How to deal with loneliness in aged people?

Everyone grows older and this is something you cannot reverse or hold on. And the biggest challenge one comes across in this stage of life is loneliness. If you or someone in your family is dealing with a similar situation, here is something really helpful. Read on.

What is your biggest fear of growing old?

If it is the feeling of being alone and unwanted, you aren’t all alone. Certainly, you cannot stop the ageing process as it is a cold, hard fact of life. But if you are alone in those years of life, it can be very difficult to maintain your emotional, psychological and even physical health. So, saying that ageing and loneliness affect people drastically.

But it is not a problem which is not destined to go away. Yes, it is possible to fight back loneliness. How?

Below are listed some tips and solution to help:

Understand the reason of loneliness:

It can be hard to imagine why in the cities of millions of people one feel lonely. The simplest answer would be in the huge sized cities the only thing people lack is time. If you check out for the history, say twenty years ago, people probably knew everyone who lived on their street. However, these days there are rare chances for you to know your next-door neighbours nicely. Hence, you need to first understand what is causing loneliness. It can be shyness or their unrealistic expectations. Ask them to get out often and meet people.

Maintain a positive body image

In a research, it was found that many older adults avoid social interaction just due to their poor body image. It might be attributable to being overweight or some other reason, which may decrease or cease interactions with their social networks. And this further leads to risk for social isolation. Hence, if you find them too self-conscious or embarrassed, which ultimately makes them less engaged in their social networks, you need to work on. You can start with compliments and positive comments to boost the self-esteem of seniors. With this, you can address the root problem by encouraging weight loss, say helping them with healthy eating and exercises.

Build up a sense of purpose

Your seniors need to live with a sense of purpose or hobbies which interest them. With this, they will be able to succumb the negative effects of social isolation. You can encourage them for anything which involves a group. Actually, when seniors are bereft of ideas for what to do in their life, they will stay busy and happy. Volunteering can be another great way of maintaining and expressing a sense of purpose. You need to provide them opportunities to volunteer and maintain their sense of purpose.

With these tips and solution, now it will be easy to avoid the feeling of being alone in the later years of life. Keep healthy, be safe, and enjoy every moment!

Questions You Must Ask to Find Out a Quality Homecare for Your Seniors

With the growing demand of homecare services in the country, it becomes more essential for you to search thoroughly for a full-service homecare provider. To help you out, here are listed essential questions you must ask before making any final decision.

Without a doubt, homecare services are a critical sector for the healthcare providers.

Are you searching for a reliable caregiver for the seniors in your life?

Being one of the most important decisions you will ever make, you need to gear up in advance to make a right choice. You need to learn about the senior homecare specialist in detail before you get your elderly admitted over there. So, take out some time to do a proper research.

And to make your work bit easier, below are listed some questions to help you choose a quality homecare company;

Do They Offer Customized Care Plans?

The first thing you need to look for is the arrangement of personalized care plans. You need to understand that every person has his/her own needs, and so he/ she should be given special, customized care services. It should include the person’s unique requirements, instead of following one-size-fit for all approach.

With a personalized care plan, your seniors get an access to what they need, and what they desire. For example, if they have been an early riser all their life, the plan must include care which includes their waking patterns and habits which start early, like having a breakfast visit at 8 AM.  

How Much Time They Will Offer?

Typically, the service providers spend an hour or more with them. So, look for a high quality homecare service provider offering ample time to elderly for their proper care. Don’t hesitate in asking how long a company will spend on an individual. Their schedule will simply indicate a great deal about the ethos which underpins their service. Prefer hiring a care company which employs a real- time monitoring system.

How Much They Value Companionship?

Certainly, loneliness is one of the biggest problems being faced by the elderly. And thus, you must understand the fact that homecare isn’t just about carrying out a list of tasks. It is much more than this; it’s also about providing much needed companionship. Search for a provider offering high value on the companionship as a part of their services.

Do They Cater Independent Endorsements?

