Does Mom need a nursing home?

Does Mom need a nursing home?

Does Mom need a nursing home?Many elderly people live fulfilling, independent lives. Even so, circumstances can change in a heartbeat — a broken hip, illness, the onset of an unforeseen debilitating medical condition — leading to lengthy stays in the hospital, a rehabilitation center or a nursing home.

Children prefer their elderly parents to live independently for as long as possible. After all, studies have shown keeping an elderly person in familiar surrounds benefits their quality of life dramatically. But when the time comes when sending Mom to a nursing home is the best decision for her overall health and safety, it’s a stressful decision to make with no simple or clear-cut answers. Of course, there’s always help available from professional and experienced elderly care managers, such as those who work at Physicians Choice Private Duty. An elder care manager will help identify the current living situation of your elderly mother and provide honest, expert advice on the state of her continued well-being.

Common signs an elderly person might receive better care in a nursing facility than at home:

  • No nearby relatives or caregivers to help with everyday needs
  • Family unable to afford/provide in-home care
  • Decreased hygiene
  • Frequent falls and other injuries
  • Early signs of confusion/dementia

If you or your aging loved one is in or near the Omaha area, feel free to contact Physicians Choice Private Duty with any questions/concerns you might have regarding senior care.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit us today..

Common diagnoses for elderly confusion

Common diagnoses for elderly confusion

Common diagnoses for elderly confusionThere are many causes for confusion in the elderly. Often the first response to a loved one acting confused is to assume the worst and that there is some type of dementia at play. Even so, there are several of common diagnoses that can lead to an elderly person’s confusion. If you are the caregiver for your parent or loved one, you need to be watchful for any changes in their mental status.

So what should you do if your elderly parent seems confused? Read about the below conditions and their symptoms then consult with the elder’s doctor.

Urinary tract infections (UTI)

Even something as simple as a urinary tract infection (UTI) can cause confusion in the elderly.

Typical UTI signs include:

  • Cloudy and/or bloody urine
  • Strong/foul-smelling urine
  • Pain/burning sensation when urinating
  • Frequent need to urinate
  • Night sweats, shakes or chills
  • Low-grade fever

However, it’s often hard for a caregiver to find out about an elderly person’s possible UTI, as common symptoms aren’t apparent in some people. Also an elderly person often doesn’t want to express symptoms to the caregiver due to embarrassment and other factors.

Lack of sleep/sleep apnea

It’s no secret that older persons tend to sleep less than when they were younger. However, this doesn’t mean the elderly necessarily require less sleep. Nighttime arousals are more common in elderly persons, and thus it’s not uncommon for the elderly to suffer from frequent daytime sleepiness. Naturally, just as when we’re young, a lack of sleep can cause confusion.

Sleep apnea, a condition where it’s difficult for someone to go to and stay asleep (paired with a lack of deep sleep, often goes undiagnosed, especially in the elderly.

Typical sleep apnea symptoms include:

  • Restless sleep (including tossing and turning)
  • Snoring
  • Night sweats
  • Nighttime choking
  • Daytime symptoms such as lack of concentration, headaches, moodiness, leg swelling plus anxiety and depression

Lack of oxygen to the brain

The lungs of the elderly and not as efficient in processing oxygen as those of their younger counterparts. A lack of oxygen leads to lightheadedness and confusion, and may require an oxygen treatment to alleviate the problem. A visit to the doctor with your elderly loved one’s confusion can help diagnose this properly..

Transient ischemic attack (TIA)

TIA’s are also caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain for a short period of time. TIA’s are small episodes that show stroke-like symptoms, but ARE NOT strokes (TIA effects do not show up on CT/MRI cans). TIAs can last up to 24 hours, but are usually shorter. Currently, there’s no known way to prevent TIAs. If your aging loved one suffers the symptoms, it’s best to get them medical attention as soon as possible, as it may be an early sign that a larger stroke is on the horizon.

Typical TIA symptoms include:

  • Short periods of intense confusion
  • Difficulty moving
  • Irrational behavior

Change in surroundings

A drastic change of environment, such as moving to a nursing home, can cause tremendous confusion for an elderly person. Even if such a move is necessary, keeping their surroundings the same will lead to a fuller and happier life.

Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit us today..

VITAMINS AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS AND THE ELDERLY

Vitamins and mineral supplements and the elderly

VITAMINS AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS AND THE ELDERLYDid you know that vitamins and mineral supplements can be vital to an elderly person’s health? As a person ages, they naturally tend to eat less and thus don’t take in adequate amounts of vitamins and other nutrients as they did when they were younger. In addition to that, other factors can lead to the inadequate intake of vital nutrients, including medications, medical conditions, disabilities, digestive system changes and an aging person’s skin.

