Two Tips for Moving Elderly Parents

While it may look simple, moving elderly parents from their current home or apartment to a new home can be very difficult without the proper knowledge or assistance. You may wonder as to what is the best way to help in moving your elderly parent when they are agitated, unsure, or depressed.

Whether their new home is close by or far away, here are two ways that you can make the transition smoother for everyone.

1. Bring what is important to them

Moving to a new home can be a very emotionally charged process for both you and your loved one. It can be a comfort to your elderly parents if they keep items that are important to them, and bring them to their new home. Make sure to ask their new home if there are any restrictions on what they can bring. Having items they care about and that remind them of who they are, and what they care about, will help your loved one maintain who they are and their unique sense of identity wherever they go.

      2. Help them pack

Help your loved one pack, but let them tell you what items they want to include in their new home/room. Also, plan to talk it out with them well before beginning to pack if there is anything you have an issue with them bringing, or that you think would not be safe (a commemorative knife, for example).

As always, if you need assistance locating a new home for your loved one, Peppermint Palm Placement Services is here to help you find senior placement in California, senior placement in Sacramento, or senior placement in the Bay Area. We can help in multiple states and throughout California.

Tips for Seniors to Stay Healthy in the Heat!

Take measures to stay cool, remain hydrated, and keep informed. Getting too hot can make you sick. You can become ill from the heat if your body can’t compensate for it and properly cool you off. The main things affecting your body’s ability to cool itself during extremely hot weather are:

• High humidity. When the humidity is high, sweat won’t evaporate as quickly, which keeps your body from releasing heat as fast as it may need to.
• Personal factors. Age, obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn, and prescription drug and alcohol use can play a role in whether a person can cool off enough in very hot weather.

Those who are at highest risk include people 65 and older, children younger than two, and people with chronic diseases or mental illness.  Closely monitor people who depend on you for their care and ask these questions:

• Are they drinking enough water?
• Do they have access to air conditioning?
• Do they need help keeping cool?

People at greatest risk for heat-related illness can take the following protective actions to prevent illness or death:

• Stay in air-conditioned buildings as much as possible. Contact your local health department or locate an air-conditioned shelter in your area. Air-conditioning is the number one protective factor against heat-related illness and death. If a home is not air-conditioned, people can reduce their risk for heat-related illness by spending time in public facilities that are air-conditioned, and using air conditioning in vehicles.
• Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device during an extreme heat event.
• Drink more water than usual and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
• Check on a friend or neighbor and have someone do the same for you.
• Don’t use the stove or oven to cook—it will make you and your house hotter.

VIA: https://www.cdc.gov/features/extremeheat/index.html

As we age, it can get harder and harder to maintain old friendships and find new ones. Yet, friendships improve our happiness and wellbeing. Read below for our tips on how to find new friends over 60.

#1 Say YES!

Adopt a positive attitude, even when joining a new group or activity may seem nerve-wracking. Pick an activity that you are interested in, research local opportunities, then drop in and see if you can meet some kindred spirits.

#2 Initiate and Invite

When you feel ready to have new people in your home, consider inviting people to a casual dinner or pot luck. This is a great way to get to know people in a comfortable setting.

#3 Make Friendship a Priority

Once you have a few people that you like to spend time with, remember that to maintain the bond, you have to set aside time for them. It’s easier than ever to chat or text by phone, but remember to put in the work of getting together once a week in person.

As a caregiver, you can be busy–to say the least! Peppermint Palm Senior Care provides senior placement services in Assisted Living/RCFEs, but we also like to give you tips to manage your life, no matter what level of care you need. These tips will help you get more done, have a clearer mind, and feel energetic and productive!

Placement Services in Sacramento and the Bay Area.

🎈 Work Better and Feel Healthier–Now! 🎈

We find placement for adults throughout the Bay Area and in Northern California, as well as Sacramento. Locating Assisted Living in Sacramento or Assisted Living in the Bay Area can be difficult, but with our resources we have helped many–and can help you too!

Tips for Managing Caregiver Stress

#1: Stop Multitasking
Experts have connected multitasking to increased stress and poor memory. Do one thing at a time, and limit your cell phone and e-mail use to working hours only. If you are using senior placement services, we can call at a time that’s best for you!

#2: Recall a Past Success

Taking five minutes to reflect on how you succeeded in other stressful situations can help you be more calm.

#3: Focus on Your Senses for a Few Minutes

For just a few minutes a day, practice mindfulness—focus only on what’s going on in the present. Focus on what you see, feel, hear, smell.

     1. Stop Drinking. Studies show that the rate of hip fractures in older adults increases with alcohol use.

Drinking too much alcohol over a long time can have the following effects upon Adults:

• Lead to some kinds of cancer, liver damage, immune system disorders, and brain damage
• Worsen some health conditions like memory loss and diabetes, as well as mood disorders
• Make some medical problems hard for doctors to find and treat—for example, alcohol causes changes in the heart and blood vessels.
• Cause some older people to be forgetful and confused—these symptoms could be mistaken for signs of Alzheimers Disease.

2. Talk to your loved one about their anxiety or depression. 

• If you’re concerned about an older person experiencing anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, or just not coping, then it is important to take the first step. Begin a conversation; your support and concern may make all the difference.

Understanding Your Parent’s Grief

A grieving person can’t function at 100 percent, so the initial months after your parent’s death aren’t a time for your parent to start new projects or make major decisions. Their normal functions will return, even though you may find them doing abnormal things. Such behavior isn’t surprising; they are grieving. Signs of grief include:

• Forgetfulness. Your usually organized parent may miss appointments, lock their keys in the car or mail unsigned checks with his bills. You can help them by being patient, reminding them that these are symptoms of grief and suggesting that he write down reminders to themselves.
• Disorganization. Your parent may find that it takes a lot longer to finish everyday tasks. He may not manage their time well — leaving one project unfinished and going on to something else. You might help them plan a schedule, or offer to work with them. Spending time together and focusing on something other than the grief can bring you closer together, as well as ease their sense of isolation and loneliness.
• Inability to concentrate. During the early stages of bereavement, the mind wanders. Your newly widowed parent may find it impossible to stay focused. It may be difficult for them to read a book or even to stick with a TV show. Reading a newspaper may take longer than before, and retaining information may be difficult. You can help by highlighting important points, or even reading aloud with them. Bereaved people can be dangerous on the highways due to their inability to concentrate. They’re also susceptible to unexpected crying spells. Warn your parent to be extra careful when driving or handling potentially dangerous equipment, such as a lawn mower or even a garbage disposal in a sink.
• Lack of interest or motivation. Your parent might say: “Why work so hard? We just die anyway” or “I was doing all this for your mother/father, and now they’re dead. Why bother?” Let them express their feelings, and offer them love and support. But if you worry that he might actually hurt themselves, or if you notice them dealing with their sadness by using alcohol or drugs, talk to their physician immediately.

from: https://americanhospice.org/working-through-grief/helping-a-grieving-parent/