by San Diego Home Care

Simple Fall Prevention Exercises Seniors Can Do at Home

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Reduce the risk of falls with simple fall prevention exercises.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shares that as many as one-third of seniors experience a fall each year, and surprisingly, only half of them bring those falls to the attention of a doctor. When an older adult falls, even if it does not cause a serious injury, it can lead to an elevated fear of falling again. This can cause the person to begin to limit activities and exercise, which leads to reduced mobility and eventually, a greater risk of another fall.  Read more

by San Diego Home Care

Simple Solutions to Reduce Caregiver Stress That You Can Start Today

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It is important for caregivers to manage caregiver stress for their own wellbeing.

Caregiver stress is inescapable, but realistically, not always a bad thing. They say, “A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.” But is that true for caregivers? In particular for family caregivers, the level of stress can rapidly worsen and become overwhelming, and if not handled correctly, result in significant health concerns. Read more

by San Diego Home Care

Four Fun Holiday Activities for Seniors and their Families

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Senior woman smiling at the holiday dinner table with family

For ideas on holiday activities for seniors, reach out to San Diego Home Caregivers, provider of elderly care and dementia care in San Diego & nearby areas.

Even though the holiday season is typically thought about as a time that is joyful, abundant with visiting loved ones who are near and dear to us and finding the perfect gifts, for older people, it can be anything but merry and bright. A blend of loved ones lost, memories of holidays past, health problems and more can impact seniors with loneliness and sorrow.

At San Diego Home Caregivers, we care deeply about making certain that seniors feel included in the celebrations and enjoy the holidays to the fullest. These fun holiday activities for seniors can help everyone enjoy the wonder of the holidays 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 view holiday lights in an old neighborhood that your older family member remembers fondly.
  • If a senior has trouble with putting out holiday decorations, offer your assistance! This is a wonderful way to share memories of past holidays and the significance behind different decorations. San Diego Home Caregivers can also provide help with holiday decorating.
  • For a holiday that is truly relaxing, schedule time together at a local salon or spa. You can even request a local beautician or masseuse to come to the home if it’s possible.

Safety measures may also come up for the older adult, for a variety of reasons: elevated fall risks with all of the extra holiday decorations, problems with following a prescribed dietary plan, and for those with dementia, disruption to routine, additional visitors in the home, and higher noise levels can all lead to stress.

Bear 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.
  • Subdued lighting can conceal things that the elderly 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.
  • Assign 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 holidays can certainly be fun and relaxing for everyone. With just a little pre-planning and additional thought, seniors will enjoy the holidays as much as everyone else, producing 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 might like the help of a professional caregiver, San Diego Home Caregivers, a provider of elderly care and dementia care in San Diego and other surrounding areas, is here to help! Contact us at (619) 487-9000 to learn more about how our services can brighten the holiday season for you and your family and for more ideas for fun holiday activities for seniors to enjoy this season. For a full list of the cities we serve, please click here.

by San Diego Home Care

Top Senior Safety Tips to Make Holiday Outings More Enjoyable

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Senior woman helping grandchild make a gingerbread house

For more senior safety tips for the holidays, call San Diego Home Caregivers, provider of in home care La Jolla and nearby areas trust most.

The holidays are chock-full of celebrations, parties, and get-togethers. However, for seniors, holiday outings call for a little supplemental planning. Try these senior safety tips from the home care professionals at San Diego Home Caregivers to enjoy fun and relaxed outings with family members of all ages this holiday season.

Prior to leaving the house, consider:

  • How much walking will be required, and whether or not there will be parking nearby
  • Whether the location is flat or has steps or hills to climb
  • If it is wheelchair-accessible (if appropriate)
  • If there is cover and shade
  • Whether you can find bathroom facilities
  • Whether or not there are seats available just in case the older adult wants to rest

Make sure to be prepared for a wide range of potential changes in plans:

  • Have all necessary medications with you, and bring an extra supply, in the event the outing takes longer or takes an unexpected turn
  • Have appropriate clothes along with rain and sun protection
  • Bring along something to eat and drink with you, in the event of a delay

Need some holiday outing suggestions that older adults might enjoy? Take into consideration the following:

  • Take a relaxing family drive to see the area holiday lights
  • If possible and received warmly, invite the older person to your home to help decorate for the holidays
  • Take your older loved one to a holiday party at a local senior center
  • Attend community plays; in addition to the local theater or ballet, there are reasonably priced plays and shows given by local schools

When participating in any holiday activities for seniors, take things slow and create a relaxing environment to make sure the senior is happy and comfortable.

