With the average individual life expectancy rising, parents are living longer and longer as their children continue to age deeper into adulthood themselves. Many of those who are caregivers to their elderly parents are themselves elderly. In fact, the average age of someone who is giving care to someone aged 65 or older is a surprisingly high 63 years old themselves. This means that many of those engaged in caregiving are themselves aging along with those they care for, which results in many retirement-aged adult children caring for their senior parents.
Collecting is a widely enjoyed hobby by many people across the country, and many of us who collect are intensely proud of our collections, eager to talk about them and show them off. Most collections are benign and reasonable, perhaps we bring home a souvenir spoon or magnet from everywhere we visit, or we seek out and collect rare baseball cards, lovingly storing them or displaying them in specially built cases or binders. But compulsive hoarding is a detrimental behavior that is completely different than simply having a sprawling collection or two.
The aging process changes every part of our bodies, which necessarily includes our finger and toenails. Over time as we age, our nails will get thicker and harder, take longer to grow, and become dull in appearance and brittle in texture. The appearance of our nails can also change as well, where in youth they may have had a clear or shiny appearance, they may become more yellow colored and opaque.
As a caregiver, you will find yourself responsible for many tasks and situations that you may not have encountered in your life before, requiring skills that you may not possess already. When you find yourself in these moments, you may be wondering what is the best way to accomplish certain tasks. If your loved one requires a wheelchair as a mobility aid, assisting them with the use of it and caring for the wheelchair may be one such task.
While the world is, generally speaking, a safe place, sadly the potential for danger magnifies when a person is in their senior years. Everyone, your loved ones especially, deserves to feel safe and secure in their homes.
There’s a lot of pressure during the holiday season to have fun. Even though this time of the year is supposed to be a happy one filled with love and light and laughter, many older people feel more alone and sad during this time. While the holidays are meant for celebration and happiness, it can be hard for many seniors to stay happy and positive.
Those of us old enough to remember TV before streaming when you had to sit and watch commercial breaks are no doubt familiar with the line “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”. This memorable line from the Life Alert commercials in the 80s and 90s is a cultural touchstone, and the ubiquity of it made it a source of humor and laughter for years and years. And while the poorly acted lines of the commercial made it the butt of many a joke, the subject that it was dealing with is anything but comedic.
While too much sitting isn’t good for anyone, no matter the age group, spending long amounts of time seated is especially critically dangerous for the elderly. With age comes muscles that degrade much faster than those of young people, which means that extra attention needs to be paid to the amount of time in chairs, both by the elderly and their caregivers and loved ones.
As the holidays approach us rapidly, it is important to remember a few helpful tips that will make everyone’s lives easier when senior loved ones come to your home for an extended visit. Your elder loved ones may have a few or several needs that you will need to address to make sure their visit is as fun as possible for everyone involved, not to mention easy and stress free. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind for this coming season.
The aging process brings many joys, such as seeing children and grandchildren grow, having more time to spend on leisure activities and hobbies, and focusing on the parts of life that matter most. But for 18% of adults aged 65 or older, depression looms as an ever present threat to steal those joys. Depression is a treatable medical condition and should never be considered a normal part of aging. While aging may make treatment complicated, relief from symptoms is always possible.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying lockdowns and closing of nonessential businesses saw many of us, seniors included, transition into online shopping for fulfilling all of our needs, both crucial and frivolous. But now that vaccinations have been rolled out and people are regularly getting boosters, many older adults and senior citizens are eager to resume in-person shopping and browsing. Not only are shopping trips fun ways to get out of the house and spend time together, the coming holiday season never fails to bring joy and cheer with all the hustle, bustle, and decorations.
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for men and women across most ethnic and racial groups. This umbrella term, also called heart disease, describes any conditions that are the result of a narrowing or blockage of blood vessels, leading to a variety of crises including heart attacks.
October is American Pharmacists Month, which makes it the perfect time to recognize the important role that pharmacists have in serving the health needs of our senior citizen population. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 7 out of 10 adults between the ages of 40 and 79 use at least one prescribed medication, and around 1 in 5 take at least five medications.
We humans are social animals, and we thrive on contact with one another. Communication is a fundamental aspect and facet of relationships and the way we all interact and bring meaning to each other. Unfortunately, all too often, that communication breaks down and becomes more difficult as loved ones age and their health and capacities decline. For those adults aging through their twilight years, the prevalence and complexity of communication disorders increases with the onset of diseases and conditions that result in cognitive decline, such as strokes, or dementias like Alzheimer’s disease.
Many of us work full time and are also busy with other responsibilities, such as raising children, managing their own homes, and engaging in social activities or hobbies. This makes taking on the role of a family caregiver in the event that a loved one suddenly has a condition or illness that requires regular care difficult.
Hydration is important at every age, but for seniors, the aging process changes the composition of our bodies, and the amount of water in the body decreases.
The month of October is Fire Safety Month according to the National Fire Prevention Association. Fires are particularly dangerous to senior citizens, as people older than 65 are twice as likely to die or be seriously injured by a home fire.
Among women, strokes are the third leading cause of death, accounting for killing 85,000 women every year in the United States. While men are statistically more likely to have a stroke, more deaths from strokes occur in women than in men. In fact, 60% of women who experience a stroke will die from it, which is a worrying statistic.
As an adult child with parents in their elderly years, it can be incredibly rewarding and enriching to give back and spend time caring for them after all the years they spent caring for you as you grew up from a child to the adult you are now.
We’ve all had the experience of feeling ambitious and deciding that today is finally going to be the day we sort through that big box of loose family photos, snapshots and images cataloging the life of you and your loved ones throughout decades.
At Senior Helpers, we have cared for thousands of seniors over the past 20 years. Our caregivers are the key to delievering exceptional care. By choosing Senior Helpers for a loved one, you’re not just getting exceptional care for any of their needs, but you’re gaining a genuine, in-home connection designed to give them the absolute best quality of life.
Fall is known around the world as the harvest season, with countless delicious and celebrated seasonal favorites reaching their peak as the days shorten and temperatures drop. Apples, pumpkins, pears, cranberries, acorn squash, leeks, brussels sprouts, and more are just a few of the crops that will appear in greater numbers in grocery stores and farmers markets everywhere
Humans are social animals, and communication is a fundamental aspect of all human relationships and connections. Unfortunately, as loved ones age and the process of aging takes its toll, all too often communication breaks down and becomes difficult due to the many conditions and disabilities that can afflict the elderly. One such disorder that can sever the lines of communication is Alzheimer’s or other causes of cognitive decline such as strokes or other dementias.
You or one of your loved ones may have recently been referred for a neuropsychological evaluation. It’s only natural to be intimidated or overwhelmed by the prospect of undergoing one, but any discomfort or anxiety can be soothed by information and education about what the test is for and what to expect.
The week of the 18th through the 24th this September is Falls Prevention Awareness Week. This is an important subject, as the rate of falls experienced by older adults has unfortunately only been increasing in recent years. Falls are the number one cause of preventable injury in senior citizens, and many seniors who experience an injury from a fall begin to suffer from loss of independence and a general decline in quality of life.