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Nurturing Well-being through Indoor Gardening
Posted by Scott Cantin in Cognitive Aging, Dementia, depression, mental health, Senior Health, Winter projects | 0 comments
As we age, it’s important for us to keep ourselves physically and mentally active. Physical and mental activity is positively correlated with a lower risk of many chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Further, many of the most common ways to keep physically and mentally active involve others. However, isolation can put you at a higher risk of developing certain chronic health illnesses and conditions and worsen conditions you may already have.
To keep ourselves healthy, we must find activities we enjoy to incorporate into our regular routine. One of the best such activities is indoor gardening.
Why Indoor Gardening is Beneficial for Seniors
Indoor gardening is a great activity for seniors for several reasons. Gardening is a physical activity involving a good deal of movement. As we age, a sedentary lifestyle can, over time, begin to impair our overall mobility. But regular movement, which can include bending, stretching, lifting, and walking, can help keep us in good shape. Fortunately, gardening involves considerable movement and can keep us flexible, strong, and healthy.
Further, we all benefit from learning new things. Learning boosts our mood, helps us feel connected to the wider world, and can be a great way to socialize. Some research indicates that continuous learning can help stave off cognitive decline, dementia, and related conditions. And even experienced gardeners learn new things with each new plant and crop.
Gardening offers us a great opportunity to connect with others. When working with others, you learn about them, share a few laughs, and enjoy each other’s company. Humans are inherently social creatures, and connection is vital to our overall health and well-being. Indoor gardening with a neighbor, friend, or caregiver can be a perfect place to meet new friends and create new memories.
Year-Round Enjoyment
There’s a substantial body of research about the benefits of being in and around nature on our psychological well-being. Frequent exposure to nature can significantly reduce our stress levels, as well as our levels of depression and anxiety. It can also elevate mood and boost our levels of happiness and satisfaction. And when you consider the positive benefits that being in nature, around others, and engaged in physical activity provide, you can clearly see that gardening can have a big positive impact on our health.
Indoor gardening can also help improve the quality of the air we breathe. Plants are natural filters and can help remove harmful gases known as volatile organic compounds from the air. As a result, a well-kept indoor garden can help reduce our risk of developing chronic respiratory ailments.
Best of all, indoor gardening is an activity that can be done year-round. An indoor garden may be as simple as a few potted plants on windowsills to a room filled with indoor terrariums and large potted plants or even a greenhouse. No matter the weather conditions, you can enjoy cultivating your plants and watching them grow each day while enjoying all the benefits gardening provides.
How Seniors Can Build or Maintain Indoor Gardens
You may be new to indoor gardening and just getting started. Or you may already have an indoor garden, but mobility-related or other issues may be preventing you from maintaining it. If either is the case, chances are you’ll benefit from the excellent caregiver services in Miami Advancare provides. Our experienced, well-trained, and friendly caregivers can help you build or maintain your indoor garden and help with other light housekeeping tasks. Our agency provides in-home care services in Miami 24/7, so we have flexible service options for you.
You don’t have to garden alone. And gardening together with an experienced caregiver can be a great addition to your existing daily routine. Contact us today if you’re looking for caregiver services in Miami to help you with indoor gardening or other common household or health-related tasks.
Tips for Everyday Care for People With Dementia in Miami-Dade
Posted by Scott Cantin in caregiving tips, Dementia | 0 comments
If you’re looking after someone with dementia, your daily tasks will likely increase as the disease progresses. At some point, a person with dementia will need help bathing, brushing their teeth, combing their hair, and getting dressed. Since these are private activities, it’s critical to have a reliable caregiver to help. At Advancare, our professional, compassionate, and efficient caregivers can provide the care your loved one with dementia needs.
We offer senior home care services such as light housekeeping, dementia care, bathing and grooming, assistance with bill paying, palliative care, caring companionship, meal planning and preparation, running errands, incidental transportation, and many more. If you’re currently taking care of a senior with dementia, here are a few tips to help you provide better care.
Reduce Frustrations
People with dementia may change as the disease progresses. Part of this change is getting aggressive or agitated over people and things. Sometimes the senior may find some tasks challenging, such as bathing or dressing up, and therefore, they may resist doing these activities which can be frustrating. To reduce frustrations, establish a routine that prepares them for such tasks.
