After the Holidays: What to Do If You’re Worried About a Parent's Wellbeing
Supplements Your Elderly Parent May Need
Older adults sometimes don’t get all the nutrition they need from the food they eat. When that happens, it may be helpful for them to take supplements. However, it can be difficult to know which supplements they need. The best way to find out is to talk to their doctor, but it can be helpful to go into the conversation with some information about supplements older adults often need. What Are Supplements? Dietary supplements are substances, like vitamins and minerals, that a person needs to add nutrients to their diet, or to reduce the risk of developing a health problem. They come in many different forms, including: Pills. Capsules. Tablets. Powders. Extracts. Liquids. Supplements do not require prescriptions, but you should talk to the senior’s doctor before they take anything new. Some medications can interact with supplements. Make sure the doctor has an updated list of all the medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, so they can make an accurate determination of whether a supplement is alright for the older adult to take. Which Supplements Should Seniors Take? Although eating a variety of healthy foods, including lots of fruits and vegetables, is the best way for your aging relative to get all the nutrients they need, sometimes supplements are necessary. Some common supplements that older adults need are: Calcium: As people age, they start to lose more calcium than they take in. This is especially true for women. A lack of calcium contributes to bones becoming thinner and weaker, which makes them break more easily. Some foods that contain calcium are milk, yogurt, and cheese. Vitamin D: Vitamin D is necessary for the body to absorb calcium. Older adults can get vitamin D by sitting in the sunlight for 15 to 30 minutes per week. Vitamin D is also found in fortified foods, like cereals, milk, and juice. Vitamin B12: Being deficient in vitamin B12 has been associated with an increased risk of dementia. Age-related changes make it harder for the body to absorb B12 from food after the age of 50. Because of this, older adults often need to take B12 as a supplement. Protein: At around age 70, older adults lose much of their ability to increase muscle mass. The need for protein increases for seniors as they age, but they may have a harder time getting it through their diet because of appetite loss or other issues. The doctor may recommend using a protein supplement, such as a powder that is added to foods or beverages or commercially available protein drinks. Senior care can help your older family member to get enough nutrients to keep them healthier. Senior care providers can plan and prepare balanced meals comprised of a variety of foods. If the older adult is taking supplements, a senior care provider can remind them when it is time for them to take supplements and other medications. If you or an aging loved-one are considering Senior Care in Springdale, SC, please talk to our caring staff. Call today (803) 223-6173. Sources https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/ss/slideshow-aging-vitamins-older-people https://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/info-2015/must-have-supplements.html https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/dietary-supplements
Solutions for Living at Home Recognized as Best of Home Care – Leader in Experience for Third Consecutive Year
Solutions for Living at Home announced today that it received the distinguished 2025 Best of Home Care –Leader in Experience, Provider of Choice, Employer of Choice Awards from Activated Insights, the leading firm in experience management for home care businesses and endorsed by the Home Care Association of America. The Leader in Experience Award is the highest recognition awarded by Activated Insights and is given to select home care businesses that consistently rank among the very highest in ten or more quality metrics. As a Leader in Experience, Solutions for Living at Home is now recognized among the top 10% of home care providers participating in the nationwide Activated Insights Experience Management Program and is one of only seven home care providers in South Carolina to receive this distinguished recognition. This three-time accomplishment demonstrates Solutions’ long-term dedication to excellent care and quality improvement. Esther H. Ilderton, Director of Solutions for Living at Home, says, “To be recognized for the third consecutive year as the Leader in Experience is truly an honor and I am extremely proud of our team. They are passionate about enriching the lives of our clients.” Over a 12-month period, Solutions for Living at Home consistently received high client and caregiver satisfaction ratings in un-biased benchmarked areas such as caregiver training, compassion of caregivers, communication, scheduling, client/caregiver compatibility, and more. With this recognition from a national leader in home care excellence, the increasing number of families seeking in-home care can be confident they are choosing a trusted and highly regarded provider. “It means so much to be awarded [these awards] because it shows the community recognized our commitment to those who need in-home care services. Our caregivers, scheduling team and administration work diligently to ensure we always provide each client with the best in-home care services throughout the Midlands,” says Ilderton. Solutions works closely with Activated Insights to ensure they are continuously improving and providing top-rated care to their clients. “When we see agencies like Solutions that have so effectively provided outstanding care and employment experiences, we know we’re on the right track,” says Bud Meadows, Chief Executive Officer of Activated Insights. As South Carolina prepares to meet the needs of a growing number of older adults who wish to age in place, home care agencies like Solutions for Living at Home – committed to providing the highest quality in-home care – will play a crucial role in ensuring seniors’ needs and desires are met within their communities. To find out more about Solutions for Living at Home and their commitment to excellence in client experience, please visit solutionsforlivingathome.org or call (803) 223-6173.
