Nowadays, music is more available than ever before. For those who carry smartphones or tablets with them wherever they go, hundreds of thousands – if not tens of millions of songs – are merely a few taps or finger swipes away. If you're a caregiver for an older adult, your smartphone may become one of the most practical tools in your possession when you learn about the benefits of music for seniors. This viral video clip from the Alive Inside documentary shows just how incredibly effective music can be for older adults with restricted capabilities and dementia.

Bringing Joy

With massive musical libraries readily available from places like iTunes, Pandora, Amazon Music, Spotify, and plenty of others, we can now find music, in many cases at no charge, in a variety of genres in mere seconds. Caregivers can find out what kinds of music the older adult liked earlier in his or her lifetime. The music a senior prefers may be related to a particular period of time, such as Big Band music, or it might be unique to his or her religious beliefs, such as gospel or hymns, for example. The type of music enjoyed throughout one’s life might also hinge on the person’s ethnic background – like those who prefer reggae or salsa. The senior may also have enjoyed classic favorites like jazz, blues, classical, country, and so forth. No matter the musical preference, access to music could have amazing advantages.

Connecting With Memories

Did you ever listen to a song on the radio and have it transport you back to a specific time in your life? Research has uncovered that music is clearly linked to personal memories. The human brain is actually hard-wired to link music with long-term memories. This is the case even for those with moderate to severe dementia.

Music & Memory is a non-profit organization that brings personalized music into the lives of seniors through digital music technology, greatly improving quality of life. The staff at Music & Memory train caregivers for seniors and family members on how to develop and use individualized playlists with digital devices to allow older adults who have dementia and other challenges to reconnect with the world through memories from music.

Reducing Anxiety Levels

Research has also uncovered that hearing music that is familiar and well-loved can assist in reducing anxiety levels and increase focus on the present timeframe, which in turn helps the elderly with dementia to connect to those around them.

At Help at Home Senior Care, our objective is always to enhance the quality of life for seniors through our creative dementia home care services and support. And, we go the extra mile when it comes to the small things that can bring joy to the days of those we serve – such as through music and other creative activities. Call us today at (530) 885-7444 to learn more about our in-home care in Roseville, CA and nearby areas.

It is instinctive to most of us that socialization with others improves well-being. It keeps us connected to other people’s experiences, beliefs, challenges, humor, viewpoints, and other human occurrences. However, now scientific research is confirming that socializing with others, and specifically socialization for seniors, actually may improve the wellness of both brain and body.

The outcomes point clearly to the impact of friendship and social engagement for seniors. A study performed by Rush University Medical Center determined that someone who noted a high degree of senior socialization was almost twice as likely to remain free of impairment with activities of daily living than someone with a lower degree of social activity. Additionally, a person is about one and a half times as likely to remain free of disability with instrumental activities of daily living or mobility. Very social seniors had a 70% reduction in their rate of cognitive decline when compared with unsocial seniors.

Nevertheless, staying social is not intuitive to all of us, and for many, it actually is more challenging with age because one’s ability to get around can be greatly reduced. Here are several ways a home care agency such as Help at Home Senior Care can help older individuals stay social and protect their quality of life:

• Promote attendance at and serve as a personal escort to enjoyable outings including club meetings, community activities such as fairs, holiday activities and parades, concerts, plays, and sporting events, faith-based services and activities.
• Share in playing interactive games together such as board and card games.
• Plan and arrange for visits with friends and loved ones.
• Offer transportation to an adult day facility or a senior exercise class.
• Offer companionship at family get-togethers or vacations for optimum safety and comfort.
• Introduce seniors to social platforms such as Facebook and Zoom to enable them to connect with family and friends even if they're homebound.

In the Social Activity and Wellbeing of Older Australians Study, testing over 6,000 older individuals over about 5 1/2 years, seniors who have routine, regular social activity were shown to have a slower decline in intellectual and memory performance. Better mental capacity was observed most in seniors who were the most socially engaged.

Having a trusted home care agency provide in-home care to motivate and aid with senior socialization may just be one of the most important ways to help an elderly adult continue to thrive and feel alive. Help at Home Senior Care's staff are all fully committed to supporting the independence, dignity, and social connection of every senior we serve. To learn more about our in-home care in Lincoln, CA and the surrounding areas, contact us at (530) 885-7444.

