Team-Based Home Care
Home care can help senior loved ones suffering from Parkinson’s disease Offering home care for a loved one with Parkinson’s disease, in Brookline and Boston MA can be a difficult job, especially when the disease starts to progress. Caregivers who have experience caring for a loved one with Parkinson’s suggest, if you are taking care of a loved one with the disease, that you get prepared, get help, take care of yourself, encourage your loved one to stay active, and work to keep a good relationship with your loved one. When helping a loved one with Parkinson’s disease, you should focus on continually adapting their daily routines and home environment. As the disease progresses, your loved one’s capabilities and health will change, and so should their care plan. You can extend your loved one’s independence for as long as possible while also maintaining their quality of life by anticipating and accommodating these changes. Caring for a senior with Parkinson’s Having an understanding of how Parkinson’s disease can affect the body and mind of your loved one can go a long way in assisting you to improve the quality of their life and manage their symptoms. A few things to keep in mind include: Be patient Let your senior loved one be the independent and only step in when they reach out to you for help. They may need some time to complete some activities or find new ways to do them to fit their current level of abilities. As a caregiver, it’s essential to be both patient and supportive. Educate yourself Look for materials that can help you to understand Parkinson’s disease and its possible progression. An excellent place to start is with non-profits, such as the National Parkinson Foundation. You will also have access to a library full of literature for you to use if your loved one is receiving care within a center of excellence for Parkinson’s disease. Getting accurate information is very important because Parkinson’s is a complex disease; what works for one person may not be effective for your loved one. Stay active together Since Parkinson’s disease is a disorder that affects movement, it’s essential to keep your loved one’s body active. You can help them achieve this by building flexibility, strength, and coordination through different exercises. To help motivate them, you can offer to do these activities with them. Home care assistance and resources in Brookline and Boston MA Providing home care involves taking care of more than one person. Your loved one is a priority, but it’s also important to take care of yourself. You can avoid burnout by taking the time to recharge whenever necessary. Do not be afraid to ask for help once in a while. There are sure to be new challenges when taking care of a loved one with Parkinson’s. You are not alone, and self-care will always benefit both you and your loved one. TeamCarer provides team and technology-based care for in-home seniors who need daily living assistance such as bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene, medication reminders, and other care needs. We are a local home health aid services company, with service areas in Boston, Brookline, Newton, Needham, Wellesley, Dedham, Westwood, Norwood, Medfield, Walpole, Canton, and Sharon. Contact us today to get started.
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Home care agency discusses the misconceptions of in-home care for seniors A home care agency, in Brookline and Boston MA, may not be completely understood. Many don’t understand what a home care agency does and may have some misconceptions. Thanks to these false beliefs, many households fail to take proper care of their loved ones. There are many families who are apprehensive about bringing on a caregiver, and for them, these care providers are just strangers who will be looking after their loved ones in their homes. There are many myths about at-home care that prevent a lot of families from trusting an at-home caregiver to take care of their parents or grandparents. Little do these families know that a professional in-home caregiver can help their loved ones with their health care. Whether it’s for the short or long-term, it’s time to end these misconceptions. To address any of your concerns, it is always best to talk to a home care agency, and this way, the agency can listen to your needs. Here are the most common misconceptions that many people have about in-home care and what you can expect for your loved one. Home care is only for those who are severely ill Seniors who have a terminal illness can significantly benefit from in-home care, but these services aren’t just for them. As a matter of fact, there are both non-medical and medical care services available that can help all seniors. The non-medical care services assist with daily living activities and help with meal preparation every day. Depending on the requirements of your loved one, you can hire a caregiver to help on a part-time or full-time basis. They also ensure that seniors are not feeling lonely by providing a form of companionship. There are also care services to help seniors recover from surgery or an injury regardless of age. It doesn’t provide the same level of care as an institution An institution has benefits such as meal services and around-the-clock supervision. However, that doesn’t mean in-home caregivers don’t provide the same quality service. A caregiver can offer more