Keeping You Safe From COVID-19
Interested in a career at Golden Heart Senior Care. APPLY HERE!

Author: Craig Bass

Tips For Taking Care Of A Senior Loved One By Yourself

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care in Fortville IN
Home Care in Fortville IN

Taking care of a senior loved one can be tough even if you have siblings or extended family who can help you. If you’re an only child or don’t have the help of other family members and friends, it can be even more difficult. Emotionally and physically caregiving for a senior loved one requires a lot of strength. If your senior loved one has dementia or other serious medical problems, that adds to the complexity of caring for a senior loved one too. The best things that you can do to take care of a senior loved one by yourself are:

Get Some Help With The Day To Day Tasks

The physical tasks that need to be done to help your senior loved one can be done by a home care provider. It can be a big help to you and to your senior loved one to have a home care provider help with the cooking, the shopping and errands, the vacuuming, cleaning, laundry, dishes, and the other household tasks. The more tasks you can delegate to someone else the more time you will have to devote to other aspects of care and to taking care of yourself.

Ensure the Safety of their Home

If your senior loved one is going to be aging in place one of the best things that you can do is renovate the house and give it a senior-friendly makeover. Get the roof checked, cleaned, and repaired if necessary. Also get the major mechanical systems like the HVAC checked, and the plumbing. Having professionals come in to assess and clean various parts of the house will prevent you from having to deal with house-related emergencies later on. Or at least it will lower the risk of future emergencies. Set up standing appointments to have home maintenance tasks done on a regular basis so you will know that the house is being kept in good repair.

Set Some Boundaries

Even though it can be hard to set boundaries you will need to establish some boundaries in order to make sure that you have the time and mental energy needed to take care of your life obligations like work and your family. Remember that you don’t have to do everything for your senior parent yourself. A home care provider can be a great resource for helping with the immense responsibility of caring for a senior parent. Establish boundaries and stick to them.

Take Care Of Yourself

It’s a big life adjustment when you start caring for a senior loved one. Even if you have outside help like a home care provider you will still be spending a lot of time and mental energy caring for your senior parent. In order to make sure that you are able to handle the added responsibility you should make time for self care. Take care of yourself by eating healthy, making time to exercise, and getting some counseling or joining a support group to make sure your have good mental health.

 

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Fortville, IN, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care today. 317-550-1276

Four Popular Hobbies For Seniors to Try

Posted on by Craig Bass
Companion Care at Home in Carmel IN
Companion Care at Home in Carmel IN

Staying active and engaged are important for seniors, especially for seniors that are aging in place. Hobbies give seniors the social connections they need and can make exercise a lot more fun. Seniors often have trouble finding friends, but seniors who participate in these popular hobbies will find lots of other seniors who share their interests:

Volunteering

Volunteering is very popular among seniors. It gives them a sense of purpose and accomplishment to share their skills and knowledge with others. And it makes it a lot easier to find friends that they have common interests with. There are hundreds of organizations at both the local level and the national level who depend on volunteers and welcome seniors. If your senior loved one is lonely at home and wants to have something meaningful to do with their time volunteering is a fantastic thing for seniors to do. Your local senior center may have resources to help your senior loved one get started or talk with your senior loved one’s companion care at home provider about what opportunities they know of in the area.

Book Clubs

Book clubs, and movie clubs, are very popular with seniors because they creative and fun and give seniors the chance to get together and talk. Conversation is a wonderful way to make friends and socially engage. And the best part is that seniors can participate in book or movie clubs no matter what their physical condition is. Meetings can even be online if the weather is bad or if illness makes it impossible for a group of seniors to get together. Online book clubs and movie clubs can provide the vital social connections that housebound seniors need.

Walking Or Exercise Clubs

Most seniors know that they need to more active but find exercise boring or difficult. Joining a walking or exercise club for seniors will give seniors the motivation they need to get moving and it will make exercise fun again. A companion care at home provider can help seniors arrange transportation to get to exercise classes like water aerobics or get to a mall or indoor track if the group is meeting to go for a walk.

Video Games

Video games might seem like a younger person’s hobby but there are more than 50 million senior gamers and that number is increasing every year. Seniors love to play video games because the stories keep them engaged and help them keep their cognitive skills sharp. They also get social interaction and can form friendships with people of all ages through the game. MMORPGs, which are real time games in which thousands of players interact in game, are fantastic games for seniors to play. Video games allow seniors who live in rural or underpopulated areas to make friends and get social interaction without having to leave their homes. Seniors may also enjoy playing video games with their companion care at home providers as a way to have fun and stay busy.

Source:
https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2019/report-video-games.html

If you or an aging loved one is considering companion care at home in Carmel, IN, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care today. 317-550-1276

What is National Mocktail Week and How Can it Help Your Senior?

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care Assistance in Westfield IN
Home Care Assistance in Westfield IN

National Mocktail Week is a holiday that takes place during the second week of January. Mocktails are incredibly helpful for seniors, and might be something that you and your elderly family member want to keep going for longer than just a week every year.

