Senior Depression

Portland Home Care - Guardian Angel Caregivers in Portland OR gives family members tips on helping yourself be a better family caregiver. If you need help caring for an elder or senior in your family, please call us at (503) 698-2020.

Depression and Seniors

Depression is a dark cloud that hovers over the heads of many seniors. As they get older, they are forced to deal with many changes in lifestyle, cope with their declining health, and watch while important people in their lives pass away. Recent studies also show that certain medical conditions can onset depression, and depression in itself can cause serious health issues in older adults.

People suffering from heart attacks and heart disease fall into both of the above categories; studies show that depressed people newly- diagnosed with heart disease are twice as likely to have a heart attack or require bypass surgery. Unfortunately, according to a John Hopkins study people who are depressed are more likely to have a heart attack in the next fourteen years, and are four times more likely to die within six months than those who are not depressed.

Depression has links to diabetes and cancer as well. 84% of diabetics have reported depressive episodes, while many were treated for depression six months before their diabetic diagnosis was made. A National Institute of Aging Study has found that the chronically depressed are 88% more likely of developing cancer at some point during their lives.

Depression is a major issue when it comes to the home health of seniors; it truly is a killer that impacts the mortality of older adults and must be treated as seriously as any other chronic disease.

Sources: http://www.mcmanweb.com/perfect_storm.html
http://seniorhealth.about.com/cs/mentalhealth/a/depression_2.htm
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/detecting-depression

Decline in Nursing Home Population

Portland Home Care - Guardian Angel Caregivers in Portland OR gives family members tips on helping yourself be a better family caregiver. If you need help caring for an elder or senior in your family, please call us at (503) 698-2020.

Decline in nursing home population defies conventional wisdom. Here’s why.

Over the past 20 years, a significant number of senior citizens, particularly among the “oldest old” – persons 85 and older – have been choosing to stay in their homes rather than move to nursing homes, according to a new study by The Lewin Group.

Several trends contribute to the decline:

• Disability rates among seniors declined between 1984-1999, and the poverty rate declined as well, giving seniors more care choices.
• The average stay in nursing homes declined from 2.9 years in 1985 to 2.4 years in 2004 because of changes in Medicare and other forces.
• Alternatives to nursing homes continue to be developed, such as assisted living and home-based services.
• Long Term Care insurance is increasingly available. Today, 10 percent of persons 65+ own an LTC policy. In the ‘80s, virtually none did.
• States are providing more home and community-based services.

Read the entire report here: www.lewin.com.

2009 Lifestyle Enhancements for Seniors

When making New Year’s Resolutions, seniors don’t need to make drastic changes; even small modifications to their lifestyle can improve their health and well-being for next year and all the years to come.

Overall Health

Giving up a vice is another common New Year’s resolution, but one that can be greatly beneficial if a senior’s addiction happens to have an impact on their health. Cigarette smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption can decrease a senior’s overall quality of life; so those who put it behind them in 2009 will have a much better year!

When making their New Year’s resolutions this season, seniors should look to making 2009 into a better, healthier year. To go about this they should consider their exercise routine, nutritional habits and overall health.

Exercise

It is recommended that seniors over the age or 65 exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. They can choose moderately intense cardio activities to raise their heart rates to get the greatest benefit. They should also incorporate exercises that increase balance, flexibility and strength into their weekly routines. Seniors should not focus their efforts on weight loss, or set any specific goals other than simply improving their overall health.

Nutrition

In 2009, seniors should choose foods that offer them optimal levels of nutrition to strengthen their immune systems, prevent the onset of chronic illnesses and generally improve their health. To help prevent high blood pressure and water retention, seniors should minimize their intake of salt and sodium; monitor the amount of fat consumed to avoid high cholesterol; and cut back on sugars and dry foods. There are certain vitamins and minerals that seniors should begin incorporating into their diets, like vitamin D and calcium to prevent osteoporosis and strengthen bones; fiber to decrease constipation; and increase water intake to get at least 8 glasses of water per day.

Is Hospice Care the Right Decision?

Is hospice care the right decision?
Hospice care covers a broad range of services, including nursing care; social services; physician services; spiritual support and counseling; home health aides and homemaker services; trained volunteer support; physical, occupational and speech therapies; respite care; inpatient care; and bereavement support. You can learn more about hospice at www.hospicenet.org, www.cancer.org, www.optionsforeldercare.com, and www.nhpco.org.

If hospice care seems to be the right decision for you or your loved one, there are a number of ways to go about find the hospice that best suits your needs.

The first step is to talk with your physician and determine whether hospice care is appropriate for you or your loved one. Only a physician may order hospice care. If your physician approves it, then begin researching what is offered in your community. Your physician may suggest a hospice facility. State health departments certify hospices, and the yellow pages also list them. If you contact your hospital, senior center, Cancer Society or United Way, they should be able to provide more-detailed information.

If you are Internet-savvy, check out the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization at www.nhpco.org. It provides a database of hospices in each state.

Caring for an Aging Parent

Portland Home Care - Guardian Angel Caregivers in Portland OR gives family members tips on helping yourself be a better family caregiver. If you need help caring for an elder or senior in your family, please call us at (503) 698-2020.

Caring for an Aging Parent in Portland

Making the decision to provide full-time care for a family can be a challenging one, and the process doesn’t always get easier. Here are a few tips to help alleviate family conflict during these stressful times.

• Maintain communication – involve all siblings in the discussions leading up to a final decision regarding care. Everyone’s opinion should be listened to and respected.
• Appoint one sibling to take charge – It’s important that one person be primarily responsible for all care related decisions; from medical care to finances. Typically, this should be the family member acting as a full-time caregiver for the parent. Other members of the family should respect ad support this person’s decisions.
• Expect challenges – siblings are likely to disagree on the best methods of caring for a parent, however, don’t allow these conflicts to negatively impact your relationship long term.
• Provide support – while the primary caregiver should expect to be responsible for 99% of the parent’s care, siblings should also play a role by acting as a support network; they should be willing to help out with transportation and occasional care.
• Remember what’s important – the well-being of the parent should always be the main priority. Having all their children involved will help provide for their physical and emotional well-being.

Home health care agency Oregon

Sibling Cohesion and Family Dynamics When Seeking home health care in Portland

In the United States, an increasing number of people are facing a new family dynamic; as parents age, children step in to protect and care for them. When meeting this challenge, it is important to establish cooperation among siblings.

Disagreements about the future of an aging parent can divide even the most closely knit siblings. These disputes are made even more damaging by the importance of household harmony in the lives of aging parents. It has been shown that most parents relying on their children for care are most often, in fact, relying on just one child.

This son or daughter faces the greatest challenge, and generally is most affected by changes in the health or lifestyle of the parent. This relationship may also change how the siblings are able to interact; the less involved sons and daughters may not know how to approach the often cohabitating parent-child group. One helpful method is for one adult child to be in charge of monetary decisions and other day to day work, and for another to help in the event of unforeseen circumstances and serve as support.

The more aging parents’ sons and daughters are involved in their lives, the healthier and happier they will be. It is important, though, to select one sibling to have the final say in all matter and settle disagreements.

Guardian Angel Caregivers in Portland Oregon - providing caregivers at your elder’s & senior’s home in Portland, Portland West Hills, East Portland, Clackamas, Gresham, Boring, Happy Valley, Oregon City, Downtown Portland – please call us 503-698-2020.