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.

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. Read the rest of this entry

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.

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