It’s holiday time once again, which means it is also the perfect time for a “holiday reality check.” If you haven’t seen your elderly loved ones in a while, now is a good time to examine how your senior loved ones are doing and take the necessary steps in keeping seniors safe. With frenzied lifestyles or long distances separating families for a lot of the year, subtle (or not-so-subtle) indicators can very easily be overlooked. Keep a lookout for the following indications that additional care could be required, and bear in mind that looking for warning signs is not for the purposes of judgment or critique; it’s a check for wellness, well-being and safety.

Physical appearance: An unusually disheveled appearance of a senior loved one may be discovered during a holiday visit. Failing to stay up with daily hygiene routines such … Read More »

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 »

Join us this Saturday, October 7, 2017 for the 35th Annual Dublin Senior Info Fair!

The City of Dublin, in cooperation with senior service professionals, is hosting a comprehensive “need to know” information fair designed for seniors, their adult family members, and caregivers. We encourage seniors and their families to PLAY, EXPLORE & CONNECT and learn about healthy lifestyles. Receive valuable information, referrals and services, including free flu shots, blood pressure checks, and balance and grip strength testing.

The Dublin Senior Center will be hosting the 2017 SENIOR INFO FAIR on Saturday, October 7, 2017
from 10:00am – 2:00pm.
7600 Amador Valley Blvd, Dublin.

For more information, please call (925) 556-4511 or email seniorctr@dublin.ca.gov.

Are your elderly loved ones currently taking prescribed medications? Are you certain they’re taking them exactly as prescribed? Research shows that the typical senior is taking a multitude of prescription meds – as many as 15 – 18 of them each and every day. And, as many as 55% of those prescription medications are not being taken correctly for a variety of reasons, with serious repercussions. Knowing as much as possible about your own prescriptions and those your older loved ones are taking can help eliminate the potential for dangerous medication mishaps and allow for the optimum benefits of the medications.

Below are several tips to help ensure proper medication adherence.

Get the answers you need. Don’t be afraid to ask the health care provider and/or pharmacist any and all questions you may have about the prescription. Ensure you know the following:

The … 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 »

All of us recognize that medications can save lives, but most of us have heard frightening stories about patients who have received incorrect medication – either as a consequence of an issue with the physician or pharmacy. What many people don’t consider is that there is a concealed hazard even when we get the correct medication — the risk of non-adherence.

Similar to driving down the wrong side of the road, incorrect medication management is dangerous. In fact, it is more so — as many as 125,000 people die every year due to prescription medication non-adherence, double the number who die in auto accidents. Although many people might think they are following the rules when it comes to their medications, medication adherence mistakes arise frequently. These mistakes include:

Failure to fill or refill a prescribed drug
Missing one or multiple dosages
Taking the wrong … Read More »

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 »