Home care services companion can help your coupon shoppers save by offering assistance during the actual clipping of the coupons. Your senior may have difficulty using scissors it due to arthritis or other mobility issues, and may not be able to clip coupons as effectively as she used to. A home care services companion, on the other hand, can do the cutting and have your aging loved one organize her coupons in an effective and easy-to-use way. Once at the store, the in home care provider can help your aging loved one locate the items so that the coupons can be used effectively.

If your aging loved one is not an internet user, talk to her care provider about introducing her to the world of coupon websites. It is likely your loved one will be fascinated by the ability to just search for the products that she would like to save on, and print out the coupons that she wants to use. Not only is this an opportunity for your aging loved one to develop closer relationship with her care provider and enjoy an activity that makes her feel useful, but it can give a lot more wiggle room in the family budget. When it comes to senior care, every cent counts; this means that those little coupons can make a major difference in your aging loved ones quality of life and your confidence in your ability to get her everything she needs on a tight budget.

Home care counselors at Right at Home are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care Services in Davidsonville, MD. For more information about senior care call us at (888) 281-5937.

Fiber is a component of plants. This means it is found in any food that is a plant or was grown on a plant. Fiber is not found in any meat or dairy products. Processing of plant-based foods often results in a significant loss of fiber. For example, whole grains have fiber but white flour has very little fiber.

A few examples of fiber-containing foods are wheat, oats, brown rice, apples, bananas, broccoli, corn and spinach. A few examples of fiber-poor foods are white bread, white rice and white pasta. A few examples of no-fiber foods are chicken, pork and milk. Just because meat and dairy products don’t contain fiber doesn’t mean they aren’t good to eat! There are many different nutrients they contain which are healthy for a senior’s balanced diet. Choosing whole grains over processed grains is always a better option for both fiber and nutrition.

Examples of high-fiber, low-sugar sources

• Flax seeds and chia seeds
• Mustard greens, endive, chicory, collard greens
• Wheat bran
• Swiss chard and spinach
• Avocado, broccoli
• Asparagus, cauliflower
• Eggplant, celery
• Romaine lettuce
• Mushrooms, radishes
• Red raspberries, blackberries
• Cabbage, bell peppers
• Snow peas, zucchini

There are lots of other healthy fiber sources as well. Remember every plant has fiber. That includes grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds and even nuts.

More delicious fiber sources include

• Apples, oranges, peaches, plums, prunes, bananas, raisins
• Carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, beets, radishes, onions
• Oats, quinoa, brown rice, barley, yellow peas, chickpeas, kidney beans
• Pineapple, kiwi, mangoes, strawberries, blueberries, currants
• Lettuce, kale, Chinese cabbage
• Walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds

How to raise dietary fiber

If a person has not been eating a high fiber diet, it’s best to increase it slowly, and also increase fluid intake in order to avoid constipation problems. Fresh fruits and vegetables normally have some juiciness to them, so that helps with fluid intake. Grains, nuts, seeds and dry fiber sources will require a greater water intake in order to assist their passage through the body.

You may wish to speak to your loved one’s doctor or dietician before radically changing their diet. The dietician can also give you some ideas on how to best incorporate these foods.

Home care counselors at Right at Home are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing Senior Care in Queen Anne, MD. For more information about senior care call us at (888) 281-5937.

Incontinence is not just about physical discomfort or cleaning up. Your aging loved one wetting the bed is also a psychological issue. Unless your senior is in the latest stages of Alzheimer’s disease and does not understand what is going on, she is likely to be embarrassed and ashamed of not being able to control her bladder. Providing effective and loving elder care is about helping your aging loved one address both aspects of the issue in a way that is comforting, encouraging, and discreet.