Three Tips for Visitors Who Have a Tough Time Leaving
Without dementia, your senior might have walked guests to the door to wave them on their way when it was time for them to go. Once dementia starts to take hold, however, that can change how your senior responds when it’s time for visitors to go. She might work herself into a terrible emotional state. Some of these ideas can make those departures a little less of a trial for her. Distract Your Senior from What’s Happening Distraction is a technique that works for people with dementia. Sometimes caregivers and family members feel awkward or guilty using distraction to help people to leave, but it can really be helpful. Introducing activities that your senior enjoys or even just taking her to another room while visitors slip out might be the easiest way to get things done. When your elderly family member comes back into the room, she may not notice for a while that her visitor has left. This can be far less traumatic for your senior than watching someone leave after a visit. Switch Some Activities Around a Bit Sometimes it’s a good idea to rearrange your senior’s schedule a little bit. While people with dementia do thrive on routines and schedules, it doesn’t hurt to occasionally move something up or down a little bit in the timeline. Perhaps when your elderly family member’s visitor is ready to leave, she has lunch right then instead of waiting a little while. This is especially helpful if your elderly family member has been entertaining her visitor in the living room and usually eats in the kitchen or dining room. Relocating her for the next activity can help her to draw a line between those experiences, allowing the visitor to leave with a little less fanfare. Try a Variety of Techniques Every technique might not necessarily work every time. You may find that you need to try out a variety of different techniques here and there to find the right combination for your senior’s needs. It might help to work with elderly care providers with this sort of issue. They’ve got experience in helping adults with dementia get past their upset at having family members leaving to go elsewhere. Their tips can help you to find a solution that makes this an easier situation for your elderly family member. It’s always tough to see your elderly family member in an unhappy emotional state. Unfortunately, visitors can’t stay for undetermined amounts of time. If leaving is difficult for some of your senior’s visitors, try some of these ideas to see if they give her and you a little more peace. Excerpt: Some of your senior’s visitors might find that with dementia, it’s a little more difficult to take their leave. These tips can help. If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elderly Care in Gilbert, SC, please talk to our caring staff. Call today (803) 223-6173.
Use These Tips to Help a New Caregiver Succeed
Caregivers help seniors age at home, but some seniors are reluctant to truly rely on a caregiver. Make sure your mom or dad's new caregiver succeeds. Use these tips to form a strong partnership in your parents' elderly care needs. Be There Without Being in the Way A caregiver may find it easier if you are available for the first few days. That doesn't mean you should be hanging over the caregiver's shoulder. If you can work from home, set up a work area in a den or quiet room and get to work. If the caregiver has questions, he or she can come to you. If your parent is being particularly difficult, you can sit back and observe quietly. See how the caregiver responds. You don't have to mediate arguments, but you can help if your parent is being particularly cruel or stubborn. Find Similar Interests Find interests that the caregiver shares with your parents. If the caregiver enjoys gardening and your mom loves to garden, bring that up. They could spend time working in a garden while they get to know each other. Prepare Your Mom or Dad in Advance Talk to your mom or dad before the caregiver is due to arrive. Go over what the caregiver is there for and why it's important to you. They may be nervous or uncertain they need help, so you can emphasize the caregiver is there for your peace of mind. If you've involved your parent in the hiring process, this may go smoothly. If they feel involved in the decision making, it's better than if they feel that you're springing something on them. Give a Home Tour and Make Introductions Introduce the caregiver to your parent. Give the caregiver a full tour of the home and show the caregiver how to run the dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, vacuum, and other appliances. Show the caregiver where dishes and items like trash bags and toilet paper are stored. Go over any rooms or items that your parent prefers the caregiver not enter or touch. Watch Your Body Language Even if you have a disagreement with something the caregiver does, do not make it apparent in front of your parent. Your mom or dad may pick up on your unease or annoyance and take it out on the caregiver. Remember that the caregiver is trained to do things a certain way. That doesn't mean it's the wrong way. If the task gets completed, how it is done is less important than the fact that it's done. If you or an aging loved-one are considering a Caregiver in Chapin, SC, please talk to our caring staff. Call today (803) 223-6173.
What Can You Do When Other Family Members Just Don’t Understand?
