Caregivers can make a huge difference in the life of a senior. Some caregivers assist with household chores while others provide medical assistance. No matter what services are needed, there are many agencies, like Home Health Dallas, that provide qualified caregivers for seniors in need. The list below contains some important tips to consider when hiring a caregiver for a senior.

1. Check local Home Care Agencies. These companies staff many caregivers. However, they do provide different levels of service, so take the time to make sure all services that are needed can be provided.

2. If the senior in need of a caregiver is approved for care that will be paid for by Medicare, the Health Care Agency must be Medicare certified. This ensures that the agency meets the minimal federal requirements.

3. If the senior only requires personal care or homemaking services, caregivers do not have to come from an agency that is certified for Medicare.

4. If there is no Medicare coverage, the cost of the caregiver will have to be paid by the person receiving services. These services can be expensive, but there are some low rates for personal care attendants, also known as PCA’s. They are typically paid by the hour at rates between $13 and $35.

5. Do not be afraid to contact multiple agencies. It is important to find the right caregiver that will provide all services needed by the senior.

Source: thefamilycaregiver.org

Home Health 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.

Family caregivers who are looking after the needs of an older adult often find themselves struggling to decipher the signs of senior ailments and determine what really requires medical attention. The rule of thumb is always better safe than sorry, but here are some basic guidelines about some of the more common ailments:

1. Symptoms from medical side effects – side effects that develop from medications should be discussed with a doctor. Some side effects might be normal; others might be a result of mixed medications. All concerns should be addressed with a medical professional

2. Awareness of self-medication – when caregivers see signs that a senior is self-medicating, it should be addressed. Even using over-the-counter medications combined with multiple prescriptions can cause complications

3. Understanding anxiety and depression – unmanaged depression can lead to more serious health complications. Caregivers should recognize the signs and encourage their loved ones to receive treatment

4. Changes in mobility – although physical changes can occur with seniors, changes in mobility do need to be addressed. First, a doctor can investigate any underlying medical problems; and second, changes to a senior’s home can be made to make it a safer environment

Image Source: sxc.hu

Home Health 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.

Tis the season to be jolly, but unfortunately, not everyone finds themselves in the holiday spirit at this time of year. Many suffer from the holiday blues, and these can include seniors and senior caregivers who carry the baggage of their pasts and the burden of day-to-day responsibilities. If this sounds like you, take more enjoyment from the
season with these tips:

1. Surround yourself with people – even if you don’t have family or friends around that you can spend time with, do join other social events taking place in your community

2. Volunteer – no matter what’s happening in your life, you’ll feel great when you volunteer and give back to those in need

3. Join a support group – sometimes it’s not easy to talk to family about the emotions you’re struggling with, so join a support group that allows you to share your feelings

4. Don’t put pressure on yourself – it’s okay if you don’t feel like celebrating over the holidays, don’t push yourself. Get involved with those things that make you happy, and don’t get down on yourself if you don’t feel joyful

5. Avoid alcohol – alcohol can depress your mood, so even though the wine and eggnog is flowing over the holidays, stick to the non-alcoholic stuff!

6. Know the signs of depression and seek treatment – the holiday blues are one thing, but you also need to recognize depression and get help

Via: Health in Aging

Image Source: www.sxc.hu

Home Health 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.

Incontinence is one topic that few are comfortable talking about. Senior caregivers who are too embarrassed to discuss this issue with the seniors that they care for once the issue has arisen can compromise the quality of care provided. These tips can help make a tough situation a little bit easier:

1. Ease into the issues gently – caregivers need to ensure when talking about incontinence, that they appear concerned. They can’t make it into a personal issue or make the senior feel embarrassed

2. Understand if it’s appropriate for you to bring up the topic – depending upon your relationship with your senior care recipient, you might want to bring up the topic, or have a friend or medical professional break the ice

