Southeast Houston Home Health – Home Instead Senior Care Southeast Houston Blog moved to Home Care Southeast Houston at Carebuzz.com!!

Helping seniors remain in their homes safely and comfortably is our mission at Home Instead Senior Care Southeast Houston.  We moved for several reasons – Home Health Southeast Houston:

• Give you more useful tips
• Home care savings
• Home care packages to help you save
• A national connection of senior service providers
• Home care videos
• Home care podcasts
• and much more to help better guide you to caring for an aging parent or relative in Southeast Houston, Texas.

Home Instead Senior Care Southeast Houston appreciates our readership and hope you join us at Home Health blog on Carebuzz.com.

Thank you for your loyalty and trusting your elder loved one’s care with us!

Keeping your elder loved one at home is important to you and for them. Most seniors prefer home instead of assisted living or a nursing home facility. When you need help with your loved; making sure they remain safe and healthy at home please contact Home Instead Senior Care Houston at (281) 484-0200.

Here are a few tips that insure they remain safe at home.

Take a look around the house at the top of furniture and countertops, the presence of dust and dirt; especially if it represents a decline in cleaning habits, may indicate problems completing household tasks.

Dirt on fans or ceilings could mean that they are having trouble with reaching, or are no longer able to use a step stool in order to clean those areas. Often seniors who are beginning to neglect household cleaning may keep books, magazines and newspapers under beds and sofas, where they present a fire hazard.

There are a few things that may tell you that your loved one is having difficulty with balance or mobility. Stains on carpets or flooring in rooms, hallways, or stairs, may be a sign that food or drink has been spilled because of poor balance or shaky hands. Beware of objects around their home that may pose a tripping hazard; like frayed carpets, throw rugs, or other furniture.

Home Instead Senior Care Southeast Houston, Webster, Pasadena, Baytown, League City, Houston Bay Area Helping Seniors with Alzheimer’s Live at Home – Call us 281-484-0200.

SENIOR CARE HOUSTON: HOW TO DECIDE

I deal with a large number of seniors on a daily basis, since I work in a medical clinic that specializes in geriatrics. I know how challenging it can be to determine when it’s time to seek care for a loved one, especially since they may not go along with the idea willingly for fear of losing their independence.

However, it’s an important decision that relatives must make in order to ensure that their senior family member is safe and healthy living in their own home. There are a number of areas within the home that family members can check in order to determine if seniors are providing for themselves effectively when it comes to nutrition, housekeeping duties, personal hygiene, medication requirements as well as other responsibilities.

Take a close look around the kitchen, including the refrigerator, freezer, drawers and cupboards to get a feel for cleanliness and shopping habits. If there is food spoiled in the fridge, it may indicate that the person has trouble getting to the grocery store or is neglecting the cleaning. Kitchens also typically have many tight spaces; if these areas are dirty it may indicate additional trouble.

To get a better idea about what your loved one is eating, take a look at their grocery lists either before or after the shopping has been done. People who have difficulty with mobility or have other challenges with meal preparation, often purchase junk foods and other convenience items that are quick and easy; however, these may not be the healthiest options, since they are lacking in the much needed fresh fruits and vegetables.

Home Instead Senior Care Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, Baytown, League City, Houston Bay Area Helping Seniors with Alzheimer’s Live at Home – Call us 281-484-0200.

 LEARNING WHEN TO ASK FOR HELP

I have been a full time caregiver for my elderly parents for about two and a half years. When my mother lost her mobility skills and my father suffered a severe stroke, they were no longer able to properly provide for themselves in their own home.

There was discussion about placing them both in a long-term care home to meet their day-to-day needs, but for two of them, this just wasn’t financially feasible for anyone in the family. With no other choice, we came to the decision that I would quit my job and act as their caregiver on a full time basis, which would also allow them to remain living in their own home.

