Dry eye syndrome happens when a person’s eyes don’t make enough tears to keep their eyes lubricated, or they make tears, but not of a good quality. It’s an uncomfortable feeling that can make your older family member’s eyes sting or burn. Knowing more about what causes dry eye and how you can help the senior to ease the symptoms can make them feel a lot better.

 

About Dry Eye and Its Causes

In addition to a stinging or burning sensation, dry eye can cause many other symptoms, including:
• Mucus in the corners of the eyes that is of a stringy consistency.
• Light sensitivity.
• Red eyes.
• Feeling like there is something in the eyes.
• Trouble driving at night.
• Watery eyes.
• Blurry vision.
• Tired eyes.

In most cases, dry eyes are caused by the eyes not producing enough tears. A decrease in tear production can be caused by many things, including:
• Getting older.
• Some medical conditions, like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and thyroid problems.
• Certain medications can cause dry eye as a side effect, such as antihistamines, medicines for high blood pressure, and some used for Parkinson’s disease.
• Damage to tear glands from radiation or inflammation.

 

What to Do About Dry Eye
Dry eye is often triggered by environmental factors that can be avoided. Some of the ways you can help your aging relative to avoid dry eye symptoms are:
• Choose the Right Place to Sit: Make sure they sit in places where air from open windows, fans, or air conditioners are not blowing into their eyes.
• Avoid Dry Air: Use a humidifier in the house to increase moisture in the air. This is especially important in the winter when heating the house can dry out the air.
• Use Eyewear: Encourage the older adult to wear protective eyewear, such as wraparound sunglasses. If they wear glasses, you can purchase shields that attack to them and keep air from entering from the tops or sides and hitting the eyes.
• Take Breaks: Remind them to take breaks from reading or looking at computer screens for a long period of time.
• Quit Smoking: If the older adult smokes, quitting can help to protect their eyes. If they don’t smoke, discourage people from smoking around them.

 

Elderly care providers can assist older adults to lessen symptoms of dry eye. An elderly care provider can help them to find the best place to sit to avoid air blowing into their eyes. Elderly care providers can also keep a humidifier running in the house, keeping it filled and clean. And, an elderly care provider can remind others not to smoke around the senior because it can irritate their eyes.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elderly Care in Post, TX, please contact the caring staff at Best In-Home Care (806) 412-0723.

 

Sources
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-eyes/symptoms-causes/syc-20371863
https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/eye-health-dry-eyes#1
https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/dryeye-syndrome.htm

Because loving family members won’t always be able to spend every day with their aging relative, many are looking at hiring senior care providers as daily companions. Not only do senior care providers assist seniors with personal care tasks, they can also help around the house, too. Above all, when a senior care provider is around, the aging adult won’t be alone. Anyone wondering whether they should hire a daily companion for their aging relative just needs to look at all the benefits.

Physical Benefits of Daily Companions for Aging Relatives

Because so many aging adults have significant physical limitations, they rely on others to help them out with day-to-day tasks. Losing independence can be hard for seniors to deal with and above all, they don’t want to move out of their home. Family caregivers who want to spend a lot of time with their aging loved one may not be able to due to jobs, children and other responsibilities. A senior care provider can be that daily companion who can assist with several physical tasks.

If seniors are on their own for too long, they could be risking their health and safety. They may no longer be physically adept at doing basic self-care tasks, such as showering or bathing. They may face challenges in getting dressed or making meals. These physical tasks can simply be too much for someone with any number of health conditions, from arthritis and poor vision to vertigo and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Anything that’s beyond the aging adult’s ability is taken over by their daily companion.

Emotional Benefits of Daily Companions for Aging Relatives

An aging person’s physical needs are extremely important, but the benefits of a senior care provider also extend to their emotional state as well. Social contact is crucial for optimal mental health, because isolation and chronic loneliness often lead to anxiety and depression especially in elderly adults. Their physical limitations commonly restrict their ability to get out and be social, so having people come to their home is often the best way to get some visitors

When there’s a daily companion who can spend time with the aging adult on a regular basis, family caregivers can enjoy peace of mind. Senior care providers can rely on their helpful daily companion for social interaction, emotional support and more. Numerous studies show that when aging adults are social, they are more likely to resist the onset of dementia or at least delay it. Even beyond an elderly adult’s day-to-day challenges, there are times of grief, stress or extreme frustration that peak their coping abilities. It is in these times that a daily companion can be quite beneficial.

