At Interim HealthCare, we understand that taking care of your loved ones is a lifetime investment where you are willing to devote your time. Home nursing services, elderly care and other senior living support services are just an array of options provided by our professional caregivers daily.

Caregiving can take a heavy toll if you don't get adequette support. Caregiving involves many stresses: changes in the family dynamic, household disruption, financial pressure, and the sheer amount of work involved. If you let the stress of caregiving progress to burnout, it can damage both your physical and mental health along with the person you are trying to care for.

With that said, here are few important tips that we at Interim HealthCare always adhere by to prevent caregiver burnout while making sure our senior home healthcare clients always come first.

• Hire an agency to provide Respite Care- this can be great for not only you as the caregiver to get some much needed time away, but it also gives the person whom you're providing care to a break from you (and yes they probably need one too!).
• Watch out for signs of depression on both sides of the caregiving spectrum. If signs do appear, don't delray in getting professional help when needed.
• Open yourself up to technology because you'll be pleasantly surprised by the amount of independence it affords both caregiver and recipient.
• Seek emotional support when needed. Nobody is alone and there are others out there in similar circumstances.
• Trust your limits. Don't push yourself too hard. Always remember that you have to come first because if you aren't in good health and spirits you won't be able to properly help the ones you love.

At Interim HealthCare, bone health is a major concern of many of our in home care patients. Seniors in particular are at special risk when it comes to bone health, but the good news is that you can put the brakes on bone degeneration and one of the best lines of defense in this battle is your diet. Whether you require home healthcare or still live on your own, eating the right foods can give you peak bone mass and boost your bone density no matter what your age is.

Got Milk?
Calcium is the cornerstone to good bone health. Adults up to age 50 need Adults up to age 50 need 1,000 milligrams per day. Beginning at age 51, women need 1,200 milligrams every day, and when men hit 71, they need to be there too. A single 8-ounce cup of milk, whether skim, low-fat, or whole, has 300 milligrams of calcium. So do like your parents always told you and drink your milk! So we recognize knocking back a glass or two of milk is not for everyone, but did you know a cup of yogurt has at least as much calcium as an 8-ounce cup of milk? And 1 ounce of Swiss cheese has nearly as much. Even if you're lactose intolerant, yogurt and hard cheeses are low in lactose or try products that are lactose-reduced or lactose-free because eliminating lactose from milk and dairy foods does not affect the calcium content.

Sardines
Milk or dairy products are not the only way to get a healthy dose of calcium. All those little fish bones in sardines have just what you need and eating 3 ounces of canned sardines delivers a little more calcium than a cup of milk.

Veggies
Calcium is plentiful in many vegetables, especially the dark leafy greens such as bok choy, Chinese cabbage, and kale, among others. Collard and turnip greens are another great source of calcium as well.

Soy
Half a cup of calcium-enriched tofu contains as much as 861 milligrams of calcium, but calcium is not the only mineral that gives you leg up. New research suggests plant-based chemicals called isoflavones strengthen bone density as well.

The arrival of winter signals many things--the holidays, the New Year and unfortunately for tens of thousands of Americans, the onset of flu season. The flu is unpredictable and how severe it is can vary from one season to the next depending on many things such as: 

- Which influenza virus is spreading

- How much flu vaccine is available 

- When the vaccine is available 

- How many people get vaccinated

- How well the vaccine is matched to particular strains of influenza viruses

Did you know that less than 2/4 of Adults in the United States wash their hands after using the restroom? This fact is alarming to us at Interim HealthCare and to the safety of our senior home care patients. According to the Center for Disease Control, "the most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands." Our caregivers want to ensure that during the holiday season you and your loves ones stay sage and free of infections or germs. This week from December 4th through 10th has been declared National Hand Washing Awareness Week during this week we thought it was best to explain to you why hand washing is important and how you can properly wash your hands.

Why is Hand Washing Important?

• Did you know that 1 in 3 E. coli outbreaks is caused by poor hand washing by food preparers?
• Did you that hand washing is the single most important factor in preventing infections?
• Dod you know that cutting vegetables on the same board used to cut meat contaminates the vegetables?

Ok, so you've identified there are some warning signs that your parents might be in need of some additional help at home but how do you start the discussion with your parent?

One of the most threatening things to a senior is the possiblity that they may have to leave their home. However, what they typically don't know is that there are non-medical home care services to assist them with activities of daily living (light housekeeping, transportation, bathing/grooming, etc.)

Talking to your parent can be awkward and intimidatng for some. We suggest to begin by being home with them. If you can sit down in person with them and have a calm conversation with them by talking to them about your feelings and concerns based particular issues you've noticed. Ask them their thoughts and feelings based on what you've just addressed. Don't be aggressive or patronizing to them as this will only make them become defensive. If they are agree ask them for their ideas for solutions.

If they are in complete denial or refusing to admit they need help, you'll be facing a bigger challenge. Stand tall and start by telling them you want them to retain their independence but you just want them to be safe. By accepting assistance it doesn't mean you need to leave your home. Explain to them that there are home care companies, such as Interim HealthCare, that can come to the home to help.

Try not to get into an argument or start listing all the things you see as indicators that they need help. This will just ultimately turn them against you and make they not want to continue the discussion. It's best to stick to a few examples and if you see the conversation is going in the wrong direction then it's best to come back to it at a later time. Many seniors need some time to think about it or if they are in denial they need time to notice it for themselves.

While talking with them continue to reassure them that this isn't a discussion about how to move them out how their home, but a way to find a solotion that will allow them to maintan their independence while ensuring their safety. It doesn't hurt to look into the possiblity and learn about what types of senior care services are avaliable to them. Make sure to continue to ask them for their feedback, their recommendations-make sure they feel like they are in control of the outcome. As always keep in mind how you would feel in the situation was in reverse.

Additional tips to consider for start the discussion include:

• Begin early and plan ahead
• Choose the right time and place
• Make it inclusive
• Keep it simple
• Offer options, not lectures
• Be respectful, not patronizing
• Ask for help from a Physician or some else respected by your parent.