Home care services are in high demand in Canada nowadays. 80% percent of seniors who are over the age of 60 choose to live an independent, comfortable, and high-quality life, according to recent studies. In correspondence with the huge demand, the home care industry is growing rapidly as well – finding a personal support worker (PSW) is no longer a difficult task.

Due to the enormousness of the home care industry, the service quality and the price of home care could vary drastically. In the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the hourly rate of home care visits ranges from $28 to $65 an hour, depending on the location. So, although finding a PSW is easy, finding one who is affordable and who can provide quality care isn’t.

Knowing your worries, we have surveyed many quality home care agencies in the GTA and picked out the most highly rated and sought-after ones. Here is the list of them:

Best 7 Home Care Agencies in the GTA

Nurse Next Door

Just like their name, Nurse Next Door always has their caregivers ready for families. In the GTA, they have 8 locations that can dispatch their diligent and hardworking care staff to your family. Plus, Nurse Next Door has a full spectrum of services that can serve most seniors while matching each senior’s needs with the most suitable professionals.

Price:

$$$$

Services:

Comprehensive Home Care
Dementia Care
In-Home Nursing Care
Companionship
End-of-Life
Homemaking
Meal Preparation
Personal Care
Relief/Respite Care
Transportation/Accompaniment
Around the Clock Care

Highlights:

Rigorous screening for every caregiver
The “Happier Aging” program that supports seniors’ mental health
Provides dementia care

Business Information:

https://www.nursenextdoor.com/

Home Care Assistant of Toronto

Home Care Assistant believes that seniors have their own freedom to choose the lifestyle they want, so they offer multiple types of service. For home care, Home Care Assistant has different caring options, from companionship to hospice care. They are also proud of their programs, such as “The Balanced Care Method,” which focuses on a healthy mind, body and spirit, holistically promoting seniors’ nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and social interaction.

Price:

Services:

Hourly Home Care
Live-In Home Care
Alzheimer’s Care
Dementia Care
Stroke Care
Parkinson’s Care
Hospice Support
Post-Hospital Care
Retirement Home
Assisted Living and LTC Facility Care

Highlights:

Various types of care can meet different patients’ needs
A balanced approach to senior care

Business Information:

https://www.nursenextdoor.com/

CareStory Home Care

CareStory Home Care offers the most affordable home care service in the GTA. If you are tight on budget or struggling to find a reliable caregiver with empathy for your family, CareStory would be your solution. By combining its profile service that is built for every senior, CareStory’s caregivers are able to deliver the most customized and sympathetic care to your family. In addition, seniors’ families can use the profile to record seniors lives, which provides seniors with a sense of purpose along with meeting daily living needs.

Price:

Services:

Companionship
Home Care Services
Dementia Care
Meal Prep & Housekeeping
Transportation
Online Profile Building

Highlights:

Person-centred care
Family-like caregivers
Senior profile & life story building platform

Business Information:

https://carestory.ca/

Home Instead Senior Care

Nothing feels worse than seeing your family slowly lose his or her memory, and Home Instead Senior Care can totally understand this feeling of hopelessness. Therefore, they have a CARE training program (Changing Aging through Research and Education) that essentially focuses on dementia and Alzheimer’s care. Home Instead Senior Care is a pro on managing memory loss in seniors – if this is your concern, Home Instead is the choice.

Price:

$$$$

Services:

Personal Care Services
Nurse Directed Care
Hospice Support
Meal Prep & Home Helpers
Transportation
Companionship

Highlights:

Memory loss care
Grant programs that provide families with Alzheimer’s patients with financial assistance

Business Information:

https://www.homeinstead.ca/

Home Concierge Toronto

Home Concierge always tries their best to make sure that your family receives care from the same team member(s) since they believe building a rapport between caregivers and the seniors is vital in the caring process. Also, they offer a companionship service option that is apart from home care that is served by PSW workers. It is suitable for seniors who don’t need personal care but needs company to feel less lonely, which is also cheaper than personal care services.

Price:

Services:

Home Care Services
Transportation
Provides Expert Advice on Searching For Retirement Homes
Meal Prep & Grocery Shopping
Light Housekeeping

Highlights:

Companionship assistance
Consistent caregivers
Good concierge services

Business Information:

https://www.thehomeconcierge.ca/

Guardian Home Care

Whether your family is in a retirement home, a hospital, or just staying in his or her own house, Guardian Home Care can deliver its professional team to provide compassionate care. This is also why Guardian Home Care has gained so many compliments from its customers – its care staff always try their best to meet the senior’s goals and make the process comfortable enough at the same time.

Price:

Services:

Personal Care
Nursing Services
Companionship
One-on-One Private Duty
Overnight Care
The Day-to-day Care

Highlights:

Respite care
Full-time care with a discount

Business Information:

https://guardianhomecaretoronto.com/

At The End:

Choosing and inviting a caregiver to your home can sometimes be stressful. Thus, researching and screening home care agencies or caregivers is extremely important. See our article on “Top 10 Questions To Ask Before Hiring a Home Care Agency” to help find a “perfect” candidate.

As Dylan’s father, Griffin, gradually turned 65 years old, he found it increasingly difficult to be independent. Dylan had heard that Griffin struggled with daily activities such as eating and bathing. As a long-distance caregiver, Dylan was very concerned about his father’s condition. He was looking for home care services and some guidance on care services. Now, many unanswered questions still linger in his mind:

Does Griffin even need home care services?
What kind of services should home care professionals provide to Griffin?
Who should I hire?
When should we start the home care process?
How can I prepare a senior-friendly home for Griffin?

If you have similar questions, you’ve come to the right place! You know what? You can find all the answers here!

A Brief Introduction to Home Care

Home care is a bridge that can keep your loved one home for as long as possible. Home care provides health care services in the comfort of your home. Once a contract is signed, home caregivers will visit your home on a set schedule. Home care is a general term representing a wide range of services, from supporting daily activities to providing in-home healthcare services to individuals with an ongoing chronic condition like dementia. Therefore, home care professionals and the provided services include:

Registered nurses (RNs) provide skilled medical care to our loved ones. They can give medication, monitor vital signs, dress wounds, and use and teach patients’ family members how to use complicated equipment at home.
Therapists specialize in helping our aging loved ones restore or maintain their motor, speech, and cognitive skills.
Home care aides provide high-quality personal services to our loved ones, such as preparing meals, feeding, bathing, dressing, toileting, house cleaning, and transporting to medical appointments.

