Google Custom Search

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Taking Care of a Alzheimer's Loved one

Alzheimer’s disease is the type of dementia that is more frequently seen among the older population. It is characterized by a worsening of the person’s cognition, particularly in thought, memory and in language, a progressive decline in his ability to perform activities of daily living and may even be accompanied by changes in his behavior.

Dealing with Alzheimer’s can be very stressful for the individual as well as for his loved ones. The progression of the disease may render the person in need of total care as it affects even the most basic skills necessary for his daily existence.

Let’s take mealtimes, for example. For a person with Alzheimer’s, even nutrition may pose as challenge. There are normal physiologic changes that come with aging, such as a diminished sense of taste and smell, and indeed, these may affect the individual’s desire to eat. But when dealing with Alzheimer’s, the person may even forget to eat or in other cases, he may want to eat but has forgotten how to prepare meals.

Through the course of the disease, he may eventually lose his table manners and may have difficulty in swallowing. Agitation and distractibility may also develop. To alleviate these problems, caregivers would often find it necessary to call their loved ones to remind them to eat or instruct them step by step on how to prepare meals.

Small, frequent meals are more in line, and finger foods that are high in calories would be provided. Decreasing the environmental stimuli, by taking extra utensils off the table and using bright, solid-colored plates may address the easy distractibility. And to encourage self- care, the person may be provided with spoons with large handles rather than forks and bowls rather than plates.

Nutrition is just one of the many hurdles when dealing with Alzheimer’s. People with Alzheimer’s disease often need assistance with other activities of daily living such as bathing, toileting and changing.

It is necessary to balance this need for assistance with as much independence as possible. The caregiver must allow the person to do as much as he can while providing the least amount of help. For this, patience and flexibility are crucial.

Dealing with Alzheimer’s can be fulfilling for the caregiver but can be as draining as well. Losing a loved one in this way is heartbreaking. Dealing with Alzheimer’s is one of the most difficult jobs in the world as one may tend to lose sight of his own needs as he cares for his loved one.

When in stressful situations, one needs to take even better care of oneself. It is in these circumstances that people often realize how strong they could really be for their loved ones.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

GREAT Ideas for the Home, that you/your patients can not do Without


Travel UV Toothbrush Sanitizer



I really like this toothbrush, because it keeps your toothbrush free from germs before/after brushing. I think its better than just putting the toothbrush on the sink and letting germs multiply, then putting it in YOUR MOUTH. Yikes! The price(19.99) doesn't break the bank and you can take it with you for overnight cases.


Also, I found a link to babysitting services, if you gotta go to that home care live-in case.

Search & Find the perfect babysitter today with Care4hire.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Long term care options

These days, it is quite inevitable to be very busy at work that you seldom have time for yourself. This is quite all right, to some extent. But what happens if your parents start having health problems and you are needed to look after them? Here lies the hassle.

This is why it is never too early to consider different long term care options that are available today. It is advisable not to wait for one or both of your parents to get sick before you start considering long term care options. This will only make things worse for you because then, you would have to make a hurried choice as to which long term care option you would want for your parent.

And rash decisions are definitely a no-no here. Thus, do take time to browse through the different long term care options available.

So, what are some examples of these? The first, and quite popular among the long term care options, is home care. Let’s face it: your parents would most likely want to stay inside their own homes. Going into a nursing home somewhat has a negative ring to it, for some reason. But with home care, it would be the nurses going to your home, to care for your parents.

This option usually has the nurses or the home health aides making daily visits, and just accompanying your parents for the rest of the day. Housekeeping and preparing meals would be their responsibility as well. The frequency of these visits need not be daily at all. This can depend on the preference of you and your parents, of course.

Another example of popular long term care options is adult care. These programs would have your parents going to an adult care center, to partake in programs and activities for fellow senior citizens as well. And these adult care programs also cater to the medical needs as well.

Basically, the concept behind these adult care programs is social interaction for their clients.

But if the services of nursing homes are really needed, then you would really need to consider this option. It cannot be denied that this is the least of all long term care options that your parents would want.

