Caring for a Loved One With COPD
Coughing. Difficulty breathing. Wheezing. If you’re caring for a loved one with COPD, you know these symptoms all too well. Your aim is to help the person live their highest possible quality of life, but it’s not easy. Though there is presently no cure available for COPD, it is treatable, and there are steps you […]
Top Tips to Help Older Adults Manage Diabetes
November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and with more than 130 million Americans diagnosed with the disease, it is likely you know someone or maybe even are included in this group. Regardless of whether you are new to caring for someone with diabetes or an experienced veteran, there’s always something new to learn to help older adults […]
Managing Allergies in Seniors
It’s finally summer! Now that the long, cold winter and wet springtime are over, we can at last get outside. For older loved ones, getting out into the beauty of nature, fresh air, and sunshine is particularly important for both mental and physical health. Regrettably, however, it can also trigger seasonal allergic reactions. And this […]
Understanding Lack of Appetite in Older Adults: Common Causes and Solutions
You’ve just made a big batch of Mom’s special chili recipe. Your house smells yummy, and you cannot wait to dig in. However, while you are savoring not merely the taste but the memories the meal invokes, Mom is simply stirring the food around in her bowl. And it is not the first time. Recently […]
Top Assistive Devices for Someone With Arthritis
For someone with arthritis, even basic, daily tasks and activities can lead to unbearable pain. It could lead to a loss of self-reliance, if the person begins to rely more heavily on others for aid. Fortunately, there are a number of assistive devices that can both alleviate pain and permit those with arthritis to do […]
The Most Common COPD Triggers and How to Manage Them Effectively
We have waited all winter for March! Finally, the days are becoming longer and we can begin to feel the promise of springtime all around us. For a person with COPD, there is extra cause to celebrate the seasonal shift. Cold, dry air is one of a number of common COPD triggers, and the arrival […]
8 Behaviors That May Indicate Alzheimer’s in a Loved One
You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you’ve begun to notice some differences in a parent’s behaviors recently. He is somewhat more forgetful than before. She keeps losing her car keys. At times he repeats himself. Could it be dementia? Currently, more than 6.5 million people age 65 and older are battling dementia, […]
Top Tips for Healthy Hearing at Any Age
Children’s laughter. A favorite tune. Birds singing. There are infinite lovely sounds to enjoy everywhere, so it’s crucial to take care of the amazing gift of hearing. As we grow older, our ability to hear clearly can change, but there are steps we can take to maintain healthy hearing for many years. How Can Seniors […]
The Best Foods for Older Adults to Improve Heart Health
There are lots of visual reminders around this time of the year that prompt us to take into account that incredibly vital organ that works 24/7 to keep us healthy! Store shelves are filled with heart-shaped balloons, boxes of candy, and cards. Since it’s also American Heart Month, it is a great time to take […]
What Is Anhedonia and How Can Home Care Help?
Following the thrill of the holidays, it is not unusual for the winter doldrums to kick in. Yet what might look at first to be a little bit of boredom could in reality be something much more serious that needs to be addressed. What Is Anhedonia? Anhedonia is a loss of interest in activities that […]
Top Health Advice for Older Adults in 2023
Have your New Year’s resolutions already fallen by the wayside? If so, don’t worry; you’re in good company. Many of us are excited about an important lifestyle change once we roll over into the new year, but life quickly rushes in and distracts us from sustaining our determination to succeed. Yet it is never too […]
Top Tips to Help Older Adults Live Their Best Lives
As we prepare to move forward into 2023, it is a wonderful time to think about what we have learned from the past year and what adjustments we’d like to make in the coming year. It’s more than just making a resolution that’s likely to be given up on within a matter of weeks. It […]
Home Care Helps Older Adults Manage and Live With Congestive Heart Failure
We only have one, and it’s arguably the most important part of the body – so hearing the news that our heart is “failing” is alarming. Congestive heart failure (CHF) affects approximately 6 million individuals in the United States alone, according to research by the CDC, and though it’s a chronic illness, there are actions people can […]
Managing Chronic Health Issues in Older Adults
If you are a family member helping an older loved one and your days seem overloaded with juggling appointments with different doctors, trips to the drugstore, lab work, and managing medications and special dietary needs, you are certainly not alone! Chronic health issues like COPD, diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis affect many people age 60 […]
Common Misconceptions About Aging
If you’re holding onto misconceptions about aging or the aging process that involve an inactive, solitary lifestyle spent in a rocking chair on the front porch day in and day out, the time has come to reconsider those thoughts! The answer to healthy aging is understanding the facts and disproving the myths to embrace a […]
