Senior Health

The statistics are alarming: a recent study conducted by the Annals of Family Medicine uncovered that a typical primary care physician has a “panel” of more than 2,000 patients – those who are under his or her care. Further, the study outlined that such a physician would need to “spend 21.7 hours per day to provide all recommended acute, chronic and preventive care for a panel of 2,500 patients.”

It’s no wonder that we as patients, not to mention the doctors themselves, feel so rushed and stressed. With the need for so many senior medical appointments, treatments, and procedures due to the many chronic diseases and effects of aging that are prevalent, it’s more important than ever to take steps to maximize the time we have with our doctors.

In our previous blog post, we outlined some information and questions to prepare … Read More »

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 »

As outlined by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, approximately 12 million adults are currently diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and it’s expected that another 12 million may be living with the disease without even knowing it. It’s also worth noting that COPD typically occurs in middle age, with smoking as the biggest risk factor. Consistent exposure to dusts and chemicals also presents a high risk factor.

If someone you love has been diagnosed with COPD, living healthier can make a difference in symptom severity. As a matter of fact, eating a healthier diet can make those with COPD feel better, enhance the level of energy needed for breathing, and fight off chest infections.

These tips can help with better management of COPD symptoms:

Don’t skip breakfast. For those with COPD, breathing burns ten times as many calories than in … 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 »

Due to technological advancements, today’s hearing aids do an excellent job of helping people meet many of their communication needs. However, sometimes there are situations where additional technologies may be needed to further improve hearing.

Some hearing aid users may continue to experience difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments, when watching TV or attending a movie or play, or while listening on the telephone. At bedtime, a person with even a mild to moderate hearing loss may not hear the smoke alarm located down the hall. This same person might miss a doorbell chime while listening to the TV.

Hired Hands, providing home care in Santa Rosa, CA and the surrounding areas shares information on the following hearing assistance devices, which may help:

Alerting Systems

Alerting devices can be purchased individually to warn a person of a specific event or as complete systems that … Read More »

On Wednesday, Hired Hands Homecare joined many families, friends, Caregivers, Clients and industry partners at the Marin Senior Information Fair.  Yes… it was our TWENTY-FOURTH Marin Senior Fair!  It was a great day of seeing old friends, gathering useful information, and even getting the flu shot out of the way.  And how great do Kirsten and Erick look?!?

Are you finding more and more frequently that you’re receiving blank stares or questions such as, “What?” and, “Can you please repeat that?” from a senior loved one with a hearing disability? It might not just be that his or her hearing loss is getting worse; the problem could actually be a result of your communication and pronunciation. Remember, for those with low hearing, a variety of factors such as background noise, mumbling, and the pitch of someone’s voice can make it all the more difficult to catch information and respond.

At Hired Hands Homecare, we work with elderly clients who have trouble hearing, and have a few tips for you to better communicate with your loved ones.

Before beginning to speak, get the attention of the person with the hearing loss
Speak up, as clearly and naturally as possible, without shouting
Do not … Read More »

“Excuse me?”

“Would you say that once more, dear?”

“I am sorry – what was that?”

If this sounds like a common reply in your conversations with a beloved older adult, you are not alone. The National Institute on Aging reports a strong connection between growing older and hearing impairment, with as many as half of all individuals age 75 and older encountering hearing issues.

Hearing loss usually sneaks up gradually on older adults. With time, the wear and tear on the ears from noise leads to hearing impairment by damaging the fragile inner ear. In spite of this, those with hearing loss generally wait as long as seven years before getting help, and greater than 15 million people in the United States with hearing loss avoid seeking help altogether.

Although hearing loss is irreversible, Hired Hands Homecare wants older adults who suffer from its … Read More »

Background noises, fast talkers and those who mumble — these factors and others make it very difficult for those with hearing problems to participate in group discussions, and may even cause them to be left out altogether. People without hearing loss must recognize this challenge and remember to speak clearly and slowly, always facing the senior.

For the senior affected by hearing loss, the strategies below can help:

Tell the individuals you’re with that you are experiencing hearing loss, so they know to modify their speech, face you when they’re talking, or make other accommodations to help keep you in the dialogue.
Sit or stand where you can see the faces of all speakers.
Move away from noise or other background disruptions.
Request that those speaking repeat themselves when required, or repeat back the part of the message that you understood with a request for … Read More »

While many of us may think we’re following the rules with regard to taking our prescriptions, medication adherence mistakes actually occur quite frequently, and the effects can be devastating – especially when it comes to mistakes with elderly prescriptions, which often result in hospitalization. In other cases, older adults intentionally avoid following the doctor’s orders for their medications – such as by taking only half of the prescribed amount to save money and make the medication last longer, or by stopping the medication altogether, feeling as though they don’t need it or because of unwanted side effects.

It’s vitally important to be sure that a medication is always taken exactly as prescribed, and never stopped or modified without first consulting the prescribing doctor. Yet for a senior’s busy family members, it can be overwhelming to stay on top of their loved … Read More »