The Toronto Home Care Digest for November 29, 2013

Posted by Steve Jones

Fri, Nov 29, 2013

Get the latest home health care tips, news, and updates!

FROM OUR BLOG…

Benefits of Live-In Caregivers

There are many different types of professional home caregivers. Personal support workers provide assistance in mobility, personal care, health and diet, and companionship. Registered nurses often provide home health care, monitoring senior’s health, medications, and medical-related care. Live-in home care is 24-hour support available for a variety of needs.

Are You Considering Taking Away a Senior’s Driver’s Licence?

Samuel is an 87-year-old retired railroad worker, living an independent lifestyle. However, the past year of struggling health concerns has caught up to him: failing eyesight, a worsening heart condition and painful arthritic knees.

Top 10 Guidelines for Caring for Teenagers and Elderly Parents

Of all the major passages of life, you may not at first think that adolescence and old age have a lot in common, but those of us in the Sandwich Generation may find these parallels useful and entertaining. A little humour can go a long way to ease the pain for the whole family. Best wishes to you!

FROM AROUND THE WEB…

Caregiving: Helping seniors add healthy years to life

Winnie Garrow, of Endicott, lives and dances to a strenuous, healthy beat. At 73, she teaches Zumba and squeezes in weekly tap, ballet and jazz dancing lessons. The regimen keeps her fit and bearing a striking resemblance to another dancer, entertainer Tina Turner.

Five Tips to Help Caregivers Get Their Zzzs

When it comes to caring for a parent, spouse or other loved one, sleep is not for beauty. It is essential to maintain health and the energy needed to be a caregiver. Uninterrupted, restorative sleep (7 to 9 hours) is recommended by most experts. But for many of the nations 65 million family caregivers, sleep is an elusive luxury. In fact, a National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) study on caregiver health risks found 87 percent of those caregivers surveyed suffered from insomnia.

Heal Alzheimer’s Disease With Art

Anyone can use the healing power of art to reach a loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease. The results can be astonishing. A student in my art and healing class wanted to reach his beloved grandfather who had been comatose and non-responsive. Since the grandson was studying guitar in graduate school, he decided to play the instrument for his grandfather. He brought his grandfather from his care facility to the home where he used to live and began to perform songs he had loved while growing up. Suddenly, the older man stood up and began dancing. His grandson caught this amazing transformation on video delighting family, friends and our class.