Personal Care For The ElderlyPersonal CareFor seniors who want to live independently at home, but find that daily activities and tasks present difficulty as they age, our experienced caregivers can assist with personal care such as bathing, mobility assistance, grooming and more.What is Personal Care?Personal care is a broad term that supports basic personal hygiene and activities of daily living, including dressing, grooming, and toileting. Comfort Keepers trained caregivers assist with personal care needs ranging from stand-by assistance to full care depending on each clients individual needs.This can include basic tasks, such as bathing, mobility assistance, incontinence and toileting care, preparing and serving meals, to more hands-on personal care including position changes for those clients that are bedbound and specialized care for those with memory issues or cognitive impairments, fall risk assessment and prevention, change in condition monitoring.Personal home care services can also include assistance with outings, social events, shopping trips, and other activities of interest to maintain engagement both physically and emotionally.Comfort Keepers can develop a custom care plan for your loved one that includes physical safety and wellbeing, emotional health, and socialization. Our goal is to help our clients have the best quality of life while maintaining their independence at home.Plans can include:Bathing and HygieneComfort Keepers goal is to assist our clients with their personal care routines so they can look and feel their best. Studies show undeniable benefits for seniors self-esteem and emotional fitness to have regular hygiene and grooming. We are here to help clients who fear falling while bathing or have limitations that make grooming tasks difficult.These tasks may include:Showering and bathingGetting dressed, including shoes and accessories (belt, watch, jewelry, etc.)Brushing teeth or denturesStyling and brushing hairMakeup applicationShaving with an electric razorWith something like bathing, consistency is important being able to bathe daily, or near-daily, is essential to staying healthy. Health issues can be caused by a failure to wash frequently enough, yet senior bathing is a task that gets harder as the years pass.Contact Us TodayFall Prevention and Mobility AssistanceAvoid unnecessary risks in the bathroom and around the house. Bathroom features are not always designed with seniors in mind and can be a fall risk. This is especially true for surfaces that may be wet and slippery after a bath or shower. Reducing falls in the home is one of the top safety concerns that seniors and their families face.Our caregivers greatly reduce this risk by providing mobile assistance inside the home and helping to keep the home safe from fall risks. There are many benefits to having extra hands for mobility assistance around the house, including:Less risk with trained help and a steady armLess temptation to skip out on housekeeping tasks or personal hygiene, like getting to the bathroom to bathe or getting around the kitchen for dinnerCompanionship to help with chores not only makes tasks easier to complete, but also brings comfort just in having someone to talk to and socialize.Transferring and PositioningAs we age, moving around the house can get more difficult. One of our top priorities is helping our clients move around their homes comfortably. This may include getting in and out of bed, chairs, and wheelchairs.Proper transferring and positioning can contribute to reducing bedsore risks. This also helps reduce muscle atrophy, while encouraging proper breathing and digestion. It can also lower the risk of falls and injuries.Toileting and Incontinence CareWe understand the sensitive nature of toileting and incontinence care for our clients. Our caregivers offer compassionate, dignified help with these personal aspects of daily living.At Comfort Keepers, we can provide a senior incontinence care plan and help with daily hygiene. By building a trusted relationship, our caregivers can help your loved ones in the comfort of home. A big part of dealing with incontinence care is simply remaining clean and comfortable.Incontinence can be a difficult issue for a senior to discuss. If the senior or a loved one is not willing to ask for help, hygiene issues can arise and may compound over time.Senior Nutrition & Meal PrepOur caregivers can support physician-prescribed nutrition and diet plans. We also provide assistance with grocery shopping and meal preparation that meets nutritional needs or accommodates special dietary restrictions.It is not uncommon for seniors to be on a restricted diet. A doctor or a nutritionist may include special dietary needs in a wellness plan, which can include limits on what can be consumed, or in what quantities. Common situations include:Different medications can have food restrictions or sensitivities associated with them, and physician-created nutrition plans typically account for these sensitivities. Timing of medication doses can be a critical part of a care plan. Timing can be a concern, especially if a senior is dealing with physical limitations or memory loss.Proper nutrition can be an issue for seniors living alone. Moving around the kitchen and lifting pots and pans may be harder than it once was, and as a result, healthier home-cooked meals are challenging. Instead, those meals may be substituted with fast food, packaged food, or simply less calorie consumption. It's especially important for the elderly to consume enough calories and the right nutrients to avoid obesity, excessive weight loss, and dehydration.Dehydration can lead to a number of serious problems if left unchecked. It continues to be one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization among older adults. Eight 8-ounce glasses is generally considered the standard when it comes to proper daily intake, but more may be needed depending on prescribed medications or health conditions.Whether someone is seeking help following a special diet or looking for companionship in the kitchen, our caregivers can provide the assistance necessary for wholesome at-home meals. Our goal is to make mealtime both healthy and enjoyable.Our uplifting personal care services can also include:Care for those with memory issues or cognitive impairmentsMedication reminders and managementAssisting with errands or transportation to appointmentsSupport for physician prescribed exercise programsChange in condition monitoringFall risk assessment and assistance with fall preventionWe strive to provide the highest quality of care. If you or a loved one could benefit from companionship, personal care or any of our specialized services, we would love to talk to you today.Contact an office in your area

