Austin Non Medical Care enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.
There are many signs that could point to declining health. Seniors need to be aware of these signs. Many health issues can be treated and corrected with early detection. This is why it is so important for seniors to know exactly what to look for. Health issues often arise as we age and seniors should have as much information about declining health as possible. The list below contains some signs that could signify declining health.
1. If seniors suddenly lose interest in something they previously enjoyed, there is cause for concern. This includes socializing with friends, involving themselves in hobbies or losing interest in physical activity.
2. When seniors become less active, there may be an underlying problem. It is important to talk to a doctor when seniors begin to be less physically active on a day to day basis.
3. Be aware of how seniors move. If they normally move at a normal pace and suddenly begin to slow down, there may be a medical reason. Seniors should try to remain as active as possible. If they suddenly walk differently, make sure to talk to a doctor.
4. Seniors who begin to lose weight rapidly and have changes in appetite or eating habits could have a medical problem. These changes are unhealthy and should always be taken seriously. Be sure to report any changes in weight or eating habits to a doctor.
5. Many seniors do not walk as well as younger adults. However, if seniors begin to wobble when they walk, this is a warning sign. Seniors who lose their balance could have a medical problem that needs treatment.
Keeping Aging Relatives in Austin Safe and Independent at Home by providing senior home care for Austin Seniors and Elders. Call Home Care Austin 512-347-9207.
Austin Senior Care enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.
In this day and age, the amount of caregivers is ever growing. More and more seniors are in need of care. Those individuals that provide the care undergo an immense amount of stress. This can have a huge effect on over-all health. It is very important for caregivers to allow themselves respite time. This time will help them physically and mentally. Below is a list of tips that are provided with the well-being of the caregiver in mind.
1. Caregivers should remember that they are not alone. The role of a caregiver can be stressful, exhausting and demanding. Many times, caregivers suffer from depression. While it may seem like the caregiver must do this alone, family and friends can offer much support and make a big difference.
2. Caregivers need to know their strengths. It is important to reward yourself for a job well done. Knowing your strengths as well as your limitations will help you become a better caregiver.
3. Many caregivers neglect their own health because they are so preoccupied with caring for a senior. Your personal health should be your number one priority. Never put aside your own health needs.
4. It is ok to ask for help. If you begin feeling overwhelmed, there is no shame asking for help. This could be as simple as words of encouragement. Family members may also be able to help you care for an elderly relative. This can make a huge difference because you will not be responsible for every aspect of care. It is ok to take a break!
5. Caregivers need to be an advocate for seniors. It is important for every caregiver to know their own rights in addition to the rights of the senior receiving assistance or treatment.
Keeping Aging Relatives in Austin Safe and Independent at Home by providing senior home care for Austin Seniors and Elders. Call Home Care Austin 512-347-9207.
When it’s clear that it’s time to consider home care for an aging loved one, it can be a difficult process. There is a lot of work to be done to ensure the best care options are chosen, and it can be emotionally trying. Here are some tips on where families can begin when it’s time to explore home care for a senior:
1. Talk about it – while family might believe a senior requires home care assistance, their elderly loved one might not feel the same. Talking about it gently is essential, and not all seniors are likely to simply accept the suggestion of help. A family counselor can intervene if necessary.
2. List the help needed – talk together and determine specific things that a senior care provider like Austin Aging Care could assist with. Whether it’s grocery shopping, help with bathing and dressing, or other tasks.
3. Do research – talk to friends and family about home care agencies they’d recommend, but during that process as costs are addressed, it’s also essential that any funding or insurance coverage that may be available is investigated
4. Don’t jump into a decision – even once a specific agency is narrowed down, it’s okay to interview them and ask questions about their history and their policies. Ask if they’ll spend time with the senior first to assess comfort level, and also verify that a replacement caregiver will be provided if one doesn’t work out
Keeping Aging Relatives in Austin Safe and Independent at Home by providing senior home care for Austin Seniors and Elders. Call Home Care Austin 512-347-9207.
When looking to hire a caregiver for a senior, there are a number of factors to consider. Not only should the caregiver be able to meet the needs of the senior, but they should also have a compatible personality. Since the caregiver will be spending a lot of time with the senior, it is important to choose the right person for the job. Doing so can be a bit easier by following some of the tips below.
