What Happens When Caregivers Burn Out?

With the growing number of seniors in North America, caregiver burn out is a very real condition. It can happen to any caregiver after any amount of time but usually happens within the first month to six weeks of senior care giving. It’s important to recognize the signs of caregiver burnout so that if and when it does happen, you can seek support through your network – ie. doctor, friends, support group.

• Not eating right. A change in eating patterns is common in caregiver burnout. It might be too little, or too much, and is an indicator of internal stress.

• Depression. Feeling an extreme amount of stress and possible thoughts of suicide is a big indicator of caregiver burnout.

• No longer interested in your hobbies. You used to like reading, now you don’t, you used to like going to the movies, seeing friends, etc., now you don’t want to. Activities you previously enjoyed that seem uninteresting to you now is a big sign of caregiver burnout.

• You don’t want to spend time with anyone. Not wanting to see friends or family members, or not wanting to interact with people in general is an indicator that your care giving duties have become a strain on you mentally.

• Problems sleeping. You aren’t sleeping enough, you have trouble falling asleep, you don’t want to get out of bed in the morning – these are all signs that your care giving duties are getting the better of you.

• Your immunity is low. You have aches and pains, and even a cold that doesn’t seem to want to go away. A weakened immunity is a reaction to stress.

If you find that these symptoms are happening to you and you believe it’s due to caregiver burnout, don’t hesitate to enlist someone to help you support your loved one, and/or take some time to yourself. It’s important that you spend time on yourself throughout the day. Even 20 minutes a day meditating, walking in nature, etc., will help you feel refreshed and rejuvenated during this hard time.

If you live in the N. Vancouver area, and would like information about senior care in Vancouver, or free referrals for assisted living in North Shore, you can call the Always Best Care N. Vancouver location at 778-945-3010 to set up a free care consultation. They look forward to talking with you about your future!

Helping A Senior Improve Their Physical Fitness

Everybody knows that as we get older, it can get more difficult to move, and energy levels aren’t what they used to be. However, staying physically active is a great way to slow down the aging process, and to keep the body running at optimal levels. And even though doctors let seniors know the importance of physical exercise, some seniors remain reluctant to dive in. Here are some ways to help a senior improve their physical fitness:

• Let them know that they can take baby steps. Too often, when people think about physical fitness they think about marathon runners and triathlon athletes. Of course this idea will be daunting for seniors, so make sure they know that they can take baby steps in their progress. Also, let them know that improving their diet doesn’t mean eating “rabbit” food all the time - a simple swap of one piece of junk food for an apple or vegetable is a great place to start.

• Regular exercise: Regular exercise should be encouraged and if you take part in it, too, it’ll be more fun and easier to accomplish. Suggest group activities that the family can enjoy like hikes, walks, bike rides, even yard work. By increasing the oxygen level to the muscles and the brain, the body is renewing itself and warding off disease.

• Encourage them to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day. It can be easy for seniors to get dehydrated because the sense of being thirsty decreases as we age. Make sure they keep a water bottle nearby, and that they are continually refilling it. Hydration means protection from viral and bacterial infections, and raises immunity levels.

• Encourage them with praise. Changing lifestyles can be difficult for anyone. Incorporating exercise and eating right might seem like a fruitless path (at first) so encourage them when you can, even when the praise is small, it is meaningful.

Always Best Care has been North America’s premier senior caregiver for the past 20 years. Seniors living in the North Vancouver area, who are interested in home care in West Vancouver, can call the Always Best Care N Vancouver location at 778-945-3010 or email them at hhamidi@abc-seniors.com to set up a free care consultation. A professional care coordinator will be happy to discuss in-home care in Burnaby, as well as free referrals to assisted living communities. They look forward to talking with you!

Top 3 Services You can avail by Hiring an In-Home Caregiver

As a person grows old, their safety and overall well-being become the main concern. If you have a senior parent whom you think needs a professional assistance, then consider hiring a professional in-home caregiver.

The in-home caregivers are trained to provide assistance and support for every medical, non-medical, personal, and social need that your elderly may have. Moreover, you can avail a number of professional and necessary senior services by hiring a qualified senior in-home care provider.

 Here are just a few examples of some of the top services that a caregiver provides.

1. Companionship services - Isolation and aloofness can be a growing cause of depression among the seniors. An in-home caregiver can act as a good companion for your senior offering different services such as monitoring diet and eating, preparing grocery lists, planning outings, playing games, supervising home maintenance and more.  


2. Home-helper services - An in-home care provider can also act as a home-helper offering aid with morning wake-ups and assisting seniors with evening walks, helping your loved one with reading, providing medication reminders, pick up prescriptions, organizing their closet and accompanying them to lunch or dinner.  


3. Personal care services - Some senior(s) may require assistance with certain daily tasks such as bathing, eating, dressing, grooming, toileting and even mobility. The in-home caregivers are specially trained to help provide them the much needed personal care services. 

However, to hire the best in-home caregivers you can consult the different senior care organizations like Always Best Care. It is a leading organization with the most qualified and insured home health care providers in Vancouver. 

For more information about the in-home care services in Vancouver, free feel to contact us at (778) 945-3010.

Assisted Living – Solution for Your Senior Care Requirements

Care and companionship are the two most important things that seniors desire in their golden age. However, many seniors wish to remain independent and live on their own. However, aging and declining health can sometimes restrict them from leaving their home and meet friends or family. It can lead to isolation, which is not good for their physical and mental health. 