What Can You Do When Other Family Members Just Don’t Understand? Other family members may stop in and visit your senior, which is a wonderful thing. What isn’t so wonderful can be how they might say one small thing that undoes all of the hard work that you’ve done to convince your senior to accept help or any number of other things. They do this because they don’t understand. Practice Patience More often than you think, other family members are going to do or say something that is contrary to what you and your senior have worked out as part of her care plan. Usually they don’t mean anything by this. These comments are usually some sort of toss away remark that has more weight than expected because of your senior’s situation. Practicing patience is important when this is going on. Educate Them, if Possible The first step in making some progress with this issue is to educate your family members, if that’s at all possible. If they don’t understand the weight of their statements, having more information can sometimes be helpful. Education can be the first step in helping these other family members to have a better understanding of what your senior is dealing with on a daily basis. Don’t Sugarcoat Things It might be tempting to dress things up a little bit or to sugarcoat them. This happens because hard truths are hard to share. The problem is that often that means you’re leaving out vital information that your other family members need in order to really support you and your aging family member. So it’s best to go with unvarnished truth, but not in an unkind way. Keep Doing What You Need to Do The ultimate goal for you is that you keep doing what you need to do for your senior, even if other family members are trying to “help” by tossing out unsolicited advice. Hiring senior care providers can help you to have the space and the assistance that you need to ensure that your senior is getting what she needs. Other family members go home, but you and your senior are still there in that same situation. It’s not always easy to make sure that other family members are all in the loop about everything. But you can do your best and help them to understand what still doesn’t make sense to them. In the end, if they’re interfering with your senior’s care, you may need to tell them exactly that. If you or an aging loved-one are considering Senior Care in Blythewood, SC, please talk to our caring staff. Call today (803) 223-6173.
What Can You Do When Your Senior Doesn’t Want to Cooperate?
There are going to be times when your senior digs in her heels and decides not to cooperate with plans you’ve made for her health. When you’re just trying to do what’s right for her, this can feel like a slap in the face. This Behavior May Be Less Deliberate than it Seems In the moment it’s hard to process what’s going on, but the responses you’re getting from your senior might be less deliberate than they appear. She may be responding the way that she is because of situations that you don’t fully understand or even know about yet. So, give this some time to really investigate what’s happening. Arguing Is Going to Make it All Worse If your senior is resisting and you’re opting to argue with her, don’t be surprised if that escalates things markedly. You can present a perfect argument for your cause, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to see things the same way. The more emotion you put behind your pitch, the more she’s likely to resist. Stop the arguing and find another way. Practice Patience and Compassion You’re doing this because you love your senior. Hold onto that feeling with both hands. Now is the time when she most needs your patience and your compassion. Growing older, especially if she’s in pain or experiencing serious health issues, is not easy. It’s difficult and things just keep getting more difficult. Remember that and be as compassionate as possible. Try to Remember This Isn’t Personal Believe it or not, no matter what your senior says in the heat of the moment, this isn’t about you. That’s a tough pill to swallow at times, but this is not personal. If you can keep reminding yourself that none of this is about you personally, it’s going to be easier for you to practice loving detachment. Talk to Her Doctor If you’ve tried talking to your senior and you’re still not getting anywhere, it’s probably time to talk to her doctor. Figure out what medical causes are behind what you’re experiencing so that you can put answers in place. It’s no use continuing to try to fight this situation blindly. Some stages of caregiving are more difficult than others. If this is a time in which you and your elderly family member are just not seeing eye to eye, bringing in home care providers might be the answer. They can provide the hands-on help while you step back for a bit. Excerpt: Your senior is not necessarily always going to want to go along with your plan. If you or an aging loved-one are considering Home Care in Gilbert, SC, please talk to our caring staff. Call today (803) 223-6173.
What is a Certified Care Manager? Understanding the Role and its Benefits
Caring for senior adults and others with on-going health challenges requires expertise and a thoughtful approach. This is where the distinction between a Certified Care Manager (CMC) and a Client Care Manager becomes vital. While both roles are important, a Certified Care Manager offers a deeper level of expertise, specialized training, and a broader scope of services that truly benefits the individual. A Client Care Manager coordinates services within the home care agency, ensuring the needs are being provided with the right service plan, schedule, and caregiver. A Certified Care Manager, however, is a professional with advanced certification who manages a wide range of support and care needs. Their role includes creating comprehensive plans that consider an individual’s physical, emotional, and social well-being, going beyond the basic services offered by a home care agency. Certification Requirements Becoming a Certified Care Manager involves meeting strict educational and experience requirements, followed by passing a rigorous exam. Certified Care Managers must also keep up with ongoing education, ensuring they are aligned with the best practices and ethical standards in care management. The Benefits of Certified Care Managers A Certified Care Manager provides tailored plans that address every aspect of an individual’s life, from health and personal preferences to social needs. They ensure that support services are well-coordinated, advocating for the individual in healthcare settings, and prioritizing their dignity and autonomy. An Example in Practice Take Mrs. Thompson, an 82-year-old with complex health needs. Initially supported by a home care agency, her family eventually turned to a Certified Care Manager as her condition became more complicated. The CMC created a comprehensive plan that included medical appointments, home care coordination, state resources, and long-term care insurance guidance, enabling Mrs. Thompson to live comfortably and safely at home. Announcing Solutions’ Certified Care Management Program We are excited to announce the launch of our Certified Care Management program on October 1, 2024. This new service will provide senior adults and those with those with ongoing health challenges with the highest level of personalized, comprehensive support.
