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Keep an Eye on Your Caregivers

Rose Traub • March 18, 2019

5 ways to check on your older adult’s in home caregiver

1. Stay in touch by unexpectedly dropping in or calling
The simplest way to check up on your senior’s in home caregiver is to drop by unannounced for brief visits.

It’s wise to make this a habit, not just do it in the first few weeks after they were hired. That sends the message that you’re keeping a close eye on your older adult’s care.

While you’re there, look for signs that tell you how they’ve been spending their time. Is your older adult clean, fed, and in good spirits? Is the caregiver engaging them in conversation or an activity? Or is your older adult asleep in front of the TV with the caregiver focused on their smartphone?

Visiting in person is best, but if you aren’t able to drop by, call your older adult instead. Ask a few questions about what’s been happening to get a feel for how the day is going.

If talking to your older adult isn’t possible, it’s still worthwhile to call and chat with the caregiver.

2. Trust your gut instincts
You’ve probably heard this a million times: trust your gut. If something feels wrong, investigate further. Don’t dismiss your uneasiness as nothing.

A wrong feeling is a good enough reason to let someone go or to not hire them. Your older adult’s well-being isn’t worth the risk.

3. Ask for and listen to your senior’s feedback
Your older adult is an important source of information. Have casual conversations about how they feel things are going with the in home caregiver.

Listen openly and without judgement so they’ll be more likely to confide in you.

Even with older adults who might complain because they don’t want to have a caregiver around, you’ll likely be able to tell the difference between regular complaints or signs of problems.

If anything they say sounds odd or suspicious, take it seriously and investigate further.

4. Ask for a daily log
Ask the caregiver to write a daily journal that briefly documents how they spent the day.

This should include notes about your older adult’s mood, appetite, medications, and bathroom visits. They can also make notes of any problems, injuries, or questions for you.

5. Recruit neighbors to help keep an eye on things
If your older adult has kind neighbors that you trust, ask them to keep an eye out for any strange activity.

Or, after introducing them to the caregiver as a trusted friend, ask them to drop in once in a while to see how things are going.

Make Valentine’s Day Special for Seniors

By Donna Nichols • February 5, 2025
Valentine’s Day tends to zero in on romantic love, but what about our seniors? They too often get forgotten. We have some ways to make Valentine’s Day special for them too. Spend the day with your loved one. Spending quality time with a loved one is more important to a senior than anything else. There is no greater gift than time and please make sure you have enough, so you are not rushed. Do your elderly loved one have a favorite meal? Perhaps you can prepare it for them, or if they are able, you can prepare it together. How fun would that be for you both? Be sure to discuss the enjoyment it brought you while you are sharing the meal together. How about a game of name that love song? You could prepare a playlist of love songs from the generation and play them to see how many they get correct. Or, if you can sing, you can sing some for them and see if they can recollect them. Take some time for reminiscing, go through old photo albums, or ask about old times. Ask them about when you were young and what trouble you caused; this will give you all something to laugh (or cry) about. Has your loved one been cooped up all winter? Take them out for a nice lunch, or weather permitting, a picnic in the park. Go for coffee and a donut, then head out to see a movie. Make a “date” of it. Maybe your senior is into crafts. You can design special Valentine’s Day cards for other family members. This way your senior can express their love for them and send it to them in their own unique way. You can create other greeting cards as well. Bake some special treats together. Does your senior have some favorite cookies or cake? You could bake it together, or you can bake it for them. Then you can enjoy it after you have the meal you prepared together. Yummy, delicious!! You can watch some romantic movies together if they prefer to stay in the house or the weather isn’t so good. If they like to color, you can buy them some of those large coloring books and you can color together. Don’t forget the decorations and the flowers! Make the house or apartment as festive as possible. Even if they live in as assisted living community, you can still decorate their room to the nines! Make it as festive as possible! If you live in another state or can’t be close to your senior for Valentine’s Day, how about sending them a specially crafted care package. You can hand make some gifts, add some photos of family and friends, and send a personally recorded message. You can bake some homemade treats and incorporate some things that are of personal interest to them. This will show how much you care for them and make their Valentine’s Day extra special even if you can’t be with them.  There are so many ways to make Valentine’s Day special for seniors. Let’s not forget about them; make sure to show them they are so loved too!

February is National Heart Month

By Donna Nichols • February 4, 2025
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Hydration Tips for the Winter

By Donna Nichols • January 8, 2025
I’ve written many blogs about the importance of staying hydrated in the summer, but did you know it’s just as important to stay hydrated in the winter months? I’ve shared some important tips on how to stay hydrated in the winter and why. Cold, dry air can dehydrate you easily and quickly. Even if you don’t feel thirsty. Proper hydration can help regulate your body temperature, maintain healthy organ function, and prevent fatigue, dry skin, and headaches. In the colder months, you do not feel thirsty, that’s why it’s so important to make sure you drink plenty of water. Why is winter hydration so important? Colder air tends to be drier causing moisture to evaporate through your breathing which can cause dehydration. In colder weather, you may not feel as thirsty, causing you to become dehydrated quickly. Also, wearing more clothing traps sweat inside your clothing causing more fluid loss. What are some of the benefits of staying hydrated in the winter? • Drinking enough water helps keep your skin hydrated and prevents dryness. This will help with that dry, itchy skin feeling we all get in the winter. • Water helps your body maintain a regular core temperature. Which is so important to maintain in the winter. • Drinking plenty of water supports your immune system, which helps fight off winter colds and the flu. We all want to fight those germs off! • When you are dehydrated, you become tired easily, so drinking plenty of water helps keep your energy levels up. How do you stay hydrated in the winter? • Make sure you drink plenty of water. Set reminders if you must; you probably won’t feel as thirsty in the winter, but you need to keep drinking that water! • You don’t have to drink cold water; room temperature water works. You can also drink tea or water with lemon, as long as you’re getting your water. • If you’re going out, carry a water bottle with you to ensure you have water to drink. • Eat fruits and vegetables that contain water. Tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, watermelon, cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumber, apples, and pineapple are just a few that contain high water contents. • If you think you’re dehydrated, check your urine; if it’s a darker color, that can suggest dehydration. Urine should be a pale, yellow color. As you can see, staying hydrated in the winter is just as important as staying hydrated in the summer, if not more. In the winter you don’t realize you are thirsty therefore you tend not to drink as much water as you should. This has the potential of wreaking havoc on your body. Please make sure you drink plenty of water in the wintertime as you do in the summertime. We have rebranded our company, we are now Assisted Senior Services! Call us for ANYTHING SENIOR!! 386-847-2322!
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