Determine what activities are perfect when they are fresh and alert. Be flexible, particularly on difficult days. It’s also prudent to take your time and anticipate that some tasks will take longer to accomplish, such as eating. Provide choices but not too many, and use simple instructions. You also need to limit daytime napping to promote quality sleep at night.
Be Flexible
As the disease progresses, a person with dementia will become more dependent. To reduce frustration, be flexible and adapt to a routine that works for you. For instance, if the person wants to wear the same shoes every day, get several pairs of identical shoes. If bathing is met with resistance, do it less often. Ask about the activities they would like to participate in and plan them. If they enjoy doing them, plan to do them every day, especially if they are healthy, such as taking a walk.
Create a Safe Environment
Dementia impairs memory and judgment problem-solving skills, increasing a person’s risk of injury. Ensure the house has adequate lighting, including the corridors, to promote safety. Avoid placing rugs, boxes, extension cords, and other items that could contribute to falls. Instead, install grab bars or handrails to increase support in critical areas. Always check the temperature of the food and drinks before serving, as the senior may not detect hot or cold items, which could lead to burns.
Focus on Individualized Care
When caring for a person with dementia, it’s always prudent to watch them and know their personality. Dementia manifests differently in different people. That means patients will likely have different symptoms. Knowing what the person likes and what they don’t like helps improve your relationship with them. It also reduces agitation, which makes your work easier. Learn to apply flexibility whenever needed and know how to read mood changes and respond appropriately. With some little help and support from family and friends, you can overcome the challenges and frustrations as they come.
Don’t forget to look after yourself. Remember, you need to be healthy to be able to care for your loved one. If you feel you need help caring for your senior loved one with dementia, our caregivers are here to help. Contact us today for a consultation.
Assisting a Senior Living Alone with Dementia in Miami-Dade
Posted by Scott Cantin in Dementia | 0 comments
Caring for a senior with dementia is not easy. It requires patience, compassion, empathy, and mental preparedness. If you have noticed specific changes in your senior loved one living alone, you may want to hire a highly qualified caregiver from Advancare to help monitor the condition and prepare for the future.
Our compassionate and caring caregivers provide senior home care services, such as light housekeeping, medication management, errand running, and bill paying. This post will cover everything you need to know to care for a senior living alone with dementia.
Understanding Dementia in Seniors
Dementia is a common condition caused by progressive loss of mental function due to certain diseases that affect the brain, such as Alzheimer’s disease. While dementia mainly affects seniors, it is not a normal aging condition, meaning it doesn’t affect everyone. The mental loss function may worsen over time, leading to memory loss, loss of reasoning, judgment, personality, behavioral changes, physical decline, and death.
Dementia is Different in Each Person
Dementia manifests itself differently in every person due to certain factors such as age, health condition, medication, state of physical health, and other environmental factors. Dementia is also common in people living alone, mainly due to loneliness and self-isolation. A dementia diagnosis doesn’t always mean that the person will immediately become incapable of caring for themselves.
The best thing you can do to help is to assist the person in remaining in familiar surroundings or their homes for as long as possible. This helps keep their mental state in check as you focus on their memory, concentration, and other brain functions. The idea is to slow down the progression of cognitive function loss and minimize symptoms.
Things the Person Living Alone May Do or Forget To Do
It’s essential to understand that some people may not have the same symptoms as others. For some, the early symptoms may show during the last stages, and some may never show at all. Here are some things you can expect a person living alone to do or forget to do.
- Forget to eat or take their medication
- Forget to bathe or change clothes
- Lack of awareness of potential hazards in the house, such as fire
- Forget to care for or feed pets
- Forget where they keep items
- They may have unrealistic, confusing ideas that can get them into trouble with family, neighbors, or police.
Ways a Caregiver Helps Seniors With Dementia
When a person keeps forgetting about these things, consider getting a caregiver to help them with the regular running of the home, such as light housekeeping and meal preparation, to avoid accidents that could injure the senior. A caregiver can also ensure that they take their medication and meals on time, boosting their health.
You can work with caregivers to give feedback about your loved one’s progress and develop ways to help manage the condition. Ideally, you want to ensure the home is safe, well-lit, and warm. Remove any hazards; faulty kitchen appliances, unsteady furniture, and loose carpets.