personalized care, and your loved one can stay in the same environment that they have lived in. Seniors with a family member providing care don’t need in-home care A family member who is providing care to a loved one will often not have a beak. They usually are on-call all day and night in case their loved one needs them if something should happen. You may feel emotionally drained if you have been the sole caregiver to your loved one. Having an in-home caregiver provide the needed care to help take some of the responsibility off your shoulders to prevent you from feeling burnt out. A home care agency in Brookline and Boston MA for your senior By asking a home care agency about their process in screening their new applicants, including if they’re conducting a background check, you will eliminate the chances of abuse happening to your loved one. Ask about the training that the caregiver has and any certifications they have received when interviewing. Typically, the agency’s supervisor will oversee the work of the caregiver. TeamCarer provides team and technology-based care for in-home seniors who need daily living assistance such as bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene, medication reminders, and other care needs. We are a local home health aid services company, with service areas in Boston, Brookline, Newton, Needham, Wellesley, Dedham, Westwood, Norwood, Medfield, Walpole, Canton, and Sharon. Contact us today to get started. Senior caregivers in Brookline and Boston MA: How to prevent isolation among the elderly?10/24/2021 What senior caregivers can do to prevent isolation Senior caregivers in Brookline and Boston MA never want their loved ones to feel isolated or lonely. Unfortunately for many seniors, this is a feeling that they know very well. As people age, they lose touch with friends, their children move away, and sometimes they can even be experiencing difficulty leaving their homes to socialize. All of these scenarios will contribute to the feeling of loneliness and isolation in seniors. Seniors are considered isolated if they never go out of the house, live alone, never visit anyone, have no close relatives, have no phone, no contact with neighbors, or are alone for more than 9 hours per day. They can be considered to be lonely if they do not see enough of their relatives or friends, wish for more friends, have no real friends living nearby, no confidence, no one to ask for a favor, do not meet enough people, or have spent the holidays lonely and alone. A lot of seniors will meet most, if not all, of the scenarios. Social isolation can also lead to additional health issues. The risk of Alzheimer’s disease can increase: Cognitive decline can be a risk factor that is caused by loneliness. This can be because an isolated senior will have less stimulation, or their symptoms are unlikely to be reported before the Alzheimer’s disease progresses. The dangers of loneliness and isolation: Many experts consider loneliness to be as dangerous as obesity or smoking. Isolation amongst seniors can encourage an unhealthy lifestyle, complicate existing conditions, and affect cognition. Isolation can increase unhealthy habits: Bad habits can often result from social isolation. Seniors who are lonely are more susceptible to start drinking excessively, smoke and neglect the need for any physical activity. Higher instances of elder abuse: An isolated senior can be more likely to fall victim to financial abuse and scammers. Neglect is also likely to go unnoticed. Seniors are unlikely to report any physical abuse without a trusted family member. They may also feel that they have to protect their abuser if they do not have another caregiver. What can family members do to prevent or reduce the impact of isolation? Family members can do their part to help conquer their senior family member’s isolation by being closer to them and paying attention to any signs that may be indicating their loved one’s well-being may be deteriorating. If a senior family member seems to be isolating themselves or appears to be suffering from loneliness, here are some tips to help them:
Top senior caregivers in Brookline and Boston MA Senior caregivers can also become vulnerable to loneliness and isolation. A caregiver may feel they are unable to set aside their duties as a caregiver to engage in previous social relationships; this can be the starting point of a downward spiral of depression and isolation. Our staff at TeamCarer can help prevent and reduce the impact of isolation. We provide team and technology-based care for in-home seniors who need daily living assistance such as bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene, medication reminders, and other care needs. We are a local home health aid services company, with service areas in Boston, Brookline, Newton, Needham, Wellesley, Dedham, Westwood, Norwood, Medfield, Walpole, Canton, and Sharon. Contact us today to get started. Elderly care providers offer tips to care for a senior loved one with diabetes Elderly care providers, in Brookline and Boston MA, are trained to care for seniors in their own homes and allow them to live a safe and comfortable life. If you are the primary caregiver for an older spouse, parent, or relative, there’s a chance that you are helping to manage their diabetes. With one in four seniors living with this health condition, it can sometimes feel like a silent