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Memory Care You can Use to Connect with Your Loved One

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memory care

Enjoying activities like painting, drawing, and playing music, can help strengthen memory.

When an older family member struggles with memory loss and dementia, we often lose the ability to communicate with them in a way that is satisfying to both of us. Although there is a caregiver in the home so we don’t worry about their safety or health, and we know that trained aides use memory care techniques to sustain our loved one’s cognitive abilities, we want to do something ourselves to hang onto the bond we have with our loved ones.

Trained workers use Reality Orientation, Fantasy Validation, Music and Art Therapy with other techniques to connect with elderly clients, but there are some things you can do too, using the same principles, to maintain the bond with your elderly family member. Playing music, making art and cooking together are all great ways to connect with loved ones who are limited in their communication. Besides that benefit, studies show that these therapies can reduce pain and discomfort in the elderly.

When you play songs from their youth, you stimulate memories that can foster your loved one’s ability to connect with you. They often reminisce, and you may even learn something about your past from engaging them at that level. Research also shows that the mind uses organization tasks to process the music and that can help people reinforce cognitive abilities. When you introduce rhythm and respond to it by moving or dancing with your loved one, you further tap into that organizational element.

Drawing, painting or coloring with an impaired elderly person enables connection by accessing emotions and pleasure areas that the person has trouble verbalizing. When language begins to slip away, emotions are still strong; drawing, using color and texture can activate those emotions and the memories that rise with them.

Even cooking with your loved one is a powerful tool. Food, in its preparation and in the eating of it, is so important to family life and to who we are as individuals( especially women). Simple recipes like scrambled eggs, cakes and cookies, even making a peanut butter sandwich together, can bring back those emotional memories of family that connect us to our loved ones.

For more information on how to enrich your loved one’s life, or to find out how a live-in aide can give you peace of mind,contact us. Together,as a team, we can keep your family ties stronger, longer.

Caregivers Home Care: Why the Elderly May Refuse Help

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As a person ages, they may find it difficult to let go and allow others to assist them. Whether it is pride, stubbornness, or just a desire to do for themselves as long as possible,  there is a chance they will refuse help.

caregivers home care

If you are unsure why the person is refusing help, as direct open-ended questions.

For caregivers, home care for the elderly is a balancing act. It will require them to learn when to step in, and when to sit back and allow the person to do certain things on their own.

Understanding Why They Refuse Help

Ageing is difficult for some to accept, despite it being a natural part of life. The person often does not want to admit they are getting older, or they fear the negative connotations associated with being labeled as elderly.

For others, accepting help can cause them to feel embarrassed, inadequate, or lead to feelings of helplessness. No one wants to feel like a burden to others, and admitting they are incapable of doing certain things for themselves is extremely difficult.

Accepting help from a caregiver can also feel intrusive. They believe the caregiver will take the last of their independence, not allowing them to make any decisions on their own.

How To Overcome Rejections

There are several things you can do if an elderly person is refusing help that they desperately need.

Ask Direct Questions

If you are unsure why the person is refusing help, as direct open-ended questions. Do they feel like it would be a burden? Are they worried about having a stranger in the house? Are they afraid of something?

Be Patient and Understanding

Let them know that you worry, but that you understand why they might not want assistance. It is important to stay calm and show patience. It often takes several conversations to convince them to accept help. Getting angry or trying to force the issue is counterproductive to what you hope to accomplish.

Start Small

Sometimes starting small can help them become more receptive to allowing others to help. Talk to them about hiring someone to help with grocery shopping, laundry, or housekeeping once a week. Once they are open to this, gradually offer more help.

Discuss Options

For the elderly, feeling as if you are losing control of your own life is the most difficult part. Discuss what they would like, and the options that are available for them. Help them to understand they still have a voice and a choice in the type of care they receive.

For more useful information on elderly care contact us at Endeavor Home Care.

Dementia Care: How to Know When Help is Needed

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dementia careIf you have a loved one who has been diagnosed with dementia it can be difficult to determine if it is still safe for them to live independently. Often family members worry but the loved one insists everything is fine and help is not needed. News stories of dementia patients wandering away from home and requiring a search and rescue effort increase concern for family members. No one wants their loved one to become a missing dementia patient. How do you determine when dementia care is required to keep your loved one safe?

First, you should be aware that it is possible to provide dementia care in home. In other words, it is not necessary to move your loved one to an assisted living facility especially at the early stages of dementia. If your loved one strongly desires to stay in their own home it can be achieved. In addition, you do not have to provide the care yourself. It can be exhausting and overwhelming caring for a dementia patient especially if you do not have the appropriate training.

To determine if your loved one needs dementia care you should ask yourself the following questions:

How do they spend their time during the day?

* Are they still able to successfully shop and cook for themselves?

* Are they consuming nutritious foods? Do they need help eating?

* Are they able to keep their house clean or are dishes and laundry piling up?

* Do they keep up with paying bills on time?

* Have there been any instances in which the water was left running or the stove left on?

* Are they able to adequately maintain their personal hygiene?

* Do they tend to wander?

* Do they wear inappropriate clothes for the weather or wear the same clothes for days?

* Do they take their medication as prescribed or do they have trouble keeping track of what to take when?

If any of the above questions were answered in a way that makes you realize your loved one is no longer capable of living independently contact us at Endeavor Home Care. We offer home care services that include errands, light housekeeping, meal preparation, grocery shopping, medication reminders, transportation for doctor appointments, and companion care in Arizona cities including Tuscon, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Chandler and more.

An In- Home Assessment by Your Local Home Care Agency Can Point Out Safety Issues in the Home

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Aging brings with it not only mobility issues, but an increased susceptibility to falling and sustaining severe injuries. This means that it is absolutely critical that your aging loved ones live in a home that is as free from hazards as possible. It can be very difficult for you to detect the potential safety hazards in your parents’ home because you are so accustomed to that home. It is likely that your parents of lived in that home for the majority of your life, if not your entire life, and you are so used to the surroundings that you may not notice things that could pose a serious danger to your parents on a daily basis. This doesn’t mean that your negligence, or that you don’t care about the safety of your parents, it simply means that you are so used to your parents’ home in the way that you have navigated it over the years, that it may not occur to you that simple things that you just consider part of their home may be dangerous.

An in-home assessment by a local home care agency can be extremely enlightening in pointing out the safety hazards in your parents’ home. If you have noticed that your parents are coping with mobility or cognitive issues and you are concerned about their safety, or they insist on remaining at home throughout the course of their life, strongly consider having such an assessment done. During this assessment the home care agency will come into your parents’ home and evaluate it for its safety and usability. The representatives of the agency will point out to you in the areas of concern, and offer suggestions for how to modify these potential hazards to make the home safer and more functional for your parents.

Some of the things that a home care agency might notice during an in-home assessment include:

  • Furniture that is arranged in such a way that makes it difficult to get through the home
  • A bathroom that is not properly outfitted with slip resistant materials and handrails
  • Banisters that are not secure
  • Sidewalks and other walkways that are uneven
  • Porches and front steps that are not in good condition
  • Appliances that are not in good working order or that can be easily turned on accidentally
  • A lack of security measures such as locks or window bars
  • A lack of a home security system that includes monitoring

Having such an assessment will allow you to modify your parents’ home so that it is safe as possible, allowing them to remain in these surroundings throughout their lives. An in-home assessment by a home care agency can also be a fantastic start to a home care companion relationship. This assessment will allow the companion to get familiar with the home as well as with your parents.

When researching options for in-home care agencies in Tucson, AZ call us at (480) 535-6800. Home care counselors at Endeavor Home Care are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an home care agency providing home care in Tucson AZ.