Columbia Aged Care

If your loved one has experienced a traumatic or painful event they can suffer from the side effects for a long time.

Traumatic events are usually a frightening or distressing experience that can leave the person feeling numb or disconnected.

As a carer, it’s natural to want to help your loved one feel better and to assist them through this difficult time. You can’t take their pain away but you can help them to accept what has happened by providing essential support and advice.

Better Health Channel has provided some tips on how you can support your loved one:

• Tell them you are sorry about what has happened and make it clear that you want to help them get through it.
• Spend time with your loved one and keep them company.
• Your loved one may experience emotional outbursts, which is a common side effect of a traumatic experience. Don’t take their outbursts to heart because they usually don’t mean what they say or do.
• Offer practical support such as cooking dinner or going grocery shopping for them.
• Help them return to their normal routine (when they are ready).
• Talk about what happened and listen to them.
• Try not to get upset.
• Be patient and don’t pressure them to talk about the event if they are not ready.
• Help them to relax and have fun again.
• Help your loved one participate in physical activity, such as walking in the park. Exercise can help take their mind off the experience and help them to get a better night’s sleep.
• Find appropriate ways to help them laugh.

Here are some reactions to avoid when helping your loved one through a traumatic experience:

• Don’t ignore the event and don’t avoid talking about it.
• Don’t judge their feelings or thoughts.
• Don’t be impatient and expect them to get over the event quickly.
• Don’t insist they need professional help straight away – not everyone who has experienced a traumatic event needs professional treatment. Give them time to deal with the trauma themselves but if you feel like things just aren’t getting better after a few days or weeks then consult a professional.

Your loved one may take a long time to recover from a traumatic event, but by supporting them and listening you can help them through the recovery process.

Read the full article here.

Diabetes is a chronic condition where your body is unable to produce or respond to insulin resulting in high blood sugar levels. Insulin is a hormone that allows the sugar in your blood to enter the cells of your body to be used for energy.

Without this hormone your body does not receive enough sugar which can result in hypoglycaemic shock, however, too much of this hormone means your body absorbs too much sugar which can produce the same reaction.

There are two types of diabetes; type one diabetes is usually diagnosed during childhood while type two diabetes is diagnosed in adults. If you are over the age of 45 then you could be at risk of developing type two diabetes. 

MyDr has provided some helpful tips on the risk factors and symptoms of diabetes.

Diabetes can occur if you are:

• Over 45 years old and have high blood pressure
• Over 45 years old and are overweight
• Over 45 and have one or more family members with diabetes
• Over 55 years old
• Have heart disease
• Have had a heart attack in the past
• Have had high blood sugar levels during pregnancy

Some symptoms of type two diabetes:

• Excessive urination
• Feeling thirsty all the time
• Tired and lethargic

These symptoms are difficult to detect in elderly people because they are often misinterpreted as normal signs of aging. This means that many elderly people remain undiagnosed which can lead to serious health problems such as kidney damage, eye damage and increased risk of a stroke or heart attack.

However, if you have been diagnosed with diabetes you can manage your condition effectively by consulting with your doctor. You can also help manage your condition by not smoking, losing weight and maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine.

Read the full article here.

Are you worried about losing your memory? Do you feel that your brain isn’t as sharp as it used to be? Then maybe it’s time that you improved your mental fitness.

Your brain is like any other muscle, which means it needs a regular workout to stay fit.

Better Health Channel has provided some great tips on how to give your brain a mental workout and improve your mental fitness.

• Exercise for 30 minutes a day: Physical exercise increases the flow of oxygen to your brain to enhance your mental functioning and improve your memory
• Reading regularly: Reading helps to stimulate your brain and allows you to learn new things. You brain then receives a workout by expanding your knowledge base.
• Increase your vitamin B intake: Vitamin B is important for maintaining a healthy brain. This means you should eat wholegrain cereals and dairy foods.
• Exercise your intelligence: Take part in mentally challenging activities such as learning a new language, completing a cryptic crossword or a jigsaw puzzle.
• Maintain your health: The health of your body can have an effect on the health of your brain. You should visit your doctor for regular check-ups to identify potential health issues early.
• Socialise: Other people can help you exercise your mental fitness with thought-provoking conversations or by playing a board game or watching TV game shows together.

