Have you had to converse more loudly lately? Are you finding the need to turn the television up louder for an older adult you love? Repeating yourself after the senior loved one missed hearing the first time? It’s not uncommon for seniors to experience hearing loss. But emerging studies are revealing how treating hearing loss is even more important than you may realize, as it can even reduce the risk for dementia. 

How Hearing and Cognitive Functioning Are Linked

There are a variety of hypotheses researchers are investigating to explain the connection between hearing loss and dementia:

1. Less social interaction leads to less mental stimulation and a less active and engaged brain.
2. The brain’s thinking and memory systems are impacted when it has to focus harder to strain to hear and also to fill in the gaps when communication is missed.
3. An older brain shrinks more rapidly due to hearing loss.

Finding the cause of this connection and determining if treating hearing loss can help is vital. The amount of people who may be impacted is astonishing, with as many as 37.5 million Americans currently going through some amount of hearing loss. 

As of now, we know that seniors with hearing loss experience a decline in cognitive functioning at a rate of 30 – 40% faster than those with normal hearing. Not only this, but hearing loss escalates the risk for other health issues, such as falls and depression.

The good news is that medical researchers at Johns Hopkins are presently trying to determine if treating hearing loss might actually minimize brain aging and prevent dementia. A study of almost 1,000 older adults with hearing loss is underway, and by as early as next year, we will have the information required for a path forward. 

If an aging adult in your life struggles with hearing loss, encourage them to get a checkup and to wear hearing aids if recommended by the doctor. Help at Home’s professional senior care providers can even provide transportation for that checkup if needed. 

In addition, we have dementia care specialists that are always prepared to assist individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or any other form of dementia to stay safe, comfortable, and engaged in meaningful and enjoyable activities. We can also assist with more effectively managing some of the challenging behaviors associated with dementia, such as aggression, agitation, wandering, sundowning, and much more.

Just connect with us any time online or at (530) 885-7444 to learn more about how we can help older adults live healthier lives at home with our dementia care in Lincoln, CA and the surrounding areas. We offer a free of cost in-home consultation to answer all of your questions and to develop a personalized plan of care to best meet your needs.

There are a number of aspects associated with choosing senior care services for an older adult you love. In our ongoing commitment to help families knowledgeably sort through their options for in-home care, we recommend the following:

• Evaluate Needs

With a professional home care agency, you will never need to worry about determining what services will be best for the senior's particular challenges. Prior to beginning of care, the agency will visit the senior in the home and ask a variety of questions. This information will be used to develop a customized plan of care designed to meet the individual needs of the person who needs care. The agency may also work with the older adult’s doctors or others on the care team in order to coordinate other care services that may be needed.

• Who Will Manage the Care?
A professional home care agency has a supervisor who can oversee regular check-ins and modify the care plan as needs change. Many families also choose to partner with a geriatric care manager who will not only help to coordinate care, but also serve the client’s advocate.

• Care Transitions
  Care needs can change over time from basic assistance with day-to-day activities and personal care to skilled medical care and back again to basic assistance. A professional home care agency will help make these types of care transitions as simple and as seamless as possible, offering recommendations, assisting with transitions, and coordinating changing care needs.

We hope that this information will prove to be helpful in the process of selecting senior care services for someone you love. Engaging the services of a caregiver through a dependable home care agency, such as Help at Home Senior Care, is always the safest choice. We’d love the opportunity to learn more about a senior you love and to help him or her live an active, engaged, and independent life with the companionship of one of our friendly caregivers. Reach out to us at (530) 885-7444 for more information on how our professional home and memory care in Auburn and surrounding areas can make each day the very best it can be for an older adult you love.

Initiating a routine exercise habit is difficult at any age. Performing exercises is strenuous. We don’t want to waste the time. We're feeling the pain from yesterday's exercising. We've all made excuses such as these for avoiding physical fitness; but frailty and advanced age make it even more daunting to keep up with an exercise routine and maintain senior fitness.

