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Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
Tuesday, February 28th, 2012
 As we age, we begin to lose muscle mass and bone density, but we begin to gin body fat. This is mostly because our hormones aren’t as active as they were in our younger years. So with our elderly loved ones, we need to be especially aware of their over all health and well being. By making sure they are getting ample amounts of the right foods and beverages, we care insuring their life to healthy and for them to live longer.
The elderly dehydrate easily but they don’t always feel thirsty and other times they are constantly drinking water. For people over the age of 65, dehydration is one of the top reasons of hospitalization. Just as when we are younger, water is very necessary in spreading nutrients throughout our body and keeping hormones healthy as well as keeping antibodies moving through the body. The safe amount for an elderly person is one ounce for every two pounds they weigh.
For any one of any age, carbohydrates are an important source of energy for the body. Carbohydrates can be found in food that are high in fiber such as breads, cereals and pastas. By making sure your loved one’s diet includes a good amount of fiber, they will drink more water and both fiber and water will keep constipation at bay.
Protein is very important in the elderly. Protein keeps the immune system wholesome and helps keep the muscle mass from decreasing as quickly. When protein intake isn’t enough, it can cause a decrease in reserve capacity, increased skin fragility and decreased immune function. It can longer to heal and recover from illness. Dietary intake for older adults can be obtained by making sure your elderly one’s diet consist of eggs, fish, lean meats and poultry, which are high in protein.
Iron is important for the elderly to consume an ample amount each day. This can be done by making sure they have lean meats and low fat dairy. Fat contains iron but you don’t want them to over do the intake of fat either. Simple increase their diet with red meats and breakfast cereals will give them a good source of iron.
While Zinc is important for the elderly, it is one of the most difficult things to make sure a body is getting enough of. Again, making sure the diet contains fish, meat and poultry can help them get the right amount of zinc.
For many elderly, milk can upset their stomach, so they steer away from it and don’t get enough calcium in their diet. To make sure they are getting around .500 mg of calcium per day, encourage them to switch standard milk with powdered milk in recipes. An increase of broccoli, low fat cheese and yogurt are also great for getting enough calcium in the body.
The lack of enough vitamin B12 can cause damage to nervous tissue and have a long term effect for the elderly. Vitamin B12 also prevents the disease pernicious anemia . Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disease which destroys the stomach’s parietal cells that produce and distribute intrinsic factor, an important part of health for the elderly.
In addition to the things mentioned here, the elderly must exercise too. With proper diet and exercise, they can live a full, happy and long life. If you have questions about your elderly loved one’s diet, give us a call at Oxford Home Healthcare. Our trained staff can answer your questions or direct you the proper place for help if we can’t. Oxford Home Healthcare. Caring for you at home.
Tags: healthy eating; elderly eating; elderly health; elderly needs; elderly vitamins; waer; thirsty; hungry; oxford; tulsa; oklahoma; healthcare; home healthcare
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Monday, February 20th, 2012
 We are coming to the end of February, which is American Heart Month, but it’s not too late to talk about our senior citizens and how we can help make their lives healthier with heart-healthy choices. For people over the age of 50, heart disease is the leading cause of death. So many of you reading this blog from the perspective of taking care of an elderly parent, should take note in living a heart-healthier lifestyle too.
With just a few minor changes in daily activities, our elderly loved ones can live a long, happy life. Keep in mind though, we’re all different and each person may have some other medical issue at hand. As such, Oxford Home Healthcare recommends to check with your doctors first before making any diet changes or taking up any exercise program.
After getting an all clear sign from the doctors, you want to set up an exercise routine that will do some good, but you don’t want it so difficult or strenuous that it can’t be kept up. Aim for an exercise program that will let your elderly loved one be one they can do on their own. Keeping their independence is important, from living alone, driving to even exercising.
Even though they may have been very active up until retirement, they know where to begin in finding an exercise routine. They may even think that because they were healthy and active before retirement, they will be fine now, however, the truth is, they can’t afford to not get exercise now. When the elderly become inactive, they will start to have difficulty doing things on their own. This will lead to an increase in illness, more doctor visits and maybe increase time in the hospital.
