Why Is Staying Hydrated So Difficult for Seniors?

Dignity Care is a homegrown business in Boulder.In the 1990s, Mary Kirk, a registered dietitian, began caregiving for family and relatives. Her husband, Ged, offered a companion travel service for the elderly and disabled. Together they established Dignity Care, LLC in 1997 as a home care business with just two caregivers and a home office.As demand for home care service increased, Mary recruited additional caregivers, but always with an emphasis on the compassionate, respectful, personalized care that was Dignity Cares trademark. Mary created her own approach to senior home care, unique in this area.With this dedication and passion to provide the best caregivers in the Boulder County region, Dignity Care has continued to grow and in 2009 became licensed as a Class A home care provider.  We specialize in using Certified Nursing Assistants on our teams so we can bring you the skill and experience you deserve, if you have any questions, please call us at 303-444-4040.

Too many seniors grapple with isolation and depression, but these are not a normal part of growing older. They are treatable medical illnesses, much like heart disease or diabetes. Depression is a serious illness affecting approximately 15 out of every 100 adults over age 65 in the United States.Seniors experiencing feelings of depression and isolation have a higher risk of hospital admissions, as well as a higher risk for being scammed. Not to mention it makes for a miserable life.So, what can you do? Helping seniors stay healthy means more than ensuring they get good physical care. Individuals living alone miss out on the stimulation of interactions with others on a regular basis. Our caregivers serve that dual purpose of providing physical care and social connection. We enjoy our clients, building a relationship with them, and sharing the highs and lows of their days. Caregivers can laugh with their clients and be an empathetic ear. We make sure our clients are getting out of the house and attending events and activities that interest them.Hiring a caregiver to help out, even for a couple of hours each week, brings conversation and spark along with the physical help. Caregivers are a good antidote for depression. If you have any questions, please call us at 303-444-4040.

Growing old should not mean that you lose control of your daily life and all the decisions that go along with it. Yet too often that is exactly what happens. If you are a caregiver, have you ever heard yourself saying, you NEED to use your walker, because you might fall, you need to drink that water, let me carry that for you or you might drop it, and/or dont do that, you might fall?Even though the person has lived with and managed their risks all their adult life, suddenly everyone else is telling them what they can and cant do. However, this is based on what? Safety? For what end, hanging around waiting to die?There is a wonderful concept called The Dignity of Risk, which acknowledges that life experiences come with risk. It explains that we must respect a persons self-determination and right to allow them to make their own choices about which experiences are worth a risk.I understand that there is an issue of safety here. Im not saying ignore the risks. However, Id like to see risks balanced more thoughtfully against the persons preferences for how they want to live their days and what they do or do not want to do. Theyve been making decisions all their life about what they choose to do, what they want to try, what they want to eat, etc. They weighed the risks of eating fast food, of skiing, of taking a new job, and/or buying lottery tickets. They deserve our respect and support in continuing to make their choices.As caregivers, Id encourage us to allow the elders we work with, or are related to, to live their lives as independently and freely as possible. Listen to their priorities and concerns. Help them think through their decisions. Yes, there is that pesky risk factor, but how does it weigh against the dignity of their life and the loss of life experiences? They have the right to choose their risks. Lets support them in that.If you have any questions, please call us at 303-444-4040.