Geriatric Care Assessment & It’s Importance

When you start researching about in-home care for your elderly loved one, it’s important to remember that there isn’t the same approach for care, and the type of care your loved one needs today may not be the type of care they would need after a few years. Everyone has a unique situation and it’s important for family members to understand that care needs will change over time.

Geriatric care assessments are designed to:

• Evaluate all of the issues and challenges that a senior is experiencing such as transportation issues, health issues, mobility challenges, bathing and grooming issues, etc.
• Develop coordinated care plans for them
• Assess an older adult’s access to support that can help him or her life comfortably at home
• Understand the frequency of care that should be provided

The information gathered in a geriatric care assessment is very important for the quality of a senior’s life. Once a geriatric care assessment is complete, a comprehensive plan of care is designed that can be beneficial in the following ways:

• Improving health outcomes
• Postponing the onset of disability
• Recognizing health changes before they become acute
• Improving the quality of life
• Saving on healthcare costs
• Identifying rehabilitation needs
• Planning services to increase safety
• Discovering early-stage diseases

The person’s life history, likes and dislikes are all important aspects of the care plan that need to be evaluated and taken into account. Care should also be taken to get to know the senior’s family better. Understanding family dynamics can help home care providers personalize the care they provide to seniors.

To get the best geriatric care in East Bay, CA; get in touch with Always Best Care. For more information about them or their care services, call at (925) 210-0323.

Finding The Right Caregiver For A Senior Loved One!

No one can ever replace the care that parents give to their children. In the same manner, when they grow old, it becomes our responsibility to provide them the best care and comfort. Finding a personal caregiver that you can trust with the care of your senior loved one can be difficult. Here are a few tips that you must keep in mind while choosing a home caregiver for an aging loved one:

#1. Avoid multiple caregivers: “Too many cooks spoil the broth”, this phrase is well suited when you go for multiple caregivers. Coordination breaks and there is always a state of confusion for the duties that need to be performed by the caregivers. Also, your aging parents cannot have the same level of satisfaction with each caregiver.  

#2. The caregiver must not be phone addicted: Another very important thing that you can’t avoid is to check the caregiver’s phone usage during their working hours. A phone addicted caregiver will always remain distracted from their job and might miss many important things like giving medicines to seniors on time.  

#3. They shouldn’t violate their boundaries: Of course, you must look for a caregiver who is honest and have a good reputation for their previous work. Their track record must be clean such that your parents feel safe with them in your absence as well.

#4. There shouldn’t be any language barrier & cultural difference: Hiring a caregiver from a different state or region can also create confusion because of the language barrier. So, hire a caregiver who speaks a language that your loved one can understand.

To find reliable In Home Caregivers in East Bay, get in touch with Always Best Care. For more information about them or their care services, call at (925) 210-0323.

What Role Do Caregivers Play In Supporting Seniors With Chronic Diseases?

According to a recent research, seniors suffer from at least one or two chronic diseases. These can be illnesses such as heart and kidney disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), etc. If you have a senior family member suffering from a chronic disease, hiring a caregiver to take care of their needs may be the right decision. A caregiver can support your senior loved one in the following ways.

Positive communication: Through positive communication, a caregiver can help a senior to stay positive throughout their condition. And with a positive mindset, the latter can deal with their health issues in a much better way. 

A patient-centric approach: A caregiver encourages proper self-care keeping in mind the key information about their condition. If required, they make changes in their approach to suit the needs of the senior better.

Educate the senior and their family members: Caregivers educate the patient and their family members about how they can take best care of the patient and can mitigate risks associated with their health:

• They work with patients and other people present in the home to develop patient-centered care plans.
• They follow the reminders and alerts in electronic medical records for better senior care.
• They guide you with effective system in place to manage test results and coordinate care.

If you have been looking for reliable and affordable senior home care services in East Bay, get in touch with Always Best Care today. Here, you can find the best senior caregivers who are devoted to their job and ensure the most satisfactory service to the elderly and their families. For further queries about their comprehensive senior care plans, you can reach out to them at (925) 210-0323.

Bathroom Safety Tips for the Elderly

Bathroom safety is critical especially when it comes to fall prevention in the elderly. There can be many causes of senior falls in the bathroom, such as imbalance, tripping due to any obstacle on the floor or slippery surface. Injuries as a result of bathroom falls can range from mild injuries to serious accidents. However, it is possible to avoid these accidents if you take the necessary safety precautions. 

Given below are some useful tips that can reduce the likelihood of bathroom injuries due to falls, trips, and slips. 

Install grab bars: Installing grab bars in the shower or tub allows seniors to have something that they can hold when entering or getting out of the bath tub. This reduces the chances of falls and slips during bathing. You can also consider installing grab bars near the toilet area.
Use Non-slip strips: One of the other affordable ways to improve safety of seniors in the bathroom is using non-slip strips at the shower’s or tub’s bottom. You can also go for non-slip tiles or a non-slip bathmat. 

Look for bath seating: Having a bath seat installed in the tub or shower also provides extra safety to seniors while they are bathing. You can easily find bath seating in a variety of styles to suit different needs of seniors. 

