After the death of a loved one, how do you go on? Anniversaries roll around to remind you that you’re the only one left and it can seem like it’s impossible to survive. Unfortunately, the loss of a spouse can become a very real reality as we get older, and you can get by with these tips for surviving anniversaries after a loved one passes away:

1. Don’t do it alone – talk to someone about your fears as the day approaches, seek support from a group with other surviving spouses or bond with others who knew your loved one by sharing memories

2. Do something to acknowledge the grief – if it helps, visit the gravesite, plant a flower in honor of the life of your spouse or loved one, release a balloon in the air or do something that has significant meaning to you

3. Eat right – anxiety or feelings of depression might shift your focus away from your own health, but remember to eat properly with nutritious meals. If your emotional state makes it too much for your to prepare them while the anniversary is approaching, ask for help from a family member or friend, hire a caregiver, or use a service like Meals on Wheels

4. Exercise – exercising regularly can help you to release stress and anxiety and will improve your disposition overall

5. Do something to remember your loved one – overtime as you learn to cope with the grief that comes with loss, you might be ready to celebrate their life on anniversaries. Go to a San Antonio restaurant you used to frequent together, or make a new tradition by dining out with family at a new favorite spot. Take a trip you and your spouse always dreamed of taking; do something that helps you to honor the life you had with them

Via: Silent Grief

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Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

Q – I know my mom’s come to a point in her life where she could use some help, whether it’s by moving her into nursing home or keeping her at home with the help of a caregiver. I kind of worry about choosing home care in San Antonio, because what if the caregiver just isn’t up to par; at least in a facility she’ll have multiple people caring for her and at least some will be capable. How do I know I’m getting a good caregiver by going with home care?

A – It might not be the case with every home care agency, but when you choose to work with Home Instead Senior Care in San Antonio, we ensure that your senior gets only the highest quality of care through rigorous screening and training. We can guarantee that your mom will be happier with one of our caregivers, and here’s some details about our process to ease your mind:

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.

Image: www.jupiterimages.com

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

Some seniors feel like they’re just coasting through day after day, just barely surviving, but not finding any source of happiness. As a caregiver or family member try to boost your senior’s morale, and reintroduce happiness into their lives with these 6 ways to lift a senior’s spirits:

1. Encourage physical activity – exercise releases hormones which can help stave off depression. Instead of sitting around at home during a visit with a senior, go out for a walk or pick another activity that’s well suited to the senior’s physical capabilities.
2. Create social situations – the best way to boost senior morale and prevent loneliness is to get them involved in social situations. Invite your senior to a party or encourage them to join a social activity.
3.  Help maintain a healthy diet – studies have proven that a well-balanced diet can prevent depression, so keep your senior’s fridge well stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables.
4. Offer support – if your efforts just don’t seem to boost your senior’s morale or they continue to struggle with elderly depression, make sure they know you are willing to listen to anything on their mind. If they aren’t comfortable talking with a friend or family member, encourage them to speak with a counselor or join a support group for seniors.
5. Encourage their hobbies – while some seniors may withdraw from activities they enjoy, encourage your senior to keep them up or find some new things that interest him/her.
6. Improve the living space – if your senior spends a lot of time in his/her home, even if it’s in an assisted living facility, personalize the space to help them feel comfortable. Photos, décor in their favorite colors and other personal comforts will help seniors feel like they belong there!

Sources:

1. Senior Journal: Kara Gavin
2. Everyday Health

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

The road to better health is not as long as people in the medical profession once thought, in fact, in 4 simple steps, San Antonio seniors can reduce their risk of diabetes, heart attack, stroke and cancer by up to 80%. No, there is no magic medicine or an instant cure, but there are 4 things that the healthiest older adults do, or don’t do!

1. No smoking – the participants in a study who had the least instances of cancer, diabetes, heart attack and other health problems in older adulthood never smoked during their lives
2. Active lifestyle – the healthiest older adults have always lead relatively active lives, engaging in exercise or sports for 3.5 hours or more on a weekly basis
3. Healthy eating – seniors at least risk for cancer, diabetes and heart attack limited their intake of red meat, and stuck to lean proteins and ate lots of fruits and vegetables and have always had this routine
4. Controlled body weight – those least at risk for critical and chronic illnesses have always watched their weight, maintaining a Body Mass Index of 30 or under during their lives

There is no big secret about how to be healthier in older adulthood, take care of yourself throughout your life and you’ll be far better off!

Via: Mercury News

Image: www.jupiterimages.com

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

Many people try not to think about what their goals and expectations are for their retirement until the time comes. But it’s important that your parents start thinking about their plans for the future when they are nearing their 50s if not earlier to ensure that they’re able to plan financially and meet their goals. Talking to your parents about their retirement plans can help you learn what role you will need to play, and help them get on track!