disease. The symptoms do not always noticeably present themselves until something doesn’t feel right anymore. Unfortunately, diabetes that is not under control can result in heart attacks, stroke, kidney failure, nerve damage, hearing impairment, skin infections, blindness, and more. Even with all of the complications that can arise, it is relieving to know that diabetes can be managed. With some lifestyle changes, your loved one can keep their blood sugar down to a safe level. These changes can include increased exercise, improved diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and quitting smoking. A doctor can also prescribe medications in the form of injections, pills, or an insulin pump. Regular visits to the doctor and regular monitoring of blood sugar must be done when living with diabetes. It can feel like it is a full-time job when taking care of your loved one with diabetes, so here are some tips to help alleviate any stress and help you manage your senior’s diabetes. Learn as much as possible Education is the best place to start during your journey as a caregiver to your loved one. Learning as much as possible about their disease, its treatment, and management will give you the tools and knowledge to face it together successfully. You can find a lot of information from authority sites online to give you more details about diabetes. You can even look into diabetes education classes at local hospitals and health clinics that you and your loved one can go to together. Help them stay physically active Your loved one’s glucose levels can be managed through physical activity, and their healthcare team might suggest specific activities and exercise based on their ability and level of comfort. Swimming, walking, or biking are a few forms of light aerobic exercises that can help manage your loved one’s glucose levels. A good rule of thumb is to be physically active for at least five days per week for 30 minutes. Learn good food choices Food is a great way to prevent big drops and jumps in your loved one’s blood sugar levels. This doesn’t mean only diabetic foods and no sugar, and eating smart can mean spreading small meals and snacks throughout the day and eating a mix of fat, carbs, and protein. Elderly care providers in Brookline and Boston MA can help Elderly care providers can be the best choice for your loved ones if they are living with complex health challenges. In-home care can be arranged if your loved one would prefer to remain in their home, a trained caregiver can be a tremendous form of support. TeamCarer provides team and technology-based care for in-home seniors who need daily living assistance such as bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene, medication reminders, and other care needs. We are a local company, with service areas in Boston, Brookline, Newton, Needham, Wellesley, Dedham, Westwood, Norwood, Medfield, Walpole, Canton, and Sharon. Contact us today to get started. Home care assistance in Brookline MA provides tips on how to help a loved one after a fall9/23/2021 Top home care assistance discusses what to do after your loved one falls Home care assistance providers in Brookline and Boston MA area understand that it can be terrifying when a loved one falls for the first time. Everything in their life can feel shaken even if your loved one is lucky enough to get through the incident without any serious injuries. You may even get a better understanding of how real their physical decline has become. Your loved ones may feel as if they can no longer trust their own bodies or the ground that is beneath them. Simple things such as moving around the house will start to be a constant worry. The threat of a fall can be an overwhelming and unavoidable feeling since 55% of falls can happen inside of a home. Also, a fall can be a big indicator of another fall in the future since your loved one can be twice as likely to fall again after falling the first time. The prevention of falls for your loved one can often be a major point of focus, however, the reality is that they can and do fall. For this reason, it will be important for caregivers to understand how to respond in the event that a loved one falls. Stay calm and supportive When your loved one falls, it can be a worrisome, stressful, and scary situation, however, it is important to stay strong for them. You do not have to go through this alone if the daily care of your loved one is causing you emotional and physical strain. A home care assistance provider will be trained to support you and your loved one. Love and support are the most important thing that you can give to them during their recovery. When to call 911 If your loved one takes blood thinners, then even a minor injury could be serious, and it’s important to call 911 or take them to the doctor. Call 911 if your heart rate or breathing becomes fast, or if you have trouble breathing, or feel sleepy, fait or dizzy. Have a doctor perform an assessment for any underlying illness A doctor will almost always perform an assessment if a senior has been showing signs of delirium, weakness, or other signs of illness. This is also the time to bring up any symptoms that you have been noticing and inform the doctor of how quickly these changes happened. A fall can happen due to weakness from just about any new health problem, some common ones include dehydration, UTIs, pneumonia, anemia, and heart