Your brain is a very important muscle that co-ordinates all of your body’s functions. It is essential to exercise your mental fitness regularly to ensure that your body can function effectively and that your memory, speech, perception and comprehension remain sharp.

Read the full article here.

Lifting and transferring your loved ones can often be a difficult task for many caregivers. If the wrong techniques are implemented then caregivers are at risk of injuring themselves or their loved one. That is why it’s so important for caregivers to learn safe lifting techniques.

Aged Carer has provided some tips on how to safely lift and transfer your loved one without injuring them or yourself.

1. Encourage your loved one to participate
If your loved one is able to, ask them to move to the edge of the chair and push up from the seat. This will help exercise their mobility and muscle strength as well as reduce the risk of injury.

2. Use transfer devices and lifting equipment
Always try to avoid lifting your loved one by yourself. Use equipment such as slide sheets, hoists, lifters, slings and powered lift chairs.

3. Use proper body mechanics
Never lift your loved one by bending your back. Always ensure that your knees are bent and your back is kept straight.

4. Don’t lift under the arms!
Avoid lifting your loved one from under their arms as you may become unbalanced or risk injuring yourself. Your loved ones can often experience discomfort or shoulder injuries when pulled up by the arms. You should support your loved one by placing one hand on their shoulder and the other on their lower back.

Caregivers can seek additional advice on the best lifting equipment and techniques from an occupational therapist or physiotherapist.

Read the full article here.

Anybody can develop skin cancer but people aged 55 years and over are most at risk.

MamasHealth.com has provided an article on skin cancer and seniors including what to look for when checking your skin and what treatment doctors can provide.

What to look for:
All skin cancers could be cured if they were found and brought to a doctor’s attention before they had a chance to spread. It is vital that you check your skin regularly even if you don’t go out into the sun very much.

The most common symptom of a skin cancer is a change on the skin – especially a growth or sore that has not healed after two weeks. Not all skin cancers look the same.

Here are some examples of what a skin cancer may look like:

• A small, smooth, shiny, pale or waxy lump.
• A firm red lump.
• A lump that bleeds or has developed a crust.
• A freckle or mole that has begun to darken in colour or change in shape.
• A flat red spot that is rough, dry or scaly.

Skin cancer treatments:
When a doctor treats a skin cancer their goal is to remove it or destroy the cancer completely. All treatments can be different depending on type, size, location and the person’s general health and medical history.

Treatments include:

• Surgery where the cancer is removed from the body
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• A combination of treatments

Encourage your loved one, and help them if required, to regularly check for skin cancers.

Read the full article here.

This year’s winter seems to be one of the coldest we have had in a while. The cold weather can have health implications for us all but in particular vulnerable groups such as elderly people are most at risk.

Charnwood.gov has provided some helpful and simple tips to help you make sure your loved one stays warm this winter:

• Make sure your loved one keeps warm at all times – even if it appears to be mild outside.
• Make sure your loved one’s hands and feet are kept warm as cold temperatures can cause problems with circulation.
• Make sure your loved one keeps their windows and doors closed during cold weather as most people are more likely to be struck by the common cold if they have a cold nose.
• Encourage your loved one to use heating appliances.
• Be sure your loved one wears adequate warm clothing – several layers is better than one thick layer.
• Be sure to encourage your loved one to visit their doctor or medical centre and get vaccinated for the flu, as it can affect elderly people much more severely.

If your loved one lives alone, or you have an elderly friend or neighbour, be sure to check up on them and encourage them to stay warm this winter.

Read the full article here.

