Home Care Services Los Angeles
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Fun and Games With Memory Exercises
Family members who provide senior care often worry about the effects of memory loss on their loved ones. Everyone hopes to hold off the deterioration of the mind as long as possible, but the onset of memory loss can be subtle. If you fear that a family member may be heading down that path, you and other caregivers can do a few things to help. There are many strategies that have been shown to help with memory loss, and the good news is that most of them are not only effective, they’re lots of fun, too. Stimulating the Mind You can help stimulate brain function for seniors by making sure they…
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Home Health Care and BMI: A New Perspective
Want to live longer? Head to the gym! That’s the conclusion of a new study conducted at the University of California at Los Angeles. The study is part of a growing body of evidence that is changing the way patients, especially seniors, should be evaluated for their overall health. Simply comparing a person’s weight to their height isn’t as effective a measurement of healthiness as previously thought. The study sheds light on approaches that home health care workers can use to improve the quality and the length of their client’s lives. Moving Away From BMI Nutritionists and doctors use Body Mass Index as a handy way to measure overall health.…
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How to Make a Checklist for Your New Caregiving Service
Once a family has chosen a home care hospice service for in-home health care services or assisted care, there are many topics to discuss with the caregiving service. Every detail can be important to the quality of life for the elderly patient. We’ve compiled a handy checklist of things that should be discussed with a hospice caregiver before in-home care begins. It is a good idea to write down and give a copy of what you discussed to the caregiver, as well to as the home care service itself. That way, a family will know for sure that all their loved one’s needs will be taken care of by the…
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How to Avoid Losing Sleep Over Elderly Sleep Issues
If you’re caring for an elderly loved one, it’s likely you’ve had to deal with sleep disorders at one time or another. Home health care professionals are trained to sort through the confusing information provided by seniors when they try to describe the reasons for sleeplessness. It’s also important for family caregivers to understand the many reasons why a senior’s sleep patterns might be disrupted. That way, they’ll know when sleep issues can be handled with lifestyle and diet changes, or if a trip to the doctor is needed. The Need for Sleep Changes With Age Sleep disorders are just one of the many changes that happen as the human…
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Palliative, Not Terminal, Care
When most people hear the term “palliative care,” they immediately think of care for terminal patients. But that is not always the case. The basic thing about palliative care is that it is an approach that combines several disciplines in providing specialized medical care for seriously ill patients. The object of the care is to improve the quality of life for the patient. Taking Care of Serious Illness Palliative care is often applied to patient care that does not focus on providing cures. It is combined with other treatments, but the palliative care looks toward management of symptoms, and giving social and psychological, even spiritual, support to the patient and…
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Agitated By Alzheimer’s and Dementia
For family members who are trying to provide Alzheimer’s or dementia care for an older loved one, one of the greatest challenges can come from dealing with the agitation that the loved one suffers. Because memory, especially short term memory, is affected by these conditions, the patient can become very agitated, because the world seems disturbingly unsettled to them. Learning how to cope with this challenge is an ongoing part of loving treatment from the family and caregivers. Difficulties in Communication For the elderly patient who suffers from dementia or Alzheimer’s, trying to communicate can become a major frustration. Vocabulary seems to deteriorate, making it difficult for the patient to…
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Can Walking More Slowly Indicate Alzheimer’s Disease?
Home health care professionals are always on the lookout for signs of Alzheimer’s disease. One of the problems with managing Alzheimer’s is the lack of reliable information about diagnosing the disease. Another challenge for caregivers is keeping up to date with information about available treatments. One thing is known: the earlier it is detected, the more likely that Alzheimer’s treatments will be effective in the long run. As we grow older, our bodies undergo profound changes that make life more challenging, but these changes don’t necessarily indicate the presence of an underlying disease that can be treated. These natural changes in physical and mental ability can mask the onset of…
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Getting Around With Senior Transportation
In home health care services help seniors and their families solve many problems associated with aging. Of course the particular home care services will vary according to the needs of the client, and these will change as time passes. Rehabilitation care will end when a full recovery is made, while services for clients suffering from degenerative conditions will increase. There is one type of home health care that’s likely to last indefinitely: senior transportation. When it’s time for a senior citizen to stop driving, senior transportation can be the difference between isolation and a full and interesting lifestyle. The Most Common Form of Senior Care Senior transportation is the most…
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Hospice Care Is Better Than Aggressive Treatment. Here’s Why
End of life decisions can be difficult for the entire family. It’s hard to know how to choose between aggressive treatment to battle the disease and hospice care that makes the patient’s last days more comfortable. With help from a new study, patients and their families may find it easier to make an informed decision. The study measured the satisfaction that families expressed about end-of-life care when an elderly relative was diagnosed with cancer, and later died of the disease. The results were surprising to many observers in the media, but not to caregivers who provide hospice care. That’s because home health care aides are more attuned to the wants…
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Making Caregiving Services Easier With Skype
Many senior citizens are enthusiastic Internet users. Social media use is also very common among seniors, although the particular social media platforms are still segregated a great deal by age. People who are eligible to receive letters from AARP generally prefer Facebook to Twitter, for example. But there is a general willingness to stay connected to loved ones that can be used to improve the quality of life for seniors and their families. Whether a loved one is being cared for in a rehabilitation center, receiving nursing home health care, or using caregiving services to help them stay independent, social media can help. Ease of Use Is Important If a…
