First Choice In-Home Care Blog

The process of aging takes an undeniable toll on a body. Does that mean, however, that an active lifestyle is no longer an option for your loved one?

The answer to that question is a definitive "no." In reality, leading an active lifestyle can be more important than ever as people age.

The Benefits of Exercise and an Active Lifestyle

HelpGuide.org's "Exercise and Fitness as You Age" observes: "Regular exercise can help boost energy, maintain your independence, and manage symptoms of illness or pain. Exercise can even reverse some of the symptoms of aging. And not only is exercise good for your body, it's also good for your mind, mood, and memory."

In addition to structured exercise like weight training or cardio, seniors can derive much benefit from simply maintaining an active lifestyle. Taking a walk in the park, gardening, and generally moving more are all ways to tap into the body's potential to heal and support itself both physically and mentally.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, six in 10 people with dementia will wander. Wandering can occur at any stage of the disease, making it necessary for caregivers to take precautions to both reduce the likelihood of wandering behaviors and handle wandering incidents correctly if they should occur.

Why Dementia Patients Wander

Dementia patients can wander for a variety of reasons. The Mayo Clinic lists several common triggers for wandering. They include:

• Stress or fear: Some dementia patients experience stress or fear in unfamiliar surroundings, or in places where overstimulation of their senses occur (ie. loud noises or overly bright lighting).
• Searching: In many cases, dementia patients may be searching for an item they have lost, and wander away from a safe environment before they are aware of doing so.
• Boredom: Occasionally, a dementia patient may wander in search of something new to do or see.
• Attempting to care for a basic need: A dementia patient may be trying to care for a basic need like finding a bathroom or finding something to eat when he or she becomes confused and begins to wander.
• Following a past routine: In some instances, a dementia patient may be trying to go to a place or activity with which he or she is familiar (ie. going to a previous job or favorite store).

Baby Boomers, now entering headlong into their retirement years, are even more intent on aging in place than were previous generations. Huffington reports: "The old standard of retiring and shuffling off to a retirement community is being re-written by baby boomers who want to enjoy their homes, embrace their communities and age in place as long as they can."

The Benefits of Homecare

Seniors with this mindset find home health care to be an increasingly attractive option. Home health care enables seniors to:

• remain in familiar and comfortable environments
• maintain a sense of control and autonomy
• maintain cherished ties to nearby family and community
• access highly personalized care from professional care providers

In addition to providing seniors assistance with activities of daily living, homecare providers can also help seniors with household chores, shopping, transportation, and medication support. Working with a homecare provider provides peace of mind for seniors and their families by assuring all involved in caregiving that the needs of seniors are being consistently and competently met.

More than 90 percent of older adults would prefer to age in place rather than move to senior housing, according to the National Aging in Place Council (NAIPC).

While retirement communities and assisted living facilities use the term "aging in place" to signify moving into a senior living community which offers the option of moving from one level of care to another within the community, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that at its most basic, aging in place refers to "the ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level."

How many medications does your elderly loved one take every week? According to Merck Manual's "Aging and Drugs", in the group of people who are age 65 years or older, 90 percent take at least 1 drug per week, more than 40 percent take at least 5 different drugs per week, and 12 percent take 10 or more drugs per week.

Causes of Medication Risks in Seniors

Drug related problems are more common among the elderly and include:

• drug ineffectiveness
• adverse drug effects
• over- or under-dosage
• drug interactions

Why are the elderly at greater risk than the general population? There are a number of significant factors that play a part. Here are a few of those that may lead to medication issues for your senior:

• The number of medications taken increases the likelihood of potentially dangerous drug interactions.
• Elderly patients may be more susceptible to adverse drug reactions because of the way medications are absorbed. For instance, drugs that dissolve in water may reach higher concentrations in the elderly, because the amount of water in the body decreases as one ages. Likewise, drugs typically absorbed in fatty tissues may reach higher concentrations in the elderly, because as people age, the amount of fat tissue in their bodies decreases.
• The body breaks down drugs and excretes them through the kidneys and metabolizes them through the liver. This process slows considerably as people age, making it more likely that hazard levels of drugs can build up in an elderly patient's body.
• Common side effects of some medications are intensified among seniors. For instance, older adults often are more likely to become confused, dizzy, or light-headed when taking certain drugs than are their younger counterparts.

