What is Glaucoma?

September 14, 2017 By Cerie Goldenberg, MSW, LSW

Glaucoma is an eye condition that harms the optic nerve and causes vision loss. It is typically caused by too much pressure in the eye. When left untreated, glaucoma can even cause total blindness. In fact, it is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 60. When vision is lost due to glaucoma, there is no way to recover it. Understanding what happens when a person has glaucoma and its risk factors may help older adults to receive care sooner so that vision loss can be minimized.

Senior Care in Lafayette Hill PA: What is Glaucoma?

Two Kinds of Glaucoma.

The abnormal pressure in the eye that occurs when a person has glaucoma is the result of fluid buildup. Normally, the fluid in the eye circulates and moves out of the eye via a channel. If that channel becomes blocked, the liquid cannot move out of the eye and the excess fluid causes pressure.

Doctors don’t know what causes the channel to become blocked. However, they do know that glaucoma tends to run in families. In some instances, the damage to the channel may be caused by trauma to the eye or an infection. In rare cases, surgery meant to correct some other problem brings about glaucoma.

There are two main kinds of glaucoma. They are:

Open-angle Glaucoma: Open-angle glaucoma is also called wide-angle glaucoma. In this type, the part of the eye the fluid should drain through looks normal, but doesn’t drain properly. This is the most common kind of glaucoma and comes on gradually. There are often no symptoms when it begins.
Angle-closure Glaucoma: This type of glaucoma is sometimes called acute or chronic angle-closure glaucoma. It is more common in Asia. This kind of glaucoma occurs because the angle between the cornea and the iris is too small to allow for proper drainage.

Risk Factors.

If the older adult in your life has the following risk factors, it is important that they have regular eye exams:

Over age 60.
Hispanic, African-American, Russian, Japanese, Irish, Inuit, or of Scandinavian descent.
Family history of glaucoma.
Diabetes, heart disease, sickle cell anemia, or high blood pressure.
Poor vision.
Eye trauma.

Because glaucoma may have no initial symptoms, it’s important that older adults have regular eye exams and be screened for the condition. When glaucoma is caught early, it can be controlled. Treatments used for glaucoma include eye drops, laser surgery, and microsurgery.

If the older adult in your life has vision loss due to glaucoma, hiring a senior care provider through an agency can help them to remain more independent. A senior care provider can drive them to appointments, take them grocery shopping, or drive them to social engagements. A senior care provider can also assist your parent with tasks that are difficult because of vision loss.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Lafayette Hill, PA, contact the caring professionals at Reliant At Home Care today (610) 674-6860.

Sources

https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-glaucoma

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/glaucoma/basics/definition/con-20024042

http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/glaucoma-eyes

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/glaucoma/basics/risk-factors/con-20024042

How Can You Make Urinary Incontinence Less Embarrassing for Your Aging Adult?

September 7, 2017 By Cerie Goldenberg, MSW, LSW

Elderly Care in Berwyn PA: Lessening the Embarrassment of Incontinence

Urinary incontinence issues can be symbolic of other issues, such as a loss of independence or simply losing control in general. For this reason, your elderly family member might be experiencing a far larger range of emotions about incontinence than you realize. Here are a few ways you can help them feel less embarrassed.

1. Talk about It.

The funny thing about embarrassing topics is that the less you talk about them, the more embarrassing and daunting they seem. So it’s important to be able to talk about these issues with your elderly family member. Find out what she’s afraid of and what is so embarrassing for her. Acknowledge her feelings and share your own. Make this a safe conversation that helps draw you closer together.

2. Talk to Her Doctor, Too.

Talking with your loved one is a huge first step, but you need to talk with her doctor, too. There are a multitude of causes of incontinence and knowing why your elderly family member is facing this issue is key to finding a solution. Opening a dialogue with your elderly family member’s doctor keeps you all on the same page and helps keep the right solutions in play.