“I absolutely do NOT need to move to an assisted living facility!” It is a typical sentiment proclaimed by many older adults, even when they begin to have trouble with managing tasks in the home independently. And who can blame them? Home is where each of us feels secure and safe, and older adults are no exception. They’re familiar with where things are located and they enjoy following their own unique routines. They may have friends and family living nearby, who enhance their quality of life. Still, if you're starting to feel worried that a senior loved one’s safety in the home might be compromised, it may be time to look into assistance at home.

To determine if help at home for seniors is needed, the Rocklin home care experts at Help at Home Senior Care have compiled the following questions. Review these to help determine whether an older loved one is as safe as possible, or if perhaps the senior might benefit from some added assistance at home:

Weight Loss

• Has the older adult lost weight unintentionally within the past couple of months?
• Can the senior handle grocery shopping and planning and cooking nutritious meals?
• Does the person practice safety in the kitchen, such as remembering to turn off the stove?
• Has the senior started complaining about the way food tastes?
• Is the individual drinking sufficient quantities of water as well as other fluids throughout each day to avoid dehydration, particularly during the warmer summer season?

Personal Hygiene

• Is the elderly individual properly maintaining his/her personal hygiene?
• Can the person deal with the tasks of laundry, bathing, grooming, and using the toilet appropriately?

Medicines

• Does the older adult take prescription drugs or supplements?
• Is the person remembering to take them exactly when and how they are prescribed?
• Can the senior read and comprehend prescription labels, and understand what each medicine is for?
• Is the individual physically able to swallow medications, or otherwise take them as advised (for example, broken or crushed pills, creams, liquids, etc.)?

Home Safety

• Is the home free from clutter, which could present a tripping and falling risk?
• Could the senior call for help in the event of a fall?
• Are there grab bars in the bathroom, and are handrails on stairways installed correctly?
• Is there adequate light to allow the senior to safely get up at night to go to the bathroom or kitchen?
• Have you seen any cuts, scrapes, burns, or bruises that could have been the result of a fall or other unexplained accident?
• Is the kitchen neat and safe for preparing meals?

Psychological, Emotional, and Cognitive Issues

• Does the older adult seem to be depressed or anxious?
• Is the individual remaining socially active as frequently as possible?
• If the senior practices a religion, is he or she going to programs or services that are of interest?
• Is the senior taking pleasure in pastimes that have been interesting in the past?
• Is the senior loved one having memory issues? Uncommonly loud or distressed?
• Are financial affairs in order?

Determining the answers to questions such as these might seem overwhelming, but Help at Home Senior Care is here to provide support. Our experienced elder care team can evaluate your loved one’s situation and suggest solutions, providing you and your loved one peace of mind. Our expertly trained and knowledgeable senior care staff provide a variety of home care services, including light housekeeping, companionship, preparing nutritious meals, and so much more.

Contact us at (530) 885-7444 to learn more about our in-home care in Rocklin, CA and nearby areas, and to see how our experienced care staff can provide the help at home for seniors necessary to keep them safe and thriving. For a full list of all of the communities where we provide care, please visit our Service Area page.

Discussing elderly financial issues can be considered taboo. This can be a big challenge even for the closest of families. With the addition of aging care issues, this kind of conversation can be more complex, and maybe even combative. When an individual is facing financial difficulties, it can often be embarrassing and lead the older adult to hide money-related problems from their friends and family. Cognitive impairments and elder fraud are often the sources of financial issues, and these may be hard to pick up on until money becomes a real problem.

Ensuring that a senior loved one is not being taken advantage of by strangers, friends, or even family members is essential. Here are several suggestions:

• If the person has memory or cognitive issues, sign them up for automated payments for utilities and other recurring expenses.
• Make sure taxes are being paid on time.
• Keep tabs on how and where the person spends money.
• Get to know who the senior talks to and sees about their finances.
• Be on the lookout for subtle changes in financial ability.
• Avoid leaving valuable or precious jewelry out in the open. Keep these items in a safe or lock box.
• Encourage senior loved ones to utilize professional financial advisors for taxes and investments rather than to rely on friends or family who may have hidden agendas.

Home Care Services Can Help

Elderly financial issues and fraud can be serious problems. Having a trustworthy caregiver around can help older adults make informed financial choices and remain safe from scams and fraud. If you're worried about a senior loved one’s financial health, the senior care professionals at Help at Home Senior Care provide dedicated home care assistance in Lincoln, CA and the surrounding areas.

