Online Ways to Keep in Touch with Aging Relatives

Q1 – What are the benefits of using the internet to stay in touch?

A1 – Various online applications allow families and friends to stay in touch year-round without encountering the costs of long-distance phone calls or mail. It’s also a quick and easy way to give loved ones access into exactly what’s happening in your life.

Q2 – Can seniors use the internet to stay in touch, too?

A2 – Seniors’ internet use is rapidly growing. They are becoming more apt with social networking, email and basic web surfing. Seniors who have problems with hearing over the phone, may find it easier to communicate through email or other fast, written methods.

Q3 – Can families share pictures online?

A3 – There are many free online applications that allow users to upload pictures to their photo albums. Flickr, Yahoo! Photos and Facebook are just a few of the masses. These sites give users the option to notify family and friends by email when they have uploaded new photos. These applications give seniors the chance to see exactly what’s happening in the lives of their children and grandchildren soon after they’ve occurred.

Q4 – It becomes expensive to call my mom long distance as often as I’d like; are there any ways to communicate verbally online for free?

A4 – Two major options are Podcasts or applications that offer free live calling services. Mypodcast.com and Podomatic.com are two easy to use, free sites that let people record their own messages which can be downloaded online, and listened to using a media player, MP3 player or other audio device. Skype is a popular application that lets people talk online using the microphones on their computers; the best part is that it’s free so it doesn’t matter where each party lives.

Image: art-ivy.cnn

Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors an alternative to a nursing home. Call 602.588.7725 or 480.991.3959 for Home Care and Independence.

Recognizing a Senior’s Needs Over the Holidays

When visiting an elderly family member over the holiday season, it’s the best time to begin evaluating how they are managing with their chosen lifestyle. While family members should be on the lookout for warning signs that their loved one might be struggling, the holiday season is not the right time to actually have a conversation about life changing events or cause stress. Families, can however, do an impromptu evaluation of their own and take note of things that should come up during future discussions.

Senior care experts recommend that families make note of the following things:

1. Any changes that they’ve noticed – this can include changes in the way a senior cares for their home, themselves, or their overall physical and mental health

2. Are there any things that can’t be fixed? – some changes are inevitable with age, but seniors might be able to continue managing with relative independence if these issues can be reversed Areas that can’t be fixed, for example, a senior who has developed limited mobility could indicate a need for a lifestyle change

3. Any areas that the family might be able to lend a hand – in some cases, families might be able to step in to keep seniors in their chosen lifestyle.  For example, seniors who are lacking in nutrition to an inability to get to the grocery store, might benefit from a family member coming over weekly to take them

4. Areas where family can encourage and support them – sometimes it’s just about recognizing changes taking place in a loved one and letting them know you care

Via: Talk Early, Talk Often

Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors an alternative to a nursing home. Call 602.588.7725 or 480.991.3959 for Home Care and Independence.

The holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year. We shop, we plan, we cook and we visit. With all of the activity, it’s easy to for seniors to get caught up and forget to take the time to look after their health.

Seniors of all ages and health need to make sure that they don’t overburden themselves, remain well-rested, eat well and enjoy their time with family and friends. Seniors with diabetes need to take particular care of their health at a time when food is in abundance and diets go out the window until the New Year.

In order to get through the holidays with health in tact, individuals with diabetes need to watch their portion sizes even though there may be a temptation to fill their plates with the vast assortment of food available. While preparing for the season, seniors also need to eat regularly and often (5 to 6 small meals) in order to keep energy levels up.

Meals should consist of lean meats and proteins and fill up on salads, vegetables and calorie-free drinks. Alcohol should be avoided, and to encourage the healthy eating of others, bring a healthy snack or dish to a party.

Image: Home Instead Senior Care

Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors an alternative to a nursing home. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480-991-3959.

Holiday activities for senior family members are more fun if they are simple. It’s not necessary to make intricate plans involving your senior family members or to make elaborate ones. Seniors are more interested in keeping to routines. It’s not comforting to them if these routines are interrupted too much.