The home care team at San Diego Home Caregivers can help by improving a senior’s independence while providing exceptional in-home care during the holidays and all through the year! Call our dedicated senior care professionals at (619) 487-900 to learn more about our in home care in La Jolla and other nearby communities. For a full list of the cities we serve in California, please click here.

by San Diego Home Care

Understanding the Differences in Depression and Dementia

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Elderly woman looking out a window

Would you recognize if a senior loved one had depression or dementia?

Visiting Mom recently revealed a number of concerning signs. Though she has always been up and out of bed before 7 a.m., now it’s difficult to wake her before noon. Rather than going to great lengths to prepare an elaborate home-cooked meal, she would rather merely warm up a can of soup; and can barely finish a small bowlful. On top of that, she’s lost interest in enjoying time with her best friends from her knitting club. Could she be suffering from depression or dementia? 

There are a number of similarities between the two, like:

  • Eating and sleeping changes
  • Reduced interest in formerly enjoyed interests and hobbies, and spending time with others
  • Reduced memory and the ability to focus

There are, however, a number of distinguishing differences to help identify whether depression or dementia could be at play:

Dementia:

  • A slow, progressive decline in mental functioning
  • Noticeable problems with motor and/or language skills
  • Difficulty with memory, without being aware of these problems
  • Confusion in knowing the correct date, time, and surroundings

Depression:

  • A more rapid decline in mental functioning
  • Difficulties with concentration
  • A bit slower, but still normal motor and language abilities
  • Difficulty with memory issues, but being aware of the problem
  • Awareness of correct date, time and surroundings

Sometimes, both conditions can impact a person simultaneously. Brent Forester, MD, director of the mood disorders division in the geriatric psychiatry research program at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA, shares, “40 to 50% of people with Alzheimer’s disease get depression, but depression also may be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s.”

If you suspect either depression or dementia in a senior loved one, arrange for an appointment as soon as possible with his/her doctor. Receiving a correct diagnosis and beginning a treatment plan is imperative. 

Help for depression can include an antidepressant along with therapeutic counseling, or hospitalization if the difficulties are severe and require more intensive treatment. Dementia care usually involves medications that help with specific symptoms, like sleep problems, memory loss, or changes in behavior. 

If a senior you love has been diagnosed with either depression or dementia, or is struggling with any other difficulties of aging, San Diego Home Caregivers can help. With our skilled dementia and elder home care services, we’re here for whatever specific needs your loved one is facing. Contact us online or at (619) 487-9000 for more information on dementia care in La Mesa, CA, or to request a free in-home consultation. For a full list of all of the communities where we provide care, please visit our Communities Served page.

by San Diego Home Care

Learn Family Elder Care Tips to Create Joy Each Day at Home

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Elder Care

Our La Mesa caregivers share elder care tips for activities that are rewarding for both seniors and caregivers.

An incredible number of individuals nationwide are finding themselves in the position of providing elder care for an older family member, and while being a family caregiver is very fulfilling in many ways, the everyday duties involved with senior care can become tedious for both the caregiver and the care recipient. San Diego Home Caregivers, a provider of highly skilled home and memory care in La Mesa and the surrounding areas, wants to help you put the fun back into your loved one’s day-to-day routine. All it takes is a little inventiveness! Try some of these ideas to make daily senior care more interesting:

Add Style

These recommendations can add some style and fun to dressing, doing laundry, and other tasks:

  • Ask the senior to help with laundry (sorting/folding/putting away). Make the most of this time to discuss your day, a television show you both like, or other common interest.
  • Flip through magazines and catalogs and choose fashions you think the other would look good in.
  • Make selecting clothes and accessories to wear every day a fun event.