Tips to Overcome Medication Refusal in Older Adults
“I don’t need that medicine! There’s nothing wrong with me!” If you’ve heard an older relative proclaim this or any other sentiment to justify not taking the medication their doctor prescribed, you understand how frustrating and concerning it is. There are a lot of reasons that contribute to medication refusal in older adults, from denial […]
The Importance of a Post-Fall Medical Assessment
While helping Mom prepare lunch yesterday, she turned around, lost her balance, and started to fall. Thankfully, you were able to get there in time to ease the tumble, so she did not get hurt. Because there was no injury, your loved one didn’t need to see the doctor. After a brief rest, both of […]
Understanding Why the Shingles Vaccine Is Necessary for Seniors
With a great deal of media attention regarding the COVID-19 vaccines, it’s easy to lose focus on the other essential immunizations for older adults. But there is one that especially deserves some time in the spotlight: the shingles vaccine. What Is Shingles? Shingles is an infection caused by the exact same virus that causes chickenpox. […]
Understanding ALS and How Senior Care Can Help
Receiving a diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) raises countless questions and concerns, both for the individual who received the diagnosis and those who love them. What causes ALS? What are the symptoms now – and what will they be in the future? Who can I go to for […]
Know the Signs and Symptoms of a Urinary Tract Infection in Aging Adults
Itching. Burning. Urgency. If you’ve ever had the misfortune of suffering from a urinary tract infection (UTI), you recognize these symptoms all too well. For younger individuals, a UTI may be simple enough to detect and take care of. But it is usually more challenging for older adults, as symptoms can be less apparent or […]
Why Aging Skin Bruises Easily
It happens to all of us, especially as we get older. Maybe while using the vacuum, we bump into the side of the coffee table, never thinking twice about it. But by the following day, a spot of purple hues has spread over the wounded area. How could such a nasty bruise be caused by […]
In-Home Care Provides Support Following Heart Surgery
During National Heart Month, there are a couple of important ways you can show your heart some TLC: understand how to keep your heart in good condition, and figure out how to best recuperate if you’ve experienced heart surgery. Look After Your Heart These basic steps will help improve and maintain heart health by keeping cholesterol […]
Understanding Depression in Older Adults
After spending time with relatives and revisiting treasured traditions and memories over the holiday season, it is typical for a feeling of wistfulness and sorrow to set in for the elderly. And even though some amount of short-lived post-holiday disappointment can be expected, it is essential to understand that it can grow into depression. Depression […]
Taking Steps to Boost Senior Foot Health
It is challenging to put your best foot forward when pain accompanies every step. Foot problems are normal as we get older, which makes sense; there are so many delicate parts that carry the weight of our bodies. Not only that, but because they are so far from the heart, our feet are almost certainly not […]
A Commitment to Physical Fitness Is a Commitment to Health and Wellbeing
We’re on the cusp of a fresh year, and we all know very well what that means: time to declare your resolutions! If you are similar to most people, you will begin with the best of intentions. But as time goes by and life gets busier, you might find your determination shrinking until you have […]
The Benefits of Exercise for a Loved One with Dementia
When an older adult has dementia or Alzheimer’s and all of the obstacles that these conditions entail, family care providers need a toolbox full of helpful strategies. Of all of the creative approaches caregivers can use to aid in making life as comfortable, safe, and meaningful as possible, there’s one very effective strategy that could […]
Looking Out for the Health of Senior Men
If your father, granddad, or any other father figure prefers to do anything at all over going to the doctor, he’s in good company. The Cleveland Clinic recently questioned men on this very issue and discovered that only half of them get regular examinations, and almost three-quarters of them would prefer to clean the restroom than […]
Long-Distance Caregiving: The Advantages of Partnering with a Home Care Agency
They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but long-distance caregiving for senior parents can cause additional feelings: worry, concern, and helplessness, to name a few. It is hard to know precisely how your parents are doing through phone calls, letters, emails, and video chats. There are a few things you can do, however, to […]
Understanding Vascular Dementia in Seniors
As the most common form of dementia, it is estimated that there are as many as 5.8 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease. However, there’s another, lesser-known type of dementia causing cognitive problems for seniors: vascular dementia. Understanding the symptoms and risk factors, combined with the unique attributes that set it apart from Alzheimer’s, is […]
The Many Health Benefits for Seniors of a High-Fiber Diet
If an older adult you know is more inclined to indulge in the many junk and fast food choices that are so readily available, he or she is in good company. While these foods are convenient, they are frequently high in calories, fat and cholesterol and lack fiber and other key nutrients that are important […]