1. Check local Home Care Agencies. Companies like Austin Senior Care staff many caregivers. However, they do provide different levels of service, so take the time to make sure all services that are needed can be provided.
2. If the senior in need of a caregiver is approved for care that will be paid for by Medicare, the Health Care Agency must be Medicare certified. This ensures that the agency meets the minimal federal requirements.
3. If the senior only requires personal care or homemaking services, caregivers do not have to come from an agency that is certified for Medicare.
4. If there is no Medicare coverage, the cost of the caregiver will have to be paid by the person receiving services. These services can be expensive, but there are some low rates for personal care attendants, also known as PCA’s. They are typically paid by the hour at rates between $13 and $35.
5. Do not be afraid to contact multiple agencies. It is important to find the right caregiver that will provide all services needed by the senior.
Keeping Aging Relatives in Austin Safe and Independent at Home by providing senior home care for Austin Seniors and Elders. Call Home Care Austin 512-347-9207.
Home Care Austin enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.
Many senior citizens feel there is little they can do to improve their heart and circulatory health besides taking medications. However, seniors can go one step farther towards improving their heart’s health. There are several simple tips seniors can put into practice in aging care to avoid heart issues.
• Lower Those Cholesterols Levels—People with coronary artery disease can monitor their cholesterol to ensure they don’t become another statistic or victim of heart disease.
• Practice Good Nutrition—Seniors worried about heart disease can eliminate some of that worry by merely changing their diets to follow healthier guidelines.
• Exercise—By taking that afternoon walk, seniors can decrease their chances of heart and circulatory problems a great deal. Exercise not only makes you feel good by getting out of the house, but also does a number on your heart.
• Read Up On Heart Health—So many publications nowadays offer great information when it comes to practicing good heart health. Seniors can turn to any of these publications such as the Harvard Heart Letter. This report helps seniors understand heart and circulatory health and the effects heart problems can have on emotional health. Such reports also provide detailed tips as to what you can do to lower your risk.
Keeping Aging Relatives in Austin Safe and Independent at Home by providing senior home care for Austin Seniors and Elders. Call Home Care Austin 512-347-9207.
Q – My mom is in her mid-60’s, she’s had no medical problems or anything that causes the family particular concern. But I know that she’s paid little thought to her future in terms of senior care or legal planning. I don’t want to overstep my bounds, but should I encourage planning, and what should I suggest?
A – It’s never too early to start planning. The earlier you start having discussions, and beginning the planning process, the better her future will be.
1. Look at all resources –in order to help a senior plan for the future, take a look at all of the options by considering family who may be able to provide help, finances and other assets that could contribute to an aging loved one’s future
2. Understand that plans can change – when planning early, a guideline might be put in place. You might decide with the senior in your life that you will be a full or part-time caregiver. But, by the time they actually need help you might not be in a position to follow through. Accept that plans can change, be flexible, and have backup plans in place
3. Enlist help – a geriatric care manager or a senior care provider can help evaluate the future needs seniors may have to aid in planning
4. Organize the legal aspects – encourage your elderly relative to create a will, draft an advanced directive, establish a power of attorney, and go through the estate planning process
Keeping Aging Relatives in Austin Safe and Independent at Home by providing senior home care for Austin Seniors and Elders. Call Home Care Austin 512-347-9207.
How do you know when it’s time for your Austin senior to seek in home senior care help? While there are a number of ways that a professional caregiver can benefit seniors by helping them out around their Austin homes, there are some seniors that are prime candidates for care who can also benefit the most from the senior care services.
• Seniors who struggle with Activities of Daily Living – seniors who struggle with dressing, bathing, preparing meals, taking their medications, or keeping up with chores around the home are ideal candidates for in-home senior care
• Seniors with declining mobility – seniors who are having changes with their balance and mobility may be at a greater risk of falling or having an accident in the home when trying to perform ADLs . By hiring a caregiver, safety issues can be addressed and prevented through additional help
• Seniors who have had to give up driving – seniors who no longer drive for whatever reason, would greatly benefit from the help of a caregiver who can take them to run errands or to appointments
• Seniors who don’t have family nearby – seniors who have the above problems but do not have family nearby to help them can benefit from in home care when there’s no one else out there to help them
• Seniors who have come out of the hospital or rehab – after seniors have been released from the hospital or rehab program and are in recovery, it’s better for seniors to have the help of a caregiver so they don’t put too much of a burden on their bodies by trying to care for themselves or their homes
• Seniors who suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia – safety may be an issue for seniors who struggle with their memories
1. Elder Issues Keeping Aging Relatives in Austin Safe and Independent at Home by providing senior home care for Austin Seniors and Elders. Call Home Care Austin 512-347-9207.
