Interim HealthCare Blog
Posted: 5/24/2016 7:03 AM by
Interim HealthCare
All too often your elderly loved one may need more help with some aspect of her life and yet she won't want to tell you, her family caregiver, that she needs that assistance. This could be because of pride or it might be because your loved one is having other problems. It's important to pay close attention to the details of her life.
Posted: 5/19/2016 6:17 PM by
Interim HealthCare
Besides the obvious problems associated with hearing loss, your elderly loved one is at risk of other problems when his or her hearing begins to fail. If you're aware of the potential trouble that could pop up, you're more likely to be better prepared to help the individual deal with the situation.
Posted: 5/16/2016 1:26 PM by
Interim HealthCare
Home care is not a one size fits all experience. In order for your aging loved one to get the most benefit for your care efforts for them, it is important that you focus on customizing the experience and creating a care approach that is tailored to them as a whole individual rather than just as a person with generic needs. This type of approach not only helps to ensure that your parent's particular needs are met, but also encourages better mental and emotional health because they feel that they are being honored, respected, and listened to as they age in place.
Posted: 5/4/2016 9:28 AM by
Interim HealthCare
Shaking up your senior care routine by going on outings with your loved one is a fantastic way to support their mental, emotional, and even physical health. By planning these special outings you are encouraging your parents to make memories, engage socially, and keep their minds active. While there are many different activities that you can enjoy with your aging parent, attending a play can be a particularly exciting and meaningful experience. Live theater is something that many people do not enjoy very often and can make your parent feel extremely special while also helping to promote many of your care efforts.
Posted: 4/29/2016 10:05 AM by
Interim HealthCare
May 1 through 7 is National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week. During this week, set aside some time to learn more about these mental health concerns and how they could be impacting your elderly care journey with your aging parent. By teaming up with your loved one and the rest of your care network to understand these risks and focus on managing them you can improve your care efforts, and your parent's quality of life.
Posted: 4/18/2016 9:58 AM by
Interim HealthCare
Memory issues can make many things more difficult with your elderly loved one, especially family fun in the summer. This doesn't have to be the case, though, especially if you try some of these tips.
Posted: 4/7/2016 9:03 AM by
Interim HealthCare
When you first start taking care of your elderly loved one, you may not realize everything that you're up against. Asking the right questions from the start can help you to get the information that you need to make the right decisions.
Posted: 4/1/2016 12:06 PM by
Interim HealthCare
Nearly 55 percent of the population of the United States suffers from some kind of allergy. For a large percentage of these people, those allergies are seasonal. Seasonal allergies are reactions caused by plant matter such as pollen, mold, or grass. Often referred to as hay fever, these allergies show symptoms called rhinitis. These symptoms can include congestion, sneezing, watery eyes, itchy nose, runny nose, itchy eyes, itchy ears, and tingling or itchy feeling in the roof of the mouth. People with allergies are also more likely to develop a condition known as sinusitis. This is a lingering inflammation of the hollow sinus passages that extend behind the cheekbones, behind the nose, and around the eyes. This condition can cause symptoms including headache, congestion, nasal discharge, fever, pressure in the face, pain in the sinuses, and a persistent cough.
Posted: 3/29/2016 10:08 AM by
Interim HealthCare
Substance abuse is often a highly emotionally charged issue for any family. For family caregivers of seniors, however, it can be particularly trying. Many people have the perception that substance abuse is something that is limited only to young people or is something that "intelligent" older people simply would not do. This, however, is not the case. According to the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions, one in five older adults over the age of 65 have dealt with substance abuse issues. Further research estimates that nearly 2 million continue to deal with these issues as they get older. Being aware of the potential for substance abuse in your elderly care journey with your parent can help you to detect problems and encourage your parent to live a healthier, safer life.
Posted: 3/22/2016 10:16 AM by
Interim HealthCare
One of the most important efforts that you can make in your senior care journey with your elderly loved one is keeping her safe. Though there are many risks that your aging parent will face as she ages in place, one of the most prevalent is falling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2 and a half million older adults have to be treated in emergency departments throughout the country because of injuries sustained during falls. The effects of a fall can be truly devastating, leading to lasting consequences that can greatly diminish your senior's quality of life. By understanding falls and the risks for falling you and your parent's senior health care services provider can modify your care efforts to help reduce these risks and keep your senior safer.
Posted: 3/15/2016 9:10 AM by
Interim HealthCare
Urinary tract infections are one of the most common types of infections, particularly for elderly adults. More than half of women will experience one or more UTIs throughout her adult years, and though they are not as common in men, they can and do happen. This type of infection can be a serious and potentially dangerous experience in your elderly care journey with your aging loved one, putting her at greater risk of developing further infections and illnesses due to the suppressing effect that the infection has on her immune system, and potentially causing cognitive symptoms that can put her wellbeing and quality of life at serious risk. While this type of infection is easily treatable when caught early, the best way to prevent the often serious complications and consequences of a UTI is to prevent the infection in the first place.