You can also get them independent aids to help them move safely from one place to another and stand or sit in the toilet and bathroom. Also, work with friends, family, neighbors, and others who know the senior to help keep an eye on the person.
Get in Touch for Assisted Living Dementia Care in Miami- Dade
At Advancare, we understand the needs of a person with dementia. That’s why we hire caregivers to work with you to ensure your senior loved one is happy, healthy, and comfortable. Contact us to learn more about dementia care in seniors.
The Stages of Dementia Every Caregiver in Miami-Dade Should Know
Posted by Scott Cantin in Dementia | 0 comments
Understanding the dementia timeline is key to making thoughtful medical and personal decisions regarding memory care. As a caregiver in Miami-Dade, you may want to learn and recognize these signs during the early stages to help secure a diagnosis and review the common symptoms of moderate and late stages to help prepare adequately for the future. If you live with your senior parent and have already noticed the signs, you may want to seek help from caregivers at Advancare who have experience working with senior patients with dementia.
What is Dementia?
Dementia is a general term used to describe several conditions with similar symptoms that affect the senior’s ability to think, remember, or make independent decisions in everyday activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. While dementia is most common in senior adults, it is not part of normal aging. That means not all seniors have dementia in their late years. Dementia affects:
- Memory
- Speech and communication
- Reasoning and judgment
- Focus and concentration
- Visual perception, causing hallucinations and difficulty differentiating colors
Stages of Dementia
The assessment tools used to determine a senior’s stage are guided by a rough outline. Keep in mind that some symptoms occur later than others. Others may appear in a different order, while others may appear and disappear. Some may not appear at all, and others may worsen over time. This is mainly because dementia manifests differently in every person and progression speed varies widely.
Mild Dementia
During the early stages of dementia, the person may still be able to live independently. They can work, drive and socialize. However, you may notice slight changes in their memory, such as forgetting things they would never forget to do before, and where they keep certain things. When it comes to their speech, they may struggle to find the right name or word to use. They may also, once in a while, make poor or bad judgments when doing things they did perfectly, such as measuring flour.
Moderate Dementia
The middle stage is usually the longest and may last for many years. During this stage, the person’s symptoms may progress, and they may need help in their daily activities. Apart from speech and memory loss, you may also notice that the person suddenly becomes angry, frustrated, or happy. They can refuse to bathe, eat or go to bed when you ask them to. They may have difficulty expressing themselves and begin experiencing delusions, hallucinations, and paranoia. During this stage, it’s essential to have a caregiver who can provide quality home care services and proper dementia care.
Severe Dementia
In the final stages of dementia, the seniors may completely lose their ability to interact or engage with the world, but they may be able to talk and answer questions. However, they may not express their thoughts, such as telling you where they are feeling pain. This stage requires complete 24/7 help with daily activities and personal care as the person gradually loses their ability to walk, sit or swallow.
The Importance of Health Care and Early Detection
Even if the stages of dementia aren’t the same for everyone, they can guide you on what to do and expect. You will want to be financially and emotionally prepared to care for the person and find ways to cope with behavior changes and symptoms.
If you need caregiving services in Miami, FL, our caregivers at Advancare provide specialized and affordable home care services. Contact us today to learn how our services can help your senior adult.
How to Diagnose Dementia in Miami
Posted by Scott Cantin in Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia | 0 comments
Dementia is a catchall term for memory, social, and thinking symptoms that disrupt the person’s daily function. Alzheimer’s Disease, for example, is one of the most common causes of dementia, but it is far from the only one. Having a loved one diagnosed with dementia can be a terrifying experience. Learning about the symptoms and stages of dementia, as well as dementia aftercare options, will help you better prepare for life with this disease.
Dementia Stages
Dementia can go through five stages, though these stages can vary depending on what part of the brain has been affected. The dementia stages include:
- No Impairment
No signs of dementia, but tests may alert the doctor to a potential problem.
- Questionable Impairment
Signs of slight memory loss is there, but nothing that makes a major impact on their daily life.
- Mild Impairment
This is the stage when disruptions to the sufferer’s daily life typically begins. Problems keeping up with personal care and difficulty with directions are two common signs that your loved one is in the dementia stage. At this stage, some patients can still live in their home, but may require the help of light housekeeping services.
