10/5/2021 0 Comments Home-based care in Brookline and Boston, MA: How to care for your loved one with arthritisHome-based care experts share tips for those caring for a loved one with arthritis Home-based care, in Boston and Brookline MA, for a family member living with arthritis, can be a challenging but rewarding experience. Your loved one may be having a tough time managing various aspects of the disease process, and with the following tips, you can make a positive impact on their experiences. This article will give you a better understanding of the pain and stiffness involved that can put a limit on your loved one’s ability to function and move properly. The pain from this disease can stop your loved one from using arms and hands, walking properly, and enjoying regular recreational and work activities. Having a friend or family member help your loved one with care can ensure that her/his condition is well-managed and s/he can remain independent for as long as possible. How can you help your loved one with arthritis? There are many ways that you, as a caregiver to your loved one, can help manage their arthritis, including: Listen and be empathetic: When your loved one is discussing any concerns with you, take them seriously and pass their comments along to their doctor, especially if there are symptoms present that has not been diagnosed. Write down their symptoms: As their caregiver, you can help keep track of where and when your loved one’s pain occurs. You can also track the food they eat, the medications that they are taking, and their activity or movement. A doctor can use this information when examining your loved one. Speak with all healthcare providers: Your loved one may have multiple healthcare providers. You can ensure that each of them is on the same page by keeping consistent communication. This will help your family member with arthritis to get the medical care they need. Encourage regular exercise and movement: Be on the lookout for any movement or exercise classes that you can sign up for. The smallest amount of activity throughout the day can improve your loved one’s symptoms significantly. Some ideas that you can use are chair exercises, walking around the inside and outside of the house, and stretching. Before introducing an exercise routine, be sure to speak with a doctor. Home-based care in Brookline and Boston, MA: reach out for help when needed As a home-based care provider, it is vital to know your limits. Taking care of a loved one is an incredible act of support and love, but it can also be emotionally and physically draining, leaving you with very little time to take care of your own well-being. Do not be afraid to seek any help for the times you need an extra pair of hands. Many resources are available, such as food and laundry delivery services, local support groups, and professional home care, such as TeamCarer, to help you care for a loved one with arthritis. TeamCarer provides team and technology-based care for in-home seniors who need daily living assistance such as bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene, medication reminders, and other care needs. We are a local home health aid services company, with service areas in Boston, Brookline, Newton, Needham, Wellesley, Dedham, Westwood, Norwood, Medfield, Walpole, Canton, and Sharon. Contact us today to get started.
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10/4/2021 0 Comments Top home care assistance in Brookline and Boston, MA: Take care of seniors during the wintertimeProviding home care assistance to a loved one during the winter Home care assistance in the Brookline and Boston MA area is especially helpful during the winter months. Seniors will often need extra attention during colder months due to being more physically susceptible to the cooler temperatures, becoming isolated and homebound, and falling on snow or ice. Before the snow and frigid temperatures show up, you can keep your loved one safe by implementing some winter preparation strategies as soon as possible if you are not there when the weather worsens. Winter health concerns for seniors As you can imagine, the risk of falling is increased over the winter due to snowy driveways and slippery sidewalks. There is also the risk of hypothermia due to the body’s decreased ability to regulate internal temperature as we age. Other diseases and disorders such as hypothyroidism, severe arthritis, and Parkinson’s disease can also harm the body’s temperature regulation. How to prepare seniors for the winter You can help your loved one get ready for the winter with the following tips:
Home safety 101 Much like spring cleaning, you should take the time to winterize your loved one’s home by focusing on these areas: Handrails: You should consider installing handrails if there are none in place already when your loved one needs to navigate an entryway that may be slippery. Windows and doors: Be on the lookout for any cracked or worn seals. You can use a kit to insulate any drafty windows. Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors: Test the alarms to check if all the batteries are working. Trip hazards: You should remove any rugs from the entryways of the house to lessen the chance of falls. Canes and walkers: Replace any tips that are worn that can reduce traction. Home care assistance in Brookline and Boston, MA: always have an emergency plan The best home care assistance will keep you and your loved one safe. The best way to do this during the winter is to have a plan for any emergencies. If for any reason, you can not check in with your loved one due to an emergency or illness, you can arrange to have a trustworthy and reliable family member or agency to help. Be sure to create a list of all emergency contacts and give them to your loved ones so they know who they should call if they need any help. TeamCarer provides team and technology-based care for in-home seniors who need daily living assistance such as bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene, medication reminders, and other care needs. We are a local home health aid services company, with service areas in Boston, Brookline, Newton, Needham, Wellesley, Dedham, Westwood, Norwood, Medfield, Walpole, Canton, and Sharon. Contact us today to get started. 