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How Can Families Support Their Senior’s Quest for More Independence?

Home Care Assistance in San Jose CA
Senior woman with her caregiver at home

A big reason that many seniors decide to age in place is to stay as independent as they can. That independence can take many different forms and seniors might define independence differently. Family caregivers want to do everything they can to support the seniors they love, including finding ways to help them be more independent. Oddly enough, home care assistance can do a lot to help seniors be more independent.

Encourage and Support Goals

Supporting a senior in their goal to be more independent means starting out by understanding their goals as fully as possible. What does independence mean to the aging adult? Many seniors believe that having help at all means that they’re not able to be independent. The reality is far from the truth, however. Getting on the same page about those goals helps seniors and family caregivers to find the right solutions.

Adapt the Home Environment

It might be necessary to make some changes to the home environment to help seniors improve their independence. Making the lighting better, installing handrails in key areas, and fixing items that need to be repaired all help quite a lot. Home care providers can help family caregivers to stay on top of whether any changes need to be made.

Promote Physical and Cognitive Health

Physical and cognitive health are both key components of keeping seniors independent. Engaging in activities that keep them healthier in both of those areas gives seniors what they need to boost independence. Home care assistance can help incorporate more of these types of activities into daily and weekly routines.

Provide Easy Access to Resources

Tools and resources aren’t a cheat when it comes to independence. Everybody needs help now and again, even the most independent seniors. Elder care providers can help families more easily find the resources that will improve independence for their aging adults.

Foster Social Connections

Social interaction is a big part of mental and emotional wellness. As seniors have easier access to social interactions, they’re more likely to boost their independence. Spending time with home care providers is an easy way to help seniors avoid loneliness and isolation.

Respect and Encourage Autonomy

When seniors are determined to do things on their own or in their own way, it’s important that family caregivers support that. Respecting autonomy and offering choices in as many ways as possible helps seniors to build confidence in their abilities. Home care providers can help with this, too.

Offer Assistance with Complicated Tasks

Again, having help doesn’t mean that someone isn’t independent. When seniors are faced with complicated tasks, it pays for them to have help. They can conserve energy and use it to perform tasks that they can perform more easily on their own.

There are so many different ways for home care assistance and family caregivers to make sure that seniors get the independence that they crave. Seniors may find that as they have more help, they’re better able to keep doing the things that they need and want to do themselves.

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HIRING HOME CARE ASSISTANCE IN SAN JOSE, CA, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT HOME HELPERS TODAY. (408) 317-4969

How Does Alzheimer’s Disease Affect the Eyes?

Doctor Examining Senior Female Patient's Eyes

Alzheimer’s disease affects so many areas of life for the people who develop it. Often they’re surprised to learn that Alzheimer’s disease affects their vision and how well their eyes function. As Alzheimer’s progresses, so can these eye issues. Understanding how Alzheimer’s disease affects the eyes helps family caregivers keep seniors safe. Home care providers can also offer support that seniors need as they face these challenges.

Visual Changes

Seniors with Alzheimer’s disease can find themselves dealing with changes like blurry vision or trouble with depth perception. This can happen because Alzheimer’s disease affects the ability for the eyes to focus and transmit information to the brain’s visual processing centers. Depth perception changes mean that it becomes difficult for seniors to gauge distances. This is one reason they may need to give up driving and can have trouble navigating stairs and uneven surfaces. Many seniors also start to have trouble seeing in low light and distinguishing contrasts.

Mobility Challenges

As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, seniors may have more trouble navigating obstacles easily. This leaves them at greater risk of tripping and falling. These same challenges make driving more difficult, if not impossible. Home care providers can take over the driving for them, helping seniors get where they need to go without endangering themselves or others. Many seniors with Alzheimer’s disease may need to consider assistive devices, like a cane, to help them remain stable as they walk.

Trouble with Daily Activities

Regular daily activities might become more difficult for seniors because of the vision changes they’re experiencing. They may have more difficulty reading and writing, simply because it’s difficult to see the lettering on the page. Personal care tasks that rely on vision, like grooming and dressing, may become more difficult, too. Seniors may have more trouble choosing clothing that looks “right,” since they’re experiencing vision changes.