Assisted living community is the best solution for seniors who want to live on their own and do not require constant care, just the occasional help. Here are the details that explain what makes assisted living the best solutions for your senior care requirements. 

• Proper care – With this arrangement, your senior will get proper care from a trained caregiver. They will assist your elder with the activities of daily living. In addition, the community can develop an individualized service plan that suits your senior care needs the best. While developing this plan, they will keep your senior’s health, mobility, any medical condition etc., in mind.

• Independence – Elders who wish to remain as independent as possible can benefit a lot from assisted living, as they will still be living on their own. Yet, they will get proper care and assistance from caregivers when needed. Assisted living can ease your worried about your elderly family member’s care and health while the elder will also be happy with the independence they can enjoy in this arrangement.

To find good assisted living arrangements, you should rely on noted organizations like Always Best Care. 

Always Best Care offers senior care services to match all your needs and budget. To know more about our assisted living services in Vancouver, call us at (778) 945-3010.

Steps to boot senior health through Companionship Services

 Isolation and depression are growing concerns among seniors. Due to less mobility and engagement in the community, they often lose touch with close friends and relatives. And if they do not drive anymore or have difficulty in getting around, they are also less likely to be going out for events or other activities. This increased loneliness often results in heart diseases, accidents, and even suicides. Companionship services offer seniors the much-needed connections and also give you peace of mind knowing that a caregiver is there to care for your loved one. Some of the key benefits of regular companionship for a senior include:

• Decreased Isolation

• Increased mental stimulation

• Friendly conversation

• Increased physical activities

• Improved peace of mind

To learn more about how companionship services can help your senior enhance their physical and mental wellbeing, get in touch with Always Best Care today. We are a leading senior care provider in North Vancouver and have well-trained caregivers to provide seniors the right level of support and care. Call us at (778)945-3010 or mail hhamidi@abc-seniors.com to receive a FREE consultation. We would be glad to assist you.

Why Men Tend To Cry More in Their Senior Years

In their youth and middle age, men are taught by society not to cry. They are made to feel that it indicates a weak character, and someone who cannot take care of their family. While this is all debatable, senior men have reported crying more often than when they were younger. And there are a number of reasons to back up the reasoning behind why.

• When men get to be 60 and older, they have experienced a big of emotional pain in their lifetime. It could be the loss of a spouse, the loss of a parent, maybe even the loss of a child. When senior men dwell on these past pains, they’re more likely to cry.
  
  
• Senior men no longer feel as though they have to play the “macho man” like they did when they were younger. Culturally, senior men no longer feel the need to be tough and so they let that wall down that has kept them from crying in the past.
  
  
• As people age, depression can settle in based on the fact that the individual is getting closer to the end of their life. Mentally, men can go through these shifts and even develop a mental illness, anxiety, or simply depression which causes them to shed more tears.
  
  
• Senior men produce less testosterone than their younger counterparts. So, if a situation arises that might have made them angry in the past, it might just move them to tears now, instead.
  
  
• Seniors are more likely to be taking medications than any other age group. Senior men may be crying more often and readily due to medications causing depressive symptoms, as well as due to the existence of a chronic disease.
  
  
• Seniors are often faced with loneliness and isolation. These feelings of sadness can encourage tears.

Researchers are discovering that crying is, in effect, a form of therapy, and there can be “healthy” crying that eliminates stress and the built up of tension. However, continual or regular bouts of crying need the attention of a health care professional.

Always Best Care has been providing in-home senior care and assisted living referrals to seniors in Canada and the United States for the past 20 years. If you live in the Vancouver area and would like information about in-home care in West Vancouver, or referrals for assisted living in Burnaby, call the Always Best Care Vancouver location at 778-945-3010 today to set up a free care consultation.

Exercise Could be the Fountain of Youth

When we’re young, it’s easy to run, skip, and hop around. We play games with friends, tag, hide and seek, jumping on one foot from one blue square to the next in the mall, any reason at all to move, children will find it. Unfortunately, as we get older, that willingness to move our bodies isn’t as strong. The main reason being, of course, is just that it’s more difficult for us to move. Arthritis may have set in, or some other chronic illness, or just good old fashioned fatigue. But, moving is just as important as we get older as when we were children. Muscles need to be worked, the mind needs to be stimulated, and bones need to be strengthened to continue good health.

Although there is no real fountain of youth, the closest we get to it may just be exercise. Seniors that exercise enjoy greater mobility, greater overall happiness, higher levels of social contact, and more meaning in their lives than seniors who don’t get up and get moving. Even if you’re in a wheelchair, there are things you can do to strengthen your upper body, as many city parks have stations specially made for people in wheelchairs.

Of course, most seniors are not out to become fitness champions, but by exercising every day, whether it’s a walk around the pond, a long walk through the parking lot to the grocery store, or lifting appropriate weights, seniors can maintain good health and the ability to do the everyday tasks that they’ve become accustomed to. Seniors can locate classes at community centers or the local YMCA to help them strengthen their muscles, maintain their balance, and fend off falls, diseases and injuries.

Since 1996, Always Best Care has been providing seniors with quality in-home care services and assisted living community referrals. If you live in the North or West Vancouver area, and are interested in finding out more about in-home care in West Vancouver, or about referrals for senior living in the North Shore, you can call the Always Best Care Vancouver location at 778-945-3010 or email them at hhamidi@abc-seniors.com to set up a free consultation.