Diet is a cornerstone of long-term health and vitality. It provides the nutrients needed to support the body’s many physiological processes, including tissue repair, cognitive function, and immunity, among many others. For elderly parents, maintaining a healthy diet can be a challenge. A lack of assistance causes many elderly people to miss meals or eat foods that are inadequate for their nutritional needs. These and other factors lead to malnutrition and secondary health issues. But knowing how home care services help elderly parents maintain a healthy diet lets you make the right choices for your loved ones and support their health. Preventing Common Nutritional Issues The quality of an individual’s diet supports disease prevention and management. A healthy diet can also reduce the need for certain medications or supplements. But there are also many issues that are specific to elderly patients. In many cases, parents may have limited mobility or…

Watching someone suffer the after-effects of a stroke is devastating. The changes that the brain undergoes can leave them with personality changes – you may no longer recognize your parent, and this can be troubling on its own. Further, many patients are unable to carry on with their daily lives due to the physical limitations placed on them. Stroke sufferers can benefit greatly from home care services, and here is why. Important Parts of Their Recovery Do Not Slip Through the Cracks. People who have suffered a stroke are often left with many serious physical and mental effects, from vision problems to speech problems to paralysis on one side of the body, to name only a few. The majority of people are unequipped to handle stroke rehabilitation on their own. Many things slip through the cracks when people attempt to take on their loved one’s recovery on their own, and…

Just as it is important for seniors to engage in regular physical activity in order to keep their bones and muscles (and their brains!) strong, so too should they engage in stimulating activities such as brain exercises to maintain their brain health. This is important to mitigate the natural memory loss that comes with aging. Even if the individual is experiencing more severe memory loss, such as dementia, all of the following brain exercises, especially those that focus on things in the real world, can be effective. With that, here are a few stimulating activities that can help improve memory. Word Games. The newspaper is a great place to find word games such as sudoku and crossword puzzles. The key is to find a challenging game; otherwise it will simply not offer as many benefits. Test Yourself. Practise your recall when at home. For example, make a list of items,…

For the first time ever, there are now more Canadian seniors over the age of 65 than under 15. Overall, the effects of Canada’s aging population put a lot of strain on the healthcare system, as well as the pension system. In this way, the benefits of home care services are wide-reaching, benefiting not only seniors and families, but also alleviating the burden on the economy. We will take a look at the growing benefits of home care services below. Unparalleled Benefits To The Person Receiving CareHome care services are designed for many people, from the chronically ill to seniors to disabled patients. They receive high-quality care from professionals; the services can be personalized and tailored to exactly what they need. Further, these services are much more affordable than those who are receiving inpatient care. However, inpatient care becomes more likely as at-risk individuals continue to live on their own…

Falls are the leading cause of injuries that Canadian seniors experience, causing 85 per cent of their hospitalizations. More seriously, falls are responsible for causing 95 per cent of hip fractures, with 20 per cent of these incidents being a cause of death. You may be surprised to learn that half of these falls occur at home, while the bathroom and stair sets are also particularly dangerous areas of the home. Falls are one of the most serious threats that seniors face, but if modifications are made to seniors’ environments, the risk of falling can decrease. Have Health Assessed By A DoctorA lack of balance, poor eyesight and medication that causes dizziness all commonly contribute to the risk of falling. Therefore, it is important to have your loved one’s health assessed by visiting the GP, as well as the eye doctor. If the doctor considers these to be potential risk…