3. Be Prepared.

Make note of what your aging adult needs when she’s having her most severe episodes with incontinence. Stock up on incontinence products that work well for your aging adult and make sure you keep some on hand with you when you’re both out and about. Another good idea is to keep extra wipes and skin care products on hand. A change of clothes can help in extreme situations.

4. Get Outside Help.

Sometimes you might find that the biggest embarrassment in this entire situation for your elderly family member is having to rely on you for care assistance. This can be hard to hear as her caregiver, because you only want to help her. Hiring elderly care providers can give you both a little space in this situation to allow you both to cope.

Remember to reevaluate your plan for managing your elderly family member’s incontinence on a regular basis. Doing so helps you to account for new problems as they crop up.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Berwyn, PA, contact the caring professionals at Reliant At Home Care today (610) 674-6860.

What Can You Do if Your Aging Adult Has a Problem Managing Her Anger?

August 31, 2017 By Cerie Goldenberg, MSW, LSW

Caregiver in Wayne PA: Anger Management

Being a family caregiver for a senior family member who has an anger management issue might seem like an impossible task. Figuring out where your boundaries lie and learning how to enforce them can be really helpful in this situation.

Set Boundaries.

You might not even realize exactly where your boundaries are just yet, and that is okay. Boundaries are imaginary lines between the behavior that you’ll tolerate from your elderly family member and the behavior that you won’t tolerate. Some examples might include throwing things at you, yelling at you, and other expressions of anger that can cause you physical and emotional harm.

Calmly Express Your Boundaries to Your Aging Adult.

During a time when you and your aging adult are both calm, talk to her about your boundaries. Let her know how it feels to you when those boundaries are crossed and let her know that you’re going to enforce your boundaries from here on out. In some situations, such as when an elderly family member has dementia, she may be less willing or able to control her behavior.

Leave the Situation if You Can.

If one of your boundaries is crossed, such as by your aging family member yelling at you when you’ve asked her to stop, leave the situation if possible. Leaving the room can be enough, especially if you just need a quick moment to calm down. This isn’t always possible for you to do, of course, but it can be very helpful.

Seek Counseling for Both of You, if Possible.

Having a therapist or counselor who understands the needs of your elderly family member can help both of you. If your aging adult isn’t willing or able to speak with a therapist with you, you can still benefit by going on your own. You can learn ways to help you manage the feelings that your elderly family member’s anger issues bring up for you.

Finding the right solution for your situation can feel impossible at first, but it really isn’t. You deserve to be treated fairly by your aging family member, so it’s not wrong to stand up for yourself.

If you or an aging loved one are considering caregiver services in Wayne, PA, contact the caring professionals at Reliant At Home Care today (610) 674-6860.

Does Wall Color Really Help Soothe Anxiety Caused by Alzheimer’s?

August 9, 2017 By Cerie Goldenberg, MSW, LSW

Senior Care in Worcester PA: Does Wall Color Really Help Soothe Anxiety Caused by Alzheimer’s?

In the latter stages of Alzheimer’s, it’s normal to see your mom or dad become restless. You may notice your mom never sits still. Your dad gets up to do a chore, forgets why he got up, and sits back down. People with Alzheimer’s often become very anxious. Loud noises and busy areas can agitate your mom or dad. To help relieve some of the anxiety and agitation, create a calm soothing space within your parent’s home. One of the best ways to get started is by picking the right wall color.

Colors That Have a Tendency to Calm and Soothe

Minnesota State University did a study on colors and stress. Researchers found that red made participants feel more stressed than those in green or white rooms. This isn’t new. In 1810, Goethe released Theory of Colors. In this guide, he described how colors like red, yellow, and orange lead to excitement. Other researchers have found that red evokes stronger reactions like aggression or anger.

Shades of green, blue, and white tend to be more calming. Experts in feng shui recommend blue saying it helps lower blood pressure, pulse, and breathing rates. Lavender is another color experts at Sherwin-Williams recommend for creating a calming environment, especially if you pair it with fresh lavender to add aromatherapy to the area. Beige and gray are other soothing colors.