What to Expect in the The Final Stages of Parkinson’s Disease
When your older family member’s doctor told them that they have Parkinson’s disease, they probably explained that the disease gets worse over time. However, as a family caregiver, you may be uncertain just what that means for their future. In fact, you might be wondering just how bad the disease will get. Knowing what to expect can assist you with making plans for their care when the disease reaches its final stages. What Are the Late Stages of Parkinson’s Like? There are five stages of Parkinson’s disease. When doctors talk about the “late stages” of Parkinson’s disease, they are usually referring to stages four and five. By the time the senior reaches stage four, they are disabled and need help to do many things. They might still be able to stand up on their own but will probably need to use a mobility aid like a walker to move around safely. Because they need help with many daily activities, the senior will not be able to live alone. In stage five, your aging relative will no longer be able to stand up or get out of bed without help. They are likely to fall when they are standing or turning. Because of the high probability of falling, the person must have constant care to keep them safe. In addition to motor symptoms, the senior may also experience delusions or hallucinations. Late Stage Care Being a caregiver during the late stages will be a big responsibility. Your aging relative will need help for nearly everything, which can be exhausti ng and time consuming. One thing you’re likely to spend a lot of time doing is lifting the senior to a standing position or helping them transfer from a wheelchair to another surface. It’s important that you learn the proper techniques to keep you safe and prevent injuring the older adult. Ask the doctor for a referral to a physical therapist who can teach you. Your aging relative will also need help using the bathroom and bathing, which can be uncomfortable for some people. It may be a good idea to talk t o your family member in the earlier stages about how they will want to handle these things when the time comes. They may be more comfortable with certain family members than with others. Or, they may prefer to have a professional assist them. Regardless o f whether the person feels comfortable with family members helping them with personal care, it’s likely you will need to bring in some outside help so that family caregivers can take a break or attend to other responsibilities. Contacting a senior care agency during early stages can ensure you’re prepared when new care needs arise. Senior care providers can come to the house for just a few hours a week or for entire days. Senior care can also offer overnight care services. If you or an aging loved-one are considering senior care in Forest Acres, SC, please talk to our caring staff. Call today (803) 223-6173.
What Goals Can Elder Care Help Your Senior Reach?
At this stage in your elderly family member’s life, she likely has a few different goals related to her health and to her future. Having your help can get her much closer to those goals. But even more than your help, the help of elder care providers can also be invaluable. Staying at Home and Remaining Independent One of the biggest goals that aging adults have is to stay in their own homes for as long as they possibly can. This might seem impossible to you, but with help, your elderly family member can much more readily do this. Home care can help to assess your senior’s needs for assistance and make it easier for you to meet those needs for as long as possible. Keeping Family Involved Your senior’s other family members may want to be more involved in her care, but they’re just not sure how to do that. They may not have all the resources that they need to be as helpful as they want to be or they may simply feel as if they’re not able to do what needs to be done. Regardless, home care enables them to feel more comfortable staying involved. Maintaining Morale If your elderly family member is forced to leave her home or to spend extended time in the hospital, that’s going to drag her morale down significantly. Healing at home is a much better option, especially if you’re primarily considering her mood. Keeping your elderly family member happy and engaged in her own life is a key part of ensuring that she remains as healthy as she possibly can. Avoiding Return Trips to the Hospital After a trip to the hospital, the last thing that your elderly family member wants is to have to go back. Having help at home can allow her to rest as she should and it gives you the opportunity to have someone knowledgeable about elder care there with her. This is especially vital if your senior wants to spend as little time in the hospital as possible. Going back soon after a visit is not something that you or she want in those circumstances. Something as simple as bringing elder care providers into your aging family member’s life can help her to meet so many of her own goals. They can keep her on target and give her ways to solve problems that she thought she would have to just live with for the time being. If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elder Care in Chapin, SC, please talk to our caring staff. Call today (803) 223-6173.
