Information on Diabetes

Seniors who have diabetes have a lot to learn about the disease. Since there are various types, it is important for seniors to be aware of the symptoms they could experience. This is just one of the important questions that should be asked when talking to a doctor. Below is a list of other facts about diabetes that can be useful to seniors.

1. Asking the right questions can provide seniors with the right information to better enable them to manage the disease.

2. Seniors are urged to discuss all of their symptoms. While they may seem harmless, some symptoms could indicate other health problems.

3. Seniors who have diabetes will receive treatment for these symptoms, not the cause of the disease. This is why it is important for all seniors to know and recognize any new symptoms.

4. There are many questions in regards to the cause of diabetes, however, at this time; the answer consists of a very long list. There are so many factors that are involved and each person can have the disease because of different reasons.

5. Diabetes is manageable, so seniors must take the right steps to make sure they are receiving the correct treatment for their type of the disease. This includes asking questions about treatment options.

Source: Ultra Wellness Center

Home Care Etobicoke ON for seniors and elderly choosing to stay home instead. Please call us at 416.239.2200.

Balanced Grandparents

Many grandparents are in a situation where they have to share the role of being a grandparent. While this is common, there are some things that can be done to balance grandparents. Spending time with grandchildren is one of the many joys experienced by seniors. When they are unable to do this on a regular basis, they will suffer and so will the children. The following list contains some information on the importance of balanced grandparents.

1. If Grandparents have to share their role, they should do everything they can to create a harmony between extended family members. This may not be easy, but it will be appreciated and it will benefit the children.

2. Always make the effort to get to know the other Grandparents.

3. Make sure to be positive when talking about the other grandparents with the grandchildren. You want to make sure each time you are with the grandchildren it will be a positive experience for them.

4. Share family activities and holidays. As hard as it may be, it is important to accept the fact that the other grandparents do play a large role in the life of your grandchildren.

5. If there is a conflict or problem with the other grandparents, do your best to deal with it directly without bringing the parents into the argument. Always do your best to refrain from arguing in front of the grandchildren.

Source:  VirtualPaper.com

Home Care Etobicoke ON for seniors and elderly choosing to stay home instead. Please call us at 416.239.2200.

To us, it’s personal

Home Instead Senior Care is a proud Etobicoke Guardian Reader’s Choice Platinum award winner for Best Senior Homecare Provider.  Home Instead Senior Care provides non-medical home care for seniors. We provide services such as companionship, meal preparation, transportation and escorts to appointments, medication reminders, light housekeeping, personal care, hospice care, and Alzheimer and dementia care.

The main difference between Home Instead Senior Care and other Home Care Agencies in Etobicoke is the level of service our CAREGivers provide. We have a comprehensive recruitment process that includes phone and face to face interviews, six reference checks, and a criminal background check.  Our CAREGivers are our valued employees and we treat them as such.

Congratulations to all the staff at Home Instead Senior Care, but a special thank you goes out to our CAREGivers who provide compassionate care in the community each and every day. This award is a testament to who you are and the quality care you provide. At Home Instead Senior Care, “To us, it’s personal!”

Home Care Etobicoke ON for seniors and elderly choosing to stay home instead. Please call us at 416.239.2200.

Free caregiver support series provides families with coping strategies

Seniors resist care. That is the message of a new study conducted for Home Instead Senior Care^®. According to the study, which surveyed family caregivers in Canada and the U.S., 51 per cent of respondents said that their aging relative was very resistant to care.

This is a big problem for family caregivers.  They worry about the safety of a senior loved one who might be forgetting food on the stove or neglecting to take their medications. But why do they resist?

They worry about losing control of their affairs. They are trying to maintain dignity, and unless they feel they can trust someone, they may resist change. This is all about fearing that the life they have known is being taken away from them.

“Most caregivers can go into crisis mode to rally around a loved one in the short term,” said family caregiving consultant Dr. Amy D’Aprix, who holds a Ph.D. and Masters in social work, and is author of the book From Surviving to Thriving: Transforming Your Caregiving Experience. “But you can’t be totally immersed in a crisis mode long-term without your own family, work and health suffering.”

This is why countering that resistance is important. D’Aprix suggests asking one’s senior Mom why she never wants any help. “Family caregivers often make assumptions, but never ask,” she said. “And sometimes the parent doesn’t realize that they’re being resistant.”

Dementia can complicate matters even more and may require a doctor or geriatric care manager. “Reassuring a senior loved one that you have the same goal in mind will help,” D’Aprix said.  “Start with ‘my goal for you is to be independent, too.’ Tell them that you can’t be there all the time, so a little extra assistance will help them stay at home.”

Home Instead Senior Care is addressing the problem of seniors resisting care and has launched Caring for Your Parents: Education for the Family Caregiver^SM. This family caregiver seminar, which is free of charge will be presented at Humber Heights (2245 Lawrence Ave. West) September 15^th at 6:00 pm.  This seminar will address senior resistance to care and features various topics such as: choosing an in-home care provider, the signs of aging, long distance caregiving and communicating with aging parents.  Materials and videos are available at www.caregiverstress.com.

Brenda Enright is the Managing Director of Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga.  Please call 416-239-2200 or visit www.homeinstead.com for more information on this Education program for the Family Caregiver.

Home Care Etobicoke ON for seniors and elderly choosing to stay home instead. Please call us at 416.239.2200.