Read More

When you're busy and trying hard to fit a lot in, sleep is probably the first place you cut corners. After all, losing a few hours of sleep now and then cant hurt. Right?Not exactly. Sleep is a lot more important than it may seem. Its vital to your health. Not getting enough of it, or not getting enough good sleep, affects your body and mind. If youre working toward a healthier lifestyle, getting enough good quality sleep is as important as exercise and a healthy diet.Why is sleep so important?Scientists don't really know why we have health problems related to sleep loss. Changes in the levels of hormones the body releases during sleep could play a part, as could the simple strain of staying awake. Upsetting the strong need for sleep from our own internal clocks, loss of the deepest stages of our sleep and other factors may all play a role.  1.  Sleep apnea: A widespread cause of poor sleepSleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing stops and starts during sleep. It raises your risk for stroke, obesity, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure.2.  There are several types of sleep apnea, but the most common is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Anyone may develop it, but it is most seen in middle-aged and older adults, as well as in people who are overweight.3.  Symptoms may include daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, your partner noticing when you stop breathing during sleep, morning headaches, trouble thinking during the day and depression or irritability.OSA occurs when the muscles in the back of your throat relax too much to allow normal breathing. Your airway narrows or closes as you breathe in, which may lower the level of oxygen in your blood. Your brain senses this lack of breathing and briefly wakes you from sleep so that you can reopen your airway. This awakening is usually so brief that you don't remember it.  If you have OSA, treatment may involve continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). A CPAP machine is a device with a face mask attached to a small pump. The pressure of the air breathed is constant and a little stronger than that of the surrounding air, which is just enough to keep your upper airways open. The CPAP also comes in a non-mask version with tubes that fit over your nose.More Sleep Would Make Most Americans Happier, Healthier and Safer, American Psychological Association, last accessed April 22, 2021, https://www.apa.org/research/action/sleep-deprivation/, opens new window.Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Mayo Clinic, last accessed January 9, 2020, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obstructive-sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20352090, opens new window.Obstructive Sleep Apnea.Obstructive Sleep Apnea.Margarita Tartakovsky, 12 Ways to Shut Off Your Brain Before Bedtime, PsychCentral, last accessed January 9, 2020, https://psychcentral.com/lib/12-ways-to-shut-off-your-brain-before-bedtime/, opens new window.

