Q – I’m a caregiver for my 80 year old mother. Although I help her out regularly, she insists on maintaining some of her independence by taking public transit so she doesn’t have to rely on me to get her everywhere. I have no problem with this, but I can’t seem to convince her, because she wants to be independent. I worry she’ll injure herself, can you provide me with some suggestions to keep her safe on Phoenix public transit?

A – Here are 10 ways to keep seniors safe on public transit. If your mom insists on taking it, at least she can help ease your mind that she will be safe by taking note of these tips!

1. Get on and off transportation with caution – when getting in or out of a vehicle, like a bus, be aware of uneven pavement or other hazards that could result in tripping, falls, or twisting of ankles
2. Have bus fare ready – fumbling around for change when a bus is starting to move can result in losing balance, have it ready before you get on the bus
3. Brace yourself – when a bus, subway or streetcar is turning or stopping, make sure you’re sitting or brace yourself to ensure you don’t lose your balance
4. Watch the gap – when stepping off the curb onto a bus, or a subway platform into the vehicle, be aware that there might be a gap between where you’re standing and the vehicle
5. Let others go first – before getting onto a bus or subway, let others exit first. You can also let others get ahead of you at the vehicle’s doors when waiting to get off so you don’t get pushed
6. Watch for closing doors – on a subway or streetcar where doors automatically open and close, never try to go through doors as they’re closing
7. Don’t get on if it’s too crowded – if public transportation is too crowded, wait for the next one. Or when getting on make sure you get a seat; many vehicles have reserved seating for seniors and people with disabilities. If the seats are taken by people who don’t fit this criteria, don’t hesitate to ask them to move or ask the driver to assist you
8. Keep hands free – don’t carry too many things in your hands, so you can adequately hold on to railings
9. Ask a bus driver to lower the steps – most buses are equipped with ramps and stairs that lower to accommodate individuals in wheelchairs, if you’re worried about getting up or down the stairs, ask them to lower it
10. Get there safely- if walking at night, wear brightly colored or reflective clothing, be careful when crossing streets, and remember to buckle up if taking a taxi

Via: About.com

Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

Deciding to bring a caregiver to help out in your senior’s Phoenix home is a big decision, since it’s like you’re putting their fate in the hands of someone else. But Home Instead Senior Care takes steps to ensure that only the best caregivers are placed so that all seniors receive the highest quality of care. Through their training and development program, seniors are always in the best of hands.

The traits of  Home Instead Senior Caregivers:

• Dependability - work history and employment reference checks are completed for all staff members
• Honesty - drug test and background checks are completed by HISC
• Experience – personal or professional experience in the senior care industry or dealing with senior citizens is considered
• Compassion – a sense of compassion for giving seniors a better quality of life is looked for during the interview process
• Motivation – someone who is motivated in everything they do is better suited to ensuring that seniors are provided the highest quality of care

HISC also has a Caregiver Leadership Training Program that focuses on creating a fantastic caregiver experience by focusing on the following elements:

• Treating CAREGivers with dignity and respect
• Nurturing positive relationships
• Showing appreciation
• Humanizing and professionalizing the caregiving journey
• Connecting CAREGivers to Home Instead, its mission and other CAREGivers
• Dealing with issues openly and honestly.

Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

A diagnosis of prostate cancer can be just about as crippling as the disease itself if emotional issues are allowed to develop. Try these 6 tips for dealing with the emotional effects of prostate cancer.

1. Embrace knowledge – knowledge really is power, so research the disease, the symptoms, and the treatment options so you know exactly what to expect from it. At a time when you might feel hopeless, this can help you regain a sense of power over the situation
2. Accept support – you don’t have to do it alone; accept support from family and friends to the degree that you’re comfortable with and form a united front against the disease. You can even join a support group for other seniors with similar struggles
3. Recognize your partner’s struggles – even if you have the disease, your partner is suffering almost as much at the time of diagnosis. Don’t shut her out; try to get through it together
4. Don’t let it affect your masculinity – many men fear prostate cancer because it can mean loss of sexual function. Not all options lead to this, so do your research so you can make an informed decision. Also know that whatever happens, you aren’t less of a man, and no one who loves you would ever think that!
5. Be honest – don’t hold back; recognize your physical symptoms and share them with your doctor. Also don’t hesitate to let him/her know if you want a second opinion form another Phoenix doctor, or if you’re uncomfortable with a treatment option
6. Keep pushing forward – no matter what happens, don’t accept defeat. Keep things going, never stop looking for knowledge, and never allow anyone else to make decisions for you as long as you’re able

