What Kinds of Add-ons Can Be Helpful for Your Loved One’s Lifting Chair?

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Senior Care Pompano Beach FL

Senior Care Pompano Beach FLLifting chairs themselves are incredibly useful for your senior loved one as they are, but there are add-on accessories that can make the chair even more useful. Determining the right accessories for your loved one can often mean simply assessing her needs.

Heat and Massage Functions

If your senior loved one has joint pain, arthritis, or other issues, heat and massage can help her quite a bit. Having a chair that has these functions built into it allows your loved one to use those features whenever she needs them. The best options are massage and heat functions that offer several different settings so that your loved one can truly customize the experience.

Folding Tray Extensions

Trays that fold or slide out of place can help your loved one to engage in all sorts of activities from her chair. Smaller trays are perfect for holding a book or a set of cards while larger trays can allow your loved one to eat meals in the comfort of her lifting chair. When you’re looking for this kind of addition, make sure that the tray slides easily without much effort from your loved one and that it has a way to lock into place.

Storage Compartments

Many lifting chairs offer storage compartments in the arms or in the sides of the chair. These are perfect for holding the chair’s control, the remote controls for her electronics, and any other items that she likes to keep close to her. Double check that the compartments are easy for your loved one to access while she’s seated in the chair.

Motorized Foot Rest

Traditional recliners often use either a lever on the side of the chair or a pressure system to raise and to lower the footrest. If your senior loved one is interested in a recliner option with her lifting chair, it’s a good idea to find one that has a motorized foot rest. This is especially helpful for senior loved ones who don’t have the strength to move the foot rest otherwise.

Let your loved one’s senior care providers and other family members know where to find the instructions for the chair in case she runs into trouble and needs extra help.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Care Services in Pompano Beach FL to provide companionship, compassion and motivation, please contact the caring staff at Responsive Home Care. Call today 954-486-6440.

Questions to Ask Before Your Parent Leaves the Emergency Room

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Home Care Tips For Florida Families

Senior Care Tamarac FLFor many senior adults, visits to the emergency room are more frequent as they get older. Changes in their physical and cognitive functioning, increased fall risk, higher instance of physical health concerns, and lower immune systems can all contribute to older adults visiting the emergency room more frequently than they might have when they were younger.

This frequency, however, does not make these situations any less serious. Whether your senior loved one visits the emergency room less than once a year or several times a year, as their family caregiver it is essential that you are there for them to help ensure that they get the most benefit out of the care that they receive, and that they continue to receive this benefit even after they are discharged.

One of the most important elements of this is asking the right questions before your parent leaves the emergency room. By asking these questions you can get the information that you need to structure your care approach and keep your parent on the right track toward recovery and management of their health and well-being.

Some questions that you should ask before your senior parent leaves the emergency room include:

• What is their diagnosis?

• What types of treatments did they receive while they were in the emergency room?

• What is the prognosis for this particular issue?

• What types of prescriptions did they receive?

• What are the instructions for these prescriptions?

• What are the potential side effects for these prescriptions and how can they handle them effectively?

• What type of care will they need after returning home?

• What changes do they need to make to their lifestyle because of this issue?

• What should you look for to determine if they need to return to the emergency room?

• When and with whom should they follow up after discharge?

Considering bringing a notebook with you and taking notes about the answers to these questions. This will allow you to reference these notes later if you have any questions or unsure of what needs to be done.

If your senior loved one has recently spent time in the emergency room, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting senior home care for them. Regardless of the issue that brought them to the hospital, the time after they return home can be integral in protecting the future of their health and well-being. This is the time when hospital readmission becomes an issue and your loved one will also need to focus on recovering from the illness, injury, or other concern that had them seeking emergency medical attention.

The highly personalized services of an in-home senior care provider can ensure that they get the care, support, assistance, and other services that they need to manage their individual needs and challenges, prevent readmission, and maintain the quality of life and lifestyle that is right for them.

If your parent is at risk of needing additional care or the medical team has given you specific instructions as to what to look for in ensuring that they are recovering properly, this care provider can be especially beneficial. Being with your parent ensures that they are able to detect changes or issues that might be concerning so that they can alert you and your parent can get the continued care that they need.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Hollywood, FL to provide companionship, compassion and motivation, please contact the caring staff at Responsive Home Care. Contact us today 954-486-6440.