Seniors’ Fair at Humber Valley

Humber Valley United Church held a seniors’ fair on Sunday May 30th immediately following the morning service. The fair offered information booths on tons of local programs that are available to seniors, their families and caregivers such as local seniors’ residences, home care resources, services for the hearing impaired, recreational respite, and in-home foot care. After reading up on the many exciting ministrations the community has to offer, guests feasted on a banquet table laden with home made delectation. For more information call 416-231-2263 www.hvuc.ca.

Home Care Etobicoke ON for seniors and elderly choosing to stay home instead. Please call us at 416.239.2200.

Helping Seniors Break the Clutter Cycle

Clutter can become one of the biggest threats to keeping seniors safe in their homes. This dilemma often creeps up on older adults who are saving a lifetime’s worth of memories, combined with a daily influx of junk mail, bills and newspapers. Breaking Point, a public education campaign by Home Instead Senior Care, was designed to help older adults and their families deal with the issues of clutter. Managing Director Greg Bechard hosted a free presentation at Shoppers Home Health Care, Six Points Plaza, in mid-July on the topic of clutter and ways that you can help a senior loved one break the clutter cycle.

For more information about this program, call Home Instead at 416-239-2200 or visit http://www.homeinstead.com/etobicoke-on.

Planning for Retirement at 70 instead of 65

The average age of retirement in Canada is 65.  Since the 2009 economic recession in the United States, Canadians are developing a new way of looking at retirement.  Losing money in retirement savings plans frustrated the public, as people work very hard to sustain a substantial savings for when they retire.  Also, when citizens lost jobs because of the recession, a lot more was lost than just an annual income, savings were eaten up or not contributed to in order to survive.

Studies show that Canadians will now have to retire later, in order to get full benefits of retirement income. Canadian Pension Plans will now give more money to those who retire at the age of 70, as opposed to 65.  It is important to plan for your future, especially retirement, as the economy and standards of living change.

This checklist below can help you understand the best ways to invest in your future, and therefore live a more comfortable life once you retire:

1.  The average individual needs at least 75-85 percent of their pre-retirement income to retire.

2.  Track expenses today, and forecast what you will need on a daily basis in retirement.                 Transfer your RRSP to an RRIF

3.  Old Age Security and Canadian Pension Plans can be a danger for high-income seniors. Convert taxable income into capital gains that will earn money in the future.

Source: Virtual Paper

Seniors Get Involved with Food, Friends and Community

Many seniors who have retired have a lot of time on their hands. In fact, a lot of seniors will take on part time jobs or perform volunteer work to remain active. A great way to be involved with the community is to become a volunteer at a local food bank. This is a great cause and seniors will have the chance to be physically and socially active. In addition to helping needy families, seniors will have the chance to form many new friendships. Some additional benefits to being a food bank volunteer are provided below.

1. Remaining active, both socially and physically is one way for seniors to maintain their health. Retired seniors often have extra time, and donating this time to provide a service for less privileged people is a great thing.

2. Food banks will have food drives aro9und every holiday. This is a great way to go out and meet new people. Collecting the food for the food bank provides a social outlet. In addition, seniors will be a part of a great cause.

3. Helping needy families can be very rewarding. Seniors will light up when a child comes into the food bank and knows that they have something to eat later that night. Most seniors will find their time volunteering will be very rewarding.

Source: Virtual Paper

Home Care Etobicoke ON for seniors and elderly choosing to stay home instead. Please call us at 416.239.2200.

Seniors and Relocating

Many seniors wish to downsize and move to a smaller home. While this is a great idea, there are many other things that need to be considered when looking for the new home. Seniors must make sure that they will be in a safe place and that they can receive services and assistance when necessary. The following list offers seniors some helpful tips on how to choose their new home.

1. If the senior needs assistance with things, such as lawn care, shoveling and maintenance, they should look into moving to a community for those over 55. Many times, these communities will offer services that can be a great help.

2. Seniors should do research on the area they are moving to. Make sure that there is a low crime rate and that there are other seniors in the area.

3. Choose a home that will meet your needs. If the goal is to downsize, make sure that you will still be able to bring what you need. Downsizing is one way to reduce a lot of the workload involved with owning a home. It also makes it easier for seniors to move around the home and stay organized.

4. If seniors may require some assistance with daily tasks, such as cleaning, shopping and laundry, it may be beneficial to move close to a friend or family member.

Source: Virtual Paper

Home Care Etobicoke ON for seniors and elderly choosing to stay home instead. Please call us at 416.239.2200.

Assistance with Outpatient Care

Many seniors will go for an outpatient procedure. While these seniors will be sent home after the procedure, requiring no hospital stay, there are some things that the senior may require assistance with upon their return home. Many seniors still live on their own, which can make things even more stressful. The Mississauga Home Instead Senior Care’s CAREGivers can be a huge help to these seniors. Below is a list of some services and forms of assistance that are available.

1. The program can assist patients getting to and from follow-up appointments.

2. Clients can be accompanied to all different kinds of medical appointments. This can even include dialysis and chemotherapy treatments.

3. CAREGivers can help reduce stress and anxiety that many seniors experience before, during and after an outpatient procedure.

4. CAREGivers are specially trained to help clients with daily needs. This can include getting dressed, bathed and preparing meals. They will also help the patient follow any instructions that have been given by a doctor.

5. Many seniors who have had a procedure may be confused and tired. In some cases, they may not remember when to take their medications. This is another thing that CAREGivers can help with when the senior returns home.

6. The CAREGiver can even go to the pharmacy to retrieve any necessary prescriptions that are needed by the patient.

Source: Home Instead

Home Care Etobicoke ON for seniors and elderly choosing to stay home instead. Please call us at 416.239.2200.