Home Instead Senior Care office in New Braunfel’s CAREGivers give companionship to your aging senior and elder when you cannot be there. We help them exercise, and give mental stimulation which helps thwart the effects of aging in Canyon Lake, Seguin, and San Marcos - 830-624-8380.

Q. I’m a 78-year-old woman of sound mind who still enjoys bridge, word games and other crossword puzzles, as well as many activities like dancing.  I’m concerned because dementia runs in my family.  Is there anything I can do to keep my mind sharp and alert?

It’s wonderful that you are in such good health, both mentally and physically.  And yes, according to recent research, there are many ways senior citizens can continue to stay on top of their game.  And it sounds as if you are already doing several of them.

An Ohio State University study has found that older people who exercise regularly are more likely to maintain brain function used for everyday tasks like following a recipe and keeping the pills they take straight.  The study, which examined the exercise habits of 28 people with chronic lung problems for more than a year, found that routine workouts helped stave off not only the physical effects of aging, but also the cognitive decline.

Please visit our blog tomorrow when we talk about our mentally stimulating activites that you can do with your parent or grandparent.

Seven Conditions That Can be Managed Without Drugs

By Carolyn Casey from the Home Instead Senior Care New Braunfels - 830-624-8380

Q. As a healthy 75-year-old, I’ve managed without much medication all of my life.  My children are always trying to get me to ask my doctors about the newest medications on the market.  I think less is more.  Am I being unreasonable?  

It’s important to check with your doctor first about any medications you should be on.  Never stop taking a medication or reduce your dosage without first consulting your physician.

Here’s a story that you might find interesting from the April 2008 issue of the Harvard Health Letter.  The newsletter points out that with a disciplined lifestyle, seven of the most common senior conditions can be managed without medications.  If you’re interested in learning how to continue to keep your meds to a minimum, here’s how.  If you’re thinking of incorporating any of these, please discuss first with your doctor:

Arthritis: There’s a good chance that losing weight will make arthritis less painful. Combine weight loss with exercise and you may have less pain and more mobility.

Cholesterol: Your LDL level may drop by 5 percent or so if you keep foods high in saturated fat off the menu. Additional soluble fiber may reduce LDL levels as well. So can margarines fortified with sterols.

Cognitive decline: Memory training and other “brain exercises” seem to help healthy older people stay sharp.

Depression: Studies have shown that regular physical activity can have a potent antidepressant effect.

Diabetes: Regular physical activity is a powerful brake on blood sugar levels as well, because exercised muscle becomes more receptive to the insulin that helps it pull sugar in from the bloodstream.

High blood pressure: Losing weight, getting more exercise, and eating less sodium all lower blood pressure.

Osteoporosis: Weight-bearing exercise puts stress on bones, and bone tissue reacts by getting stronger and denser, fending off osteoporotic processes. Extra vitamin D and calcium top the list of dietary recommendations.

Also, don’t discount the importance of companionship to staying healthy.  Make sure that you get out often and socialize with friends.  You can make a new friend by hiring a CAREGiver from Home Instead Senior Care.  Our Home Instead Senior Care CAREGivers are often seniors like you who could share many of your hobbies and interests.

For more information about Home Instead Senior Care New Braunfels, contact Carolyn Casey at 830-624-8380 or visit Home Instead New Braunfels.  For more information about the Harvard newsletter, log on to www.health.harvard.edu/health.

Regular Walking Helps Elderly Stay Independent - Home Instead Senior Care New Braunfels keeps Elders safe at home in Seguin and Canyon Lake - Calll us today 830-624-8380.

Older adults living in New Braunfels who participate in a walking exercise program can decrease their risk of disability and increase their likelihood of maintaining independence by 41 percent, a University of Georgia study found. Establishing a walking routine with your aging relative is an easy way to help them stay independent longer.

“In the past decade, researchers have focused on the benefits of strength training in maintaining independence, but until now we didn’t have good evidence using an objective performance measure that a walking program would improve physical functioning,” said study co-author M. Elaine Cress, Professor of Kinesiology and Researcher in the UGA Institute of Gerontology. “Our study found that walking offers tremendous health benefits that can help older adults stay independent.”

