Caregivers

Bathing

Attention to the Basics Matters Baths and showers clean, stimulate, and increase circulation in the skin. They can also dry skin, and in some instances, cause chapping. How often a bath or shower is needed depends on the situation of the person in your care. If urinary incontinence, bowel problems, and heavy perspiration are present, [...]

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Making Mealtimes More Enjoyable

Mealtimes are important times for the elderly or ill because they provide a welcome diversion in the day. During holidays meal times are a nice opportunity to socialize. If it is not too distracting have the person in your care eat with the family or others. Expect and ignore spills and less-than-perfect manners. Play music [...]

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Practical Aids for Living

Little Things Can Help a Lot Many people  have some  physical limitations, whether these involve moving, seeing, hearing, communicating or using everyday tools  like knives, forks,  spoons, toothbrushes or telephones. Solutions exist for over- coming  these limitations. Below are examples of different types of bath- room  equipment and  other assistive devices. It is important to [...]

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Travel with Mobility Challenges

A Good Time Can Be Had By All Traveling with someone who has mobility challenges or a chronic health condition requires careful planning before leaving on a trip. To prevent problems during travel: Tell the  person’s primary care doctor about the  trip. Ask if there are  any  special care  needs to prepare in advance or [...]

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Body Mechanics—It’s All About YOU!

Your automobile and  other  important equipment work  based on mechanical principles. Each part is made to work  a certain way  and  to work  with specific  other parts. Your body is much the  same. Certain parts are  for certain activities and  perform best  when they are  used the  way  they were  intended. You have some  control [...]

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Physical Therapy

Use it or lose it… Physical therapy is part of the process of re-learning how to function after an  injury, illness, or period of inactivity. If muscles are  not  used, they can  shorten and  tighten, making joint  motion painful. What a Physical Therapist Does A physical therapist treats a patient to relieve pain and  help [...]

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Family Communication

The right words can make all the difference… Whether with our  own family, or in a professional caregiver relationship, we need  skills to communicate effectively. Tips for effective  communication: 1)  Assess the situation. Listen to every  member of the  family to figure out  what the  issue really is. Look for meaning and  emotions behind what [...]

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The Villages Senior Care: Hygiene – Clean Care is Safer Care

The dirtiest place in your house isn’t your bathroom—it’s your kitchen sink. Cleaner kitchen tips: Clear the sink of dishes and pans before washing hands, and use different towels to dry hands and cookware. Keep cutting boards free of nicks and grooves where bacteria can grow. Keep your refrigerator working properly, and on a cold [...]

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The Villages Senior Care: When Caregiving Ends

Family caregivers experience a range of emotions and stages in their lives when providing care for a loved one.  Several different resources cite levels of caregiving, and while some stages differ depending on the source, one fact remains constant – eventually, the caregiving will end. If you are caring for an elderly relative, the end [...]

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The Villages Senior Care: The Power of Touch and What It Means for the Elderly

Touch is perhaps the most powerful sense of all. From the moment we are born, before our eyes are open, a gentle touch calms us and lets us know someone cares. In the beginning stages of life, a nurturing touch helps create a bond that shapes us for the rest of our lives. Even though [...]

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