So, when is a good time to start arranging for home care services? What kinds of services should home care professionals prepare? You will find all the answers in this blog post! For more information on home care, please read our blog on all you need to know about home care.

When To Start the Process of Home Care

It is difficult to predict when our loved ones might need home care services. However, several factors might increase the probability of needing home care. Use these factors as a guide only. If your parents are in line with most factors mentioned below, please make an appointment with your doctor for further discussion!

Age

Although there is no specific time that your aging loved one probably needs home care services, analysis shows that 65 is a critical age. Seniors over 65 have a nearly 70% chance of needing care services for their remaining years, including home care and long-term care. If our loved ones are about to turn 65, be prepared to arrange care services in advance! Choosing home care services is a good starting point since they will be more receptive to care from their own home.

Living Condition

Overall, seniors who live alone are more likely to need care from paid caregivers than elderly adults who live with their spouses or children. Suppose your parents or grandparents live by themselves. In that case, it’s a good idea to arrange a home caregiver for them to support their daily activities and care for their overall physical, mental and social wellness.

Family History of Health

A family history of health also contributes to the need for care services in seniors’ later years. Conditions that require special attention are physical disabilities, sensory disabilities, cognitive disabilities, and other chronic diseases. As their children, we should be aware of common symptoms of aging disorders and inherited or acquired disabling conditions. We should also check their health conditions regularly and prepare for care services!

In addition, some signs require special attention, for instance, a decrease or increase in appetite, drastic unexplained weight gain or loss, changes in appearance or dress (become sloppy), and memory loss, especially when they cannot recall recent events or retrieve short-term memory. If our parents and grandparents have experienced several of these signs that lasted for more than two weeks, it’s time for us to seek further assistance and talk with our doctor.

How to Start the Process of In-Home Care

The decision to find home care services for our aging loved ones can be difficult. There are various reasons for choosing in-home care. Needs are divergent, so we need a comprehensive assessment before preparing our loved ones for home care.

Is Home Care needed For My Family?

Here’s a pop-quiz for you to see whether or not your loved ones need home care.

Q1: Does your loved one often forget things, such as forgetting where to put the keys, whether they have cleaned the house or not, and whether or not they have turned off the appliances?
Q2: Does your loved one fall frequently or have difficulty walking without help?
Q3: Does your loved one have difficulty eating or bathing on their own?

If your answer is “Yes” to any of those questions, your loved one probably needs to receive home care. However, they may be resistant to receiving in-home senior care since they have to give up some aspects of independence and freedom. We should talk with our loved ones about this by using appropriate communication strategies as family members. Want to learn how? Take a look at our blog post on effective communication with seniors. Remember, we have to make a trade-off between respecting our loved ones’ wishes and protecting their overall wellness.

What Services Are Needed?

After you have concluded that your loved one needs home care, the next step is to identify their care needs and determine the care services you would want home caregivers to provide. We have a checklist to help you with this difficult process. Feel free to download it and use it as a reference guide: Home Care Needs Self-Assessment

Who To Hire?

When it comes to this stage, there are several options available:

designate a family member to provide care for your loved one,
hire a registered nurse directly, or
hire a home caregiver through an agency.

All options have their pros and cons. For instance, Option A is indeed cost-effective. However, family members may not be as professional as registered nurses or certified caregivers. Both Option B and Option C can provide professional care. However, it will be costly.

Moreover, if you want to hire a registered nurse by yourself, it takes more time, and you have to do all the background checks. If you would like to learn more about the pros and cons of home care agencies vs private caregivers, please check out our blog on how to choose a home care service. Whatever you decide, make sure to give your loved one some input on the decision and respect their wants.

Guide to Prepare Senior-Friendly Homes for a Loved One

Develop a Plan

Once you decide to use home care services, it’s crucial to know who to hire and what kind of services your loved one would receive. Make good use of the checklist provided above to define the tasks that need to be done by home caregivers and to determine exactly which type of home care is best for your situation. In addition, consider the cost, determine your budget for these services and choose the most appropriate home care assistance.

Make Modifications To The Home

In some cases, your loved one may need a walker, wheelchair, or even a cane, so make sure the house can accommodate the use of these devices. Sometimes, we may have to make major renovations for them. For instance, creating barrier-free entryways that help seniors maneuver a wheelchair in and out of the home is a good start.

In some cases, our loved ones can use standard products to accommodate their needs. For example, providing bath seats for showering or grabbing rails for support is also a great idea. You should also remove any clutter that could be a tripping hazard and hire a contractor specializing in aging-in-place modifications to come into the home and create a plan.

Prepare A Home Medical Alert System

Medical alert systems are a simple yet effective method to ensure that our seniors communicate with us and their home care professionals 24/7 when they need assistance and can’t get to other communication devices. Normally, a medical alert system can be worn at all times, so it’s easily accessible and can allow us peace of mind when our loved ones might be home alone.

Invest In Technology That Facilitate Communication

Smooth communication is always the basis of providing and receiving high-quality care services. If our home care professionals can know our loved ones better, they can easily deliver empathy and prepare more tailored care for them. If you are looking for a technological solution to facilitate communication, please check us out! We at CareStory are here to bridge the gap between aging populations, families, and caregivers. A quick fact page, personalized music, life stories, and video messages can greatly facilitate caregivers’ daily jobs. Check here to see how CareStory works, and don’t hesitate to get in touch!

References:

https://www.choosecomforthome.com/how-to-start-the-process-of-in-home-care-for-the-elderly/

https://www.tlchomecare.com/how-to-prepare-your-loved-one-for-homecare

https://gograhamfield.com/prepare-happy-house-bringing-loved-one-home/

It’s been three months since Patricia’s husband, Roger, passed. Rocking slowly on her worn recliner, the house is quiet. She flips through the channels and looks at the empty chair where Roger used to sit. She was lonely. The loneliness didn’t hit until everything had quieted down–no more gatherings, fewer visitors. All that was left were memories. Now what?

Patricia is not alone. Often, the passing of a spouse leads to social isolation and depression. Senior isolation is an epidemic that can lead to serious health issues.

The cure? Activities.

Why Physical Activities Are Important For Seniors

Physical activities always provide the foundation of wellness for all human beings.

For the elderly, doing physical activities will even be more important. A sedentary lifestyle in old age has been shown to lead to greater susceptibility to injury, a higher incidence of obesity, cardiovascular problems, and many other serious diseases.