Strategies to Work Around These Issues

Removing clutter and installing grab bars are excellent solutions, especially when seniors are having trouble avoiding obstacles. Adding more lighting can help a little bit, especially in areas like hallways and bathrooms that aren’t always well-lit. Using more high-contrast colors around doors and steps can make those areas safer for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s Care Can Help

One-on-one support helps seniors with Alzheimer’s disease to feel more supported. Home care providers understand the challenges that seniors face due to aging alone, but they also understand how complicated Alzheimer’s disease can be. Elder care providers can help with daily personal care tasks, make sure seniors are eating healthy foods, and get them to their appointments and events on time. They also offer emotional support that seniors need when they’re dealing with massive changes in their lives and health.

Alzheimer’s disease affects so many areas of life for aging adults. The changes that it makes to eyes and to visual processing can be difficult for seniors to overcome easily, however. These challenges can make seniors feel self-conscious and depressed, so it helps to have home care providers there who can lend assistance whenever it is needed.

Reference
https://assileye.com/blog/eyesight-problems-linked-to-dementia
https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/understanding-alzheimers-disease-symptoms

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HIRING HOME CARE IN SANTA CLARA, CA, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT HOME HELPERS TODAY. (408) 317-4969

What Are the Best Ways to Reduce Anxiety for Seniors?

Senior woman meditating on yoga mat near interracial people in gym.

Anxiety is a big problem for aging adults. There are lots of reasons why seniors tend to feel more anxious, even as a side effect from medications, but what’s really important is to find ways to alleviate that anxiety. Companion care at home is one type of solution that families might consider as a way to offer more support to the seniors they love.

Encourage Socialization

One of the reasons that companion care at home is so effective for anxious seniors is that socialization does so much good for mental health. Having regular visits from companion caregivers allows seniors to have someone to talk to, play games with, and generally engage in activities together. This is especially helpful for seniors who live far away from family and friends.

Establish Solid Routines

It can be anxiety-inducing for seniors to no longer have solid daily routines. This happens quite often after someone retires or has a big lifestyle change. Routines offer a sense of stability and predictability, which is incredibly important for aging adults. Home care providers can help seniors learn what they need and want in their routines, and then help them to fine tune those routines.

Encourage Physical Activity

When seniors get even a little bit more exercise on a daily basis, that can help them to reduce anxiety. Taking a daily walk, including light stretches, or taking exercise classes can all be good ways for seniors to move more. It’s always important to talk with doctors before moving more, just in case there are limitations that seniors should follow.

Make the Environment Comfortable

Having a comfortable environment can also greatly reduce anxiety for seniors. Decluttering reduces visual overstimulation that can lead to anxiety, for instance. Decluttering and rearranging furniture can also help to reduce anxiety related to fall risk factors. Making the environment safer and more comfortable at home helps seniors to feel more confident and less anxious overall.

Make Hobbies and Interests Easy to Pursue

The easier it is for seniors to do the things they love doing, the more often they’ll be able to do them. This is another area where companion care at home can be a lot of help. Companion caregivers aren’t there to handle things like household tasks, but they can help seniors to engage in the activities they love more easily.

Consider Mindfulness

Some people who experience anxiety benefit from mindfulness activities like breathwork, meditation, and related activities. It’s important to remember that these activities aren’t effective for everyone and don’t necessarily reduce anxiety for everyone who tries them. But they can be worth a try.

Ensure Proper Nutrition

When seniors are eating healthy meals on a regular basis, their bodies tend to feel calmer and happier overall. Drinking the right amount of water and eating foods that they enjoy also are factors that improve overall well-being. If it’s more difficult for aging adults to take care of these chores alone, elder care providers can offer hands-on help.

Reducing anxiety for seniors involves trying a variety of different solutions to see what helps the most. Companion care at home can offer emotional support and socialization that help seniors figure out what else might help them.

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HIRING COMPANION CARE AT HOME IN LOS ALTOS, CA, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT HOME HELPERS TODAY. (408) 317-4969

Exploring Magnesium and How it Impacts Seniors

Home Care Assistance in Cupertino CA

A balanced diet becomes more and more important for optimum health and wellbeing as the years pass by. Magnesium is one of the many important minerals seniors should focus on, significantly impacting their health. Understanding the importance of magnesium and how to ensure they have enough is made easier when seniors have home care assistance by their side. Additionally, senior’s should be encouraged to talk with their medical team about magnesium and any other important nutrients and minerals they should consider.

