Home Instead Senior Care in Austin helps elders stay home longer. Please call us when seeking non-medical, companionship, and professional caregvers in Austin.

Home Safety Checklist for Seniors in Austin - LIsten to our offer to check for safety hazards in your home.

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Safety for Austin Seniors and Family Caregivers

Unfortunately, the elderly are sometimes victims of robbery and other violent crimes. The number of crimes committed against older people is rising sharply, with assaults against the elderly doubling in the past eight years. Here are some helpful tips to guide you if you are ever facing a potentially dangerous situation.

How you can avoid danger

1. Trust yourself. Paying close attention to your instincts is crucial. Your senses can pick up on danger so always listen to yourself.

2. Be aware of your surroundings. It is never a good idea to leave the front door open, your valuables in the car, your purse on top of your office desk, or to flaunt your valuable jewelry. These actions can provide temptation and opportunity for offenders.

3. Pay attention to the people around you. It is important to pay attention to this advice so you will listen to your instincts and also be aware of what is happening around you. You can often sense what someone’s intentions are by the way they are looking at you.

4. Act confident and focused. Just like you can sense someone else’s feelings, they can sense yours. What a predators looks for are people who are meek, mild, weak, unfocused, and distracted.  Try to present yourself in an assertive manner. When walking down the street, make eye contact with people who look at you. Give out signals to the would-be offender that you are in charge and aware that they are there.

 How to Defend Yourself

1. Have an escape plan. Know the layout of your surroundings .In the senior’s home, know where the power switch is, and know your way in the dark. This can give you an advantage over intruders

2. Train your body. Get in shape. Being healthy is important, and could make a big difference in your ability to protect yourself.

3. React quickly to danger. The time in which you react is critical to how you are able to come through without being hurt.  

Hopefully you will never be put in this situation, but it is always good to be prepared and be cautious.

Home Instead Senior Care in Austin helps elders stay home longer. Please call us when seeking non-medical, companionship, and professional caregvers in Austin.

Home Safety Checklist for Seniors in Austin - LIsten to our offer to check for safety hazards in your home.

Click here to listen…

This week our focus is on “Safety in the Home”. Home Instead Senior Care has put together this helpful list, so that all caregivers can check the senior’s home to make sure that it is safe for everyone. Also, make a note of the fantastic “special offer” we have going currently. All you have to do is submit your e-mail address and Home Instead Senior Care will provide a 15 minute home safety check, free of charge! There are no strings attached, and we promise you won’t be receiving a bunch of spam mail. This is a service that we are more than happy to provide to show you just how much you are valued by us.

Things to check when doing a home safety inspection:

· Keep the entrance well lit, and the railing is secure. Make sure that visitors are visible and the lock is in working order.

· Keep the living area uncluttered, rugs safe for movement, and electric cords safely attached.

· Check in the kitchen to make sure the faucets, stove burners, and oven is working.

· In the bedroom, make sure the nightstand is available for personal items.

· Bathrooms should have safety mats in the tub and fixtures in working condition.

These and many other safety features will be evaluated in your home, at your leisure, if you sign up today!

Call Home Instead Senior Care Austin for help with your aging relative in Austin. Our CAREGivers are trained to help people with memory loss live a better life. Call us at (512) 347-9207.

Keeping your elder’s home in Austin safe - Carbon Monoxide Safety

With the cold weather fast approaching, it is important to remember to keep our senior’s safe from carbon monoxide poisoning. Being exposed to unhealthy amounts of carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood. Symptoms are sleepiness, headache, dizziness, and shortness of breath. The following ways to prevent overexposure to carbon monoxide:

• Get heating systems inspected
• Make sure the chimney is properly vented
• Do not heat a home with a gas oven or clothes dryer
• Use exhaust fans while cooking
• Do not leave cars running in the garage

Carbon monoxide detectors can alert you and your clients to abnormal levels of carbon monoxide gas. If a carbon monoxide detector alarm sounds, and you and the senior are experiencing flu-like symptoms, immediately ventilate the home by opening the doors and windows. Shut off fuel-operated appliances and heating systems and leave. Then call the fire department as quickly as possible.