No kidding, start exercising!

Practising enough senior physical activities decreases the risk of stroke, cancers, type 2 diabetes, depression, and dementia. Moreover, physical activity can arrest the deterioration of overall health and enable older adults to maintain their independence for longer periods.

This is what Patricia did, and to relieve the pain and grief, she decided to run every day.

Physical activities are important, but mental and social activities are also salient to help seniors stay healthy!

Please never underestimate social and psychological harm. Seniors are often at a high risk of loneliness. Researchers from BYU University Communications have suggested that loneliness can be as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day! Moreover, feelings of loneliness may lead older adults to engage in other unhealthy behaviours, such as excessive alcohol consumption, binge drinking and smoking, and a reluctance to go out. It turns out to be a vicious cycle.

In addition to potential mental health problems, older adults frequently suffer from mental disorders such as dementia, anxiety, and depression. A decline in mental abilities is unavoidable as we get older. We can, however, slow this cognitive deterioration by engaging in sustained mental activity.

Assume that older adults can actively seek cognitive engagement. These activities can assist them in mobilizing their mental abilities, which can be highly beneficial in preventing or slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Ready for some exercises and activities?

Here we go!

Recommended Activities For Seniors

1. Physical Activities

It’s recommended that seniors aged 65 and older get at least 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic exercise every week. So on average, each senior should dedicate about 20 minutes per day to physical activities! Moreover, it’s important to ensure seniors warm up for 5 minutes before exercising.

Start by walking slowly at first. Slow down a bit. Perfect! Gradually stretch your shoulders, lower back, hamstrings, quads, inner thighs, hips… awesome! Now you are good to go for the other activities!

2. Balance

We know that seniors are often at risk of falling, and keeping balance and preventing falls have always been the most concerning. To achieve that, activities such as standing on one foot, walking heel-to-toe, tai chi, and yoga are highly recommended!

Here’s a video tutorial for the standing on one-foot balance exercise. Feel free to follow the steps.

3. Endurance

Walking, dancing, jogging, biking, swimming, tennis, basketball, climbing stairs/hills, raking, and mowing are all good exercises that can improve seniors’ heart, lungs, and circulatory system wellness and help seniors stay energetic! When you exercise, bring your parents and grandparents along too!

4. Strength

We know that some seniors would like to make their muscles stronger, and CareStory is total with them!

We care about our loved ones so much that we don’t want them to do challenging activities like lifting weights, using a resistance band, or doing body-weight exercises like push-ups and sit-ups. Nonetheless, these activities are perfectly safe for seniors.

That being said, proper assessment prior to exercise is critical, and you should never over-exercise.

Mental Activities

The variety of helpful activities that improve reasoning abilities, memory, and the ability to continue to learn are listed as puzzle-solving, board games, reading, and practicing a musical instrument. In addition, writing memoirs is also a fantastic activity that can support seniors’ memory maintenance. Moreover, memoirs can become a family treasure and legacy! If you would like to know more about writing memoirs and family stories, The Power of Telling Senior Stories.

Social Activities

Social activities are highly involved with communication and interaction with others. Sample activities are volunteer opportunities, clubs, etc. The experience of helping others enhances the meaning of seniors’ lives. Also, social activities also assist seniors in allowing others to have meaningful access to their lives, which is a healthy social life since reciprocity is the basis of emotional wellness. Human connection, interaction and companionship are always essential. If you would love to discover more about communicating with your loved ones, please check our blog on How to Communicate with Seniors.

As we always emphasize, it’s crucial to communicate smoothly among seniors, family members and caregivers and deliver empathy.

Care for the elderly as you would care for yourself later in life. If you are looking for a technology solution to facilitate communication, feel free to check us out at CareStory.ca! We are here to bridge the gap between aging populations, their families, and caregivers, and we assist seniors and their families in creating shareable memoirs and recording family stories together!

Check here to see how CareStory works, and don’t hesitate to get in touch or subscribe!

Darren retired three years ago and became the primary caregiver to his dad, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He cares for his dad in his home in Austin, Texas, and his two children also help out weekly. Darren is determined to help his dad find the best care possible. However, he is unsatisfied with the quality of care his dad receives. He spends a lot of his time repeatedly telling care staff his father’s care preferences and personal story. Still, it’s hard for care staff to remember all the detailed information he provides while also providing dedicated care.

“Is there any approach to bridge the gap between aging populations, their families, and caregivers so that we all know each other well and can be as supportive as possible?” Darren started looking for better care and better long-term care management technology.

Normal Care and Normal Technology in Long-term Care

An electronic medical record (EMR) is a digital version of all the information you need, such as residents’ information and the specific care, both medical care and daily activity assistance. An EMR system fosters effective communication and coordination among healthcare team members for optimal patient care. However, EMR systems also have their drawbacks —

Here’s a screenshot of an EMR system:

The EMR lists all the tasks that care staff have to perform, as well as who should provide what kind of care to which senior at what time of day.

When care staff access the resident’s documents through the EMR system, they only know residents’ names, demographic information and medical history. Care staff unconsciously influences themselves to view seniors as a bunch of tasks and to-do lists. As a result, there are many cases of medication mix-ups in long-term care homes.

Long-Term Care Culture Change Revolution

Many residents’ family members have uncovered this problem and have raised their concerns to long-term care homes. Apparently, the long-term care industry has identified the common satisfaction issues and is using dissatisfied feedback as the foundation for improvement. Therefore, a culture change in long-term care homes has taken place, moving from an overemphasis on medical issues and safety to a resident-directed, consumer-driven quality of life and health promotion.

Getting to know each resident well and staying in touch with their families closely has become a trend in the long-term care field, and the upsides of this culture change revolution are remarkable. Without focusing on the importance of the relationships between residents and long-term care staff, we cannot make this shift. Actually, culture change is an approach to continuously improving the quality of long- term care in the long run.

Why the Revolution in LTC Management Software is Inevitable

True true, the revolution in the long-term care industry is inevitable. However, so is the revolution in long-term care management systems. Seniors and families start to care more about the quality of the care and look for further and more profound connections between caregivers and seniors. Long-term care homes should make more of an effort in regard to relationship management. Indeed, it’s time to transfer from the EMR system to a more empathetic long-term care management system.

Seniors are more receptive to care from care staff they trust, those who know them better and those who can empathize and resonate. Care staff are more willing to provide quality care to residents they know better. Deep understanding and communication can build a warm relationship between residents and care professionals.