3. Try to anticipate how they might react – if you’re bringing up the topic yourself, or even if you’ve talked to a doctor about approaching the subject of incontinence, try to anticipate how the senior might react. Will he/she be embarrassed? Combative? Accepting? This can help you to manage the situation better

4. Empathize – let them know that you care, and while you can’t understand exactly what they’re dealing with, make sure they know you hate that they’re going through it and are there for them

5. Know when to back off – particularly when approaching such a touchy subject, don’t push too hard about your beliefs; know when to back off

6. Talk to a doctor – encourage the senior to seek medical attention to determine the source of the incontinence and appropriate treatment. Caregivers can provide in-depth details to medical professionals if seniors are uncomfortable talking about it

Via: Caring.com

Home Health 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.

Money: something that very few want to talk about, because it’s something that most people worry about. But, if you’re looking into moving an elderly relative into your home permanently, the financial details of your arrangement need to be ironed out early on so that money isn’t that thing that comes between you. Here are some guidelines for discussing financial affairs with a senior that you’re planning to live with:

1. Bridge the topic gently – ensure that finances are discussed before the move happens, but don’t approach it like finances might change your motivations or your ability to care for your loved one

2. Set the standards – discuss what percentage of the household bills your senior will be responsible for. It might not be fair to ask an elderly parent to pay half of the mortgage and utility bills if there are 4 people in your immediate family, and they are just one; but you can ask them to pay one-fifth, or another number that is agreeable to everyone

3. Keep separate bank accounts, but create a common fund – don’t expect that a senior living with you is going to merge their bank account; having their own finances maintains their sense of independence and purpose. However, you can create a joint fund that all contributors can add to in order to make monthly bill payments easier

Via: Guide for Seniors and Boomers Who Live With Them

Home Health 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.

Often working caregivers feel like they can barely keep their heads above water, they’ve got so much on their plates. Few would change their lives for the world, but there is one thing that they would give up if they could – and that’s stress. Caregivers are often stressed, but it doesn’t always have to be a way of life if caregivers know how to manage it effectively. With these basic survival tools that focus on the needs of caregivers, it’s possible for them to put themselves and their needs back on the radar!

1. Take care of yourself with diet and exercise – eat well throughout the day, and no matter how busy you are, don’t skip meals, otherwise your energy levels will drop. Exercise at least 3 times a week for 20 minutes, and pick something that you enjoy doing (walking, biking, aerobics class)

2. Walk away – you won’t walk away permanently from your care responsibilities, but you can take a step back when you need to. Take a break, even if just for a few minutes, or have someone else step in to provide respite care

3. Seek help – 72% of caregivers refuse to receive outside help with their responsibilities; don’t be one of them. Ask a family member to step in and help, or hire a professional home caregiver to give you a break. Also, don’t be afraid to lean on others when you’re stressed, even if it means joining a support group

4. Spoil yourself – reward yourself for all of your hard work, once a week or once a month, go get a massage, have a manicure, go to a movie, or take a hot bath with a glass of wine. Do something that helps you rejuvenate!

5. Don’t neglect your health – remember to get yourself to the doctor regularly, especially if you’re feeling ill. You’ll be better help to a senior when you’re in one piece!

Via: Caregiver Stress

Home Health 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.

If you know someone who is a family caregiver, then it’s time to give something back to them this month for National Family Caregivers Month. The following are gestures they’re likely to appreciate year-round:

1. Give them a break – offering to provide respite care or hiring someone to step in can allow caregivers to relax or reconnect with friends and family

2. Remind local businesses what this month means – then encourage them to offer freebies or discounts for family caregivers in the area!

3. Lend them a hand with holiday preparations – the holidays can create added responsibility, so help a caregiver decorate for the holidays or put stamps on their cards

4. Get them laughing – go see a funny movie with them, or pick up tickets to a local comedy club. Laugher IS the best medicine!

