Sonoma Elder Care
Quality Matters – Who to Choose for Enhanced Senior Living Santa Rosa CA
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 »
You Don’t Have to Be a Tech-Savvy Senior to Benefit from Technology
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 »
Happy Birthday Hired Hands Homecare!
From our humble beginnings in Mill Valley, to our current four offices, working with hundreds of amazing people every week,
Over the last 24 years Hired Hands Homecare has touched the lives of many…
Our utterly amazing and dedicated Caregivers,
Our precious Clients and their Families,
Our outstanding Internal Management Team / Family,
& Our all of our trusted Community Partners.
It is our utmost honor & privilege! THANK YOU for an amazing journey… and here’s to another 24 more!
With Love,
Lynn, Erin & Mark Winter
There’s No Cookie Cutter Approach to California Senior Care
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.
Senior Medical Appointments and Procedures Made Easier with These Tips
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 »
Why Senior Bruising Is So Prevalent, and How to Help
Of the many changes that occur in aging, increased bruising is one that can be frightening for family members to notice in their senior loved ones. While it’s important to check with the senior’s doctor whenever there’s a concern with his or her health, it’s also helpful to know that bruising in older adults is quite common, resulting from the thinning of the skin and reduction in fat experienced in aging. Even a slight bump or scrape can lead to much more extensive bruising than in younger skin.
Hired Hands Homecare offers the following tips to help reduce the chances for bruising, and to help heal bruising when it occurs:
Prevention:
Perform a safety assessment of the home, ensuring there are clear, wide walking paths with stumbling/tripping/bumping hazards removed. Hired Hands Homecare can help evaluate the senior’s home for safety hazards as well.
Encourage … Read More »
Alzheimer’s Disease Tips: When There’s an Alternate Reality
These Alzheimer’s disease tips can help when someone is experiencing an alternate reality.
Alzheimer’s disease alters someone’s mind so that memories surrounding more recent incidents are forgotten or mixed up while memories about the more distant past often continue to be intact. This might cause past years to make more sense to an individual with dementia than the present. An individual’s alternate reality can be his or her method of making sense of the present through previous recollections.
People with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia often have problems expressing themselves, and sometimes their alternate reality has more to do with a desire or a particular feeling they are trying to express than it has to do with the things they are saying.
For instance:
“When will my husband be home?” This question could possibly be more about a desire for … Read More »
Preventing Back Injuries: 10 Tips All Caregivers Should Follow
If you’re providing care for an elderly loved one at home, it’s more than likely that you’ll find yourself in situations where you need to lift, move or transfer him or her – which, if not performed correctly, can place you in danger of hurting either yourself or your senior loved one. Injuries occur most frequently when caregivers:
Have not learned proper lifting and transferring techniques
Do not recognize when they’ve reached their physical limitations
Are not equipped for the physical strain of transferring and lifting
Desire to “manage it themselves” rather than asking for help
Since back injuries are especially prevalent as a result of incorrect lifting techniques, preventing back injuries by learning proper lifting protocol is crucial. Hired Hands Homecare of California would like to share some of the top guidelines to help minimize risk of back injury for family caregivers:
Only lift what … Read More »
Uncover the Myths and Truths Surrounding Seniors and Exercise
The positive factors of remaining physically active are extensive and apply to everyone, young and old alike. Very often when we hear professionals make suggestions for people to become more physically active, we incorrectly think that they are encouraging us to become athletes, runners, or body builders. We may also erroneously think that we need to hire a personal trainer, join a gym, or sign up for a 5K. Instead, what experts are motivating people to do is really quite simple – get your body in action and keep it moving as much as you can. This applies to seniors and exercise just as much as it is to their younger counterparts. As a matter of fact, seniors may even benefit more than younger adults from staying active.
If you think about it, moving can consist of a very wide range … Read More »
If Your Loved One Has Parkinson’s Disease, Be Sure You Know the Heimlich Maneuver
If your senior loved one has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, you’ve likely become familiar with the most common symptoms: Tremors. Unsteady gait and balance. Slower movements. But you may not have realized another serious concern: difficulty with eating that can lead to choking.
Chewing and swallowing issues are, unfortunately, all too common in those with Parkinson’s disease, especially in the later stages of the disease. Since Parkinson’s patients are at a heightened risk of choking, everyone involved in the senior’s care should learn how to correctly perform the Heimlich maneuver in the event of an emergency.
Someone who is choking may gasp or cough, but will be unable to speak or breathe and needs immediate assistance. To perform the Heimlich maneuver on the person exhibiting signs of choking, follow these steps:
Standing behind the person, wrap your arms around his or her … Read More »