With internet serving to be a great help to find homecare companies, you should know which sources you can trust and which you cannot. Check for independent reviews and recommendations, both online or offline, for any homecare company. 

When you have answer to these, you can be confident enough about the quality of the care your loved ones receive. So, get ready and start digging the answers!

How Late Stage Dementia Affects Speech?

Dementia 

Dementia is a general term that is used for the decline in mental ability and reduces person’s ability to perform everyday activities. The most common form of Dementia is Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia. The general symptoms include memory loss, decrease in the ability to pay attention, etc. In the later stages of Dementia, one can also experience a gradual decline in speech. The decline in speech is due to the dying of brain cells that are associated with the speech ability of a person. This is quite common in the Dementia patients. Medication can be used to lift the mood of the patient but, if the medicines are not helping then it means the patient is on the last stage of Dementia. At the later stages of Dementia, try to hire a full-time professional caregiver who has an experience working with the mute Dementia patients. A simple communication should be used to help the patient because they cannot understand the complex words due to decline in their mental health.

Medication can be used to lift the mood of the patient but, if the medicines are not helping then it means the patient is on the last stage of Dementia. Loss of speech is the most common symptom in the last stage. It gets hard to communicate with the patient at this stage. Initially, they will start talking less and then gradually towards only a few words a day to no word at all. It results in a problem to those who are trying to take care of the patient. Because one cannot even answer the basic questions which are a greater hurdle for the care taker.

The patient cannot even express if he is in the pain so all you can do to help them is look at the signs. These signs could be facial expressions, movements, etc. It gets depressing for the patient too when the carers cannot understand their needs. That is why it is always recommended to treat Dementia at the earlier stages.

Immediate treatment should be given to the patient diagnosed with Dementia. Because without treatment dementia will spread slowly and in case of no treatment it will deteriorate the patient quicker.

At the later stages of Dementia, try to hire a full-time professional caregiver who has an experience working with the mute Dementia patients. A simple communication should be used to help the patient because they cannot understand the complex words due to decline in their mental health.

Try to spend quality time with your loved ones having Dementia as having you by their side is enough for them. They will appreciate the care that you are providing to them and it’s highly comforting for them that their loved ones care for them.

Thus, try to spend time with your loved ones at the last stage of their life. If the medicines are not working, that means it’s the last stage. Your company is all that matters to the patients and spend the happy moments with them.

5 Tips To Cope Up When You Are Feeling Unappreciated As A Caregiver

Generally, a caregiver’s sacrifice goes unappreciated!

Yes, you read it right. It is a very common issue in caregiving when the efforts you are making goes in vain. So, you start feeling unappreciated in spite of taking so much care of your seniors. As a consequence, not receiving the deserved appreciation or being deprived of your value, you get into stress, ultimately leading to burnouts and resentment.

It happens with almost every caregiver around the world. In case, it is happening to you, don’t stress. These emotions are an obvious part of caregiving and won’t just leave your way. The most important thing to be learnt here is to cope up with the negative feelings and to keep you hale and hearty. How?

Let’s explore;

Don’t Miss Out On Self-Care:

Whenever you feel exhausted or stressed, it becomes easier for exasperation and anger to control your mind. This is the reason why caring for self is important for caretakers. Spending some time with yourself is what would help you keep fit, both intellectually and physically. It greatly helps in the management of stress and negative vibes so that you may continue your caregiving job for the long.

Graciously Accept Thanks And Appreciation:

Even when you receive less appreciation than you had worked for; make sure you accept it wholeheartedly. Actually, when you willingly and happily accept their gratitude and thanks, you give them a chance to thank you again in future. Snapping at someone when they thank you will just discourage them from doing it again. Your motive is to encourage them to let them show more appreciation in the future.

Understanding Why Your Efforts Aren’t Appreciated:

You need to try to figure out why does your older adults do not appreciate you and your service. Once you get a solid reason, it might help you in dealing with the problem. For an instance, seniors who are already facing serious pains and declining physical and thinking abilities are usually self-focused. They have almost no idea of what you feel and aspire. Similarly, older adults suffering with dementia are often found struggling to pass their time. They aren’t usually capable of thinking more than the basic life tasks.

