Today’s seniors have a wonderful advantage over previous generations: the boom in technological advances that create fascinating new opportunities to enhance quality of life, safety, and socialization. At THE MEDICAL TEAM, we know firsthand the benefits of technology in a health care at home setting, and have outlined some of our top picks here. Smartphone Apps It seems that new and incredibly useful apps for seniors become available every day. From a health care standpoint, apps can provide medication reminders and confirmation that meds were taken, heart rate monitors, GPS tracking, and so much more. This can provide families with peace of mind. For fun and socialization, there are memory games, social apps like Facebook and Skype to stay connected to family and friends, apps to … [Read more...] about Top Ways Technology Is Improving Senior Care
THE MEDICAL TEAM’s Post-Stroke Communication Tips
According to the CDC, as many as 795,000 people in the U.S. experience a stroke. It’s especially prevalent in older adults, and a third of those impacted by stroke also have one or more of the conditions or habits that put them more at risk: obesity, high blood pressure or cholesterol, smoking, or diabetes. Recovering from a stroke takes time, and can include a variety of effects that need managing: Physical Effects: Weakness, numbness, stiffness, trouble swallowing, fatigue, incontinence, sleep difficulties, and more. Emotional Effects: Depression, frustration, anxiety, fear, hopelessness, anger, and more. Cognitive Effects: Memory loss, vascular dementia, and more. One particular challenge that impacts as many as a third of all stroke survivors is aphasia: defined by the … [Read more...] about THE MEDICAL TEAM’s Post-Stroke Communication Tips
Better Hospice Care: Understanding Informed Consent
How informed are you about informed consent? It’s important for all of us to know the criteria used to determine a person’s ability to make important health care choices, and how that ability can impact their quality of life. This is especially true for individuals receiving hospice care. Learn more here from THE MEDICAL TEAM. Having the freedom to make our own choices is a vital component of our overall wellbeing. We may take for granted smaller decisions, such as when and what we want to eat, how we want to spend our time, what time to fall asleep and when to wake up; yet they become significant expressions of independence as we grow older. One decision that impacts us throughout our lifetime is the ability to rationally choose and make known our healthcare preferences. Known … [Read more...] about Better Hospice Care: Understanding Informed Consent
Expert Tips for Managing Multiple Chronic Health Conditions
Many older adults today face a variety of chronic conditions, including arthritis, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, COPD, Alzheimer’s disease – the list goes on and on. And for the majority of seniors, three or more concurrent health problems exist, making it challenging to effectively manage when factoring in multiple care providers, medications, and side effects. Health in Aging has put together a helpful resource for seniors and their caregivers to ensure optimum health. The professional senior care team at THE MEDICAL TEAM has summarized several important points: Communication and education are key. When diagnosed with a chronic health disease, both the senior diagnosed and his or her family caregivers should learn as much as possible about the condition, and put together a list … [Read more...] about Expert Tips for Managing Multiple Chronic Health Conditions
Adapting to Life with Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration can come on all of a sudden, with little warning signs or symptoms noted until the disease has progressed. While there is not yet a cure for the nearly 11 million people it impacts in the U.S., it’s encouraging to know there are steps that can be taken to slow the progression of the disease. For instance, the home care professionals at THE MEDICAL TEAM suggest the following: Know the signs. Understanding the most common and often innocuous symptoms of age-related macular degeneration can allow you to seek treatment sooner. Be on the lookout for: Blurring of words when reading printed material Vision problems when driving Requiring brighter light when reading or performing activities such as puzzles or knitting Distortions in vision such as … [Read more...] about Adapting to Life with Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Caring from a Distance: Home Care Tips for Long-Distance Caregivers
The world has become increasingly mobile, and it’s no longer the norm for extended families to remain together in the same communities. Career choices, preferred climates, and other factors often lead adult children to start new lives hundreds or even thousands of miles away from their childhood homes. Unfortunately, difficulties can arise as parents age and caregiving from a distance becomes a challenge. If you live at a distance from an older loved one there are a number of strategies you can implement to ease the burden of long-distance caregiving. THE MEDICAL TEAM, a provider of home health care solutions, offers the following suggestions: Plan ahead. Proactively planning for future needs is the best way to reduce stress and effectively manage those needs when the time comes. … [Read more...] about Caring from a Distance: Home Care Tips for Long-Distance Caregivers