Q - In caring for my elderly mother, I feel I’ve fallen into a rather limited routine. This summer, I’m hoping to up the excitement ante with interesting senior appropriate activities. What activities have you completed with your senior during past summers that are in line with June holidays, special days and events?

A1 - One of our June family traditions have stemmed from National Turkey Lovers month! While the point might be to honor the living creatures, we’ve created a special holiday to bring the family together at my senior father’s home. Of course we honor the turkey as it plays a role in our family feast, but it’s more about bonding as a family over a nice meal and showing my dad how much we all love and appreciate him.

- Sarah Dallas

A2 – My senior mother loves the ocean, and since it’s become increasingly challenging to get to the coast and walk along the beach, instead we check out sea life by taking advantage of National Zoo and Aquarium Month which takes place in June. By going to a zoo or aquarium, my mother gets back some of the experience she’s missing by not getting around at the coast, and it’s an environment that accommodates a senior with more limited mobility. We look forward to June every year to check out our favorite aquatic animals, and it’s a great change from the everyday senior activities that we typically engage in!

- Melanie, 56

Image: Ipetshome.com

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Q1 – My elderly mother from Dallas has been looking into vacation options for seniors. Are cruises a good option for seniors looking to take a vacation? What are the benefits?

A1 – Cruises for the senior demographic are great vacation options for seniors for a number of reasons! Since cruises are typically semi-inclusive, non-luxury cruises for seniors can be very affordable vacation options for those who are retired and on a limited budget. Senior cruises also cater to the specific needs of the elderly; typically there are more accessible rooms for those who are disabled or face mobility issues; there is flexibility to cater to specific dietary needs; on ship doctors keep a supply of medications needed based on the vacationers medical conditions and illnesses; and activities are senior-friendly and enjoyable for the demographic.

Q2 – Do senior cruises depart from Dallas?

A2 – Departure points vary with the specific cruise line. However, once seniors have chosen their desired cruise, they may need to travel by plane to the departure port.

Sources:
1. Expedia Cruise Ship Centers
2. About

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Q – I suspect that my elderly grandfather, who has an elder care provider assisting him in his home in Dallas might be a victim of home care negligence. He doesn’t seem to get along with his caregiver and is reluctant to look her in the eyes. I don’t want to make a big deal out of nothing, so what are the signs I can look for to determine if he’s a victim of negligence?

A – If you believe that your father in Dallas might be a victim of negligence, or doesn’t get along with his caregiver. Don’t hesitate to talk to the caregiving agency about your suspicions and request another elder care expert to provide home care services. However, if you want to justify your concerns, there are other signs that could indicate your father is being neglected.

• Sudden changes in his behavior, such as becoming more withdrawn, depressed or angry

• Physical injuries like bruises, scrapes, cuts, or even broken bones

• The home care provider not allowing seniors to spend time alone with family members for fear something might be revealed

• Pressure sores or signs that restraints have been used

• Sudden, inexplicable weight loss in the senior

Sources:
1. Care Home Negligence
2. EZine Articles

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Pain is personal, so how do you know if someone is over or underestimating the pain that they experience? How do you know if the type of pain management treatment prescribed is an effective method for combating the pain that a senior’s feeling when you can’t experience what they’re experiencing yourself? While many of us wish we could take away the pain from our elderly parents or grandparents, or experience it just long enough to tell the doctor’s what a terrible job or what a great job they’re doing in pain management, this just isn’t a reality. Since the only real account of the pain a senior experience can come directly from them, treating seniors effectively with pain management is a major challenge in the medical profession.

Through my experience seeing my elderly parents through pain management treatment due to injury and illness, I’ve seen them overly doped on pain medication, or even screaming in pain. According to the doctors, treating seniors for the pain they’re experiencing can be hit and miss for a number of reasons; various conditions can affect the absorption of pain medication or impact the way the body processes pain; and seniors quite regularly under express the pain they’re experiencing for fear of being seen as a burden.

We might not be able to take the pain away from the important seniors in our lives, but we can help by listening to what they have to tell us and trying to communicate their expression of pain to the doctor responsible for their pain management.

Sources:
1. About
2. MedicineNet

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

What would you do if you had an elderly parent with an addiction?

No one seems to suspect that senior citizens are at risk for drug addiction, but currently approximately 17% of people over the age of 60 abuse prescription medication, and many have adult children who are wondering: “what do we do?” People have preconceptions about what defines an addict, but age and pharmacueticals don’t discriminate.

The elderly who face depression, illness, and various ailments are more likely to become reliant upon their prescriptions and face withdrawal once they try to stop taking them. Addiction doesn’t mean you needlessly take medications; many seniors legitimately require pain killers to cope with Arthritis or sedatives to deal with the loss of a spouse, but it’s abuse when medications are taken consistently against medical instruction.

What if you had a parent who had a history of alcohol abuse and now uses prescription drugs? It’s a great debate with seniors who abuse prescription drugs, since they need them, is it fair to categorize seniors and label them as addicts as you would label an alcoholic? According to experts, drug abuse is addiction, regardless of medical need. Alcoholics also need to have a drink in order to avoid withdrawal, and that’s addiction too. But would you handle a senior’s prescription drug addiction the same way you’d intervene with an alcoholic?

Sources:
1. Bio-Medicine
2. Join Together

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Q1 – How can a senior find a doctor?

