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What if the elusive fountain of youth wasn’t really a fountain at all? What if the secret to staying young and healthy came in the form of anti-aging drugs instead? The latter is a question currently being posed by people in the elder care industry thanks to a recent round of research conducted by learned individuals associated with The Scripps Research Institute and others. The research focused on identifying and destroying senescent cells.
New advances in research may bring us one step closer to turning back the clock.
It is widely believed that by identifying and destroying senescent cells, humankind may be able to circumvent diseases commonly associated with aging. However, until now, elder care providers were not sure how to go about it without causing additional damage to their patients. The recently released research paper provided a suggestion on how to solve that problem, which includes a proposed, new class of drugs. The drugs are designed, in part, to kill the senescent cells, which are then disposed of by the body. Additional research, including clinical trials, still needs to be done on their long and short-term usage.
Until researchers answer lingering questions, the new class of drugs will not be put into widespread use. However, there are still actions that may be taken by aging Americans hoping to retain their youth for as long as possible. Let’s take the social interaction provided by home healthcare agencies in Arizona as an example. Organizations such as the National Institute on Aging and the American Society on Aging has consistently insisted that people who maintain healthy relationships with others tend to fare better overall than those individuals who isolate themselves from the world.
Elder care providers can also help aging individuals maintain their physical strength, dexterity, senses, cognition and weight as well. Although those activities may not stop the proverbial clock, they’ll at least make aging Americans feel better about themselves and the world around them. To learn more about elder care options that have the potential to keep seniors feeling youthful, please contact Endeavor Senior Care today.
Just because they can’t drive doesn’t mean they have to lose their independence.
Did Distracted Driving Awareness Month (April) have you wondering whether or not it’s time to take the car keys away from mom and dad? If so, welcome to the club. It’s a common problem that adult children wrestle with each year. On one hand, there’s mom and dad’s need for independence. On the other, there’s the worry that their aging senses will put them and others in grave danger. So keeping that in mind, we’ve put together a few eldercare tips to help our friends, family and community members at large decide what to do:
To learn more about them and other eldercare tips for keeping parents safe but independent, please contact us. At Endeavor Senior Care, we will work with elderly residents who’ve had their driver’s licenses taken away as well as those who are still safely on the road.
As your elderly loved one needs increasingly more assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), you’ll likely begin considering which available eldercare options are right for your family. Many elderly people are resistant to change and fear the loss of independence they associate with long-term care facilities. Home care services are an excellent alternative for these individuals. To determine if home care is right for your loved one, consider the following questions:
If your loved one needs help with chores, and basic medical care, home care may be a good option.
How much care is needed? For those who require around-the-clock care, a long-term care facility is likely a better option than home care. However, if your loved one needs assistance with some activities of daily living, help with chores, and basic medical care, home care is a good alternative.
Where does your loved one prefer to live? This might seem an obvious question to consider, but it’s often overlooked. While most elderly people prefer the familiarity of their own homes, some might desire the companionship of community life in an assisted living or supportive living facility. For those who wish to remain at home and don’t require constant access to care, home care is an excellent option.
Are you feeling stressed out by the amount of care you’re providing to your loved one? If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your caregiving duties, home care services can help alleviate some of your stress. By having someone else help with caregiving responsibilities, you can focus on spending quality time with your loved one.
Does your loved one forget to pay bills or take medications? If your loved one forgets to take medication, is late to pay bills, or neglects personal hygiene, a home caregiver can help ensure that these ADLs and other responsibilities are takencare of in a timely manner.
Is your loved one isolated socially? As getting out of the house becomes more challenging for elderly people, feeling isolated from the outside world is often the result. Home care provides the opportunity for your loved one to have regular companionship and social interaction.
These are just a few of the questions to consider when deciding if home care is right for your elderly loved one. For more information regarding home care services, please contact us anytime.
So, you have arranged for eldercare home care for your loved one, but you really want to stay involved in his daily life. He is safe and he has someone who does activities with him, but you want to be there for your loved one as well. Well, spring is nearly upon us and, if your loved one once enjoyed gardening, why not turn the soil together?
If your loved one once enjoyed gardening, why not turn the soil together?
Gardening is a healthful activity but it also can let some pleasurable memories surface. You and your loved one can reminisce as you work. How do you garden with someone who has some debilities and needs extra care? Here are some ideas to make spring gardening a great pastime for both of you.
As we age, our vision changes as the eye lens thickens. Distinguishing blues and greens is harder. We may not have good depth perception either. Paint all your gardening tools in bright colors. Make sure garden paths are well-marked and free of obstructions, too.
People generally lose strength and flexibility as they age. Now, before gardening season is here, raise flower beds to sitting-height and add substantial edges where your loved one can rest while working.
Remember that older people don’t adapt to temperature changes the way younger people do. Hats are a must, as are light jackets if it is cool. Take a spritzer bottle of water outside with you if it is hot and use it frequently on necks and faces. Be sure to take breaks with your loved one and drink lots of water.
If your loved one has a chronic illness or another condition that precludes his working outdoors, bring the garden indoors. Plant container gardens you can bring inside to work.
