• Self-efficacy: Begin slowly with exercises that are easily accomplished and advance gradually. Provide frequent encouragement.
• Attitude: Promote positive personal benefits of exercise and identify enjoyable activities.
• Discomfort: Vary the intensity and range of exercise and avoid overdoing it.
• Disabilities: Consult a personal trainer or physical therapist for specialized exercises for the disabled.
• Poor balance: Utilize assistive devices to increase safety.
• Illness or fatigue: Use a range of exercises and intensities that can match the senior’s energy level.

Learn more about helping older adults stay healthy and independent with exercise.

Overall, the key to continued success with an exercise plan is to make sure the senior feels comfortable and secure with the plan and the exercises. If muscles or joints are sore the day after exercising, too much exercise may have been done. Next time, exercise at a lower intensity. If the pain or discomfort persists, talk to the doctor.

Aunt Ann’s caregivers will work with your loved one’s doctor to develop an effective exercise plan that will increase not only strength, but also independence. Give us a call to learn more about the benefits of daily exercise for seniors and to schedule in-home care services today! San Francisco: 415.974.3530  Peninsula: 650.757.2000

Provided a physician has given approval, the following are simple strength, balance, and flexibility exercises to do at home.

Hip Flexion, strengthens thigh and hip muscles

1. Stand straight, holding tall, stable object for balance.
2. Slowly bend one knee toward chest, without bending waist or hips.
3. Hold the knee up.
4. Slowly lower leg all the way down.
5. Repeat with other leg.

Side Leg Raise, strengthens muscles at sides of hips and thighs

1. Stand straight, directly behind table/chair, feet slightly apart.
2. Hold table/chair for balance.
3. Slowly lift one leg to side, 6-12 inches.
4. Hold position.
5. Slowly lower leg.
6. Repeat with other leg.
7. Keep back and both knees straight throughout exercise.

Wall Push-ups

1. Place hands flat against the wall.
2. Slowly lower body to the wall.
3. Push body away from wall to return to starting position.

When exercising, always remember:

• Perform each exercise 8 to 10 times for two sets.
• Complete all movements in a slow, controlled fashion.
• Don’t hold your breath.
• Stop if you feel pain.
• Stretch each muscle after your workout.

Here are some more simple home exercises for the older adult with illustrations.

At Aunt Ann’s Home Care, we encourage our senior clients to maintain a daily exercise routine in order to increase strength and flexibility and promote independence. Find out more about how our in-home caregivers can assist your loved one by contacting us at 415.974.3530 or 650.757.2000.

Early Stages

People in the early stages of the disease may enjoy fairly active and social exercises such as walking, bowling, dancing, golf, and swimming, although some supervision may be necessary. Increased supervision will likely be required as the disease progresses.

Middle to Late Stages

Middle to later stages of Alzheimer’s are often accompanied by higher levels of anxiety and confusion, so loud or overly stimulating exercises should be avoided. Repetitive exercises such as walking, indoor bicycling or even activities like folding laundry help to decrease these anxiety levels because the senior does not have to make decisions about the activity or remember what to do next.

Advanced Stages

Children’s toys can be good for encouraging hand-eye coordination in individuals with a more advanced level of Alzheimer’s disease. These toys tend to be brightly colored, easy to grasp, and are designed for mind-stimulating activity. Additionally, soft clay-like products or stress balls can be squeezed to help strengthen the hands.

Find out more about why exercise is important for the elderly.

At Aunt Ann’s Home Care, we provide the necessary services and assistance to help individuals with Alzheimer’s disease maintain an exercise routine that meets their specific needs. Contact us today at 415.974.3530 or 650.757.2000 to learn more about how our in-home care services can help your loved one.

Creating a medication sheet is a simple and effective way to organize daily prescriptions, keep track of when and how to take medications, and have easy access to contact information for the physician who prescribed the medication. Make sure to include the following information for each prescription:

• Name of the medication
• The color and shape of the drug (or a photo of the drug if possible)
• Why the patient takes it
• Dose information
• When and how the medication is taken
• Possible side effects or warning signs
• The prescribing physician’s name and contact information
• Date the medication was started, and whether or not it should be refilled and taken ongoing
• Date the list was last updated

Make sure to also include a list of all over-the-counter medications the patient uses and why they are used. This list will prove helpful during emergencies, hospital stays, routine doctors’ appointments, or even as part of your own personal medication reminder system.

Overcoming obstacles to medication adherence is easier when your loved one has some help. Aunt Ann’s caregivers are skilled in the art of organization and can help your loved one stay on track with daily medication reminders, transportation to the pharmacy for prescription refills, and more. Give us a call today at 415.974.3530 or 650.757.2000 to learn more about our in-home care services for better medication adherence.

The following are some tips to help manage medications more effectively.

Ask Questions. Don’t be afraid to ask the doctor and/or pharmacist questions about the prescription. Be sure to know the following:

• The name of the drug
• What the drug is prescribed for
• How, when and how long to take the drug
• Correct dosage
• Possible side effects and drug interactions

Ask Before Modifying Pills. Some pills are designed to release medication over the course of the day, so crushing or cutting them in half could destroy the time-release aspect of the medicine, causing the person to receive too much at one time or none at all. If swallowing pills is a problem, ask the doctor or pharmacist how or if a medication can be modified or if it is available in a smaller tablet or liquid form.