Just 2 to 3 hours of exercise a week can do a lot of good for the heart, the mind and the whole being. Exercise in small doses does so much for a senior citizen. Start with simple walks around the neighborhood or going to the local Y for swimming. If your elderly loved one is concerned about falling, find them exercises such as squats that will help their balance as it builds up the strength in their ankles and hip muscles. Remember that the benefits to exercise are improved sleeping, maintain a healthy weight and in turn will boost their confidence. Exercise has also proven to help the memory.
Of course diet is a big play in having a healthy heart! Fiber-rich foods are great for the digestive system and puts more nutrients in the body. Fiber gives you a fuller feeling after eating which will help with unwanted weight gain. Not only that, but cholesterol will drop with a an increase in fiber, which lessens the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, coronary heart disease and even certain types of cancer.
Just as you do with an infant starting on food, add one source of new food a week, allowing the body to adjust. Many times, adding fiber to the diet can cause bloating, cramping or gas. As the fiber intake increases, make sure to increase the fluids as well with low calorie beverages. This will help the body digest the increase of fiber easier.
As we age, our sense of smell and taste weaken and with that, it is common for senior citizens to add more salt to their foods, often times without even tasting it first. For years now, we been told that salt is a major no-no in our diet. Sodium is associated with high blood pressure and can be found in many sources of foods so that you don’t realize your actual intake. Along with the American Medical Association, our home healthcare providers suggest that no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day is needed. By avoiding processed foods and eating more fruits, vegetables and other whole foods, you can stay at or below this number with ease.
There are many opinions whether or not alcohol is good for a person. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that no more than one drink for women and two for men, per day, can be beneficial. Again, each person is different and what is good for each person should be decided by your doctors.
Encourage your loved one to use olive or canola oil for cooking instead of butter or shortening. By increasing their diets with olive or canola oil, nuts and organic peanut butter, the benefits to their cardiovascular system will increase their life span. Eating fresh salmon, sardines, halibut and soybeans are packed with omega-3 fatty acids which is healthier for the heart.
Each stage of life, our bodies change. Keeping active, no matter how small of activity and every small change in our diet can make a positive effect on our health. You’re never too young or too old start living healthier. For the elderly loved ones in our lives, give them the extra motivation and support to become more active and live a longer and happier life.
For more information on where to get exercise and diet help for your loved one, call us at Oxford Healthcare. Oxford HealthCare. Caring for you at home.
Tags: healthy heart; heart health; elderly heart; long lives; eat right; exercise; oxford; home healthcare
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Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
 If you were one that grew up in a family with two parents, a mom and a dad, you had what was once the ‘normal’ life. Perhaps you even stayed in the same neighborhood your whole childhood and attended school, from kindergarten to senior year with the same kids. Then you left college, maybe married and started your own family. Then came the joys for your parents, being a grandparent!
Your life was going along almost picture perfect. Then your mother or dad passed away, leaving the other parent a widow or widower. Maybe after a long term illness or quick and unexpected. Either way, you have one parent left, alone, outside of you and your family, maybe siblings and their family.
The surving parent goes through their mourning period, still embracing the memories of their partner, your other parent. They begin going out with friends, joined a club and maybe even do some traveling. Then they meet someone and bring them to family events, and before you realize it, they have fallen in love. While maybe you aren’t ready, they are ready to embrace this new chapter in their life, maybe even re-marry.
How do you handle another person coming into your surving parent’s life, replacing your beloved mother or dad? If you have been caring for your parent since mom or dad passed away, you may feel that this new person will replace you even. Believe it or not, you may be swaping places with your parent. You are having some of the same reactions as they did when you started dating, fell in love and married.
Mom or dad have the expectations that you, your siblings and the rest of the family will be excited and happy for them now that they have found happiness again. Somebody to spend the rest of their lives with. Rarely though, does it work that easy. Your parent will be somewhat influenced by your feelings, opinions of this new person as well as your interactions with this new person. Their final decision will be and should be their own, but you and your siblings will have some influence.
No matter how you interpert mom or dad’s new partner, things will go smoother if you are more accepting. Your attitude and acceptance will help in the future in the essential blending and re-blending of both sides of the families. Yes, he or she may have children, grandchildren and all that too! You aren’t just getting a step parent, you most likely are getting a whole family.
