Expert Home Care NJ - New Jersey Home Health

NJ Senior Health

Depression among seniors is a growing concern, with an estimated 40% of the elderly with medical problems also showing signs of depression.

How do you spot in depression in an aging loved one?  The following are all possible symptoms of depression:

• Exhaustion

• Lack of interest in hobbies

• Lack of interest in socializing with family and/or friends

• Weight loss, loss of appetite

• Change in sleeping patterns or not being able to sleep for more than a few hours at a time

• Feeling bad for one’s self

• Drug or alcohol abuse

• Worrying about dying

Here is a list of things that can be done if any of these signs are apparent:

• Look for activities you can do with your elderly loved one that he/she enjoys.

• Help them make plans with friends and encourage them to make plans with their friends.

• Help them prepare healthy meals, which contain fruits and vegetables.

• Help them get treatment for their depression and make sure they follow through with medical appointments and the proper medication.

• Watch for signs of relapse and get professional help as soon as possible.

• Simply spend time with them and show them you care.

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care provides professional and reliable care for depressed seniors, helping them manage their illness since 1984. Please call us when you need help at 800-848-2336.

Posted by: Frank Esposito, Vice President of Expert Home Care

Many seniors suffer from type 2 diabetes (which affects about 95% of those with diabetes) and battle to keep it under control.

Diabetes is characterized by hyperglycemia (excess blood sugar) and insulin resistance (which prevents glucose from entering the cells and, instead, builds it up in the blood).  A diabetic may not show any symptoms for many years.  As a result, many overlook the most common initial symptoms – increased thirst and frequent urination. This a result of excess glucose in the bloodstream sucking water from tissues, thus forcing the body to take in more liquid and, as a result, excrete more fluid.

What Can Be Done?

The single most effective treatment, and best prevention, is gradual and permanent weight loss.   This means eating less and exercising more.

One can start by cutting out desserts and avoiding second portions.  Increase the consumption of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains that are high in complex carbohydrates, and decrease the amount of red meat and sugars.  Avoid alcoholic beverages.

It is important to consult a physician about medications, since there can be serious side effects and contraindications.   In addition, seniors with diabetes need to:

• Have regular blood tests.

• Have their eyes checked regularly to keep track of diabetic retinopathy.

• Monitor their weight and blood pressure.

• Check the health of their feet for any signs of foot ulcers or infections

• Monitor their levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.

• Conduct regular urine tests to look for any kidney problems

• Get vaccinated against influenza and pneumonia as a precaution against additional infection

• Stop smoking

• Manage stress

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors has been educating diabetic seniors and helping them manage their illness since 1984. Please call us when you need help at 800-848-2336.

Posted by: Frank Esposito, President of Expert Home Care

NJ Senior Living & Lifestyle: Senior Exercise

If a senior has lived to the ripe old age of, say 80, or even 90, why worry about exercise?  Well, in addition to making you look and feel good, regular exercise lowers the risk for heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure and obesity.

It maintains mobility, keeps bones and muscles strong, promotes good balance, and combats frailty.  It increases metabolic rate and burns calories, decreases body fat, improves immune function and promotes bone density.

Recent research also shows that regular exercise can reverse age-related brain decline, affecting such executive-control brain functions as task coordination, planning, goal maintenance, working memory and the ability to switch tasks.

Regular moderate exercise that makes a person breathless increases the speed and sharpness of thought, the actual volume of brain tissue, and the way in which the brain functions. Those with higher levels of physical fitness had less evidence of deterioration in gray matter (involved in thinking) than did less fit peers.

Even frail seniors can and should exercise – once they get the green light from their medical professional.  A body is just like a car – it needs to be used to keep working properly.   Here are some things to consider:

• Start slowly and build.  If something hurts, take a break.

• Wear loose fitting clothes, keep yourself hydrated and wear comfortable sneakers.

• Include activities that enhance strength, endurance, balance and flexibility.

• Seek out activities you enjoy so you won’t view exercising as a chore.

• Aerobic exercise or cardiovascular conditioning is extremely beneficial for seniors.  It allows the heart and lungs to work out at an elevated rate, supplies oxygen to the muscles, and improves the overall efficiency of the cardiovascular system.

