Flu Season Health Tips for Seniors

Seniors are particularly susceptible to illnesses because their immune systems often becomes weaker with age. Therefore, it’s important to look out for your parent or loved ones during flu season. This season typically lasts from November through April, in part because we spend so much time indoors, and germs remain in stagnant air.

To help prevent getting the flu:
■Make sure your loved one gets a flu vaccination: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best time to get a flu vaccination is from October through November. (Each year, a new flu shot is needed because the predominant flu viruses can change each year.) In particular, seniors (over 65) and residents of nursing homes or assisted living centers should get a flu vaccine. There even is a vaccine specifically designed for people 65 or older this year for better flu protection.
■Make sure they wash their hands often so that colds and flu aren’t passed through coughing, sneezing, and areas that have been contaminated. Liquid soap is a better product for germ control rather than bar soap or hand sanitizer.
■Limit exposure to infected people: If you have family or friends that have been ill, try to keep them away from your senior loved ones.
■Advise them to keep up with proactive self-care such as eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep (to keep their immune system healthy).
■Open windows, when weather permits (its even worth bundling up a bit), to circulate fresh air.
If your loved one has already contracted the flu, here are some additional tips we recommend:

■Limit exposing other people as much as possible, to reduce spreading the virus.
■Have lots of tissues handy for sneezing or coughing to avoid spreading germs through hands. Throw tissues away immediately, then wash hands.
■Take care of their bodies: be sure they stay hydrated and get plenty of rest.
■Be careful with medications: Read medicine labels carefully, check with their doctor before administering a new cough /cold medicine (and check again, if any conditions have changed since the last time they took them), and check side effects.
■Frequently clean surfaces such as door knobs, counters and hand rails. Avoid cloth towels where germs may reside, and instead use paper.
■Monitor symptoms: Complications can land seniors in the hospital, so make sure that symptoms do not worsen (high fever, shortness of breath, chest pain). If they do, contact their doctor.
Remember that prevention is the best method, so do your best to help protect your parent or loved one from the flu!

Home Care for Seniors: 3 Ways to Age with Grace

When you are providing home care for seniors, you may notice that your parent, spouse or loved one has become a bit down or negative. While my grandfather was generally positive (albeit sometimes a bit frustrated by his health and mobility), my grandmother went a completely different way – she completely lost her will to live. It was heart-wrenching to watch because she used to be full of life and energy. Below are 4 ways to try to help your loved one

Changing Needs in Nutrition for Dallas Seniors

As your parents age, it’s important to consider good nutrition for seniors not just as a nice-to-have, but as an important component to keeping them well. According to HelpGuide.org, following a diet that is specifically healthy for seniors keeps them mentally sharp, gives them more resistance to diseases through a better immune system, higher energy levels, and

Basic Technology for Seniors: Email, texting, and more!

I received an email from a client’s family last week giving me his new email address. At 100 years old, he decided it was time to take that step. In the meantime, one of our caregivers at a different client’s home had taken her laptop so that the client and caregiver could email the client’s daughter. After the email was

Sleep Deprivation is Dangerous: Eldercare Services Can Save Your Sanity!

Eldercare Services provide relief when your parent isn’t sleeping through the night

Did you make the mistake of giving your mom or dad a bell or buzzer? Are you being woken up throughout the night, and you feel like you’re going a little bit insane? You do know that sleep deprivation is used as

Part 1 of 10: What happens in the brain of a loved one that has Alzheimer’s?

Caregivers often ask themselves “why did that just happen?” This 10-part series details in simplistic and usable terms what is happening in their brain, and why people who have Alzheimer’s react and

The Power of Music: A Therapeutic Approach to Dementia Care

Music therapy provides relief to both the person who has dementia as well as to the dementia care provider. Clinical reports suggest that music therapy may reduce wandering and restlessness and improved mood after listening to the music. In fact, people with dementia can sing entire songs

A Unique Way To Approach Senior Adult Care

I wanted to share an amazing outlook that Joe Boorman, Executive Director at Lakeview Josey Ranch (Carrollton, TX), has when looking at senior adult care. He was inspired when, during a church service he attended, a minister outlined a way to approach our relationship with God. He described that

Christmas Gifts for Seniors

Why is it so hard to buy for seniors?  I thought we might all put our heads together and make some suggestions to ease everyone’s shopping stress.  Here are a few ideas to get us started.

Gourmet Ice Cream of the Month Club   http://www.findgift.com/gift-ideas/pid-98784/

Jigsaw Puzzle of your current address or home town  http://www.nytstore.com/Hometown-Map-Jigsaw-Puzzle_p_81.html?gclid=CIKg58_e7qUCFUeW7QodSmR8nA

Computerless Email Printer http://www.nytstore.com/Hometown-Map-Jigsaw-Puzzle_p_81.html?gclid=CIKg58_e7qUCFUeW7QodSmR8nA

Let me know what else you have in mind!