Here are some tips for elder care to address incontinence:

• Talk with your aging loved one about the issue. Acknowledge that it is happening, but also make sure your loved one knows that you do not judge her or look down on her in any way because of it.
• Never get angry at your loved one for an accident. Being angry or hurtful toward your loved one will only lead to more secretive behavior that can have serious consequences.
• Find incontinence products that are comfortable an effective for your loved one. This includes briefs, panty liners, and bed pads. There are many different types of each available on the market so you may need to try several until you find the ones that are most effective for your loved one.
• Consider purchasing your loved one’s incontinence supplies from a mail order company. This allows for the completely private purchase of the supplies, and many companies offer free samples of their different types so you can easily find the ones that are best for your loved one.
• Change or encourage your loved one to change her briefs or pads as soon as they are wet. Prolonged exposure to the moisture and acid in urine can lead to rashes, sores, and infection.
• Ensure your aging loved one is conscientious about her bathing. Staying clean is important for protecting your loved one from skin irritation. If rashes have developed, use gentle cleanser to wash the area, pat it dry, and apply a thick healing balm similar to diaper rash cream. Encourage your loved one to use pure cornstarch baby powder for a fresh, good-smelling, cool, and dry feeling.

Home care counselors at Right at Home are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Glenn Dale, MD. For more information about senior care call us at (888) 281-5937.

Some warning signs that mom may need some help

• Is her home messier than usual?
• Is she wearing the same clothes a few days in a row?
• Are her personal hygiene habits falling below usual levels?
• Does she seem depressed?
• Is her overall health declining?
• Are you worried more about her than usual – for good reasons?

Tips on talking to your mom about getting some help

1. Express your concerns carefully. Try not to accuse or confront.

Example: Don’t say, “I can see you can’t take proper care of yourself any more. What are we going to do about it?”

Do say, “I’ve been very concerned about you and it makes me sad. Are you getting everything you need? What can I do to help you with that? Let’s talk about some options.

1. If she seems resistant, try to find out the real reasons that are producing the resistance. Maybe she is scared that she can no longer live at home. Maybe she doesn’t realize that you can hire help to come into her own home and give her the assistance she needs. Maybe she thinks she will be a burden to her family when actually, everyone would have more peace of mind knowing she is getting proper care.
2. Get others to help you in your quest to talk to her. Maybe she has a friend who has used senior care services and is happy with the assistance they provide. Maybe another senior family member uses senior health care services and can tell her how great it is to have the help they need and still remain in their own home.
3. Let your mom be a part of the decision-making process. Yes, you are trying to convince her she needs some home health care services, but she could still help make some of the decisions.
4. Reassure her that when the senior care services come to help her, it doesn’t mean that she won’t be seeing you or her other family members any more. In fact, the extra help will free up her time to see more of her family. It’s a win-win situation. You have peace of mind, she gets the care she needs, and everyone is happy.

Home care counselors at Right at Home are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing Senior Care in Davidsonville, MD. For more information about senior care call us at (888) 281-5937.

As with any family caregiver for an aging adult, it is at the top of your priority list to find an elderly care provider who is not only skilled and what she does, but will offer a positive contribution to the quality of life of your aging loved one. You want to be sure that when this caregiver is in your aging loved one’s home, that he is well cared for, safe and happy. One of the ways that you can assure this is by running a background check on all potential caregivers prior to their first day on the job. If you hire a caregiver through an elder care services agency, you can rest assured that your hiring a caregiver who has already undergone an extensive and thorough background check, but this does not mean that you cannot request another prior to the caregivers first day on the job.

Running a background check on a potential caregiver is not an invasion of privacy, nor is it you being petty or difficult. You are making sure that your aging loved one gets the level of care that he needs and deserves on a regular basis, and will be in safe and competent hands. As they say, it is better to be safe than sorry. You would not find out later that you hired someone to care for your aging loved one who has prior convictions for elder abuse, theft or identity fraud. Running this type of check eliminates any prior criminal activity as well as employment history and other disciplinary actions. Don’t hesitate to bring up the results of the background check in any interviews or follow-up meetings that you have with prospective caregivers. If you choose to give someone the benefit of the doubt, she may be able to explain something on her background check that looks much worse than it actually is. Above anything, however, trust your instincts and do not hire anybody to take care of your aging loved one who you do not feel absolutely comfortable with.

Home care counselors at Right at Home are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elderly care agency providing Home Care in Bowie. For more information about senior care call us at (888) 281-5937.