Tips for Managing Dental Hygiene in a Senior with Dementia
It’s one of the first things we do each and every morning, and one of the last things we do every night, usually on autopilot without giving it a second thought. Yet it actually is a complex process comprised of numerous steps, making this seemingly simple task quite a challenge for someone with dementia. Proper […]
The Importance of Social Wellness for Older Adults and How Home Care Can Help
Living through more than a year of a worldwide pandemic taught us to never take for granted the small but extremely significant things in life: shared laughter, hugging loved ones, a lunch date in a favorite café. We found out firsthand just how much socialization is to be valued, and just how empty and lost […]
Good Nutrition Never Gets Old! The Importance of a Balanced Diet for the Elderly
Remember family dinners at Grandma’s house? The tantalizing scents wafting through the kitchen would draw everyone in to assemble at the table to enjoy her home cooking. There was always an abundance of leftovers for future meals or late-night snacks. However, for many older adults, these kinds of family meals are few and far between. […]
Know the Signs of Heat-Related Illness in Seniors
Throughout the long, cold winter, we enthusiastically anticipated the warmth of summer. What a relief to finally throw open the windows and allow the warm breezes to blow through the house! Yet now that we’re approaching the dog days of summer, it is necessary to take preventative measures to make certain older adults in particular […]
Understanding the Early Warning Signs of Parkinson’s
Even though almost a million people are living with Parkinson’s disease within the United States alone, the condition was perhaps first brought to the spotlight by the diagnosis of Michael J. Fox. His foundation has funded breakthroughs in research and awareness, which were previously unmatched, providing us with hope for a future cure. In the […]
What Is Happening with My Senior Loved One? Hospital Delirium in Older Adults
A hospital stay is never something an older adult looks forward to, but at least there is the reassuring fact that the necessary care and treatment are going to be delivered to provide healing. But what occurs when the outcome is not as expected, and the older adult winds up with a new health concern? […]
How Home Care Can Help Older Adults Manage a Long-Term Health Condition
Did you ever wake up and realize, from the moment you got out of bed, it was going to be “one of those days?” Perhaps you slept through your alarm, tripped over the dog, and then remembered you were out of coffee. These minor nuisances, however, pale in comparison to what more than half of […]
Top Strategies to Fight Chronic Fatigue in Seniors
Springing our clocks forward left a lot of us feeling sluggish from losing that extra hour of sleep. But before long, our bodies have adjusted to the time change and life goes on. Imagine, however, feeling lethargic and exhausted most of the time, regardless of how much you sleep. Chronic fatigue in seniors is a […]
Best Ways for Family Caregivers and Older Adults to Maintain Mental and Physical Health During the Pandemic
While we are finally able to start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on our mental and physical health. Months of isolation and physical separation from those we love has taken a toll on many seniors and the ones they love. Now is the perfect […]
Prioritizing Senior Heart Health During Heart Month and Beyond
“Your heart is the softest place on earth. Take care of it!” – Nayyirah Waheed You cannot escape them around this time of year: flaming red heart-shaped balloons, cakes, cookies, boxes of chocolates, and greeting cards that grab our attention and remind us to show those closest to us exactly how much we love them. […]
Six Ways In-Home Care Services Can Help Combat Senior Loneliness and Isolation
Loneliness. Fear. Isolation. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on all of us in one way or another, but for senior loved ones especially, the seclusion required to ensure safety from COVID-19 has had adverse effects on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. At Abby Senior Care, our home care for seniors in Denver can help reduce senior […]
Living With Chronic Kidney Disease: Foods That Support Kidney Health
While chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects roughly 11% of adult Americans, for the elderly, the frequency rate jumps to nearly 40%. If an older adult in your life struggles with CKD, following the doctor’s recommended dietary plan with foods that support kidney health is extremely important. The aim is to ensure that levels of electrolytes, […]
The Importance of Addressing Mental Health Issues in Older Adults
They’re called our “golden years” for good reason; growing older brings with it many advantages, including increased wisdom, the freedom to enjoy life without having the responsibilities of a career and young family to raise, in addition to the opportunity to spend more time with family and friends and engaging in activities we enjoy. Even […]
Helping Older Adults Cope with Pandemic Fatigue
It’s been over six months since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The restrictions which have been established to emphasize safety can start to wear on all of us, and while there’s a natural desire to want to “get back to normal,” there is a new worry: helping older adults cope with pandemic fatigue. Pandemic fatigue comes […]