So how can this whole situation go smoothly? What can you do make your mom or dad know that you are happy for them? Be the one that encourages and initiates assimilating both sides of family. Be flexible and willing to welcome the new members new people into your family gatherings, and even establish new family traditions. You don’t have to leave your’s behind nor become a part of their’s either. By starting new ones, you are blending everyone together and making your parent happy.
When a parent remarries, there are many times financial or inheritance issues that may be a cause for concern. Keep your eyes and mind open, try to see things differently by thinking of your parent’s new family as more family for you to love and even more extended support system. Keep discussions of family inheritance calm and quiet, especially your late parent’s belongings. Definitely avoid conversation of these tings when angry or hurt. Be realistic in understanding where your angry feelings are coming from, then discuss them calmly with your parent and siblings together. Be caring of your parent’s feelings and sensitive to the nature of the subject.
Let the small things go such as Sunday dinner you’ve established since mom or dad have been gone. Your surving parent now has somebody in their live that cares for them and they are going to have their own routine and rituals. Set up weekend visits and offer to hoset holiday meals for your parent, their new love and even extend an invitation to their family. Be flexible in sharing your mom or dad on holidays and other celebrations. Keep a line of communication open at all times for every situation. All new things don’t necessarily require everyone to agree, but it does require everyone to listen.
Keep your parent’s feelings in mind, put yourself in their shoes when you are angry, hurt or confused. Remember some things may be difficult for them. Don’t put them in an emotional tug-of-war. Remember, that they are an adult and have a right to live the rest of thier life happy., and that may include a new mate to spend those years with. You never want your parent to feel they have to choose between you and their new mate. You’re both important to your paren’ts well-being.
Treasure your parent’s new joy and love, just as you expected them to when you brought home your future spouse. Keeping harmony among the famly means accepting and working with change and being open to new perspectives. In time, you will find yourself loving your parent’s new spouse or partner.
If you or your parent, or any one your family are faced with this situation and can’t get thorugh it, give us a call at Oxford Health Care. We are here to help you and your loved one. Oxford Healthcare. Caring for you at home.
Tags: mom; dad; parents; remarry; step parent; adult children; new family; extended family
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Sunday, January 29th, 2012
 Assertive resuscitation is practiced on those who are in cardiac or respiratory arrest. The resuscitation is executed by someone who has been trained in CPR in attempt to keep the victim alive. It is done by giving the victim chest compressions or endotracheal incubation. A common side effect a victim may experience is bruising and broken ribs and the victim being in large amounts of pain from the compressions to the chest.
Many times, the elderly or those who have a terminal illness will sign a “Do Not Resuscitate” order, otherwise known as a DNR. A victim with a DNR in place has given orders that must be followed by law. They may also have signed a DNI “Do Not Incubate or a DNAR “Do Not Attempt To Resuscitate”. The person who has any of these three documents should let their familly know as well as their doctors and if they move to assisted living or nursing home, these documents need to be on file there as well.
Should a person that wants any of these documents in place and are unable to sign, they may lawfully specify a medical proxy to represent them in advising all medical professionals that may treat them, know that they want certain medical procedures avoided in the case of an emergency. Signing a DNR, DNI or DNAR are a matter of personal choices and everyone has their own reasons for requesting these actions.
If you have elderly loved ones, it is recommended that you discuss this matter with them. Offer to help them make the decisions on how they want things to be handled if they find themselves in a situation where they can’t speak for themselves. if you are your loved one aren’t sure whether they should implement any of these forms, give us a call at Oxford Healthcare. Oxford Healthcare. Caring for you at home.
Tags: heart defibulator; cpr; cardiac defibulator; DNR; DNI; DNAR; resuscitate
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Monday, January 23rd, 2012
 February is Heart Health month, and at Oxford Healthcare, we stress to our clients the need for preventive care, not just this one month, but year round. Cardiac disease and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability. In the US alone, major costs to individuals and organizations accounted for 40% of all deaths. In 2005, the cost heart disease and stroke was estimated at $393.5 billion. The best way to cut these numbers down is preventive heart care.