problems such as atrial fibrillation. Remove other possible fall hazards As we have mentioned, your loved one can be at a higher risk of falling again after their first fall. For this reason, you should take the necessary action to prevent another fall. You may want to consider adding safety features such as non-slip mats and safety rails in the kitchen and bathroom of your loved one’s home to make it less likely for them to fall on a slippery floor. Ramps can also be installed over the stairs that are making it hard for them to climb. Home care assistance in Boston MA: enlist a caregiver Home care assistance professionals can bring an experienced point of view to your loved one’s home to help eliminate any falling hazards as well as help be sure that they are taking any prescribed medications, exercising, etc. Suggestions from a professional can be more receptive to your loved one rather than from family and friends, due to it being seen as expert advice instead of criticism. Also, regular visits from an experienced caregiver can work as a reminder for activity as well as provide a home safety assessment, and in the worst-case scenario, this will give you another set of eyes to check in on your loved one. TeamCarer provides team and technology-based care for in-home seniors who need daily living assistance such as bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene, medication reminders, and other care needs. We are a local company, with service areas in Boston Metro, Metro West, Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, and Needham. Contact us today to get started. Home care agency: how staying social can benefit seniors Home care agency in Brookline and Boston MA: home care professionals are well aware of the benefits to your body from physical activities. Exercise can improve your balance and get your heart rate up, as well as increase your overall mobility and strength. But, did you know that as you age, engaging with others will be just as important as exercise for your overall health? Due to family and friends moving away, it can be challenging for seniors to connect as well as limited mobility. This can lead to loneliness and isolation, this can have detrimental effects on mental, physical, and emotional health. To put it another way, a key to healthy aging is social wellness. Why is this important? Connecting with others and creating social relationships is a huge part of what shapes you throughout your lifetime. No matter whether you are an extrovert or an introvert, having a life that involves social activity with family and friends can boost the quality of life for you and your loved one. Benefits of socializing Many seniors who live a fulfilling social life are more prone to avoid many of the cognitive, physical, and emotional challenges that seniors face who stay isolated. There are many important benefits that socialization has to improve the health of your loved one, including: Better emotional health: Being social can help to keep you in a positive mood, much like physical exercise. This will help to keep anxiety and depression at bay and reduce stress. Better cognitive function: Your brain will stay engaged during social activities; this is important to help prevent the onset of dementia. Your brain can keep active and reduce the feeling of isolation by connecting with people and being social. Improve physical health: Physical activity tends to be a side effect for most seniors who are socially active. Also, when eating with others, they will start to make better choices with food and eat more. Boost your immune system: It has been shown that seniors who stay engaged with other people have a higher level of functioning with their immune systems. The immune system can be weakened by chronic depression and stress. As you have already read, anxiety and depression can be minimized through socialization. Home care agency in Brookline and Boston MA A home care agency can help your loved one reduce the risk of loneliness by making social interactions easier. Some of the hard truths about aging are that staying social can become more difficult for many reasons, including friends passing away, spending many years being stuck in your own ways and habits, and becoming less inclined to meet new people. But, having help to make social interactions easier and finding new things to do can be the difference between a healthy life and living in loneliness. TeamCarer provides team and technology-based care for in-home seniors who need daily living assistance such as bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene, medication reminders, and other care needs. We are a local company, with service areas in Boston Metro, Metro West, Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, and Needham. Contact us today to get started. Senior caregivers can help your loved one exercise to help prevent falls Senior caregivers in Brookline and the Boston MA area have seen it all before- seniors trying to live a full life in their home who experience a fall that results in a serious injury. As we age, falls can become more likely to happen due to changes in our bodies and health conditions. Also, sometimes the medications prescribed to treat these conditions can be a factor. Falls are a leading cause of injuries for senior adults, but the fear of falling does not need to be in charge of your loved one’s daily life. There are things that you can do to prevent falls at home, including exercise. But, how does exercise help? Fall risks The risks of a senior falling in their home is typically related to a combination of factors such as:
