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Taking Care of Mom

Donna Nichols • May 24, 2023

Another Mother’s Day has come and gone and hopefully you have a chance to spend some time with your mom. Perhaps you noticed that mom is not getting around quite as well as she used to, or maybe she is becoming forgetful. Did you notice anything out of the norm, like maybe her medications are being skipped, she can’t prepare meals any longer, or maybe her checkbook isn’t so up to date, and her finances are a mess?


Were you going out to lunch and mom was apprehensive to drive, or maybe nervous in the car? Did she have a hard time with the menu? Was she able to remember what she ordered? Did she have a hard time cutting her food and eating it? Was she talkative and able to keep up with the conversation, or did she look lost when she was spoken to?


How were mom’s clothes? Were they unkempt, like they hadn’t been cleaned or pressed well? How was her hair, and makeup (if she wears any)? Were her shoes on the right feet? Was she shuffling when she walked? Did you notice any signs that mom wasn’t doing so well?


Did you ever think the best gift you could give mom is moving her into an assisted living community? Mom would have care available to her when she needed it and you wouldn’t have to worry about her as much. Assisted living communities all include three meals a day, housekeeping, laundry, utilities, and snacks. Transportation to doctor’s appointments and shopping is available at most of them with notice.


Assisted living communities have common rooms, dining rooms, and most of them have salons, gyms, and lounges. They have activities during the day, so mom will have things to keep her busy. Some of them have garden areas where the residents care for the plants and have butterfly gardens as well. They celebrate the holidays and throw birthday parties and have parties just for fun. There are so many amenities when you live in an assisted living community.


Does this mean mom is “confined” to the community and cannot leave? No. You can take mom out to lunch or shopping if you want. You can even take her away with you for the weekend if you plan to do something like that. Say you wanted to take mom on a week-long vacation with you and your family, no problem, just let the staff know the dates she will be out and you’re all set.


Is there a downside to an assisted living community? Maybe as far as finances go, but we at Assisted Living Made Simple can help to find more money for you if you qualify. Please call us today to schedule your free consultation at 386-847-2322.



Taking care of mom is one the greatest privileges we have in this life, let’s make sure we do it well and do what’s best for her. 

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!
By Donna Nichols February 4, 2025
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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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