I also want to thank you all for a successful first year in blogging.  I hope that you have found the information informative and entertaining.

10 Tips to Help Seniors Enjoy the Holidays

 

I found this article by Susan O’Brien and really liked the suggestions.  Please adopt, adapt and utilize her suggestions during this Holiday Season.  Remember that patience may be the best gift you can give an aged loved one.

10 Tips to Help Seniors Enjoy the Holidays

Ensure happier holidays for seniors with special needs or health issues

By Sharon O’Brien, About.com Guide

For most of us, the holidays are a wonderful time to share the joys of family life and friendship. But for many older adults the holidays can be highly stressful, confusing, or even depressing if their mental, physical and emotional needs are not taken into account.

If you have older friends and family members with underlying health issues, you can help them enjoy the holiday season more by following these simple tips, based on advice from specialists in senior medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine:

1. Stroll down memory lane. Holidays provoke memories, which can be especially powerful in the later years of life. “Leading authorities have observed that memory and ‘life review’ are important parts of the aging process,” says Barry Lebowitz, Ph.D., deputy director of UCSD’s Stein Institute for Research on Aging. “Older people whose memories are impaired may have difficulty remembering recent events, but they are often able to share stories and observations from the past. These shared memories are important for the young as well—children enjoy hearing about how it was ‘when your parents were your age…’.” He suggests using picture albums, family videos and music, even theme songs from old radio or TV programs, to help stimulate memories and encourage older seniors to share their stories and experiences.
2. Plan ahead. If older family members tire easily or are vulnerable to over-stimulation, limit the number of activities they are involved in or the length of time they are included. The noise and confusion of a large family gathering can lead to irritability or exhaustion, so schedule time for a nap, if necessary, and consider designating a “quiet room” where an older person can take a break. “Assign someone to be the day’s companion to the older person, to make sure the individual is comfortable,” says Daniel Sewell, M.D., director of the Senior Behavior Health Unit at the UCSD Medical Center, who adds that these guidelines work well for young children as well as adults with mental, emotional and physical health issues.
3. Eliminate obstacles. If a holiday get-together is held in the home of an older person with memory impairment or behavioral problems, don’t rearrange the furniture. This could be a source of confusion and anxiety. If the gathering is in a place unfamiliar to an older person, remove slippery throw rugs and other items that could present barriers to someone with balance problems or who has difficulty walking.
4. Avoid embarrassing moments. Try to avoid making comments that could inadvertently embarrass an older friend or family member who may be experiencing short-term memory problems. If an older person forgets a recent conversation, for example, don’t make it worse by saying, “Don’t you remember?”
5. Create new memories. In addition to memories, seniors need new things to anticipate. Add something new to the holiday celebration, or volunteer for your family to help others. Enjoy activities that are free, such as taking a drive to look at holiday decorations, or window-shopping at the mall or along a festive downtown street.
6. Be inclusive. Involve everyone in holiday meal preparation, breaking down tasks to include the youngest and oldest family members. “Older adults with physical limitations can still be included in kitchen activities by asking them to do a simple, helpful task, like greasing cooking pans, peeling vegetables, folding napkins or arranging flowers,” Sewell says.
7. Reach out. Social connectedness is especially important at holiday times. “Reaching out to older relatives and friends who are alone is something all of us should do,” Lebowitz says. “Loneliness is a difficult emotion for anyone. Recent research with older people has documented that loneliness is associated with major depression and with suicidal thoughts and impulses.”
8. Beat the blues. “Holiday blues” are feelings of profound sadness that can be provoked by all the activities of the holiday season. Seasonal blues can have a particular impact in the lives of older people, according to Lebowitz. “In some people, the ‘holiday blues’ represent the exacerbation of an ongoing depressive illness,” he says. “Depression is a dangerous and life-threatening illness in older people. Tragically, suicide rates increase with age, specifically for older men. Depression is not a normal part of aging and should never be ignored or written off.”
9. Keep on the sunny side. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or winter depression is an illness that can be provoked by reductions in sunlight during the short days of winter. It is important for people confined indoors, especially those at risk for winter depression, to make time for activities that will increase exposure to daylight, according to Lebowitz.

10.  Monitor medications and alcohol. If you have senior family members, be sure to help them adhere to their regular schedule of medications during the frenzy of the holidays. Also, pay attention to their alcohol consumption during holiday parties and family gatherings. According to Sewell, alcohol can provoke inappropriate behavior or interfere with medications.

“Older family members with special needs can get lost in the shuffle and chaos of happy family gatherings,” Sewell says. “So, with all the hustle and bustle of the season, just remember to be sensitive and loving. And plan ahead.”