Care with Empathy

In conversations with caregivers in various long-term care homes and at the educational seminar on Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care held by Dementia Care Education, one central idea was brought up several times — Care with Empathy.

In the previous paragraphs, we have discussed why we need to care with empathy and why care with empathy will be the trend in long-term care. Now it’s time to uncover how technology can help care staff and families achieve resident-directed, consumer-driven care for our beloved seniors.

Meeting Booking & Emergency Communication Call Systems

Keeping updated on seniors’ health information is always salient, so care staff and family members should have constant meetings, which therefore raises demands for virtual meetings and booking systems. A premium meeting function could help caregivers and families have more smooth virtual communication and connection, just like face-to-face communication. In addition, the booking system should also include an emergency communication call system, just in case.

For instance, AxisCare is a software that provides leading clients and caregiver communication functions. It allows caregivers to set phone calls with seniors’ family members and have a real-time chat with them.

Innovative Profile Systems

Normal EMR systems only provide basic data of the residents, but now we need more in-depth information on residents. An innovative profile system should provide resident profiles with fact pages, life stories and video messages, so care staff can understand residents better. This would enable them to deliver individualized holistic person-centred care for senior residents. Families could also use smart devices to engage with their residents through the use of smart devices.

The power of family stories and memoirs can be harnessed to increase caregiver empathy and help provide better care for elderly people, according to researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada. In addition, personal stories can shape our brains and move us to be more empathic and generous, research has shown.

If you would like to try software that can create a life story for your loved one, MemoryWell is a good option to boost seniors, families, and care staff engagement and build more smooth communication through the life stories function!

Personalized Music Playlists

If you want to start caring empathetically, playing personalized music playlists during care is a great place to start. Playing music that seniors are interested in opens avenues of communication. If you want to know how music can calm the elderly, please check our previous music blog post.

Linked Senior is a software that provides music therapy and sing-alongs to engage residents based on their personal experiences.

Want to try another innovative long-term care management system? CareStory is a great choice! Check here to view how CareStory works! The CareStory app allows family members to share background information about the resident. Staff, caregivers, and nurses can share each residents’ unique care preferences. The platform is dynamic and easy to access with an almost zero learning curve. All stakeholders can contribute to residents’ profiles within their own privileges. Want to see the power of caring with empathy? It’s time to try a demo!

Reference:

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_stories_change_brain

As our parents and grandparents age, you may find it’s harder for you to have a “joyful” conversation than you used to – maybe, you find that conversation seems to end up with yelling and headaches. We have heard a lot of complaints from our readers about how difficult it is sometimes to have a rational and peaceful conversation with their aging loved ones. But no, it’s not necessarily anyone’s fault – the aging process challenges one’s ability to think and speak, as well as maintain control of emotions. As a result, just like how your parents and grandparents taught you to speak when you were a toddler, we need to learn to communicate with them again.

So, why does learning to communicate become so important?

Resolving family conflicts

When it comes to resolving family conflicts, communication is crucial. Unresolved conflicts can cause stress for both elder parents and their children and increase the difficulty in daily interactions and the frequency of arguments. While it is nearly impossible to eliminate family conflicts, providing clear verbal and nonverbal messages and engaging in active listening can help keep the situation under control.

Promoting understanding

When it comes to making important life decisions for our senior loved ones, such as receiving long-term care or starting a new treatment, family members need to include them in their discussions. However, the process could be quite exhausting due to the discrepancies between the younger and senior family members. One typical example is when people consider sending their parents to a long-term care home, the conversation usually doesn’t go well since nobody wants to think of becoming old and losing their freedom. Usually, a successful conversation can’t be achieved without understanding and agreements from both parties, so smooth-talking becomes vital at this point – it’s not about doing what you think is good for your loved one, it is about increasing the understanding of each other’s needs so we can attain a win-win situation.

Promoting better health

Good communication has some practical effects – not just to promote healthy mental health for our loved ones. It is proven that age-friendly conversations would significantly help patients to adhere to treatment, so better medical outcomes are predicted (report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

Whether you are in a position or not where you want to make a better connection with your loved one, or you want to address life topics or important issues that involve their understanding and support, unique communication skills and strategies are often required. Below are eight great tips that CareStory provides you with to create healthy interactions with your loved one.

Note: not all these communication tips may apply to your situation. Try to understand the logic behind each and pick out the ones you think would work. Rome wasn’t built in a day; it takes time and practice to acquire good communication skills. Remember: successful communication is not about WHAT you say. It’s about HOW you say it.

Tips for communicating with your loved one

1. Choose the right environment

Preparation first! Creating a communication-friendly environment would greatly enhance the quality of the discussion. When there is a lot of disturbing noise or distracting activities, it’s hard to conduct an in-depth conversation, especially when the senior has physical or cognitive problems requiring more attention. So turn down the volume on the TV or radio, and make sure there are no distracting sounds that make you raise your voice. Seniors with dementia need to decrease additional stimulations as much as possible.

Also, face the person you’re speaking with, so they can pick up information from your facial expressions or by reading your lips. Seating is also important. Make sure your loved one is not sitting too far from you, and make sure they are sitting comfortably in a chair. When the conversation involves many family members, it’s best to put them in the middle of the group to give them a sense of the conversation that is going on around them.

2. Actively listen to your loved one

Remember that you are talking TO your family, not talking AT them. Pay attention to what your family has to say. Don’t interrupt them or try to fill awkward silences between their sentences throughout the chat. A brief silence could indicate that your family member is pondering how to respond to the topic. However, listening should go both ways, so be sure your loved one is hearing what you’re saying as well.

3. Embrace the difference

No matter how close you and your family are, no one can agree on everything all the time. Especially when it comes to decision-making, the conversation may come to a stalemate. Notably, we should agree on disagreement. Respect the viewpoints of others the same way that you would like your own to be respected. When a choice must be made, we should listen to all viewpoints and strive to compromise on the decision.

4. Speak clearly

Speak clearly and articulately. Hearing loss is common among the elderly. It is critical to talk effectively and clearly to convey your words. Make sure you speak clearly and don’t mumble or speak too hastily; instead, properly pronounce each word at a comfortable pace. Speak louder if necessary, but do not yell. For the seniors who have a cognitive impairment, try to concentrate on one idea at a time and use short, clear sentences. Avoid using slang, and describe an object or action as clearly as possible. If they still don’t understand what you’re saying, try rephrasing it or using alternative terms.

