Senior Independence

Search online for “activities for seniors” and you’re likely to find numerous crafts, games, memory stimulation puzzles, and of course, the requisite bingo. However, what you won’t discover—unless you dig a little deeper with your searches—are the meaningful, beneficial activities that give significance to our lives. And yet, if you ask older individuals what they most want to do, the majority of them won’t mention bingo, crafts and games. What they want more than anything is to feel useful.

The University of Minnesota reveals details on how the most vulnerable times in our lives are a person’s first year of life, and our first year after retiring. The loss of the sense of purpose found in a fulfilling profession can cause significant health issues – and even an earlier fatality rate, if that awareness of purpose is not maintained … 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 »

It’s a fact…diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure. Startlingly, upwards of 40 percent of individuals with diabetes will also ultimately develop chronic kidney disease.

How are diabetes and kidney disease related?

The purpose of our kidneys is to balance chemicals in the body, control blood pressure and keep our bones healthy, as well as remove waste and extra fluid from the blood. The kidneys’ filters are comprised of tiny blood vessels (called glomeruli), which can be damaged by high blood sugar levels, which in turn can lead to diabetic kidney disease. After the kidneys are damaged in this way, they can’t be repaired, and if not treated early, can progress further to kidney failure.

Is it possible to tell if the kidneys are being damaged?

Unfortunately, signs of kidney damage are not noticeable until after kidney … Read More »

For seniors who wish to remain in the comfort of home throughout aging – and, who wouldn’t? – in-home care services provide a lifeline, offering assistance with daily activities that can become difficult in later years and supplying a means of safety, security and enhanced independence. But what happens when an older adult is struggling with a disease, such as chronic kidney disease?

In-home senior care is not only possible for those with kidney disease, but it’s actually preferred over a move to a nursing home or assisted living facility. Consider some of the numerous ways that a professional in-home caregiver, such as Hired Hands Homecare provides, can help those who are at risk for or diagnosed with kidney disease:

Providing education on management of the disease. Caregivers work hand in hand with the senior’s doctor … Read More »

You are what you eat, as the saying goes, and for individuals with kidney disease, it’s even more essential that a proper nutritional plan be adhered to in order to reduce symptoms, such as nausea, swelling, pain and others, and to maybe even slow the progression of the disease. Hired Hands Homecare recommends the following dietary considerations (after approval by one’s healthcare provider) and notes which foods to avoid with kidney disease:

Salt

High amounts of sodium in the diet can result in fluid retention, elevated blood pressure, and cause the heart to work harder. Sodium intake should be restricted to 2 grams per day. Refrain from consuming foods that contain significant levels of salt such as:

Canned food

Smoked or processed meats

Pretzels, crackers and chips

Nuts

Read More »

Itching. Hiccups. Loss of appetite. Sleep problems. These are just a handful of the numerous seemingly innocuous warning signs that may possibly suggest kidney disease. And with around 20 million people in America fighting kidney pain, and many more not officially diagnosed, it’s crucial to bring any concerning symptoms to the attention of the physician.

If kidney disease is the cause, these guidelines from the National Kidney Center can help you or your loved one adjust and thrive:

Make sure you are knowledgeable. Knowledge is power, and trying to learn as much as you possibly can about the disease will be helpful towards properly managing it.

Stay in control. It’s inherently up to the person with kidney disease, or that individual’s primary caregiver, to be aware of symptoms, monitor test results and treatments, and take responsibility for … Read More »

In a recent blog post, we shared the importance of squelching the impulse to take over and do everything for your senior loved one, and as much as possible, to promote his or her feelings of senior independence. While it’s no doubt easier said than done, there are some key steps you can take towards successfully achieving this goal:

Provide the motivation for the senior to do things for himself, even if that brings about feelings of reluctance or stubbornness, and even if tasks take a bit longer than you’d like.
Provide plenty of opportunities for the senior to engage in exercise and activities. The senior’s doctor can make recommendations for an appropriate exercise plan – and Hired Hands Homecare can help with any needed transportation to make participating in an exercise program easier.
Ask your loved one if help is … Read More »

When our parents were younger, telephones were wired to walls, mail was delivered by postmen, and if grown children lived at a distance from their parents, checking in on them meant asking a neighbor to stop by to see how they were making out. If seniors were housebound as a result of illness or frailty, they could very easily start feeling isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. Social circles grew smaller, and distant family members often felt at a loss because they weren’t able to be there to help. But the world has changed dramatically over the past few decades and technology has changed how we communicate and function with our everyday tasks. Technology has also allowed for a revolution in home care for older adults and those who ordinarily might not have been able … Read More »

As you go through the varied periods of your life, your levels of independence can take on different meanings. They can be larger stages, such as leaving your parents’ home or getting married, or smaller stages, like completing tasks you didn’t think you were able to do. Then as you age, independence takes on still another form – having the option to stay in your own home safely and securely. This desire to be at home can remain the greatest wish of many seniors, in spite of their condition of health or capacity to function independently, even in the midst of injury, illness and chronic conditions.

For adult children, caregiving for aging parents at home can turn out to be rife with physical, emotional and social difficulties. Adult children often must increase their capacity as caregiver and become … Read More »