Making Care Decisions Early in Your Parent’s Experience with Parkinson’s Disease

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Home Care Coral Springs FL

Home Care Coral Springs FLWhen you find out that your elderly parent is suffering from Parkinson’s disease you are put at the beginning of a journey that will present a wide variety of challenges and demands for your aging parent and for you as their family caregiver.

This is a progressive disease, which means that the symptoms that your senior loved one faces will change, increase, and intensify over time. Though your parent’s medical team can give you an idea as to how your parent’s condition will progress and what you might expect moving forward, there is no real way of knowing everything that they will face or the true path that their disease will take. This makes it essential that you do as much as you can to prepare for the journey early so that both of you are prepared for what will come.

Making care decisions early in your parent’s experience is about taking advantage of their awareness and cognitive functioning at the beginning of the disease and using it to ensure that they make the plans and preparations that are right for them.

It is important to be aware that changes in cognitive functioning, memory loss, and even dementia are potential symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This means that they are able to evaluate the progression of the disease ahead of them, express their thoughts, beliefs, and wishes, and make plans that will give them confidence that they will get the care that they need and give you peace of mind that you will be able to make the decisions that are right for your loved one when the time comes.

There are many issues that you will need to consider when making care decisions at the beginning of your parent’s experience with Parkinson’s disease. Some of these include:

• Their feelings regarding artificial resuscitation

• Their feelings regarding life support

• Their feelings regarding hospice care

• Their thoughts on additional care options, such as hiring an elderly home care provider to be with your aging parent to fulfill their needs and help them manage their symptoms

• Their wishes regarding aging in place or transitioning into living in the home with you and the rest of your family

• Legal considerations, such as power of attorney, health directives, wills, and other arrangements to ensure that they get the care they need and that their estate is managed properly

• Their perspectives on their final arrangements and how they want them to be carried out when the end of their life comes

It can be extremely challenging and emotionally difficult thinking of these issues and discussing them with your parent, but it is vital that you confront them and handle these conversations courageously, honestly, and thoroughly. Consider sitting down with their doctor as well as a therapist if your parent is having difficulty coming to terms with these issues or does not feel that they have enough information to make the decisions that are truly right for them. This can give both of you more confidence and help you to feel more prepared as you continue on in this new chapter.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Coral Springs FL to provide companionship, compassion and motivation, please contact the caring staff at Responsive Home Care. Call today 954-486-6440.

How to Test Your Loved One’s Driving Skills Yourself

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Elder Care Hollywood FL

Elder Care Hollywood FLMany elderly loved ones reach a point in their life when driving can be quite dangerous for not only them, but the people around them. If you’re worried about your loved one’s driving abilities, it might be a good idea to stage a “ride along” during which you make note of her driving so you can talk to her about it later.

Avoid Announcing that You’re Testing Her Driving Skills

If you can avoid it, don’t let your loved one know that you’re testing her driving ability. Giving her a warning means you won’t get to see her actual driving skills. Instead, you’ll see how she wants to you see her drive. On the other hand, you might make her too nervous to drive at all. So it’s best to just keep what you’re doing to yourself until afterward.

Relax and Observe

During the ride, make sure that you’re paying attention but that you’re not jotting down notes as your loved one does something. Be observant without being obtrusive. If you can, relax a bit. The goal is to allow your loved one to drive the way that she normally would drive.

Avoid Critiquing Unless There Is Immediate Danger

Likewise, you want to avoid making comments about your loved one’s driving. Saying things like, “Did you mean to change lanes without using your blinker?” isn’t very subtle. If there is immediate danger, however, such as your loved one not looking before changing lanes, those are the kinds of things you do want to mention in the moment.

Sit Down with Your Loved One Afterward

Once the drive is over, it’s time to talk to your loved one about what you saw. Open by letting your loved one know that you care about her safety and that you love her. You don’t want to beat your loved one up during this conversation, but let her know if you witnessed habits that have you troubled. On the other hand, if your loved one’s driving skills were better than you expected, let her know that you saw some good things, too.