Contrasts Are Important

Vision changes in many Alzheimer’s. Contrasts are necessary to keep floors and walls from blending together. If the wall and floor color are similar, your mom or dad may not be able to tell where the wall ends and the floor begins. It can lead to fear and agitation. Make sure there are strong contrasts to help your parent know where it’s safe to walk and where there are doors, stairs, and windows.

It’s also important to make sure furnishings stand out. You don’t want your mom or dad to walk into tables or bump lamps because they don’t seem different to the wall color. A soothing wall color paired with furnishings in black or a primary color often work well together.

If your parent has Alzheimer’s and does get agitated, make sure you have a trusted caregiver available to provide you with breaks. Caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s is incredibly stressful. You will need to get away and decompress. Senior care agencies have professionals available for respites. While you go out and spend time with friends, a caregiver makes sure your parent is safe. Ask about respite coverage today by calling a senior care agency.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Worcester, PA, contact the caring professionals at Reliant At Home Care today (610) 674-6860.

Sources:

http://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/jur/vol3/iss1/3/?utm_source=cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu%2Fjur%2Fvol3%2Fiss1%2F3&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4383146/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/18/stress-reducing-colors_n_3102683.html?slideshow=true#gallery/292365/8

Activities for Regaining Fine Motor Skills After a Stroke

August 4, 2017 By Cerie Goldenberg, MSW, LSW

Elderly Care in Abington PA: Activities for Regaining Fine Motor Skills After a Stroke

A stroke can cause a senior to lose much of the fine motor skills needed to perform daily tasks, like dressing and eating. Following a stroke, patients usually enter a rehab program aimed at helping them to recover as much of their previous function as possible. If your parent has had a stroke, they may have worked with an occupational therapist to learn how to use their arms and fingers again. The occupational therapist might have given your parent some activities to work on at home. Doing the same activities over and over may get a little boring, making your parent neglect the exercises or lose hope in recovery. To keep things fresh and get in the practice needed to regain fine motor skills, here’s a list of activities your parent can work on with some help from their family caregivers and elderly care providers.

Make a Bead Necklace

Purchase some colorful beads with holes large enough to thread onto yarn. Stringing the beads on the yarn is great practice for making fingers nimble again. As an added benefit, young grandchildren will probably enjoy doing this activity right along with their grandparent, which will almost certainly make it more fun!

Squeeze a Stress Ball

Squeezing a stress ball may not sound like much fun, but it’s something your parent can do while they are doing something else, like watching television or listening to an audiobook. Squeezing a stress ball will help your parent to strengthen hand muscles. Elderly care providers can encourage your parent to work on this activity just by periodically handing them the ball while they are engaged in something else.

Coin Towers

Provide your parent with a bowl of coins to stack into towers. Okay, that may not sound like much fun, but make it into a challenge and the activity changes! Elderly care providers can track your parent’s personal best score for coins stacked and cheer them on while they try to set a new record.

Finger Painting

Here’s another one your parent can do with grandchildren. Finger painting requires some hand-eye coordination, so your parent will be working on controlling hand movements.

Folding Clothes

Your parent’s elderly care provider can ask them to help fold clothes and sort socks. This is a practical exercise that works on fine motor skills while also helping your parent to feel useful and more independent.

Large Piece Puzzles

Buy a few jigsaw puzzles that have large pieces for your parent to do. Look for puzzles with 25 to 50 pieces, which usually have larger pieces. As your parent masters those puzzles, look for ones with progressively smaller pieces.

Working on fine motor skills doesn’t have to be boring or repetitive. These are just a few ideas for your parent to practice with you or with an elderly care provider. Almost anything that involves using the hands can be a way for your parent to regain the hand function they once had.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Abington PA, contact the caring professionals at Reliant At Home Care today (610) 674-6860.

