When you think about what a healthy lifestyle means, a good diet and exercise program is likely what comes to mind. Therefore, it may surprise you that social interaction is every bit as important to a person’s well-being. This is especially problematic for seniors since approximately 30% of them are socially isolated. Events like children moving away, the loss of…
In our last blog post, we shared the positive aspects of utilizing a professional in-home care agency to provide the highest quality and safest level of home care services in the west suburbs of Chicago. But specifically, what types of home care services are available to help older individuals remain safe and thriving at home? If you have decided that…
When you are looking for in home care for elderly loved ones, there are many available possibilities, and deciding where to turn can be overwhelming. For example, should you work with a professional home care agency, a privately hired caregiver, or use a caregiving registry? And how can you figure out which home care option is optimal for your loved…
The LaGrange, IL home care experts at Home & Hearth Caregivers want to help you understand the signs your kidneys might be sending. Loss of appetite. Hiccups. Itching. Difficulty sleeping. These are just a handful of the many seemingly innocuous indicators that could perhaps mean kidney disease. And with upwards of 20 million people in the U.S. fighting the disease,…
Leave it to the healthcare industry to come up with yet another few acronyms to add to their extensive list – ADLs and IADLs. These are common terms in the healthcare field used to outline the everyday self-care tasks that a person engages in on a regular basis to stay independent and well. It is also common for these acronyms…
It can be human nature to deny that we are in need of help, although we really do. This can be typical especially of seniors, who may not want to confess they need help doing the daily activities that used to be a snap but now are becoming more difficult. For loved ones, this can make noticing that an older…
The most wonderful thing about human beings is that each one of them is altogether one-of-a-kind, and that doesn’t change just because of age. As we grow older, we remain the unique and intricate individuals that we have been our entire lives. Assuming that all older adults will act the same and need the same things is a cookie cutter…
“I never want to end up in a nursing home.” If you’re the child of an elderly parent, more than likely you’ve heard your loved one say these words or a similar statement signifying his or her wish to continue to age in place at home as opposed to moving into a nursing home or assisted living facility. The fact…
Dementia confusion, a common occurrence in Alzheimer’s, can result in recent memories being forgotten or distorted, while those from the more remote past often stay intact. This may cause prior times to make more sense to an older adult with dementia than the present. A person’s alternate reality could be his or her way of making sense of the present…
Even though the yuletide season is usually thought of as a time that is joyous, full of visiting those who are nearest and dearest and purchasing gifts, for seniors, it can be anything but merry and bright. A combination of lost loved ones, memories of holidays past, health problems and more can impact seniors with emotions of loneliness and sadness.…