Caregiver Support Tip
How to Help Someone with Parkinson’s from a Distance
If you’re wondering how to help someone with Parkinson’s disease when you live out of the area, we have four suggestions for you.
The days when extended families lived together on neighboring plots of land are, unfortunately, a thing of the past in many cases. With loved ones spread apart, it’s not always possible to provide the caring, hands-on care and support that older family members often need, especially when a chronic health condition – like Parkinson’s disease – creates additional concerns.
Yet even from a distance, there are still plenty of ways to assist. The Michael J. Fox Foundation offers these tips on how to help someone with Parkinson’s from afar:
Get organized. Take and keep detailed notes about medications being taken, treatments, emergency contacts, and other aspects of the person’s care needs. A digital version of this … Read More »
Try These Tips to Help with Appetite During chemotherapy
Chemotherapy can affect how foods taste, but there are steps you can take to help.
Good nutrition is crucial during cancer treatment and recovery, yet not always easy to achieve. Appetite problems during chemotherapy are common, as a result of the way the treatment impacts how foods taste. Many people undergoing chemo treatment complain of a metallic aftertaste in foods, and this can even occur in plain water. When combined with another prevalent side effect of chemotherapy – nausea – sticking to a healthy diet can be a challenge.
Clinically known as dysgeusia, it’s a condition that affects as many as 65% of patients receiving chemotherapy, sometimes lasting for just a few days or even up to several months. Nutritionist Ginger Hultin, RDN, explains, “Taste changes can really turn people off to eating enough food. Patients can start … Read More »
How to Find Joy Despite Living with Pain or Chronic Illness
Even while living with pain or chronic illness, it is possible to live a full and joyful life.
Have you ever woken up and said, “It’s definitely going to be one of those days!” Maybe your alarm didn’t go off, the hot water heater decided to stop working, and the dog chewed up one of your favorite shoes overnight. Now consider if each day were “one of those days!” For someone living with pain or chronic illness (and that is the majority of the older adult population), routine struggles and challenges may be a given.
However, there are several steps that the elderly can take to discover and maintain a life of joy, even in the face of chronic illness. For instance:
Follow passions. Discovering purpose and meaning in every day is essential – and achievable. Many older adults … Read More »
Are You Torn Between a Career and Caregiving?
Many family caregivers are faced with the difficult decision to choose between a career and caregiving responsibilities.
Not long ago, actor Rob Lowe brought caregiving into the spotlight by sharing his story of caring for his mother and the toll it took on his own life. He said, “When you’re caring for a loved one, there’s nothing you won’t do to give them as much comfort and peace of mind as you can possibly provide. Often that means you’ll skip your social obligations, wreck your diet, suffer sleep deprivation, and even risk your career.” So, does that mean you need to choose between a career and caregiving for an older loved one?
Obviously, this topic is not anything new to the 75% of the United States workforce who are concurrently providing care for a parent at home. Based … Read More »
This Lifestyle Change Can Turn Back Time to Improve Heart Health
Improve heart health with this one simple lifestyle change!
In our younger years, physical activity was a given. Our days were filled with participating in sports programs, recess on the playground, and games of tag with friends. All of this naturally gave our heart the workout it needed to stay healthy. But as we grow older, a more sedentary lifestyle can settle in – having serious repercussions on our hearts, including stiffness, a decreased efficiency in oxygen production, and an elevated risk of heart disease and failure. Is there anything we can do to improve heart health and possibly even restore its functioning to what it was when we were younger?
How To Encourage Doctor Visits for Seniors
Learn how to help a reluctant senior follow through with doctors’ visits.
Let’s face it: a lot of us delay going to the doctor’s office. It could be somewhat uncomfortable, and downright distressing when something is wrong and we’re looking at the prospect of an unwanted diagnosis. Even so, we understand it’s wise to complete what’s best for our health and wellbeing and to be diligent about receiving necessary medical care.
Caring for Someone with Dementia? Here’s What You Need to Know.
Caring for someone with dementia is easier with help from our experts in elderly care in Pleasanton and nearby areas.
At times, the best lessons in life come through going through them firsthand; yet the wisdom we are able to glean from those who have walked an identical path before us is priceless. If you’re caring for someone with dementia and feeling a bit stressed in this uncharted territory, the guidelines below will help:
What to Do When You Notice Warning Signs of Aging Care Needs
Learn how to start the conversation when you notice warning signs of aging care needs.
The initial signs might be so subtle that many people wouldn’t even recognize that anything is amiss. Mom is outgoing, pleasant, and conversational while visiting loved ones and while running errands. But those closest to her have begun to detect concerns: being forgetful about the soup cooking on the stove, leading to a scorched pan. Putting her keys into the cookie jar. Failing to pay bills. What should you do when you begin to notice these kinds of warning signs of aging care needs?
As an adult child of a loved one in the early stages of compromised safety or the ability to make competent choices, it is normally incredibly difficult to transition to a higher degree of involvement and assistance – nonetheless … Read More »
Top Medications for Alzheimer’s and How They Work
These top medications for Alzheimer’s are key to managing the symptoms of the disease.
The latest Alzheimer’s statistics are sobering. The disease is now the 6th leading cause of death, rising above both breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. And though deaths from many other chronic conditions, like cardiovascular disease, are decreasing, those from Alzheimer’s have increased upwards of 100%. The toll the illness takes on family caregivers is likewise shocking, with more than 16 million Americans delivering over 18 billion hours of care for a senior loved one with Alzheimer’s disease.
Though we’ve yet to find an end to Alzheimer’s disease, there are two top medications for Alzheimer’s that can help minimize some of the more predominant symptoms. If your senior loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, there are a couple of options the doctor may … Read More »
For Better or Worse: Providing Care for an Aging Parent Without Sacrificing Your Marriage
Providing care for an aging parent can either strengthen or strain your marriage.
In marriage we agree to stick with each other for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness as well as in health – but what doesn’t come up through our vows to one another is how to deal with the mounting difficulties of providing care for an aging parent.
However, with our life span increasing, it is highly recommended to put together a strategy to meet both the requirements of our parents as they grow older, and also the multitude of day-to-day needs, all while honoring our cherished relationship with a spouse. It’s a struggle that’s creating stress and pressure for 80% of couples interviewed, resulting in detachment and much less quality time with each other. These particular areas in a married relationship … Read More »
