Greater Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative & Central Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623-583-5868, 602.265.8228 or 480-991-3959.

Home Improvements to keep seniors safe at Home in Phoenix

Another way you can protect yourself and your elders is by eliminating hazards in the home. Accidents and injuries are often caused by wet floors, stairway obstructions, and faulty handrails. Stay off a freshly mopped floor until it is dry and remind the senior to do the same. If you are mopping a passageway, clean one side at a time to allow safe access through the area.

Also, make sure that you clean up any spills immediately. Mop and dry the area before walking on the floor.

Keep the hallways and stairs clear of objects. Never set anything down in a passageway. Even a small piece of paper could become a dangerous slipping or tripping hazard for both you and the senior.
 
Check the lighting in the stairway and halls. I know it has been said to every caregiver that has gone through our training and orientation, when anything in the home needs improvement, make sure you contact the Home Instead office.

If you feel your elderly loved one’s home could use a safety check up, sign up for our free special offer this week, it will give you peace of mind and ensure safety for both you and the senior that you are responsible for.

Debbie Seplow, invites you to learn more about Home Instead Senior Care in Greater Phoenix.

Greater Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative & Central Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623-583-5868, 602.265.8228 or 480-991-3959.

Safety in you elder’s home - Help with mobility - Choose to Age in Place in Phoenix

Showers

Showers are recommended for all seniors, because they are safer than bathtubs. Benches increase safety to help them in and out of the tub. A non-skid mat on the shower floor and beside the shower help provide firm footing. Grab bars can also provide firm, solid support. Under no circumstances should towel racks or improperly installed grab bars be used as bathtub aids.

Wheelchairs

When helping a senior in and out of a wheelchair, make sure that the wheels are locked. Stand in front of them, feet apart, knees slightly bent. Make sure the senior’s feet are flat on the floor. Have them slide to edge of chair and place a hand on your arm, then help them raise up. One of their knees should be between your legs. Let them do the majority of the work, you are there to stabilize them.

Stairs

When a senior walks downstairs, make sure you walk in front of them. It will keep them from falling down the stairs. When they walk up the stairs, walk behind them. It will put you in a position to help stabilize them if they lose balance.

If a fall occurs, avoid the impulse to catch them. Guide them to the ground, protecting their head. Don’t forget to always protect yourself too. You and your health are important!

Greater Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative & Central Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623-583-5868, 602.265.8228 or 480-991-3959.

Home Modification Checklist for Phoenix Seniors Opting to Age at Home

The following are important steps to take to help elders living in Phoenix to age at home safely. Home Instead Senior Care Phoenix suggest family members and senors to print this list and check off each item after you have completed.

• Make sure that the lighting in your home is bright enough to see well. Most elders lose their vision in lower light settings.
• Remove any rugs that slide around on the floor to avoid falls.
• If you notice bumps, raised edges, or other high places in your carpet, remove them. You want to make sure the carpet is secure.
• Waxed floors can be a hazard. They can cause an elder to slip and fall.
• Remove any electrical or other cords from where you walk so you don’t trip and fall.
• Remove all clutter from the floors, clear all stairs, and steps to the house.
• Make sure that you have railings on both sides of your indoor and outdoor stairs; make sure those railings are strong and sturdy enough for you.
• Be careful and take your time if you have trouble seeing the steps both inside your home and leading up to your home.
• Make sure that heavy items are not stored on top shelves.
• Be careful when bending to reach things and think about using an assistive device (like a grasper) to help you.
• If you have trouble standing in the shower, use a shower chair and a showerhead that you can hold in your hand.
• If your toilet seat is too low, add a special seat to make it higher; alternatively, you may want to get a toilet that is higher than the one you have.
• Be very careful of cracks in outdoor pavement or on porches; if possible, have them
  repaired.
• Look around your house to see if there are other obstacles that you need to take care of so that you don’t hurt yourself.

Greater Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative & Central Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 602.588.7725 or 602.265.8228.

Family members take on different responsibilities when a relative living in Phoenix becomes disabled. Sons and daughters may become caretakers for a disabled parent. A spouse may assume a “parent” role for their husband or wife. You or others in your family may find these role changes difficult to accept. Often the roles change in some ways, but not in others, leading to some confusion about just how to act. It sometimes takes a while to figure out just who will do what.

One change that often occurs is the disabled family member becomes the center of attention. A great deal of energy and attention is focused on the older person who is becoming impaired. Other family members, including spouses or other children, can feel neglected. They may become resentful because they feel they are not getting the attention they need. Chores must often be shifted to others, who may then feel burdened. Severe disruptions of family roles sometimes result in the withdrawal of one family member from all family activities or even divorce.

