If you traveled home for the holidays and spent some time with your elderly parents, you may have noticed they need a little extra assistance at home. Although it can often be difficult to know when your loved one is no longer able to live independently, there are some tell-tale signs.Perhaps their home isn't as clean as it used to be. Or they have expired food in the fridge or pantry. Maybe their personal hygiene has gone by the wayside. Or they have some new dents and scratches on their car.We've collected a few of our most-read blog posts that we think are helpful for family caregivers who are considering hiring a professional caregiver for their aging parent. Many adult children wonder when its time to consider home care for a loved one. If you find yourself stopping over more often to check on your aging parents or asking a friend or neighbor to stop by, it might be the time to look at in-home care options.Learn some of the most common signs it might be time for home care. In-home care can provide vital support Maybe your parent needs short-term assistance. Temporary in-home care can help individuals who are recovering from illness, injury or surgery, as well as after a hospital stay. This short-term care can last anywhere from several weeks to a few months, and it is typically provided in someone's home. This care can provide a long-term boost to what your loved one needs most comfort, confidence and peace of mind.Learn how temporary home care can support your family.Find the best possible caregiverDoing the proper research to ensure your parents are taken care of as they age physically, emotionally and financially will help give you peace of mind in the future. While researching care for your parents, take time to look for a caregiver who is patient, compassionate, detail-oriented, and present. Youll be able to rest easy knowing that the person you love the most is being taken care of by someone who has their best interest and wellbeing at the forefront.If you are a family caregiver, keep these in mind while researching home care for your parents.

Read More

BE THE DAUGHTER AGAIN!10 Ways to Take Care of Yourself While Caring for Someone ElseMillions of Americans take care of a friend or family member with a serious health condition. Being a caregiver is a labor of love, and it can be stressful. Here are 10 helpful hints for reducing stress, so you can be an effective caregiver and still have a little time for yourself.1. PLAN OUT MEDICATIONSStart by making a visual chart to organize all medicines, vitamins and supplements that your care recipient takes. Include notes on dosage, its purpose, when to take it, and any special instructions. You could go another step and include the prescribing doctors name and phone number, and the date to order refills. At least once a week, fill up medication dispenser(s) with all daily medications. Categorize them by times, such as morning, afternoon, evening, and bedtime. Include any pictures or visual references that help you and your loved one remember what, when and how to take them, such as a sun for morning or a depiction of what the pill looks like in shape, size and color (for example, a large pink circle or a small white and red oval).2. SCHEDULE GROCERY DELIVERYMany grocery stores offer online ordering and free delivery. Take advantage of this service so you can save the time you would be running errands to spend time with your loved one, or take some extra time for yourself.3. ORDER FROM A TRUSTED ONLINE PHARMACYSimilar to grocery delivery, many registered pharmacies offer online prescription refills, call-ins, and drive-through pickup service. You can even order online and have medications sent by mail. Be sure to use a registered pharmacy that you have vetted, as some rogue or scam sites have popped up recently. If you are in doubt,read more about choosing a safe online pharmacy.4. HIRE A CLEANING SERVICEHire a cleaning company for your home, or your loved ones home so you are not busy housekeeping on top of everything else. Caregivers often straddle two households and cleaning can be a lot to keep up with. Professional cleaning companies offer deep-cleaning services. Even if you pay for a service once a month, or every few weeks, it can offer peace of mind that one more thing is off your plate.5. RECRUIT OTHERSCaring for an older family member often requires teamwork. For example: one sibling might be local and take on primary caregiving responsibilities, while a long-distance caregiver can also have an important role. Long-distance caregivers can help by handling things onlinefor example, researching health problems or medicines, paying bills, or keeping family and friends updated. Dont underestimate the value of a phone and email contact list to help you easily delegate responsibilities or share updates.6. SCHEDULE FAMILY MEETINGSStart by defining the caregiving responsibilities. You could set up a family meeting and, if it makes sense, include the care recipient in the discussion. This is best done when there is not an emergency. A calm conversation about what kind of care is wanted and needed now, and what might be needed in the future, can help avoid a lot of confusion. Agree in advance how each family members efforts can complement one another, so that you can be an effective caregiving team. Ideally, each of you will be able to take on tasks best suited to your skills or interests.7. TAKE TIME OFFThink about your schedule and how it might be adapted to give you some respite from your primary caregiving responsibilities. Be realistic about how much you can do, what you are willing to do, and dont be afraid to schedule breaks for yourself. For example, you might coordinate holiday and vacation times with other family members, or call in home health aides. Remember that over time, caregiving responsibilities may need to be revised to reflect changes in your or your loved ones situation.8. CALL IN HOME HEALTHYour parent(s) or the person you care for may need increasing help to continue to live in their own home. Arrange for professional caregivers, such as home health, nursing aides, or companion care assistants to complement your caregiving responsibilities. Some people find it hard to have paid caregivers in the house, but most also say that the assistance is invaluable. If you are reluctant, remember that an in-home aide may leave you more energy to devote to caregiving, as well as some time for yourself. You can also try it for a short time, and then decide.9. SEEK SUPPORTDont forget to ask for emotional support from your spouse, or close friends. Words of appreciation, encouragement, and the simple act of listening may not seem like much, but they can make a world of difference. You can also seek out local support groups for caregivers, or join online forums. Having someone to talk with, vent, or just to hear encouraging words from can help you keep going when you start to feel burnt out.10. CREATE A PLANIn time, the person youre caring for may need to move to an assisted living or nursing home. If that happens, you can contact a navigation agency to help you select an appropriate senior living solution. CareMATRIX Senior Living Navigators offer a free service with a completely personal approach:We get to know you and your loved ones needsThen we help identify a range of appropriate living and/or care arrangementsCareMATRIX coordinates and accompanies you on all toursAnd we follow up with you and the care staff to assure long-term success