Q – Why do Austin seniors suffer elder abuse in silence?
A – While to outsiders, it may seem like there’s an easy answer for those who suffer from elder abuse; don’t put up with it! But for Austin seniors who are victims of elder abuse, scenarios are far more complex than we could ever imagine from the outside looking in. It is true that many seniors suffer in silence, and it’s because they live in fear of the repercussions if they tell someone about the abuse their experiencing. Their fears, however, are not typically based in the concern that the abuse might get worse, but that telling someone might take the abuser out of their life forever. Often seniors find themselves abused by the hands of their own senior caregivers, and many times, the person responsible for their care and abuse alike is a family member. Many seniors fear that by talking about the abuse, the caregiver will leave which will change the senior’s lifestyle drastically. For many seniors, the option is care at home with a family member, or moving to a nursing home or assisted living facility where they fear they’ll suffer an even worse fate by way of an ultimate loss of independence. For many seniors, it’s a better option to take the abuse and continue to suffer in silence.
Keeping Aging Relatives in Austin Safe and Independent at Home by providing senior home care for Austin Seniors and Elders. Call Home Care Austin 512-347-9207.
Q – Is medical care available to seniors in Austin at home?
A – While many doctors do continue to make traditional health calls to visit seniors who have issues with mobility that make it difficult for them to get into their doctors’ offices, these services tend to be costly and are often not covered by medical insurance programs like Medicare. However, new technologies which are emerging into the home care market for seniors, hope to make medical care available to all seniors from the comfort and safety of their own homes. General Electric and Intel recently announced their partnership and commitment to donate $250 million dollars towards the research and development of home health care technologies for the elderly over the next 5 years. Already available on the market are the Intel Health Guide, which allows seniors to interact with medical professionals using a 2-way video computer and the GE QuietCare; a home monitoring system which allows senior caregivers to keep track of the senior’s well-being remotely.
Over the upcoming years, these two partnered technology giants hope to create health technologies that will allow doctors and nurses to monitor their senior patients’ health, quality of life and diagnose elderly health issues remotely, while the senior remains in their Austin residence. Hopefully, these new technological developments will help more seniors get the medical care they require in a convenient and affordable manner.
Sources:
1. New York Times Steve Lohr
2. Intel & GE Health Care Alliance
Keeping Aging Relatives in Austin Safe and Independent at Home by providing senior home care for Austin Seniors and Elders. Call Home Care Austin 512-347-9207.
Choosing a caregiver for an elderly relative or parent is not a task that anyone can take lightly. While you want to make the best decision to ensure your Austin senior receives the highest quality of eldercare and remains satisfied with the decision you make for their in-home care, it’s hard to know what to look for in a caregiver. Well, worry no further, because we’re about to tell you about the qualities and skills every Austin in-home caregiver should have.
1. Experience – the amount of experience a caregiver should have depends on the level of care a senior requires. If a caregiver is strictly there for companionship, they may not need direct eldercare experience, but ensure you check references from previous employers to learn about personality and depedability. If a caregiver will have higher levels of responsibilities, consider looking for a caregiver with more direct experience in eldercare.
2. Commitment – choose a caregiver with a track record of committing to their care recipients. It’s easier on your senior to have just one main caregiver once you find one you like.
3. Emergency Training – While a caregiver doesn’t need a medical background, some level of CPR or first-aid training can be beneficial, so they know how to assist a senior in an emergency while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
4. Driver’s License – a senior caregiver with a license is a must for running errands, going to appointments, and responding to emergency situations!
5. Good personality – a senior caregiver must be dependable, patient, and demonstrate compassion, but above all; their personality must be a good fit with that of a senior.
Keeping Aging Relatives in Austin Safe and Independent at Home by providing senior home care for Austin Seniors and Elders. Call Home Care Austin 512-347-9207.