Via: Prostate Cancer Institute

Bio-Medicine

Image Source: jupiterimages.com

Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

As your parents are getting older, it’s time to start helping them think about what they will need to prepare themselves to get through their retirement. Even if they’ve already retired, it’s never too late to talk about the future so you understand their goals, wishes and help them plan financially. Here are some tips for helping your aging parents plan for their retirement in Phoenix:

1. Start early – talk to your parents about their retirement plans by the time they are 50…earlier is okay too, but don’t wait too long! However, if your parents are already retired, it’s not too late to have this conversation
2. Know their retirement goals – where do your parents want to live when they retire? Do they want to remain in Phoenix? Do they want to travel? Do they want to take on any new hobbies or continue with old ones? This will help determine their financial needs for retirement
3. How much? – you might not feel comfortable asking your parents about their finances, but it’s important to know if they have saved enough to get them through their retirement, while still meeting their goals. Ensure you let them know that they can’t live on their Social Security Benefits alone; according to studies, these only cover about 40% of retirement living expenses
4. Check Social Security Benefits – although seniors can’t live on their Social Security Benefit alone, requesting to know how much they will receive can help with financial planning for retirement
5. Let them know early retirement might be a possibility – whether or not they hope to retire early, with the economy today, many people are forced to retire at an earlier age. Take a look at the industry that your parents work in; if they are in an industry that’s really being effected, it might result in early retirement
6. Discuss health care – knowing what your parents would want with regards to their health care is perhaps the most important so you know what to do if they are not able to speak for themselves. You can also encourage them to draft a living will, but make sure you know what they’d want with regards to senior services as well as health care

Via: Senior.com

Image: pro.corbis.com

Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

Q – I worry about how my mother would survive if a natural disaster, terrorist attack or another type of emergency were to occur near her Phoenix home. How could she survive on her own if I couldn’t get to her? Is there anything we can do to prepare her home so that she could manage?

A – The best way to prepare for an emergency is to have an emergency kit ready. Keep it somewhere that your mom will have easy access to whenever the situation dictates. Here’s what you should include in your mom’s emergency kit:

• Water – one gallon of water per person, per day with enough for at least 3 days

• Food – non-perishable food items should be in an emergency kit, with enough to survive on for at least 3 days. If canned items are included, don’t forget the manual can opener!
• Radio – a battery-powered or hand-cranked radio will keep you informed about the state of the emergency situation, and an NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert will notify you if a natural disaster is approaching
• Light – a flashlight and lots of extra batteries is crucial, especially if the electricity is out

• First Aid Kit – bandaids and antiseptic along with spare necessary prescription medications should be included
• A whistle – this should be used to signal for help
• Dust mask – this will help you to filter contaminated air
• Shelter – plastic sheeting and tarp and duct tape can be used to create a temporary shelter if needed
• Items for personal sanitation – if there is no water available, moist towelettes and garbage bags will be handy
• Tools – wrench, pliers or other tools can be used to turn off utilities in the home
• Maps of the area and your documented escape route and emergency plan
• Pet supplies – remember, that in an emergency, your pet may need supplies such as food for days too!

Sources:

1. Ready.gov

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Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

At 60, 70, or 80, Phoenix seniors can’t expect to feel like they’re 20 again, but aging doesn’t have to feel bad either, that’s just a myth! It might sound good to be true, but with some simple lifestyle changes, seniors don’t have to feel like their health worsens for every decade of life.

1) Pick healthy habits that you can stick with – if you don’t enjoy your lifestyle changes with regards to diet and exercise, you just won’t stick with it. Choose physical activities that you like doing, so you’re motivated to keep it up, and don’t just choose foods that you know are healthy – stick with ones that taste good, agree with your cooking style, and that provide you with a well-rounded diet!

2) Stop thinking that it’s too late to make healthy changes – it’s never too late to start exercising and to receive benefits with regards to strength, flexibility, bone density and more. No matter what ails you, don’t ever think that it’s too late. Any steps you take to improve your health are helpful and positive!

