Throughout this series, we’ve outlined some of the great benefits of having pets in your home, as well as some considerations you should take when picking out a pet, such as a dog.
We’ve already mentioned a few things to consider when picking out a dog, but since dogs aren’t for everyone, we thought we would take a look at a few other pets that also make a great addition to any home. Take a look below: Read more
As we mentioned, pets can be a wonderful addition to any home, providing a sense of companionship, responsibility, and renewed sense of value in you or your aging loved ones life.
Now that you have a better understanding of what pets can do for you, we are going to help you maximize those benefits by showing you how to go about choosing the right pet for you and your lifestyle. Take a look below: Read more
Pets can be a wonderful addition to any home, providing a sense of companionship, responsibility, and more.
And the home of an aging loved one is no exception. In fact, studies have shown quite a number of benefits to introducing pets into the lives of our aging loved ones.
Throughout this series, we will discuss various aspects regarding seniors and their pets, from the benefits, to how to choose a pet that is right for them, to how to care for a pet in their old age. Read more
The much anticipated first day of spring is less than a week away, so it only makes sense that we get you prepared to make the best of the season.
Through this series, we’ve discussed a number of topics related to spring, from activities you should look forward to and health concerns to be aware of, to indoor spring cleaning tips.
To round off the series and get you geared up and ready to enjoy the festivities that come with the fresh and new season, we’re going to talk about a few outdoor spring cleaning tips that will get you excited to be outside. Take a look below:
Set up a lawn care service. If you parent already has a snow removal service, then you are already half of the way there “simply switch out snow removal for lawn service, such as cutting the grass and landscaping. Now is also the time to consider gardening plans, whether for a flowerbed or a vegetable garden.
Handle heavy outdoor furniture. With warmer weather approaching, the patio and deck will certainly see its fair share of use, meaning it is time to put out any lawn furniture your aging loved one has. To avoid any unnecessary strain or injury on your parent, it is best that you, or an able-bodied person, handles the heavy lifting. If possible, you should also consider securing any furniture to the ground with weight or ties in order to prevent them from being blown over by heavy winds.
Check for cracks in the sidewalk, steps, and driveway. Ice and salt can wreak havoc on our concrete, causing big cracks and uneven surfaces throughout the walkways and driveway. As such, it is important to make sure you get any damage taken care of right away in order to reduce the risk of falling. For situations like these, it is best to contact a professional who will be able to repair the damage immediately.
Put non-slip mats in and around the house. Unfortunately, winter isn’t the only season where the risk of falling can occur. Spring, especially the month of April, brings with it quite a few rainy days. If you aging loved one plans on being outside now that the weather is nice, be sure to put down non-slip mats on heavily trafficked areas in order to prevent any falls from occurring.
With these simple tips in mind, we hope to help you and your aging loved one get the most out of this wonderful spring season (and many to come). As always, if there are any questions or concerns about the information we’ve outlined throughout this series, please feel free to give us a call. We are always here to help!
Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living “currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa “provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!
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“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.firstcareco.wpengine.com.”
On Monday, we kicked of our series on helping your aging loved get ready for spring by outlining several springtime events to look forward to, as well as health concerns to be aware of.
Spring is a time that many people“including seniors“look forward to, as it signifies the coming of summer (and warm weather) as well as the many activities that go along with that weather, which we outlined in our previous post.
But as with winter, there are many things we need to do in order to get ready for the season. And one seasonal activity that occurs for most people around this time of the year is spring cleaning.
We thought we would give you and your aging loved ones a few tips to consider in order to help you get your spring off to a nice start. For today, we’ll focus on indoor spring-cleaning tips.
Take a look below:
Create a checklist. Before you begin, it’s a great idea to create a checklist of the tasks you’d like to get done. Ask your aging loved one what they’d like to see cleaned, and prioritize the list in terms of importance. It is also a good idea to divvy up the tasks and try your best to stick to the task list. This prevents the possibility that your parent may take on a task that is either too difficult or hazardous for them to do.
Remove the clutter before you clean. Once you’ve made a checklist, then it is time to remove any clutter that may prevent you or your loved one from cleaning. This may include extra blankets from the winter, emergency winter kits, shovels, throw rugs, cords, junk mail, or trash that they couldn’t throw away during the winter months. Doing this will prevent any unwanted risks of falling, due to tripping on objects that may get in the way of cleaning.
Take over on hard to reach projects. Dusting and window/curtain cleaning are just a few of the tasks that are commonly associated with spring cleaning. Because these tasks typically require step stools or ladders, it is best to take over these tasks yourself in order to avoid falls.
