Pleasanton Senior Care

Family caregivers can find the support they need with respite care services.

In spite of spending plenty of time with a senior loved one, family caregivers can often feel very isolated and alone. These feelings, although normal, can result in depression and other health problems if not kept in check. When family and friends are not available to help provide respite care services, there are several community service options that can help family caregivers care for their loved ones.

Senior Centers and Other Senior Organizations: Local senior centers often have programs or can offer other resources to family caregivers in need of respite.

Veterans’ Programs: Family caregivers who are caring for a veteran can explore whether the person is qualified to receive financial coverage for home care or adult day care.

Adult Day Care: For seniors who are well enough, … Read More »

Respite care helps both seniors and their family members enjoy a better quality of life.

Meeting the ongoing care needs of an elderly or disabled loved one is a physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding job, requiring time for the family caregiver to rest and relax on occasion. Respite care allows for the relief needed from the daily tasks of caregiving, allowing the family caregiver to also care for himself or herself.

Here are the basic principles of respite care:

Relief from ongoing care responsibilities allows seniors to still receive the attention they deserve.
Respite care provides family caregivers with care that is planned, temporary, intermittent and substitute.
Time required for respite can vary, from just a few hours one day to ongoing, scheduled, routine relief.

How to help a family caregiver:

Offer to take turns in providing care. Even if you can … Read More »

Learn ways to ease stress when providing Alzheimer’s care for a loved one.

Some of the busiest people working today are providing Alzheimer’s care for a senior loved one, but that’s not all. Although Alzheimer’s caregivers have their hands full with that role alone, many also work long hours at full-time jobs, shuttle the kids to school and other activities, run errands and take care of the home, and prepare dinner for the family on top of their caregiving duties. When do they have time to just relax? When providing Alzheimer’s care, it can often feel like your day never ends, and stress and poor sleep can wear down your body as well as your mind. Caregiver burnout is a real and serious condition that can result in, among other things, physical health problems, depression, feelings of being isolated, … Read More »

Hired Hands Homecare offers tips to prevent senior falls.

Falling is never fun, but for an older adult, a fall can result in devastating effects, like a fractured hip, which can escalate to a full range of additional health problems. A full 25% of seniors who fracture a hip end up dying within six months of the injury; a shocking, yet preventable statistic.

Taking time to make some simple modifications to the home can help create a safer environment for your senior loved ones and help prevent dangerous senior falls. Below are some easy home modification ideas from the home care Marin CA services team at Hired Hands Homecare that can be implemented to help lower the risk of falls for the elderly.

Lighting:

Replace light bulbs routinely to ensure there is sufficient illumination in … Read More »

In our last blog post, we outlined the advantages of utilizing a professional home care agency to provide the highest quality and safest level of California home care. But we regularly receive inquiries on exactly what kinds of home care services in Pleasanton and the surrounding area are available to help older adults remain safe and thriving at home. If you’ve determined it’s time to search for in-home help for a senior family member, there are a variety of customized in home care services available. These options can help you figure out the specific type of help your loved one really needs:

Housekeeping: Household tasks can become challenging for older adults to manage. Housekeeping services performed on a daily, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis, covering tasks like vacuuming, doing dishes, laundry, changing beds, dusting, preparing meals, and … Read More »

When an older adult needs in home care services, there are a number of available options, and deciding where to turn can be intimidating. For instance, should you work with a professional home care agency, an independently hired caregiver, or utilize a caregiving registry? And how can you identify which home care solution is best for your loved one’s unique needs? There are benefits and drawbacks with most choices, but when it comes to senior care at home, the solution is clear: hiring a professional agency for the in-home senior living Santa Rosa CA families need, like Hired Hands Homecare, is the ideal choice for the highest quality care for numerous reasons:

You don’t need to perform a search for a safe, trained caregiver. A reputable home care agency not only checks references and performs in-depth background and driving record … Read More »

The most wonderful thing about human beings is that every one of them is altogether unique, and that doesn’t change simply because of age. As we get older, we stay the unique and intricate individuals that we have been our whole lives. Assuming that all seniors will act the same and require the same things is a cookie cutter approach that just will not work for seniors or those who take care of them. Providing care to older individuals necessitates an innovative and careful approach that permits the caregiver to determine just who an older adult is and what his or her specific needs are to determine the best plan of care to keep the individual healthy and well at home.

We’ve all opened the door to the doctor’s office and had our hearts sink at the sea of patients waiting to be seen, wondering just how long we’ll have to wait, and how much quality time we’ll actually get with the doctor once we are seen.

With as many as 87% of seniors diagnosed with at least one chronic health condition, senior doctor visits are a frequent occurrence. And with doctors so busy throughout the year, particularly so during cold and flu season, it’s important to take a little time prior to appointments to plan how to best maximize time during healthcare visits.

Hired Hands Homecare’s California senior care team offers the following tips to help seniors maximize time with their doctors, to improve overall health and wellbeing and ensure all medical needs are fully addressed:

Prior to Each Appointment

Before your senior loved … Read More »

If you’re providing care for a loved one who struggles with COPD, you certainly are aware that outdoor air pollutants can exacerbate symptoms. However, did you realize that bad air quality in the home can also be concerning? Cleaning the air in the senior’s home can help everyone breathe more easily and be more comfortable.

The tips below from our California senior care experts can help:

No Smoking! Don’t smoke or allow others to smoke in your loved one’s home. If there is a fireplace in the person’s home, be aware that it can also be a source of irritation for those with COPD.
Reduce Chemical Exposure. Household chemicals such as paint and cleaning products can aggravate COPD symptoms, so decrease the use of toxic chemicals and keep lids on cleaning products when not being used. There are also healthier cleaning choices like … Read More »

Join us this Saturday, October 7, 2017 for the 35th Annual Dublin Senior Info Fair!

The City of Dublin, in cooperation with senior service professionals, is hosting a comprehensive “need to know” information fair designed for seniors, their adult family members, and caregivers. We encourage seniors and their families to PLAY, EXPLORE & CONNECT and learn about healthy lifestyles. Receive valuable information, referrals and services, including free flu shots, blood pressure checks, and balance and grip strength testing.

The Dublin Senior Center will be hosting the 2017 SENIOR INFO FAIR on Saturday, October 7, 2017
from 10:00am – 2:00pm.
7600 Amador Valley Blvd, Dublin.

For more information, please call (925) 556-4511 or email seniorctr@dublin.ca.gov.