- Moderate Impairment
The fourth dementia stage usually causes issues with their ability to maintain personal hygiene and their short-term memory is affected.
- Severe Impairment
At this stage of dementia your loved one doesn’t have the ability to care for themselves and will need the help of a dementia caregiver. Reach out to Advancare, the trusted caregivers in Miami-Dade Advancare, immediately if your loved one has severe impairment.
What to Expect
The first thing to expect with dementia is short-term memory loss. This loss will start off small and gradually become worse. As the disease worsens, forgetfulness will become more severe, and they may even forget their name, who their family members are, and where they live. While in the early dementia stages, your loved one will most like could care for themselves. Unfortunately, how long a dementia patient can maintain their independence varies greatly from one person to the next. For some, the disease progresses rapidly, while others live for years without needing help from a caregiver.
How to Diagnose Dementia in Miami
Diagnosing dementia doesn’t rely on one single test. Instead, doctors use the patients’ medical history, laboratory tests, behavior, physical examination, and changes to the person’s daily functions and characteristics. Another thing to remember is that while doctors can diagnose dementia with certainty, it is harder for them to determine what type of dementia the patient has. This is because most types of dementia have the same or similar brain changes and symptoms.
When to Call a Professional
Knowing when the right time to call a professional for a dementia patient will ensure they have the highest quality of life. If they require 24-hour supervision and care, are unable to speak or control their movements, or are battling an infection, then you should seek the help of dementia care professionals. Consult with their doctor if you’re still unsure if it is the right time to place your loved one in a Miami-Dade aftercare home.
If you need help caring for a loved one with dementia and don’t know where to turn, call Advancare, the trusted caregivers in Miami-Dade, today. Our staff is happy to discuss what aftercare options we have for people dealing with dementia and how we can help them, as well as their family.
Can You Prevent Dementia in the Greater Miami-Dade Area?
Posted by Scott Cantin in caregiving, caregiving tips, Dementia, mental health | 0 comments
What Causes & Prevents Dementia in Mimia
Although simply getting older is the biggest risk factor for dementia, there are certain things you can do to reduce your risk. Researchers are still investigating how dementia develops, but keeping active, staying healthy, and exercising your mind are all ways to help fight off the memory condition.
Here at Advancare, our team of compassionate caregivers have some tips on preventing dementia. If your senior loved ones have contracted dementia, our in-home caregiving services are a great care solution, as we understand the cognitive and physical challenges that go along with the disease.
What Causes Dementia?
Some dementia causes, or risk factors, are difficult or even impossible to change. These include:
- Age: The older you get, the higher your chance of developing dementia
- Genetics: While genes alone are not thought to cause dementia, certain genetic factors are involved with some of the less common types of the disease. Dementia develops because of a combination of behavioral and genetic factors.
- Lower levels of education
When answering the question, can you prevent dementia, our Miami caregivers will tell you that these are risk factors that can be controlled and reduced:
- High alcohol consumption: Drinking too much alcohol increases your risk of developing dementia. Reduce your alcohol intake to lower your risk of contracting dementia.
- Smoking: If you’re a smoker, you’re putting yourself at a higher risk of developing dementia. You also increase your risk of developing other conditions, including stroke, lung cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
- Unhealthy eating: A healthy and balanced diet can reduce your risk of dementia. Eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and proteins, and be sure to drink six to eight glasses of healthy fluids per day.
- Physical inactivity: Sedentary seniors are more likely to develop dementia. Physical activity is good for your heart, circulation, weight, and mental well-being. Even 10 minutes of activity per day can help.
Alternative Treatments
There are a growing number of dietary supplements, herbal remedies, and medical foods that are promoted as ways to prevent dementia. However, the Alzheimer’s Association cautions against the use of the following, because claims about their effectiveness are based on testimonials rather than rigorous scientific research.
- Coconut oil
- Coenzyme Q10
- Coral calcium
- Ginkgo biloba
How Diet and Lifestyle Can Impact Memory
Both diet and lifestyle can play a large role in memory and dementia. First, a diet that is high in saturated fat, salt and sugar, and low in fiber can increase your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. All of those conditions can go on to cause dementia and memory loss.
Additionally, lifestyle choices, such as physical activity and exercise, can also affect memory loss. A lack of regular exercise can increase your risk of contracting heart disease and becoming overweight, both of which are risk factors for dementia.