Handle the mopping and scrubbing. Not only can mopping and scrubbing increase the risk of falling due to slippery surfaces, it can also put a lot of strain on your aging loved ones body because it often requires a lot of side to side motion, as well as bending over. Therefore, it is suggested that you handle these tasks yourself or reserve them for an able-bodied-person, in order to eliminate the risk of injury.
On Friday, we will finish off our series with some outdoor spring cleaning tips. In the meantime, what are you and your aging loved one looking most forward to this spring season? Let us know by connecting with us on Twitter!
Physicians Choice Private Duty“currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa“provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!
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“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit us today..”
Winter can be a dull seasons for most. More often than not, we find ourselves stuck at home with nothing to do because the weather is so drab.
But with spring just around the corner, there’s no doubt that many people (including seniors) are getting excited for the fresh new changes to the season. Just like winter, though, there is a myriad of things we have to do in order to get ready for the change.
We did a series on helping your aging loved one get ready for winter, so we thought we’d give you one for spring, as well. Throughout this series, we will talk about a number of things related to spring, from activities you should look forward to and things to be aware of, to safe spring cleaning tips, indoor and out.
For today, we will start with activities you can look forward to and health concerns you should be aware of.
Spring activities
Spring is the time that outdoor activities begin to be more accessible to most people. To help get your aging loved one excited about this season, here are a few things they can look forward to:
Flowers/gardening. If you parent is an avid gardener, then now is the time to start helping them plan their flowerbeds. Sit down with them and help them sketch out what plants they want to grow, and where they want to grow them. Now is also the perfect time to start seedlings indoors so that they’ll be ready when it comes time to plant them.
Walking. When possible, spring is also a great time to take your parents out for a walk, giving them the opportunity to look at all of the beautiful plants that are beginning to pop out of the ground.
Spring holidays with the grandchildren. The springtime also has holidays that many people look forward to“most notably, Easter, Lent, and St. Patrick’s Day. If your family celebrates any of these, try to involve your aging loved ones in the planning of these events. This is a great way to make them feel like a part of your life, as well as their grandchildren’s lives.
Health concerns
As with anything our aging loved ones do, making sure they are healthy is the most important factor to consider as we approach spring. Here are just a few things to look for as spring approaches:
Allergies. As the trees, grass, and plants begin to come back to life, so do the allergens that commonly come with them. Spring is the time that molds, dust and pollen become abundant. As such, it’s important to keep an eye on your aging loved ones who may develop nasal congestion or hay fever due to allergens. Fortunately, there are many ways to effectively treat these problems. To learn more, please consult a medical professional.
Cold (but not too cold). Unfortunately, spring still has its fair share of cold days with the strong winds of March and the torrential April showers. To avoid any complications, make sure your parent is properly dressed and prepared for any brisk or stormy days.
On Wednesday, we’ll talk about ways to get your aging loved ones spring cleaning in order, starting with the indoor tasks. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns about the information we’ve outlined above, please give us a call. We’d love to help!
Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living “currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Wester Iowa“provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric car options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!
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“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.firstcareco.wpengine.com.”
Throughout this series, we’ve discussed various aspects of caregiver stress, from statistics regarding depression and anxiety, why it occurs and its effects, to the signs that may indicate you’re suffering from caregiver stress.
Now that you have a better understanding of its causes and effects, we’re going to discuss a few steps you can take in order to help relieve caregiver stress. Take a look below:
Ask for help. This is a point we really like to stress: there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help. For many, it can already be hard enough to take care of themselves. As a caregiver, though, you find that those responsibilities double as you begin to take care of your loved one, as well.
In turn, more often than not, you end up giving up many of your own personal responsibilities, leading to health complications, both mental and physical. Avoid this by asking for a helping hand as often as you can. Whether it is from a close friend or family member, or even a respite care program, there are plenty of options out there to help lessen any potential burdens.
Take a break, daily. Take a moment for yourself throughout the day. Even if it is just a brief half hour, taking the time to distress and gain your bearings will help you improve your attitude significantly, as well as help you feel in control of your own time.
Make time for yourself and for friends. Above all, it is important to take a moment and make time for your own life. Never sacrifice or put on hold your health, hobbies or friendships, because when the caregiving ends, you don’t want to force yourself to pick up things where they were left off.
Use these things as a form of support to help carry you through your aging loved one’s journey. In the end, it will help make things much easier for you.
Stress seems like an inevitable part of caregiving due to the passion we put into caring for our loved ones. But caregiver stress is not something any caregiver should have to accept.
Having an understanding of what caregiver stress entails and the steps you can take to help relieve or prevent caregiver stress will not only help you stay in good health, both mentally and physically, but also ensure that you are able to provide the best possible care for your loved ones for many years to come.