Remember, one can never be too protective when it comes to safety!

Call Home Instead Senior Care Austin for help with your aging relative living with Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. Our CAREGivers are trained to help people with memory loss live a better life. Call us at (512) 347-9207.

Home Instead Senior CAREGivers know the value of patience and helping Alzheimer’s clients do what they can on their own.  This often involves maintaining a regular routine, and using a series of easily understood cues and prompts.  The Home Instead Senior Care approach is to encourage ongoing communication between CAREGiver and client – for instance, emphasizing short, simple sentences; regular eye contact; and appropriate body language.

CAREGivers are even trained to help clients with Alzheimer’s disease when these individuals are moved to nursing facilities or to Alzheimer’s special-care units.  A CAREGiver helps add structure to an Alzheimer’s resident’s day and helps minimize the time this individual will spend alone. 

More importantly, a CAREGiver’s presence can help reduce wandering and creates a safer environment for the person.  In addition, CAREGivers recognize when clients have had too much stimulation and may be about to have what we refer to as “catastrophic reactions.”  They can then adjust their approaches to help calm and reassure these clients.

Call Home Instead Senior Care Austin for help with your aging relative living with Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. Our CAREGivers are trained to help people with memory loss live a better life. Call us at (512) 347-9207.

High Blood Pressure Is on the Rise for Seniors in Austin

More Americans than ever are being treated for high blood pressure, researchers from the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute say. The major factor in this dramatic increase in Americans with high blood pressure appears to be obesity, they said.

“Additional efforts are needed to prevent hypertension from developing in the first place, with primary emphasis on prevention of obesity,” said lead researcher Paul Sorlie, chief of the Epidemiology Branch in the institute’s Division of Prevention and Population Sciences. “For those who have hypertension, additional efforts are needed to diagnose, treat and effectively control hypertension to reduce the adverse outcomes associated with hypertension.”

HealthDay reports researchers found that, from 1994 to 2004, the percentage of Americans with high blood pressure increased from 50.3 percent to 55.5 percent. The number of people with prehypertension increased from 32.3 percent to 36.1 percent.

During the study period, 72 percent of those with high blood pressure knew they had it, and 61 percent were being treated. However, only 35 percent had their blood pressure under control, researchers found.

Sorlie said it’s essential that people are aware of their blood pressure, and that those with high blood pressure work to get it under control.

Call Home Instead Senior Care Austin for help with your aging relative living with Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. Our CAREGivers are trained to help people with memory loss live a better life. Call us at (512) 347-9207.

Lightening the Load of Austin Nursing Home Residents

If you’re elder loved one is living with dementia in an Austin nursing home, consider the following ideas that could help bring joy to them. Remember that you, a family caregiver, may be the only outside contact that your elder loved one see each day.

If you are looking for things to do with your aging loved one living in an Austin care facility, consider one or all of the following to brighten their day.

1. Play a musical instrument.
2. Write letters for them.
3. Read letters to them.
4. Bring pets (if the facility allows).
5. Help with arts and crafts.
6. Make transparencies to hang in or on a window.
7. Share your vacation pictures. Bring in family photo albums.

Home Health in Austin, Texas - delivered by Home Instead Senior Care Austin - Call today (512) 347-9207.

