When it comes to ageing, seniors often experience loss of strength and energy. They feel much less inclined to engage in physical activity, regardless if it involves simple things like walking, or doing special exercise. However, according to home care specialists and professionals, seniors need to retain their physical activity. It protects them against cognitive decline and keeps them in good shape. 

If you have a loved one and you are struggling with the issue, you can follow some of these recommendations on the matter: 

• Go at an easy pace – a lot of seniors don’t do any exercising because they are scared of falling or otherwise hurting themselves in the process. If they are not able to keep up a fast pace, they will be more reluctant to join a local group for gym exercise or something similar along those lines. That is why you should always encourage a slow pace of exercise, to keep them motivated and in good shape. That is a strategy many home care practitioners employ, to keep ageing individuals engaged in physical activity that is right for them. 
  
  
• Hydration is very important – dehydration is a major issue for many seniors, who simply forget to drink enough water. You should stay on top of the issue and always encourage them, while at the same time limiting sugary beverages. Staying hydrated means better concentration, less feeling of dizziness and disorientation. The result is that the person will feel more willing to do something, instead of just lying down and napping. Always bring bottles of water to your senior loved ones and remind them to drink. 
  
  
• Make the activity fun – if the physical activity feels like a chore, the senior will be less inclined to engage in it. That is why you should aim to make it more enjoyable. For instance, you can suggest dancing. It is a simple enough pastime, but also a way to engage in physical activity that is helpful for them. Other examples of fun activities include gardening, swimming for seniors and going on walks. 
  
  
• Encourage healthy eating – physical abilities and the food one eats always go together hand in hand. A senior needs to be on a healthy diet, such as one that includes a good dose of vegetables and fruits. Whole grains, nuts and other energy-boosters will help them retain some energy and be more likely to engage in some form of physical activity. 
• Ensure they get sufficient rest – if the senior is overworking and getting tired too much, they will eventually stop doing it, as it is too taxing. Physical activity should feel like something that enhances one’s health, not cause them to feel miserable and tired. That is why it is important to always incorporate sufficient time for rest and recovery into their routine. 30-minute of light exercise per day is good, but there should be enough time for them to rest afterwards. 
  
  
• Encouragement helps – a positive attitude is required for seniors and for yourself to be able to support them on the quest of getting enough physical activity. The goal is to always shift the agenda towards things that the seniors can do, and away from the things they cannot do. Positive encouragement goes a long way! 
  
  

When you remember these tips and strategies for a senior one to get more physical exercise, you can bet that they will be able to live a healthier life and be better off in their day-to-day dealings. 

© Home Care Preferred Exeter

Live-in carers reside inside the home of the person they are caring for, thus having the ability to provide care at all times. Live-in carers have duties similar to those of hourly carers, assisting with medical conditions, but there is no rush to get things done. Live-in carers will also provide more support at home with cooking meals, running errands, taking care of pets, managing the household and more. The immediate availability of live-in care allows you to prevent falls, accidents and to help with hospital admissions if the need arises. The quick response provided by live-in carers can be greatly beneficial to your health. But there is more you can enjoy with this type of care:

• Companionship

The most important aspect of home care is companionship. In the UK alone, more than half of the people over 75 years old live alone, with many of them reporting feelings of isolation and loneliness. The risk of serious health conditions such as heart disease and feelings of loneliness have been linked by research into the condition. The risks of high blood pressure, stroke and similar conditions are also elevated. Ensuring a person’s social needs are also covered alongside their physical well-being is important to their general health. For those who receive care, having a trusting relationship with their carer is an important cornerstone of their dignity, since live-in care provides people with a solution for loneliness.

• Having Independence

Hourly care services may be convenient for people who want to have as little disruption as possible in their daily lives. For live-in care, a bedroom in the home must be provided to accommodate the live-in carer and their belongings. That would allow them to adjust to the new living arrangements. The hourly care visits are usually arranged at times of the day suiting the household, meaning there is only a small degree of change that is necessary to ensure support at home.

