Pleasanton Senior Care

In the Bay Area, they’re forecasting TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT for the upcoming Holiday Weekend!

We all suffer in hot weather. However, for elderly and disabled people and those with chronic health conditions such as vascular disease or diabetes, the weather does not have to hit 100 degrees to cause heat stress or even deadly heat stroke.

As we age, we gradually lose the ability to perspire and regulate our body temperature. This is why older people tend to overdress — they don’t feel heat the same way anymore. Heart rates do not speed up-or return to normal-as fast during exercise. Older skin also thins and offers less protection from the sun. Poor circulation, heart, lung and kidney diseases, and high blood pressure increase the risk for heat-related illness. Being overweight or underweight also increases risk.

Medications taken for a variety of diseases … Read More »

Could your senior loved one benefit from more stability in the shower or tub? Does he or she require a walker or rollator to move around? Then it’s very likely that you’ll soon be looking to buy in-home adaptive devices. It’s also likely that you’re wondering how to pay for these assistive products, and if any of them may be included under Medicare or insurance.

Like in-home care services, there are various different options when it comes to buying home care supplies and equipment. The following are some of the possibilities available to assist you or a loved one in purchasing home medical products:

Medicare

If a person has Medicare Part A and qualifies for the Home Health Benefit, then Medicare will pay for 80 percent of the allowable cost for medically required durable medical equipment. If a person is covered by Medicare … Read More »

Since those with Parkinson’s disease are at a heightened risk for balance and vision concerns, they’re also at an increased risk of falling. The in-home care specialists at Hired Hands Homecare in California have a wealth of experience in providing safe Parkinson’s care in seniors’ homes, and can help reduce the risk of falls by providing a thorough safety evaluation of the home, room by room. Here are some tips to get started on making your senior loved one’s home safer, more comfortable, and as accessible as possible:

Bedroom:

Place a firm chair in the bedroom for the senior to sit in while dressing, and include a sturdy footstool for his/her use when putting on socks and shoes
Remove any portable space heaters, electric blankets, and any other potential fire hazards
Secure a bed rail between the box spring and mattress
Use nightlights in strategic … Read More »

The benefits of exercise don’t diminish as we age, and it’s incredibly important for older adults to maintain as active a lifestyle as possible. Even those who are bedridden or wheelchair-bound have a full range of options available to strengthen, improve resistance and flexibility.

The first step is always to check with the physician to get a recommendation on the best exercises for seniors that fit with your loved one’s activity level and medical history. Initially, exercising even for as little as a few minutes a day, repeated several times throughout the day, can greatly enhance the senior’s health and wellbeing.

Following are several examples of the best exercises for seniors:

Aerobic Exercises: If whole body movements aren’t possible, exercises from a seated position are available to build cardio strength. When possible, good options include:

Swimming or water aerobics
Dancing
Walking
Tai Chi
Bowling

Resistance Exercises: To build and … Read More »

Most of us are juggling a number of balls at any given time, and for caregivers, it often feels like they’re juggling knives and flaming swords on top of it. It’s common to feel overburdened and guilty when you’re a caregiver for a loved one, whether that person is your spouse or your parent.

Guilt can manifest in many ways. Maybe you feel like you’re spending too little time with your loved one. You may feel guilty about considering an assisted living facility for your loved one. You might feel guilty when your loved one’s dementia-fueled behaviors caused you to snap. Or you could feel guilty about neglecting your own children’s needs in order to care for your senior loved one.

The most important things to remember are: You are doing the best you can, and it’s okay to seek help.

Let’s take … Read More »

Assisting a senior you love with personal care needs – tasks like taking a bath, getting dressed, and helping with toilet needs – can be uncomfortable for both the senior and yourself. It requires the senior to set modesty aside and allow herself to be vulnerable. And when Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia is added to the mix, the senior’s feelings of distress may become overwhelming, resulting in an outburst.

The exact trigger behind these outbursts can vary from one person to another, but some of the more common reasons are:

Loss of control. A person’s sense of independence can feel as though it’s slipping away in a number of areas for older adults, and trying to remain in control over the most basic functions becomes even more important.

What can help: Help the senior to feel as much in control … Read More »

Darlene MacDonald- Darlene has worked for Hired Hands Homecare for over 3 years. Darlene is a very hard worker. She goes above and beyond to get things done.

When Darlene was in her CNA class, she finished at the top of her class and scored a 100% on her final examination.

Darlene is an animal lover. She has two dogs Casey is a Yellow Lab and Sydney is a Chihuahua. She has a guinea pig named Rose that her and her family rescued at a local park and she feeds the local stray cats.

Darlene likes to read, bird watch and take hikes. Darlene’s favorite aspect of care giving is being able to brighten someone’s day and to help them be more independent.

Darlene, THANK YOU for ALL you do!
The Hired Hands Homecare Team~

When it comes to odd disease names, the shingles virus tops the list. The name of the disease might cause you to picture someone with rows and rows of roofing materials layered over his skin. In actuality, shingles, also known as the herpes zoster virus, is a very painful rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox in younger people. If you’ve ever had the chickenpox, unfortunately you are now at risk for also contracting shingles. Shingles risk increases with age, with a full one-half of adults contracting the shingles virus by the age of 80.

To see what the shingles virus really looks like, take a look at this page of photos from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website. It is estimated that there are a million instances of shingles diagnosed in the U.S. each year. For that … Read More »

As summer winds down, parents are busy shopping for school supplies, checking last year’s clothing to see what still fits, scheduling appointments for physical and dental exams, and more often than not, subjecting their children to vaccinations. But fall isn’t just the time for school kids to roll up their sleeves for the dreaded shots. This time of year, even adults should get in on the act, including seniors over age 60.

According to this report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), adults over the age of 60 should be up to date on the following vaccinations; and if your senior loved one needs a booster, our California senior care services can help!

Influenza – every year
Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis – every ten years
Varicella (chickenpox) – two doses throughout one’s life
Herpes zoster (shingles) – one dose after the age of 60
Pneumococcal (PPSV23) … Read More »