It is good to remember that different family members respond in their own unique ways. Some people will not be helpful at all and will distance themselves from the situation because they cannot cope with the changes. However, some people who care for a disabled family member report that their families experience a new kind of closeness, as they work together to deal with stressful situations. Some people even show strengths that they never knew they had. Here are some things that might help you cope with role changes in the family:

Ask for help when you need it. Sit down with your family members to ask what they are willing to do to help. Give them ideas and suggestions don’t just assume that they know what you need. They can’t read your mind, and they may already be doing what they think is helpful. Assume that most people are doing the best they can under the circumstances. While this is not always the case, most often it is.

Greater Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative & Central Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 602.588.7725 or 602.265.8228.

Malnutrition and Dehydration Information for Seniors in Phoenix

Did you know that according to a June 2006 report by CNN.com and the Mayo Clinic, more than half of all seniors cared for at home are malnourished or undernourished? 

And this next piece of information may surprise you even more.  As reported in the American Journal of Nursing (AJN), a recent study at UCLA showed that nearly one-third of the nursing home residents who participated in this research were dehydrated.

Why are these problems occurring?

Well, the U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) Web site (FOR POWERPOINT: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/296_old.html) explains there are various barriers to seniors achieving proper nutrition.  These include financial constraints on food purchases; adverse reactions to medications (for instance, affecting appetite); or medical problems that limit shopping or cooking abilities, or interfere with the enjoyment of food.

Another problem is social isolation.  The FDA’s online Growing Older, Eating Better brochure indicates that seniors who live on their own may be too lonely or unmotivated to cook nutritious meals for themselves.  Others may not know how to cook – especially widowed men whose wives traditionally handled food preparation in the household.

Thus, isolation may result in seniors trying to meet dietary needs by snacking – perhaps on unhealthy foods – or just skipping meals totally.  These poor nutritional habits can result in diminished quality of life; longer times of recovery from illnesses and injuries; and increases in the cost and frequency of admittance to hospitals or other care facilities.

Greater Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative & Central Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 602.588.7725 or 602.265.8228.

Phoenix Home Care Safety - If you have an aging relative living in Phoenix and you are concerned about their safety at home, check out these few home care safety tips that can be used during your next visit.

1. Look in refrigerator, freezer and drawers.  Has food spoiled because mom can’t get to the grocery store?  Does she have difficulty cleaning tight, cluttered places?

2. Look over the grocery list.  Has your loved one’s declining health prompted her to purchase more convenience and junk foods, and neglect proper nutrition?  Is she losing weight?

3. Look on top of furniture and countertops.  Are dust and dirt signs that household tasks are becoming more difficult for your parents?

4. Look up at fans and ceilings.  Has the inability to lift her arms and climb stepstools prevented your loved one from cleaning soot and grime from high places?  Caution your senior not to climb.

5. Look down at floors and stairways.  Have shaky hands spilled drinks and food, soiling vinyl, wood, carpets and walkways?  Are frayed carpets, throw rugs, objects and furniture creating tripping hazards?  Does dad’s bad knee put him at greater risk on cracked sidewalks and with broken stair rails? 

6. Look under beds and sofas.  Is your senior having difficulty organizing old newspapers, books and magazines, which are creating a fire hazard?

7. Look through the mail.  Is mom’s dementia causing her to forget to pay bills and answer correspondence?

8. Look below bathroom and kitchen sinks.  Is poor eyesight making it difficult for your elderly relative to read medication labels and to properly store cleaning materials?  Is he forgetting to refill medications and to take them on schedule?  Check the refill date against the number of pills in the bottle to help determine if your loved one is taking medication regularly.  Or call the pharmacy.

9. Look at your senior’s appearance.  Is clothing dirty and unkempt, and is your loved one neglecting personal hygiene?

10. Look to your parents’ neighbors and other close friends to find out about their daily routine.  Are your seniors at home more, watching television and avoiding stimulating conversation and companionship?

If you remain concerned, please contact our office at 602.588.7725.

Greater Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative & Central Phoenix Assisted Living Alternative helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 602.588.7725 or 602.265.8228.

What today’s seniors in Phoenix want most is to age in place.  What they fear most is to lose their independence.  But what they’re least likely to ask for is the kind of help that will keep them comfortable and safe at home.  That’s why it’s often up to the adult children of aging parents living in Phoenix to look for the signs that their elderly loved one needs help at home.  Neglecting those signs will likely lead seniors to the kind of dependence that most would like to avoid.

“Seniors often don’t recognize when they require help,” said Debbie Seplow, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving Greater Phoenix. “That’s why adult children should identify where their loved ones need assistance.  Home Instead Senior Care has made this process easier by providing a list of simple, look-and-see signs that adult children can use to identify the types of services their loved ones might need. 

Providing seniors assistance with a few basic tasks – such as meal preparation, light housework, companionship and medication reminders – often means the difference between whether they stay at home or go to a facility.  And that kind of independence is very important to seniors’ overall happiness.”