Home Health Dallas enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.

Valentine’s Day is a special day for seniors as well. No matter how old you are, you will always enjoy receiving a card signifying someone’s love. Seniors often enjoy receiving hand-made cards from grandchildren. There are many ways to brighten the day for a senior on Valentine’s Day. Below is a list that provides some great ideas for gifts on Valentine’s Day.

1. Make handcrafted Valentine’s cards. This can be a great project for school classrooms as well as adult groups. Seniors would be very appreciative of any cards that were hand delivered. Taking the time to make and deliver something by hand can have a huge effect on seniors.

2. Small gifts provide a bit of cheer. For senior family members, use a heart shaped picture frame to display family photographs and present to your senior loved one.

3. Chocolates and cookies make great gifts. Be sure to check if the senior is on a restrictive diet before buying sweet treats. Many sugar-free chocolates are available and cookies that are made at home can also be made to suit a particular diet.

4. A “heart attack” is not always a bad thing! If you are able to decorate living spaces with hearts and other Valentine’s symbols, you will be giving a senior a positive “heart attack.” This can also be done through the mail by filling an envelope with heart shaped paper and confetti.

Source: aginggrandparents.suite101.com

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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.

Shopping for seniors can be a big challenge, especially after so many years of holidays and gift exchanges. This year, think about the things that they could really use; here are a few suggestions to get you shopping!

• Items that allow them to pamper themselves – seniors on a budget are not likely to splurge on things they consider non-essentials. Buy them candles, soaps and body lotions that allow them to feel pampered at home. Gift cards to restaurants or spas are added luxuries

• Gift baskets – gift baskets with a combination of items, including some of the above, as well as seasonal foods, books, and craft supplies that they will enjoy and make use of are all great things to include! Gift baskets can be bought pre-fabricated or can be created at home

• The gift of companionship – seniors will most appreciate the company of their loved ones. If this is not possible, senior care services can be gifted for companionship and assistance at home

• Take an elderly loved one out for the day – a trip out for lunch around the holidays to see a movie or a musical event can be a very enjoyable way for them to spend a day and it will be memorable!

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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.

When people get older, it can be harder to know what to buy for them over the holidays. After years of gift exchanges, it’s just not uncommon to run out of ideas. Instead of looking to luxury items when shopping for gifts for an elderly loved one, think about purchasing practical items that will be more appreciated and needed since most seniors live on limited incomes.

1. Purchase items that will aid in dental health – it might not sound like a glamorous holiday gift idea, but a senior’s dental health can really change their quality of life, especially over the holidays when they’d rather enjoy. In a gift basket, include a favorite toothpaste or denture cleaner, mouthwash, floss and a new toothbrush (buy electric, or one in their favorite color – something they might not splurge on!).

2. Stock up on other personal items – splurge a little bit and include personal items that are more than just the basics. If you know that they prefer a certain kind of scented soap or body wash, but typically stick to a cheaper bar soap, pick some up! Bubble bath, body lotion and other items they wouldn’t necessarily buy for themselves would also be appreciated

3. Include nutritious snacks – crackers, preserves, tea and coffee are all great things to include in a senior’s gift basket. Try to buy the items you know they love, but won’t get for themselves!

Via: Well Sphere

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.

As we age, family and those most important to us play an even greater role in our lives. But as our loved ones shape who we are, we have a similar influence upon them, particularly when it comes to the younger generations. It’s for that reason, that even from a distance, we need to make an effort to remain connected with our grandchildren, because we can influence them and their memories as much as they have a bearing on our quality of life. Grandparenting from a distance isn’t easy, but here are some tips:

1. Take advantage of technology – email and social networking sites can allow families to remain connected. Post pictures, videos and share stories using sites like Facebook or others that can help keep grandparents and grandchildren up to date on what’s happening in each other’s lives

2. Create fun long-distance games – to stay connected, grandparents can try fun long-distance games that let their grandchildren know they’re loved and being thought about. Create personalized crossword puzzles or word searches, send them a jar of M&Ms to countdown to the next visit, or play long-distance hide and seek, having someone hide items around the house and then giving the clues to their grandchildren over the phone

3. Make a point to get together – it’s hard to bring families together, and easy for too much time to pass between visits. Family reunions that bring grandchildren together with their grandparents should happen at least once a year no matter what!

Sources:

1. Let Life In 

2. FamBooks 

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.

For many grandparents, if they need to step in and take on caring for their grandchildren, there’s never a question that they’ll do it because family comes first beyond any concerns they have about taking a child into their home at their age. While love goes along way, it doesn’t eliminate the potential challenges which can include:

1. Seniors who are retired often have limited finances available, and adding another member to the household can come at an increased expense

2. Seniors may not have the same physical capabilities that younger parents would when responsible for the physical care of children when carrying them around, bathing, and physical chasing after children

3. Seniors may neglect their own health needs when worrying about others

4. Seniors may be under the stress of legal issues when trying to adopt a child or ensure that they legally remain the child’s guardian

Love is the first step in overcoming these challenges, because seniors who have that for their grandchildren can get over the rest, but they might need a little bit more help along the way and can take note of the following tips:

1. Find out if there are assistance programs available in their area to help grandparents raising grandchildren financially

2. Remember to simply do the best that they can, and remember, that loving the children and ensuring their safety, health and happiness is all that’s really important

3. Of course, the health of their grandchildren is important, but grandparents need to remember if they don’t take care of themselves, they’ll be unable to care for anyone else

4. Seniors can try to minimize the stress of the process by seeking support from those who have been in similar situations

5. Respite help is necessary to give seniors a break. If children are too young to be in school seniors can find a daycare or ask for help

Sources:

1. Care-givers 

2. AARP 

3. Answers for Families 

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.