Home Instead Senior Care - Cary, NC

  Screen time could be the drug-free mood-booster every person with dementia needs Anyone who has cared for a senior with dementia and its accompanying negative moods — from confusion to anger, sadness to apathy — has probably wished they could flick a magic wand and turn that mood around, STAT. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy and  Generation Connect , a company that develops mobile software for use in home care, may have found a solution that’s almost that simple: screen time. Specifically, screen time spent looking at photos, listening to music or watching videos on YouTube improved the moods of half of care recipients in the pilot study. Researchers see the intervention as a promising alternative to prescribing dementia sufferers antidepressants.  How the research was done The research, conducted between 2017 and 2018, involved Generation Connect staff training caregivers to develop personalized tablet sessions for their ...

5 Ways to Thank a Caregiver on National Caregivers Day Family caregivers spend a great deal of time caring for family, neighbors and friends — an average of  24 hours of care per week , studies show. For some, it’s a full-time job. Although it may truly be a labor of love, the truth is family caregivers often feel invisible, alone and unappreciated. That’s where you come in. You can make a real difference for your family members, friends and coworkers who are caring for others. On National Caregivers Day, Feb. 17 this year, let them know you get it: You see what they are doing, and you honor and value them. I’ve been a family caregiver my entire adult life for various loved ones, and I can tell you that even the smallest gesture means so very much. Here are some ways you can demonstrate your support and appreciation. Read more HERE!

Activities of daily living: What are they and how are they used? Assessing when and what kind of additional care might be needed for a loved one or client can be tough. Independence can be difficult to gauge, and decline isn’t always apparent. The six  activities of daily living (ADLs)  and the eight instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) can be helpful in assessing whether seniors can or should continue living on their own, or if some assistance might be needed. In some cases, insurance companies, including Medicaid, might also want to do an ADL or IADL assessment to verify needs before agreeing to pay for additional care or a nursing facility. Activities of daily living (ADLs) history ADLs were developed in the 1950s by internationally renowned geriatrician Sidney Katz to help healthcare providers measure changes in physical function for patients being treated for disabling conditions, such as a broken hip or following a stroke. Katz and his multidisc...

  KEEPING AGING PARENTS AT HOME: 5 TOP CAREGIVING TIPS How to care for seniors at home for as long as possible People often say “I promised her I’d never put her in a nursing home.” or “Dad told me he never wanted to live in one of those places.” For a variety of reasons, caregivers may choose to care for their older adult at home. And as long as the situation is safe for everyone involved, keeping aging parents at home is a wonderful thing to do. But it’s important to remember that senior care is one of the toughest and most stressful jobs you’ll ever have. That’s why caregivers are at such high risk for burn out and serious health conditions. So if you’re caring for your older adult at home, it’s essential to pace yourself. That means you can’t be running at 110% every day. We’re human and that’s simply not sustainable over the long run. Pacing yourself and getting assistance helps you stay as healthy as possible so you can continue providing great care. To help yo...

  10 Things Grandparents Can Learn From Their Grandchildren Kids say and do the darndest things — especially in the eyes of their grandparents. But seniors can learn a lot from today’s children. Whether your grandkids are 2 or 22, here are some suggestions for things you can talk about and bond over. You can also check out our story on 10 Things Grandchildren Can Learn from Their Grandparents  ť Current Events Sometimes, seniors don’t get out into the world as much as they used to and time passes by. Keep yourself in the know by asking your grandchildren what’s happening in their lives, what music they’re listening to, what the last movie they saw was. Being informed is always a positive thing, and learning from your grandchildren is even better, because it means learning from those you love.   Twenty-six-year-old Laura ten Bloemendal of Houston, Texas, travels internationally, and always makes sure to tell her grandparents what she did for fun and wha...

  Alzheimer’s and dementia care: 6 options that’ll work for any family Experts agree that choosing the right Alzheimer’s or dementia care can be tricky for families, as it’s easy to get swayed by the cheerful décor of the building or promises made by a sales manager. But the less glamorous touches, such as the training level of the staff, the range of memory-enhancing activities and the ability to age in place as memory needs change, are far more important factors. “Whichever care setting you choose, it needs to be gauged to the level of your loved one’s dementia,” explains Mary Mittelman, a doctor of public health and director of NYU Langone Health’s Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias Family Support Program. In the early and mid-level stages, it’s crucial to find a balance between how much the person with Alzheimer’s can still do independently and how much help they need to stay safe, says Mittelman, who adds that the longer they can par...