senior man working outside in the garden

Tips to Help Aging Loved Ones Maintain Independence

senior man working outside in the garden

As a family caregiver, it’s important to help aging loved ones maintain independence.

Throughout the many stages of life, “independence” can mean different things. There are major events, such as leaving our parents’ home or getting married, and less significant events, like completing a difficult task on our own. Then, as we age, staying as independent as possible becomes a priority, like being able to live safely and securely in your own home. This wish to grow older in place at home is usually the greatest desire for older adults, regardless of their condition of health or ability to function independently, even in the face of injuries, sickness or chronic health problems. And it’s why as family caregivers, we need to do everything we can to help aging loved ones maintain their independence.

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Advice for Including Aging Loved Ones in Holiday Festivities

Learn how to best include aging loved ones in holiday festivities.

Though the holiday season is normally a joyful time of high spirits, filled with visiting loved ones who are nearest and dearest, for seniors, it can be far from merry and bright. A combination of lost loved ones, health problems, memories of holidays past, and more can impact seniors with emotions of sadness and loneliness, and it can make including aging loved ones in holiday festivities challenging. Read more

How to Plan Holiday Activities for Aging Adults

Here are some tips for planning holiday activities for aging adults.

The holidays are filled with parties, celebrations, and get-togethers. Yet for older adults, holiday outings call for a little extra planning, and sometimes, it’s challenging for family members to plan holiday activities for aging adults. Try these tips from the Chandler home care experts at Endeavor In Home Care to enjoy joyful activities with loved ones of all ages this holiday season. Read more

Make a Dementia-Friendly Home Using the ABC’s

Do you know the ABC’s of making a dementia-friendly home?

If a loved one has recently been diagnosed with dementia, your top priority is probably his or her safety and wellbeing. The familiarity of being able to remain living in the comfort of their own home rather than face a move away to a facility is important, but how do you ensure continued safety and wellbeing as the disease progresses? One of the first things you can do to ensure a safer environment is to make a few adjustments around the house. It is possible to create a dementia-friendly home, which can encourage continued independence for the older adult you love.

For people with any type of dementia, consistency is key. This means assisting with visual and written cues and providing plenty of time and instructions, when needed, to help him or her perform tasks and maintain independence. By thinking through the tasks where assistance might be needed – for example, the steps to follow during a morning routine — things like toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, and washcloth can be put in easy-to-use locations which will help prompt a senior to recall what he or she needs to do next. 

Creating a dementia-friendly house is not hard when you follow the ABCs: ensure it is Accessible, Bright, and Calm by using these tips:

ACCESSIBLE

Nurture independence by boosting accessibility based on the individual’s particular challenges. As an example:

  • Place commonly-used items in prominent, easy-to-reach locations.
  • Label cabinets, the refrigerator, doors, as well as other regions of the house the individual may frequent with pictures or words to describe whatever they could wish to gain access to. 
  • Minimize any tripping hazards, such as throw rugs and electrical cords, to ensure clear pathways.

BRIGHT

Lighting is an essential component to consider for anyone with dementia:

  • Keep rooms well lit, making use of natural lighting as much as possible, or the highest wattage bulb recommended for the older adult’s light fixtures.
  • Keep blinds/curtains closed in the evening to help minimize disturbing window reflections that could be misinterpreted as an intruder and also to help the older adult feel secure.
  • Always make sure lighting is purposefully placed to eliminate shadows which can cause the senior distress.

CALM

Designating a place of retreat for your loved one to de-stress can be extremely helpful. Include:

  • Several key items or activities which are typically soothing for the older adult: a stuffed animal or pillow to hug, a well-liked photo album to look through, etc.
  • A favorite scent that evokes peace, such as vanilla or lavender. 
  • Quiet, soothing music.

One of the most effective techniques to help an older adult who has been diagnosed with dementia is to partner with a dependable home care agency like Endeavor In Home Care. Our caregivers are specially trained to understand the needs of those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease and will help to make your home a safe and calming space. What’s more, our care team can help your family member remain active and engaged with specially designed memory care activities, reminiscing, and outings to see friends. For family caregivers, our reliable respite care services allow you to have peace of mind while taking time for yourself. 

For more modification tips and ideas to create a dementia-friendly home, or to request a free in-home consultation for more information on our experienced, creative care for people diagnosed with dementia, reach out to Endeavor In Home Care, a Phoenix professional home care provider for the surrounding communities, at (480) 498-2324.

senior disabled man in wheelchair in hallway

Changes to Make a Home More Accessible to Seniors with Wheelchairs

senior disabled man in wheelchair in hallway

Make sure your home is accessible for seniors with wheelchairs.