An in-home caregiver can:

• Assist with sorting mail and correspondence to make sure bills are paid and that seniors do not respond to financial solicitation scams.
• Answer phone calls to help avoid phone scams.
• Discuss any financial warning signs that arise with the senior’s trusted family members.
• Help with shopping.

While discussing a senior’s financial issues can be challenging, it’s better to make certain their finances are in order now rather than uncover a disaster later. If you'd like help talking to a senior loved one about financial issues or would like to know more about other warning signs that help at home may be needed, connect with Help at Home Senior Care. Our in-home caregivers are thoroughly vetted, thoughtfully chosen, and overseen by supervisors to ensure an aging loved one receives the best quality care. We offer professional home care assistance in Lincoln and the surrounding areas, and we can help get those important conversations going. For more information on our services, contact us at (530) 885-7444. To learn about all of the communities where we provide care, please visit our Service Area page.

There are a number of aspects associated with choosing senior care services for an older adult you love. In our ongoing commitment to help families knowledgeably sort through their options for in-home care, we recommend the following:

• Evaluate Needs

With a professional home care agency, you will never need to worry about determining what services will be best for the senior's particular challenges. Prior to beginning of care, the agency will visit the senior in the home and ask a variety of questions. This information will be used to develop a customized plan of care designed to meet the individual needs of the person who needs care. The agency may also work with the older adult’s doctors or others on the care team in order to coordinate other care services that may be needed.

• Who Will Manage the Care?
A professional home care agency has a supervisor who can oversee regular check-ins and modify the care plan as needs change. Many families also choose to partner with a geriatric care manager who will not only help to coordinate care, but also serve the client’s advocate.

• Care Transitions
  Care needs can change over time from basic assistance with day-to-day activities and personal care to skilled medical care and back again to basic assistance. A professional home care agency will help make these types of care transitions as simple and as seamless as possible, offering recommendations, assisting with transitions, and coordinating changing care needs.

We hope that this information will prove to be helpful in the process of selecting senior care services for someone you love. Engaging the services of a caregiver through a dependable home care agency, such as Help at Home Senior Care, is always the safest choice. We’d love the opportunity to learn more about a senior you love and to help him or her live an active, engaged, and independent life with the companionship of one of our friendly caregivers. Reach out to us at (530) 885-7444 for more information on how our professional home and memory care in Auburn and surrounding areas can make each day the very best it can be for an older adult you love.

When it comes to selecting home care for elderly loved ones, there are a variety of options available to families, and it's very important to diligently research and ask the right questions in order to ensure the highest levels of care. Help at Home Senior Care has compiled the questions below that can help when contacting home care agencies to ensure you’re making an informed decision: 

Services

• List of services. Do they offer services specific to the senior's requirements? Is someone on staff available to provide details on all services, eligibility requirements and funding sources? Can you access this information online or can it be sent to you?
• Supervision and training. What professional training and certification does the agency require of its direct care providers? How frequently do the supervisors oversee the care providers to guarantee proper care is being provided?
• Documentation and coordination. Are visits documented? Do family members have easy access? Does the agency coordinate with the senior's home health team to provide a coordinated plan of care?

Caregivers

• Duration of visits. How frequently will the caregiver visit, and how long does she or he stay for each visit? Does the agency provide care on evenings, weekends, and holidays? Will the visit allow for time to engage in conversations and to get to know the senior?
• Rotation of care. Is care provided on a consistent basis by the same caregiver, or is care rotated between multiple people? If caregivers rotate, how frequently? Will the family receive advance notification when a caregiver change is made?
• Accessibility. Does the caregiver and office staff maintain frequent contact? Will they keep you informed of any changes in the older adult’s health, condition, or plan of care?

Costs

• Billing and funding. Are services covered by long-term care insurance or available grants? Do they provide printed statements outlining costs? How often is the care invoiced if there is payment due?
• Additional fees. Are there fees for specialized or extended services? Are there payment plans in place for out-of-pocket services?

We hope that if a senior you love is in Grass Valley or the surrounding areas, you’ll consider partnering with Help at Home Senior Care for your care needs. With years of experience and a full range of services, including companionship, respite care, specialized dementia care and much more, we’re here for you for a few hours a week all the way up to round-the-clock care. Reach out to us any time at (530) 885-7444 to learn more about our top-rated respite care in Grass Valley, CA and nearby areas, and to schedule a complimentary in-home consultation today.