There’s no question that senior care providers make a good alternative to an elderly person’s family members. When loved ones can’t be present due to other responsibilities, a senior care provider can become a reliable, compassionate daily companion that everyone can count on.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Senior Care in Ralls, TX, please contact the caring staff at Best In-Home Care (806) 412-0723.

Older adults who have a stroke may find themselves suddenly in need of a lot of assistance from other people to manage day to day living. As a result, family members are often pressed into service as family caregivers. While being a caregiver can be rewarding, it can also be very time consuming. If you find yourself dropped into the role of caregiver with little or no time to prepare, you may wonder how you are going to juggle all of your regular responsibilities and help your aging relative. One way you can balance your life with the help that the older adult needs is to contact a home care agency for assistance. If you’re not sure what home care can do for a senior who has had a stroke, here are 5 things they can do.

 

#1: Help with Therapy

The recovery period after a stroke can be lengthy and require a lot of work on the part of the patient. There is usually a lot of therapy involved, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Some of the therapy takes place in a medical facility, but some of it is also done at home. A home care provider can help your aging relative to do the exercises and activities suggested by the therapist.

#2: Help Making and Eating Meals
If the senior has lost the use of one of their arms, it can be difficult to prepare food. If it is their dominant arm, they may have trouble feeding themselves. A home care provider can make healthy meals for your aging relative. If they need assistance eating, a home care provider can feed them or assist them to use their other hand.

#3: Assistance with Housekeeping
Doing some kinds of household chores may be impossible after a stroke. Home care can assist with light cleaning, like vacuuming, dusting, making beds, and doing laundry.

#4: Provide Transportation
Depending on the severity of the stroke, it’s quite likely the older adult won’t be able to drive for a while, if ever again. Home care can provide transportation to the many places your aging relative needs to go, including to therapy and doctor appointments, the pharmacy, and to social engagements.

#5: Personal Care Assistance
Getting dressed, bathing, and even using the bathroom can be difficult for an older adult to do on their own after a stroke. A home care provider can assist them to get out of the bed and get ready for the day. They can help with basic grooming tasks, like brushing teeth and combing hair. They can also help the senior to take a bath or shower when needed and to use the bathroom throughout the day.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Home Care in Littlefield, TX, please contact the caring staff at Best In-Home Care (806) 412-0723.

When you’re a family caregiver for a senior with diabetes, there’s a lot to know about what and when they should eat. It can all be a bit confusing and overwhelming. You want your aging relative to eat a healthy diet, but you also don’t want them to feel deprived of the things they love. If you’re struggling with determining how to plan and prepare healthy meals for someone with diabetes, learning more can take some of the confusion out of the task.

 

Kinds of Meal Plans

If you’re brand new to helping a diabetic senior to eat well, it can help to consult a dietitian. A dietitian can help you to determine a meal plan that will work best for your loved one. Some kinds of plans they may recommend are:

• Counting Carbs: Carbohydrates become glucose during the digestive process. They have the biggest influence on blood sugar. Generally, diabetics are advised to eat approximately the same number of carbs each day and at about the same times. To be successful at the carb counting method, you’ll need to learn how to read nutrition labels and determine proper portion sizes.
• Glycemic Index: Some diabetics use a scale called the glycemic index to help them choose which foods to eat. The glycemic index ranks foods that contain carbs according to how they affect blood sugar.
• Plate Method: The plate method divides the plate into sections. Half the plate should be filled with vegetables that are not starchy. One fourth of the plate is for lean protein and the other fourth is for a serving of whole grains. To round out the meal, include a serving of fruit and a glass of water, cup of tea, or coffee.
• Exchange List: This method uses exchange lists that divide foods into categories, like carbs, proteins, and fats. You then choose foods from each category, which helps to control eating too much of one kind of food.

 

Foods to Limit
You might think that when someone is diabetic, they have to avoid all kinds of foods. However, the foods they need to limit are the same things all people should limit as part of a healthy diet. They include:
• Saturated fats and trans fats.
• Sodium.
• Sweets.
• Sugary drinks.

Even when you’ve armed yourself with knowledge about diabetes, helping a diabetic senior to eat right is a time-consuming task. Elder care can reduce some of the time you spend planning and preparing meals. Elder care providers can sit with the older adult and assist them with meal planning using the advice provided by the dietitian or doctor. Elder care providers can also take the senior to the grocery store and help them to make good food choices. And, if your aging relative needs help with cooking, elder care providers can even prepare meals and clean up the kitchen afterward.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elder Care in Wolfforth, TX, please contact the caring staff at Best In-Home Care (806) 412-0723.

Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/eat-well.html
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/diet-eating-physical-activity
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/in-depth/diabetes-diet/art-20044295