The Importance of Magnesium

Magnesium is essential for more than 300 enzymatic processes that occur in the body and affect a range of biological processes, including:

Bone Health: Magnesium plays a critical role in the development and maintenance of bones, particularly in older adults who are at risk for osteoporosis. This is significant because stronger bones reduce the risk of falls, which is a major concern for seniors and their loved ones.

Heart Health: Magnesium promotes cardiovascular health and helps keep the heart in rhythm, both of which are factors in general heart health.

Reduced Cramps and Spasms: Magnesium has a role in both the contraction and relaxation of muscles, which helps to avoid cramps and spasms. With home care assistance, seniors can develop a list of questions to ask their medical team, including if magnesium could help with restless leg syndrome.

Increased Energy: Many seniors see a decrease in metabolism as they age, which can impact the transformation of food into energy.

Nervous System Support: Magnesium also plays a role in mood stability and cognitive function by regulating neurotransmitter function. In other words, ensuring seniors have enough magnesium in their system might lower their risk of anxiety and depression.

How Can Seniors Increase Their Intake of Magnesium?

Although a variety of foods, such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, and green leafy vegetables, contain magnesium, studies indicate that many seniors may not get enough of this vital nutrient through diet alone. Supplements may be helpful in these situations, but it’s important to speak with a healthcare professional to determine the right amount and type. As mentioned, seniors with home care assistance can develop questions to ask their medical team, but home care can also incorporate some of the foods listed above into seniors’ meal plans to ensure they’re doing all they can to increase their magnesium levels. Finally, if a supplement is recommended, home care can help remind seniors to take it on a consistent basis to enjoy its full effect. Of course, it’s important to ensure they don’t consume too much magnesium, as high levels of the mineral can have a negative impact on their health.

Magnesium is an essential nutrient that is directly related to senior health. Its advantages are numerous, ranging from cardiac function to bone strength and beyond. Seniors can enhance their general well-being and lead healthier, more active lives by realizing the benefits of magnesium and talking with their medical team to see if they have the right level of the mineral in their system. With home care assistance, they can also add magnesium-rich foods to their diet.

Sources:

https://www.rupahealth.com/post/magnesium-and-the-hallmarks-of-aging-exploring-the-connection
https://epsilonlife.com/magnesium-for-older-adults
https://wellbeingnutrition.com/blogs/listing/magnesium-aging-how-does-aging-occur-factors-that-speed

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HIRING HOME CARE ASSISTANCE IN CUPERTINO, CA, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT HOME HELPERS TODAY. (408) 317-4969

When Is it Time for Families to Consider Senior Home Care?

Senior Home Care in Mountain View CA

Making the decision to bring in senior home care is not an easy one, especially for family caregivers who are trying to do the right thing for their aging family members. Knowing the signs of when seniors need more help can make this choice easier.

Personal Hygiene Is Declining

Often when seniors start having more trouble with daily personal hygiene tasks, that’s a good indication that they need more help in general. Some of the signs to watch for could include changes in grooming habits, including reduced bathing. Many seniors change clothing less often and their clothes may be dirty.

Medications Are a Problem

Home care providers can’t help seniors with medication, but when seniors are skipping medication doses that can be a sign that they’re having more trouble in general. Confusion about medication schedules or why they take certain medications might be a sign for family caregivers that other situations aren’t going well, either. It might be a good idea to get seniors in to see their doctors to make sure that they’re doing okay and then go from there.

Mobility and Balance Are Changing

If seniors are experiencing falls or even near misses with a fall, that could be a sign that they’re having more difficulty with mobility. Increased injuries or bruises might be another sign to watch for. If seniors are having more trouble with things like stairs in their homes, family caregivers may want to look at other solutions.

Home Maintenance Is Not Getting Done

Keeping the home maintained is a huge part of ensuring that seniors can age in place safely. A big sign of trouble could be that there’s more clutter or mess than usual or seniors are avoiding household tasks. Senior home care providers can help tremendously with staying on top of these tasks, ensuring seniors are a lot safer at home.

Nutritional and Eating Habits Are Changing

It isn’t always easy to tell when seniors are experiencing changes with their eating habits. But signs like unintentional weight loss or having a lot of expired food around the house are some big clues to watch out for and address. It’s a good idea to talk to seniors about what they’re eating and find out if there are ways to make it easier for them to eat healthier.

