As we live in unprecedented times today, it is more important to keep an eye on your aging parent and ensure their health status is always checked. The authorities and health care providers do encourage social distancing and good personal hygiene. And they are doing their best to ensure that the elderly are as safe as possible.

But adult children have more roles to play to ensure their aged parents are fine. There are sure signs you should always watch out for, and when you notice any, you should know that your elderly parent needs help quickly.

Most times, it takes several efforts and curiosity to find out how much help they need. While at other times, you can quickly tell they need help right away as soon as you visit them. Hence, the key is always to pay attention to their needs.

Read on to find out what these signs are for most seniors.

• A bunch of unpaid bills

Many seniors quickly lose track of bills payments monthly. And most times, it could be challenging to ascertain how many unpaid bills have piled up already. Forgetting such little yet significant things may be a sign of dementia or disorganization.

• House looking untidy

As seniors age, they gradually lose their vision and mobility. So don’t be surprised when you find the entire house looking like a shadow of itself with dust all over the living room. There are specific house chores an elderly parent can no longer do due to deteriorating health conditions. You need to know whether they need help with daily tasks and avail yourself to hire someone.

• A decline in healthy eating

Has your elderly parent suddenly lost the spark for eating healthy meals? Or you realize that there is always spoiled food in the fridge? You may also notice that there is no fresh food in the refrigerator any longer. Either way, it’s a sign that they need help with cooking. 

• Low personal hygiene

Seniors need to take their hygiene seriously. But when the elderly begin to neglect certain aspects of grooming and dressing or forgets to change their clothes, it’s a sure sign that they need help.

• Mood swings

For this, an elderly may show symptoms such as not talking to anyone or preferring to stay in a quiet room all day long. If they begin to act strangely towards you or other family members, they need help ASAP.

• Forgetfulness

Are they misplacing things quickly, such as house keys, room keys, or even forgetting to turn off the shower?

Although there might be little you can do to help your aged parents, you are not left without options. Elderlink has been helping individuals and families overcome many of these issues. They have been in the senior care business for over twenty years, and their connection with professionals who can assist in these matters is vast.

Call us at 800-613-5772 or visit us at WWW.ELDERLINK.ORG

Relocating to a New Home? Here Is How to Stay Safe

Moving an elderly parent(s) are both physically and emotionally tasking. Aging brings specific health challenges that you may not have control over. Worst still, due to financial constraints, you might not be able to live independently. In a bid to live within your means, you might have to move once every few years, either alone or with your adult children. 

Relocation is never an easy process for anyone, and it’s notably tougher for seniors. Elderlink.org will assist and find the correct living facility to meet your needs. Whether you are moving into an independent living facility, nursing home, or assisted living facility due to declining health status, the experts are here. Elderlink has got you covered.

We understand, for most seniors, it’s reasonable to have safety concerns. This post highlights some vital tips for you and your aged loved one to stay safe once the move begins. 

1. Have a blueprint of your new home

We suggest you create or ask for a blueprint of your new location before you move. Knowing the exact footage in each room will help you to determine the kind of furniture that would fit inside and the ones that will not. More so, the blueprint will help you know the essential items to keep and the ones to part with as you make plans to move. 

• Part away with excess belongings

The issue, what to keep or trash is often the bone of contention between the elderly and their children. The problems often happen based on the size of your old home and generally the smaller size of your home. If you are moving to another house in a faraway city, you may need to part ways with many belongings or pay heavily for moving them. Moreover, you must follow the guidelines set by the senior living community you are probably moving to and move only the items they consider as “safe” and “necessary.”

• Hire a junk removal service

It helps if you declutter your home and its surroundings when moving. You don’t need to pack that broken dinnerware, useless gadgets and unused items to your new home. That is why you need a junk removal service.

• Find a new doctor

Healthcare should be paramount in our lives. Moreover, an emergency could occur anytime. What if it struck a few days after relocating to your new home? And you have not yet familiarized yourself with the new place or the nearest medical facility? To avoid problems, you need to find a new doctor in your new location before you move.

• Hire senior-friendly moving service

Not all moving companies can render a senior-friendly moving service to their clients. You must find one whose mode of operation suits your lifestyle and moving purpose. Seniors need help with almost everything when moving. So endeavor to hire a professional moving company that performs packing and unpacking services as well as truck loading and unloading. 

A senior move can be way more comfortable when we make the right decisions and plan the move ahead of time. If you are moving to California, contact us for more information about senior living facilities in your region. Elderlink.org has been serving California since 1994.

As our past clients say, “You are the Best” senior living locator in California, one call and we do it all. 800 613-5772 

(This agency does not refer to low-income apartments, SSI, Section 8 or HUD facilities)

(PLEASE NOTE, SOME INDIVIDUALS REQUIRE HIGHER LEVELS OF CARE MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY. ADDITIONAL CARE INCREASES COST. NOT ALL FACILITIES CAN MEET THEASE NEEDS. TALK TO OUR COUNSELORS ABOUT EACH INDIVIDUALS NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS)

As we age, it’s common to establish retirement goals. Most people don’t want to be swallowed in their world of isolation during their golden years. So, they choose to sink themselves in activities and hobbies they enjoy the most.

If you have not been planning towards retirement, it’s not too late to start. It’s wise to avoid scenarios and circumstances that breed isolation as we age. Many seniors do not have a hard time settling for an activity they love or anything that catches their interest. While you ponder over these thoughts and try to fix your mind on the best route to take upon retirement, it’s wise to explore many options. One of them is volunteering. Have you thought of giving back to the community?

