Safe At Home Healthcare

Sleep Better At Night and Go About Your Day Knowing Your Senior Is Safe at Home (800) 480-4154

Home » Home Care Oswego IL » Page 2

Home Care Oswego IL

Health Benefits Of Coconut Oil For Seniors

By

In this post, I want to talk to you about Coconut’s Health Benefits.
The oil of the coconut offers a wide range of nutritional and health benefits which include everything from lowering cholesterol,
reducing the risk of heart disease, promoting weight loss, helping to maintain a target weight, boosting energy levels, increasing the metabolic rate and preventing wrinkles.
It also contains lauric acid, a powerful antiviral and antibacterial agent, which is believed to be a valuable in preventing routine illness and boosting the immune system. All great benefits for us, especially for baby boomers and our senior clients.
It contains calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium and a whole host of vitamins, the coconut is a real powerhouse which can be safely added to most people’s diets,
So how can you reap the benefits of Coconut Oil.
I use coconut oil in the morning to make a scrambled egg.  My wife puts a tablespoon in her smoothies, and my sister takes a tablespoon straight.(not for me)   I have also heard people add a teaspoon to their Coffee or oatmeal.
So, as busy as you are, be sure to take time and keep learning! Until next time this is …Kurt Hjelle with Safe at Home Healthcare.

Home Care in Oswego, IL Tip: Occupational Therapy Permits Seniors in Oswego to Live Life to It’s Fullest

By

Occupational therapy empowers men and women of all ages to live life to its fullest by supporting them to encourage health, prevent—or live better with—injury, illness, or disability. It is a practice that revolves around science and is evidence-based, meaning that the plan designed for each individual is supported by data, experience, and “best practices” that have been developed and established over time.

If a senior in your life is receiving home care services, you might also consider asking their physician about Occupational Therapy services that are often covered by Medicare.

Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants focus on “doing” whatever occupations or activities are meaningful to the man or woman. It is occupational therapy’s purpose to get way beyond difficulties to the alternatives that promise living life to its fullest. These remedies may be variations for how to do a task, changes to the surroundings, or assisting folks to modify their own behaviors.

When working with an occupational therapy practitioner, procedures and adjustments are tailor-made for each particular person to resolve problems, increase function, and aid everyday living tasks. The goal is to maximize potential. Through these therapeutic tactics, occupational therapy aids folks design their lives, develop needed skills, adjust their environments (e,g., home, school, or work) and build health-promoting habits and regimes that will let them to flourish.

By taking the full picture into account—a person’s psychological, physical, emotional, and social makeup as well as their environment—occupational therapy assists clients to do the following:

•           Achieve goals
•           Perform at the best level
•           Emphasis on what matters most to them
•           Maintain or rebuild their self-sufficiency
•           Participate in daily interests that they need or want to do.

Founded in 1917, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) represents the interests and concerns of more than 140,000 occupational therapists, assistants and students nationwide. The Association educates the public and advances the profession of occupational therapy by providing resources, setting standards including accreditations and serving as an advocate to improve health care. Based in Bethesda, Md., AOTA’s major programs and activities are directed toward promoting the professional development of its members and assuring consumer access to quality services so patients can maximize their individual potential. For more information, go to www.aota.org.

Home care counselors at Safe at Home Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care, including live-in care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Oswego. 

The Advantages of Medication Reminders from a Home Care Service in Oswego, IL

By

With a Home care agency, knowing when to take medications on time will be a lot easier–to say the least. This is because a Home care agency will provide you with the basics to do what is necessary, concerning your medications. One of the essentials that you will get is a caregiver, and although your helper will be
unable to administer your medications for you, he or she will be there to remind you to consume them on-time, as well as to assist you if you need help. Additionally, your personal aid will be there to help you keep track of your medications by making note of what you took and when you took it, ensuring that you are following your physician’s orders and that you are not taking too little or overdosing.

True, your caregiver will not be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but that is fine. It is possible to acquire your scheduled medication reminders through an automated system, which is a phone call that will be made at preset times. This means that you do not have to stress about being hounded with calls throughout the day, and you do not have to worry about carrying on a conversation when the calls are made, considering that the calls will not be made by a live representative. Instead, the computerized voice can either tell you your medications or ask you if you are feeling well. If the answer is yes, you will be instructed to push number one; if the answer is no, you will be instructed to push number two.

In addition to getting medication reminders and phone calls on how you are feeling; you are going to receive the amount of care that is needed to keep you healthy and alert. For this reason, you can rest comfortably at night, knowing that your medications are taken and that you are being cared for.

Home care in Oswego, IL counselors at Safe at Home Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care, including live-in care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Oswego. 

Home Care Oswego IL: Elder Driving

By

“I’m going to drive myself to the nursing home or the cemetery, whichever comes first.”

That comment from an elderly driver shows what you might be up against when you try to persuade a parent, friend or other elderly person to stop driving.

While there are many individual exceptions, the chance of having an accident typically begins to increase around the age of 55, and the risk rises dramatically for people with diseases or who take medications that affect their motor skills, vision and/or judgment.

Still, many Americans think of driving as a fundamental right, and for older people, the car is often the last symbol of independence.

In trying to persuade a person to put away the car keys, you’ll be attempting to influence a person who is probably accustomed to giving advice, not taking it. Tactics that work…

LAY THE GROUNDWORK

If possible, start your campaign before the danger of driving becomes immediate. Even if your loved one seems to be driving well, it’s wise to suggest that he/she take a test to confirm the level of skill and/or take a refresher course for senior drivers. (AAA and many motor vehicle departments have information on the tests and courses.)

