel more comfortable than being in public. Home care aides cover all of her care needs and provide you with a chance to go out and have fun.

Sources:
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics

If you or an aging loved one is considering home 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!