Study participants were assigned to either of two groups – a walking group that met three times a week for four months or a nutrition education control group. Researchers measured the aerobic capacity of participants using a treadmill test. While the control group saw a 9 percent decline in aerobic capacity over the four-month period, the walking group’s aerobic capacity increased by 19 percent. Physical function increased by 25 percent in the walking group, compared with a decline of 1 percent in the control group.“We know that walking is good for you, but too many people still aren’t doing it,” said Trudy Moore-Harrison, lead study author. “This study shows that just walking on a regular basis can make a huge impact on quality of life.The study appears in the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy.

Home Instead Senior Care New Braunfels keeps Elders safe at home in Seguin and Canyon Lake - Calll us today 830-624-8380.

Senior and elder home care in New Braunfels knows the importance of preventing falls in senior’s homes. Our goal is to raise awareness among adult children and other caregivers of aging seniors about ways to prevent, recognize, and respond to falls and potential cases of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Call us if your relative living in New Braunfels, Seguin, Canyon Lake, Texas needs assisted living at home 830-624-8380.

Elder Falling in Home Facts: 

• Falls are the leading cause of Traumatic Brain Injury.
• Elders age 75 and older have the highest rates of TBI related hospitalizations and death.

Family members and other caregivers of aging seniors can help them remain safe at home in order maintain independence:

• Reduce their risk for falls
• Recognize the signs of Traumatic Brain Injury after a fall occurs
• Take steps of action when you see signs of Traumatic Brain Injury are observed.
• Traumatic brain injuries that are caused by a bump or blow to the head may be missed or misdiagnosed among older adults.
• TBI often results in long-term cognitive, emotional, and/or functional impairments. 

Falls are usually associated with health and aging conditions:

• Mobility problems due to muscle weakness or poor balance
• Loss of sensation in feet
• Chronic health conditions
• Vision changes or loss
• Medication side effects
• Drug interactions
• Home and environmental hazards such as clutter or poor lighting.

Family members believe aging loved ones only break their hip when they fall but CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control shows that TBI have other serious consequence. TBI also can affect how someone thinks or functions. It can impact an aging adult’s emotional well being.

One in three older Americans (65 and older) falls, and and one in three of those falls cause injuries requiring medical treatment. Almost 16,000 older adults died from falls in ‘05, 1.8 million older adults were treated in emergency departments, and 433,000 of these patients were hospitalized.

Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths and nonfatal injuries for those 65 and over.

Did you know that one out of three Americans over the age of 65 fall each year? And 30% of them require medical attention? The medical industry reports that the injury, a bump or blow to the head, may be missed or misdiagnosed among older adults.

Traumatic brain injuries due to these falls by our older population caused nearly 8,000 deaths and 56,000 hospitalizations in 2005, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. What is so astonishing is that brain injuries accounted for half of these deaths. 

Most people think older adults may only break their hip when they fall. But our medical research shows us differently. Falls can cause traumatic brain injuries and have serious consequences, said Dr. Ileana Arias, director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

We know that falls are not an inevitable consequence of aging, but do happen more frequently among as senior age. To help prevent these injuries, the CDC developed the “Help Seniors Live Better, Longer: Prevent Brain Injury” initiative for seniors, their caregivers and healthcare providers. It features easy-to-use materials in a concise question-and-answer format to help prevent, recognize and respond to traumatic brain injuries. The materials are available at www.cdc.gov/BrainInjuryInSeniors.

There are millions of family caregivers in the U.S. providing care for an older adult. Most of them are very concerned about the older adult’s health. One way families can help their aging relatives live better lives and stay independent is by learning about traumatic brain injury, or TBI and how to prevent it.

Visit us tomorrow and Home Instead Senior Care New Braunfels will give you tips on preventing falls. Call us today to help your aging family member stay home longer at 830-624-8380.