By giving your loved one a mobile, you are giving them a small, portable and light emergency link to you, reducing the stress and worry carers feel when separated. A mobile is something they can carry around with them when they go anywhere, whether it be from room to room or when they go on trips out of town.

However, mobiles have so much functionality it may prove difficult to stop your loved one from feeling intimidated and deflecting the suggestion that they need a mobile phone.

Boomers With Elderly Parents have written some great tips about how to look at, and talk about, using mobile phones without intimidating your loved one.

• Functionality: keep it simple, try to find an end of cycle or starter model that doesn’t have all the technological bells and whistles younger generations love.
• Cost: find a service provider that offers simple plans that can be customised for local use only or have a fixed price per month.
• Ease of use: take the time to teach your loved one how to use the device and limit the amount functions they have to accomplish to stay in contact.
• Speed-dialling: this function is especially useful for when caring for a loved one whose memory is becoming affected.

To read the full article, click here

It is no secret that as you grow older, health becomes a major aspect of life. However, growing older should not be synonymous with bad health. Improving on your health as much as you can will ensure the best quality of life.
 
One of the most important parts of leading a healthy lifestyle is to stay physically active. Without regular exercise, people over the age of forty are at risk of suffering from a range of health problems. Making even the smallest of changes to your physical lifestyle can benefit you and your body. Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day (or most days) is extremely beneficial. However, if you are finding it hard to get active, here are some tips from Aged Care Australia:

• Choose activities you enjoy and find interesting. You more likely to keep up with an exercise routine if it’s fun, rather than a chore.
• Make a plan – start off slowly, and aim for small improvements. Keep track of your progress in a training diary for added motivation.
• Exercise with friends. They can help you keep to your plan, remain motivated and be a social occasion.
• Choose appropriate clothing, for example loose clothes and supportive shoes.
• Don't let yourself dehydrate – drink plenty of water before, during and after your activity.
• Don't exercise in hot weather or immediately after meals.

Read the full article HERE.

When cooking for an elderly person, you should take into account their dietary and physical requirements. It’s easy to overlook simple yet important factors such as serving food that your loved one will be able to eat if they have dentures.

eHow have provided some hints for cooking for an elderly person. Some of their top tips are:

• Serve a smaller portion. People need fewer calories as they grow older and shouldn’t eat as much as younger adults.
• Check whether there are any dietary restrictions that accompany your loved one’s medications.
• Serve foods with a low sugar content if your loved one is diabetic or at risk of becoming diabetic. You may like to consult a diabetic recipe book.
• If your loved one wears dentures, avoid serving chewy or sticky foods that may be difficult to eat.

Whether you cook regularly for your loved one, or only occasionally, take into account their differing needs. Your loved one will feel much more comfortable when you follow these few simple tips.

Read the full article HERE.

As our parents age, it can be difficult to maintain a close relationship with them. Their emotional needs and behaviour change, and things that you once had in common with your parents may not remain.

The article ‘How to better understand our aging parents’, on eHow, provides some tips on how you can have a strong relationship with your parents as they age.

• Free yourself of guilt. As people grow older, they may lose friends or their spouse, and their bodies will change along with their activities. This is a natural part of aging and once you accept that you cannot stop the aging process, you can help them cope with the changes.
• When communicating with your parents, take into account your differing perspectives. Think about the times in which they grew up and the values that they have. They may not like to show weakness or tell you about pain simply because they are your parent.
• Be attentive and talk to them. Remember that they have a right to their opinions, and if you don’t agree with them, don’t argue. Instead, try to understand how their opinions may have been formed.
• Show them that they are important by spending time with them. Ask them out for coffee, have dinner with them or watch their favourite television show with them. Don’t underestimate the power of the physical contact of a hug or a touch of the hand.

Patience, empathy and time shared together will help you maintain a close, positive relationship with your parents as they grow older. By helping them to feel loved and appreciated, you will help them adapt to the changes that come with aging.

Read the full article HERE.