A1 – The American Medical Association Doctor Finder is a directory of American doctors that includes their history as medical professionals. Find doctors that are located in your local area, but make the final decision based on other important factors.

Q2 – What else should seniors consider when choosing a doctor?

A2 – It’s important to decide whether a general practitioner or specialist is required based on the elderly person’s medical history. For affordability, a doctor that complies with your health benefits or medical insurance plan should also be chosen; and naturally, you want a doctor that has a great track record.

Q3 – How can you tell if a doctor’s good?

A3 – To understand how well a doctor performs, by interviewing them and their office staff.  Find out if they encourage questions, and if they remain respectful. A doctor’s professional history can be reviewed using a number of online directories, including the NCQA Recognized Physician Directory, The American Board of Medical Specialties and The Federal State of Medical Boards.

Sources:

1. Seniors for Living

2. MedicineNet

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Q – I am a caregiver for my elderly father in Dallas. He seems to tire of the meals I serve him, and I’m looking for some healthy, new ideas to make for him this summer. We are on a more limited food budget, and with all the other responsibilities I have caring for him, I don’t want to spend hours slaving over the stove, especially when it’s hot; can you suggest some healthy, summertime meal ideas?

A – During the summer months, mealtime in Dallas should be all about Convenience, and with the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables, it’s easy to make quick, healthy meals while maintaining a budget. During the summer, many healthy fruits and vegetables are in season, which reduces the price and increases the variety. For even more selection at a low price, try frequenting a local farmer’s market in Dallas or browse the aisles of your favorite grocery store for great deals on produce.

A great way to make fast, healthy, and delicious meals is to take advantage of the nice weather and barbeque outside. Using the barbeque speeds up the cooking time of most meals, and tastes great even with limited seasonings. Instead of laboring over sauces to flavor your meats or fish, use a few fresh herbs and allow the taste from the grill to come through. Ensuring your father’s diet is rich with fruits and vegetables will also help him prevent heat exhaustion during the warmer months!

Sources:

1. Senior Advocate

2. eHow

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Q – Is medical care available to seniors in Dallas at home?

A – While many doctors do continue to make traditional health calls to visit seniors who have issues with mobility that make it difficult for them to get into their doctors’ offices, these services tend to be costly and are often not covered by medical insurance programs like Medicare. However, new technologies which are emerging into the home care market for seniors, hope to make medical care available to all seniors from the comfort and safety of their own homes. General Electric and Intel recently announced their partnership and commitment to donate $250 million dollars towards the research and development of home health care technologies for the elderly over the next 5 years. Already available on the market are the Intel Health Guide, which allows seniors to interact with medical professionals using a 2-way video computer and the GE QuietCare; a home monitoring system which allows senior caregivers to keep track of the senior’s well-being remotely.

Over the upcoming years, these two partnered technology giants hope to create health technologies that will allow doctors and nurses to monitor their senior patients’ health, quality of life and diagnose elderly health issues remotely, while the senior remains in their Dallas residence. Hopefully, these new technological developments will help more seniors get the medical care they require in a convenient and affordable manner.

Sources:
1.   New York Times Steve Lohr
2.   Intel & GE Health Care Alliance

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Based on recent developments in home health care technologies, seniors in Dallas may soon not even have to leave home in order to receive medical advice from a physician or registered nurse. General Electric and Intel, two major names in technology, recently announced that they would be teaming up to bring seniors more cost-effective health care methods in the convenience of their own home through monitoring systems and a new program, called the Intel Health Guide.

Through research and development over the next 5 years, with $250 million jointly committed by the technology companies; they plan to develop a 2-way video computer that allows seniors to interact with doctors and nurses so that health care professionals can remotely monitor elderly patients and diagnose illnesses remotely, without ever requiring them to leave their private residences or assisted living facilities in Dallas where they reside. In recent years, GE has also developed a home health care monitoring program called GE QuietCare which equips a senior’s home with motion detectors and other monitoring devices so caregivers can help provide for a senior’s independent lifestyle while maintaining their safety.

With new developments on the rise in home health technologies, as the Baby Boomers enter their elder years, home care as we know it might just be transformed.

Sources:
1.    New York Times Steve Lohr
2.    Intel & GE Health Care Alliance

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Have you heard of a senior suffering from cancer or recovering from a serious injury complain that they’re in pain while under the influence of a pain management regiment? If you did, I bet the thought entered your mind that they were just whining, because how could someone being treated with strong pain medications still suffer with pain, right? I’ve been there, but the real answer is that seniors are actually more likely to play down the pain that they’re experiencing so they don’t feel like they’re being a burden or complaining,and that, among other reasons, is one of the causes of inadequate pain management in the elderly.

My mother broke her hip, and while she went through the recovery and rehab process was kept on narcotic pain medications to ease her discomfort. My mother was never one to vocalize her problems, but anytime her caregivers at the hospital asked her to evaluate her level of pain; she was constantly saying 8 or 9 on a scale of 10. My first thought was that she was exaggerating, but after getting online to see if my mother was crying wolf or if her pain management system was inadequate, I learned that seniors often receive under-treatment for pain management, and that my mom was a prime candidate for it. With a history of both depression and impaired liver function, my mother’s pain receptors were likely out of whack, and the pain medication may not have been properly absorbed by her system.

I may have doubted my mother’s expressions of pain once, and I’m sure I’ll do it again, but with improved understanding about seniors and pain management, I’ll take her word for it in the future.

Sources:
1.    About
2.    MedicineNet

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.