Seniors Are Isolating

When seniors start to withdraw or isolate, that’s a sign of trouble. They may be experiencing depression or other mental health issues. It’s important for seniors to get plenty of social interaction. That social engagement keeps their brains healthy and addresses emotional concerns at the same time.

Cognition Seems to Be Changing

If seniors seem to be having more issues with memory or confusion, it’s important to have their doctors weigh in on what’s happening. For many seniors, an underlying health issue, like a bladder infection, or a lack of social engagement are the culprit. But many others are at risk of developing a cognitive illness, so it’s important to determine what is happening.

There are lots of reasons family caregivers might consider bringing in senior home care services. These experienced caregivers can address a variety of different needs and concerns, so it’s never really too early to take advantage of how they can help.

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HIRING SENIOR HOME CARE IN MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT HOME HELPERS TODAY. (408) 317-4969

Great Summer Fruits for your Senior

In-Home Care Palo Alto, CA
Happy senior woman eating fresh fruits during breakfast. Cheerful old lady with enjoying healthy breakfast with her husband outdoor. Elderly couple in conversation enjoying fruit on the balcony.

The summer months are not only great for sunshine and fresh air, but they are also the perfect time to enjoy all of the wonderful fresh fruit available. Whether your senior is picking up fresh fruit from a local farmer’s market or her big box grocery store, fresh fruit can be a delicious way to stay healthy. And a bonus perk is that many of these fruits can be found at lower prices during the summer, helping your senior stay on budget while still enjoying the health perks that come from summer fruits.

Let’s look at some great summer fruits for your senior to have around the home for meals and snacks as well as some tips for making it easily available when she wants it.

Melons

Watermelons, cantaloupe, and more melons are easily found in most markets during the summer. These fruits not only have nutrients needed for good health but also are water-packed, providing necessary hydration in the hot summer months. And since they store best in the fridge, they can also offer a nice, cooling snack or addition to a light lunch, making sure to keep your senior cool.

It can be daunting for your senior to look at a large melon and wonder how she’s going to carry that home and slice it up. While you can buy pre-sliced fruit at the store, it’s usually quite a bit more expensive. Consider having your loved one’s in-home care provider help with the prep of fruit so that when your senior is ready to enjoy it, it’s in her fridge and ready to eat. Whether the in-home care provider cuts it into slices or chunks, it’ll help make sure your senior enjoys it easily.

Berries

Berries are rich in antioxidants, low in calories, and high in fiber, making them a perfect snack for popping in the mouth while sitting outside watching the birds or enjoying the setting sun. Berries are known to reduce inflammation and improve circulation and are plentiful during the summer months.

Berries need to be washed and dried well, so have your senior’s in-home provider help by washing them all and then putting them in a breathable container in the fridge for your loved one to add to salads, yogurt, or even a bowl with a bit of whipped cream for a sweet treat. While strawberries should be sliced to make them easier to eat, most of the other berries can be stored whole, making it a simple snack to have around.

Citrus Fruits

Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes are all better in the summer and are easily stored in the refrigerator for longer periods. Because of this, it’s usually better to leave them whole until ready to eat. If your loved one struggles to peel or slice her fruit, a daily in-home care provider can help each day with getting the fruit ready for her to enjoy with her meals or as a snack.

Another fun tip for many citrus fruits is that they make great accompaniments to water. Encourage your senior to stay hydrated by having her in-home care provider add sliced lemons, limes, or oranges to a pitcher of water in the morning to have as a refreshing drink throughout the day.

Promoting Social Engagement and Community Involvement for Isolated Seniors

Companion Care at Home in Los Gatos CA
Front view of group of senior people playing cards around table in living room at home

Promoting Social Engagement and Community Involvement for Isolated Seniors

As seniors age, it becomes even more important for them to have the community involvement and social engagement that they need. These interactions help to reduce loneliness and isolation that become real problems for aging adults. Isolation can lead to much bigger issues, even culminating in physical health issues. Companion care at home can help to promote both social engagement and community involvement for seniors.

Social Engagement and How it Helps Seniors

But why is social engagement so crucial for seniors? Social engagement is a massive part of mental and emotional well-being. Staying socially engaged means that seniors have emotional support when they need it and they are less likely to feel lonely and isolated. They also experience better moods overall. This all helps cognitive health, by keeping the brain stimulated, and also helps seniors to prioritize things like physical activity, which boosts overall health.

