Senior Care Blog

Most of us are juggling a number of tasks at any given time, and for caregivers, it often feels like they’re juggling knives and flaming swords on top of it. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed and guilty when you’re responsible for caring for a loved one, whether that person is your spouse or your parent.

Hillendale Home Care understands that sometimes, being diagnosed when struggling with debilitating symptoms can be a relief. Finally, there’s a name for the condition, and a plan to treat it! COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is certainly one of those conditions that can be improved with a definitive diagnosis. If your senior loved one has been suffering with chronic coughing, wheezing, and fatigue, a diagnosis of COPD may actually be the first step in improving her quality of life.

Chronic coughing. Shortness of breath. Wheezing. Sound like an asthma attack? Instead of reaching for the inhaler or an over-the-counter cough drop, however, perhaps it’s time to see if another culprit – COPD – might be coming into play.

The holiday season is full of celebrations, parties, gatherings, and activities. But for an older family member, holiday outings require a little advance planning. Follow these tips from Hillendale Home Care of California to savor fun and relaxed outings with loved ones of all ages this season.

New Year’s resolutions: we love to make them, and can’t help but break them. Perhaps you’ve been motivated to eat better, lose those stubborn ten pounds, quit a bad habit, or exercise more regularly; but life has a way of disrupting our best intentions, and this is especially true for those acting as family caregivers for an elderly loved one.

What feels better than sinking into a warm, relaxing bath at the conclusion of a lengthy, frantic day? While a lot of us relish the wonderful comfort that a bath brings, for seniors, especially those struggling with the challenges of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, this time in the bathroom can be filled with anxiety.

How could something that’s so comforting and relaxing, like a nice, warm bath, be one of the greatest dangers to seniors? The truth is, combining slick surfaces, slippery shampoo and very warm water creates the perfect storm for a fall danger – one of the most severe risks to older people.

The advantages of exercise don’t diminish as we age, and it’s extremely important for elderly adults to keep up as active a lifestyle as possible. Even people who are bedridden or wheelchair-bound have a full range of elderly exercise routines available to strengthen, improve resistance and flexibility.

Stepping into a routine exercise program is challenging at any age. Exercising is tiring. We don’t want to spend the time. We’re feeling sore from yesterday’s workout. We’ve all made excuses like these for putting off working out; but frailty and advanced age make it even harder to stick to an exercise program.