Exercise physiologists like Sal Fichera, author of the book Stop Aging – Start Training and a recent guest on Focus on Seniors Radio with David Goodman, places an emphasis on weight or resistance training needs.  He suggests beginning with lighter and manageable weights and fewer repetitions, and increasing over time.

Get out there and start exercising!

Posted by: Frank Esposito, Vice President of Expert Home Care in New Jersey

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors has been providing senior care, home care & live-in care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when you need help at 800-848-2336. Click for a Free Home Care Consumer Guide for selecting the most appropriate home care agency for your loved one.

Burnout From Caring For A Loved One With Alzheimer’s

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimers often leads to such symptoms as denial, anger, social withdrawal, anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, and irritability.  It can be an all-consuming 24-hour-a-day, seven-day a week grind.

What can you do?  At Expert Home Care, we suggest the following:

• Manage your stress level. Use various relaxation techniques to ease the stress and consult your doctor.

• Take care of yourself. Don’t ignore your own health, or you’ll suffer burn out.   Watch your diet, exercise and get plenty of sleep.

• Join a support group. There are many others out there like you and there is support in numbers.

• Do legal and financial planning. There are issues that need to be discussed – make sure you take care of these sooner rather than later.

• Give yourself a break. Bring in a home health aide to assist with the activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, toileting and feeding) or to help around the house.  This can help you recharge your batteries several hours during the day or, by choosing respite care, for a long weekend.

• Don’t be a martyr. You are not expected to do it all alone.  Seek the support of family, friends and community resources.

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors has been providing senior care, home care & live-in care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when you need help at 800-848-2336. Click for a Free Home Care Consumer Guide for selecting the most appropriate home care agency for your loved one.

Posted By: Frank

1. Choose to take charge of your life, and don’t let your loved one’s illness or disability always take center stage.
2. Remember to be good to yourself. Love, honor and value yourself. You’re doing a very hard job and you deserve some quality time, just for you.
3. Watch out for signs of depression, and don’t delay in getting professional help when you need it.
4. When people offer to help, accept the offer and suggest specific things that they can do.
5. Educate yourself about your loved one’s condition. Information is empowering.
6. There’s a difference between caring and doing. Be open to technologies and ideas that promote your loved one’s independence.
7. Trust your instincts. Most of the time they’ll lead you in the right direction.
8. Grieve for your losses, and then allow yourself to dream new dreams.
9. Stand up for your rights as a caregiver and a citizen.
10. Seek support from other caregivers. There is great strength in knowing you are not alone.

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help - 800-848-2336.

Empowerment for Family Caregivers

What does it mean to become empowered? NFCA defines empowerment as a sense of confidence in your ability to bring about positive changes in your circumstances and to rise above the day to day challenges you face in your caregiver journey. It’s the optimism we strive for to take a positive approach in an effort to achieve a better quality of life for ourselves and our family. Sometimes it is the tiny changes we make in our lives which can have the most profound impact towards a much healthier and positive outlook.

Four Principles to Live By Include:

Believe in yourself and take charge of your life.
Protect your health
Reach out for help
Speak up for yourself and stand up for your rights

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help - 800-848-2336.

Skills Needed for Advocating for your Loved One:

Educate yourself regarding your loved ones illness/and or disability.
Communicate efficiently and succinctly with healthcare professionals.
Recognize you are a healthcare consumer and deserve quality healthcare.
Understand you are an important member of the healthcare team.
Give input and ask questions.
Pick your battles and don’t sweat the small stuff.
Realize that sometimes it is the squeaky wheel which produces results.

We all go through varying stages of emotions when our lives have been transformed by becoming a family caregiver. Research has shown there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. All of these emotions are part of the framework which makes up our learning to adjust and cope to our life as a family caregiver while we watch someone we love struggle with chronic illness.

On occasion some become sufficiently angry and search for ways to deal with their anger by channeling it into a constructive endeavor and caring enough to become activists for a much larger cause. Sometimes we will find the energy and passion not only to advocate for our loved one’s well-being but for all family caregivers.

