Improving your communication skills will help make caregiving less stressful and will likely improve the quality of your relationship with your loved one. Good communication skills will also enhance your ability to handle the difficult behavior you may encounter as you care for a person with a dementing illness.

See below some skills that can help make day to day caregiving a bit easier.

• Set a positive mood. Set a positive mood by speaking to your loved one in a pleasant and respectful manner. Use facial expressions, tone of voice, and physical touch to help convey your message and show your feelings of affection.
• Get the person’s attention. Limit distractions and noise—turn off the radio or TV, close the curtains or shut the door, or move to quieter surroundings.
• State your message clearly. Use simple words and sentences. Speak slowly, distinctly, and in a reassuring tone. Use the names of people and places instead of pronouns (he, she, they) or abbreviations.
• Ask simple, answerable questions. Ask one question at a time; those with yes or no answers work best. Refrain from asking open-ended questions or giving too many choices.
• Break down activities into a series of steps. This makes many tasks much more manageable. You can encourage your loved one to do what he can, gently remind him of steps he tends to forget, and assist with steps he’s no longer able to accomplish on his own. Using visual cues when possible.
• When the going gets tough, distract and redirect. If your loved one becomes upset or agitated, try changing the subject or the environment.

Finally, remembering the past is often a soothing and affirming activity. Many people with dementia may not remember what happened 45 minutes ago, but they can clearly recall their lives 45 years earlier. Therefore, avoid asking questions that rely on short-term memory, such as asking the person what they had for lunch. Instead, try asking general questions about the person’s distant past—fond memories that they enjoy talking about. This will help set a positive mood and open the lines of communication and trust.

The post Caring For Loved Ones With Dementia appeared first on Community Home Care.

While many seniors prefer to live independently, some homes are poorly designed to meet their needs. Falls are the number one safety risk for older adults – nearly one third of the senior population fall each year with 70% of falls occurring at home.  Older adults need to take extra safety precautions due to physical changes that occur during the aging process, such as declining vision, hearing, sense of touch and smell, and bone density loss.  These factors increase the risk of injury inside the home.

What can you do to reduce the risk of injury for yourself or your loved one?  First, carefully survey their home for safety hazards. Here are just a few examples;

• Remove all scatter rugs, repair frayed carpet, tape or tack down loose carpet edges.
• Arrange furniture to allow adequate space for safe walking between and within all rooms.
• Place safety strips or a non-skid mat in bathtub/shower and install grab bars – do not use soap dishes or towel racks for support when sitting or standing.
• Keep closet doors and drawers closed to prevent bruises or tripping.
• Keep walking aids within reach and keep a nightlight on or flashlight within reach of your bed.

Other factors to keep in mind – the medicine cabinet and kitchen. As seniors may become forgetful, remembering things like expiration dates is difficult. Some ways caregivers can help in this area include;

• Store sharp knives in a rack.
• Use a kettle with an automatic shut-off.
• Store hazardous items separate from food.
• Make sure food is rotated regularly and check expiration dates
• Review your medicines frequently with your doctor or pharmacist and when you take new medication.
• Make sure medicines are clearly labeled.
• Read medicine labels in good light to ensure you have the right medicine and always take the correct dose.
• Dispose of any old or used medicines.

We agree that when possible, caring for seniors at home is best. Over 90% of seniors prefer to stay in their own homes, but its important to work with caregivers to make sure home remains safe and hazard free for our loved ones.

The post Home Safety Tips For Seniors appeared first on Community Home Care.

But – just because your eating healthy does not mean you need to live on leafy greens and boring flavors.

Mix it up, literally – with some yummy smoothie recipes that taste great and have proven health benefits.

Here are a couple of our favorites. Enjoy

Strawberry-Kiwi Smoothie

Stay full and fight disease. This high-fiber smoothie recipe becomes even healthier when you use organic kiwis, which contain higher levels of heart-healthy polyphenols and vitamin C.

SERVINGS: 4

1¼ c cold apple juice

1 ripe banana, sliced

1 kiwifruit, sliced

5 frozen strawberries

1½ tsp honey

COMBINE the juice, banana, kiwifruit, strawberries, and honey. Blend until smooth.

NUTRITION (per serving) 87 cals, 0.3 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 3.5 mg sodium, 22 g carbs, 16.5 g sugars, 1.5 g fiber, 0.5 g protein

Berry Good Smoothie

Get the energy you need to power through the day with this easy-to-make smoothie recipe. For an extra dose of calcium, try adding a teaspoon of Kale Powder.

SERVINGS: 1

1½ c chopped strawberries

1 c blueberries

½ c raspberries

2 Tbsp honey

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

½ c ice cubes

BLEND all ingredients.