Spice Up Meals

Food is part of our culture, family history and traditions, and is associated with numerous emotions. Make mealtime more fun by:

  • Involving the senior in washing/drying dishes.
  • Inviting the older person to assist in making a traditional family meal.
  • Enjoying meals outdoors when weather permits.

Try Something New

There’s always something new to be learned, and no better time than now to try a new hobby or pursue a goal. There are a variety of virtual classes available, with some targeted particularly to older adults and offering reduced (or no-cost) rates. Look for possibilities to learn:

  • A new language.
  • How to play a musical instrument.
  • Skills such as knitting, cooking, gardening, drawing – the options are limitless!

At San Diego Home Caregivers, we know that providing care for an older loved one can be both rewarding and intimidating, and we want you to know that you are not alone. As a leading provider of trusted in home care services, we offer quality companionship, personal care services such as showering and dressing, respite care, and motivation to engage in a variety of enriching activities.

Contact us at (619) 487-9000 to learn more about personalized options for home and memory care in La Mesa and nearby areas to brighten up everyday life for a senior you love. See our full service area.

by San Diego Home Care

Creating Purpose and Enhancing Health with Engaging Activities for Seniors

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Activities for Seniors

Escape the boring routines and discover how home care can enrich your life with engaging activities for seniors!

Is your senior loved one participating in enriching activities on a regular basis, or is he or she stuck in a rut that consists of watching television, eating, and sleeping? Particularly during this time of quarantining and isolation, it can be difficult to maintain an active and involved way of living – but it’s crucially important for the health and quality of life of aging adults.

At San Diego Home Caregivers, expert providers of in-home senior help, we believe that enhancing home health care services with engaging activities for seniors is a key component of ensuring the highest quality of life. San Diego Home Caregivers is one of the leading providers of San Diego senior care and care throughout the surrounding areas, in part because we believe the individuals we serve ought to be honored with activities that engage them and help them remain involved in living life to the fullest on a daily basis. As a result, our in-home caregivers individualize activities to match each person’s distinct interests, hobbies, and ability levels.

Our person-centered care begins with discovering as much as possible about the individual’s preferences, dislikes, hopes and dreams, interests and life history. We get to know each person through an interview that may also include other family members if desired, and then build a personalized plan of care to incorporate a variety of appropriate enrichment activities.

Some of the benefits of including enrichment activities for seniors include:

  • Alleviate boredom and lack of enthusiasm
  • Enhance self-confidence and independence
  • Renew or increase purpose and meaning to life
  • Help improve memory
  • Restore physical abilities
  • Foster a sense of wellbeing for older individuals struggling with a chronic health problem

Successfully enhancing seniors’ daily experiences means not just customizing their activities to meet their individual preferences and tastes, but also ensuring that their daily routine has some variety. This means that on a particular day we may concentrate on activities that are created to boost their inventiveness with a simple but meaningful art project. Another day, the focus may be on just having fun with a board game or taking a short walk around the neighborhood. Ultimately, our senior home care services are customized to help older individuals develop the highest possible quality of life.

It’s equally important to use some resourceful consideration when identifying engaging activities for seniors during a time such as this when it’s best for older adults to stay at home. This might include activities such as taking virtual field trips to check out places of interest, making full use of technology like Zoom and Skype to keep in touch with loved ones, or streaming a live concert featuring his or her favorite genre of music and dancing, singing, or tapping our toes together. Our care professionals are always available to help spark creative ideas.

At San Diego Home Caregivers, improving the daily lives of seniors and optimizing their independence are central components of our mission. Our San Diego senior care and care in the surrounding communities is designed not only to support seniors’ physical needs, but to enhance their everyday experiences with specially-designed activities. Contact us through our online form or call us any time at (619) 487-9000 to learn more about our in-home senior care services. View a full list of the communities we serve.