As such, Oxford Healthcare encourages all of our elderly clients to visit with their doctor and get in a comprehensive heart care program that support healthy lifestyles and prevents heart disease and stroke. The need for regular health check-ups, healthy diet plans and offer education helps to maintain a healthy heart. As it has been said before, “prevention is better than cure.” Preventive heart care can give us all good health and longevity.
One of the main things that any doctor will tell their elderly patients is to get exercise. A regular routine of exercise is healthy and positive plus to give the elderly a longer life. There are four areas of exercise that can benefit the elderly the most should consist of stretching, balance training, strength training and endurance activities.
Exercises that involve stretching will fend off any stiffness from the other exercises. It’s crucial to stretch prior to doing kind of physical activity such as going for a walk, a swim or any form of exercise. Just a few minutes of stretching helps get the blood flowing which will eliminate any soreness or stiffness afterwards.
Falling is a major concern for the elderly and balance exercises can help to reduce the risk of falling. With some research on the internet, you can find exercises that focus on balance training that require minimal equipment. By integrating balance exercises into the elderly person’s daily life, they can minimize their risks of falls.
Strength training builds muscle tissue and reduces age-related muscle loss. It is also helpful in the prevention of osteoporosis as it stabilizes the large support muscles.
Let’s not forget the exercise benefits of swimming too! Activities such as bike riding, swimming and walking to help establish an elderly persons endurance at the same time it is improving heart and circulatory system health too. These are activities they can do in groups which will keep them active, which keeps their mind active. Swimming is a low impact activity attributed to the body being buoyant in the water. Water resistance requires working the muscles harder making for a great means to get aerobic exercise. Swimming is a wonderful cardiovascular exercise that can lessen chance of a heart attack. Walking gets you out and about, seeing other people and maybe make a new friend or two.
Yoga is another exercise that has wonderful health benefits too. Yoga encompasses exercises of balance, strength and flexibility. Yoga isn’t for everybody but the advantages are more than just physical. When you join a yoga class, you don’t have that isolated feeling when you’re in a group. Yoga has also been proven to help with insomnia, waking up too early or when woke up during the night and not able to get back to sleep.
If your elderly loved one lives in a senior community, encourage them to take part in the classes that are offered for exercise and healthy life styles. For the elderly that still live on their own, help them find senior centers in their area that offer classes and groups. Many have fitness centers and pools in addition to the classes. Regardless of where the elderly live, here at Oxford Healthcare, we encourage you to get involved in a routine that is healthy and of course, always check with your doctor an before starting any exercise routine.
Oxford Healthcare. Caring for you at home.
Tags: heart health; healthy heart; exercise; elderly exercise; elderly heart health; February; Hearth Health Month; Yoga;
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
Who Takes Care Of Grandma and Grandpa?
In the past members of a family stayed in one geographical area. Mom, Dad, grandparents, siblings and even the extended family stayed close and everyone took care of each other. As the grandparents aged, younger family members took care of them and so on from one generation to the next.
Times have changed though and now family members move off. This means that where the family that has always been there in the past to take care of the elderly is gradually fading away. Likewise, services provided at no cost through places such as churches and other non-government groups are becoming crowded and overburdened as the number of elderly needing services increases, not to mention the lack of funding they all have in common.
As this happens, more seniors are looking to senior home care for help with things around the house, such as meals, cleaning, laundry, errands and doctor visits. With less help on hand, professional senior home care has become a vital option. After an accident or illness, seniors often times need short-term care. After they get back home, they may be less mobile and need assistance around the house as they recover. Many elderly depend on senior home care in an effort to not being placed in a nursing home.
Most elderly would prefer to stay in their own home. Once they leave their home, they lose their freedom that is so precious to them, not to mention their privacy. Those needing elder care may only need it a short time, but many have a long-term situation. For some elderly it may even require permanent placement of a home care professional. The long-term and permanent elder care many times includes critical medical attention as well as domestic tasks as well.
So What Do You Do Now?
If you find yourself in a position of a family member needing senior care, it is a difficult and sensitive thing to talk to them about. You need to let them know that you worry about them not having anyone around to assist them or to be there if something were to happen. They should be a part of the selection process and remind them that this is a much better option than moving them to a home where they will lose their freedom and privacy. Be understanding as they may be anxious and concerned of having a stranger in their home.