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help - 800-848-2336.

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help - 800-848-2336.

Doctors are faced with questions everyday regarding even the most common ailments. Many people who experience these symptoms write them off as minor and may not seek medical attention when it’s needed. Here we provide you the information you need to determine whether your symptoms may indicate a greater medical issue.

What could it mean when you’ve experienced unexpected weight loss?

• Diabetes (symptoms include weight loss, intense thirst and frequent urination)
• Depression (experiencing weight loss, apathy and insomnia)
• Stomach Ulcer (indicated by weight loss, severe and recurrent upper abdominal pain)

Why is your cough persisting even after you’ve recovered from a respiratory illness (i.e. the flu)?

• Pneumonia/lung inflammation (cough worsens as opposed to improving)

What might the sudden onset of an itchy rash mean?

• Anaphylactic shock; a severe allergic reaction to medication, food or bug bite (signs may include the appearance of hives, and swelling around the mouth or face). Emergency treatment is required!

When might your severe headaches be telling you?

• Tumor (symptoms are blurred/double vision, loss of peripheral vision, instability when standing or walking, nausea and/or vomiting)
• Aneurism/mild stroke (sensation described as “unlike anything you’ve ever felt before, with a sudden onset of symptoms)

When could your chest pain be more than indigestion?

• Heart attack (experiencing severe pain in center of chest, also felt in shoulders, arms or back, nausea and sweating and/or shortness of breath)
• Angina/ arteriosclerosis; hardening of the arteries (symptoms include dull heavy chest pain brought on by physical strain or extreme emotion which disappears with the reduction of physical and emotional stress)

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms or have concerns about any persistent medical issues, please contact your physician as soon as possible.

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help - 800-848-2336.

The bathroom and the kitchen are not the only places where your family member can get hurt. Most households have other danger zones as well. Controlling access to these areas becomes an issue sooner or later in most caregiving households.

When you care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, accessibility can be a double-edged concern. You may want to make some areas in your home “off-limits”, such as outside doors, stairways, closets and other places where important or potentially harmful materials are stored. On the other hand, you may want to improve access to some areas - making tubs and showers more accessible or making stairways and outside steps easier to use.

As a rule of thumb, try to improve access in areas that encourage the person to do things independently as long as it is safe. Limit access when the family member’s abilities and understanding have diminished to the point that he or she needs supervision to be in an area.

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help - 800-848-2336.

Without wheels

“Many people can drive safely through their later years. As a group, older drivers are typically safe drivers. Drivers age 64 and older represent 14 percent of the driving population but just 8 percent of vehicular accidents,“ says Maureen Mohyde, director of Corporate Gerontology at The Hartford, and co-author of “We Need to Talk: Family Conversations with Older Drivers.”

About two-thirds of older drivers self-regulate or voluntarily restrict their driving to avoid night driving, slippery road conditions, rush hour or other difficult driving conditions, she adds.

As a concerned family member, relative or friend, it’s good to be proactive. There are positive things you can do to reduce driving risks and auto fatalities. The first step is to start talking about the subject before it becomes an issue.

You can broach the subject a number of ways. Talk about heavy traffic or road construction. Bring up news reports of an auto accident or announcement of a new senior transportation service. Deteriorating health, new medications or a recent fender-bender clearly mean it’s time to talk.

For help getting started, check out the free 24-page “ We Need to Talk: Family Conversations with Older Drivers,” produced by The Hartford in cooperation with the MIT Age Lab. The guide and video are available at: http://www.thehartford.com/talkwitholderdrivers/.

Key to any decision-making is driving  frequently enough with your elderly parent, relative, friend or client to know if they should still get behind the wheel. Some problems to watch for include: riding the break, hitting curbs, failure to stop at stop signs, running a red light, getting lost or confusing the gas and break pedals.

Finally, start investigating the options so that you can come to the table with transportation alternatives. Family members, friends, public transportation, taxis, senior services programs, non-profit organizations and churches offer a variety of ways to get around.

Most important of all, when it’s time to stop driving, be sure to let your loved one know they are only giving up their keys, not their lives.