5. Take over holiday hosting responsibilities – caregivers already have a lot on their plates; host Thanksgiving, Christmas, or another holiday celebration so the caregiver can simply focus on enjoying the company!

6. Sign the petition – there’s a petition to establish a stamp that recognizes family caregivers; sign it in their honor!

7. Create something personal – a personalized gift, like a calendar with family photos, will help them feel like they’re appreciated, and it will help them stay organized

8. Send them a token of appreciation – a bouquet of flowers or a card might not be a big gesture, but it will make caregivers feel appreciated and special

9. Connect them with caregiving resources – free seminars and other events take place to keep caregivers better informed and help them manage stress

10. Lend your support – give them an ear to talk to, or help them find a support group

Via: The Family Caregiver

Home Health 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.

The internet has greatly changed the way that we communicate with one another, and as a result, we rely on typing rather than speech to stay in touch with those most important to us a good part of the time. For busy caregivers and seniors, using email, instant messenger and social media sites can be an efficient way to communicate, but not if they type slowly. To make communication even more efficient, caregivers and senior alike can hone up on their typing skills:

1. Choose a comfortable keyboard – a comfortable keyboard that is well laid out for your hands is crucial to learning to type well and type quickly. If you have a laptop, using a laptop keyboard is okay if you’re spending no more than a couple of hours a day typing, but any longer and it can do damage to your hands

2. Get in position – make sure you’re seated comfortably when you sit down to type. The keyboard should be at the right position for your hands, and you should sit up straight. Proper positioning of your body will reduce errors and therefore decrease the time it takes you to type

3. Learn hand positioning- if you’ve never been taught proper keyboard position, now’s a great time to start. Learning finger positioning will help improve your typing speed vastly when you no longer need to look at the keys or type with just a couple of fingers at a time. Software programs and online tutorials can help you learn!

4. Practice – once you’ve mastered the above, you need to practice to improve your speed, but eventually you’ll find you could cut hours off your day!

Via: WikiHow

Home Health 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.

There’s not enough time in the day, no matter what your age or what you do, days often go by without you accomplishing everything you’d hoped. 24 hours just aren’t enough in today’s busy world, so over the next couple of weeks we’re going to teach you how you can make 24 hours turn into 36 – without the use of a time machine. Make more time in your day through productive use of your time in the following ways:

1. Sleeping for productivity

2. Eating your way to a 36 hour day

3. Learning to multi-task effectively

4. Organizing your way to success

5. Learning how to get it done faster

6. Learning while multi-tasking in your free time

7. Using technology to increase productivity

8. Turning off

9. Asking for help

Visit again, over the next few weeks, we, along with WorkingCaregiver.com will be teaching you how to turn 24 hours into 36 so you can make the most out of every single day!

Via: Gaia.com

Home Health 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.

It’s not hard for families to find themselves at odds with each other, because generations just aren’t sure how to find common ground to interact. Don’t let the older generations in your family pass away, leaving you with regrets of missed experience.

Try the following activity suggestions to bring together multiple generations:

1. Take a field trip – take your senior care recipient out on a day trip, and even invite other caregivers and their seniors to come along. Travel to a museum, go see a movie, or visit a nice park. Keep the whole day to 6 hours or less, so it’s not sure long that the seniors still enjoy themselves. A nice day like this can help seniors and their caregivers bond.

2. Throw an intergenerational party – get all generations of family together for a nice meal and a casual day of games that everyone can enjoy. Serve foods that are good for even the pickiest eaters

3. Document family history – when all generations are together, use a tape recorder or create a scrapbook of family history. Let the older generations lead and have the rest of the family add on

4. Get creative – art is a great way to bridge the generational gap. Purchase some simple supplies and create a mural, or do a group craft together suitable for all ages

5. Garden – setting up a garden and getting all the family involved, creates a bonding experience which can be enjoyed over family meals when the fresh garden produce is cooked and consumed!

Via: Suite101

Image: dailymail.co.uk

Home Health 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.