Caring for someone you love who suffers from Alzheimer's is a difficult and sometimes heartbreaking task. Yet, for many caregivers and care recipients dealing with this issue, the thought of moving a loved one from a home he or she has loved for many years is undesirable. What can you do to help your senior stay at home as long as possible, while still ensuring a high quality of care?

Making the Home Environment Safe

In order to ensure the safety of your loved one, it is essential to consider the home environment in which he or she lives. Are there areas of the home that will be unsafe as memory loss or dementia increases?

In a perfect world, your loved ones would never come to a point where they need help with activities of daily living. They would live independently and continue to prosper indefinitely.

However, this is not a perfect world. If you are facing the fact that your parents can no longer handle some of the aspects of completely independent living, you are likely wondering how to help them see the realities of their situation. What can you do to help them take advantage of the opportunities that home healthcare may afford them?

Assessing the Need

In some cases, your loved one may experience a life or health event that makes it clear that home health is required. When this happens, your loved one may readily agree to the idea of hiring a home health agency to help out.

In other cases, however, your loved one's circumstances may change so gradually that he or she is often unaware of a growing need for assistance. When this happens, helping your loved one make an honest assessment of his or her needs requires patience and skill.

If you are the primary caregiver for a loved one, you are to be commended. Likely, you struggle with the financial and emotional challenges of caregiving on a daily basis. The good news is that help is available to you in the form of home health care.

Many caregivers feel that choosing the option of home healthcare is cost-prohibitive. However, a careful look at the numbers in your situation may reveal that home healthcare is surprisingly affordable. Here are some things to consider when crunching the numbers:

1) How much money are you spending to get things done without a home health agency?

While this may seem an odd question, it is something to consider. Caregiver statistics provided by the Family Caregiver Alliance indicate that, on average, family caregivers spend 24.4 hours each week providing care to a loved one. Nearly 1 in 4 caregivers spend 41 hours or more each week providing care.

If you spend this kind of time caring for your loved one, chances are that you are unable to handle other essential chores alone. For instance, have you had to hire out things that you used to handle on your own such as lawn care, laundry service, or housecleaning? Do you find yourself eating out more because you simply do not have time to prepare your own meals anymore?

These costs mount. When you consider how much money you may be spending on outside services to enable you to care for the needs of your loved one, is it possible that hiring a home health professional may, in fact, be a less expensive option than what you are currently doing?

Loneliness and social isolation are serious issues facing many seniors aging in place at home. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Primary Prevention defines social isolation as "a state in which the individual lacks a sense of belonging socially, lacks engagement with others, has a minimal number of social contacts and they are deficient in fulfilling and quality relationships."

The Effect of Social Isolation on Health

Stating that social isolation is a major health problem for older adults living in the community, leading to numerous detrimental health conditions, the study estimated that as many of 43 percent of older adults living independently in the community at large are socially isolated.

Poor health outcomes for seniors who are socially isolated include:

• dementia
• an increased risk of falls and their associated injuries
• an increased risk for re-hospitalization
• an increased risk in all-cause mortality

Why does social isolation pack such a big punch for seniors? The article "Aging at Home: How Your Social Life Keeps You Healthy" points out that social isolation plays almost as much of a role in dying early as poverty does. Social isolation raises blood pressure, increases the level of stress hormones and inflammation in the body, and contributes to poor sleep and depression.

WebMd's article "Loneliness May Complicate Chronic Illness for Some" points to the results of a recent Canadian study which demonstrates that loneliness is a complicating factor among those who suffer with chronic illnesses.

The study's first author Meaghan Barlow notes: "The quality of our social ties plays a role when it comes to coping with the effects of serious disease in later life."

However, she further notes a positive finding from the study, saying: "The fact that loneliness can lead to further complications means that measures can be taken to prevent the effects from looping back around."

If you are the primary caregiver for a loved one, you understand the stresses and hardships that come with your responsibilities.

Intellectually, you may know that you need some help to handle the load.

However, it may be an emotional struggle for you to think of relegating some of your loved one's care to a professional caregiver. It is even possible that you feel that doing so indicates a personal failure of some sort.

Rest assured, however, that seeking help to handle your loved one's needs indicates, not failure, but love on your part. The reality is that, despite the best intentions of family and friends of those who require help, a professional caregiver may be able to offer your loved one a level of care that exceeds what you are able to do alone.