Why are vitamins important?

Vitamins are molecules that carry certain biological functions throughout our bodies. With a few exceptions, our bodies have no way of producing vitamin molecules naturally, rather we ingest them through the foods we eat. The human body needs at least 13 different vitamins to remain healthy. While some of these can be stored for a long time in the liver or in fat cells (e.g. vitamin A), most vitamins need frequent replenishment. Functionally, vitamins help fats, proteins and carbohydrates to release energy as well as assist the body in the repair of tissue and help produce cells. When it comes to the elderly, studies have shown that vitamins and minerals can help prevent some disorders or diseases related to aging.

Two different types of vitamins

Vitamins come in two varieties, fat soluble and water soluble. Water soluble vitamins go through our bodies quickly. As such, they need to be replenished often.

Water soluble vitamins include:

  • Vitamin B5 (helps reduce swelling)
  • Vitamin B3 (reduces tissue swelling; increases blood flow)
  • Vitamin B6 (reduces swelling; when combined with B12 can help reduce heart disease)
  • Vitamin B12 (Most vital of B vitamins, as it plays a role in cell formation, myelin production, nerves health, immune maintenance and more)

Fat soluble vitamins are, for the most part, stored in the liver. A well-balanced diet is usually enough to receive the proper amounts, but an aging body can make storing fat soluble vitamins more difficult.

Fat soluble vitamins include:

  • Vitamin A (benefits for throat, lungs, mouth, skin, bones, teeth, digestive system, urinary tract, eyes and the overall aging process)
  • Vitamin D (skin-produced through sun exposure; helps body absorb calcium and maintain strong bones)
  • Vitamin K (helps in blood-clotting process)

What about minerals?

Whereas vitamins are formed naturally by plants and animals, minerals come from the earth and absorbed by plants and once again observed by the animals that eat the plants and so on.

Essential minerals include:

  • Iron (oxygen flow throughout the body plus immune system benefits)
  • Calcium (strengthens bones; helps prevent osteoporosis in aging women)
  • Zinc (proper levels promote nerve, skin and immune system health)

What supplements should an elderly person take?

Vitamin and mineral supplements can help an elderly person live a healthier, happier life. Still, as with many other changes in diet and lifestyle, it’s best to first consult with a doctor before taking vitamin or mineral supplements.

If you live in the greater Omaha area, the professional staff at Physicians Choice Private Duty can help you make the right decisions in the overall care of an aging loved one, vitamins and minerals and beyond.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit us today..”

OMAHA’S LEADING IN-HOME ASSISTED LIVING PROVIDER

Long distance caregiving for elderly parents

OMAHA’S LEADING IN-HOME ASSISTED LIVING PROVIDERWhen your aging elderly parents are hundreds or thousands of miles away, its a struggle to ensure their proper care. It can be even harder if one of your parents has passed and the other is left living alone. Many people are forced to juggle their demanding full time jobs with becoming the long-distance caregiver of their elderly mother or father. There’s the daily phone calls and the frequent visits that eat up vacation time time spent fixing up a parents home, dealing with bills, doctor visits and getting the estate in order. It’s always nice to spend time with family, but as an aging parents care becomes more and more vital paired with the everyday demands of work and other family, being in two places at once is extremely difficult, not to mention stressful.

An estimated 7 million Americans are long-distance caregivers, according to the National Institute on Aging. Not only that but the annual financial burden is nearly $9,000 for long-distance caregivers, far more than that of caregivers who live nearby their loved one, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and Eldercare.

Help is available, however. Many turn to the expertise of a geriatric care manager, such as offered by Physicians Choice Private Duty in the Omaha area.

A care manager will:

  • Assess the type of care needed
  • Take the necessary steps to start a care plan and keep it functioning
  • Assess the home or living situation to make sure it’s a safe and friendly environment
  • Resolve family conflicts and other long term care issues
  • Conduct ongoing assessments and make sure proper changes happen
  • Oversee direct in-home care
  • Assist with medication monitoring
  • Help with placement into a nursing home and monitor care received in a nursing home
  • Coordinate medical appointments
  • Assist families with decision making
  • Much more

The duties of a long-distance caregiver are many. A geriatric care manager knows this and will help assist family members with all aspects of their aging elderly parents care, making the burden much more bearable.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF ELDERLY ABUSE

What are the signs of elderly abuse?

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF ELDERLY ABUSEThe National Center on Elder Abuse verified nearly 6 million incidents of abuse towards victims age 65 and over. The sad truth is that the majority of elder abuse cases go unreported. In Utah, only 1 in 10 cases are reported, according to Utah Adult Protective Services. It’s safe to assume that similar numbers exist all across the United States. So in reality, there could be upwards of 60 million incidents of elderly abuse each year in the US.