Sources

http://strokeconnection.strokeassociation.org/Summer-2017/Working-on-Fine-Motor-Skills/

https://www.flintrehab.com/2015/how-to-improve-fine-motor-skills-in-hands/

https://www.seniorsflourish.com/finemotor/

Is Your Parent’s Home Secure?

July 25, 2017 By Cerie Goldenberg, MSW, LSW

In your role as a family caregiver one of the most important priorities in your life will be making sure that your aging parent stays as safe as possible. While you might immediately think of mobility limitations and even cognitive functioning decline and how they might impact your senior when you are considering their safety, it is also critical that you think of their environment itself. Your parent’s home environment is a major player in their safety and security, making it critical that you take the time to evaluate it and identify any areas that might need to change so that you can make meaningful modifications to help improve their safety as they age in place.

Caregivers in Abington PA: Is Your Parent’s Home Secure?

Some things to keep in mind when considering the security of your parent’s home include:

Door locks. Gone are the days when many people comfortably left their doors unlocked. It is important that your parent’s home be properly locked at all times, particularly if they are showing signs of wandering tendencies and may leave the home without supervision and potentially be in danger. Go through your parent’s home and find all access points to the outside. Ensure that the locks on them are strong and consider adding additional locks. Those that require a key rather than using a thumb turn, and those that are placed unexpectedly, such as toward the top of the door or on the floor, tend the be the most secure.
Window locks. Windows can be particularly vulnerable, especially those that are close to the ground or that are concealed from clear street view. If your parent’s home still has simple glass windows, consider replacing them with more resistant versions. These will not only help to make your parent’s home more secure with their impact resistance and stronger, less accessible locks, but they will also help to make the home more weather resistant with better climate control.
Porch view. It is not uncommon for criminals to come to the door as a means of gaining access or of gathering information from someone to determine if they are vulnerable. It is important that your elderly parent and anyone caring for them is able to see who may be standing at the door so that they can make the decision as to whether to open the door. If your parent’s home does not have a window that gives a clear view of the street, driveway, and front porch, consider adding a peephole that will allow them to look out. For added security, consider adding a security camera that has built-in video stream and sound. This enables them to communicate with the person outside without opening the door.

If your parent’s needs, limitations, and challenges have become more than you feel that you can handle effectively and efficiently, your schedule has changed and you are no longer able to be with them as often as you would like to, or you simply feel that they would benefit from diversified attention during their later years, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting home care for them. A care provider can be in the home with your elderly loved one on a schedule that is right not just for their individual needs and limitations, but also the care that you are able to give to them. This means that they are able to help your senior remain safe, happy, healthy, and comfortable while also pursuing a lifestyle that is as active, engaged, independent, and fulfilling as possible as they age in place. This can give your parent reassurance while giving you tremendous peace of mind knowing that even when you are not able to be with them, they are getting everything that they need, easing your caregiver stress and improving quality of life for both you and your senior.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring a professional caregiver in Abington, PA, contact the caring professionals at Reliant At Home Care today (610) 674-6860.

Can Home Care Help a Senior Manage Their Fall Risk?

July 18, 2017 By Cerie Goldenberg, MSW, LSW

Home Care in Wayne PA: Can Home Care Help a Senior Manage Their Fall Risk?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an elderly adult falls in the United States every second. This makes falls the leading cause of serious injuries among seniors. Each year, more than 27,000 seniors die as a result of injuries sustained from a fall, making it the leading cause of injury-related death among seniors. As a family caregiver, these statistics should illustrate the severity of fall risk and how it important it is to take steps to help prevent your parent from falling so that they do not suffer the potentially extreme consequences of such incidents. Starting home care for them can be a fantastic way to help you accomplish this goal.