Advantage: These measures take some of the burden off you by letting drivers see their own shortcomings in a way that’s difficult to deny.

Push your loved one to take a test or refresher course if you notice…

Friends no longer want to ride with him.

Unexplained damage to the car, such as scratches, dents or broken outside mirrors.

Incidents of confusion on well-known roads.

An increase in accidents, no matter who was at fault. Reason:Accidents are often the result of a reduced ability to drive defensively.

AAA has a free program for PC users, Roadwise Review, that lets people use a home computer to test themselves in such areas as physical flexibility, memory, visual acuity and information processing speed.www.roadwisereview.com.

The AARP’s Driver Safety Program online course costs $15.95 for members and $19.95 for nonmembers and is aimed at people age 50 and older. You can complete the course at your own pace. Information: 888-227-7669,www.aarpdriversafety.org.

OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS

It’s very common that a senior driver will balk at the idea of taking a test or refresher course. Countermeasures…

Offer to join the person and take the test or course together. (With AAA’s Roadwise Review, it is mandatory to take the test with someone else present in order to verify results.) The offer doesn’t always work, but it’s often successful.

Point out that most insurance companies give a discount to people who take the AARP course.

RELY ON INFLUENCERS

Despite a poor test and pleas from family members, some seniors still won’t give up driving. When that’s the case, it’s wise to ask for help from the people in authority whom they do listen to. Doctors are at the top of the list.

Contact your family member’s physicians and discuss the situation with them. Many doctors are willing to tell older patients how their diminished eyesight, loss of motor skills or effects of a disability can increase the risk of a serious accident.

Not every physician, however, is knowledgeable in this area.

Smart move: Give doctors a copy of Physician’s Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers. The book, developed by the American Medical Association and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, gives doctors a checklist of conditions that impair driving ability.

Some of the conditions might not be obvious to doctors who haven’t dealt with the issue before.

Examples: Insomnia, which can cause drowsiness during the day, and foot problems, which can prevent the proper use of the brake and accelerator pedals.

The book, which is free, can be downloaded from the Internet or ordered for delivery by mail.

Information: 800-621-8335, www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/10791.html.

If doctors don’t succeed in persuading your loved one not to drive, turn to friends, relatives or members of the clergy for whom he/she has a deep respect.

DRIVING ALTERNATIVES

Almost all elderly people — even those urged by doctors and confronted by evidence of diminished skill — use a powerful argument against turning over the car keys. They say that there’s no other way to get to places they have to go. This is a reasonable concern that should be respected.

If arguments about safety won’t overcome this concern, be prepared by knowing about alternative types of transportation that can make a car unnecessary.

My organization, the Beverly Foundation, lists more than 1,000 senior transportation programs. To see the list, go towww.beverlyfoundation.org/map/stps and click on your state.

Many elderly nondrivers require a combination of options…

Volunteer drivers. Hundreds of volunteer driver programs have started up around the country, and more are being created each month. Typically sponsored by a charitable organization, these programs generally supply drivers to seniors free of charge. Many religious institutions also provide volunteer drivers.

Also check your local departments of senior services, churches and interfaith volunteer groups. If there isn’t an appropriate option in your community, consider the possibility of promoting one.

Paratransit. That’s a term coined by federal officials for trans­portation systems for the disabled operated by many cities and counties throughout the country.

Depending on the jurisdiction, many minor disabilities associated with advanced age may qualify a person for paratransit.

Examples: Poor vision in one eye or lack of full mobility in a foot. To find out if a loved one would qualify, contact your local department of transportation.

Regular taxis. Taxicabs are an obvious option, especially in suburbs and other areas outside the city. Taxis can be a relaxing way to travel, almost like having a chauffeur. (That’s particularly true once you develop a relationship with a taxi company.)

The strongest argument is that taxis are a bargain. AAA estimates that the average cost of owning and operating a car is about $8,780 a year, or nearly $170 a week — enough to pay for many taxi rides.

Assisted-living apartments. If your loved one is contemplating a move, ask him to consider an assisted-living apartment complex. Many of them operate their own transportation system for regular trips to grocery stores, malls and medical centers.

Few people have quick success in persuading a senior to stop driving. But don’t be discouraged. Before giving up, remember that if other friends and family members had been more persistent, some of the people cited in statistics on fatal accidents to seniors would still be alive.

Bottom Line/Retirement interviewed Helen Kerschner, PhD, president and CEO of the Beverly Foundation, a California-based nonprofit organization that advocates for senior transportation, www.BeverlyFoundation.org. Dr. Kerschner is the former president of the American Association for International Aging.

Home care counselors at Safe at Home Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care, including live-in care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Oswego. 

Home Care Oswego, IL: October is World Blindness Awareness Month

By

Don’t Lose Sight of Your Eye Health
American Academy of Ophthalmology Reminds Americans of the Importance of Regular Eye Exams During World Blindness Awareness Month

For many people, good vision means good eye health but that may not always be the case. Regular eye exams can catch problems before it’s too late. If you are  age 40 or older and have not had a recent eye disease screening, The American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) recommends making an appointment for an eye exam. It is an essential step toward preserving vision and keeping eyes healthy and there is no better time than October’s World Blindness Awareness Month.

By 2020, 43 million Americans will be at risk for significant vision loss or blindness from age-related eye diseases, such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration, an increase of more than 50 percent over the current number of Americans with these diseases. Despite the statistics, many Americans are more concerned about weight gain or back pain than they are of vision loss.

Read more

Home care counselors at Safe at Home Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care, including live-in care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Oswego.