When visiting a senior relative this month over the holidays, be on the lookout for warning signs that their lifestyle may have become too much for them. Senior care experts recommend that families make note of the following things:

1. Learn about what your senior wants for the future – the holidays aren’t a time to bring up stressful conversations, but you can casually ask them about their desires for their future. If you learn they’re hoping to move closer to their grandchildren or to a warmer climate, that can help you understand for planning

2. Take a look at how they’re doing physically and mentally – simply being in a senior’s presence over the holidays will help you to evaluate their physical and mental health that could dictate their future senior care needs

3. Include the whole family – particularly if the senior you are assessing is a parent and you have siblings, everyone needs to be included in the discussions, at least until a family caregiver is decided to provide family care. Open the dialogue with your family members about the future of your loved one’s care

Via: www.stagesofseniorcare.com

Image: sxc.hu

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix 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.

Q – Don’t think I’m kidding when I tell you that the computer has changed my life. As a caregiver, every second counts, and being able to communicate in quick and efficient manners, and have access to resources for my personal and professional life are so convenient. I still feel like there are better ways that I can make use of technology to save me even more time. What can I do to make my computer work better for me?

A – The time it takes to do everything really counts when you’re a busy caregiver.  Here are some tips that should help you work more efficiently, though do keep in mind that they depend on your specific computer use!

1. Manage your email – sorting through your email to determine what’s total junk, what needs your attention immediately and what can wait until later can be a laborious and long task. Take advantage of software programs like Outlook or even Gmail that allow you to filter your email by sender, by subject and priority so every time you open your email, it’s well-organized  and your priorities are in place! Spam filters on these programs can also help you save time by eliminating the amount of junk email you receive; if these aren’t doing a good enough job try a program like Cloudmark’s Spam Blocker.

2. Use software that make repetitive tasks efficient – how often do you find yourself providing directions to your care recipient’s home when you require respite care? Every time you send them, you waste precious moments typing them out. Instead, you can try a program like Activewords that allows you to create a shortcut to frequently used data so it’s automatically inserted into a file or email!

3. Sign up for RSS feeds – if there are blogs or news pages that you frequent for your career or role as a caregiver, sign up for an RSS feed that will send relevant stories to your email (which can then be sorted and filtered) or use a blog reader like GoogleReader so you don’t have to sort through irrelevant data every time you try to catch up on your resources

Sources: Gaia

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix 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.

Q – My dad in Phoenix has had to give up driving. I don’t live close enough to be able to take him on errands or to appointments. Are there any services available to help with transportation in his area?

A – In-home senior caregivers can help seniors with transportation to appointments, errands, and virtually anywhere else they want to go. At Home Instead Senior Care, we check all of our caregivers driving records with the DMV to ensure they are licensed to drive and have a good driving record. Caregivers can transport senior clients in the seniors vehicle, or in their own vehicle if the senior does not own a car. However, if they use the caregiver’s car, then transportation fees do apply.

While many communities do offer free transportation services for older adults that are similar to public transportation on buses, they do not offer the same level of flexibility or allow seniors to stick to their own schedule or routines. By having a caregiver to drive them, seniors can do everything on their own time without making sacrifices.

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix 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.

Image Source: www.drivealivedrivingschool.com.au