Some ways that home care can help a senior manage their fall risk include:

Mobility assistance. Not being able to move around the home confidently can be challenging and result in a fall if your loved one is trying to use home features such as stairs. This also applies to when they are out of their home and participating in activities or going on errands. A care provider can provide support to help your parent walk around more confidently and avoid trips, slips, stumbles, and falls.
Transfer assistance. Something as seemingly simple as getting up from a chair or getting in and out of a vehicle can be very difficult for an elderly adult with mobility issues. A care provider can help them with transferring tasks such as sitting, standing, and getting in and out of bed or a vehicle so that your parent can handle these tasks safely.
Personal care tasks. Some of the first issues that elderly adults often have involve the bathroom. By nature of the tasks completed in this room, it is the location of a large percentage of the falls that elderly adults suffer in the home. A care provider can help your parent through crossing a slippery floor, stepping in and out of the shower, sitting onto and standing from the toilet, and the tasks of bathing or showering to help them complete these tasks with lower risk of slipping or losing their balance and falling.
Home modifications. While much of the assistance that a care provider will provide for your parent to help reduce the risk that they will fall includes helping them physically, there are also ways that they can reduce this risk in the home itself. Meaningful steps such as clearing walkways, keeping the home tidy, helping them clean up spills as soon as they happen, and ensuring that the only items that they reach out for to use as support are stable.

Starting home care for your aging parent can be one of the best decisions that you can make for them during your time as their family caregiver. Whether your parent’s needs are extensive and require care and assistance with virtually all of their needs and challenges, or they only have minor needs but would benefit from some support and basic assistance, an in-home senior care services provider can make a tremendous difference in your senior’s life. By being with your parent on a customized schedule, this care provider can help to ensure that they get all of the services that they need while also keeping you at the forefront of their care routine. This means that your parent is able to stay safe, healthy, and comfortable while also pursuing a lifestyle that is more active, engaged, and fulfilling. Services such as helping them with their activities of daily living and personal care tasks, providing safe and reliable transportation, and encouraging them to seek out activities throughout the community can help them to maintain more independence and quality of life as they age in place.

https://www.ncoa.org/news/resources-for-reporters/get-the-facts/falls-prevention-facts/

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0922-older-adult-falls.html

Setting Family Boundaries with Your Parent When They Come to Live with You

July 14, 2017 By Cerie Goldenberg, MSW, LSW

Elder Care in Abington PA: Setting Family Boundaries with Your Parent When They Come to Live with You

One of the greatest benefits of being a family caregiver for your elderly parent is that you have the opportunity to spend extra quality time with them. This boosts your relationship, keeps your mental and emotional health high, and helps you to find even more meaning in your care journey as you are making memories that you can treasure well into the future. Having your parent transition into living with you elevates these benefits, keeping you closer and allowing all of the generations in your family to benefit from one another. When you are considering establishing this type of relationship, however, it is important that you set boundaries within your family that ensure that everyone is treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve, and that they are given the privacy and personal attention that they desire.

Use these tips to help you set family boundaries with your parent when they come to live with you:

Emphasize your schedule. Before your senior comes to live in your home you will have a schedule and basic routine that you follow with your family. While there might be some changes that need to be made when your parent comes, you should not be willing to completely change everything. Make sure that they understand your schedule and routine and that they are ready to work around it.
Know your traditions. All families have traditions and rituals that they follow. Whether it is the TV show that you watch together on a certain day of the week or the meals that you eat in a specific order, these are important to keeping your family close and helping everyone in it feel confident and secure. Maintain these traditions when your senior comes. Establish them with your parent and make sure that they understand that these are not negotiable. Encourage your parent to participate when possible, or help them to find alternative options.
Keep privacy intact. Everyone in the home, including you and your partner, your parent, and your children, deserves privacy. Make sure that your parent knows the layout of the house and is prepared to respect the privacy and privacy rules of each area of the home. For example, make sure that they know that they are not to enter the bedroom of any other family member or that they are to knock on the door any time that they are entering the bathroom. These may seem like basic concepts, but it is important to review them with everyone so that no one feels invaded.
Protect your beliefs. It is very possible that you have different beliefs and convictions than your elderly parent, and that these will come into play when they are living with you. Whether it is how you choose to raise your children, modesty standards, cleaning standards, religious issues, or other elements of life, you are likely to differ from your parent in key ways. Identify the ones that might cause conflict and talk to your parent about them. Emphasize with your senior what you believe, why your family does the things that it does, and the involvement that you are willing to have in your parent. For example, let them know that you are not willing to have them discipline your children and that you will not change whether you pray or not before meals, but that you are open to them showing you different cleaning methods. This shows respect to everyone in the house and ensures that your parent coming to live with you does not create tension or negativity within the household.