• Freedom of Choice

In some cases, without the ensured assistance of a relative or a carer, people are restricted in how they can spend their lives. The help of a live-in carer ensures you will be able to carry out your daily life without worrying about the little details. Live-in care provides flexibility, as it encourages the elderly or those supported to enjoy activities outside their home, take part in their hobbies, community events, visit local attractions and more. On the other hand, hourly support outside your home must be arranged on a case-by-case basis with your care provider.

• Care Fees

To ensure you have long term care, you must consider the costs involved in your circumstances. Both live-in care and hourly care have different costs, depending on the specific needs of a person, but domiciliary care is charged at an hourly rate, while the live-in care fees are every week.

• Dealing with Complex Care

When it comes to people with high dependency issues, the belief that care homes and residential care facilities are the only options out there is common. However, full-time live-in care can be a better option, something that allows the person to receive the specialist, expert assistance they need in the comfort of their home. Specialist live-in carers are trained with the knowledge to provide care for a range of conditions, such as Parkinson’s, dementia, Alzheimer’s and more. Many of the live-in care services out there are led by nurses, meaning their clinical duties can also be carried out within the client’s home. They can help people no matter what their condition may be.

©Home Care Preferred Barnet

One of the main reasons why caregivers choose this career path is because it is a rewarding and fulfilling one. The positive impact of it doesn’t just extend towards the people receiving care, but also those that provide it. Caregivers are open to new experiences and better relationships with others. 

Whether it is access to new life skills, or just getting a better sense of purpose, the benefits of caregiving are many. Let’s have a closer look at some of them: 

• Feeling a sense of accomplishment – by taking care of someone else, a caregiver is always overcoming challenging obstacles. Whether it be just to be a companion and engage in conversation, or help a person with mobility issues around, there is a list of never-ending tasks that the caregiver needs to address. And while there is no denying the fact that all of this is stressful, it is also rewarding. There is nothing quite like the feeling of overcoming difficulties day after day and helping others in the process. It leads to a special sense of accomplishment, which compares to nothing else in life. 
  
  
• Feeling good about oneself – compared to many other day jobs, caring for others offers certain benefits that are not present elsewhere. For example, it makes a person feel needed because their focus is primarily on people in need. With that, it is certainly adding more meaning and purpose to one’s life, helping people distinguish what is important – personal connection, being good to others and feeling like you have done something about them. 
  
  
• Building a strong relationship – if there is one thing that caring for others helps build, it is strong relationships and empathy towards others. Being able to connect with them, even during their hardest and most challenging times, is a special feeling, which many caregivers report. The added effect of it is that a caregiver not only becomes closer to the person they are caring for. In addition, they also become closer to friends and other family members. 
  
  
• Experiencing personal growth – taking care of someone with special needs makes carers learn new ways of doing things and approaching tasks. These new experiences can be an invaluable asset in their own lives, whether it is something as simple as doing chores or planning for the future. 
  
  

Choosing a care provider 

There are many agencies out there that deal with care services. Whether it be care homes or live-in care, there are flexible options that exist to help elderly individuals and those with special conditions in need. It is important to know what sort of care you or your family members need before you set out to search. Sometimes it is possible to rely on care home service, and in other cases, an agency can provide a caregiver for live-in care service, which is essentially living with the person in need in their own home. When choosing a care provider, always remember to look for: 

• Experience – this is a demanding task and it requires experienced carers who know how to deal with the challenges it presents. 
  
  
• Flexibility – people’s needs change and the agency needs to remain flexible in what they can provide. If a visit from a carer 2-3 times a week used to be enough, but now an elderly individual has constant need of care, then being able to update the plan to a full live-in care solution is the way to go. 
  
  

© Home Care Preferred Barnet  

Respite care is a very important aspect that is part of any care plan. It benefits not just the receiver, but also the carer. It provides both parties with a chance to take a break from the care tasks and recharge. 

If you are currently in the role of a home carer for a loved one, you know just how challenging it can be at times. It won’t be long before you find the need for a short break, to address your own physical and mental wellbeing and good health. You need some time for yourself, especially when you have been doing home care for a long period. That is where respite care comes into play. 