Get in Touch with Caregivers in Miami
The in-home senior care services provided by our compassionate caregivers can play a huge role in preventing dementia and memory. Contact us at 305-441-9794 to get started.
Miami’s Innovative Music Therapy Helping Alzheimer’s & Dementia Patients
Posted by Scott Cantin in Dementia | 0 comments
Six Benefits of Music Therapy for Miami Seniors
Music is more than something that can get your blood pumping at the club or a means to entertain you as you’re cruising down the highway. When used properly, music can also be a form of therapy that can benefit people of all ages, including senior citizens.
Request a FREE evaluation today!
What is Music Therapy?
If you’ve never thought of music in a therapeutic sense, it may be difficult for you to think of it as a kind of therapy. Knowing what music therapy is can give you a clearer picture of its therapeutic applications, however. According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy is, “an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of individuals.”
How Music Therapy Can Help
When music therapy is part of senior care in Miami and other locations, it can provide some meaningful benefits to people who participate in it. Even people who aren’t particularly fond of music can benefit from this type of therapy!
Cognitive Skills
Many people associate music with events from their past, which means music can bring memories from years ago to the front of a person’s mind. Even when a dementia patient can’t communicate anymore, music has been proven to be an effective treatment for evoking positive responses and increasing engagement.
Speech
As it progresses, music therapy can help older participants improve their speech and enhance their ability to respond to inquiries and make decisions. Music therapy can slow the deterioration of language skills in people who have dementia and it can help individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease to recognize and/or hum their favorite tunes even after they lose their speech abilities.
Motor Skills
Music and dancing go hand in hand, which means music therapy can get senior participants up, moving around and socializing. Even if patients lack the mobility to dance, they can still tap to the beat of the music or clap their hands.
Socialization Opportunities
Music therapy involves plenty of chances for seniors to interact with their therapists and other patients. The socialization opportunities that are inherently available in music therapy sessions can help seniors ward off feelings of being isolated, lonely or depressed, which can improve their physical health and sense of mental well-being.
Stress Management
People suffering from dementia don’t always handle changes to their daily routines well. Music therapy can help patients adjust to changes in a calm, non-aggressive manner.
Grief Management
Music therapists can help terminal patients transition to the afterlife in a more relaxed state by playing songs that reduce their physical pain and emotional distress. They can also help a patient’s family members manage their grief with the help of music by making a legacy gift of a CD that includes their dying loved one’s favorite songs or by composing a song that celebrates the patient’s life.
Elderly Companion Care by Advancare
Music therapy is often part of the elderly companion care we provide for seniors living throughout Miami-Dade County. If therapy sessions are held outside of the home, our team can transport you or your loved one to the appropriate medical facility whenever a music therapy session is scheduled.
Call (305) 441-9794 the proven source for compassionate senior care in Miami, FL and surrounding areas.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Facts
Posted by Scott Cantin in Alzheimer's Disease, caregiving, caregiving tips, Dementia, depression, elderly care, home care, mental health, Senior Health | 0 comments
Understanding the Difference – Alzheimer’s & Dementia
Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease of the brain. It is the leading cause of dementia, which is a term for a group of symptoms including memory loss, impaired judgment, loss of language, and reduced motor skills. There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
New Advancements in Alzheimer’s Treatment
Posted by Scott Cantin in Alzheimer's Disease, caregiving, caregiving tips, Dementia, elderly care, health innovations, home care, injury recovery, mental health, Senior Health | 0 comments
There are many new advancements in the medical field every single day. Many of these advancements are extremely surprising to a lot of people. It can be quite exciting when someone finds a possible treatment that is not only effective, but also easy to obtain and relatively cheap. That is exactly what happened to Dr. Mary Newport and her husband, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
How Art Therapy Could Help Caregivers in Caregiving
Posted by Scott Cantin in caregiver stress, caregiving tips, Dementia, mental health | 0 comments
Imagine yourself sitting in a chair on a fine morning. You find yourself staring off into space without much of a coherent train of thought. Then you suddenly find a canvas in front of you with a table of brushes and paint. Without thinking twice, you create colors from strokes. Before you know it, time has passed and you’ve created something but you still don’t remember what you’re doing here.