As an elder care provider is important that you understand the seniors have more sensitive skin than younger people. Not only does this mean that they are more sensitive to topical applications of things such as lotions and cosmetics, they are also more susceptible to skin damage from ultraviolet rays. While many people joke that they don’t have to worry about exposure to the sun because they are already wrinkled, elderly people need to be exceptionally conscientious about their exposure to the sun, and protecting your skin from the sun because of the dangers of sunburn, skin cancer and other damage.

Some of the things that you may learn it during Ultraviolet Awareness Month include:

• The importance of the sun protection factor in sunscreens
• How often you should wear sunscreen, and how often this country needs to reapply
• What types of clothing are most appropriate for days in the sun
• If artificial tanning is safe, and how often it should be done if ever
• How to protect yourself against damages that may be caused by artificial tanning lights
• How long you should be in the sun at any given time
• Is there any benefits to ultraviolet light, and how you can get these benefits without putting yourself in danger
• How to protect the elderly from the damages of ultraviolet light
• How to start young when protecting your skin against ultraviolet light.

Some of the ways that you can encourage your elderly loved one to stay safe in the sun the summer include:

• Find a sunscreen that your aging loved one likes and encourage her to use it every day
• Choose a facial moisturizer that contains a sunscreen
• If your aging loved one wears cosmetics, choose a foundation or powder that contains a sunscreen
• Encourage your aging loved one to wear a hat and other protective clothing when she is out
• If your aging loved one goes to tanning beds, gently educate her on the dangers and help her to find better, healthier ways for her to enhance her appearance.

Home care counselors at Right at Home are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Bowie, MD. For more information about senior care call us at (888) 281-5937.

Establishing a caregiving team for your aging loved one is one way to ensure he gets the level of care that he needs on an ongoing basis. If it is simply not a possibility for you to be in the home with your aging loved one throughout the day, every day, having a caregiving team will give you peace of mind that your aging loved one is properly cared for, safe and healthy. When establishing a caregiving team, it is important to carefully evaluate what each person can contribute to the team, and dividing responsibilities based on these expected contributions.

Contact the home care services agency in your area to discuss the various scheduling options that are available to you. Most agencies offer complete flexibility in terms of when home care services companions can be in the home, and for how long. This means that you can determine how often you will be providing care for your aging loved one, and hire a home care services companion to fill in the rest of the time. If there are several members of your family willing to provide care for your aging loved one, you may need an in home care provider even more rarely. Don’t feel the need to reject help from your family members out of a feeling of obligation toward the health care services companion. Schedule a care provider for the times that you need her, and allow your aging loved one to be cared for at other times by the other members of the care team.

Home care counselors at Right at Home are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care Services in Crofton, MD. For more information about senior care call us at (888) 281-5937.

Innovative elderly care is all about finding ways to keep your aging loved one happy and healthy in ways that are safe and possible when considered in conjunction with his specific needs. As an elder care provider, you can help your aging loved one recall precious memories of days at the beach without ever having to leave his home. Simply create a beach for him! This is a great opportunity to take advantage of the mental strengthening powers of sensory stimulation, encourage communication and interaction and simply give your loved one and emotional boost.

The easiest way to create a beach for your aging loved one is to purchase too small wading pools and set them up in the backyard. If mobility issues or medical concerns make it impossible for your aging loved one to spend much time outside, it is possible to do this activity inside, but be sure to lay down a waterproof drop cloth and a sheet to protect your floors.

Purchase sand from a hardware store and pour several inches into one of the pools. Fill the other pool with water and set up several lounge chairs beside the pools. If you are outside, you could also set up a beach umbrella to block the sun and complete the look. Now comes the fun part. Purchase a variety of beach toys, pack a picnic and play your favorite beach music or even a recording of the sound of waves and other beach sounds. Invite your aging loved one to play in the sand, dip his feet in the water and even help you build a sand castle. You may be surprised at just how active and energetic your loved one gets when he has the opportunity to recall fun, youthful days. Welcome him to tell you about the memories brought up by the feeling of the sand and water, or the sound of the waves. You may just learn something about the days he spent at the beach before you came along!

Home care counselors at Right at Home are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elderly care agency providing Home Care in Kettering, MD. For more information about senior care call us at (888) 281-5937.