How to Help Dad Overcome His Fear of Doctor Visits

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Why don’t we face it: lots of us have a fear of doctor visits. It could be uncomfortable and downright distressing when something is wrong and we are facing the prospect of an undesirable diagnosis. Nonetheless we recognize it makes sense to complete what’s best for our health and to be conscientious about obtaining essential healthcare.

A senior man of African descent is indoors in a hospital room. He is watching his female doctor using a tablet computer. She is explaining a medication schedule to him.

Our senior care services in Pembroke Pines and the surrounding area include helping older adults overcome a fear of doctor visits.

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In Caring for an Aging Parent, Are You Overstepping Boundaries as a Helicopter Child?

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helicopter-parents

Learn how to avoid overstepping boundaries when it comes to caring for an aging parent.

We’ve all encountered helicopter parents, especially when a son or daughter leaves for college. In fact, we could possibly be guilty of hovering a touch too closely ourselves. Learning that appropriate harmony between caring and overstepping our boundaries is not easy. Read more

Senior Care Strategy: Incorporate “Play” to Strengthen Both Mind and Body

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home care coral springs

Happy and funny senior couple playing hulahoop in park

Do you remember that feeling as a child when the school bell rang, indicating the end of arithmetic and the start of the best part of the day: recess? There was a tremendous sensation of freedom dashing out onto the playground, leaving behind the pressure of school work for a quick period of unstructured play. Read more

Ft. Lauderdale Home Care Experts Share 5 Signs of Dementia to Watch During the Holidays

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A happy grandmother with her family on Christmas Eve

Learn the warning signs of dementia in this article by the Ft. Lauderdale home care experts.

As soon as the door swings open and your senior loved one wraps you in a warm hug, through the joyous holiday dinner and each timeless family custom, possibilities abound for not simply high quality time together, but also to assess how your parent is truly doing and if any red flags are detected. Read more

When Family Disagrees About Senior Home Care Choices for a Parent

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senior home careIf you want to see a family that has unending patience with each other, stays together through any situation and has unconditional love for each other, you’ll want to watch reruns of The Waltons. But if your family is similar to most, there’s at least some degree of dysfunction, some leftover mulish sibling rivalry, as well as a certain amount of lingering competitiveness to be Mom’s and Dad’s favorite. As parents’ care needs increase and the family once again has to band together to support them and possibly make senior home care choices in Broward County for them, old childhood hurts can resurface and family dynamics can be exacerbated.

Clinical psychologist Craig Grether shares, “When there is a family crisis with a parent, the adult children, no matter how educated they are, no matter how successful, with a variety of life experiences, they regress to the same dynamic of whatever was going on when they were 7, 8, 10, 12 years old.”

The truth is, roughly 40% of family care providers have significant family conflicts, and 65% think that caregiving needs are generally unequally shared among siblings. Discord typically develops when there’s a perception that one family member isn’t pulling his or her weight when it comes to meeting the proper care needs of an older loved one – reigniting any earlier family dynamic issues that until now might appear to have been buried. With family caregivers at risk for such challenges as depressive disorders, alcohol or other substance abuse, insomnia, and career challenges, it’s reasonable to see how rapidly emotions can surface between family members.

So how can family members band together and develop a plan of care that’s fair to all? The conclusion: sometimes it’s really not possible, and it’s necessary to come to a place of acceptance that your younger sibling may not be capable, for whatever reason, to handle looking after Dad at the level you’d like. Releasing preconceived expectations and also any feelings of resentment is vital to obtaining peace for yourself and to be able to focus on giving the absolute best care for your older family member.

Whatever your family’s dynamics, Responsive Home Care, provider of the best elder care in Fort Lauderdale, is on hand to provide a steady, trustworthy resource to ensure that all caregiving needs are fully fulfilled at all times. We work with family members to fill in the gaps in caregiving, allowing them to concentrate on spending quality time together and relieving the worries often connected with meeting a senior loved one’s daily needs. Contact us at 954-486-6440 to learn more.

Checking for Health and Safety in Your Parent’s Bathroom This Holiday Season

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Home Care Services Pompano Beach FL

Home Care Services Pompano Beach FLIf you are like many family caregivers, one of the elements of the holiday season that you look forward to the most is getting to spend quality time with your senior. This is particularly true if you are a distance caregiver who does not have the opportunity to spend as much time with your loved one as you would like. Your holiday season visits are a chance for you to reconnect with your senior and spend more time with them, as well as check in on them and ensure that they are still doing well as they age in place.