If the test doesn’t go so well, it’s a good idea to start lining up people who can help with transportation for your loved one. Other family members and elder care providers are excellent first choices.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elder Care Services in Hollywood FL to provide companionship, compassion and motivation, please contact the caring staff at Responsive Home Care. Call today 954-486-6440.

Hand Exercises that will Help Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain

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Elderly Care Lauderhill FL

Elderly Care Lauderhill FLSomeone with rheumatoid arthritis often suffers from debilitating pain in different joints and muscles in the body, particularly in their hands. The pain can become so intense that even picking up a pen can be difficult. Someone with rheumatoid arthritis can especially benefit from having an elderly care provider assist them at home with all of the tasks that have become too difficult for them to do.

If your elderly loved one is looking for some relief from their RA pain, hand exercises may be exactly what they need to do. The following exercises will keep the hands strong and pain-free.

Folding fingers. Bring all of the fingers together in a loose fist. Then, open the hand slowly, repeating this exercise a few times. The best time to try this activity is when the hands are warm during a shower or with a warm, damp washcloth placed over the hand.

Walking fingers. A kitchen or hand towel should be placed on a table in order to do this exercise. The hand should then be lightly cupped, with the fingertips and thumb supporting the entire hand. The elder can “walk” their fingertips and thumb towards them, trying to lift the towel into their palm. Once they are able to get as much of the towel in their hand as possible, they should try to gently squeeze it.

Thumb to base of fingers. Keeping the thumb strong is important because most hand motions require the use of the thumb. For this exercise, the elder should try to touch the base of the little finger with the thumb. This can help strengthen the grasp for your loved one, making it easier for them to pick up certain objects.

Spread fingers. It is important that the elder is able to spread their fingers apart for a number of hand motions, such as putting on gloves. To do this, spread the fingers apart in a slow and gentle manner. Once the hand is flat, the senior can also exercise the thumb by separating it from the other fingers.

Finger pinches. Pinch the thumb to the tip of each finger in order to make doing daily activities easier, like tying shoelaces. The most important fingers that should be “pinched” by the thumb are the index finger, long finger, and side of index finger.

These exercises are very simple and can be done with elderly adults of various physical abilities. Talk to the elder’s doctor for more tips on helping your loved one relieve their rheumatoid arthritis pain.

Source:  http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/rheumatoid-arthritis/hand-exercises-for-rheumatoid-arthritis/

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elderly Care Services in Lauderhill FL to provide companionship, compassion and motivation, please contact the caring staff at Responsive Home Care. Call today 954-486-6440.

Establishing Boundaries About Your Children Before Your Elder Parent Moves In

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Elder Care Plantation  FL

Elder Care Plantation FLTransitioning your elder loved one into living in your home with you and your family is a fantastic way to ensure that they get the level of care that they need and deserve throughout their later years. This allows them to be close to a caregiver at all times, eliminating the challenges of distance caregiving, and gives you confidence that they will be in an environment that is safe, healthy, and comfortable.

Moving your parent into such close proximity with you and your family, however, can cause some awkward situations if you do not prepare for them ahead of time. One such situation is when your elderly parent attempts to discipline your children or questions how you are raising them. By taking the time to establish boundaries about your children before your parent moves in, you can help to reduce the risk of such situations and make your living situation much more comfortable and beneficial for everyone involved.

Some boundaries that you should establish about your children before your parent moves in include:

• Their privacy. Make sure that your parent understands and is willing to respect your children’s privacy. This means recognizing which areas of the home are for your children’s use exclusively and when your parent is and is not permitted in those areas as well as the fact that they should knock or ask permission to enter.

• Discipline. This is a very personal issue that you will need to discuss with your partner and come to decisions about on your own. It is important for you to be very clear with yourself as well as your parent about how much input on disciplining your children you are willing to welcome from your parent. Are they permitted to correct your children or give them punishments, or do you want them to not have any impact on their discipline at all?

• Parenting style. It is very likely that your parenting style is not exactly like that of your parent. You might have different philosophies, beliefs, and tactics from your parent, and these might be uncomfortable for your parent. Discuss these with them and make sure that they understand that you are not going to change your parenting style and that you are not open for discussion about it. For example, tell your parent that your family does not sit down for dinner at the table at the same time each night and that your children are permitted to eat snacks in their rooms even though you were not, and that you will not be changing that approach now that they are living with you.