The Effects of Alzheimer’s Disease in Austin

Behavioral Changes & Emotional Effects of Elders Living  with Alzheimer’s in Austin

Individuals with Alzheimer’s experience a number of physical, emotional and cognitive changes, which may not all be present in the beginning but may appear as the disease progresses

These changes may be confusing, frustrating and difficult for caregivers to manage

In order to provide effective, efficient care and reduce stress, caregivers should educate themselves about the effects

The following behaviors may be demonstrated by Austin individuals with Alzheimer’s

• Confusion (regarding time, place, people and more) – as a result, they may be seen wandering around or searching for their home, clinging to a caregiver for fear of getting lost, and initiating dangerous activities
• Worry & Anxiety (due to their cognitive changes and declining abilities) – may be constantly searching for unneeded items or objects obsessively
• Concerns about Money (resulting from a struggle for survival) – regular inquiries about finances to banks or Power of Attorney, searching for money around the house or even in the neighborhood
• Fear (based on all the unknowns) – often a senior’s biggest fear is loss of independence, but due to their insecurities they may also seek to have their feelings confirmed by others
• Frustration & Anger (because they cannot function like before) – the may take out their emotions on a caregiver or someone else who is close to them due to a lack of proper outlet for their frustrations
• Paranoia – may seem irrational, but paranoia is not unusual for individuals with Alzheimer’s; they may feel someone or something is out to get them; may be accusatory and suspicious of other’s motives; they may suspect they are being robbed of their personal belongings; or may fear strangers, thinking they are evil.
• Catastrophic Reactions (drastic, sudden, negative changes of behavior) – may become violent towards themselves or others

Home Health in Austin, Texas - delivered by Home Instead Senior Care Austin - Call today (512) 347-9207.

Caregiving and Alzheimers Home Health in Austin TX. When seeking home care or non medical home care in Austin call (512)347-9207.

This week in Austin, we are very focused on Alzheimer’s, as it has been the main topic around our Home Instead Austin office due to the Memory Walk that we participated in Saturday. I will write more on that later, but for now, I thought it would be helpful to let caregivers in on some tips that can be helpful when caring for a client with Alzheimer’s.

• Try to plan activities around the part of the day when your client is at his/ her best.
• Always keep a safe environment. Remove anything that could hurt them.
• Keep activities simple and familiar.
• Keeping up an exercise routine, along with good nutrition is important!
• Label items and drawers so that the client will know where they put things.
• Try to create a sense of accomplishment for the client when they complete any activities.
• Most importantly, take care of your needs and make sure that you get plenty of rest. You are not helping the client if you are not feeling well, so be good to yourself!

Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s can be challenging, hopefully with these tips, and a positive attitude, the experience will be rewarding for both you, and the client.

Michelle Kosusnik, Recruiter/ Retention Coordinator/Blog Contributor
Home Instead Senior Care Austin, Texas

CDC Recommends Flu Shot for More Americans than Ever Before 

With the flu season approaching, U.S. health officials are predicting this year’s vaccine will be a better match for the circulating influenza strains than last year’s vaccine proved to be. And, they believe supplies will be plentiful.

The U. S. Centers for Disease Control recommends that more Americans than ever be vaccinated against the flu, according to a Health Day report. For the first time, the agency recommends children ages six months to 18 years receive the vaccine.

The vaccine also is recommended for:

• Adults age 50 and older.
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions.
• People living in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities.
• Pregnant women.
• People who live or care for those at high risk for complications of the flu. This includes healthcare workers and household contacts.

The vaccine contains three new flu strains research indicates are the most likely to cause illness during the upcoming flu season – two influenza A strains and one influenza B strain.

 “This is the largest group of people we have ever recommended get flu shots,” said CDC Director Dr. Julie L. Gerberding. That’s about 261 million people in the United States.

“We still face an excess burden of mortality from what is our nation’s No. 1 vaccine-preventable disease,” she said. Every year, there are 36,000 deaths, 200,000 hospitalizations and countless days of work and school lost due to flu,” she said. 

People can receive vaccinations as soon as they become available, and they can continue to get one throughout the flu season, into December, January and beyond.

More information about the flu is available on the CDC Web site.

Home Instead Senior Care Austin  - Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia home care. Our CAREGivers are trained to help people with memory loss live a better life. Call us at (512) 347-9207.