Mocktails are Non-alcoholic Cocktails

The word mocktail refers to a cocktail beverage that doesn’t contain any alcohol. These are more and more popular as various people decide that they want to either reduce or eliminate alcohol from their diet, but they still want to enjoy fun drinks that taste great. There are tons and tons of mocktail recipes available, and your senior may find that her favorite cocktail drink has at least one or two mocktail variations.

Watch the Sugar Content

The big thing to remember when you are planning mocktails with your senior is that it’s easy to go overboard with the sugar. That’s because without alcohol, the base of a great many mocktails can be sugar or even fruit juice. These drinks can be very high in sugar content and that might present different problems for your senior.

Mocktails Are Fun and Hydrating

Probably the best reason to opt for mocktails, besides that they can be very fun, is that they’re hydrating. Plain water is usually boring or unpleasant for many people, so it’s tough to get enough fluids in during the day. By spicing things up a bit by trying out different mocktail recipes, you can help your elderly family member to increase her fluid intake.

Make Mocktails a Year-round Thing

These fun drinks can be a year-round beverage for your senior to enjoy, too. Mocktail time can be any time of day, and with home care assistance offering help with preparing them it becomes easier, too. Elder care providers can help with some of the steps that make mocktails more complicated, as well, like pureeing fruit. That means that your senior has all the assistance she needs to stick with this trend as long as she wants.

Home care assistance can make all sorts of daily situations easier on your elderly family member, too, not just mocktail preparation. Talk with your senior about what is feeling more complicated for her to handle on her own so you can get a better idea where they can step in and offer a hand.

 

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care assistance in Westfield, IN, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care today. 317-550-1276

Emergency Supplies Every Senior Should Have In Their Home

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care in Noblesville IN
Home Care in Noblesville IN

One of the things that seniors who decide to age in place need to prepare for is emergencies. From storms and power outages to home emergencies like fires or floods there are all kinds of crisis situations that can occur. And when they happen they usually happen fast. Seniors who live alone and have health challenges should be as prepared for possible for emergencies so that they will be able to get through emergencies safely. Every senior’s home should have a disaster kit and emergency supplies. But according to emergency preparedness experts the most important things that seniors should keep in their homes in case of emergencies are:

Batteries And Phone Chargers

If the power goes out it could be out for a long time. Seniors need to be sure that they have plenty of batteries in a variety of sizes to fuel things like hand held lanterns, flashlights, and any medical equipment they need. They should also have battery or solar powered phone chargers to make sure that their cell phones always have power.

Extra Medication

The doctor and the pharmacy will probably not want to give out a lot of extra medication but you should get enough of the daily medications that your senior loved one needs to last for about two weeks. Keep the medication in the emergency kit that you create for your senior loved one so that if there is an emergency the kit will have their medication already in it.

Blankets And Extra Clothing

Seniors tend to get cold very quickly even if the weather is mild. If an emergency happens during cold weather it won’t take long for your senior loved ones to get very cold. Have a senior home care provider help you store warm blankets, extra sweaters, socks, and extra hats and gloves in a spot where your senior loved ones could easily access it during an emergency.
A smart thing to do is to get each of your senior loved ones a camping sleeping bag designed to be used in freezing temperatures. These sleeping bags usually unzip to act like a blanket but they can be rolled up and put in a closet, emergency box, or in the car. The outer shell is waterproof and the inner blanket is light and very warm.

Food And Water

Access to water is something that people forget about during an emergency. But if the water is shut off because there is a problem with the water or because the water treatment plant is contaminated after a storm the water could be off for days. Unless your senior parents have a well for water they will need plenty of fresh water to drink. They will also need shelf stable food. Protein shakes are great to keep for emergency food because they have a lot of essential protein and they are liquids. Bottled water, protein shakes, and shelf stable foods should be kept in an easily accessible area in case of a disaster.

If you or an aging loved one is considering senior home care in Noblesville, IN, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care today. 317-550-1276

What To Do on a Snowy Day With Your Senior

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care Assistance in Avon IN
Home Care Assistance in Avon IN

Snow days used to be the best days as a kid. Building a snowman, sledding down a steep hill and making snow cream are all popular winter pastimes for kids of every generation. The beauty of snow can still be enjoyed when kids grow up to be seniors who may not be able to safely go outside. It can be even more difficult to stay busy when you live in a place with harsh winters where it snows for several days in a row. Luckily, there are tons of warm activities that your seniors might love to do indoors on a snow day.

These activities can be fun and engaging for you and your senior, or, your senior and a home care provider. Here are a few great ideas for things your senior can do to keep busy on a snowy day.

Try Cooking Something New

One of the best ways to warm up a house is to start using the oven. Turn it up and start cooking a new meal together. During snow days it is time to read through magazines together and find one that you want to make. This is a perfect way to encourage seniors to eat more and have some sort of an outlet for emotions.

Make Cookie Packages

If a senior has neighbors that they love or a big family, this is a good time to make something for the people that they love. Home care assistance can help a senior bake a lot of cookies and create little packages for these people. This is a cute care package that will put a smile on everyone’s face.