There is a connection between seniors and volunteering says
ElderLink.org, because many of them would like to engage in activities that give them a sense of fulfillment and joy.  Even more than that, seniors who volunteer enjoy some health benefits which significantly impact their well being. Here are some of the benefits.

• Bridge the generational gap

Many seniors find it challenging to connect and relate with younger ones. This is because of the generational gap. Hence, when seniors volunteer with kids and younger adults, chances are they are going to learn to look at life from a different perspective. Also, younger ones can learn a lot about life from their wealth of experience the senior offers as well.

• It helps to improve self-esteem

The satisfaction derived from making a difference, and putting a smile on the face of another is more than enough to increase the self-worth of many seniors as some may feel left out from the happenings in the world around them. The impact of volunteering on mental health is enormous.

FIVE IMPORTANT REASONS IT MAKES SENSE TO VOLUNTEER

1. Healthy body, healthy mind – Studies show volunteering is good for both our bodies and our minds. Among other benefits, volunteering can reduce stress, improve mood, help prevent loneliness and lower the risk of developing high blood pressure. So, for older adults with physical ailments, volunteering can make you feel better.
2. Trying new things – Volunteering allows older adults to stay active. Whether reading to school children, visiting with patients in the hospital or baking dog treats for a local shelter, volunteering offers an array of opportunities to try new things.
3. Leaving a legacy – Older adults often think about how they have contributed to the world and what mark they will leave behind. Volunteering gives a sense of purpose, while simultaneously making a positive difference in the world by improving the life of another.
4. Connecting with others – Forging connections with people is part of what makes us human. Volunteering provides more opportunities to connect with different types of people. Communities large and small are always in search of intergenerational opportunities for residents, such as working in a community garden with a group of Eagle Scouts or writing cards to soldiers with a local youth group.
5. It’s enjoyable – When a senior who volunteers at the library was asked why volunteering is important to her, she said, “It’s fun, and it gives me something to do. ”She’s right; being a small part of something much larger than yourself is just plain fun.
6. Bottom line, it helps seniors to stay active – So important Seniors engage in activities that can help them to remain physically active when possible. Most volunteering activities include walking, talking, stretching, and other physical activities that encourage seniors to become mentally alert and physically fit.

• Helps seniors to grow in knowledge and experience

Let’s face it, you are never too old to learn new things. Personal growth is one of the many benefits of volunteering for seniors. Aging should not prevent you from expanding your horizon and gaining experience about new ways of living. More so, it will help you to meet with others who share your interests and goals.

Volunteering is a great way to make new friends, see the world through a different pair of glasses, and one of the best ways to reach for more exceptional accomplishments as you age. ElderLink.org can help you discover various senior living options and facilities that will enable you and your loved one to achieve a sense of accomplishment.

Contact us today and find out how much easier life can be for a senior family member when you are dealing with the oldest and most respected senior referral service in California. 1-800 613-5772 or click this link and tell us how the experts can best assist you and your needs?

We spend a lot of time in the bathroom. In a sense it can be a fun place to be, we make ourselves look good, feel clean and fresh and so much more. But as we grow older, it may become quite dangerous. We get scared of missing a step and falling to the ground, slipping and falling in the shower or bath, and the list goes on. But the bathroom doesn’t have to be a stressful place as we grow older. Safety is essential for senior living and primary consideration when designing a bathroom or doing remodeling in your home. This post will discuss some tips for making your bathroom senior friendly.

• Consider grab bars

Grab bars are placed in the bathroom to offer sturdy support to the elderly. Thus, allowing them to move freely. The best places to install these grab bars in the bathroom are around the shower, sink, or on either side of the toilet. While doing this, avoid using cold, sterile rods for installing the bars. Fortunately, these bars can be designed to fit the existing décor of your home. You can even use textured handles for more gripping and many of them have a bit of a designer look, no longer sticking out like a sore thumb.

• Make it non-slippery

A bathroom can become slippery when it’s wet. However, you can prevent elderly falls before they happen. When retiling your floor, consider anti-skid tiling, or you can apply some anti-slip coating to your existing floor if you don’t want to rip out the old flooring. You should definitely use it in the bathtub or shower where elderly falls are most common.

• Redesign your shower

A conventional shower can trigger an elderly fall. To make your bathroom senior-friendly, consider a wheel-in or walk-in shower design. This applies to tubs as well. It will prevent slips and falls in the elderly.

• Shower seats

Some seniors have mobility issues and have difficulty moving around in the bathroom. Therefore, consider including a shower seat in addition to the grab bars. You can either build it into the existing shower or separately. Fortunately, it can be matched with the specific needs of a loved one.

• Other safety measures

Aside from remodeling your existing bathroom design to become senior-friendly, there are other safety measures you can take, such as:

• A telephone mounted on the wall of the bathroom close to the shower/bath and in a location where a person can reach it if they were on the ground.
• Ensure the bathroom door can be easily opened from both sides
• Proper lighting is essential. A brightly lit bathroom will assist a senior to see clearly, especially if they remove their glasses to shower or bath. Ensure all bulbs are functional
• Finally, there are plenty of steps to preparing your bathroom to become safe for senior citizens. Spend a moment in your bathroom and seriously look around, what is helpful and what’s a hazard.

These are only a few ideas, the ones we see as most essential, but we are sure if you take the time to look inside your bathroom and consider what could be harmful in any way, you will find others that require your attention.

When it is time to consider senior living for a family member, https://www.elderlink.org/ should be your first choice. We are the oldest and best rated Senior Livings Referral Agency in all of California. One call does it all, 800 613-5772