All about respite care

Respite care is essentially a temporary form of a care service, which makes it possible for the main carer to be replaced by another. When someone else takes over the care duties for some time, the main carer can use that time to take a much-needed break. It is also good for the care recipient, who benefits from a better quality of service. Respite care can be easily provided at the home of the recipient by a live-in carer. Other reasons why it is good to resort to respite care include running a trial period for residential live-in care, to find out if it is a good match. It is also ideal post-operation or illness, when the recipient may need immediate help before they get better. 

The suitability of respite care

There are many situations in which respite care may be the best option for the carer and the people they care for. For starters, even the most well-trained and durable trainer will experience a level of stress. This is especially the case when you are caring for a family member. Respite care can allow you to prevent some stress and burnout, all the while ensuring the person you are caring for receives adequate help in your absence. It is also good when the person being cared for needs a new experience, or a new person around. Respite care often helps guide the difficult topic of care options with elderly individuals. It often leads to finding better and more permanent care solutions. 

How does it work? 

Normally, you will want to work with a care agency that specialises in professional care services. You can easily arrange respite care with them down to the finest details. You can make sure they send out a person who is trained to care for an elderly individual with special conditions if need be. Oftentimes users of respite care services find that they like it so much, to upgrade the service to a full live-in care experience. 

What are some types of respite care? 

There are a few different types of respite care services available. Which one you pick depends on the circumstances and the needs of the person requiring care. Visiting home care is a popular option, as is live-in respite care. You can also arrange for a short stay in a residential home or a daycare centre. Holidays with care support are further possible for individuals looking to take a break from care. 

Leaning the details of respite care will enable you to take full advantage of the service when need be. There is little doubt that respite care services present a great opportunity for carers to catch a much-needed break, and it benefits the recipient of the service as well. 

© Home Care Preferred Exeter

Home care is a very popular service that is gaining a lot of attention for a good reason. It can help the family of an elderly individual who cannot be left unattended. Instead of moving them to a care facility, the help is brought to them in the form of a professional carer who comes to visit them on a predetermined schedule. 

With so much information on home care, it can sometimes be difficult to know what the reality is and what is no more than a myth. Following are some of the most widespread misconceptions, which you should stop believing now: 

• The elderly aren’t safe staying home – many people believe that only specialised carer homes have the capacity and ability to keep a safe environment for the elderly with special needs. In reality, the home of an elderly individual can become a safe place for them to live in. Accessibility can be improved with the addition of rails and ramps. Security can become better with additional locks on all doors. Lighting sensors may be added to make it easier to see. All of these changes can be made after a consultation with a professional carer. Make sure to discuss any change with the elderly as well, so as not to catch them up by surprise. 
  
  
• Home care is about going it alone – moving your loved one to a care home means they are under 24-hour daily supervision. But with home care, just because you aren’t there with them doesn’t mean they are alone. The service is different depending on your needs. You can have a home carer visit from time to time, such as a few days a week and stay with the elderly for some time. If the elderly need more attention, then you can even arrange live-in care, which means a carer moves in to live with the person. The amount of help you can get from such a service is enormous. 
  
  
• You cannot afford professional home care – this is not such a black-and-white matter as you may think. Several subsidies exist to make it easy for you. You can consult social services or the local council to see what sort of help they can offer. Once they have made the necessary assessments, they can tailor financial support for you. Sometimes this is in the form of local authority funding or direct payments. 
  
  
• Home care is not suitable for the elderly with dementia – if you have an elderly loved one with dementia, you may falsely think that your only option is residential care. In reality, it is possible to have them continue living in their own home with the aid of a home care agency. In fact, the familiar surroundings and maintaining their daily routines are possible with a carer by their side and it is much better for them. It spares them the stress of moving and losing the familiarity and feeling of safety they have in their home. 
  
  
• It is more complex arranging home care – this may be true, only if you are doing it alone. In reality, every home care agency will be able to provide you with good advice on how to make a transition with the service be smooth and elegant. There is nothing complex about discussing the needs of the elderly individual with the agency. They will guide you with questions, as they know how to ensure you end up with the right service. 
  
  

Understanding the misconceptions surrounding home care is important because only then can you fully realise the benefits of such service. 

© Home Care Preferred Barnet