5. Demonstrate empathy

We usually perceive things through our own eyes, but we need to put ourselves in their shoes to interact with our loved ones effectively. We need to acknowledge their pain and show gratitude when they open up. When they start talking about their emotions and losses, it’s important to grab this “opened door” and be supportive of what they are saying.

6. Ask instead of assuming

Seniors need to feel respected. Try becoming an “asker” instead of being a “guesser.” Listen more to their answers before making your assumption since sometimes our assumptions are simply speculations, which will likely harm the relationship.

Don’t be afraid of asking too many questions. When talking with older adults, you can confirm their needs by constantly asking rather than ordering.

For example: instead of saying, “you haven’t had lunch, you must be hungry.” You can ask them, “Are you feeling hungry at this time? Since I noticed that you didn’t have lunch.”

7. Be careful about the language

Some terms may imply something different to seniors than to you. Some seniors are highly sensitive about the terms such as “nursing home” or “dementia.” Although you know that these are just terms we use in conversations to help our family, they might equal the loss of control and independence and trigger resistance and anger. When we use any words that address their problems, try to express them in a rather acceptable way. For example, instead of telling your parents or grandparents to get long-term care services, tell them there are professional assistants to help them gain back their control.

8. Compensating for the hearing deficit

Hearing loss is normal among seniors over 65 years old. About 25% of older adults between the ages of 65 and 75 have hearing problems, and this rate increases to 50% for individuals over 75 years old. Here are some suggestions for communicating with someone who has such problems:
Make sure the senior is wearing hearing aids.
Talk slowly and clearly without raising tones.
Face the person directly so they can read your lips.
Keep a piece of paper and a pen nearby so you can write when they can’t hear.
When about to change the subject, give clear clues.

Tips on communicating with seniors during different stages of dementia

Early-stage:

Challenges: individuals can have meaningful conversations and engage in interactions at the early (mild) stages of dementia. However, they may repeat their sentences and sometimes won’t find the right words to describe their needs and feelings.
Solutions: Minimise distractions while the conversation is going. Look for clues that the senior provides verbally or non-verbally. Be patient, be clear on the words you are going to say, and find a gentle tone and voice to deliver your ideas.

Middle stage:

Challenges: Most seniors are in the middle (moderate) stages of dementia, which can last for years. As the disease progresses, seniors will have difficulties understanding long sentences and reading facial expressions. They might show reduced interest in continuing a conversation. In some cases, they may lose part of their ability to finish sentences.
Solutions: Patience becomes particularly important at this point. Try to turn questions into answers and offer options if possible. It’s different from what we have mentioned above about “ask instead of assuming” since the individuals at this stage are most likely unable to provide a clear answer. Repeating on request is also necessary, given that the seniors need more time and effort to understand the information. If necessary, use body language to aid the conversation.

Late-stage:

Challenges: Seniors with advanced dementia are incapable of comprehending most words. In certain cases, they become non-verbal.
Solutions: Making verbal conversation is nearly impossible for individuals in the late stages of dementia, but it doesn’t mean you quit communicating with them. Body languages become quite useful in information delivery. It is highly recommended to use stimulations such as smell, touch, or music to elicit their interest in engaging in an interaction.

The bottom line

Communication deserves lifelong learning. It doesn’t stop just because you are familiar with the other person. Talking to your loved one sometimes needs more skills to achieve a satisfying result for both parties – especially when the person you talk to has some degree of cognitive issues. Still, it doesn’t mean that making a smooth conversation with them is a mission impossible. Remember, making the other person comfortable in a conversation is the key to success. It may take many times of trying and lots of observation, but it’s all worth it for building a good connection with your loved one.

References:

https://www.mentalhelp.net/blogs/eight-tips-for-talking-to-your-aging-parents-about-important-issues/

https://dailycaring.com/how-to-communicate-with-an-aging-parent-who-wont-listen/

https://gerontology.ku.edu/sites/gerontology.drupal.ku.edu/files/docs/GSACommunicating%20with%20Older%20Adults%20low%20Final.pdf

All You Need to Know About Long Term Care

The time finally comes that you decide to find a home for your loved one(s)-no matter how much you love and miss them, there will be times when you need someone else to take over, and long-term care homes are an inevitable option for most families. What is a long-term care home? What do they offer? ” You may start searching for answers to these questions.

If the mass of research reports and ads intimidates you, CareStory is here to help. In this article, we will provide you with a clear walkthrough of the basic concept of long-term homes and everything you need to know about them.

Let’s jump in!

What you will learn today:

– Long-term care homes, what are they?

– What are the types of residents in long-term care homes?

– Understanding the different types of long-term care and what are their functions?

– What has changed in the long-term care culture revolution?

Long-term care homes, what are they?

A long-term care home, just as its name implies, is a healthcare environment that provides nursing care. Specifically, it provides the necessary assistance to its residents for a long period of time during the day (up to 24 hours). Primarily, it offers daily assistance with eating, toileting, and bathing. Furthermore, long-term care homes also provide wellness services such as dietary instructions, life enrichment programs, and recreational activities.

Still confused? The following example may help you picture the concept.

A day in Kay’s life:

Kay is an 80-year-old resident who has been living in a long-term care home for 10 years. She has mild cognitive impairment and several physical issues that require occasional assistance from the personal care workers.

Morning

6:00 a.m.: Kay wakes up at this time, as usual. She’s been getting up no later than 7 am since she turned 70.

6:30 a.m.: Kay has finished dressing and washing, and a care worker enters her room and starts to take Kay’s blood pressure. After making sure Kay has taken her morning medicine, the worker proceeds to the next room, and Kay starts heading to the dining hall for breakfast. She usually eats with her friend Lara.

7:17 a.m.: Kay is starving at this moment. When she is about to ask for a banana shake, Lara reminds her that the dietitian told Kay to avoid foods containing high potassium due to the medicine she’s taking. So, Kay orders a cup of milk and has some biscuits.

8:25 a.m.: Kay finishes her breakfast with Lara, ready to go to the lounge and enjoy some sunlight at the seats beside the window. This is the best time of the day, not too hot, and the sky is still bright.

10:00 a.m.: Activity time! The place that Kay lives has multiple activity programs and this is what they call “Morning Inspiration Session”, which offers many different activities such as yoga, meditation, Tai chi, and even baking class.

Kay chooses Tai chi; she’s not able to do yoga because of her osteoarthritis, and the health worker at her nursing home told her that a short daily practice of meditation would help to alleviate signs of dementia.