Companion Care at Home and Socialization

Companion caregivers are like friends who come over and visit with aging adults. They might engage in activities with seniors, spend time talking, or try out different things seniors want to do. Just having someone there to talk to is a huge boost for aging adults, but companion caregivers can also offer help with things like transportation to other social events.

Finding Engaging Activities

Engaging activities are ones that seniors find interesting and that help them to have a positive experience. These could be activities as simple as reading, having a conversation, or playing games. But they could also be more complicated activities like creating a garden together, learning a new skill, or trying out crafting activities.

Staying Involved in the Community

Companion care at home can also help seniors to stay involved in their communities. By offering help with transportation needs, companion caregivers can help seniors to get to community events, medical appointments, or other types of gatherings. They can also make it easier for aging adults to do things like volunteer in the community, spreading their wisdom and experience to other people around them.

Improving Communication with Others

Staying in touch can be tough to do, which is a common reason that seniors start to feel isolated and lonely. Technology isn’t always intuitive to understand, and that can make seniors feel left out. Companion caregivers can help seniors to do things like make a video call or send text messages to friends and family members. This helps seniors to find new ways to connect with the people they love.

Creating a Positive Environment for Socializing

When seniors are feeling isolated and alone, it’s tough for them to feel positive. That tends to have a domino effect elsewhere in their lives and they may find it difficult to keep up with things they want to do, including keeping their homes tidy. Creating a safe and positive environment might involve tidying up together and helping seniors feel happy at home again.

Companion care at home offers a variety of ways for seniors to experience socialization even if that’s been difficult for them to do recently. Even a few hours a week with companion caregivers can make a tremendous difference for aging adults.

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HIRING COMPANION CARE AT HOME IN LOS GATOS, CA, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT HOME HELPERS TODAY. (408) 317-4969

How Does Home Care Allow Seniors to Age in Place?

Home Care in Los Altos CA

When seniors decide to age in place, that can have big ramifications for them in the future. Choosing to age in place means that seniors need a plan for dealing with the changes that they know will happen as well as the ones they’re not prepared for just yet. Home care services can play a crucial role in making sure seniors have the support they need to age in place as safely as possible.

Care in a Familiar Setting

The main reason most seniors want to age in place at all is because they want to stay in a familiar setting. Their home may be where they have lived for decades and considering a move of any kind can cause serious anxiety. With the help of elder care providers, seniors can stay at home and still have the assistance they need with daily tasks.

Maintaining Independence

Another big reason seniors opt to age in place is because they want to hold onto their independence as much as they can. Home care providers can be a huge support for maintaining independence. Seniors can get help with mobility needs, activities of daily living, and whatever else is becoming challenging. They can also still take care of tasks on their own when they’re able to safely do so.

Social and Emotional Wellness

Home care providers genuinely care about the seniors they’re caring for on a daily basis. They become friends with the seniors they spend time with and they want them to do well. The relationships that seniors and elder care providers build with each other reduce loneliness, keep seniors engaged in the world around them, and help seniors to feel more secure. They’re also better able to remain connected with their communities because they have the confidence to reach out.

Health and Physical Wellness

Staying healthy is something that seniors want to do, too. Eating right, staying physically active, and doing the things they need to do to stay healthy are easier for seniors to do when they have some help. Home care providers don’t offer healthcare services, but they can stay alert for signs that seniors may be experiencing health changes. They can encourage seniors to get help more quickly than they might have done on their own.

Peace of Mind

Seniors who age in place want to stay as independent as they can, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t family members and friends who care about them and who want them to be as safe as possible. When seniors have help from home care providers, that offers a lot of peace of mind to family and friends who might worry. Seniors receive compassionate care from elder care providers who want them to do well while they age in place. Family caregivers and other family members can rest easy knowing that seniors are getting proper care.

Home care services help to make it possible for seniors to age in place. As seniors need more help, the type of care that they receive can change and adapt to help them stay right where they are.

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HIRING HOME CARE IN LOS ALTOS, CA, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT HOME HELPERS TODAY. (408) 317-4969

How Does Home Care Allow Seniors to Age in Place?

Home Care in Los Altos CA

When seniors decide to age in place, that can have big ramifications for them in the future. Choosing to age in place means that seniors need a plan for dealing with the changes that they know will happen as well as the ones they’re not prepared for just yet. Home care services can play a crucial role in making sure seniors have the support they need to age in place as safely as possible.