Here are a few simple holiday activities that seniors enjoy:

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Ask family members and seniors to put together a recipe book or cook book. Each family member can select their favorite food or recipe.
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All family members can join in the kitchen and prepare a meal together.
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A favorite activity for Home Instead to do is put together a family photo album or scrapebook.
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Take a family drive to look at you local city holiday lights.

Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors an alternative to a nursing home. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480-991-3959.

Various eye tests allow eye doctors to not only identify when a senior has glaucoma, but also allows them to track the progress of the eye disease to prescribe the best treatment methods.

Measuring Intraocular Pressure

Glaucoma occurs when there is a build up of aqueous fluid in the eye, which creates excessive levels of intraocular pressure (IOP). A normal level is around 20 mmHg; any pressure above this can cause serious damage to the optic nerve, resulting in loss of peripheral vision and even blindness. A totometer allows eye doctors to track the IOP of a senior’s eye, by placing it right against the surface of the eyeball. Of course, numbing eye drops are used before the procedure begins. Not only can this be used to diagnose glaucoma, it can also be used to determine if treatment techniques, like eye drops to reduce pressure, are working effectively.

Eyesight and Vision Tests

Visual field testing is the main test used to monitor loss of eyesight and peripheral vision. The patient is asked to look into a machine, and press a button every time a blinking light is visible. By tracking what the patient was able to see, any eye doctor can learn where blind spots are occurring, or if their peripheral vision has been impacted.

Tracking Damage

Since the optic nerve can be damaged as a result of glaucoma, it’s important that professionals monitor how the disease is progressing and determine if treatment methods, like eye drops or surgeries, are working effectively. Various imaging techniques allow eye doctors to assess damage to the optic nerve, and an ultrasound biomicroscopy allows them to map the flow of aqueous fluid in the eye.

Source: AllAboutVision.com

Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors an alternative to a nursing home. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480-991-3959.

If your aging loved one has a loss of the senses, like taste and smell it can be a traumatizing experience. A seasoned nurse from an Ear, Nose and Throat practice explains to us another problem that can occur as the senses decline; confusion between taste and smell.

In our practice, we treat a large number of seniors who are complaining about an inability to taste. While sometimes taste buds do change as part of the natural process of aging, this is most often not where the problem stems from. When we try to explain to our patients that the problem actually derives from their nose, it’s not uncommon to receive looks or distrust. Really, we’re not crazy, but we do understand how it can be difficult to accept when people naturally assume that problems with taste must begin with the tongue and taste buds.

While many different problems with the nose can cause challenges with taste and the interpretation of flavor, the best way to illustrate the connection between smell and taste is to use the common cold analogy. Anyone who’s had a stuffy nose knows that any food or drink consumed tastes different than what they’re used to, but since the taste buds aren’t truly at play, what it really comes down to is flavor instead. Taste and smell are very closely linked, and when we eat certain foods, we process both the odor of the food with our nose and taste on our tongue; and unconsciously roll them together and interpret them as one sense. So naturally, when scent is compromised because of a cold or other nasal complication, the flavor appears different than what we’re used to.

So, while you may walk into a doctor’s office, believing you have a problem with taste; whether you belong to the elder or younger generation, keep an open mind, understanding that taste and flavor are not one and the same and that problems with the nose can actually alter the interpretation of flavor.

Sources: American-Rhinologic.org
Wiki.Answers.com
Pubmedcentral.nih.gov

Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors an alternative to a nursing home. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480-991-3959.

It seems like we’ve all encountered a home bound senior at some time in our lives. The thing is, when we’re younger, we often think that seniors are remaining isolated by choice when specific health limitations aren’t keeping them confined to their Phoenix homes. But it becomes clear that with the aging process, when mobility becomes more limited, there is a greater challenge involved with stepping outside just to run simple errands. Since so many seniors find it difficult to get around, new technologies are being developed to improve their quality of life that is affected by mobility.