Help at Home Senior Care hopes to help aging adults continue to be active with tips to eliminate the following senior fitness obstacles:

• Self-confidence: It’s common for older adults to feel overwhelmed with the thought of meeting exercise goals and objectives. It can be beneficial to begin slowly with exercises that are easily accomplished and progress slowly; and, motivate the senior with frequent encouragement.
• Attitude: Attitude is critical when it comes to physical fitness. If approached negatively, it will be much more difficult to adhere to an effective exercise regimen. Opt for activities that will be enjoyable and that the older adult will look forward to.
• Pain: The expression, “No pain, no gain,” just isn’t true. Older adults should refrain from overdoing it and decrease the intensity level if being afflicted by pain or discomfort.
• Disabilities: Aging adults with physical or cognitive limitations can and should stay physically active in accordance with their ability level. Check with the physician for a referral to a personal trainer or physical therapist who can come up with a program of specialized exercises.
• Fear of Injury/Balance Problems: There are a variety of assistive devices to support safe, effective exercising while still maximizing senior fitness.
• Financial Concerns: It does not have to cost a lot of money to stay fit! Walking and other straightforward exercises in and around the senior's home, utilizing typical household objects, can be incorporated into an exercise regimen at little to no cost.
• Illness or Fatigue: Exercises can be customized to match the older individual's energy level, and he or she may slowly increase the endurance level in time.

Keep in mind that the trick to ongoing success with an exercise program is to assure the older adult feels comfortable and safe with the strategy and the exercises. If pain is felt in muscles or joints the day after exercising, a lowered intensity can be implemented; and check with the doctor if the pain or discomfort continues.

Help at Home Senior Care's caregivers will work with your loved one's physician to implement a safe exercise plan in line with his or her abilities to boost strength, independence, and overall quality of life. Reach out to us at (530) 885-7444 to learn more about the positive aspects of daily exercise in improving senior fitness and to learn more about our home care and Alzheimer's care in Lincoln, CA and the surrounding areas.

The perks of engaging in physical activity do not decline as we age, and it’s extremely essential to have ability-appropriate workout routines for older adults. Even those who are confined to a bed or are wheelchair-bound have a wide range of opportunities available to strengthen, develop resistance, and improve flexibility.

The initial step is always to consult the physician to get a recommendation on the most beneficial exercises and activities for older persons that fit with their activity level and medical history. Initially, exercising even for as little as a couple of minutes every day, repeated several times during the day, can considerably enhance the senior’s health and wellbeing.

Below are several examples of the best workout routines for older adults:

• Aerobics: If whole body movements aren’t feasible, exercises from a sitting position can be substituted to develop cardio strength. When possible, beneficial choices include:
  • Swimming or water aerobics
  • Dancing
  • Walking
  • Tai Chi
  • Bowling
• Resistance Exercises: To build and strengthen muscles, resistance exercises can be executed with elastic bands, which can be found in a variety of tensile strengths. The Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences shares that even just one day each week of resistance activity helps seniors retain independence and decrease the threat of injuries.
• Flexibility Exercises: Stretching exercises help improve flexibility and range of motion. Search for yoga classes at local senior or recreation centers.
• Alzheimer’s Exercises: In the earlier stages of dementia, a range of exercise opportunities is possible, and, with enhanced supervision and some adjustments, can be continued as the disease progresses. Since repetition is often comforting to those with Alzheimer’s disease, activities such as walking, riding a stationary bike, and folding laundry are helpful to both the senior's mental and physical state.

Encouraging your loved one to start and then stick with an exercise routine is integral to success. Try these tips to make it something enjoyable that he or she will look forward to:

• Join in an exercise program with the older adult. It’s always more fun to exercise with a buddy.
• Add favorite, upbeat music.
• Set aside dedicated time each and every day expressly for physical fitness, and make it a priority.
• Put in place incentives or rewards for reaching milestones.

For more tips on helping seniors increase activity levels, contact Help at Home Senior Care. Our expert in-home caregivers are knowledgeable in helping older individuals thrive and enhance their overall wellbeing, and we love nothing more than having the assurance that the older adults in our care are healthy and living life to the fullest! Reach out to us at (530) 885-7444 to learn more about how we provide the kind of senior care Grass Valley and other nearby areas choose first! For more information about all of the different communities we serve in California, please visit our Service Area page.