Medication issues for elders, and the family’s concern about whether the aging loved one is taking the meds properly, is the leading reason why Assisted Living facilities are considered an option instead of aging in place. 

In the last blog we sited samples of adult children’s medication concerns. We promised to give you examples of what to say to your loved one when addressing the topic of medications.  

Instead of getting anxious and addressing your concern with fear, try pointing to a bottle and asking, “How the world do you keep all these pills straight, Mom?” would be a good conversation starter. If the response includes the reasons you suspected (see our last post dated July 19), then it sounds like things are under control. If she says, “I don’t know. I do my best. I’m not even sure what some of them are,” then the situation needs more attention.

If your mom is having a problem, talk to your mom about a pill organizer, which could help her keep the medications better organized: “Mom, there are organizers that can help you keep all your pills in one place and make it easier for you to keep them straight. Why don’t I check into it?” In addition, one service that Home Instead CAREGivers provide seniors is medication reminders to assist them in managing their daily medications.  Call us at Home Instead New Braunfels - 830-624-8380 and we’ll be happy to tell you more.

We’d like to hear your medication solutions for aging parents.  Please tell us in the comments below.

Home Instead Senior Care New Braunfels strives to match its CAREGivers with clients of similar interests. This allows them to build relationships through doing the things their clients enjoy most. And the company’s Activity Training Guide for CAREGivers helps them generate other creative ideas to keep seniors engaged and enjoying life.

Home Instead Senior Care is a healthy and safe option for seniors and elders choosing to stay at home. Our CAREGivers provide medication reminders, homemaker, transportation, and daily personal care in your home.  Please call us 830-624-8380.

Home Instead Senior Care in New Braunfels, Canyon Lake, Seguin - Assisted Living at Home.   Please call us at 830-624-8380. 

When families and seniors weigh the differences and factors of home care in the New Braunfels area versus moving their aging loved one into an Assisted Living facility - the biggest concern that drives this questioning is medication. It’s the adult children who are worried whether their parents are taking prescribed meds properly. 

If you worry about your aging parent and they live in the New Braunfels area, please contact us, Home Instead New Braunfels for extraordinary home care.  Please call us at (512) 347-9207.

Other worries we hear from families:

• Are my parents taking prescription medications at the right time of day? 
• Are they taking the medication with or without food?
• Does my loved one take the right dosage?
• Are they worried about the costs of the meds?
• If so, will they stop taking the medication due to cutting costs and budget?

Here’s a story that we heard the other day from a family member. ”When visiting my 76 year old father, I saw his medication bottles in every room of his home.. on the bathroom counter, nightstand, and even the kitchen table. How do you suppose he is keeping them organized?

What to ask?

First, we recommend using good humor and, in this situation, assume that he is keeping them organized and straight.  Take the innocent until proven guilty approach. Even though there are outstanding reasons his prescribed medications are in the kitchen - maybe he’s taking them with food, while others are on the nightstand - taking them before bed.

Visit our blog tomorrow when we give you tips!

Call us at Home Instead New Braunfels - 830-624-8380.

Home Instead Senior Care and our CAREGivers help keep your aging parents safe & healthy at home. Please call us at 830-624-8380. 

For seniors, food is an important source of energy and nutrients that help them to maintain good health. Make sure your aging senior or elder get these nutrients everyday:

• Proteins
• Carbohydrates
• Fats
• Vitamins
• Minerals 
• Water

A good diet reduces: 

• Risk of osteoporosis
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Certain cancers

You might need less energy as you age but you still need just as many of the nutrients in food. Here’s some helpful tips on staying healthy when you are a senior:

• Choose a variety of healthy foods
• Avoid empty calories, which are foods with lots of calories but few nutrients, such as chips, cookies, soda and alcohol
• Pick foods that are low in cholesterol and fat, especially saturated and trans fats
• Saturated fats are usually fats that come from animals. Look for trans fat on the labels of processed foods, margarines and shortenings.

Without good nutrition; you are susceptible to chronic diseases that develop late in life. These chronic illnesses are labeled; osteoporosis, which is influenced by poor habits early in your life. Insufficient exercise and calcium intake, especially during adolescence and early adulthood, can significantly increase the risk of osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become brittle and crack or break easily.

