Home Care Solutions: How to Fight Loneliness in the Elderly
It’s an unfortunate fact: sentiments of loneliness and isolation can lead to serious consequences for senior health. Let’s face it, none of us relish the thought of aging without a spouse or family member at our side…or without friends to help us laugh at the ridiculous parts of growing old while supporting us through more difficult times. Still, that is precisely what many North American seniors face – as the baby boomer generation moves beyond the over-65 threshold, it grows, yet many of our aging loved ones are still feeling alone in the crowd.
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Slips, Trips, and Falls and the Elderly: A Home Safety Checklist
As we all know, it is not uncommon for our beloved elderly to experience accidents in the home…and while it may seem that we are, at times, helpless as these scenarios play out, what’s important is learning how we can go about minimizing their injuries. First, it must be understood that dangers around the average home cause thousands of unintentional deaths per year – and falls are the cause of the most common fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults.
Consider that, according to the Centers for Disease Control:
• Some 2.3 million nonfatal fall injuries among older adults in 2010 were treated in emergency departments, with more than 662,000 of these patients hospitalized.
• The direct medical costs of falls, as adjusted for inflation, was $30 billion in 2010.
• Between 20 and 30-percent of falls among adults age 65 and older result in hip fractures, head lacerations and head trauma – injuries that normally lead to making living on their own more difficult.
• More than one-third of adults 65 and older fall each year…and fewer than half of them talk about falling with their health care provider.
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Surprising Early Signs of Glaucoma
As people age, they start experiencing various conditions their loved ones should be aware of. One of these conditions is glaucoma, which is a non-curable and irreversible condition that affects the eyes. The condition affects the sight of the victim and can lead to blindness. The onset of symptoms also affects the people around the victim, especially if they have no prior experience with the condition and are unaware of the early signs of glaucoma.
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What You Need to Know About Depression Among the Elderly
What are the major signs of depression in the elderly? What are the important things you need to know about handling your loved ones when they may be suffering with depression? Why is in-home care an important option to consider when treating depression in the elderly demographic?
If your loved one is suffering with senior depression and you have not yet asked these questions, the time is now – but there’s also no need to panic. Take the situation step-by-step by first understanding everything there is to know regarding signs of depression in the elderly.
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Facing Alzheimer’s: Why You Don’t Have to Go at it Alone
If there’s one situation that yields stress and complications in the elderly – while wreaking financial and emotional turmoil amongst family members – it’s the onset of Alzheimer’s. But we’re here to tell you that dealing with Alzheimer’s doesn’t mean you and your loved one must go at it alone. Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, or another branch of dementia, can impact every aspect one one’s daily life. As the patient loses one ability after the next, a caregiver faces challenges of stamina, problem-solving and resiliency. And while maintaining emotional and physical fitness is crucial – not just for you, but the individual you may be caring for – preparing yourself, understanding your loved one’s hardships and seeking support from others go a long way toward helping you succeed on the caregiving front.
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