Worcester Area Senior Care Blog
Posted: 6/20/2017 2:06 PM by
Interim HealthCare
Changes in appearance. Does the person's hair and makeup look all right? Are clothes clean? Someone known for crisply ironed shirts who's now in a stained sweatshirt may lack the dexterity for buttons or may have lost the strength for managing an ironing board and iron. A formerly clean-shaven man with an unkempt beard may be forgetting to shave (or forgetting how to shave).
These are just ...
Posted: 6/5/2017 1:52 PM by
Interim HealthCare
The decision to help an aging adult move out of a current home is a complex one -- both emotionally and practically. Above all, you want the person to be safe and well. How can you all feel more confident about whether circumstances suggest that your loved one should no longer be living alone?
Although every situation is different, looking at the following 11 signs will give you valuable infor...
Posted: 5/15/2017 1:33 PM by
Interim HealthCare
Seeking solutions to difficult situations is, of course, one of the most important tools in caregiving. Once you've identified a problem, taking action to solve it can change the situation and also change your attitude to a more positive one, giving you more confidence in your abilities.
Posted: 5/5/2017 1:24 PM by
Interim HealthCare
Only when we first help ourselves can we effectively help others. Caring for yourself is one of the most important—and one of the most often forgotten—things you can do as a caregiver. When your needs are taken care of, the person you care for will benefit, too.
Posted: 4/15/2017 1:19 PM by
Interim HealthCare
Getting older certainly has its rewards. We all like to think that our long history of various experiences has made us wise enough to make better decisions. Retirement has its moments, and grandchildren are a great source of joy and happiness.
Posted: 4/5/2017 11:12 AM by
Interim HealthCare
The CDC says that currently, about one third of Americans are obese. The percentage of children, age 6-11 who are obese increased from 7% in 1980 to 18% in 2012. These startling statistics do not bode well for our health in the future. Eating well doesn’t have to be difficult! The following guide for healthy eating is called The GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY!!!!!
Posted: 3/15/2017 9:28 AM by
Interim HealthCare
Most adult children of elderly parents know what it is like to worry about the well-being of their aging mother and father. As a person ages, they will have a number of different hazards to worry about. When an elderly person gets hurt, it may take longer to heal, which is why safeguarding the home is needed.
Posted: 3/1/2017 9:19 AM by
Interim HealthCare
One very common, but potentially very serious, infection that could impact your aging loved ones is a staph infection. Caused by a bacteria called Staphylococcus, this type of infection can range from minor irritation that is easily treated to treatment-resistant flesh-eating varieties depending on the type of exposure and the manner in which the bacteria entered the body.
Posted: 2/16/2017 8:42 AM by
Interim HealthCare
While eating healthier is something that you can choose to do any day, making major changes for a senior should take a little bit of time. You do not want to suddenly change everything that your parents already know about their diet or start introducing a wide variety of foods at the same time. This can be overwhelming and discouraging, and even have negative digestive consequences. Taking your...
Posted: 2/2/2017 8:17 AM by
Interim HealthCare
Elderly adults tend to experience urinary tract infections more commonly and with greater frequency than younger adults and children, and the consequences associated with these infections tend to be more serious and long lasting. With a few simple lifestyle changes, however, you can help to greatly reduce the chances that your parent will suffer such an infection, and can help to reduce the sev...
Posted: 1/19/2017 1:56 PM by
Interim HealthCare
Your elderly loved ones' joints have been through a lot in their lives. They have spent decades supporting their muscles and going through the movements of life, taking on a tremendous amount of force and possibly sustaining injuries. It's important to keep their joints healthy and strong so they can experience less pain and stiffness, increase their mobility, and enjoy a more active, engaging ...
Posted: 1/5/2017 10:36 AM 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,
Posted: 12/22/2016 11:15 AM by
Interim HealthCare
As we age we lose bone mass, which could lead to osteoporosis without any noticeable symptoms. In fact, many seniors do not realize they have osteoporosis until they fall and break a bone.
Posted: 12/20/2016 11:11 AM by
Interim HealthCare
Gifts of sports equipment should always be accompanied by protective gear (give a helmet with the skateboard) Think protection from injury while having fun! Also, keep in mind that new sports often have a learning curve that may require adult supervision at first.
Posted: 12/15/2016 11:05 AM by
Interim HealthCare
As we kick off the holiday season, we all want to show how much we care by giving the perfect gift to each of our loved ones. Parents want to give the hottest, most talked about toy at school or on TV. It is easy to be caught up in the spirit of the season, and purchase gifts without reading the fine print, considering the age of the recipient, or the appropriateness of the item.
Posted: 12/8/2016 11:13 AM by
Interim HealthCare
How long do you want to live? What if science created a treatment that could help you live longer and healthier? It's not science-fiction, and it may be available sooner than you think.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic, the Scripps Institute, and other institutions have created a new class of drugs to slow the aging process in mice. These drugs, known as senolytics, not only added lifespan, bu...
Posted: 12/6/2016 9:49 AM by
Interim HealthCare
We all know that the Holidays can be a very stressful time just in living an ordinary family life. There is much confusion with the hustle and bustle of preparing for extra company, fixing special meals and playing host while also trying to enjoy the experience ourselves. For the caregiver, this time can add a completely new set of stresses to an already stressful situation.
Posted: 11/24/2016 11:11 AM 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 ...
Posted: 11/20/2016 11:11 AM by
Interim HealthCare
If your elderly loved one finishes a meal within a few minutes after sitting down to eat, it's possible that she's eating much too quickly. Some of the signs that this is the case can also include indigestion and a difficulty maintaining her weight. If you can help her to slow down a little bit while she eats, she will reap quite a few benefits.
Posted: 10/27/2016 10:38 AM by
Interim HealthCare
Your body weight is controlled by the number of calories you eat and the number of calories you use each day. So, to lose weight you need to take in fewer calories than you use. You can do this by becoming more physically active or by eating less. Following a weight-loss program that helps you to become more physically active and decrease the amount of calories that you eat is most likely to le...