Afternoon

12:00 p.m.: Lunchtime has arrived; the nutritionist has designed the residents’ menu according to each one’s need. Kay goes to the dining hall with Lara and has some chicken pasta.

2:00 p.m.: For afternoon activities, residents have the choice of singing in the choir, dancing, or doing light exercises. Kay loves to dance but her body doesn’t let her do so. Due to the deterioration of her brain function, she feels tired easily, so she decides to nap.

3:00 p.m.: A personal care worker gently wakes her up and gives Kay her medicine. The care worker asks if Kay wants to use the toilet since someone will come and help her bathe later

“You can rest after the shower,” the worker says,

“We need to make sure everyone’s taken care of.”

Evening

5:00 p.m.: Kay has finished showering, and here comes dinner time. After dinner, some of the residents need to take sedatives to go to bed, and some go back to their room and watch TV.

8:00 p.m.: This is the time that most of Kay’s neighbours become very quiet. Kay is feeling tired, too. She grabs a book and begins to read, and soon she falls asleep.

Now, you already know how a typical long-term care home works from Kay’s perspective. Actually, the service that the residents receive varies from person to person – depending on each individual’s health condition.

So, who are the people living in long-term care homes?

The types of residents in long-term care homes

There are five levels of priority, from low to very high, that determine a client’s urgency in needing long-term care. In Ontario, they use the Method for Assigning Priority Levels (MAPLe) to classify clients’ needs and allocate limited home care resources effectively.

As you can see, the need for long-term care increases as clients’ independence decreases. But placing seniors who fall within the eligibility criteria of long-term care homes isn’t like a mix-and-match game. Without proper differentiation of individuals’ needs, it would only cause chaos in in-home care systems. Therefore, CareStory has compiled four different categories of long-term care communities that allow people with different needs to find the “right home.”

Understanding the different types of long-term care and what are their functions?

Independent Living Communities

Independent Living Communities, also known as Retirement Communities, are designed for people who can live on their own. They are the least restrictive type among the four kinds of long-term care communities—if a person can maintain his or her independence and with few medical issues, then this is the right place.

This type of community offers fully equipped homes or apartments that allow people to have their privacy. It also provides social activities and recreational gatherings that enable its residents to build a sense of “community”.

The cost of independent living communities in Canada ranges from $1400 to $4500 per month (data from aplaceformom.com).

Seniors with low priority MAPle levels are advised to live in Independent Living Communities.

Assisted Living Communities

People who need 24-hour supervision can live in assisted living communities. Assisted Living Communities provide services such as eating, bathing, toileting, taking medication, transportation, and housekeeping, and just like Independent Living Communities, they offer recreational activities as well.

According to the updated data from wheredoyoulivematter.org, the monthly cost of assisted living communities in Canada can range from $1500 to $5000.

Seniors who have a mild or moderate priority of care are recommended to live in assisted living.

Skilled Nursing

Another type of facility that delivers 24-hour service would be nursing homes.

Skilled nursing is for people who have lost their ability to live independently and also require ongoing medical attention. Therefore, nursing homes have skilled nursing care, which can provide a higher level of care than independent living and assisted living communities.

Taking care of a person with complex medical conditions can be exhausting, but nursing homes give patients’ family and friends a little time of “respite,” as they can be used as an alternative option for after-hospital care. In that way, nursing homes can also be referred to as “respite care”.

The average monthly rate of nursing homes in Canada that comfortlife.ca has reported ranges from $1453 to $4500.

Individuals with a high to very high priority of needing care are encouraged to opt for skilled nursing.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC)

Don’t get confused! Although it has “retirement communities” in its name, this type of community is still a little different from the retirement communities we mentioned above. In fact, CCRCs offer options for independent living, assisted living accommodations, and skilled nursing care. In that, CCRCs can also be called “life plan communities”, as the residents can access the full continuum of care for the remaining years without relocating, and a senior from any level of the MAPle priority chart can choose to live in a CCRC.

Sounds like a one-stop place for seniors to age? But it comes at a cost.

According to comfortlife.ca, the average monthly payment of a CCRC is around $3038 in Canada, which is not that big a difference from the other three types of communities, but there is also an upfront entrance fee-based on the report from CBRE, the average initial payment to enter a CCRC is $329,000.

Although the entrance fees of CCRCs are expensive, people who are applying for CCRCs are in droves—most CCRCs have a long waitlist and the applicants on their lists must wait for years to join the community.

So why are these people so keen on moving into CCRCs?

Here we can affect the perception and cultural change of long-term care.

What has changed in long-term care?

Let’s rewind time by 20 years: What does it mean to you when you hear “long-term care homes” at that time?

Well… you might think it’s a lifeless place. The atmosphere was hopeless and dull, and the endless sounds of sneezing, coughing, and grumbling filled your ears. You could even smell the harsh antiseptics mixed with human body secretions. It was just an awful experience for most of us!

Not only you, but also the elderly, were resistant to it because they felt mistreated and neglected.As the contradictions between health care providers and residents emerge, a culture change in long-term care communities has taken place.

Instead of solely focusing on medical issues and safety, the emphasis on long-term care has gradually steered toward establishing a person-directed environment that provides the elderly with dignity, self-determination, and purposeful living.

As a result of the long-term care culture revolution, getting to know each resident and staying in close contact with their families has become a trend in the long-term care industry. This explains why people tend to choose CCRCs even if they cost a pretty penny – the residents can just stay in the same environment without being moved around for their remaining years. These types of communities provide their families with peace of mind that they are being cared for and allow them to have a closer relationship with the caregivers.

Building rapport can be exhausting, but CareStory can assist you in doing so without spending a fortune. More precisely, you can now store all of the information about each senior in one place, scan it with a QR code, and allow caregivers to help your loved one more efficiently.

Worry-free is just one click away!

Takeaway:

Long-term care homes are home-like health care communities that provide 24-hour nursing care and assisted living according to the clients’ needs.

The residents of long-term care communities vary from those facing a low risk of independent living to those who have several physical and cognitive impairments.

There are four types of long-term care communities: independent living communities, assisted living communities, skilled nursing, and continuing care retirement communities (CCRC).

The focus of long-term care homes has transformed from task-centred to human-centred in cultural evolution.