Read More

How do Medicare Advantage HMO-POS plans work?HMO-POS plans generally offer you more choice than traditional health maintenance organization (HMO) plans. You typically choose an in-network primary care physician and most of our HMO-POS plans require you to use a participating provider for medical care. Most of our HMO-POS plans provide you with flexibility to go to licensed dentists either in or out of our network for routine dental care. However, you may pay more for out-of-network care you receive.Aetna Medicare Advantage plans at a glanceOur HMO-POS plansOur HMO plansOur PPO plansRequires you to use a provider networkVaries by plan. Seeing out-of-network providers generally costs more. But most allow non-network dental providers.Yes, unless it's an emergencyNo. But seeing out-of-network providers generally costs more.Requires you to have a primary care physician (PCP)Yes, in many plansYes, in many plansUsually no PCP requiredRequires referral to see a specialistSome plansSome plansNo referral requiredMonthly premiumsVaries by plan, check your ZIP code for detailsVaries by plan, check your ZIP code for detailsVaries by plan, check your ZIP code for detailsMedical deductibleVaries by plan, check your ZIP code for detailsVaries by plan, check your ZIP code for detailsVaries by plan, check your ZIP code for detailsLimits what you pay out-of-pocket for medical care each yearYesYesYesIncludes prescription drug (Rx) coverageYes, in most plansYes, in most plansYes, in most plansIncludes Rx mail-order benefit Yes, if plan has Rx coverageYes, if plan has Rx coverageYes, if plan has Rx coverageDental, vision and hearing coverageYes, in most plansYes, in most plansYes, in most plansER and urgent care coverage worldwideYesYesYesFitness benefitYes, through SilverSneakersYes, through SilverSneakersYes, through SilverSneakersOver-the-counter (OTC) benefitYes, in many plansYes, in many plansYes, in many plansMeals-at-home program (meals delivered after an inpatient hospital or skilled nursing facility stay)Yes, in most plansYes, in many plansYes, in most plansMedicare Advantage plans for every needIn addition to HMO-POS plans, Aetna offers you other Medicare Advantage plan options some with a $0 monthly plan premium. We can help you find a plan thats right for you.Aetna Medicare Advantage HMOWith many of our HMO plans, an in-network primary care physician coordinates the care you receive to help you achieve your best health. Learn about HMO plansAetna Medicare Advantage PPOWith our preferred provider organization (PPO) plans, you can visit providers, in or out of network, who accept Medicare and Aetnas plan terms. The freedom is yours. Learn about PPO plansAetna Medicare Advantage D-SNPsOur dual-eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) is a type of Medicare Advantage plan, available to people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. We can help you find out if you qualify. Learn about D-SNPs

Read More

According to the Alzheimers Association, dementia is actually not a specific disease.  Rather, its an overall term to describe a decline in memory capabilities.  Alzheimers disease accounts for about 60-80% of dementia cases. There are some 50 million people worldwide who have dementia, and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year.  Its one of the biggest, if not the biggest, causes of disability and dependency among older adults worldwide.  The diseases associated with dementia have numerous physical, social, psychological, and emotional impacts, not only for the people with memory loss, but also their friends, family, and society as a whole.  This raises two questions:1.  For those unaffected by dementia, how can you lower your risk of developing a condition like Alzheimers?2. For those already affected by dementia, what treatment options are available?We at Chefs For Seniors are certainly not qualified to discuss the current treatment options available to those affected by dementia, for more information on that visit https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia.  Instead, what were going to address in this article is a list of brain-healthy foods that some studies have shown can reduce the risk of memory loss associated with aging, and may even help people with dementia manage their symptoms.  BerriesBerries are known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Eating a high amount of antioxidants has been shown to help protect against cell damage in the brain.  Some early research has even shown that blueberries can help activate a part of the brain associated with memory.  According to the principles laid out in the MIND diet, a new diet that promotes eating brain-healthy foods, you should eat at least 2 servings of berries each week. Leafy Green VegetablesLike berries, leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach, and swiss chard are high in antioxidants.  These foods are also loaded with vitamin K and vitamin A.  Research has found that 5 or 6 servings of leafy green vegetables each week yield the greatest benefits to brain health.  Orange VegetablesIn addition to being a colorful addition to your plate, orange vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes are high in an antioxidant called beta-carotene, which some scientists believe can boost memory.  Whole GrainsWhole grains like barley, oats, whole wheat, and brown rice are rich in many of the B vitamins that work to reduce inflammation in the brain potentially preserving your memory.  The MIND diet recommends 3 servings of whole grains each day. Olive OilResearchers have found that people who use olive oil as their primary oil at home showed greater protection against memory loss.  Extra virgin olive oil is higher than most other oils in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids.  PoultryLean meats like chicken and turkey are a key component of the Mediterranean diet, which is very similar to the MIND diet.  Like whole grains, poultry is a great source of B vitamins that can play a role in healthy cognition.  Try eating 2 or more servings of lean poultry each week. FishEating fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines is great for brain health because theyre high in omega-3 fatty acids. Try eating fish at least once a week, although 3x per week is even better!Written and Submitted By: Chefs For Seniors- click for more information**

Read More