The important thing to remember is that this is an activity for the two of you to enjoy. Be consistent in your gardening visits and allow your loved one to take ownership of the project, planning what to plant and when to plant it if possible. It is important, however, to choose plants that don’t require a lot of care. When your lettuce or peas come in, be sure to have a victory meal and enjoy them together.
For more ideas on how to remain engaged with your elderly loved one, contact us. We’re here for both of you.
Our caregivers can handle many of those tasks that are difficult for those undergoing treatment for colorectal cancer.
Do you or someone you know suffer from colorectal cancer? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s figures, the disease negatively impacts the lives of more than 130,000 people each year. Subsequently, the United States government has once again set aside March 2015 as the month to remind people of the deadly disease and its consequences. As such, all of the people associated with our eldercare home care are embracing the initiative too.
Arizona residents diagnosed with colorectal cancer don’t have to go it alone. Our elder home care agency can provide comforting, important services to them while they undergo potentially lifesaving treatments, like radiation therapy, surgery and chemotherapy. For example, all three treatments are known to drain a person of energy and leave them unable to complete basic tasks. Our caregivers can handle many of those tasks, like running errands, picking up the mail, washing the bed linens and preparing a bowl of soup.
We can also stay on after the treatments are over and provide additional, supportive care that colorectal cancer patients and their families may need. For instance, the person may want someone to walk with them as they build their strength back up. They may also crave someone to talk to, drive them to follow-up appointments, pick up colostomy supplies or just hold their hand at particularly rough times of the day.
To learn more about the wide variety of home care options available to elderly people diagnosed with colorectal cancer, please contact us at Endeavor Home Care today. All of our home caregivers are rigorously screened, trained, bonded and insured to meet Arizona’s regulatory standards. Plus, with our team, customized care plans are the norm, not the exception. So, Arizona’s families can rest easy that their loved ones will receive high-quality, individualized care year round.
The homecare agency depends upon your help and proper hearing and vision tests to keep your loved one happy and well.
You check in on your elderly loved on regularly, and you have arranged for live-in care through a homecare agency. He loves the aide who fixes his meals, reads with him and takes him on outings and to appointments. You are confident he is taking his medications correctly and is well cared-for. Lately, though, you have noticed he seems confused when you take him out to eat or to other family get-togethers and you wonder if perhaps he needs a higher level of care. One question may give you the answer. Has your loved one had a vision and hearing evaluation recently? The homecare agency depends upon your help to keep your loved one happy and well. Together you are the superheroes that do what your loved one cannot do for himself.
Nearly half of all people 75 years old and over have some degree of Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss. It is a gradual, progressive condition that affects both ears equally. The hearing loss may be more acute in crowds, and your loved one cannot communicate if he doesn’t hear the conversations. Hearing aids can greatly increase the hearing of most individuals, though they may have to be adjusted as the loss increases. Vision, too, may change as we age. People over 65 are three times more likely than younger people to have impaired vision. Glaucoma, macular degeneration and cataracts are the greatest causes of vision loss in the elderly, and yet we sometimes forget to have our elderly loved ones examined regularly to make sure they are seeing and hearing well. The homecare agency depends upon your help to keep your loved one happy and well. If you believe your loved one cannot afford to get hearing aids or glasses, you can go to the website healthfinder.gov to find assistance programs.
Because we depend upon all our senses to keep us in touch with our environment, even minimal loss of vision and sight can disorient us. Hearing loss can affect balance and coordination, making loved ones fearful of going outside. Studies show that losing those senses can also lead to cognitive difficulties, depression and anxiety.
So, the confusion your elderly loved one exhibits at family gatherings may be the result of poor hearing or sight. He may not be able to tell you what he is experiencing, and that is why regular examinations are important to your loved one’s quality of life. You have taken the step of getting live-in care to assure he is well cared for and has companionship; regular vision and hearing tests will assure you that he has the highest quality of life you can provide.
For more information on how you can help keep your loved one happy and healthy, contact us.
Have you ever wondered what it truly means to have a balanced life? After all, one person’s idea of balance may very well be the epitome of chaos to another. If you haven’t given it some thought before, January is a great time to do so. Its officially Get a Balanced Life Month and the staff at our senior care agency in Arizona want to help everyone live on an even keel. So our team of caregivers has put together a brief series of tips that may help:
Building a network of people you can rely on and communicating effectively with them are important aspects of a balanced life.
Build a Trustworthy Network
In our experience, one of the best ways to get a balanced life is to build a trustworthy network of people that are willing and able to help you get through the rough times. For some of us, that may mean relying on able-bodied relatives that happen to live nearby. For others, it may be necessary to crack open that inner circle and let strangers in. We know that can be a scary proposition. Consequently, we recommend soliciting the help of a licensed, insured, senior care agency that has a proven track record of helping maintain or improve ailing individuals’ quality of life.
Speak Up Often
Of course a network is only as good as its members’ ability to communicate effectively with one another. Therefore, it’s vital to speak up often and let those in your network know exactly what you need. If you are not sure what you need but just know that something isn’t quite right. That’s okay too. Just explain what you’re feeling and the things going on in your life. A highly trained healthcare team should be able to help guide you to a resolution from there.
