Uncategorized Archives - Abiding Care

July 17, 2018 by Michael Kernan. Administrator

What Do You Need to Know Right Away as a New Caregiver?

If your senior has experienced an emergency situation, you may have found yourself suddenly in the role of being a caregiver. Here’s what you need to know.

Learn as Much as You Can Right Now about What’s Happening

Chances are good that if you suddenly need to be your senior’s caregiver, something has happened. You need to learn as much as you can about what is going on and what you can do. Talk with your senior’s medical team and ask questions about anything you don’t understand.

Go with Your Gut

You know your elderly family member well, most likely, and even though you’re in a sudden situation, you have instincts about how to help. Avoid second-guessing yourself and go with your gut instincts. When you combine your instincts with the information you’re gaining, you’re going to be able to help that much more.

You’re There to Be a Support for Your Senior

Your senior may be able to regain some of her independence after the crisis passes. The purpose of your help is to support her, not to do everything for her. When you do more for her than you should, you’re actually doing her a disservice. It’s important that you learn that distinction so that you’re not taking over too much.

Learn Your Limitations Quickly

Everyone has limits and if you don’t know yours, you’re more likely to end up in a pickle. Be realistic with yourself about how much you can do. Your own health or other obligations can be a key component of determining your own limitations. Respecting your own limitations can help you steer clear of stress more readily. If you ignore your own boundaries, though, you’re going to find yourself dealing with stress sooner and more often than you should.

Get Help Now Rather than Waiting

If you wait to get some extra help, you’re more likely to be extremely frustrated by the time you reach out. Hiring elderly care providers now is going to give you huge benefits. It can also shorten your learning curve about what you can do to help your senior as much as possible. You may only need a little bit of help, but that’s still better than overburdening yourself and stretching yourself too thin.

When the situation calms down a little bit, you can start to do a more in-depth evaluation of your senior’s needs. Until then, you are building a support system for yourself and for your aging adult.

If you are considering elderly care in Rolling Meadows, IL for an aging loved one, please call the caring staff at A-Abiding Care today. Serving North and Northwest Chicago and the surrounding area for over 30 years. Call 847-698-1400.

January 5, 2018 by Michael Kernan. Administrator

How Can Elder Care Help Your Parent Pursue Their Goals?

Elder care can be an exceptional way for your parent to live their highest quality of life as they age in place, but it is not just about meeting their basic needs or providing supportive care for the very old or the very sick. Instead, having an elderly home care services provider is a way for your parent to stay as active, engaged, and independent as possible while working toward their best health and well-being. One way that they can do this is helping your parent to pursue their goals.

Some ways that elder care can help your parent pursue their goals include:

Talk to them about them so that your parent feels acknowledged, supported, and understood. Just knowing that there is someone who knows about their goals and is willing to support them through their pursuit of them can be extremely encouraging and help your parent to feel more like they will be able to accomplish these goals.
Work with your parent to create reminders of their goals and their deadlines. These can be fantastic activities for them to do together to stimulate their mind and keep them motivated, such as making signs and dream boards for the goal, or indicating the deadline on a large, highly visible calendar that they can see each day.
Help your parent to come up with a timeline of how they will pursue their goal, or a list of actionable steps that they can follow to get them to what they want to accomplish.
Be there for your parent throughout the pursuit of the goal to help them feel supported and provide assistance. This can be efforts such as preparing healthy meals for a senior pursuing a weight loss goal, or helping with internet research for a senior who wants to learn something new.

If you have been looking for ways to enhance your aging parents quality of life as they age in place, starting elder care for them may be the ideal solution. An elderly home care services provider can create a highly personalized approach to your parents care that includes services specifically tailored toward their individual challenges, needs, and limitations. These services are designed to not only help your parent to manage their needs in the way that is right for them, but also to support a lifestyle focused on mental, emotional, and physical health, independence and autonomy, and fulfillment. These services can include everything from safe and reliable transportation, to companionship, to assistance with personal care needs and activities of daily life.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Glenview, IL, please call the caring staff at A-Abiding Care today. Serving North and Northwest Chicago and the surrounding area for over 30 years. Call 847-698-1400.

June 15, 2017 by Michael Kernan. Administrator

June is Audiobook Appreciation Month: 4 Reasons for Seniors to Listen

If your parent used to love reading, but no longer spends much time reading, June might be the month to get them back into books – audiobooks, that is! Audiobooks are a wonderful alternative to reading and may have the same benefits for the brain as traditional reading. Researchers have found that reading can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and keep the brain healthier. Unfortunately, for some seniors, reading becomes more of a challenge with age. It can be difficult to see the words on the page and arthritic hands may find holding a book painful. In addition, seniors who are homebound might have trouble getting to the library or bookstore to get new books. If those experiences are keeping your parent from reading, here are some reasons to make the switch to audiobooks.

#1 Audiobooks Don’t Have to Be Held

Holding a book can be uncomfortable if your parent has arthritis or other conditions that affect the hands. Turning pages can also be difficult for fingers that aren’t as nimble as they used to be. With audiobooks, there’s no reason for your parent to use their hands at all. Today’s audiobooks can be downloaded to tablets, smartphones, and computers. They are also available on CDs. Your parent’s home care provider can simply set the device up to play the book and there’s no need for your parent to touch it unless they want to pause or stop the book. Even then, if the book is being played on a smartphone or tablet, pausing or stopping only requires a tap of the finger.

#2 Seniors with Vision Loss Can “Read”

Vision loss can make it difficult or even impossible for seniors to read. While there are large print books available, sometimes even those aren’t a possibility depending on the level of vision loss. Audiobooks allow seniors with vision loss to remain connected to the literary world. In fact, some might find audiobooks even more enjoyable since they are often read by professional voice actors and even some famous movie and television stars.

#3 Audiobooks Are a Great Boredom Buster

If your parent spends much of the day alone with only family caregivers and home care providers stopping in for short visits, audiobooks can be a great way to keep your parent from getting bored. In addition, the sound of another human voice may make them feel less lonely.

#4 Audiobooks Are Widely Available

Although your parent’s home care provider can drive them to the library or the bookstore for new books, audiobooks are even more easily available. Audiobooks are available on the Internet for instant download and many are even available for free. Some libraries also provide patrons with free access to audiobooks online using their library cards.

Sources

http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/benefits-of-reading/

https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/reading-alzheimers-bay/

If you or an aging loved-on are considering home care in Glenview, IL, please call the caring staff at A-Abiding Care today. Serving North and Northwest Chicago and the surrounding area for over 30 years. Call 847-698-1400.