How does exercise help to prevent a fall? As an older adult, you or your loved one may be at risk of tripping or falling. This can cause broken bones or other serious injuries. Exercises can help to prevent falls from happening because they can:
To prevent falls, physical activity can go a long way. You may want to consider activities such as water workouts, walking, or a gentle exercise that involves slow, graceful movements such as Tai Chi. Exercises for flexibility and balance As we have mentioned, exercise strengthens the muscles and improves balance. Before starting any exercise routine, be sure to check in with a medical professional to make sure it’s safe to do so. You may consider a mixture of the following exercises for the greatest benefit:
You can also consider other exercises such as side leg lifts, heel raises, and standing heel lifts as a way to prevent falls. Senior caregivers in Brookline and Boston MA: next steps Senior caregivers can help to recommend simple exercises to help build your balance and strength. Just make sure that you clear these new activities with a medical professional and avoid straining yourself when you get started. TeamCarer provides team and technology-based care for in-home seniors who need daily living assistance such as bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene, medication reminders, and other care needs. We are a local company, with service areas in Boston Metro, Metro West, Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, and Needham. Contact us today to get started. Home health aide agency: has the time come for your loved one to have home care? Our home health aide agency understands that having an aging spouse, parent, or loved one needing extra assistance, when the time comes, to manage their daily chores and tasks after living a happy independent life in their own home can be difficult for you to see. Proper home health care can be provided by a trained, professional caregiver, this is usually non-medical support to help senior adults live a healthier, safer, and more independent life as they age in a place where they will be most comfortable, their own home. It is not always an easy decision for many families to hire home care, especially if your loved one insists that they’re managing just fine on their own. So, what signs should you look for that tells you when to insist on it? Having difficulty taking care of themselves A strong indicator that your loved one is having a difficult time with their regular self-care tasks would be noticing changes to their appearance or grooming habits. For example, if they start wearing pajamas or sweats when they have always been the type of person to dress well and neat, it can be a sign that they may be having a hard time with ironing or buttoning up their clothes. You may also notice a significant loss, or gain, in their weight, which might be a sign that they aren’t eating properly. Driving safely is becoming harder Driving will allow your loved one to stay socially and physically active, this can be a key aspect to their feeling of independence and freedom. However, many seniors eventually come to a point where driving is no longer safe. They will need transportation that is reliable for going to medical appointments, shopping, and social events. Difficulty walking As they are navigating around their home, have you noticed that your loved one is either holding on to the walls or furniture? Have they recently had a few ‘near falls’ or an actual fall to the ground? After a fall, many seniors will suffer from injuries that are moderate or severe. The injuries can put an end to their ability to live on their own. They will have a better chance to stay healthy in their home by preventing a fall in the first place. Brining in a caregiver can add a helping hand when moving, walking, and going up the stairs. Confusion Significant memory problems and/or confusion may also be a sign that your loved one is in the early stages of dementia. This can also be an indicator that there may be an underlying problem or mismanagement of their medications. Home health aide agency in Brookline and Boston MA A home health aide agency may be the next step towards helping your loved one stay healthy, safe, and happy in their home. The amount of assistance will depend on their changing, unique needs. See our home care needs assessment post here. TeamCarer provides team and technology-based care for in-home seniors who need daily living assistance such as bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene, medication reminders, and other care needs. We are a local company, with service areas in Boston Metro, Metro West, Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, and Needham. Contact us today to get started. |
AuthorTeamCarer offers technology-enabled team-based care for in-home seniors who need daily living assistance such as bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene, medication reminders, and other care needs. We are a local company with service areas in Boston Metro, Metro West, Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, and Needham, MA. Archives
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