So, in such cases, even if they are happy with you they would not pay any heed in expressing their gratitude and appreciation. You don’t need to worry!

Switch To Light Hearted Humor And Ask For Appreciation:

On several occasions, it is necessary to make people aware that you like getting recognition and being thanked. The best way out would be approaching light heartedly, and occasionally making jokes to remind them about the same. Meanwhile, keeping your tone low and positive is important.

Don’t Forget To Reward Yourself:

Caregiving is amongst the top thankless jobs gifted by nature. Another way to feel positive and happier is by rewarding yourself for all the good work you have been doing. The reward may include anything, ranging from a small chocolate to a drink. The only aim is to boost your self-satisfaction and zeal to work. And of course, you can also attend the weekend parties for the same purpose.

Hence, with these five tips, you can beat those negative vibes which surrounds you, when your efforts go unseen. Love yourself, and be a great caregiver.

Your Checklist for Selecting Right Aged Care Home

Caregiver Helping Senior from Wheelchair to Bed

If it is about choosing a right assisted living home, it can be a bit challenging task. But with a little forward thinking, you can turn it into a stress free process. How? Here is a checklist with the key things which will help you make a right decision.

There comes a time in one’s life when it becomes necessary to decide where to send their loved ones. Yes, selecting an aged care facility is surely one of the toughest and emotionally challenging tasks. There are several initial thoughts appearing through your mind like:

• Will the location of the aged care facility pleasing enough to attract your elderly?
• How will they treat them?
• Will the seniors be allowed to live freely with other residents?
• What about their health and diet?

And so on. While the list of questions can be very long, here you will learn how to choose the best living community for your loved ones.

Explore; 

Have a Meal:

Yes, seriously you need to do this. You already know how necessary good food is for your senior’s health. Will they give some snacks and fresh fruit? Is there some special arrangement for cooking, if seniors want to do it? Find out.

Eating a meal there will be an essential indicator of quality they offer. Don't just look at the menu, do check for the portion size and taste it.

Inspect the Environs:  

As you enter the place, does it smell of disinfectant? What about the air? Is it clean and fresh? Check for the lawn and garden.

Check for Staff Members:

Try to communicate with the staff. Are they smiling and readily interactive with the residents? If the place is quiet like a morgue, or you feel like you have to whisper, you need to switch options.

Activities:

Seniors Practicing Yoga at Aged Care Home

Are there any piano lessons or some other entertainment sessions? What kind of activities do they provide? Many aged care centre’s in Perth offer intellectual pursuits with trips to concerts. You must ensure how they will keep your elderly busy.

Safety Matters: 

You must check for few, without assuming them to be present there:

• Raised toilet seats
• Emergency call buttons in the bathroom, bedroom and living room         
• Grab bars in the tub and shower
• Non -slip surfaces in tub and shower
• Security system    

If you don’t feel safe, you must look for another option.

It is understood that your elderly relatives have reached the point where it is difficult for them to live on their own. Using the afore-stated ideas, you can find out a perfect senior care home for your loved one, and make their life easier and less stressful. 

7 Points to Remember While Interacting with People Who Suffer from Disabilities

Disabled Person Talking With A Caregiver

When dealing with someone who is suffering from disability, you need to be very careful. A little thing might make them special, and on the contrary, your silly mistake can spoil their day. So, here are some helpful tips to guide you.

Life Isn’t Same For All, Isn’t It?

You will easily find people around who aren’t as capable as you are. Yes, it is about those people who have some kind of disability. And for you the biggest challenge can be getting comfortable with such people. Or better say for making these people get comfortable around you.

So, here are few tips to help interacting with people with disabilities.

Avoid Unnecessary Help:

Well, at times, it may be hard to resist. But you need to be very particular. Helping disabled people without asking first should never be done. You don’t need to grab their jacket or help them getting into their accessible van. Just wait and let them speak up.

