When taking care of elderly parents, understand that discussing health issues is hard for many older individuals. They might believe their health issues are their business and no one else’s, or they might possibly be fearful that if they admit to experiencing problems, they could compromise their ability to remain independent. This is oftentimes the situation regarding vision loss.
Insights and Tips for Enhancing Care at Home
Home Modifications to Help Seniors Impacted by Reduced or Low Vision
Among all of our senses, our vision is probably the one for which we’re most grateful. So much of our life’s experiences are a result of the things we notice in the world around us. Our sight also safeguards us from a variety of risks. Reduced or low vision can make it more problematic to avoid the dangers and barriers we come across, both within and outside of the home.
Tips for Coping with a Chronic Illness as an Older Adult
Have you ever started your day and thought, “It’s likely to be one of those days!” Perhaps your alarm didn’t go off, the hot water heater decided to quit working, and the dog chewed up one of your favorite shoes overnight. Now envision if every day were “one of those days!” For an individual coping with a chronic illness (and that’s much of the senior population), daily struggles and challenges…
New Chronic Disease Care Management Approach Puts Patient’s Goals First
Regarding chronic diseases, seniors are usually the experts, hands down, with as many as three out of four older persons impacted by a number of conditions that are ongoing, require extensive medical attention, and put limitations on activities. With the continuous barrage of bloodwork and other exams, physicians’ appointments and procedures and medications, chronic disease care management often takes both a physical and emotional toll, and that can quickly become…
Post-Holiday Let-Down: Tips to Combat Loneliness in the Elderly
The holidays can be filled with a whirlwind of busyness for the seniors we love, with family get-togethers, holiday parties, faith-based events and services, and deciding on the best gifts for the ones they love. Yet after the ornaments are packed away and families have resumed the daily busyness of life, many seniors encounter a typical but little-discussed concern: post-holiday loneliness.
Diabetic Diet Tips to Help Seniors Successfully Navigate the Holidays
This season of holiday celebrations is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy time with loved ones and close friends, but let’s face it: it’s often also a time for overindulgence in less-than-healthy meals. With a multitude of rich, fatty, and sugary delicacies to choose from at every turn, it’s difficult to abide by a healthy diet, which can result in serious health concerns for individuals with diabetes.
Aging in Place – Is Staying at Home an Option?
We all face a number of critical crossroads in life, when decisions we make will result in far-reaching effects. The career we choose. Who (or whether) to marry. Whether or not to have children. And as we age, another life-changing decision needs to be made: should we move into an assisted living environment so that we have the level of care needed during our years of aging? Or is aging…
Home Safety for Elderly – Age in Place With Comfort and Security
We all know that home is where the heart is, which is why the hearts of so many older adults are set on remaining at home throughout aging, rather than facing a move to a nursing home or assisted living facility – as many as 90% of them, in fact, according to research conducted by AARP. And it stands to reason: the familiarity of home’s surroundings, the freedom to go…
Decrease COPD Symptoms by Cleaning the Air Inside Your Home
Family members providing COPD care for an older loved one know that outdoor air pollution can make symptoms worse. But, did you know that compromised air quality in the home can also aggravate COPD symptoms? Cleaning the air inside the home can help those with COPD – and everyone else in the home – breathe easier.
Simple Physiotherapy Exercises Improve Overall Health and Safety as We Age
Improving a senior’s balance is one of the best ways to improve overall health, especially when it comes to fall prevention. After an older adult has had a fall, the person’s instinctive reaction is often to decrease physical activity in an effort to reduce the risk of falling again; yet it’s essential for seniors to maximize their overall muscle strength and balance and remain as active as possible.