Get help learning how to support senior sleeping habits Everyone knows the feeling: deep breaths, white noise, counting sheep, all in an attempt to force our brains to shut down to allow us the sleep we desperately need. As we grow older, it can be even more challenging to get enough sleep. Older adults can experience changes in their sleep architecture, including lighter sleep, more frequent awakenings, and a shift towards earlier bedtimes. Yet maintaining healthy sleep patterns is very important for cognitive function, emotional health, and physical vitality. What Affects Senior Sleeping Hab ..read more

Get help managing grief in seniors. Growing old means being lucky enough to develop deep connections with the people we love. These bonds are necessary to our quality of life, and when they are severed, it inevitably leads to feelings of deep loss. Managing grief in seniors can leave you feeling hopeless, but there are things you can do. It begins with understanding more about this powerful emotion. What to Know About Managing Grief in Seniors Grief Impacts Mental Health. Grief can show up in so many ways, impacting mental health and well-being. Seniors may experience feelings of loneliness ..read more

Learn how to manage dementia care in the kitchen. You can feel the warmth in any kitchen. It’s the place hungry kids rush to as soon as they get home from school. It’s the spot family members gather to prepare holiday meals together. It’s also a place to warm up a cup of milk and find some quiet, reflective solace when sleep is elusive. For someone living with dementia, the kitchen can often be the site of heartfelt memories like these. Cooking engages multiple senses, which makes it an ideal activity to unlock the doors of reminiscence. The sizzle of ingredients in a pan, the rhythmic choppin ..read more

Do you know who you are without your caregiving responsibilities? Caregiver responsibilities can feel like they take over your whole life. It takes so much of your energy, time, and focus that when you no longer need to provide care, for any reason, it can leave you feeling lost. Other common feelings to expect when you’re no longer assisting as caregiver for a loved one include: Anger Grief Hopelessness Relief Exhaustion Confusion Depression And so many others Finding Yourself After Your Caregiving Responsibilities Are Over Give yourself time to figure out what living without putting someon ..read more

Reality orientation can help loved ones with dementia through confusion. Have you ever woken up from a dream and had to ask yourself if it was real? It can be so jarring until you wake up and take in your familiar surroundings. An experience like this gives you just a brief glimpse into the ongoing disorientation for a person with dementia. When confusion about place, time, and even identity settle in for someone you love, you have two options for responding: either orienting them to your reality, or stepping into theirs. Is One Reality Better than the Other? Put simply, there’s a time and pla ..read more

We can help provide holiday stress relief for caregivers! What do you wish for most this year? Peace on earth? Good health for your family members? Financial security? What about holiday stress relief for caregivers? Caregiving doesn’t take a day off, but the stress caregivers can experience during the holidays is like no other time of year. There are ways, however, to alleviate holiday stress and truly take pleasure in the beauty, warmth, and love of the season. Our care experts recommend the following small steps that can make a big difference. Be honest and open. There’s no need to act lik ..read more

Do you know how hospital-at-home services can impact family caregivers? If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that no one wants to spend more time in the hospital than they need to. The aim is to get the necessary procedure or treatment over with as quickly as possible and move on to recovering. Naturally, the growing trend in hospital-at-home services is one being met with open arms. Imagine being able to avoid: The need to share a room with someone else who is ill Loneliness and isolation from short visiting hour periods The bright lights, alarms, and bells which make sleeping diff ..read more

Get help avoiding boredom for seniors with dementia! Macaroni and cheese. Salt and pepper. Peanut butter and jelly. There are certain pairs that just make sense. One combination you want to avoid, however, is boredom and dementia. In fact, avoiding boredom for seniors with dementia is extremely important. Research reports have revealed that boredom in dementia leads to an increase in: Depression Delirium Agitation Anxiety Aggression Wandering Hallucinations And more Even further, boredom in family members who care for seniors with dementia is also concerning, resulting in an elevated risk fo ..read more

Adaptive clothing for seniors can help seniors who are struggling to get dressed. What was going through your mind as you got dressed this morning? Looking stylish? Staying comfy? Maybe a good memory attached to your sweater? The clothes we wear are an integral part of our identity, and the simple act of choosing what to wear and having the ability to put it on is essential to our independence. When older adults start struggling to get dressed because of the effects of growing older or a health condition like arthritis, adaptive clothing is a fantastic solution to maintain self-sufficiency. Wh ..read more

If you like listening to your favorite music on a record player, then you know that the needle doesn’t always track properly. Occasionally a tiny bit of debris or dust causes it to get stuck or skip, leaving you hearing just a few words of the song again and again until the problem is addressed. For seniors with dementia, blips in memory can cause a similar effect known as conversation looping. Typically occurring in mild and moderate stages of the disease, it can look like this: You’re having a nice conversation about your spouse’s new job. The person with dementia suddenly switches gears an ..read more