Read More

The older we are, the more frustrating it can be getting back into good health after an illness or injury. Slower rehabilitation happens because older adults have whats called a decreased physiological reserve. (Thecapability of an organ to carry out its activity under stressis known as physiologic reserve). Generally, a healthy individual will attain the peak of their physiologic reserve at 25 years of age. After that, the reserve starts to decline as the individual ages. Because of this decrease, it takes older adults longer to recover from illness and injury.For older patients, its not just about recovering from an injury. Its often about recovering other cognitive, balance, and strength functions that could decline during a hospital stay.Post-acute care provided by Hillcrest Health Services provides for a smooth transition from hospital to home. It promotes the functional recovery of older adults, prevents unnecessary hospital readmission, and avoids premature admission to a long-term care facility. Hillcrests post-acute facilities are Medicare-certified and accept Medicare and most private insurances.Hillcrests Post-Acute Care ProgramHillcrest Healthcare offers post-acute care rehabilitation at 4 different locations in Nebraska:Hillcrest Health and Rehab in BellevueHillcrest Country Estates: Rehab Cottage in PapillionHillcrest MillardHillcrest Firethorn in LincolnThese programs help to transition from the hospital to home. We know how to help the patient recover most quickly without causing another injury or hospitalization. At Hillcrest, our facilities offer a comfortable environment for all guests by providing only private transitional care. While were focused on rehabilitation and ensuring our guests get the most out of their experience, we also respect their independence. At Hillcrest, we haveover 25 years of experiencewhen it comes to post-acute rehabilitation. As a result, we understand what it takes to get our guests back to their optimal level of function.Our Post-Acute Rehabilitation Team:Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anthony Hatcher oversees our medical care. Before joining Hillcrest Health Services, she spent more than 20 years working for Alegent /CHI Health as a practicing clinical physician. Additionally, our team of therapists are not third-party contractors that we invite in a few days per week; instead, they are exclusively employed by Hillcrest. We take great pride in our team and make sure they have state-of-the-art therapy equipment to provide innovative physical, occupational, and speech therapy to help speed up recovery.Our Excellent Rehabilitation FacilitiesWe encourage you to take a virtual tour of all four of our post-acute rehabilitation facilities. Just click on the name of the facility below:Hillcrest Health and Rehab in BellevueAt Hillcrest Health and Rehab, we began developing our post-acute care services in the early 90s. Since then, we have assisted thousands of patients in the transition from hospital to home, utilizing a variety of therapies, including physical, occupational, speech, and aquatic. In addition, we host the largest rehab gym in the region (10,000 square feet).Hillcrest Country Estates: Rehab Cottage in PapillionStart your road to recovering from an injury, illness, surgery, or hospital stay. At the Rehab Cottage located in the Hillcrest Country Estates, our guests feel an incredible sense of warmth, compassion, and support from a team that is 100% dedicated to their recovery.Hillcrest MillardHillcrest Millard offers over 25 years of experience in post-acute rehabilitation. Among staffing our professionals, we also provide 19 specialty rooms with piped-in oxygen for guests with cardiopulmonary diseases.Hillcrest Firethorn in LincolnHillcrest Firethorn offers years of experience providing best-in-class care for aging adults through our continuum of services. We have been recognized nationally for our leadership and innovation. In addition, Firethorn provides post-acute rehabilitation services in the newest and most beautiful post-acute center in Lincoln.Learn more about our post-acute rehab programs, Contact us today to learn more about our post-acute rehab programs. You can also learn more about it from our website.

Read More

Applications for smartphones or iPads can make life easier and more enjoyable, especially for seniors. But with tens of thousands of apps available (and more every day), picking the best ones that also specifically address the needs of seniors can be a lot of work. Here is a list for you that will ease that burden. These apps are meant to make life easier:1. AARP Now App (free)This app gives you senior-specific news, shares events happening locally and tells you what discounts you qualify for with your AARP membership.2. EyeReader by NetSoft($1.99 iOS)If you hate reading restaurant menus by candlelight, you may find this magnifying glass app handy. Simply hold your phone over any text and the EyeReader will magnify it and light it up for you.3. Find My iPhone (free)Never lose your pricey iPhone or iPad with this app. If you leave your phone somewhere or it gets stolen, this app will find it.4. Life360 (free iOS)No more asking your family to call to ensure theyve arrived home safely. This app uses GPS tracking to keep track of family members as they attend school, vacations or work. And they can keep track of you, too.5. Lyft (free to download, but pay as you use)Youve heard of the buzz surrounding Lyft and Uber, but did you know these services are particularly useful for seniors? No more calling for a taxi and fumbling with cash or card. With just a couple clicks, you can have a car at your service to take you anywhere: the airport, doctors appointments, a party or the theatre. The payments already set up, so you dont have to worry about paying or even tipping (although both Lyft and Uber accept tips now).Ubers come under a bit of controversy lately, so I recommend Lyft.6. Senior Savings ($.99 iOS)Find out which grocery stores, hotels, restaurants and theaters offer senior discounts in this app.7. Silver Surf (free for iOS)iPads and smartphones can be hard to use because of the tiny buttons and text, and it can be impossible for the visually impaired. This app allows you to enlarge buttons and text on iPads and iPhones.8. Skype(free)Use Facetime orSkypeto visually connect with your children, grandkids or friends in far places. Its truly like having your favorite people in your living room without the mess. You have to download Skype, but Facetime comes already applied to all Apple products.9. Yahoo! Weather(free)There are 100s of weather apps, butYahoo! Weatheris worth downloading because it has a beautiful design and its simple to use. It allows you to track the weather for your location up to five days out and it includes radar maps.

Read More