Good nutrition as we age lessens the effects of diseases prevalent among older people and improve the quality of life in people who have such diseases. These improvements help with diseases such as osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, gastrointestinal problems, and chronic undernutrition. And having poor nutrition prolongs an person’s recovery from illnesses, can increase the costs and incidences of institutionalization, and leads to a poorer quality of lifestyle.

Nutrition and good health can make a difference between a higher or lower quality of life and helping aging seniors maintain independence. It’s helps them maintain a healthy body, which in turn, gives them the strength and stamina to do daily activities, such as bathing, dressing and eating.

Home Instead Senior Care - delivering quality home care for seniors in New Braunfels, Canyon Lake, Seguin.  Please call us at 830-624-8380.

Home Instead Senior Care and our CAREGivers help keep your aging parents safe & healthy at home. Please call us at 830-624-8380. 

Here are tips that we give to family members, seniors, and elders… helping them stay cool during our “Texas long hot summer days”. Many of our seniors are actually at risk in the summer’s stifling heat and humidity. 

A Kent State University study of seniors over the age of 65 in four North American cities revealed that while nearly 90 percent of the respondents were aware a heat warning had been issued, only about half of the people did anything about it.  Many thought the warnings were targeting the “elderly,” and did not view themselves as part of that group.

To make sure that both you and your senior loved ones are as safe as possible this summer in the Texas heat - Here are some important tips:

• Keep a glass of water in every room for quick access
• Drink plenty of fluids, even if you don’t feel thirsty
• Dress in light-weight clothing
• Remove all heavy materials, long sleeves and dark colors from closets - store until fall
• Stay out of the sun during the hottest times of the day, in Texas can be as early as 11:30am to 5:30pm
• Sunburn makes heat dissipation more difficult
• Take a nap during high heat times – between 3 and 5 p.m. in the afternoon – or find a good television program or movie to watch
• Keep shades down and blinds pulled
• A tightly-closed house is more energy efficient

If you live in Central Texas and have additional “cooling” tips you would like to share, please post them below in the comment section. Thank you.

Home Instead Senior Care and our CAREGivers help keep your aging parents safe & healthy at home. Please call us at 830-624-8380.

Home Instead Senior Care and our CAREGivers are dedicated to keeping your aging relative safe at home. Call us for help at 830-624-8380. 

Senior Home Safety

Home Instead Senior Care New Braunfels offers services such as assistance with shopping, cooking, and household cleaning and laundry, as well as providing incidental transportation to appointments like trips to the salon or stylist.

Most seniors enjoy a clean home but as older adults, they become less steady. The following safety tips from the Home Safety Council (http://www.homesafetycouncil.org/index.aspx) and Home Instead Senior Care can help:

• Keep stairs, steps, landings and all floors clear of clutter
• Carry loads you can see over, and keep one hand free to hold banisters and railings
• Safely tuck telephone and electrical cords out of walkways
• Always use a ladder, if you need to climb - but get others to do the climbing
• Pay close attention to product label safety such as wearing gloves and masks when using harsh products
• DO NOT mix household cleaning products together, since their contents can react and cause deadly results
• Read labels carefully on all products and medications
• Separate those which say “Caution,” “Warning,” “Danger” or “Poison.”
• Always empty cleaning buckets after use, and store them upside down
• Make sure the water heater is set to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent scalding
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy, along with a fully stocked first-aid kit
• Post emergency telephone numbers near every phone in the house
• When cleaning becomes too challenging, a reputable cleaning firm might be the answer

Or, better yet, consider hiring a senior-care companion to assist around the house. Home Instead Senior Care’s CAREGivers are screened, bonded, insured and equipped to help keep seniors living independently in their homes. CAREGivers assist clients with tasks like laundry, meal preparation, medication reminders, errands and shopping-in addition to providing cleaning support.

Contact Home Instead Senior Care New Braunfels by calling 830-624-8380.