Don’t Stay in a Box
When presented with those various solutions, don’t box yourself in. Remember, there is always more than one way to solve a problem. So never be afraid to look beyond conventional solutions or ask others to be flexible. They may just surprise you by saying “yes” or coming up with options that are effective but buck tradition. For example, maybe it’s better to ease a loved one into the idea of accepting home care instead of just showing up one day with professional help in tow.
To learn more about achieving a balanced life and how working with a trusted, senior care agency may help, please contact us at Endeavor Home Care. We offer personalized solutions and our team consists of people with extensive experience in nursing, social services, emergency medicine, occupational therapy and customer service.
Most older people who cannot live alone prefer to remain in their homes. That makes sense; it is where their things are, where they know the neighbors and where their memories are based. Staying in their own homes is also a way to feel as if they are still somewhat independent. If your loved one needs companionship or assistance in daily living activities, you might be thinking about running an ad for an aide, or calling a person recommended by a friend. After all, is there any solid reason to use a home care agency? To answer that question, you need to consider several things.
Can you trust that someone you hire from the “Gray Market” will be trained in elder care? Will they know how to assist your loved one in standing or in walking to prevent falls? Will they know what to do if a fall occurs? 
Will the person you hire be willing to do all the things your loved one requires?
Will they be loyal to you and guard your privacy?
Can you trust their integrity? Is your loved one, and her possessions, secure with the aide?
What will you do if the aide “calls off” or wants to go on vacation? How easy will it be to get a replacement?
What kind of expertise or training does the aide have in working with people with impaired abilities or memory?
Can the “Gray Market” aide be relied upon to know when a higher level of care is required? Will you be able to change from the aide to a nurse or nursing assistant readily?
Hiring from the “Gray Market” may seem less costly, but you cannot put a price on peace of mind. You need to know that your loved one is healthy, happy and not a victim of neglect or elder abuse. Hiring a certified home care aide from a home care agency may be far less expensive in the long run, when you consider that there is someone standing behind her, ensuring that she ( or he) will give your loved ones the care and attention they deserve.
If you are considering getting in home care for someone you love, contact us. We understand how much getting the right care matters.
Caregivers are a special breed of people who put the needs of others before their own. Caregivers can also become overwhelmed at times. Being responsible for the care of another can become all-consuming, and it is easy to forget to take care of yourself. Here are some things that you can do to help overcome this issue so that you can enjoy your work and your life once again.
Taking care of yourself by eating right and getting enough rest — and fun! — is crucial to being the best caregiver you can be.
Educate Yourself – Take the time to research the disease or condition that the person under your care is experiencing. When you understand, for example, that an Alzheimer’s patient can go through periods of lucidity immediately followed by confusion, it helps you manage better.
Realize You’re Not In Control – One of the hardest things to deal with is the lack of control over anything in our lives. As a caregiver, you must understand that things change almost hourly and you have to accept it. No matter how much you wish the situation was different, you truly cannot change it, that is not your responsibility.
Acknowledge Your Stress – Being a caregiver takes a lot out of you every day. It’s physically, emotionally and mentally draining at times. It’s okay to admit that you’re feeling the pressure and that it’s affecting you. Remember that you are only human and the emotions that you feel are only natural.
Talk To Someone – You will find a great deal of relief if you can talk about your feelings. Even if they cannot help you directly, just being able to say what’s on your mind without worrying about how it sounds can be freeing. Join a caregiver support group, talk to a friend, clergy, doctor or even a therapist if you need to.
Eat Well – Sometimes stress can rob you of your appetite and it’s hard to eat. When you deprive yourself of the proper nutrition, your body and mind will not able to cope with the stress as well. A good breakfast that features proteins and fresh fruit will set the tone for the day. Have a solid lunch and a light dinner and, if you need a boost, grab a snack.
Drink Right – Feeling run-down and irritable is a sign of dehydration. One of the most effective ways of keeping yourself energetic and feeling good is to drink plenty of fluids. Avoid caffeine and alcohol for the most part, since they will actually dehydrate you.
Get Some Rest – You simply cannot function properly without adequate sleep. But, it’s a sad fact that sleep deprivation is a major problem for many caregivers. The truth is, without adequate rest, you’ll be more likely to make mistakes and it will add to your stress.
Go Have Some Fun – There’s nothing more effective for raising your spirits than laughing and playing with friends and family. Being a caregiver does not mean giving up everything that you enjoy. Watch a funny movie, sing karaoke or whatever it is that makes you smile.
Ask For Help – One of the hardest things to do is to admit that you cannot handle everything yourself. But, asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it is actually a sign of strength. Know your limits and don’t be afraid to say that you’re in over your head. If you can find someone to fill in for a day or even a few hours, it will help ease your load.
Caregivers first have to care for themselves in order to be able to take care of others. Contact us you are a caregiver that’s feeling the pressure, we can help. We look forward to helping you provide the best care for your loved one.