Elder care can make a tremendous difference in the life of your elderly parent as well as your life as a family caregiver. The personalized services of a elder home care services provider mean that they will be with your loved one on a customized schedule tailored specifically to the needs, challenges, and limitations of that aging adult. This means that your parent will get everything that they need to stay safe, healthy, and comfortable, while also ensuring that they can remain as independent as possible as they age in place. As a family caregiver this can give you greater peace of mind knowing that they are in good hands whether you are able to be with them or not.

Even if your loved one has moved into your home, the services of an elder care provider mean that you can focus your energy and attention on the other aspects of your daily life, including taking care of your children, managing your home and your marriage, and keeping up with your career, as well as having time for yourselves.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elder Care Services in Plantation FL to provide companionship, compassion and motivation, please contact the caring staff at Responsive Home Care. Call today 954-486-6440.

THE PASSION FOR CARING FOR SENIORS EXTENDS TO PETS AS WELL!

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Senior Care Fort Lauderdale FL

Senior Care Fort Lauderdale FL

Misty with her husband Keelan, and their senior dog Daisy Mae

For staff members of Responsive Home Care, caring for seniors in our community isn’t just a career, it’s our passion. For some of us, that extends into the animal kingdom as well.

Our HR Manager Misty began with Responsive in January, but her entrance into the world of home health started many years earlier when her grandmother needed care. She describes it as the most challenging and the most rewarding time of her life – working a full-time job in HR and caring for her grandmother every evening and weekend. And years after her grandmother passed, she is still tending to the elderly – this time at home, and with senior rescue animals.

Pictured here is Misty with her husband Keelan, and their newly adopted senior dog Daisy Mae. Twelve year old Daisy was abandoned when her previous owners moved away! She survived in the backyard of the also-abandoned home, and was kept alive by a kind neighbor throwing scraps of food to her over a shared fence. A local rescue group, Good Karma Pet Rescue, stepped in and rescued Daisy and got her on the road to recovery and adoption. Daisy isn’t the couple’s first senior rescue; she joins Gheeg the cat who was adopted three years ago at age 16, and two other rescue kitties.

Good Karma and other local pet rescues are overflowing with loving animals of all ages; please consider adopting a new furry family member today! There are also local rescue groups that specialize in specific breeds of dogs and cats – search for specific breeds of pets on sites like http://www.adoptapet.com/ or https://www.petfinder.com/. Safe a life and adopt a rescue animal today!

If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Care Services in Fort Lauderdale FL to provide companionship, compassion and motivation, please contact the caring staff at Responsive Home Care. Call today 954-486-6440.

Think It’s Dementia? Think Again—It Could Be One of These Treatable Conditions

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Periods of forgetfulness, confusion, disorientation—witnessing these in a senior loved one can trigger an immediate alarm that Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia has taken hold. And although these symptoms are a concern, it’s important to realize that they could be indicative of a variety of other conditions, many of which are easily treated, such as:

  • Urinary tract infections. UTIs are very common in the elderly, and often display differently than in younger patients, through delirium, confusion, agitation, or even hallucinations. A simple course of antibiotics, fluids, and rest can completely reverse these symptoms.
  • Thyroid disease. Thyroid-related symptoms can include forgetfulness, anxiety, depression, and lethargy—and it’s estimated that as many as 15 million adults (most over age 50) are currently undiagnosed. A blood test and medications may be all that are needed.
  • Vitamin deficiency. In particular, insufficient levels of vitamin B-12 can result in confusion, irritability, forgetfulness, and other symptoms that imitate dementia. Sometimes in aging, the body becomes unable to absorb B-12, resulting in a condition known as pernicious anemia. The problem is often correctable through monthly injections or oral supplements.
  • Alcohol abuse. According to Majid Fotuhi, founder of NeurExpand Brain Center, “Alcohol abuse, even binge drinking for a short time when you’re young, destroys brain cells in areas critical for memory, thinking, decision making and balance,” and can lead to a chronic memory disorder later in life. This condition can sometimes be reversed, however, through thiamine replacement therapy.

Explore more dementia-mimicking conditions and their treatment options from AARP.