6 Tips for helping your parents meet their retirement goals:

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 San Antonio? 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

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

As senior caregivers, it’s our responsibility to make sure that our care recipients are provided for, and this includes encouraging their safety in every facet of life. Not all of our care recipients still drive, as many seniors wisely give it up in older adulthood when their health and physical shape makes them a hazard. However, for those of us who do work with seniors that continue to take their cars out onto the San Antonio roads, it’s important that we encourage safety, which includes the smart use of a cell phone. Here are some safe habits that we can pass onto our care recipients who own a cell phone and have hung onto their keys.

1. Only use cell phone with hands free options – headsets, speaker phones and other gadgets can allow San Antonio seniors to talk in the car without having to risk their safety by driving one handed
2. Don’t dial while driving – trying to dial, text, or send an email while driving using a cell phone can result in serious distraction behind the wheel. Seniors should set up voice dialing if they plan on making calls anyways while driving, or only make calls when the car is stopped
3. Have a friend make the call – when driving with a friend, a senior driver can pass the phone off to someone else to make a phone call or answer a ringing cell phone if it’s urgent
4. Turn off the phone – having a phone on and ringing can make it tempting to answer when it rings in the car. By shutting it off, seniors can stop themselves from making and receiving calls; however, the phone is still present for emergencies

Via: About

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

There is an unfortunate stigma about aging; that after a certain age seniors who have already reached their full potential and that things just go downhill from there. While we may encounter some changes and challenges as we age, those of us in this demographic know that there’s no real truth to this poor misconception. Seniors can be highly successful, especially since there’s no age limit on what we can accomplish; and for those who don’t know how to start, here are some tips for successful seniors!

1) Think positive – visualize yourself accomplishing whatever it is that you want to achieve with success. Avoid negative thoughts and negative people
2) Set your goals – be specific about your goals, whatever they may be. Set a date and stick to it, for example, tell yourself “next month I am going to start volunteering in the community”
3) Stick to your goals – if you set a goal, find a way to make it happen. Don’t make excuses or let fear hold you back. Without follow through goals don’t mean anything!
4) Embrace new wisdom – you’re never too old to learn something new, and you can never think that you know everything. Take a class, whether it’s at a Houston college, or to learn a new hobby from a craft store or other place that will teach you about your new interest
5) Be persistent – not all goals can be accomplished immediately, but if you keep your eye on your goals and work through any trials and tribulations, you’ll get there
6) Make decisions wisely – get all the information you need an analyze decisions before you follow through
7) Invest in your future – if you have a goal, it’s okay to filter your time and money into achieving it. Don’t feel guilty or let anyone stand in your way!
8. Communicate – talk to others about your goals, ask them to be open and honest and give them the same in return
9) Be different – don’t set goals just because someone’s told you there’s certain things you should achieve in older adulthood, do what’s right for you!
10) Admit when you’re wrong – it’s okay to make mistakes, just make sure you admit it when you’re wrong

Sources:

1. About.com

Image Source: pro.corbis.com

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

Getting older isn’t always easy and it can take a toll on you both body and mind. But don’t let the effects of aging take your life, especially not when you can improve your health in 4 steps!

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 Ventura 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

Image Soce: pro.corbis.com

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

Having a demanding career into older adulthood is becoming a more common occurrence, but despite your ability to handle yourself in the workplace, you might be finding that aging is adding some complications to your work life, especially if you are coping with incontinence while trying to command your career. You may feel like while your co-workers  once looked at you with respect, they’re giving your sideways glances because of your changing behavior, and you might have heard whispers that you’re getting too old to command your career. Unfortunately, these can be hurdles we have to overcome as we age, but by following these 10 tips for aging gracefully, you can command your career and cope with incontinence.

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

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

So, you recently began a new fitness routine in order to cope with the many stresses that come with aging, but like many San Antonio seniors you’ve found yourself overwhelmed and anxious as a result of your changes in lifestyle and activities. If this sounds like you, then you probably haven’t used the right approach when beginning your new exercise program – no, you definitely didn’t use the right approach, because the idea is to reduce stress not inflict even more upon yourself. You might have been doing something wrong when beginning your exercise routine, or even a few things. But don’t let that be a cause of additional anxiety; make the following changes and you’ll quickly find that exercise is something you’ll look forward to for its stress reducing affects and the positive changes it will have upon your body and health, since exercise isn’t just about your mind after all!

• Always choose activities that are enjoyable, otherwise seniors will grow to resent being physically active

• Avoid activities that are competitive to avoid creating natural tension. Seniors don’t need to do activities solo, but they should make sure that they avoid competitive sports and other physical activities that make them feel like they want to win

• Aerobic and anaerobic exercises can both help reduce stress. Seniors should incorporate 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise into their routines 3-5 days per week, and also try resistance training

• Don’t begin any activity without clearance from a doctor or assistance from a fitness professional. Seniors who worry that by completing physical activities incorrectly they will injure themselves, or are concerned about the affects upon their health can make sure these stressors are avoided

Sources:

1. Suite 101
2. Mayo Clinic

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.