Care in a Familiar Setting

The main reason most seniors want to age in place at all is because they want to stay in a familiar setting. Their home may be where they have lived for decades and considering a move of any kind can cause serious anxiety. With the help of elder care providers, seniors can stay at home and still have the assistance they need with daily tasks.

Maintaining Independence

Another big reason seniors opt to age in place is because they want to hold onto their independence as much as they can. Home care providers can be a huge support for maintaining independence. Seniors can get help with mobility needs, activities of daily living, and whatever else is becoming challenging. They can also still take care of tasks on their own when they’re able to safely do so.

Social and Emotional Wellness

Home care providers genuinely care about the seniors they’re caring for on a daily basis. They become friends with the seniors they spend time with and they want them to do well. The relationships that seniors and elder care providers build with each other reduce loneliness, keep seniors engaged in the world around them, and help seniors to feel more secure. They’re also better able to remain connected with their communities because they have the confidence to reach out.

Health and Physical Wellness

Staying healthy is something that seniors want to do, too. Eating right, staying physically active, and doing the things they need to do to stay healthy are easier for seniors to do when they have some help. Home care providers don’t offer healthcare services, but they can stay alert for signs that seniors may be experiencing health changes. They can encourage seniors to get help more quickly than they might have done on their own.

Peace of Mind

Seniors who age in place want to stay as independent as they can, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t family members and friends who care about them and who want them to be as safe as possible. When seniors have help from home care providers, that offers a lot of peace of mind to family and friends who might worry. Seniors receive compassionate care from elder care providers who want them to do well while they age in place. Family caregivers and other family members can rest easy knowing that seniors are getting proper care.

Home care services help to make it possible for seniors to age in place. As seniors need more help, the type of care that they receive can change and adapt to help them stay right where they are.

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HIRING HOME CARE IN LOS ALTOS, CA, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT HOME HELPERS TODAY. (408) 317-4969

What Can Families Do to Help Seniors Avoid a Fall?

Senior Home Care in Palo Alto CA
Wire Cord Trip Over And Fall. Feet Stumble On Cable

Falls are one of the leading causes of injury for seniors. With that in mind, it’s crucial for family caregivers to do as much as possible to help seniors avoid a fall if it’s at all possible. The good news is that experienced senior home care providers can offer a lot of assistance in meeting this goal.

What Could Contribute to a Fall?

Before putting together any plan for preventing falls, it’s vital for family caregivers to understand what contributes to a fall and why their aging adult might experience one. Age-related changes, like decreased muscle strength, vision changes, and problems with balance, are a big contributing factor for seniors. Health issues, as well as medications to treat those health issues, are another big factor. Environmental factors, like bad lighting and too many tripping hazards, can also play a role. Families have to pay close attention to the individual factors that are likely to affect their aging adults.

Taking a Deeper Look

But how can families take that deeper look that they need in order to fully assess fall risks for their seniors? The best way to start is always with healthcare providers. The senior’s medical providers can give seniors and family caregivers a thorough accounting of the health factors that families need to be aware of first. Home care providers can also offer valuable advice. They’ve got a lot of experience helping aging adults and their families, so they can share insights based on what they’ve seen happen in the past.

Making Physical Changes

Home modifications are an easy way to improve safety for seniors at home. Adjusting flooring and carpets to remove tripping hazards, installing grab bars for safety, and swapping out doorknobs for easy-open levers are just a few of the changes seniors might need. Identifying other fall risk factors can help seniors and family caregivers make decisions about other changes that need to happen around the house.

Therapeutic Recommendations

Improving issues like balance problems, loss of flexibility, and decreased strength is something else that seniors may need to focus on. That’s a lot easier to do with help from physical therapists and from simply moving more. Any type of exercise program needs to be medically cleared first, and then built into the daily routine.

Awareness and Hands-on Help

There’s a lot to keep up with and to learn when it comes to fall prevention. Senior home care providers offer hands-on help to seniors throughout the day, but they also can help family caregivers access resources they need to learn more. As family caregivers become more experienced in helping seniors stay as safe as possible, they’re better prepared to handle whatever comes their way.

There is never just one solution for fall prevention when it comes to helping seniors to be as safe as possible. Senior home care services can do a lot to make it easier for families to find what they need, however, and their experience is invaluable for families who want to be as proactive as possible.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring senior home care in Palo Alto, CA, please contact the caring staff at Home Helpers today (408) 259-5930.

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