Is Mom or Dad Becoming a Shopaholic? from Comfort Keepers Elderly Care In Troy, MO

I have had several clients who loved the shopping channels on TV. Both of these women were no longer able to go out to the stores to shop.

One of them was prudent, staying within her means and buying gifts for birthdays and Christmas and the occasional pretty for herself.

The other one, however, was not. There was a steady stream of packages coming in just about every day. There was so much that packages often went unopened for days. Much of it was useless and unneccessary. She no longer semed to have any control over her spending habits.

Sometimes, as people age and start losing their independence and mobility they try to compensate with other things. What can you do if Mom or Dad are spending money they can’t afford to spend? Read the following article for some pointers.

Is My Elderly Parent a Shopaholic?

When Mom or Dad Won’t Bathe from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

One of the reasons adult children come to us looking for help with their parents is because Mom or Dad isn’t taking care of their personal hygeine. There are many reasons for this, among them memory problems or just that they are afraid of falling in the tub or shower. The following article may help and just remember, we here at Comfort Keepers can help. If you are in the St Louis, St Charles or Lincoln County areas of Missouri you can call 314-288-0054.

Dad Won’t Shower or Change His Clothes. What Do I Do?

Eating Right Helps Control Diabetes from Comfort Keepers Elderly Care in Troy, MO

The complications of diabetes can be devasting and are the result of poor blood sugar control. The major factor in controlling blood sugar is, of course, diet. Everyone knows that the diabetic can’t have sugar, but it’s more complicated than that. If you find yourself taking care of a diabetic loved one, you need to know the ins and outs of the diabetic diet.

The first most important thing is to follow your loved ones doctor’s advice. The doctor can point you in the right direction and perhaps tell you where to go for more information.

Here are a few sites for menu planning and recipes to get you started:

American Diabetes Association: Meal Planning

From the Mayo Clinic: Diabetes meal plan recipes

And more recipes: Diabetic Living

And here’s the best part, following this diet can help you and your other family members eat healthier, too. So you don’t have to make your diabetic loved one feel left out by serving them something different than the rest of the family

Holiday Assessment Guide from Comfort Keepers Elder Care in Troy, MO

Often we overlook a variety of warning signs such as forgetfulness, lack of house
cleaning or a decrease in physical appearance by writing them off to “old age”.

Comfort keepers has developed a checklist to use each of your five senses that provide key
indicators or warning signs to help determine if your family members are in need of additional care or assistance.

If your not sure if your loved one may need extra care this holiday please download this assessment:

Holiday Assessment Guide

Interactive Caregiving from Comfort keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

There was a study done in Chicago recently that showed that staying socially active may help prevent the onset of symptoms in Alzheimer’s. What this means is, if we keep our elderly parents engaged in life mentally, physically, emotionally and socially there is a good chance that we can keep them in their own homes for a longer period of time.
Many seniors with Alzheimer’s have a tendency to isolate themselves and have lost the ability to reach out to family and friends for their social needs. Friends and even family may stop visiting so often, or be so taken up with caring for basic physical needs that they may not recognize the need for social and mental activity. Even if we, as family members, recognize the need, we may not be able to do much about it because of restraints of time and distance.

Here at Comfort Keepers we can assist families with these needs, as well as your loved ones physical needs and safety, we call it Interactive Caregiving. Caregiving should be more than just cooking, cleaning and assisting with personal care, we take everyday activities and transform them into opportunities to communicate with and engage our clients. If you would like to know more about Interactive Caregiving please take the time to read our online brochure or if you’re in the St. Louis, St. Charles or Troy, MO area call us at 314-288-0054.

Interactive Caregiving

Explaining Your Elderly Parents Alzheimer’s to Your Children from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

It’s hard enough taking care of an ageing parent while you still have young children at home, but have you considered the effect it may be having on your children and all the unasked questions they have? My sons were teenagers when my mother-in-law moved in with us. They were a big help with her even though she usually confused them with each other or someone else.

Even though she was their step-grandmother and they had only a few years history with her it still affected them. It was easier because they were older, but how should we explain what’s happening with Grandmom? The article I’ve linked to below has some advice for those of us dealing with this situation.

When a grandparent has Alzheimer’s: helping your kids understand

Preventing Elderly Suicide Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

I know we don’t like to think about it but the highest rates of suicide for an age group is among those 65 or older. You may not think your loved one would even consider it but things like the death of a spouse or a chronic illness may cause depression and thoughts of suicide. Please take a few minutes to read through the following article so you will have an idea of what to look for.

5 tips on helping prevent elderly suicide

Understanding Reverse Mortgages from Comfort Keepers Elderly Care in Troy, MO

As our parents age we find ourselves taking on more and more responsibility, ranging from grocery shopping to using our money to help pay their bills. It can cause a lot of stress for the caregiver and it starts to seem like you never get to just sit and enjoy your parents company, it’s go, go, go all the time. A little extra money could ease the financial stress and even provide some in-home care for grocery shopping, housework and more, leaving us more quality time with our parents.

A reverse mortgage can bring in that extra money. There’s been a lot of talk about reverse mortgages in the news and we’re seeing the commercials and ads, but there’s a lot of misconceptions about them. The following page from the HUD website is a good place to start if you need more information about reverse mortgages.

Top Ten Things to Know if You’re Interested in a Reverse Mortgage

Cancer Facts for Seniors and their Caregivers in Troy, MO

Cancer can affect anyone at any age but as we age our chances of getting it increase. What should you know as a caregiver and what should you be watching for in your elderly loved ones? Here is an article that answers these questions.

Cancer Facts for Seniors

Credit Card Debt Affects Seniors Too from Comfort Keepers Elderly Care in Troy, MO

Credit card debt has been rising amoung the seniors in recent years. Your parents could be heading into serious financial difficulties and you may not even know it. The article below talks about how you can spot signs of trouble and what you can do to help.

Helping aging parents dig out of debt