Don’t Forget to Introduce Yourself:

Yes, introduction matters a lot. Even if you meet a person who is blind, the most important things you need to do is to introduce yourself. It is because when you first meet someone with vision limitations, introduction should be done in right way. Let them know you are near so that they can better feel their surroundings.

No Need of Special Remarks:

Seriously, people with disabilities don't like being referred to as special or inspirational. Hence, if they can do the basic task in their ways, you don’t need to mention it over and over again. Please try to refrain from sharing those unwanted as your comment will have the negative effect, reminding them how different they are.

Don’t be Louder:

One of the most offensive things you would do when interacting with someone with a disability is talking louder. Hence, when you meet them, speak soft and in lower volume.

Refer to Them as Person First:

Referring to the disabled population as ‘people with disabilities’ is not a good idea. Treat them normally and make sure you prefer "person first" language.

Patronizing is Not Required:

Yes, avoiding patronizing remarks is must when you deal with people with disabilities. Just remember, they are not that different, and you can behave normally. Even if they win a few gold Paralympic medals, or invent a flying wheelchair, you better keep those patronizing remarks away.

Remember the "Golden Rule"

Lastly, when in doubt over how you should treat such people; always refer to the Golden Rule.

It beautifully states i.e. “treat others as you'd like to be treated”.

Yes, mutual respect is the most important thing. Never forget the importance of basic good human interactions and make sure you don’t hurt them.

Hence, if you've recently came to know someone with a disability, and you think meeting such a person would be daunting; following these tips would certainly help. All the best!

5 Simple Ways To Enhance Life Quality for a Person with a Disability

Life is meant to help others, isn’t it? So why not help someone who needs it the most? Find out some easy ways to improve the life quality of a disable person. Let’s make them feel better.

What happens when you see a blind person passing by? You feel bad for him, right?

But is that enough? Exactly not; it is your responsibility to help him cross the road and make him reach his destination safely.

Well, the incidence of disabilities is not limited to blindness. In our world it is far more common than you might have been thinking. In order to ensure that people with a disability lead a quality life, you need to invest some time and effort.

Yes, it is you who can help make their life better. How? Find out;

Start with Basics! 

Helping Disabled Person in Combing Hair

You need to begin with improving your home environment. Just identify their basic needs of daily living such as toileting, getting dressed, bathing, eating, cleaning, shopping, or making telephone calls. Actually, you need to check whether they are able to do these tasks on their own, or is it their disability causing hindrance. No, you don’t need to assist them everywhere; instead your focus should be, making them capable to handle these problems.

However, if you feel the person with a disability lacks adequate support, you must think of assistance. Ensuring the basic needs of daily living is the key to enhance life for a person with disability.

Make Living Environment Comfortable!

Giving Comfort to Disabled Person

The next thing you need to do is make sure the home is adapted to fit the person's disability. It includes a number of things. Start by making some basic adjustments; for example, if the person is wheelchair bound, make sure there is ramp to get in and out of the house. You can help them with the installation of handrails or making bathroom tasks easier.

Looking for Safer Living!

Senior Care

You can consider transferring the disabled person to an assisted living home or care facility. It is best thing you can do to help fight illness and loneliness. These homes are trusted worldwide for making seniors feel at home, meanwhile providing best healthcare services.

Take Them for An Outing!

Disabled Person's Outing

Now this will depend on your schedule. If you have enough time, you can plan regular trips or visits to your loved one, family member, or dear friend, who is suffering from a disability. It proves to be one of the most powerful ways to demonstrate them how much you care. It can be planned once a week, or even once a month.

Help Them Socialize!

Seniors Socializing

It is important to encourage them to get involved and feel engaged in life. You can try different activities they are passionate about, singing, playing games, or anything else. Social media can be another way to make them connected with more and more people.

While you do it for someone in your family or anyone else, doing something for a person with disability not only helps them, but also make you feel lighter. So, make yourself proud!