3) Don’t let fear hold you back – you might worry that exercise will cause injury and greater problems, but if you suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure or other common illnesses for Phoenix seniors, then the risks that can come from NOT exercising, are actually much greater than the risk of injury when you do

4) Make small changes to your diet – making small changes to increase the fiber in your diet, or the fruits, vegetables and other nutrients, can make a huge different. Gradually replace your less healthy food choices to those that will have a more favorable impact on your body!

Sources:
1. Family Doctor

Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

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One in 3 women over the age of 60 have problems controlling their bladders, while 35% have received a firm diagnosis of urinary incontinence. Although incontinence is an issue that isn’t as widespread for men, many older males in Phoenix struggle with bladder control, and for many, this can occur even before they reach their senior years. With urinary incontinence occurring in older adults who are not yet seniors, or who have just entered that demographic, this is a very real and sometimes embarrassing issue that many need to deal with when at the office or at work.

If this private issue is your reality, here are 10 ways you can deal with incontinence at work:

1. Get the right pads – menstrual pads are not designed the same as pads for incontinence, get some good quality absorbent pads that can also help to control odor. These will come in handy during a long, important meeting when you can’t escape to the bathroom
2. Practice odor prevention – some incontinence products release a pleasant odor when in contact with fluid, or you can buy sprays to help control the effects of incontinence
3. Use a tampon – for women, tampons also put pressure on the urethra which can also help to control leaks that come with incontinence
4. Watch what you drink – despite the need to remain hydrated, during a long meeting, avoid drinking too much water or coffee, otherwise you’ll have a full bladder and might leak when you stand
5. Consider your wardrobe – choosing darker colored suits for the office will help to mask the presence of fluid
6. Do kegels – to strengthen bladder muscles, regularly contract the muscles you’d use to stop the flow of urine
7. Train your bladder – try to slowly increase the time between bathroom visits until you can go between 3-4 hours between trips
8. Use a pessary – most common to help bladder weakness after pregnancy, a pessary can help to control incontinence
9. Use deep breathing – when you feel the urge to go, practice deep breathing for 5 minutes until the need passes.
10.  Tighten the pelvic muscles – when you’re going to laugh or cough, tighten the pelvic muscles to prevent leakage

Sources:

1. Web MD
2. Wikipedia

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Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

Thinking about increasing your strength after 80 In order to improve your functional abilities when it comes to day-to-day living Phoenix seniors? Great idea, but when giving this a try don’t expect that you’re going to increase your muscle mass, because according to a recent study that just won’t be the case. After putting women over 80 through a series of resistance training programs, MRIs were taken to establish the effects upon the muscular system and no change was apparent. That’s not to say, however, that resistance training won’t have its benefits, because it will in fact help seniors to increase their overall strength which can help them with their daily living; from carrying groceries, to getting out of bed, or picking up a young grandchild. With a little bit of effort, it is possible to improve strength overall, seniors just shouldn’t expect any massive changes to their muscle tone or mass in the process.

Sources:

1. Health Discovery Canada

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Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

Caring for a pet isn’t easy, especially not when you choose to bring a dog into your home. It doesn’t matter how old you are, pets are demanding and they are a large commitment. Of course, the physical burden only increases for seniors who are at a greater risk for falling when trying to walk or play with a dog, trying to bathe them, or other simple day-to-day tasks that come with pet ownership. Fortunately, there are some new technologies available on the market that can help seniors care for their pets. When thinking about pet ownership, look for the following products that can help seniors:

• Hyrdosurge – an all-in-one dog bathing system that automatically suds with shampoo, combs and rinses. It’s a device that can be attached to any faucet, and it resembles the end of a garden hose. This can help seniors who face physical strain when struggling to restrain a pet and fumble with multiple bathing devices and products

• GoDogGo – every dog needs exercise, but throwing a ball can be physically laborious for seniors, so this is a product that automatically shoots out tennis balls to entertain and exercise a dog
• Komfort Climate-Controlled Pet Carrier – you’re never supposed to leave a pet in the hot car, but when out and running errands with pets, seniors are able to leave their pets in the climate controlled pet carriers. They adjust the temperature of the carrier if the car temperature is too hot or too cold
• The Haptic Creature – for those seniors who really can’t have a living pet, there’s a robotic version that provides the same therapeutic benefits, as the pet responds to touch and sound just like a real animal

Sources:

1. Forbes

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Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228