About the ICIO Personal Transporter for Seniors:

• It has a convertible design

• Seniors can choose to use the personal transporter as a traditional 3 wheeled walker

• During periods when they’d like to move at a faster pace, they can stand on an attachable support and activate the electric function

• The device is suitable for seniors as their level of physical mobility changes, since it also converts into a mobile scooter with a seat

• With the personal transporter, seniors can venture out for exercise and convert the device if they get tired, giving them the security that they won’t be stranded

Sources:

1. TrendHunter

2. The Design Blog

3. TrendHunter

Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors an alternative to a nursing home. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480-991-3959.

Is home an option for your aging parent? We continue our post from November 11.

Our Home Instead CAREGivers can perform 60 different functions in a senior’s home including meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, transportation, errands and shopping.  Another great benefit of non-medical caregiving is the respite that it provides to family caregivers who are weary and need a break from the rigors of caring for their loved ones.

For some seniors, however, the day may come when it’s time to leave home.  If so, look for options that continue to help seniors remain as independent as possible.  In her book, Rhodes outlines some of those including continuing care retirement communities that feature independent living apartments and homes, assisted living apartments and nursing home care.

Whatever your mom and your family decide, you should encourage your mother to maintain the relationships that she’s formed at home.  For instance, if your mother has had a non-medical caregiver that person may be able to accompany her into her new home to supplement care. That can make the transition to a new setting much easier.

Dr. Linda Rhodes is a former Secretary of Aging for the state of Pennsylvania, as well as a former family caregiver.  For more information about her and her book, visit www.lindarhodes.com

Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors an alternative to a nursing home. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480-991-3959.

When Home is No Longer an Option for Seniors in Phoenix

Question from an adult child of an aging parent: Our 88 year old mother has lived at home with help from the family.  Because it’s becoming more difficult for her to be at home, it’s now time for her to move to a facility.  How do we decide which option is best?

It’s great that your mother could stay at home for so long, since that’s where most elderly individuals want to be.  In a survey conducted for Home Instead Senior Care, more than 83 percent of seniors surveyed say they are very or somewhat likely to remain in their homes rather than move to a care facility.

Most communities now have a variety of services, including home health agencies and non-medical care companies, which can make that possible.  Have you looked into community resources that could help your mom continue to stay at home?  “Most older people seem to think that where they live is an all or nothing affair:  stay at home or be sent off to a nursing home,” said Linda Rhodes, author of Caregiving as Your Parents Age. (cont’d)

Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors an alternative to a nursing home. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480-991-3959.

When a person has Alzheimer’s disease, the damage to his or her brain can make it difficult to recall or to understand words. Attempting to recall or decipher words can be overwhelming and result in frustration. The person may become agitated or repeat one word or a question over and over – a true test of your patience and understanding.

Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia often:

• Lose their train of thought.
• Need more time to comprehend what is being said.
• Curse or use abusive or offensive language.

As a family member, you can enhance communication with your loved one by:

• Avoiding distractions and noise.
• Keeping things simple – using short sentences and plain words.
• Avoiding questions – offering suggestions instead.
• Being patient and not interrupting when your loved one is expressing him or herself.
• Maintaining eye contact and showing interest. Staying near your loved one, so he or she knows someone is listening and trying to understand.
• Not taking it personally. As hurtful as it is, you need to remember it is the disease talking, not your loved one.
• Using props and cues to increase recognition. For example, when taking your loved one to the bathroom, you can point to the toilet and ask, “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”
• Remaining calm – using a normal and relaxed voice. Patience pays off with a smoother day.

Most families know little about Alzheimer’s disease and how best to cope. We have found that when family caregivers are equipped with some practical information and easy-to-apply techniques, they can more effectively care for their loved one and reduce their own level of stress.  We offer you a copy of a  booklet called Helping Families Cope offering practical tips and resources to family caregivers struggling to care for their loved ones.

Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors an alternative to a nursing home. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480-991-3959.