Posts Tagged: Aging parents

Extra Precautions for Seniors During the Summer Months

As the summer months approach, it's important to remember that seniors have unique safety concerns during this time of year. With the heat, sun exposure, and increased outdoor activity, seniors need to take extra precautions to stay safe and healthy. Here are some tips for senior summer safety: Stay hydrated One of the most important things seniors can do during the summer is to stay hydrated. Dehydration can lead to serious health problems, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Seniors should drink plenty ... Read more

When an Older Loved One is Refusing Help, Try Some of These Tips

When an older loved one is refusing help, it can be extremely frustrating. Emotions are running high, and it seems that everyone, except the ones needing the help, understands the urgency. Many factors can contribute to their needs. For example; a decline in health due to age, disease diagnosis, recent falls, and death of a caretaker spouse could all be why help is now needed. Do you treat them like children because that is how you feel they are acting? Of course ... Read more

Organizing Respite Care

Organizing respite care can be a confusing and frustrating process. Not only is it difficult to decide which type of respite care to use, but couple that with the emotions that are also involved. Respite care is used for those needing a break from caring for a loved one with a condition where they can't be left alone. What is Respite Care? According to the National Institute on Aging, the definition of respite care is as follows: Respite care provides short-term relief for primary ... Read more

Home Health Care and Hospice

Home health care and hospice are similar in many ways and can work together in providing care for mutual patients, and guiding families. Paradise Home Health Care has worked with many families that have hospice care or will get referred to hospice later, as their care needs change. We will discuss some ways that home care and hospice's palliative care model work together. How Hospice Differs From Home Health Care Hospice specifically focuses on end-of-life care and needs. With technological advances in the medical ... Read more

Navigating Home Health Care, and Tips to Help Make the Right Decision.

Navigating home health care can be very stressful.  We get calls from people inquiring about care, community assistance options, or even just guidance. Each individual is treated with respect and dignity.  South Florida currently has plenty of options and finding the right one can be exhausting, confusing, and extremely frustrating.  It doesn't have to be.  How do you know which is the best one for you, and/or your family dynamics? Navigating through home health care, and understanding what sets one apart from ... Read more

Winter Depression in the Elderly

Winter Depression in the Elderly Winter depression in the elderly is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This year Covid-19 restrictions will cause higher than usual rates of seasonal depression.  Many seniors have acclimated to being inside more. But limited visiting with friends, socializing, and get-together with family will increase feelings of isolation. Because it is the holiday season, interventions should be planned to minimize the effects of depression. Keep in mind, feelings of loss and grief are hightened around holidays so, ... Read more

Home Care for Aging Parents

  Home Care for Aging Parents Home care for aging parents is the best solution when your parent chooses to remain in their own home. At some point an elder loved one may need some help with caring for themselves and their household.  There are a few choices for care. Most common is the spouse or an adult son/daughter becomes the primary caregiver.  Whether the need for care is physical (stroke, Parkinson, MS, weakness, etc.) or cognitive (dementia, Alzheimer's disease, memory impairment, etc.) ... Read more

“Elderspeak” – Helpful or Harmful?

"Elderspeak" - Helpful or Harmful? "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou "Elderspeak" is a pattern of speech that mimics baby talk, or how we speak to pets. Verbal communication conveys thoughts, information, and feelings. The old adage; ”it isn't what you say but how you say it" is so true. We react to how we are spoken to. It is self-defeating when ... Read more

Old, Alone, “Don’t Need Help”

Old, Alone, "Don't Need Help" Old, Alone, "Don't Need Help" is a common response a Home Care Social Worker hears. It is hard to be ill or incapacitated. Living alone makes it that much harder. In fact, age, illness, and living alone are "risk factors" to be considered when putting together or thinking of a "Care Plan".  Whether returning home following a surgery, illness, stay in Rehab or have a chronic, degenerative disease, at some point in time all of us will ... Read more

Social Work Based Home Care

Social Work Based Home Care Social Work based home care takes a macro view of a client's needs, family relationships, home safety and an array of resources and benefits.  In-home care, Social Workers typically are with a Medicare Agency. They are one of the "Skills" which Medicare covers. Other skilled professionals are Registered Nurses, Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapists.  In private duty home care, also known as non-medical it is rarer to have a Social Worker. As is often the case when working ... Read more
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