The Benefits of Enhancing a Grandparent and Grandchild Relationship
As the old adage goes, “What happens at Grandma’s stays at Grandma’s!” Being a grandparent is perhaps one of life’s greatest joys – an opportunity to experience once more the delight of spending quality time and doting on the children in your life; only this time around, they’re your children’s children, so the relationships are […]
The Importance of Annual Senior Eye Exams
Those of us in the age 40+ demographic know how it feels to begin to struggle with small print, finding the need to begin wearing reading glasses, increasing the font size on our electronic devices, or holding books at arm’s length to try to decrease blurring. Getting older and becoming challenged with vision changes often […]
Shopping for Elder Home Care Services: Questions to Ask
Finding the right care solution for a senior family member is one of the most important and daunting decisions you’ll face. Ensuring the safety of the your loved one is essential, but there are some additional considerations as well, such as if the senior’s quality of life and capacity to thrive and remain independent will […]
Know the Signs: Preventing Dehydration in the Elderly
During the warmest time of the year, keeping up with proper hydration is crucial, particularly for senior loved ones. As a matter of fact, close to 50% of all older adults are chronically under-hydrated, as outlined by a recently available UCLA research study, which can lead to a number of health risks, such as kidney […]
Summertime Safety Tips for Seniors
The longer days of summer mean extra time for swimming, family cookouts, gardening, and all of those other delightful seasonal pursuits. However, it also means an elevated risk for a number of health concerns for seniors, who happen to be more prone to heat-related complications including: Heat syncope (faintness/dizziness) Heat cramps Heat edema (swelling) Heat […]
Safe Travel Tips for Seniors with Alzheimer’s
After spending substantial time in social distancing and isolation, this summer may lead you more than usual to want to travel to visit family and friends, or even just to encounter a change of scenery and a few pleasurable activities. And if you provide care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another form of […]
Home Modification Tips to Keep Seniors Safe While Aging in Place
With the vast majority of older adults choosing to continue to live at home throughout the course of aging, it is important to perform an extensive home assessment to search for and fix any hazards and ensure the seniors you love remain safe. The easiest method to accomplish this is to begin outside of the […]
Hearing Impairment in Older Adults: Signs, Causes, and How to Cope
Isolated. Misunderstood. Left out. These are just a few of the many emotions which are common in individuals with hearing loss, who find it hard to continue to maintain social connections with friends and family members, who struggle to communicate with them. Hearing impairment in older adults is quite common, for a number of reasons: […]
Traumatic Brain Injury in Seniors: A Growing Concern
When you think about a traumatic brain injury (TBI), your initial thought may very well be a sports-related accident, such as a football player crashing head-first into a rival, or perhaps a head-on collision in an auto accident – something less likely to affect senior loved ones. Yet the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries in […]
Tips on How to Manage Osteoarthritis in Older Adults
Impacting 30 million people within the United States alone, osteoarthritis is a debilitating and painful condition that results due to the wearing away of cartilage, leading to friction within the joints as unprotected bones rub against each other. While it can result in almost any joint, it is most common in the hands, hips, knees, […]
Chronic Fatigue in Seniors: It’s More Than Tiredness in Old Age
Feelings of exhaustion may seem to be a common occurrence for a number of us. The alarm goes off too early, the demands of daily life are many, and by the end of the day, once we can finally sink into bed, it may not be easy to stop our thoughts and get a restful […]
Elderly and Social Isolation: The Importance of Continued Socialization for Seniors
Elderly and social isolation is a growing, dangerous epidemic across the nation. Up to one-third of all older adults live alone, and for various reasons (limited mobility, chronic health issues, and loss of friends and family, just to name a few) socialization turns out to be very difficult to maintain. The truth is, isolation in […]
A Healthy Diet for Older Adults: Making Nutritious Food Choices on a Budget
We know the value of adhering to a healthy and balanced diet for older adults; however, knowing and doing are commonly worlds apart. For seniors, it is even more essential to steer clear of the temptations of making unhealthy food choices – and, frequently harder. For most seniors, lifestyle options are influenced by various factors: […]
How A Protein-Rich Diet Helps Seniors Stay Healthy
Pass the eggs and cheese, please! Recent research studies are highlighting the need for a protein-rich diet for the elderly, in particular during occasions of stress, such as when battling a chronic disease or acute illness, or getting ready for a surgery or hospitalization, when protein is processed less efficiently. And even when healthy, an […]