Elder abuse comes in many forms, from physical to mental and beyond. The signs vary and can be as subtle as gradually increasing self-neglect to as obvious as unexplained cuts and bruises.

That’s why it’s important to recognize signs of abuse.

What are the types of elder abuse?

The most common type of elder abuse is self-neglect, where an older person refuses necessary care. Other types of elder abuse include physical abuse from a perpetrator, exploitation (often financial), caretaker neglect, emotional abuse and sexual abuse.

Many elder abuse cases go unreported due to the victims fear of losing support from an abusive family member or caretaker. Imagine the dilemma of a victim whose abuser is a beloved family member. An elderly person might fear the removal or possible incarceration of the family member. This is not only an unwanted outcome of reporting abuse, but it could also lead to the elderly person being left alone to care for herself or being forced to live in a nursing home.

Signs of abuse

  • Unexplained bruises, cuts, fractures or other injuries
  • Bruises in multiple stages of healing
  • Low self-esteem
  • Loss of self determination
  • Becoming withdrawn, fearful, passive or other changes in personality
  • Becoming depressed, hopeless or socially isolated
  • Soiled clothing and linen

Signs of neglect & self-neglect

  • Dehydration and malnourishment
  • Soiled or inappropriate clothing
  • Odorous
  • Unclean living environment
  • Improperly medicated
  • Deserted, abandoned, improperly looked after
  • Lack of medical necessities, etc.

Signs of exploitation

  • Missing property
  • Frequent or recent property title changes
  • Frequent or recent will changes
  • Excessive bills
  • Forced to sign over control of finances
  • No or limited money for food, clothes and other amenities

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/.”

OMAHA’S LEADING IN-HOME ASSISTED LIVING PROVIDER

Need fast, honest advice about elder care? Look to YouTube

OMAHA’S LEADING IN-HOME ASSISTED LIVING PROVIDERIt’s never easy when an aging parent or loved one loses their independence. Before you both know it, there are more questions than answers and the answers usually don’t come easy.

In times like these, Physicians Choice Private Duty offers expert advice from certified professionals in providing seniors and their families with a complete understanding of the available options. But even before families feel the need to reach out to us, there are plenty of online resources available to help answer general questions at any time of day or night. With good reason, many turn to popular video site YouTube.

It’s as easy as typing in the question you have into the YouTube search bar. For example, searching for how to make a bathroom safer for elderly brings up a number of helpful videos made by home care professionals across the country.

http://youtu.be/4QvgHtiRjV8

Besides practical advice on topics like home safety, there are numerous videos that can help deal with the stress that’s involved at the many stages of this life-changing journey.

Perhaps the most comforting aspect of knowing theres a helpful video for almost any senior care concern you might have is the fact that theres usually an honest face and voice who made it, someone caring who you know can relate to what you’re going through.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/

ELDERLY CARE: 10 MEDICATION TIPS

Elderly care: 10 medication tips

Typically, the older a person is, the more medications he or she is taking. As we all, know, prescription drugs can be dangerous if not taken properly. Sadly, following the doctors orders becomes more and more difficult for many elderly people due to a number of factors. From unexpected side effects from using multiple medications to deteriorating eyesight to arthritis, even the onset of dementia, there are several conditions and sets of circumstances surrounding taking medication that can put an elderly person in harms way.

ELDERLY CARE: 10 MEDICATION TIPS	Oftentimes help is required from a family member or in-home care professional to administer medication at proper times and in proper amounts. Here are some tips for ensuring the continued safety or your aging loved one.

  • Make sure all prescriptions are current.
  • Read the labels of each medication for proper use.
  • Properly dispose of expired prescriptions (Tips from the FDA on how to do that).
  • Don’t mix different prescriptions together in the same container, rather use a pillbox that easily organizes and differentiates each type of medication.
  • Bring an up-to-date list of all current prescriptions to each appointment with a doctor.
  • Bring the same list to the pharmacist when refilling or getting new prescriptions.
  • Make sure you know what each prescription is for.
  • Know the generic names of prescriptions.
  • Have a family member call or physically monitor the taking of medication.
  • If necessary, set alarms for for reminders when its time to take medication.

If you fear your elderly parent is unable to take her own medication safely, set up a consultation with the professional staff at Physicians Choice Private Duty.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/

OMAHA’S LEADING IN-HOME ASSISTED LIVING PROVIDER

Elderly care: Keeping them healthy

OMAHA’S LEADING IN-HOME ASSISTED LIVING PROVIDERWith the growing generation of elderly people in the U.S. today, pressure is increasing for their family members to meet their newfound needs due to illness, injury or other factors that take away their independence. This care is often provided first hand by family, a visiting in home care service, a long-term care facility or a combination of the three “ as each persons set of needs are different.