NUTRITION (per serving) 162.5 cals, 1 g fat, 0.1 g sat fat, 5 mg sodium, 41.5 g carbs, 32 g sugars, 6 g fiber, 2 g protein

The post Shake Up Healthy Eating With Smoothies appeared first on Community Home Care.

The days are getting warmer and longer. Summer is around the   corner and we could not be more excited.

Going outside for a daily walk or other moderate physical activity has many proven health benefits for seniors. See here just some of the positive effects staying active can have on aging adults.

Increase mental capacity

Research links physical activity with slower mental decline. Exercise increases blood flow to all parts of your body, including your brain, and might promote cell growth there. Exercise — particularly if it starts early and is maintained over time — is beneficial in preventing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. (Source: Senior Journal.com)

Prevent disease

Exercise may delay or prevent many diseases associated with aging, such as diabetes, colon cancer, heart disease, stroke, and others, and may reduce overall death and hospitalization rates, according to the National Institute of Aging.

Improve healing

Injuries and wounds take longer to heal as people age. Regular exercise by older adults may speed up the wound-healing process by as much as 25 percent. (Source: Senior Journal.com)

Improve quality of life

A new study has found that previously sedentary senior citizens who incorporated exercise into their lifestyles not only improved physical function, but experienced psychological benefits as well. (Source: SeniorJournal.com)

Increase balance

This helps prevent falls, a major cause of broken hips and other injuries that often lead to disability and loss of independence. (Source: Senior Journal.com)

Increase life expectancy

Benefits are greater among the most active persons, but are also evident among those who reported moderate activity, according to the CDC.

The post Get Out & Get Going appeared first on Community Home Care.

We have been using dogs in our in home senior care management program for years and have seen tremendous success. Which is why, its with a heavy heart that we inform readers that are beloved Holly passed away. Our clients loved having her around for therapy and visits, so we were eager to welcome another furry friend into the mix so our program could continue.

Pet therapy for seniors, also known as Animal Assisted Therapy, is a technique that we use with seniors for numerous reasons to help improve their quality of life. Studies show that just fifteen minutes spent bonding with an animal promotes hormonal changes within the brain. Stress levels drop as the brain produces serotonin (the “feel-good” hormone), along with prolactin and oxytocin. This is why therapy animals are good companions for seniors, because they offer so many amazing health benefits.

Our new canine in training is Tommy. While Tommy is still learning the ropes, we know our clients are already falling in love.

Tommy comes to us from Arkansas and is about one-year-old. He is a Border Collie Golden Retriever mix and his favorite things to do are running, chewing and stealing shoes – a true puppy.

Tommy is a rescue dog, who was found abandoned with his sister. Luckily a local vet discovered the pair while out on a bike ride and took him in. After some medical care he ended up at a local rescue center with the name Tommy. Given that our last name is Brady, we thought keeping the name was only fitting for a New England dog.

Tommy

Read more about our dog therapy program here.

The post More About Tommy appeared first on Community Home Care.

Home care is not always the best solution for every situation but for millions of American families home care makes the most sense for them. Read here the top reasons we promote in home care for our seniors.

Home care promotes recovery. No matter the duration, hospital stays can be traumatizing. The sheer experience of rapid-fire medical procedures can leave an older adult in a compromised state. If your loved one has recently been discharged from the hospital, home care permits a person to rehabilitate in the comfort of his or her own home.

Home care saves money. While a nursing home sounds like the traditional solution, institutional care comes with a hefty price tag. According to recent data provided by John Hancock Financial, the average annual cost of care in the U.S. for a private room in a nursing home is $85,775 and $75,555 for a semi-private room, whereas home health care average $37,440 annually.

Home care honors your loved one’s dignity and independence. Did you know: Seniors fear moving into a nursing home and losing their independence more than they fear death itself? According to the study, nearly 90% of seniors want to stay in their homes.

Home care is flexible and personalized. No one person, lifestyle, or situation is the same. Home care recognizes how essential specialized care is to maintaining health and offers individualized services based on individual needs and preferences. Activities are not pre-scheduled and caregivers can adapt to the wants and needs of their clients.

Home care is safe. Meaning you are faced with the germs and infections of a larger facility. And the one-on-one attention of home care means your loved one receives swift, immediate care – no red tape, no forms, and no bureaucracy. A qualified home care professional can also help make the home environment safer, providing easy fixes such as grab bars and anti-slips rugs.

Read more about our specialized in-home services here.

The post Top Five Reasons To Promote In Home Senior Care appeared first on Community Home Care.