When you begin to search for elder care assistance, you should keep some certain things in mind. Do your homework and narrow down the list of places before you present them to your elderly loved one. Take the time and research any and all options in your area for a variety of elder care places. While doing your research, you want to confirm the things that matter the most to you as the family member as well as the things that you know matter to your loved one.
What Things Do You Ask About?
Oxford HealthCare offers you and your elderly loved one the following in our senior home care service:
• Companionship
• Housekeeping and Laundry
• Meal Preparation
• Medication Management
• Personal Care and Bathing
• Safety Supervision
• Shopping
• Transportation
Remember as you interview senior home care providers, they are going to be responsible for a member of your family, taking the place of you or other family members being there for your loved one. Take the time to select a good home health care company so that you can rest easier knowing that your loved one is being taken care in your absence.
Where To Start
If the time has come that you think an elderly loved on in your family needs assistance while still living at home, but you aren’t sure, give us a call at Oxford HealthCare. We welcome the opportunity to speak with you and your loved one about the services we offer, answer any questions or resolve any concerns either of you may have. Oxford HealthCare. Caring for you at home.
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Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
 Cold weather can be hazardous for the elderly. They are more vulnerable than most when it comes to the risks of cold weather. Stay in contact daily with your loved one during the cold months, perhaps alternate with other family members or friends. Just making sure somebody checks on them at least once a day lets them know they aren’t alone. Should they be having any problem, by staying in contact, you can get it resolved quickly so not to put them out of place or in danger.
For the elderly loved ones in your life, making that extra effort to check in on them during the frigid, dangerous weather that winter can bring will be a peace of mind for everyone.
Start before winter sets in, assist them in making sure their homes are safe and secure for whatever Old Man Winter may have in store. Check their heat source, making sure it’s all in good working order. Check that pilot lights are lit, furnace filters or air filters are changed, if oil burning heat source, make sure they have oil delivered before cold weather arrives. If they have wood burning fireplaces, wood stores or space heaters, be cautious and have them checked thoroughly by professional. If possible, recommend to your loved one a safer alternative heat source. Take the time to check all batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, flash lights and any automatic outdoor lighting is in working order.
Assist the elderly one by helping them prepare foods that freeze and keep such as soups. Get canned food stored such as canned meat, soups any foods that won’t require cooking in the event of power outages. Make sure they are stocked up on powered milk, a good substitute if the power goes out, it won’t be in the refrigerator to spoil. Having bottled water on hand is always a good idea incase of pipes freezing or bursting. Make sure they have all their prescription medicines refilled and plenty on hand to last a few days should they get locked in by the weather.
Provide your elderly loved one with a cell phone with charger and make sure they keep it plugged in to stay charged. If the power goes out, they will have it ready to go if they need to make emergency phone call or to stay in contact with others. Especially if they are still driving, insist they keep a charged up cell phone with them at all times when the weather is bad and roads could turn dangerous.
It can be very dangerous for the elder to be walking and driving in rough weather. By shopping on line or a trip to the local store you can find devices that help shoes grab onto icy sidewalks, and door mats that will absorb ice, snow and water. If your loved one is driving, make sure they get their car checked out before the weather turns cold and storms start coming in. Check the antifreeze, the tires, battery and headlights. If at all possible, make arrangements for yourself or someone to drive them to run their errands when the weather turns bad.
Most important, let them know that they are not alone and help is just a phone call away. With all the right precautions, the elder can live, walk and drive safely through the winter. For more suggestions or any help in these suggestions, contact us at Oxford HealthCare. Oxford HealthCare. Caring for you at home.
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Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
 There is no age limit when it comes to making New Years Resolutions. You can start at any age after you realize and understand what they are and you can keep making them long after you have left the working world and the children have left home. So what kind of resolutions do you make when you get older?
Start with your health! Since you have little time left, and you most likely have some health issues, what better New Years Resolution than one that applies to your health? If you live alone, or even if it’s just the two of you now, chances are, you’re not eating proper meals any more. A cup of coffee or tea with toast does not make breakfast. Set your first resolution to eat healthier, increase your vegetable and fruit intake.
