Many seniors shouldn’t cook alone. Decreased hand-eye coordination and poor vision can make the kitchen a dangerous place. Without someone else present, the elderly may injure themselves, and it may be difficult for them to contact anyone for help.

Below is the complete HD Video of Delivered Meals Increase Seniors Safety.

Many seniors shouldn’t cook alone. Decreased hand-eye coordination and poor vision can make the kitchen a dangerous place. Without someone else present, the elderly may injure themselves, and it may be difficult for them to contact anyone for help.

Below is the complete podcast of Delivered Meals Increase Seniors Safety.

As individuals age, they often need a bit more help with their day-to-day activities.The question then becomes whether or not that individual should continue to live at home or move into an assisted living residence.Home care is a great option for the elderly and has many benefits.

Below is the complete HD Video of The Benefits of Elderly HomeCare.

While some people are caregivers by profession, most take on their new role unexpectedly when something happens to a friend or family member. Caregiving is helping another person—usually someone who is ill, disabled, or elderly—with their day-to-day activities.

Below is the complete Video HD podcast of Healthy Caregiving For You.

While some people are caregivers by profession, most take on their new role unexpectedly when something happens to a friend or family member. Caregiving is helping another person—usually someone who is ill, disabled, or elderly—with their day-to-day activities.

Below is the complete podcast of Healthy Caregiving For You.

Elderly people are more inclined to trip and fall, or otherwise injure themselves at home. Unfortunately, these injuries are harder to recover from at an older age. Luckily, there are many simple precautions that can be taken to greatly reduce the risk of injury.

There are some tasks that can be done in any living area of the home:
• All rugs and loose carpets should be either tacked or taped to the ground. This will prevent seniors from tripping on turned-up corners or scrunched rugs.
• Electric cords should be secured to the wall or placed under rugs so no one trips on them.
• Sharp corners on tables or countertops should be covered to avoid serious injury in the event of a fall.
• Staircases should have railings on both sides that are strong enough to support a person’s full body weight. Ideally these railings should extend beyond the top and bottom steps.

Bathrooms can be dangerous if they aren’t adequately prepared:
• Installing an elevated toilet seat will allow elderly individuals to get up and down easily, as will adding a railing on both sides of the toilet.
• The shower should have a bar to grab in case someone starts to slip.
• Placing a shower seat in the tub increases safety.
• The hot water faucet should be labeled or painted red to avoid scalding.
• Slick floors can be made safer by adding a no-slip mat by the sink and shower.
• If the shower door is made of glass, it should be marked with colorful tape or decals so no one accidentally tries to step through the door.

The kitchen can also be safety proofed easily:
• Make sure that all appliances are in good working order. If they aren’t, it may be time to make some new purchases or hire a repairman.
• All appliances should be placed near an outlet at waist height so seniors don’t have to struggle to reach things that are either too high or too low.
• Ensure that there is adequate lighting. This is especially important in the kitchen, where tools such knives and shredders are used on a regular basis.
• Make sure the smoke detector has fresh batteries.

Safety proofing a home may seem like a daunting task, but it is necessary, and most of the jobs that need to be done are relatively simple. Enlisting the help of a friend is a good idea, as the job will go faster and you’ll be less likely to miss anything. With the proper precautions, you can rest assured that your older friend or family member is living in the safest home possible.

Safety Proofing for Home Caregiving Podcast

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While some people are caregivers by profession, most take on their new role unexpectedly when something happens to a friend or family member. Caregiving is helping another person—usually someone who is ill, disabled, or elderly—with their day-to-day activities. This may involve driving them to different places, delivering food, cleaning their home, or scheduling doctor’s appointments. While helping someone is a gracious act, it can be very stressful for the caregiver, especially when the person being helped is completely dependent on the caregiver or doesn’t openly express his gratitude. It can also be heartbreaking to see a loved one in such a vulnerable state.

Luckily, there are several things caregivers can do to avoid burnout and cope with the emotional stress associated with caregiving. One of the first things you can do is talk to someone about the situation. Having a confidant who can sympathize with the situation and validate your feelings is a crucial outlet for relieving stress. This is a way for the person who is providing the caregiving to have their own source of support. By confiding in someone else, your relationship with that person will probably become stronger, and having strong relationships leads to decreased stress.

Taking time to do something you love is a great way to reenergize yourself. Perhaps this is a quiet, calming activity, such as taking a solitary walk outside or meditating. Others prefer something more active, such as going on a vigorous run. For many, spending time with family and friends is the perfect outlet. Something as simple as watching a movie or spending an evening at the local bowling alley can have great emotional benefits.

Setting boundaries with the person you are caring for is also crucial. It may initially seem unkind to set limits, but it is impossible to provide the best possible care if you are not taking care of yourself. These boundaries are often simple requests that limit the stress in your life and have little effect on the person you are providing care for. For example, you may request that the person you are caring for doesn’t call you after ten p.m. unless there is an emergency. This will enable you to get a solid night’s sleep. Another option is to enlist the support of another family member. Perhaps someone else can deliver meals once a week or be the emergency point person on a certain day of the week.

Being a caregiver is not an easy task, but it can be very rewarding if you can find a way to deal with the emotional stressors to avoid burnout. Enlisting the support of others and taking some time out of your day to do something you enjoy are both great tools to make the most out of the situation.

Healthy Caregiving for You Podcast

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The Holidays tend to be a stressful season for most people, and are often times even more stressful for caregivers. Holiday visits can be a great time to check-up on your loved one and have a positive impact on their care.

One important task is to look out for warning signs that elderly family members may need more help taking care of themselves on a day-to-day basis. Physically, weight loss and a lack of personal hygiene are both signs that a family member may need increased care. It is also beneficial to look out for signs of forgetfulness, such as leaving unopened mail on the kitchen counter or forgetting to refill prescriptions.

If an elderly family member has stopped doing things they previously enjoyed, such as eating lunch with friends or going on a weekly bowling outing, there may be some physical or psychological reason for that change.

If a concern is identified, you can then work with other family members to come up with some solution.

There are several concrete things you can do that will help make Holiday visits as productive as possible. First, make sure your loved one has an emergency card in their wallet with emergency contacts, physicians’ numbers, blood type and medication regimen. If something were to happen, he or she would then be able to receive more thorough care without delay. On a similar note, if there are any scheduled doctors appointments, be sure to attend. This is a great chance to ask the doctor any questions and tell him about any observations you have made. Before you leave, be sure that your loved one has adequate food and toiletries stored at home. If not, you can accompany them on a shopping run.

Finally, it is also important for the caregiver to take some time to de-stress, so you can get the most of your holiday visit. Getting enough sleep and eating well can be very helpful, as this will enable you to feel energized when you need it most. Try not to take on too many responsibilities yourself. Another friend or family member is probably willing to help you get things done, or at least provide emotional support. Having reasonable expectations can also lead to reduced stress levels. In most cases, one visit during the Holidays is not going to be sufficient to completely change the way someone is living, although that one visit can be used to make valuable progress.

As long as you are aware of the care-receiver’s behavior, have a plan, and commit yourself to having reasonable expectations, there is no reason why you can’t make the most the most of your Holiday visit. This is the perfect opportunity to both have a good time and get some productive work done in ensuring your loved one’s well-being.

Caregiving Over The Holidays Podcast

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