This can most likely be attributed to the fact that living in a nursing home connotes a sense of dependency on the staff. This is because nursing homes cater to patients who are recovering from certain diseases or injuries.

These are just some of the long term care options you should consider for your parents. The important thing here is that you and your parents should agree on which method they should have. This way, both your needs will be pacified.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Retirement Planning

This is it, the long haul! You are positive that you have lived a full life, the fullest that you ever can and you are ready to retire. But are you really ready?

You may think there is no imminent need for retirement planning, but there actually is. You see, there are a lot of things to consider before you do get on that platform and accept the retirement package your workplace is offering you. And retirement planning requires one to consider five things.

The first thing to consider when you’re mulling over retirement planning is the decision as to where you would be living. Let’s face it: you would not want to be a burden to your children, especially if they already have families of their own. Sure, visits and such are all right, but living with them is a totally different story. Thus, you should consider this thoroughly when you start your retirement planning. A lot of people prefer to go back to the house or the area where they were raised. And you can do this as well. You can also choose to go to that one place you’ve always wanted to go. Whatever catches your fancy is the goal of retirement planning here.

The second thing to consider is the financial aspect. Do you have enough money to support your plans? Is your pension plan enough to jive with the retirement planning that you have started conceptualizing? No correct answer can ever fit this question because this would totally depend on the goals you have laid out for yourself. Just make sure that you do have enough so that the purpose of retirement planning would not be defeated.

The third thing to consider is whether or not you are indeed ready to retire. You may think this is not something to consider but it actually is. When you retire, you will have a lot of free time on your hands. And you just might find too much time too daunting. So, you should consider this carefully.

The fourth thing is the concept of working after retirement. Now, there are a lot of people out there who opt to continue working light jobs after retiring. And this is not something out of the ordinary. If this is something you are planning to do, you won’t have that much difficulty at all. There are a lot of jobs still available for people after retirement.

The fifth thing to consider is your health. Aside from funds for vacations and the like, you also need to ready yourself regarding your health. This is indeed something you should consider when retirement planning. This way, you won’t be a burden on your family and their families.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

The Future of Assisted Living for the Elderly

The society is rapidly evolving, and that’s for sure. So while it seems possible for the assisted living to wane in the near future, chances are it won’t be the case. People are destined to grow old and be exposed to certain incapability that may render them disabled or worthless. With that, assisted living facilities will continue to emerge, yet boasting new lines of developments that people thinking of living on these areas should consider.

So what are these major developments one should expect in assisted living facilities in the near future? What would be the future of assisted living, to simply put?

Well, as what most researches and studies have revealed, a lot of possibilities will soon happen. The first of those would be the expansion of the assisted living services to meet the ever growing society’s demands. You can expect then to see the services offered by all living facilities to remain very well-known knowing that new advancements will be introduced to make their service worth considering.

Of the possibilities revealed, positive changes in the level of personal care, privacy and independence would be made available. And, what primarily remains true is that these services will soon be managed differently, then changing the look and feel of assisted living.

With that, the facilities will soon appear to be more like an upscale community than a line of nursing homes. This of course is good news for many.

What’s further interesting to know about the future of assisted living for the elderly is that more demands from the residents will be granted than before. The senior adults seeking for independence will then be granted with an increased level of control and involvement in the progress of the facility itself. They will be informed as to how, when, and what happens over the management.

This possibility will also increase the residents’ involvement in certain activities that the facility may provide. So while you see a lot of senior adults living in assisted facilities somewhat cold and unfriendly to their peers, it won’t be the case in the future.

People living in these areas would start gathering to watch movies or to have a good talk and this means fun for all.

Finally, with the advancement in science and technology, it is highly probable for all assisted living facilities anywhere in the United States and the world to feature certain advanced technologies.

This would be the major change possible. Thus, expect the facilities to be managed with the help of new devices, then bringing the level of assistance and care to new heights. While these advancements are made, the privacy of the elderly, however, must be maintained.