When Caregivers Compete: Keeping the Family Cohesive
If there’s anything harder than being a caregiver, it’s sharing caregiver duties with other family members, like siblings. It’s pretty rare for family members to see eye to eye on every aspect of caregiving, which can lead to conflict. They may disagree about the kind of care that is needed or struggle with finding a fair balance. If you’re struggling to keep the peace with your fellow family caregivers, below are some tips to help you work better together and prevent arguments Set Common Goals Hold a family meeting and ask that all family caregivers be present, even if they must do so by phone or video conference. The older adult should be involved as well unless they are not capable of making decisions. At the meeting, talk about what kind of care is needed. It can help to bring medical records and other health information to the meeting in case someone is in denial about the situation. Once you have reached a consensus on the care needed, move on to discussing how each caregiver can help. Those who do not live close by can help by offering emotional support, scheduling appointments, managing finances, and keeping the caregiver schedule. Take a New View of “What’s Fair” If one of the things causing conflict is the way time is divided between caregivers, you may need to reexamine what is truly fair. Not everyone has the same amount of time to spare, so simply saying that each family caregiver must spend 10 hours per week with the older adult isn’t necessarily realistic. Instead, really think about what is going on in each person’s life and consider how much time each person can realistically be expected to give. You can always divide up duties that aren’t hands-on, like taking care of finances, to make things more even. Take Responsibility for Suggestions Someone will inevitably say that something needs to change. Suggest to all family members that if they believe a care aspect needs to change, they must also present a plan for making the change. This can prevent people from complaining without offering solutions. See Discussions as Brainstorming Instead of Competition When a disagreement comes up, try to see it as an opportunity to make positive changes instead of thinking of it as a competition. You don’t have to come out of the discussion “right.” The real goal is for your aging relative to receive great care. Disagreements can lead to improvements If you or an aging loved-one are considering a caregiver in Columbia, SC, please talk to our caring staff. Call today (803) 223-6173. Sources https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/life-balance/info-2018/siblings-competing-for-control.html?intcmp=AE-HP-TTN-R2-POS3-REALPOSS-TODAY https://www.caregiver.org/caregiving-with-your-siblings https://www.nextavenue.org/caregiving-with-siblings/
Why Does My Elderly Relative Only Eat Junk Food?
One of the areas that tend to suffer when aging adults are in charge of their own meals is that the healthfulness and nutritional content seems to decline. In other words, elderly adults often turn to junk food as the main source of calories and nutrition. Because there are plenty of bad ingredients in today’s convenience food, it’s important for aging adults to have alternatives that better reflect recommended dietary standards. Family caregivers and home care providers may find that it is hard to convince the elderly adult that eating right is best for staying healthy and fighting off any chronic diseases they already have. Nutrition is Important for Seniors Good nutrition is important for aging adults and their typical body functions. Nutrition is also a key part in fighting some of the senior’s chronic conditions. Diet can even play a role in maximizing or minimizing side effects of some diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. Seniors also tend to heal more slowly from infections and injuries, so good nutrition can help hasten that, too. Plus, nutrition can help seniors stay more mentally alert for longer. There’s simply no excuse for allowing aging loved ones to binge on junk food and avoid the healthy food. Why Seniors Choose Junk Food Of course, the main reason why seniors choose junk food is the same as why every other person does—it tastes good. Sugar, salt and fat are highly desirable tastes for most people, so it makes sense that the body craves them. However, they are not good for humans, and adults should choose alternate healthy options for most meals and snacks. Other reasons why aging adults choose processed food is that it is often easier to make than something nutritious that is more from scratch. For example, making a freezer meal in the microwave is definitely easier for someone struggling with strength and stamina than preparing a healthy dish. Another reason is that aging adults often have diminished taste buds and the strong artificial flavors in processed food registers as tastier to the brain. Still other elderly adults turn to junk food as a comfort as they nurture an emotional attachment to it. Home Care Providers Can Help Seniors Choose Healthy Meals When family caregivers hire a home care provider to assist their aging loved one in daily tasks, this usually includes meal preparation. Home care providers can create delicious and nutritious meals for aging adults, full of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that they need. A balanced diet that tastes good is hard for aging adults to resist. Home care providers can also customize the menu to include the elderly adult’s favorite foods. When seniors have a home care provider taking charge of the meals, they are more likely to avoid the junk food and embrace the delicious meals prepared for them. If you or an aging loved-one are considering Home Care in West Columbia, SC, please talk to our caring staff. Call today (803) 223-6173.