Posted: 3/10/2016 9:01 AM by
Interim HealthCare
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, the ideal opportunity for you to learn more about the potential for brain injuries and how those injuries can impact your home care journey with your elderly loved one. A brain injury can occur as a result of a variety of circumstances, including falls, car accidents, and other traumatic injuries, and can lead to lasting disability or even death, making it something that you should be vigilant about to not just protect your parent from the possibility of experiencing one of these injuries, but also to handle it should one occur.
Posted: 2/29/2016 3:23 PM by
Interim HealthCare
Caregiver Tips by Interim HealthCare
Aging can present many challenges and seniors who were once active, engaged, healthy, and independent may find themselves incapable of handling basic day-to-day tasks on their own. Whether it is due to physical limitations, mobility challenges, or cognitive challenges, when seniors start to lose the ability to care for themselves and require the assistance of others, their dignity is at risk.
Posted: 2/25/2016 2:48 PM by
Interim HealthCare
A heart attack can be one of those things that as an adult child you think will never happen to your loved one. As a family caregiver, however, it is important to understand the risk of this type of urgent medical situation occurring in your elder care journey with your senior and to be prepared for how you are going to handle not just the attack as it is happening, but the care that you offer him after it occurs. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every four deaths among American adults is caused by cardiovascular disease and more than 730,000 people each year suffer from a heart attack. Preparing yourself for the possibility that your aging parent might become one of those people to suffer such a situation in his life can help you to feel more confident about the care that you give him, and less afraid that you will not be able to help him through the attack and the recovery properly.
Posted: 2/19/2016 10:02 AM by
Interim HealthCare
Your mother starts experiencing sharp, intense pain through her back and beneath her ribs. She feels the urge to urinate more frequently, but when she goes to the bathroom she tells you that she is only able to urinate a small amount and never feels like she has completely emptied her bladder. The pain seems to intensify when she is urinating and changing position when she is sitting or lying down does not impact the intensity.
Posted: 2/16/2016 11:39 AM by
Interim HealthCare
A stroke can be one of the most frightening experiences that you ever go through with your elderly mother. In just moments everything that you thought you knew about her health and had in mind for her care as she ages in place can change and suddenly you are having to reimagine her life and the care that you will give her as she moves through her stroke, goes through her recovery period, and then works on moving forward as she redefines life after stroke. If this type of medical event becomes part of your care journey with your mother, it is essential to take the time to reevaluate your plans and create a senior care plan designed to address her new needs as she moves beyond the stroke.
Posted: 2/9/2016 2:23 PM by
Interim HealthCare
Everyone deals with itchiness on their skin every now and then. Technically a pain response, itchiness is the skin's way of telling you that there is something wrong. While much of the time this "something wrong" is mild and easily addressed, if chronically itchy skin has become a part of your home care journey with your elderly loved ones, you know how frustrating, and potentially dangerous, it can be. Itchy skin on its own may not cause any true problems for your parents' health, but if your parents are prone to scratching, pulling, rubbing, or tugging on their skin when it itches, their actions could causes tears, cuts, or abrasions in the skin.
Posted: 2/1/2016 1:25 PM by
Interim HealthCare
A large percentage of the elderly adult population deals with some level of mobility challenges, whether it is a bit of a balance issue that makes it more difficult for them to walk around easily or total immobility that keeps seniors limited to the bed or a wheelchair most or even all of the time. If immobility is part of your elder care journey with your aging loved ones, it is important that you know how to safely and effectively handle care tasks so that you, your parents, and their home care provider remain healthy and safe throughout their aging years.
Posted: 1/26/2016 1:35 PM by
Interim HealthCare
The average life expectancy has taken a turn for the better since research shows that adults over the age of 65 can still live healthy lives for an average of 19.3 additional years. Yet, due to years of unhealthy eating and lifestyle choices, many older adults are being diagnosed with chronic illnesses that greatly impact their quality of life. Some seniors also require elderly care since their health makes it difficult to care for themselves. Although there are a variety of reasons that may cause a loved one to have an illness or chronic pain, physical activity, a healthy diet, limited alcohol and no nicotine use is the best way to avoid contracting one of these common health concerns among senior citizens.
Posted: 1/19/2016 8:36 AM by
Interim HealthCare
Psoriasis can be embarrassing, especially during a flare-up when your loved one's skin can become red and scaly. It's also painful, and a diagnosis of psoriasis can be overwhelming both to you and to your loved one. The best option for you as a family caregiver is to help your loved one to do everything that she can in order to avoid a flare-up. Once her psoriasis is under better control, she'll feel much better.