9/16/2021 0 Comments Elderly care services in Brookline and Boston MA: How a doctor can prevent fallsElderly care services: how can a doctor prevent your loved one from falls? Elderly care services in Boston and Brookline MA can help your loved ones live comfortably in their own home. Part of this service involves the prevention of falls. In our previous post, we talk about five simple things you can do to prevent falls at home and how exercise can help too. Another place that your loved one can get help is at their doctor’s office. Throughout the year, one out of three seniors will fall, but less than half of people that have experienced the fall will speak with their doctors about this situation. Falls are the number one cause of injuries such as cuts, hip fractures, as well as serious brain and head injuries that can be fatal. A fall can also be so frightening to your loved ones that they may choose to avoid certain activities out of fear that they will fall again. Even when not injured, you and your loved one should speak with a doctor during the next checkup because this can be a sign of a problem with their medications or eyesight or a new medical problem. But what else can a doctor do to help prevent a fall? Review medication The purpose of reviewing the medications that your loved one is taking is to identify any medications that are possibly increasing the risk of a fall. When the medications have been identified, the doctor will work with you and your loved one to try to reduce or eliminate the use of the medication. This process is known as “deprescribing”. During this medication review, your loved one and their doctor will need to reconsider the medications and be sure that the benefits of continued use will outweigh the possible risks. Monitor blood pressure When standing from a rested position and experiencing a sudden feeling of weakness and buckling in the knees is the result of low blood pressure known as fainting. When your loved one’s blood pressure isn’t high enough to move blood to the brain efficiently, the brain will sense this warning and take the necessary action. Your loved one’s doctor can recommend a blood pressure cuff to keep an eye on their blood pressure and ensure that they aren’t doing anything that is too strenuous while their blood pressure is at a low level. Fall risk assessment There are three questions that a doctor should ask your loved one about falling, including: Do you feel unsteady when standing or walking? Have you fallen in the past year? And are you afraid of falling? Answering yes to any of these questions will make your loved one a good candidate for a fall risk assessment. Afterward, the doctor should evaluate the chances of falls through a brief screening. Elderly care services in Brookline and Boston MA: get a personalized plan Elderly care services can work in conjunction with a plan that has been put into place by the doctor after identifying any risk factors and determining ways to address them. Extra care should also be taken when your loved one has been prescribed any new medications or when returning home from the hospital due to any possible feelings of weakness, exhaustion, or disorientation. TeamCarer provides team and technology-based care for in-home seniors who need daily living assistance such as bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene, medication reminders, and other care needs. We are a local company, with service areas in Boston Metro, Metro West, Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, and Needham. Contact us today to get started. 9/9/2021 0 Comments Elderly home care in Brookline and Boston: can a reverse mortgage be used to pay for homecare?Elderly home care: how can your loved one take advantage of a reverse mortgage to pay for care at home? Elderly home care options can be expensive. As your loved one ages, one of your, or theirs, biggest concerns might be determining how the in-home care that is needed will be paid for. The chances are good that at some point during their lifetime, no matter how independent they are, your loved one might need to hire someone to take care of them. A reverse mortgage is an option that your loved one can consider as an option to cover the expenses of in-home care. What is a reverse mortgage? A reverse mortgage is a mortgage loan, usually secured by a residential property, that enables the borrower to access the unencumbered value of the property. The loans are typically promoted to older homeowners and typically do not require monthly mortgage payments. However, it’s important to remember that since a reverse mortgage does not require you to make regular payments, the equity of the home is reduced in proportion to the amount of cash that is received. When borrowing funds through a reverse mortgage you can choose between fixed or adjustable-rate reverse mortgages and the funds are generally tax-free. Here is a link to a reverse mortgage calculator. What can the money be used for? The funds from a reverse mortgage are first used to pay any loans that have been taken out against the home. Afterward, the funds can then be used however you choose. For example, the funds from a reverse mortgage can be used towards the payment for long-term home care expenses, including:
Typically, to cover these costs, Medicare and Medicare supplements are often expected to cover these expenses, however, they will often not cover the full amount, or they will only cover the price for basic care and not any special services. This is what makes a reverse mortgage so attractive. Elderly home care in Boston MA: is this option right for you? Elderly home care can help your loved ones live a better life and while a reverse mortgage won’t be a good fit for everyone, the income generated can help your loved one stay in their own home for longer and afford the proper care that they need. TeamCarer provides team and technology-based care for in-home seniors who need daily living assistance such as bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene, medication reminders, and other care needs. We are a local company, with service areas in Boston Metro, Metro West, Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, and Needham. Contact us today to get started. |
AuthorTeamcarer offers technology-enabled team-based care for in-home seniors who need daily living assistance such as bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene, medication reminders, and other care needs. Archives
November 2021
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