Senior Issues Archives - Charter Home Health

Living Longer with Purpose – The Connection Between the Two

By Kunle Abodunde|2021-10-01T12:49:04-04:00October 26th, 2021|Aging at Home, Family Caregivers, Quality of Life, Senior Health, Senior Issues|

What inspires you to get up out of bed every day? The answer is different for every one of us, of course, however, there is one commonality: it may help you with living a longer life. Research is showing us that having a sense of purpose is an integral factor in longevity, something shown in Japan – the country with the highest life expectancy on earth. Remarkably, there is no word for our definition of “retirement” in the Japanese language. Instead, there is a concentration on maintaining purpose and meaning beyond a person’s working years and defining themselves according to their [...]

Learn the Facts Behind Common Hospice Myths

By Kunle Abodunde|2021-10-01T12:43:22-04:00October 14th, 2021|Alzheimer's, Caregiver Wellness, Dementia Care, Hospice, Quality of Life, Senior Health, Senior Issues|

If you knew that a much better quality of life could be achieved for a loved one, you wouldn’t hesitate to explore that option. Yet one of the most beneficial types of care – hospice care – is one that family members shy away from, because of a number of hospice myths. Hospice is meant to assist someone with a life-limiting illness to find respite from pain and other difficult symptoms, while receiving comfort, spiritual, and emotional support. Hospice care is available 24 hours a day, both for the individual needing care in addition to members of the family. And, for [...]

How Setting a Daily Routine Can Help Seniors

By Kunle Abodunde|2021-09-27T11:32:20-04:00August 26th, 2021|Dementia Care, Quality of Life, Senior Health, Senior Issues, Senior Mental Health|

Life, especially although not just during the pandemic, can be filled with uncertainness. For seniors who are feeling less in command of particular aspects of life, such as losing cognitive or physical functioning, concentrating on exactly what can be controlled is empowering. An excellent place to begin is by setting a daily routine, customized to an older adult's particular interests and needs. Keep in mind the senior’s routine is not intended to be a strict schedule to be adhered to, but merely the foundation for predictability and structure. With the older adult's direction and input, decide on a desired framework for [...]

Avoiding Elderspeak When Talking To Older Adults

By Kunle Abodunde|2021-10-21T12:32:12-04:00August 18th, 2021|Caregiver Wellness, Family Caregivers, Quality of Life, Senior Issues|

Watch what happens at your next family gathering when a brand new mom places her infant in someone else's arms. The person is likely to transition immediately into baby mode: a sing-song, high-pitched voice, exaggerated facial expressions, and overly-simplified speech. Of course, this is perfectly normal and actually beneficial to an infant’s growing brain. Hopefully, when that infant's great-grandfather enters the room, loved ones refrain from reacting similarly. However it happens so often, and can be so detrimental to the elderly, that there is a word to describe this way of talking to older adults: elderspeak. A recent research study by [...]

Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes in Elderly Adults

By Kunle Abodunde|2021-12-23T19:33:51-05:00July 20th, 2020|Senior Issues|

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly six million Americans aged 65-and-older have diabetes, with another 23 million seniors classified as being prediabetic. Unfortunately, many seniors with diabetes don’t even realize they have it. But left untreated, diabetes can cause serious health problems affecting the kidneys, heart, brain, eyes and feet.

Tips for Assisting a Senior with Incontinence

By Kunle Abodunde|2021-10-21T12:19:45-04:00July 13th, 2020|Senior Issues|

Millions of Americans live with urinary incontinence, an oftentimes embarrassing condition that causes their bodies to accidentally leak urine. Sometimes aging in place seniors with poor bladder control become less active and even socially isolated, which can place their health and well-being at risk. If you’re currently looking after a senior with incontinence, helping them enjoy a higher quality of life is possible when using these tips.

How Can I Care for My Mother If She Becomes Incapacitated?

By Kunle Abodunde|2021-08-10T17:02:01-04:00May 18th, 2020|Senior Issues|

Your elderly mother was recently diagnosed with dementia, and you can see the disease changing her with each passing month. Because mom still lives on her own, you’d like to start planning some care for her in the event she becomes incapacitated.