Take some time during your visit to check areas of their home to identify any risks or indications that they might be struggling with challenges and issues. One area of the home that is particularly important to check is your parent’s bathroom. Simply by its nature, this room tends to be more dangerous than others and can be a strong indication of how your parent is doing.

Some things you should check for in your parent’s bathroom to gauge their health and safety include:

• Loose towel rod. Take a look at your parent’s wall-mounted towel rod and give it a wiggle. If the towels look disheveled and it feels loose, it could be an indication that your elderly parent has been using it for physical support when navigating the room. This is not only a sign of potential challenges, but also a danger. Towel rods are not designed to withstand such weight, and it could simply collapse, causing your loved one to suffer a serious fall.

• Soap scum buildup in the shower. If your parent has always been neat and clean and you notice that their shower is not clean, it could be an indication of serious issues. They could be suffering from cognitive functioning decline that prevents them from cleaning up the home, or mental health issues that minimize their motivation. They could also be suffering from physical limitations that prevent them from being able to handle the actual task of cleaning.

• Issues with brushing their teeth. Visit your aging parent while they are brushing their teeth and pay attention to how they are doing it and their response. If they are brushing gingerly, avoiding flossing, or you notice even a little bit of blood in the sink, it could be an indication of dental health problems that could put the well-being of their entire body at serious risk.

If you have noticed that your aging parent is dealing with challenges, limitations, and other issues that threaten their safety and well-being as they age in place, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting home care services for them. An in-home senior care services provider can be with your parent on a customized schedule tailored for their individual needs, challenges, and limitations, but also for their personality, lifestyle, and goals. This means that they can enjoy a more active, engaged, and fulfilling quality of life while also staying safe and healthy. As their family caregiver, knowing that there is a home care provider with your parent can give you confidence that they are always getting the care, assistance, and support that they need whether you are able to be with them regularly or if you live at a distance and are not able to visit with them frequently.

When it comes to helping your aging loved one stay safe and healthy in the bathroom, this care provider can evaluate your loved one’s needs, provide physical support and assistance, and help guide them in keeping the room clean and neat to reduce risk.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home 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.

Does Your Parent Need to Downsize Their Belongings?

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Home Care Services Hollywood FL

Home Care Services Hollywood FLThe objects that you have in your home are a representation of the life that you have lived. This absolutely applies to your aging parent, who likely has objects that they have owned for decades. This does not mean, however, that they should hold on to everything that they have. Downsizing is an important task for elderly adults who are either transitioning into a new home or who have accumulated too many belongings over time and need to start clearing them out.

This goes beyond just older people holding onto items. According to a study performed by the University of Kansas, approximately 30 percent of adults over the age of 70 throughout the United States exhibit hoarding behaviors in that they had not given away any items in the previous year. Nearly 60 percent of seniors between the ages of 50 and 59, and more than 60 percent of those ages 70 to 79, however, admit that they have too many possessions. This illustrates the emotional challenge of hoarding, which happens when it is too difficult for them to let go of what they own. This could develop into a dangerous situation with excess clutter, holding onto potentially hazardous items, or filling the home with items os that it cannot be properly cleaned.

Some indications that your aging parent needs to downsize include:

• Rooms in the home that are no longer usable for their intended function because they are filled with items,
• Excessive clutter that builds up on surfaces, such as newspapers, magazines, and junk mail,
• Items that are in the home that have not been used in an extended period,
• Items that are in the home that are no longer usable,
• Having too many items to move into their new home comfortably or safely.

If your aging parent is dealing with hoarding behaviors or is transitioning into a new home and you know that they need to downsize, starting home care services for them might be one of the best decisions that you can make. An in-home senior care services provider can be a tremendous source of support and encouragement for this elderly adult so that they can better cope with the changes that are coming during this time in their life. This can also be extremely helpful when you are going through the actual process of downsizing their belongings or moving. The in-home senior care services provider can be with your elderly loved one to keep them engaged, talk them through these difficult situations, and even plan activities and outings to keep them out of the way so that they can experience less stress and anxiety during this process. When it comes to recognizing if your elderly loved one might be coping with hoarding behaviors, this care provider can monitor how your parent interacts with objects and if they might seem reluctant or hesitant to let go of items so that they can alert you to any possible areas of concern.

Source:http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/02/10/geronb.gbu003.abstract

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home 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.

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.

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!