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Hearing Impaired? Stay in the Conversation with These Tips!

Distracting noise, fast talking and mumbling — these circumstances and more make it a challenge for a hearing impaired individual to understand group conversations, and might cause him or her to be left out entirely. People without any hearing loss must recognize this struggle and keep in mind to speak clearly, facing the senior. For the hearing impaired senior, here are a few strategies from our Oak Brook, IL home health care team to help you communicate: Tell those you are with that you are experiencing hearing loss; that way they know to adjust their speech, look at you when...

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Say What? Tips for Managing Senior Hearing Issues

"Excuse me?” “Would you repeat that, dear?” “I’m sorry – what did you say?” If this sounds like a standard reaction in your conversations with a beloved older adult, you’re not alone. The National Institute on Aging has found a solid relationship between aging and loss of hearing, with as many as half of those age 75 and older struggling with hearing issues. Hearing loss generally creeps up gradually on older adults. With time, the wear and tear on the ears from noise attributes to hearing loss by harming the fragile inner ear. In spite of this, seniors with hearing...

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Home & Hearth’s Top Tips for Managing Senior Medications

Are your senior loved ones taking medications right now? Are you sure they’re taking them the right way? Studies show that the average individual over age 65 is taking a plethora of prescriptions – as many as 15 – 18 of them each day. And, 55% of those prescription drugs are not being taken correctly for a number of reasons, with dangerous consequences. Knowing more about your own prescriptions and those your senior loved ones are taking can help avoid dangerous medication mistakes and allow for the maximum benefits of the medications. The following are some tips to help manage...

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Proper Medication Adherence Saves Lives!

While many people may think they are following the rules when it comes to their prescriptions, medication adherence mistakes happen frequently, and the effects can be disastrous – particularly for older adults, often leading to hospitalization. In other instances, seniors intentionally avoid following the prescribing doctor’s recommendations – such as by cutting prescriptions in half to save money and make the medication last longer, or by avoiding the medication altogether, feeling as though it’s not necessary or causes unwanted side effects. It’s crucial to ensure that a medication is never stopped or modified without first consulting the physician. Yet for...

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Medication Misuse Among Seniors is More Common, and Dangerous, Than You Think

Most of us recognize that medications can be life-saving, but many of us have heard alarming reports about patients who have received incorrect medication – either as a consequence of an issue with the doctor or pharmacy. What many people don’t think about is that there is a hidden risk even when we get the right medication -- the hazard of medication misuse. As with driving down the wrong side of the road, medication misuse with a prescription medication is dangerous. As a matter of fact, it is more so -- as many as 125,000 people die every year because...

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Improving Medication Management for Seniors Vastly Improves Health Outcomes

There are an astounding 10,000+ prescription medicines available in America, and as many as one-third of all adults take five or more of these medications each day. If you happen to be a caregiver for a senior friend or family member, the difficulty of managing the prescriptions, interactions and dosage amounts can be intimidating. As a matter of fact, studies show that 55% of prescription meds are not taken the proper way for a range of reasons, and the repercussions can be serious. Reduce the risk for medication management mistakes and receive the highest benefits of the prescription by following...

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Home and Hearth Caregivers service area map

Serving Suburbs
and Chicagoland

The Best Home Care for Seniors
in the Chicago, IL Area

At Home & Hearth Caregivers, we are proud to offer compassionate, family-like in-home care, respite care, and Alzheimer’s and dementia care services to seniors and families throughout Cook, DuPage, Will, Lake, McHenry Counties, including the following cities and towns:

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