Tips for Difficult Family Conversations

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There’s nothing better than sitting around the kitchen table with those you love the most, reminiscing about the time Aunt Sally dropped the Thanksgiving turkey right onto Grandma’s lap, that incredible family vacation in Hawaii, or the day little Charlie hid a live toad in the china cabinet. But when the conversation turns to something controversial, like the possibility that an elderly parent might need to consider a different living arrangement or giving up the car keys, that feeling of camaraderie can become one of defensiveness instead.

When a difficult family conversation needs to take place, these tips can help ensure a more successful outcome, and less hurt feelings:

  • Ensure your concerns are valid. Observe for yourself whether an elderly loved one truly is struggling in a particular area, rather than relying on hearsay.
  • Maintain a tone of caring support. Confrontational negativity will reap a far different result than an approach laced with love and concern.
  • Use reflective listening techniques. Rephrasing what you’ve heard a loved one say confirms that you were listening and validates his or her feelings.
  • Allow a dialogue. Rather than just stating your concerns, invite the senior to share his or her input and observations, and incorporate his or her desires, provided they do not compromise safety.
  • Include others. A particular friend, family or clergy member can help mediate the discussion and provide a more trusted perspective in the eyes of your loved one.

Learn more family conversation strategies, courtesy of AARP.

Can We Slow Down Aging with a Pill?

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Perhaps one of the greatest quests throughout the ages has been in trying to discover that elusive “fountain of youth.” What if, however, the answer lies in a simple, generic medication already widely available, with the potential to extend human life to as much as 120 years?

Believe it or not, the FDA has recently approved a first clinical trial of metformin as a medication to slow the aging process. The Targeting Aging with Metformin (TAME) study is, at this point, held back by one crucial element: funding. With a projected price tag of $65 million to facilitate the 6-year study of 3,000 volunteers, it’s a gamble none of the big pharma companies have yet been willing to wager.

An even bigger consideration may be whether we, as a society, consider aging to be a disease in need of a cure; or, if it’s possible to embrace aging for the benefits it inherently offers: a lifetime of achievements, lessons learned, wisdom gained, and relationships forged.

At Responsive Home Care, we cherish and value each of the individuals in our care, regardless of age, and are devoted to celebrating the joys we discover together in each new day!

Senior Loneliness More Deadly Than Obesity

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Recent data is both startling and disturbing: seniors who suffer from loneliness and isolation are twice as unhealthy as those who are obese, and have a 14 percent greater risk of dying earlier than those experiencing normal socialization. And with as many as 20 to 40 percent of older adults reporting feelings of loneliness, we need to pay particular attention to this dangerous trend.

According to John Cacioppo, Professor of the University of Chicago Department of Psychology, “People are becoming more isolated, and this health problem is likely to grow.”

It’s important to note that preventing loneliness involves more than simply providing people for lonely seniors to interact with, although that is important. It is also a matter of reshaping their negative sense of self-worth and how others perceive them.

Hiring a professional caregiver from a reputable home care agency like Responsive Home Care can go a long way towards fostering feelings of belonging in lonely seniors. Contact us to learn more about the health and quality of life benefits that can be realized through a caregiver-senior bond.

Are We Medically Over-Treating Seniors?

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Take a peek into the calendars of many older adults, and you’re likely to find them inundated with scheduled doctors’ appointments, therapy sessions, reminders to refill and pick up medications, reminders to schedule MORE doctors’ appointments…you get the picture.

Many feel however, that our focus as a society has been far too often on medical interventions, and far too infrequently on the type of care needed to improve quality of life. With as many as 12 million Americans requiring assistance with activities of daily living, one of our goals as advocates for older adults is to help educate those in the medical realm on the benefits professional home care can provide.

According to Howard Gleckman, contributing writer for Forbes.com, “Rather than doing that third scan on the same body part, we could better spend our dollars on home delivered meals or an adult day program for an otherwise homebound senior.”

Better communications between doctors, seniors and their families is essential to ensure that quality of life is not being sacrificed in favor of aggressive medical procedures, but instead, that appropriate care is provided according to the patient’s wishes and goals. Read more of Gleckman’s perspective on seniors and medical treatment and contact us to learn more about our Fort Lauderdale elderly care and the communities we serve. See our website for our full service area.