Impacting as many as one out of every ten older adults, and even more prevalent in those who smoke, suffer from chronic conditions such as diabetes, or whose skin is more fragile, bed sores (also known as pressure sores or pressure injuries) are not just extremely painful – they can quickly progress to infections that can spread to the bloodstream and even become life-threatening.

For those with limited mobility or who are bed- or wheelchair-bound, and those who care for them, the battle against bed sores can seem endless. Resulting from a lack of blood flow when remaining in one position for too long, it’s imperative for those caring for a senior loved one to educate themselves about pressure sore prevention. Try some of these tips to help protect your loved one’s vulnerable skin from these dangerous sores:

Frequent Position Changes

Hourly if … Read More »

Like the saying goes, there’s no place like home; but what do you do when a senior loved one firmly insists on going home – when he/she already IS at home? Sadly, when caring for an elderly person with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, this is an all too common conundrum. And the confusion and plaintive yearning being conveyed are simply heartbreaking – and, if we’re truthful, aggravating.

At Hired Hands Homecare, our specially trained Alzheimer’s and dementia care team helps family members handle complex situations such as this, and we encourage trying the following to help restore peace to an unsettled senior with dementia:

Rather than rationalize, validate. Reasoning or disagreeing with someone with dementia can actually boost agitation and unrest. Even if the senior is in the exact same home she’s resided in for more than thirty years, … Read More »

It’s intuitive to most of us that socializing with others improves wellbeing by keeping one connected to other people’s experiences, beliefs, struggles, humor, viewpoints, and a number of other human occurrences. Now, however, scientific research is proving that socializing with others, and in particular senior socialization, actually may enhance the wellness of both brain and body.

The results point clearly to the benefits of friendship and social engagement for older adults. A study executed by Rush University Medical Center showed that someone who reported a high level of senior socialization was nearly twice as likely to remain free of a disability involving activities of daily living than somebody with a low level of social activity, and nearly 1.5 times as likely to remain free of disability involving instrumental activities of daily living or mobility. Very social older persons had a 70% … Read More »

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, as many as 80% of those diagnosed with MS struggle with multiple sclerosis fatigue. And on warmer days, MS-related fatigue can be even worse, aggravated by heat and humidity. The encouraging news, however, is that there are steps that can be taken to combat multiple sclerosis fatigue and increase energy levels. Try these tips:

Nutrition

Try to get the most nutritional benefit from meals at breakfast and lunchtime.
Be sure to drink plenty of fluids.
Focus on whole foods like fruits and vegetables, and stay away from simple carbohydrates.
Foods high in iron, such as fish, eggs, fortified cereals and beans, can help fight fatigue.

Exercise

Implement and stick to a routine exercise program.
Avoid the heat, try a cooling vest, and limit activities during hotter weather or do activities that cool the body, such as swimming.

Ask for Help

Expend energy on … Read More »

For many individuals, living with multiple sclerosis is more comfortable with some degree of assistance for daily activities of living. Several hours a day of practical, hands-on assistance from a professional caregiver who has been trained in MS care can allow the person with MS to reserve energy and reduce feelings of fatigue. At Hired Hands Homecare in California, we believe that nourishing a person’s mind, body and spirit is crucial to help those with MS remain motivated and enabled. Here are just a few ways we can help.

MIND – Professional caregivers can help those with MS understand their symptoms and how to best adjust their lifestyle to improve quality of life. For example, they can help set up a daily routine, stressing the need to limit activities and take regular periods of rest to avoid fatigue and symptom exacerbations.

BODY … Read More »

Although there is not yet a cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), hundreds of thousands of people in the United States are living with it – approximately 400,000 people to be exact, and of that, as many as 86% list fatigue as the number one symptom of their disease. The cause of MS is not known; it is not contagious or known to be directly passed down from one family member to another, but there are some known factors that may play a role. Consider these MS facts:

Gender – Women are affected more than twice as often as men
Age – Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50
Geography – The majority of people with multiple sclerosis live in moderate climates
Ethnic background – Caucasians are at a heightened risk

It is believed that multiple sclerosis symptoms result when an immune … Read More »

New Year’s resolutions: we love to make them, and can’t help but break them. Perhaps you’ve been energized to eat better, lose those stubborn five pounds, quit a bad habit, or exercise more; but life has a way of interfering with our best intentions, and this is especially true for family members providing senior care for a loved one.

To make a real difference in quality of life for both yourself and the senior for whom you provide care, and to discover a New Year’s resolution you’ll actually want to adhere to in the months and years to come, try one of these suggestions, courtesy of Hired Hands Homecare:

Be thankful – to yourself. Recognize the tremendous selflessness required in caring for another, and make a point to treat yourself to regular, small rewards as a thank-you: a favorite treat from the … Read More »

It’s a well-known fact: the vast majority of seniors dream of aging in place over an eventual move to a nursing home or assisted living facility. Who wouldn’t want to remain in the comfort of their own home throughout aging? Aging at home allows seniors an unparalleled sense of safety and security, in the home and community that are familiar. In order for this dream to become a reality, however, additional assistance at home might become necessary. Professional home care agencies, like Hired Hands Homecare, provide affordable solutions.

Here are 10 ways that home care truly makes a difference in a senior’s life:

Generally, in-home care leads to a higher satisfaction with life.
Professional home care allows dignity, independence and comfort for a senior.
Home care promotes healing. Studies have shown that patients heal more quickly at home versus in a hospital or nursing … Read More »

Chronic coughing. Shortness of breath. Wheezing. Think it might be an asthma attack? Before reaching for the inhaler or those over-the-counter cough drops, however, it might be time to consider if another culprit – COPD – could be a factor. As many as 12 million Americans are currently living with COPD (and another 12 million who are likely to have the disease but have not been diagnosed), so it’s important to figure out the real cause behind the cough.

Here are some of the major differences between asthma and COPD:

Asthma:

Environmental factors such as cigarette smoke, dust, and pet hair can trigger asthmatic symptoms like coughing and shortness of breath.
Usually displays in patients in childhood, often by age 5.
Thought to be caused by genetics.

COPD:

Environmental triggers can exacerbate symptoms like coughing and difficulty breathing, but these symptoms are often present in a milder … Read More »

Sometimes, being diagnosed after struggling with debilitating symptoms can be a relief. Now, the condition has a name, and there’s a plan to treat it! This is certainly true with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). If your senior loved one has been struggling through symptoms such as chronic coughing, wheezing, and fatigue, receiving a diagnosis of COPD could be the first step needed to improve her quality of life.

Here’s what you can expect from the doctor in determining if COPD is the culprit:

Assessment of the senior’s health and environment, to include smoking, exposure to pollutants, symptoms, and family health history
Testing such as spirometry (breathing into a machine to check lung functioning), x-rays and blood work
Creation of a treatment plan

COPD symptoms can vary from person to person, and as a result, treatment plans can differ as well. Here are some of … Read More »