Even in the face of these new challenges, there are ways to make sure quality care leads to the continued happiness of an aging parent or loved one.

Physicians Choice Private Duty is staffed by registered nurses and social workers. We consult with families and help them map out a plan for their elderly loved ones quality care.

Still, before or after consultation, there are ways to help your aging loved one stay as healthy as possible. Here are three recommendations:

  1. Make note of sudden changes in health or behavior. If one week your fathers short-term memory seems faulty but back to normal the next, it could be a sign of a greater problem on the horizon, or simply a side effect from a new medication. Take notes for the next visit to the doctor, as the more your fathers doctor knows, the better the chance that he’ll be properly diagnosed.
  2. Be familiar with prescriptions and medicine cabinet. Know what your mother is taking as far as prescription drugs and be familiar with what they are for. Many drugs have side effects that could be the root cause of a change in behavior. Make sure all prescriptions are up to date and doctor approved.
  3. Emotional health is just as important as physical health. Don’t only react to health issues that are physical. Depression is common amongst the elderly, especially if a parent is living alone without a partner. Help your parent regain companionship by introducing them to a new friend or taking them to senior-friendly activities.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com

WHAT ARE THE THE SIGNS OF ELDERLY DEPRESSION

What are the the signs of elderly depression?

Depression is a common problem for elderly people. It’s not always easy to remain optimistic as we face decisions and certainties of aging — retirement, the death of loved ones, increased isolation and declining health. That being so, keep in mind that depression is not inevitable as we age and there are ways to prevent and treat depression in the elderly.

WHAT ARE THE THE SIGNS OF ELDERLY DEPRESSION

Health magazine provides these suggestions for dealing with elderly depression:

  • Don’t dismiss symptoms such as losing interest in activities that used to bring them joy or losing their appetite.
  • Listen to your loved one. One of the best ways to determine if your mom or dad is suffering from depression is to listen and be involved in their lives.
  • Look for subtle signs rather than confirmation. A person suffering from depression may deny that they are clinically depressed. However they might frequently wring their hands or get agitated or irritable.
  • Don’t impose terminology. If someone insists that they are not depressed it might be useful to remove the word depression when speaking of your concerns. Suggest that they should seek a doctors opinion on ways to help them sleep or gain appetite instead.
  • Recognize that depression is an illness.
  • Don’t take over a depressed persons life. Depression can cause symptoms where the person suffering does not want to perform routine tasks and they may not want to even get out of bed. Taking over routine tasks for them will only allow them to withdraw and help them avoid seeking help.

It’s important not to ignore depression in older adults. If your elderly parent or loved one is suffering from depression, seek help. According to an article in Health Magazine senior citizens have the highest rate of suicide in the country.

Keep in mind that Physicians Choice Private Duty is always a resource for you as your loved one ages. Our in-home assessments will provide you with a comprehensive plan. We also work directly with your doctor(s) and other care providers to create a clear picture of the current situation. When we present our findings, we show where the senior is today and what help will be needed to care for them in their own home.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit us today..

Elderly care: preventing falls

Elderly care: preventing falls

Elderly care: preventing falls

A number of statistics provided by the Center For Disease Control bring to light just how dangerous falls can be for the elderly. Falls can bring a range of consequences from head trauma to fractured hips and even increase the risk of early death.

According to CDC statistics compiled for 2008, over 19,700 older adults died from injuries caused by unintentional falls in that year.

Sadly, falls are a health problem that is mostly preventable.

Preventing falls can help keep your loved ones out of long-term care facilities. The CDC statistics reveal that people age 75 who fall are four to five times more likely than those age 65 to 74 to be admitted to a long-term care facility for a year or longer.

Elderly parents generally prefer to remain at home, so it’s best to evaluate the home of your elderly loved one to help prevent falls.

To monitor if your elderly family member is safe and managing in his her home here are some suggestions:

  • Visit often and at different times of the day and night
  • Make sure to note daily activities that appear challenging
  • Remove rugs that slide
  • Remove furniture with sharp edges
  • Set the water heater at lower temperatures
  • Make sure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are functioning
  • Install grab bars near the toilet and shower and consider getting a shower stool or chair

If you are unsure of everything that needs to be done to make the home safe for your aging loved one then consult a professional service such as Physicians Choice Private Duty. In addition, some companies specialize in home remodeling and accommodation for seniors.

“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit us today..”