At Physicians’ Choice, we understand that the caregiver is the backbone of senior care. As always, if you ever have any questions or concerns about the information we’ve outlined above, please feel free to give us a call. We are always here to help.
Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!
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“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.firstcareco.wpengine.com.”
On Monday, we gave you an introduction to caregiver stress, outlining some statistics behind caregiver depression and anxiety, why it occurs, and the effects of poor mental health.
As a caregiver, you spend much of your time caring for others a very important and noble passion. But as we mentioned, taking proper care of yourself is also an essential part of caring for others. Your health, mental and physical, is vital to ensuring that you have the ability to continue caring for others without making any unnecessary sacrifices.
As such, it is important to do all you can to prevent it, and in order to do that, you must have an understanding of when you might fall prey to caregiver stress.
For part two of our series, we’re going to outline a few indicators that you may be suffering from caregiver stress. Take a look below:
Physical signs
Physical signs are often the first indicators that people notice when it comes to caregiver stress. Below we’ve outlined a few to be wary of:
Mental signs
Though harder to detect, there are several mental signs that show that you or a caregiver you know may be suffering from stress. Here are just a fews:
On Friday, we’ll round off our series by giving you several ways to help you fight caregiver stress. In the mean time, if you have any questions or concerns about the information we’ve discussed in this post/series, please feel free to give us a call.
Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!
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“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.firstcareco.wpengine.com.”
As a caregiver, you dedicate your life to taking care of others but what about when it comes to taking care of yourself?
Caregiving is a difficult job; at times, it can require a lot of physical strength as well mental endurance. As such, it can be pretty easy to burn out if you don’t take care of yourself properly.
Throughout this series, we’re going to talk about caregiver health, specifically focusing on mental health from the basics, to how you can detect if you or a caregiver you know is suffering from stress, to ways you can take care of your well-being.
To start, we’ll outline some basics on why it is important to consider your own mental health. Take a look below:
Some statistics
On depression
On anxiety
Why this occurs
Reasons for why depression and anxiety occur among caregivers may vary, though there are a few more common reasons:
The effects of poor mental health
Poor mental health (i.e., depression and anxiety) can lead to a number of risks for the caregiver, with about one in ten (11%, to be exact) of caregivers reporting that caregiving has caused their physical health to get worse. Here are just a few of the effects of poor mental health:
Higher mortality rates for caregivers
Perhaps one of the greatest risks that caregiver stress poses is an increase in mortality rate. The FCA reports that elderly spousal caregivers (aged 66-96) who experience caregiving-related stress have a 63% higher mortality rate than non-caregivers of the same age.
Caregiver stress is not inevitable
Caregiver stress is common, however, it is not an inevitable part of caregiving. With diligence and self-awareness, caregivers can fight off stress and fatigue, in turn ensuring that they’re able to provide the best health possible to their loved ones without sacrificing their own health.
On Wednesday, we’ll discuss ways to tell if you or a caregiver you know is suffering from caregiver stress. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to give us a call. We’re always here to help!
Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!
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“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.firstcareco.wpengine.com.”
Throughout this series, we’ve talked about a wide variety of topics concerning making new friends as a senior, from the importance of making new friends, to how children can help their aging parents meet new people and maintain friendships.
As we mentioned, the benefits of making new friends are far-reaching, from improving mental cognition, to possibly helping prevent Alzheimers and dementia and elderly depression. As such, having friends is an important part of maintaining your aging loved ones health and overall well-being.
We’ve already discussed a few ways you can help your aging loved one make friends. So, to finish of our series, we are going to outline a few ways they can help themselves.
Pick up a new hobby. It’s never too late to pick up a new hobby. Branching out and trying new things allows you to meet new people who may have similar interests to you. One of the best ways to make new friends is by sharing an experience where you can learn together. Look for classes offered by senior homes/community centers or even local colleges/universities. More often than not, there are at least a few courses that are open to the public.
Look for community events that interest you.
Like a new hobby, consider going out to community events that look interesting to you. Whether it is a book signing by your favorite author, an outdoor yoga/tai chi class, or an art class, these kinds of events give you a great opportunity to meet others. The plus side is that these events are often free or of little to no cost to you.
Consider a part-time job or volunteering opportunities.
If you are retired, a part-time job can be a great way to get out and meet others, fill up your day, as well as put a little extra cash in your pocket. Or, better yet, consider volunteering for a non-profit organization that you would like to support, as this requires even less of a time commitment on your part.
No matter what you choose to do, try to remember that making friends will take some time. Great friendships are never rushed and you should always feel comfortable and not forced to be with a person simply because you want some company. So, take your time and let things happen naturally in turn, you may end up meeting some really great people.
Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!
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“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.firstcareco.wpengine.com.”