Even though the yuletide season is usually viewed as a time that is joyful, full of visiting family and friends who are nearest and dearest, and finding the perfect gifts, for seniors, it can be anything but merry and bright. A blend of loved ones lost, memories of holidays past, health issues, and more can hit seniors with emotions of loneliness and sorrow. 

Help at Home Senior Care, professional provider of home care and dementia care in Lincoln, CA and nearby areas, cares deeply about making certain that older adults feel included in the celebrations and enjoy the holidays to the fullest. These guidelines for fun holiday activities for seniors can help everyone enjoy the wonder of the holiday season together:

• Develop a cookbook with recipes from family members. Compile all the recipes together, and then make copies of your new family cookbook.
• Take a drive to see holiday lights in an old neighborhood that the senior grew up in.
• If the senior has trouble taking the time to put out holiday decorations, offer your help! This is a great way to share memories of past holidays and the story behind different decorations. Help at Home Senior Care can also supply help with holiday decorating.
• For a holiday that is truly relaxing, schedule time together at a local beauty shop or spa. You can even arrange for a local beautician or masseuse to come to the home, if it’s possible.

Safety precautions may also come into play for the older adult, for a variety of reasons: heightened fall risks with all of the extra holiday decorations, difficulties sticking to a prescribed dietary plan, and for those with dementia, interruption to routine, additional visitors to the home, and higher noise levels can all lead to stress.

Keep the following in mind to be sure older adults remain safe and content:

• Keep decoration safety in mind. Ensure that there are clear walking paths, and try to utilize simple, uncluttered decorations. 
• Reduced lighting can cover up things that seniors could possibly trip over, such as extension cords.
• Set aside a quiet area for the older person if the enthusiasm of young children, loud music, and activities become stressful.
• Appoint someone to be the older adult's "buddy" for the event, making certain his or her needs are fully met and establishing a bond that is wonderful for both.

The holiday season can certainly be fun and relaxing for everyone. With just a little pre-planning and additional thought, older individuals will enjoy the holidays as much as everyone else, creating new memories that the whole family will take pleasure in for a lifetime.

And, if in the middle of the holiday hustle and bustle you could use the support of professional home caregivers to provide home care or dementia care in Lincoln, CA or the surrounding area, Help at Home Senior Care is on hand to help! Contact us online or call us at (530) 885-7444 to learn more about how we can support you and your family and for more ideas for fun holiday activities for the elderly to enjoy this holiday season.

The holidays are loaded with get-togethers, parties, and celebrations. Yet for older adults, holiday outings call for a little additional planning. Follow these guidelines from the caring professionals at Help at Home Senior Care, providers of in-home respite care services in Grass Valley, CA and surrounding communities, to enjoy relaxed and fun outings with loved ones of all ages this season.

Before leaving the house to enjoy holiday activities for seniors, think about:

• The amount of walking required and whether or not there will be parking close by
• Whether the location is flat or has steps or hills to climb
• Whether there will be wheelchair access (if appropriate)
• If there is cover and shade
• Where the bathroom facilities are
• If there is seating available if the senior wants to rest

Be certain to prepare for a wide variety of possible plan changes:

• Have all required medications on hand, and bring an extra supply, just in case the outing lasts longer or takes an unanticipated turn
• Have appropriate clothes along with sun and rain protection 
• Bring something to eat and drink with you, in case of a delay

Need some holiday outing suggestions that seniors will take pleasure in? Consider the following:

• Enjoy a relaxing family drive to look at the area holiday lights
• If it's possible and welcomed, invite the senior to your home to help decorate for the holidays
• Bring the senior to a holiday party at the local senior center
• Go to community plays; in addition to the local theater or ballet, there are affordably priced plays and shows put on by local schools

When participating in any holiday activities for seniors, take things slow, and create a relaxing environment to make sure loved ones are comfortable and content. Help at Home Senior Care’s in-home respite care in Grass Valley, CA and surrounding areas can offer support and boost a senior's independence while providing high-quality in-home care over the course of the holiday season and all through the year! Contact our dedicated senior care professionals online or at (530) 885-7444 to learn more.