Play Board Games Together

One of the main jobs of home care assistance is they help a senior with chores and smaller household duties. However, they are also professional companions that will look out for the senior. This may be a good time to play a board game or try a new game that will keep the seniors entertained for a while.

Video Call a Family Member

Right now is the best time to connect with family members over video calls. On a snowy day when it is too dangerous for a home care provider to drive your senior anywhere to visit, a Zoom call can suffice. This can be a fun way to get the family feel without risking the drive. Have a senior bundle up by the fire and set up the call for the senior.

 

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care assistance in Avon, IN, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care today. 317-550-1276

4 Ways 24-Hour Home Care Helps Family Caregivers and Seniors

Posted on by Craig Bass
24-Hour Home Care in Fortville IN
24-Hour Home Care in Fortville IN

When your mom’s health changes and reaches a point that she needs 24-hour care, what are your options? It may feel impossible to get the help your mom needs, especially when you’re the only one helping her out. Have you looked at the benefits of 24-hour home care for your senior parent?

She’s Never Alone Unless She Wants to Be

Your mom doesn’t have to be alone. If she has a chronic condition like dementia that requires her to have help with transfers, she doesn’t have to worry about waking up at night and struggling to get to the bathroom independently.

Your mom could have cancer and need someone with her 24/7 if she’s dizzy or so nauseous that she can’t move safely without help. Around-the-clock caregivers work in teams to make sure your mom isn’t alone throughout the day and night.

She Never Misses a Dose of Her Prescription Medications

Some medications have to be taken at specific intervals. If that’s the case, you may worry about your mom missing a dose. If that happens, would she try to double up? That can be dangerous.

If she has caregivers around all day and night, she has someone to remind her when it’s time to take each dose. It prevents her from taking too much or too little of a medication that is keeping her as healthy as possible.

You Aren’t Always On Duty

You’re the primary caregiver for your mom. She has Alzheimer’s and is prone to wandering. When you’re trying to sleep, she’ll wake up and try to get outside. Nights of waking in the middle of the night to door or window alarms are causing exhaustion. You can’t focus, and it’s dangerous to drive when you’re tired.

With caregivers working in shifts throughout the night, you don’t have to worry about getting up and redirecting her. You can sleep through while caregivers redirect her.

You Have Peace of Mind

You might live on the other side of the country and worry about your mom being alone. As her health changes, you’d be happier knowing someone is always in her house and ready to help.

With 24/7 caregivers, she has someone to help out as needed. She’s still independent at home, but she’s with people who care for her well-being. That gives you peace of mind.

How Do You Get the Help You Need?

Schedule 24-hour home care services easily by making a phone call. Talk to an expert in home care about your mom’s care needs. Once a care plan is developed, 24-hour home care aides are scheduled when your family needs services.

 

If you or an aging loved one is considering 24-hour home care in Fortville, IN, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care today. 317-550-1276

Halloween Costume Contest

Posted on by Craig Bass

Golden Heart Senior Care caregiver Nasha was excited to dress up with one of her clients for the costume party. They won first place! Golden Heart Senior Care provides caregivers that participate alongside their clients, providing opportunities for these seniors to live their best lives. We are committed to helping seniors find dignity in their care and advocate for what they need. Call 317-550-1276 for more information and how we can help you!

 

 

 

 

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Indianapolis, IN, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care today. 317-550-1276

Lunch and Learn with Senior Center Organization, Inc. of Hamilton County

Posted on by Craig Bass

Golden Heart Senior Care owner Rebecca Johnson hosted a lunch and learn at Senior Citizens Organization, Inc. The participants ate lunch, played bingo, and learned about how Golden Heart works to help seniors maintain their independence. Golden Heart is ready to come alongside seniors to enable them in continuing to live full, active lives. Call 317-550-1276 for more information on how we can assist you!

 

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Indianapolis, IN, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care today. 317-550-1276

Harvest Celebrations with Clients

Posted on by Craig Bass

Golden Heart Senior Care owner Rebecca Johnson was excited to celebrate Harvest with a new client in her assisted living facility. Golden Heart’s caregivers are happy to come alongside their clients to help them enjoy life to the full. Caregivers are available to transport clients, clean their spaces, provide companion care, and many other services. Contact 317-550-1276 to find out how a caregiver can help you keep your independence.

 

 

 

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Indianapolis, IN, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care today. 317-550-1276

Golden Heart celebrates Britton Falls

Posted on by Craig Bass

Rebecca Johnson, owner of Golden Heart Senior Care, was excited to connect to Joyce Needler, a resident of Britton Falls, a Del Webb Senior Living Community in Fishers, IN. Rebecca and Joyce were both celebrating the third anniversary of Living in the Falls, a publication that Golden Heart sponsors. In the spirit of caring, Joyce won a bottle of wine, a candle, bath salts, and some chocolate. Golden Heart is committed to providing the best care to help seniors remain independent and have a choice in their care.

 

 

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Indianapolis, IN, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care today. 317-550-1276