Next, you need to stay healthy and exercise is the best way to do that! Don’t sit around watching television all day. Get out and take a walk around the block. Or drive to a local shopping mall and walk a lap or two a day. Walking the mall is great entertainment too watching all the people! This also brings to the next resolution.
Socialize! Go visit friends! Visit with the neighbor across the street or next door. If they are elderly, invite them to walk with you. While you’re walking at the mall, chances are you’ll see other senior citizens doing the same thing. Say hello and maybe make a new friend. Socializing is the best thing for your emotional and mental health.
Clean the house! Now that you have made some friends, you may have company, so get that house clean again! It’s not unusual that when the kids leave home and we get older that we get less concerned about the house. Elderly people are known to become pack rats too. Pick a closet or cabinet once a week and weed through it! Give things to your children, family, and friends or donate to charity. It’s better to give it away now and enjoy somebody using it than leaving it sitting in that dresser drawer.
Get your mind busy! Play games, read, build a puzzle or surf the internet. If you don’t know anything about the internet, get a family member to show you or inquire at the Senior Center, many are offering free classes that show you how the basics. The internet can be a wonderful tool to keep up with distant family and friends.
Keeping busy, keeping your mind going and cleaning out closets all rolled together can help you create a scrap book! Putting your life on pages and sharing your memories is a wonderful way to share your life and your family’s heritage with your children and grandchildren. By creating this journal of your life and retracing the family tree from your side as far back as you can is something they will cherish for many years.
While cleaning out those dresser and desk drawers, get your affairs in order with all the important documents and papers. Put all important papers in one place such as mortgage papers, insurance cards, medical records, bank account information and other important paper work. Having all this in one place will make it easier for you and should the time come that a family member needs to help you, it’s all in one place.
This brings us to another resolution. Ask for help! Getting a teenage grandson to mow the yard once a week or a granddaughter to come help you clean the house can be a great opportunity to visit as they clean. They can even help you get that scrap book started or get all those important documents together. Maybe you have some things you want that specific person to have, so helping you clean out that bedroom closet you know they will be the one to get it!
Last but not least, make your home safe. We all want to stay in our own home as long as possible, but you need to be safe. Make sure there aren’t things in the floor or the stairway. Make sure the hall way is well lit as well as the front and back porch. If the handrails on the stair case are loose, have somebody come tighten that up. A piece of loose tile is a tripping hazard, get it fixed if you can’t do it yourself. This resolution can tie in the one above – ask for help!
As you can see, as you get older, those New Years Resolutions are just as important as they were twenty or thirty years ago! In some ways, they are even more important. We are never too old to make improvements in our lives! For more ideas, suggestions or for getting help with anything, call us at Oxford HealthCare. Oxford HealthCare. Taking care of you at home.
Tags: New Years Resolutions; Socialize; Stay busy; healthy eating; exercise; 2012
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Monday, December 26th, 2011
 The death rate for breast cancer, heart disease and prostrate cancer declined between 2000 and 2008. During that same period, the death rate for Alzheimer increased by more than 50 percent. Alzheimer is a lot more serious than just memory and cognitive decline, it can be deadly. Alzheimer is among the top ten diseases in the United States of those that can not be cured, prevented or reversed.
Alzheimer ia a progressive disease. The affected individual will not only lose his memory but his mental and physical functions as well. The disease can be slowed down with medication, but it can not be stopped or reversed. While Alzheimer itself is not deadly, there are consequences of the disease that are. Due to the patient becoming more and more immobile, they become more susceptible to aspiration, falls, pneumonia, pressure sores and urinary tract infections.
Studies have shown that when the loss of cognitive functions and dementia of those with Alzheimer’s disease, play a part in the death rate of its victims. Death from complications of Alzheimer appear to be connected to the how fast the rate of cognitive functions decline. From these studies, indications that keeping the elderly who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer active and busy, keep them socializing as well as encourage a regular exercise program. The brain benefits from these actions and could possibly delay physical symptoms and immobility.
Along with these steps and talking to your elderly loved ones physician, they may prescribe medications and suggest changes to their lifestyle, can all be a part of slowing this disease down. The participation and support of loved ones with these steps is important, family members should be involved as much as possible when an elderly loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer.