I had always balanced my work life with caring for a household of four children, and thought that the transition to caregiver would be seamless since I no longer had work to compete with, and half my children had moved out of the house, while the others were self sufficient in their teenage years.

So I was surprised when the stress began taking its toll on me both physically and emotionally. Initially it began with the development of insomnia, and then the migraines started to develop, followed by the regular stomach cramps. I didn’t think to see my doctor at this point; in fact, I just chalked it up to aging.

However, things started to get out of hand when I began to notice my hair starting to thin, and my sex drive greatly declined much to my husband’s dismay. My family also began having to walk on egg shells around me, because of my regular, unpredictable mood swings, constant need to argue and criticize and general irritability.

Finally, it took my husband and children sitting me down and letting me know they didn’t like the changes they were seeing in me. So I made an appointment with my physician, and his initial recommendation was simple; I needed to take some time for myself and stop focusing so much on the needs of everyone else.

He also recommended Home Instead Senior Care Houston, if I needed a professional caregiver to come in and help me with my parents and advised that I attend a community support group to talk to others with similar stresses. I’ve learned now how important it is that I do things just for me, that I don’t need to be everything for everyone all the time. My health has improved, and now I remember how to have fun again.

Home Instead Senior Care Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, Baytown, League City, Houston Bay Area Helping Seniors with Alzheimer’s Live at Home – Call us 281-484-0200.

A family member in Houston cares for her mom living with Alzheimer’s disease – continued from October 1.

I setup an appointment to discuss the services and learned that what they provided is strictly non-medical in nature; their CAREGivers would be able to fill in for my regular responsibilities whenever I needed them to. I signed my mom up for the program and had someone come in for a few hours a day, 3 days per week to assist with tasks around the house and to act as a source of companionship.

As selfish as it sounds, I’ve been able to take back a part of my life because I learned there’s no reason that I had to do it alone. I know, that like me, people are often wary about caregiving assistance, but HISC’s CAREGivers are bonded, insured and have passed criminal background checks.

The training and education program they are put through creates professional, hard-working individuals who know their craft; they are trained on activities to stimulate seniors, nutritional recipes and information on senior illness. I know that when I am not with my mother, she is in good hands.

Home Instead Senior Care Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, Baytown, League City, Houston Bay Area Helping Seniors with Alzheimer’s Live at Home – Call us 281-484-0200.

HELP FROM HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE HOUSTON – A family member’s experience:

For 10 years I acted as a part-time caregiver to my 70-something year old mother while she suffered through the early stages of Alzheimer’s; fortunately, by that stage, I was well into my middle ages and my children had already left home, though I did continue to work a full-time job.

I knew I wasn’t the only one struggling to balance my caregiving responsibilities with the rest of my life; I’m aware of the statistics, that nearly 5 million people in North American suffer from Alzheimer’s, which is only expected to triple or more by 2050. However, my knowledge of the disease did not change the reality; I was struggling through the stress and caving to the pressure.

A family friend recommended that I contact Home Instead Senior Care and seek care for my mother’s Alzheimer’s.

Read the end of my story on October 3rd. Thank you.

I couldn’t remember the last time I did something just for me; even after the birth of my children, I had hobbies, I went out with my friends, and attended events with my husband. After speaking with a friend, I was recommended to Home Instead Senior Care Southeast Houston, a company that I was told could help me, since they provide professional in home care for seniors.

After checking them out, I signed my mother up to receive assistance a few days a week, to alleviate some of my responsibilities. They also recommended me to a caregiver support group in my neighborhood so I could speak with other people who would understand what I’m going through.

With the help from HISC, I was able to take back some of my social life, and generally look after myself. After a few years in this routine, I was fortunate enough to be in a financial situation to cut back my hours at work. I chose to spend more time caring for my mom while still working part time; but having learned my lesson earlier,

I kept the help that HISC had been providing to allow me some guilt-free time to myself. While dealing with my aging mother, caring for my family, and working still naturally pose a stressful combination, I am no longer overwhelmed and I am better able to care for everyone, including myself.