Have proper lighting: Make sure your bathroom has good lighting. Keeping this room well-lit allows seniors to see if there is anything lying on the bathroom floor which could result in a fall. Proper lighting is even more important for the older adults that have balance issues or vision problems.
Families that are concerned about the safety of their senior loved one because they couldn’t be with them all the time can consider hiring a caregiver. Not only will he/she take care of the senior’s physical health, but also help boost their mental and spiritual well-being through different activities. To look for the best In Home Caregivers in Contra Costa County, contact Always Best Care today! You can reach out to them @ (925) 210-0323.

Travel Tips for Older Adults

Growing old does not have to slow you down, or stop you from exploring new places and trying out new things. However, if you are a senior who likes to travel, there are a few things that you must keep in mind to ensure your ventures turn our safe and enjoyable. Given below are some useful tips for senior travelers. Take a look. 

Do Not Advertise Your Absence: Safety is one of the top concerns when it comes to seniors traveling alone. So, when you are planning a solo trip to any place, do not advertise it publically on social media platforms. Thieves can actually track your Facebook and use this information for robbing you while you are on vacation. They can even check in on your house when you are away. To avoid this situation, you can leave some lights on before going on the vacation. This will help give an illusion that you or someone else is still at your home and therefore thieves wouldn’t try to invade it.

Take It Easy: Whether you’re traveling abroad or only a short distance from your house, it is imperative to plan ahead for your healthcare needs. While you are enjoying all the sights of a new place and experiencing an entirely different culture, do not forget to take care of your health as well. Set aside some time to rest every day and try to eat as healthy as possible. 

Keep In Touch With Your Loved Ones: Your family and friends back home want to know if you are fine throughout your trip. So, do keep them updated about everything by calling or texting them frequently. 

Seniors’ health and safety is always a major concern for families. If they cannot remain available to take care of all their needs, it makes sense to look for professional senior care services. For quality elder care assistance in Contra Costa County, Always Best Care is one of the organizations that you can count on. To discuss your senior care needs with them, call them today @ (925) 210-0323.

If You Think Dementia Is A Normal Part Of Aging, Think Again!

As we all grow older, it takes us long to learn new things and to recollect information. Many a times we worry that each time that we struggle to remember a name, a word, or an event; it could be the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease or it may be related dementia. However, only one percent of people with age-related memory loss issues develop dementia with time.

Dementia is overall a medical term for some symptoms clubbed together. Whatever may be the cause of dementia, symptoms can include following:

• memory loss
• loss of understanding or judgment
• decreased ability to make decisions
• changes in how the person expresses their emotions
• changes in personality
• problems coping with daily living
• problems with speech and understanding language
• problems socializing

Dementia is not at all a normal part of aging. Many people misconceive this fact and ignore the symptoms. It is an abnormal part of growing up which hinders the normal activity of human brain. A person is not able to think, speak, socialize, and take part in normal daily activities.

Detecting and identifying dementia early is the best way to provide proper care to the patients. An early diagnosis can help you, your family and friends, some extra time to prepare and connect with the right resources in your community to help maintain your independence and reduce the risks.

Although dementia is in curable and there is no sure way to avoid it, keeping your brain active may help to lessen the initial effects of dementia and prolong independence. As dementia, starts growing, different parts of the brain are affected one by one leading to a range of changes. Abilities lost in dementia are very hard to come back.

It can be very difficult to cope up during this stage of life, if you need any help or assistance Always Best Care has the best In Home Care Service providers in East Bay, CA. They can assist you in every way possible. For more information, call at (925)210-0323.

Here Are Some Benefits of “Aging in Place”

As we grow, it becomes difficult to manage everything on our own, especially in old age. In this age, everyone wants to relax and let others do the minimal tasks for him or her. Therefore, many people decide to go to an old age home when they grow old, which is not the best option. We have jotted down some benefits of aging in place, so that you can make up a mind that aging in place is by far the best way a person should spend his old age.

Independence is of highest priority:

Many people maintain a sense of independence and when they grow old, they want this to be still there, because it enables them to improve quality of life. Aging in place allows seniors to retain a high level of control over their lives, as they can live in familiar spaces. They also feel confident that they can live their lives without frequent assistance, which may improve quality of life. Some older adults also find a high level of value in remaining close to their possessions.

Maintaining Healthy Community Connections:

For many seniors, aging in place allows them to continue to live their lives as they have for decades. It reduces the feeling of loneliness and depression in older adults. In addition, remaining in their own communities enables them to make social interactions part of their daily lives. An active social life can help older adults prevent dementia as well; maintaining community connections and important friendships can contribute to better health and higher quality of life.

In control Budget:

Budgeting for the costs of health care, housing, assistance and other necessities is not easy for seniors having fixed monthly incomes. Whereas considering the cost of relocating to a senior living facility can be challenging or even impossible to an extent. Therefore, for many older adults, aging in place enables lower monthly costs and reduced housing budgets.

If you are someone worried about the expenses of an old age home, you should consider the assistance from Always Best Care. They have the best Assisted Living Facilities providers in East Bay. For more information, give them a call at (925)210-0323.