The impact that Alzheimer can have on a person and their family can be dramatic. When the symptoms first appear, offer to help your loved one get their affairs in order. As the disease progresses, your loved one will need more and more assistance with even day-to-day activities and taking care of themselves.
To keep Alzheimer under some control and slow the progress, it is important for the patient to maintain their visits to their doctor. Controlling other health concerns they may have such as diabetes, high blood pressure are extremely important along with maintaining overall good health and keeping moderately mentally and physically active.
If you have a loved elderly one in your life that has been diagnosed or you suspect they may have Alzheimer Disease and not sure where to get help, give us a call at Oxford HealthCare. Oxford HealthCare. Caring for you at home.
Tags: Azheimer; Diseases; Elderly; Dementia; Cognitive Functions;
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Monday, December 19th, 2011
 We all have busy lives these days, so it seems. You may work full time, your spouse works full time, you have the kids and their activities, the house, the yard and somehow you try to cram a little it of a social life in too. So when you have an elderly loved one in your life, it is not always possible to take care of their needs and wants on a daily basis. However, our elderly loved ones still need support from us, and we should make the effort to spend as much them with them as possible during these last years.
Unfortunately, back to the beginning of this blog – we all have busy lives these days. With that being said, we can’t spend as much time as we would like to, especially if we work during the day. Fortunately, there are ways to assist us with making sure our elderly loved ones have some activities, some interaction with others and some form of entertainment when we can’t be with them. Today, there are adult day care centers that provide assistance to the elderly, something like that of a day care for our children, but geared toward elderly and capable of providing adequate care medically if needed.
Before you start making calls and setting up reservations, remember to include your loved one in this decision. They should have a joint role and voice their concerns as well as offer any comments or suggestions. Avoid the term “adult day care center” as many elderly will equate that with assisted living or nursing homes and may feel that you are abandoning them, brushing them under the rug so that you have to deal with them any longer. Nobody likes the idea of being dumped off some place, so handle the subject carefully.
Do some research first before even brining the subject up to them. Find one that is close by and ask plenty of questions, get references and drop by one day, unannounced, to observe. Approach this the same way you would in selecting the day care for your children. Ask if they are a daily operation and what the hours are. Do they offer transportation to pick up and take home the enrolled elderly? Are the seniors required to move around or are they able to find a comfortable place and stay in place if desired? Are there medical professionals on staff while the facility is open in case of an emergency or to assist in medication distribution? What is the meal and snack arrangement during the day? Is it furnished, is there a calendar distributed with the menu for the week or month? Are special diets adhered to for the residents? Can the residents bring their own food? What is the ratio of elderly to staff members? Are some days more crowded than others?
Inquire what types of activities are offered and are the residents required to participate? There should be good activities and events available at an adult day care center. The seniors enrolled there should enjoy their stay and be comfortable and at ease associating with other residents. Adult day care centers should provide games such as playing cards and working puzzles. You want your loved one to have fun so the day passes with ease. When they have fun, they are enjoying life. When they are enjoying live, their live will be prolonged. It is much healthier for them to have fun with colleagues in an adult day care center than it is to sit home alone watching television all day.
You should narrow your list down to two or three adult day care centers when you are ready to bring this subject to your loved one. Explain to them that this will be a place where they can socialize and associate with others their age that will have some of the same life history and current interest they do. You may be fortunate enough that their church offers adult day care center, many elderly that enjoy going to church on Sunday would feel right at home at that day care center. You definitely need to work with your elderly loved one and select an adult day care together.
Of course, like anything in live these days, there is going to be an expense involved. However, just as with your children, if your elderly loved one is getting services provided that make them happy and keep them healthy, it is money will spent. Again, if their home church offers adult day care, the expense could be less.
It is not only a relief but a joy as well to watch our elderly parents enjoy themselves and also being cared for by adult day care services. If this is something you are considering for the elderly loved one in your life and you aren’t sure where to look, call us at Oxford HealthCare. Oxford HealthCare. Caring for you at home.
Tags: adult day care; day care; elderly day care; elderly care; elderly entertainment;
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