Home is where we can enjoy the most comfort and familiarity, and it’s for that reason so many older adults make the decision to continue to live at home as they age. But many times, wheelchairs become a part of life when seniors or those with certain disabilities experience decreased mobility. This can be particularly challenging when it comes to ensuring the home is a safe place for seniors with wheelchairs. Thankfully, a few home modifications for aging adults and disabled persons can substantially improve safety. Read more

Older Adult Purpose

Activities for Older Adults with Purpose and Meaning

Try these unique activities for older adults that build self-esteem.

Search online for the words “activities for seniors” and you’ll probably find an assortment of games, crafts, memory-stimulating puzzles, and of course, the requisite bingo. What you will not find, unless you search much longer, are the purposeful, philanthropic activities that bring purpose to our lives. And yet, if you ask older adults what they would most like to do, the majority of them will not mention art projects, games, or bingo. What they want most of all is to feel useful. Read more

young lady helping senior lady stand, Independence for Seniors

The Art of Balancing Providing Help with Maintaining Senior Independence

Help preserve senior independence with these tips.

“Here, I can help you with that.”

“Be careful!”

“You can just sit here and rest; I’ll handle that.”

How often have we said things along the lines of these to seniors, with the best intentions of course? We want to do everything we can when caring for older adults to ensure they are safe and to take care of them in the same way they took care of us when we were younger. Yet, there’s a concealed threat in trying to do too much for seniors and depriving them of the opportunity to do as much as possible for themselves – the danger of harming senior independence and a sense of meaning and purpose in life. Read more

Home Care in Sun City AZ: Habits for Good Sleep

Four Excellent Habits for Good Sleep

If your elderly family member isn’t sleeping well, there are likely many other areas in her life that are not running smoothly. These ideas can help to get her sleep back on track.

 

Regular Exercise

Your elderly family member’s doctor has likely recommended some form of exercise for her, so now is the time to start if she hasn’t already. Make sure that you’re familiar with the boundaries within which exercise is safe for your elderly family member and then put a plan in motion. Even a few minutes of stretching each day can help so very much.

 

Healthy Food Choices

Eating the right foods is what fuels your elderly family member’s body. Too much of the foods that are low in nutrients means that your senior’s body doesn’t have what it needs in order to properly operate. Talk to your senior’s doctor about working with a dietician or a nutritionist. These specialists can help you to choose a diet that is just right for your senior’s current health needs.

 

A Solid Daily Routine

One problem that can plague aging adults is that they may not have much of a daily routine any longer. Retirement can be fantastic, but if your aging family member doesn’t have a general idea of what she’s doing each day, she may find that she wakes up at random times and goes to bed way too late. Help your elderly family member to work out a time that is good for her to wake up and establish some general times for other activities throughout the day, such as meals and exercise. Then set up a routine that eases her into bedtime.

 

Help to Spend Her Energy Wisely

Using her energy wisely can be a huge tool for your aging adult. This means that instead of struggling through household tasks on her own, she allows home care providers to take over. This frees up her time and energy to focus on choosing healthier foods at mealtimes, for instance. She’s more able to have the room she needs to spend her time wisely when she has the energy with which to do so.

Even if your elderly family member is following all of these tips to the letter, she might still be having trouble sleeping. It might be a good idea to talk to her doctor at that point and determine if there is anything else that you can do that might help.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Home Care in Sun City, AZ, please contact the caring staff at Endeavor Home Care today. Call  (480) 535-6800.

Healthy Senior Man in GYM

Exercise—The Secret Parkinson’s Disease Treatment

Healthy Senior Man in GYMThe results of remaining physically active throughout the aging process are considerable. However, for people with Parkinson’s, it could truly be a game-changer in the progression of the disease. Several recent studies are uncovering direct links between exercise and Parkinson’s, such as the largest clinical study up to now, in which patients who exercised a minimum of 2½ hours weekly obtained a higher quality of life than those who refrained from physical exercise—and that’s only the beginning when it comes to exercise as a Parkinson’s disease treatment. Read more

home care gilbert

Top Ways to Prevent Malnutrition in Seniors

Elderly asian woman bored with foodRemember Sunday dinners at the grandparents’, whenever the whole family came together round the table to have a hearty meal, chitchat, and laughter? Regrettably, with many families now living far away from their older family members, and with so many pressing needs pulling us in different directions, it’s difficult to keep on with this tradition – and it could be one of the numerous factors adding to the dramatic upsurge in senior malnutrition. Read more