At the end,

Now you’ve learned that long-term care homes can be differentiated according to the needs of the senior residents—the more critical the situation, the higher the level of care required. Nursing homes specialise in providing seniors who need continuous attention and care. As a result, nursing homes have become a primary choice for seniors who have severe physical and/or mental diseases. When you type in “nursing homes near me” on your search engine, there will be plenty of options popping up in your browser.

However, not all nursing homes are created equally—there are actually bad ones! And choosing the wrong nursing home can be disastrous for you and your loved one. On that note, extra caution and effort are needed when choosing a suitable nursing home. See our blog post “How to Choose a Nursing Home” to find out what and how to assess a nursing home. A free checklist is available for download!

Resources:

https://www.homecarebyseniors.com/4-types-long-term-care-facilities-elderly-loved-one/

https://www.thca.org/for-consumers/resource-center/types-of-long-term-care/

https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/guide/choosing-long-term-care#2

https://www.exploreretirementliving.org/the-different-kinds-of-long-term-care-facilities-what-you-need-to-know/

https://www.oltca.com/oltca/OLTCA/Public/LongTermCare/Services.aspx

https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/basics/info-2017/continuing-care-retirement-communities.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/powell/2014/10/18/continuing-care-independent-living-assisted-living-powell/17447609/

https://www.care.com/c/continuing-care-retirement-community-pros-and-cons/

https://www.pioneernetwork.net/elders-families/what-is-culture-change/

https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-help-paying-long-term-care

https://arborsassistedliving.com/entrance-fees-vs-month-to-month-whats-a-better-buy/

https://elizz.com/planning/cost-of-assisted-living/

https://www.aplaceformom.com/planning-and-advice/articles/canada-seniors-housing-guide

https://www.umh.org/assisted-independent-living-blog/bid/245242/the-difference-between-assisted-independent-living

https://www.whereyoulivematters.org/how-much-does-assisted-living-cost/

https://www.soa.org/globalassets/assets/files/resources/research-report/2020/covid-19-aging-essay-rappaport.pdf

When you picture yourself growing old, where do you see yourself? In a long-term care community, or at home?

If you said growing old in the comfort of your own home, you aren’t alone. In fact, according to the study conducted by Campaign Research Inc. on behalf of Home Care Ontario, 91% of Ontario seniors hope to live at home and want to receive home care services as they age, however, only 3% of them intend to move into a long-term care community.

A report published at Morningstar pointed out that around 50% of seniors 65 and older will need long-term care during their lifetime, so who will care for them?

Cognitive decline is a common symptom of aging in the elderly. As seniors get older, they often become more sensitive, isolate themselves from others and show agitation. These actions strengthen the idea that they need more tailored professional medical services and emotional support. The best way to calm the elderly is to let them feel that you are on their side, and CareStory can help caregivers achieve that. All caregivers, residents, and families are connected, with detailed information about our loved seniors available at their fingertips. Therefore, caregivers can form deep connections with the seniors, promoting empathy, and providing them with more tailored services.

Meet with Doug

Take Doug for instance; the grandfather of one of us at CareStory. He was being cared for at home, after he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Now, Grandpa Doug was a stubborn man. He took great pride in serving in the Navy for over 35 years, and he knew how to take care of himself. This meant that he didn’t want anyone else to take care of him, ESPECIALLY a stranger. Several health care workers would come and go, and he would rarely cooperate. One day, by chance, a nurse brought up the Navy, and Grandpa Doug would not shut up about it. The nurse listened intently and asked questions for further discussion. “That’s incredible Doug. I’m just going to clean this wound for you to make you a bit more comfortable. So when you saw that whale when you came out of that underwater cave, what did you do next? Did you freeze?” Grandpa Doug was content and honoured that someone took the time to ask about memories that he held close.

Everyone will become elderly at some point, and everyone wants to be loved and taken care of. There is so much more we can do for the elderly, by understanding them, and being with them. Get to know your residents today.

REFERENCES:
Cision
Morningstar
American Psychological Association
Griswold Home Care

Do you often spend time thinking about the future, or reminiscing on the past? If your answer is yes, then, unfortunately, you probably squandered tons of precious seconds being in the present moment. The good news is: you are not alone.

We often let the present moment slip away since we spend too much time worrying about the future or being stuck in the past. “Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.” Yes, this quote may be overused, but it is true. We need to live more in this moment, right now. Here are some tips on how to help you ground yourself and stay in the present.

Stop thinking about your performance.

You may have experienced something similar to this: during the prom, you felt somewhat uncomfortable on the dance floor because you felt like other people were judging your dance moves. You did your best to handle your limbs, but you found out it made you even more awkward. This is a great example of how thinking too hard about what you’re doing actually might actually make you do worse. When you find yourself embarrassed when dancing or giving a presentation, start focusing more on what’s happening around you, such as music, and less on what’s going on in your head.

Relish in what you’re doing at the present moment.

We often compare and contrast so much that we get trapped in a cycle of thoughts of the future or the past. For example, when you sip coffee, you often compare the taste with cups you had before and think that the coffee doesn’t quite compare to the day before. That will probably influence you to worry about the future — will my next cup of coffee taste even worse? The probability that your next cup of coffee will taste even worse is only one in three, but the feeling of the moment is 100%! People experience more happiness and positive feelings when they actively savour something they usually hurry through, such as eating a meal and drinking a cup of tea. That’s because savouring forces you into the present.

Feel free to lose track of the task.

Sometimes we feel that time passes very slowly, and sometimes we feel that time passes very quickly. When we are fully engrossed in what we are doing, we often lose track of everything around us, including time. When you are focused, distractions such as time, scent and even exhaustion cannot penetrate. Therefore, it’s good to keep your attention narrowed and only focus on the task. This is when you may experience your awareness merge with the action you’re performing, and you become totally in control of the situation.

We live in the age of distraction. As professional long-term care staff, we are sometimes unable to move on from the guilt of the past. Just remember, there is only now. Live in the moment!

REFERENCES:
Psychology Today

It’s no secret that the rapidly accelerating ageing population has put pressure on the long-term care system in Canada. Statistics Canada indicates that the number of Canadians over 80 is projected to approximately triple in the next 25 years.

So the question is, are there enough long-term care beds for seniors in Canada?