Starting elder care for your aging loved one can be one of the best decisions that you can make for them in course of your care journey. Introducing an elderly home care services provider into their care routine is not about taking their independence away from them or even not taking on their care yourself. Instead, the highly personalized care services of such a provider are designed to address your elderly loved one’s individual needs, challenges, and limitations in a way that helps them to manage these issues effectively while also pursuing the highest quality of life possible as they age in place. This can include assisting with activities of daily living, companionship to boost mental and emotional health, and providing safe and reliable transportation to help them do the things that they need and want to do for greater independence in their later years. In your role as their family caregiver, this type of care acts as a support for the care that you give, filling any existing care gaps, ensuring someone is with your parent even when you are not able to be, and easing your stress for an improved relationship and lifestyle for both of you.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Abington, PA, contact the caring professionals at Reliant At Home Care today (610) 674-6860.

Does Your Elderly Parent Need to Downsize?

July 6, 2017 By Cerie Goldenberg, MSW, LSW

Moving is something that many people only think of as something that younger families do. When it comes to elderly adults, most people think that these seniors have established their homes and that is where they will be for the rest of their lives. While this might be true in some instances, there are times when moving might be the best option for your aging loved one. Downsizing is the idea of streamlining belongings and transitioning into a smaller home. This can offer exceptional benefits for an elderly adult, particularly one who is dealing with challenges and limitations, or who requires more care than you are able to give them if they are living at a distance. As a family caregiver, recognizing when your senior may benefit from downsizing can help you to support them in preparing for this process and going through it as smoothly and effectively as possible.

Some signs that your elderly parent might need to downsize include:

Financial considerations. Most elderly adults are living on a fixed income. Even with savings, it can be challenging for them to maintain their lifestyle comfortably. Downsizing can help your parent to save money by reducing the cost of their home, giving them the boost of the money they receive from selling their home, and even reducing the cost of their utilities due to smaller space.
Feeling overwhelmed by their home. If your elderly parent is struggling with physical challenges and limitations that keep them from utilizing them home safely, comfortably, and conveniently, this may be the right time to downsize. Transitioning them into a smaller home or one with a more accessible layout, such as without stairs, can help them to feel more confident in their home and to reduce the risk that they will suffer serious injuries as a result of trying to use inaccessible or challenging features.
Unused portions of their home. Along with feeling overwhelmed by their home, you might notice that your senior does not use all of their home. They may no longer go upstairs, leaving bedrooms, bathrooms, and other rooms unused, or they may have limited all of their living to only one or two rooms in the home. This wastes the home and the utilities, and diminishes your parent’s quality of life.
Senior Care in Dresher PA: Does Your Elderly Parent Need to Downsize?

Too much storage. Most homes are full of memories, and this can be particularly true for elderly adults who are holding on to a lifetime of reminders of their lives, their partners, their children, and their grandchildren. If your parent is storing a large amount of belongings in their home, in storage sheds, and even in rented storage units, it is time to go through their belongings and cut down on their emotional and financial expense by trimming down on what they own.