Home Instead Senior Care Southeast Houston provides resources that seniors need to remain independent at home, we hope that families can avoid some of the stress that goes with caring for an aging loved one – (281) 484-0200.

WHEN A CAREGIVER NEEDS TO STEP BACK

Home Instead Senior Care Southeast Houston provides resources that seniors need to remain independent at home, we hope that families can avoid some of the stress that goes with caring for an aging loved one – (281) 484-0200.

I’ve been my mother’s caregiver for over 10 years, since she suffered from a severe stroke in her late 70’s. Initially, I only cared for her on a part time basis, while I continued to manage my full time career and run a household consisting of 3 small children, and 1 husband who was frequently away from home on business trips.

When I began this process, the challenge was invigorating, but as time went on I started to cave under the pressure; with all my responsibilities compounded together, it was like working 3 full time jobs. When I started to have these feelings, I felt guilty; I knew my family needed me, and I didn’t want to disappoint them. So what did I do? I kept a stiff upper lip, and continued on. My immune system suffered from the stress I was feeling, and I seemed to have a constant illness I just couldn’t get away from; I wasn’t sleeping much, and I went through my daily routine in a daze.

It wasn’t until I stumbled in from my mother’s house late one evening, and collapsed into bed, only to be immediately disturbed by my 5 year old daughter, did I realize that something needed to change. I hadn’t even gone into my children’s bedrooms to kiss them goodnight, and instead of recognizing how much she missed my absence, I got upset because her appearance kept me from rest.

It was only later did I hear about the respite care Home Instead Senior Care in Southeast Houston delivers. If you are like me and need help, please call them at (281) 484-0200.

“Third, safety becomes a real concern for seniors who are suffering illness or mobility problems.  To prevent falls, consider putting grab bars in bathrooms, placing bright yellow tape strips on stairs or painting the toilet seat yellow,” she said. 

“Finally, transportation is a big challenge for those seniors who are forced to give up their keys.  Communities can offer the best programs in the world, but if you can’t get the individual there, what good are they?” Hujer said.

Oftentimes, seniors are reluctant to seek outside help because they want to keep doing things the way they always have.  “Dementia, which includes Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive problems, may impair seniors’ judgment as well as their memory,” Hujer said.  “That’s when, with an older adult’s input, a caregiver can intervene to promote a safe environment and help ensure quality of life.”

“By helping adult children identify the types of resources that a senior might need to remain independent at home, we hope that families can avoid some of the stress that goes with caring for an aging loved one,”

Home Instead Senior Care Southeast Houston & Bay Area – please call (281-484-0200.

Seniors’ expectations for remaining at home are high.  In a survey conducted late last year by Home Instead Senior Care, 83 percent of seniors surveyed said they are very or somewhat likely to remain in their homes rather than move to a care facility. If you choose to stay home and need help at your home call 281-484-0200.

Home Instead Senior Care, the largest provider of non-medical home care and companionship for the elderly in the U.S., sends CAREGivers to seniors to help keep them independent and at home for as long as possible.

 “Most people, in general, want to live at home or independently in a retirement community,” said Mary Hujer RN, MSN, geriatric clinical nurse specialist for the Cleveland Clinic.  “Who wants to lose their independence?  The best approach to staying self-sufficient is to plan ahead and accept help when necessary.”

Hujer explained that some concerns of aging, which jeopardize independence, could include isolation, weight loss, safety and transportation.  Research shows that routine socialization is one of the key aspects of successful aging so it’s important for seniors to find social activities. 

Poor nutrition that leads to weight loss can be caused by multiple factors, some of which may be social.  Up to one-third of patients I see experience some weight loss at one time or another.

Home Instead Senior Care Southeast Houston helps Houston elders & seniors eliminate isolation, weight loss, safety and transportation. Call us at 281-484-0200.