Research published in the Canadian Institute for Health Information also announced that in Canada, there are approximately 2076 long-term care homes, and over half of the LTC homes are privately owned (54%). These LTC homes can provide around 198,220 long-term care beds, however, Canada has around 6,835,866 people aged 65 and older. So on average, for 1,000 seniors aged 65 and older in Canada, only 29 of them can have beds in the long-term care communities.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the incidence of dementia among Canadians aged 65 and older is more than doubling every five years. To be specific, about 1 in 100 seniors aged 65 to 69 have been diagnosed with dementia, and 1 in 4 seniors aged 85 and older have been diagnosed with dementia! Moreover, according to the Ontario Long Term Care Association, nearly 70% of seniors with dementia will need long-term care.

It’s not hard to see that long-term care resources are stretched thin, and our caregivers, who are working tirelessly day in and day out, somehow get the blame. Why is there no empathy towards our caregivers? Our leaders? We need to redefine what long-term care looks like from the outside looking in. That, of course, will take years, and support from all angles. In the meantime, caregivers, residents, and families need to connect and demonstrate empathy for all parties. How? Well, try CareStory. Scan Mr. Douglas Hughes’s QR code and experience the transformative power of how CareStory promotes empathy and connection.

Mr. Douglas Hughes QR Code

REFERENCES:
Policy Options
Ontario Long Term Care Association
Canadian Institute for Health Information

Seniors-Caregivers-and-Care-Staff-Cry-Me-a-River-1200x675.jpg

Can we talk about crying? And how healthy and therapeutic it is?

We are big criers over here, whether it be for the good, the bad, or the ugly.

Have you ever been watching a movie, or reading a book, and something just hit you? It reminded you of a past memory, or a present reality, or you were so attached to the characters that you just empathized with them?

One tear comes, then two, then seventy-two. Next thing you know, you can’t stop. Well, we are here to tell you that a good crying sesh is actually good for your health.

According to Penn Medicine, there are 5 good reasons for letting your tears flow:

Improve Your Mood. Research published at Frontiers in Psychology shows that brain releases feel-good chemicals such as oxytocin and endorphins when shedding tears. That’s why your mood may completely change after you cry out stress, anger, and pain.
Improve Your Vision. When we feel dehydrated, we drink water! Same as our eyes! When we cry, we not only release negative moods but also help to re-hydrate our eyes.
Help Protect Your Eyes. When we cry, we actually give our eyes a chance to cleanse themselves. Tears contain lysozyme, lysozyme is a powerful anti-bacterial chemical that helps fight infection caused by dust and dirt that enter our eyes without our consciousness.
Help Clean Your Nose. Probably you don’t know that our tear ducts are connected to the insides of our nose. That’s why we often have a runny nose when we cry! So similar to how tears flush out bacteria and irritants, crying can also flush out irritants from our noses.
Strengthen Your Relationship With Others. We tend to show our most vulnerable side only to the people who matter most, such as our parents, close friends, and partners. Why? Because we tend to avoid crying in front of others at all costs. When we actually cry in front of others, it’s the time we try to create a deeper emotional bond with them. We are inviting them to see another side of us, right?

So here at CareStory, we aren’t going to tell you to dry your tears. Instead, we will offer you a tissue. Do you still remember when you thought they were the most important people to you?

REFERENCES:
Harvard Health Publishing
Penn Medicine

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At The End:

Does Griffin even need home care services?

What kind of services should home care professionals provide to Griffin?

Who should I hire?

When should we start the home care process?

How can I prepare a senior-friendly home for Griffin?

If you have similar questions, you’ve come to the right place! You know what? You can find all the answers here!

A Brief Introduction to Home Care

Registered nurses (RNs) provide skilled medical care to our loved ones. They can give medication, monitor vital signs, dress wounds, and use and teach patients’ family members how to use complicated equipment at home.

Therapists specialize in helping our aging loved ones restore or maintain their motor, speech, and cognitive skills.

Home care aides provide high-quality personal services to our loved ones, such as preparing meals, feeding, bathing, dressing, toileting, house cleaning, and transporting to medical appointments.

So, when is a good time to start arranging for home care services? What kinds of services should home care professionals prepare? You will find all the answers in this blog post! For more information on home care, please read our blog on all you need to know about home care.

When To Start the Process of Home Care

Age

Living Condition

Family History of Health

How to Start the Process of In-Home Care

The decision to find home care services for our aging loved ones can be difficult. There are various reasons for choosing in-home care. Needs are divergent, so we need a comprehensive assessment before preparing our loved ones for home care.

Is Home Care needed For My Family?

Here’s a pop-quiz for you to see whether or not your loved ones need home care.

Q1: Does your loved one often forget things, such as forgetting where to put the keys, whether they have cleaned the house or not, and whether or not they have turned off the appliances?

Q2: Does your loved one fall frequently or have difficulty walking without help?

Q3: Does your loved one have difficulty eating or bathing on their own?

What Services Are Needed?

Who To Hire?

When it comes to this stage, there are several options available:

designate a family member to provide care for your loved one,

hire a registered nurse directly, or

hire a home caregiver through an agency.

All options have their pros and cons. For instance, Option A is indeed cost-effective. However, family members may not be as professional as registered nurses or certified caregivers. Both Option B and Option C can provide professional care. However, it will be costly.

Guide to Prepare Senior-Friendly Homes for a Loved One

Develop a Plan

Make Modifications To The Home

Prepare A Home Medical Alert System

Invest In Technology That Facilitate Communication

Patricia is not alone. Often, the passing of a spouse leads to social isolation and depression. Senior isolation is an epidemic that can lead to serious health issues.

The cure? Activities.

Why Physical Activities Are Important For Seniors

Physical activities always provide the foundation of wellness for all human beings.

For the elderly, doing physical activities will even be more important. A sedentary lifestyle in old age has been shown to lead to greater susceptibility to injury, a higher incidence of obesity, cardiovascular problems, and many other serious diseases.

No kidding, start exercising!

Practising enough senior physical activities decreases the risk of stroke, cancers, type 2 diabetes, depression, and dementia. Moreover, physical activity can arrest the deterioration of overall health and enable older adults to maintain their independence for longer periods.

This is what Patricia did, and to relieve the pain and grief, she decided to run every day.

Physical activities are important, but mental and social activities are also salient to help seniors stay healthy!

In addition to potential mental health problems, older adults frequently suffer from mental disorders such as dementia, anxiety, and depression. A decline in mental abilities is unavoidable as we get older. We can, however, slow this cognitive deterioration by engaging in sustained mental activity.

Assume that older adults can actively seek cognitive engagement. These activities can assist them in mobilizing their mental abilities, which can be highly beneficial in preventing or slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Ready for some exercises and activities?

Here we go!

Recommended Activities For Seniors