If you have been looking for ways to boost your elderly loved one’s quality of life as they age in place, starting senior care for them might be the ideal solution. A senior home care services provider can be there with your elderly loved one on a customized schedule that ensures that they get all of the care, support, assistance, and encouragement that they need while also keeping you at the forefront of their care routine. The highly personalized services of such a care provider are tailored not just toward their individual needs, challenges, and limitations, but also their personality, goals, and preferences. This means that your loved one can stay safe, healthy, comfortable, and happy while also pursuing a lifestyle that is as active, engaged, fulfilling, and independent as possible as they age in place. As a family caregiver this can give you tremendous peace of mind knowing that your elderly loved one is getting everything that they need both when you are able to be with them and when you are not.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Dresher, PA, contact the caring professionals at Reliant At Home Care today (610) 674-6860.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/signs-time-downsize/story?id=24510985

Tips for Helping a Senior with Incontinence Deal with Their Condition Outside of the Home

June 29, 2017 By Cerie Goldenberg, MSW, LSW

Home Care in King of Prussia PA: Tips for Helping a Senior with Incontinence Deal with Their Condition Outside of the Home

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the population of adults over the age of 64 in the United States, just over 50 experience some symptoms of incontinence, such as urinary leakage or urgency. Among these, approximately 80 percent of them are women. If you are a family caregiver for an elderly adult who is dealing with incontinence, you know that the impact of this condition can go beyond the physical risks and inconveniences that they can face to make a dramatic influence on their mental and emotional health and well-being. You can encourage your loved one to maintain a better quality of life by helping them to manage this condition in their daily life. One important thing to keep in mind is that simply because your loved one is coping with incontinence does not mean that they should always remain at home or that they should not live an active and engaged life. Keeping them involved in the world around them will help them to keep their lifestyle fulfilling and meaningful while they live with their individual challenges and limitations.

Use these tips to help your senior deal with their incontinence when they are outside of their home:

Choose the right products. For many elderly adults living with incontinence, specialized incontinence products are critical to helping them manage their condition and keep up with the lifestyle that they desire and deserve. When your parent leaves the home, make sure that they have the right products with them so that they are properly prepared.
Know the bathrooms. Wherever your parent is going, make sure that you are aware of the location of the bathrooms. This not only provides the logistic benefit of being able to get to the restroom to ensure that they can empty their bladder on their schedule or when they need to, but also helps to give your senior peace of mind and reassurance. This can help them to relax, reducing their symptoms and helping them to enjoy their activity more.
Take breaks regularly. Just as your parent would when they were at home, encourage them to pause throughout their activity to take restroom breaks. This can keep their bladder “trained” and reduce the chances that they will experience symptoms such as leakage or urgency.
Keep them hydrated. Your parent may feel compelled to reduce how much they drink in an effort to prevent incontinence symptoms, but this is not a good idea. Not drinking enough can irritate the bladder, making it more likely that your senior will experience these symptoms. Ensure that your senior drinks plenty of water throughout the day and limit or even eliminate caffeine and alcohol to prevent further irritation of the bladder.

Starting home care for your aging parent can be one of the best decisions that you can make for your elderly loved one throughout the course of your caregiver journey with them. An in-home senior care services provider can be with your aging parent on a schedule that is right for your elderly parent as well as you as their family caregiver. This means that whether you are able to be with them or not, you can feel confident that they are getting all of the care, support, assistance, and encouragement that they need to be as healthy, comfortable, safe, and fulfilled as possible as they age in place. Through a highly personalized set of services, this care provider can help your loved one manage their individual needs and challenges, but also encourage them to remain as independent, active, and engaged as they can be to find meaning and quality of life throughout this period of their life.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in King of Prussia, PA, contact the caring professionals at Reliant At Home Care today (610) 674-6860.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_03/sr03_036.pdf

http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/news/20140625/over-half-of-seniors-plagued-by-incontinence-cdc#1

http://phoenixpt.com/statistics/

http://www.everydayhealth.com/urinary-incontinence-photos/living-well-with-urinary-incontinence.aspx

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