Following a medication regimen can be difficult, particularly when the senior has multiple prescriptions to manage. Aunt Ann’s caregivers can help your loved one keep track of medications with daily reminders and prescription pick-ups when needed and ensure each step in the treatment regimen is followed. Learn more about how we can help. Call us today!

These med management problems are all too common among the elderly. Proper medication adherence can be a particularly big problem among older adults who take multiple prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs. However, evidence suggests that, with the proper motivation, education, and support, elders can overcome many barriers to medication adherence. The following are a number of strategies to overcome some common obstacles of medication adherence.

Memory Loss: A major issue when it comes to medication adherence among elderly individuals is memory loss. People with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease may forget to take their medications or even take multiple doses, having forgotten that they took the medication earlier. Tip: Make taking medication a part of another daily routine, and use pill dispensers and/or charts to stay organized.

Difficulty Swallowing Pills: Some older adults have difficulty swallowing, and may attempt to chew or crush pills, causing long-acting medications to be released into the body too quickly. Tip: Talk to the person’s doctor or pharmacist to find out if the medicine is available in a liquid or smaller tablet form that is easier to swallow.

Vision Problems: A senior with impaired vision may find it difficult to read the directions on a pill bottle or distinguish between pills, leading to possible incorrect dosage and use. Tip: Request medication labels in a large print size or purchase a pill bottle magnifier. Electronic devices are also available, such as “talking pill bottles,” which play recorded messages of the instructions on the pill bottle.

Transportation Issues: Some elderly individuals may be homebound or are unable to drive or easily access transportation and cannot regularly pick up prescriptions. Tip: Ask the pharmacy about mail order prescriptions that can be delivered to the home, or hire an in-home caregiver, like those at Aunt Ann’s Home Care, to provide transportation to the pharmacy, as well as doctors’ appointments and other outings.

If your loved one is experiencing any of these or other medication adherence obstacles, in-home care assistance can help keep him or her on track. Contact Aunt Ann’s Home Care at 415.974.3530 or 650.757.2000 for more information about our medication management services.

• Coordinate and communicate between healthcare professionals—including keeping all involved updated on all the meds the senior is taking.
• Teach the importance of taking meds and provide reminders to take them.
• Coordinate delivery of meds through mail order and/or provide transportation to pick up meds.
• Pick up prescribed medications after a hospital stay.
• Check for contraindications prior to purchasing new medications for the client.
• Record information from the label of each prescription and track warnings and possible side effects.
• Encourage the use of a pill organizer and/or an automated medication reminder system.
• Provide a system for checking that medications were taken.

Caregivers can also accompany seniors to their doctor appointments and provide a list of all medications being taken, as well as communicate with the pharmacist if the senior has any special requirements, such as liquid medicine as opposed to hard-to-swallow pills.

At Aunt Ann’s, we provide the necessary services and assistance to help our home care clients manage their medications for improved health and quality of life. Contact us today at 415.974.3530 or 650.757.2000 to learn more about how our in-home care services can help your loved one.

The following are some areas of care that you and your loved one should discuss:

• Bathing
• Dressing
• Hygiene
• Laundry
• Housekeeping
• Paying bills
• Transportation
• Pet care
• Meal preparation
• Walking

Assessing and determining what activities require assistance and which activities loved ones can still manage on their own is a big step towards enhancing independence comfortably and safely. At Aunt Ann’s Home Care, we can help you and your loved one assess where care is needed and create a care plan that works for you. Contact us today at 415.974.3530 or 650.757.2000 to learn more about encouraging independence or to find out how your loved one might benefit from our in-home care services.

The following are some tips to help encourage independence:

• Encourage him to do things for himself, even if met with reluctance or stubbornness.
• Provide opportunities for exercise and activities.
• Ask before taking over. It’s normal to want to jump immediately into help mode when you see a loved one struggling with a task, but before you do so, ask if help is needed. It could be that your loved one just needs a little more time to accomplish the task on his own.
• Research assistive devices such as medication reminder devices, products to assist with specific disabilities and gadgets to make everyday activities such as opening a jar or holding a utensil easier.
• Let your loved one do some activities that you know he is capable of, like washing up or walking a few steps without assistance. It is important to remember that even if you have to help a little or provide supervision for safety, small activities like these still provide a sense of achievement.
• Assist with home safety adaptations such as bathroom grab bars, hand rails, adequate lighting, home accessibility and furniture placement.

Being a caregiver doesn’t mean taking on every aspect of care yourself. Allow your loved ones to care for themselves and contribute to their own lives as much as possible. You may even be surprised by how much they can do!

Need more tips on how to promote independence in your loved one? Contact the caregiving experts at Aunt Ann’s Home Care today!

Why is promoting independence in seniors so important?

• It allows them to be seen as individuals who are still capable of making a contribution to society.
• It gives them a sense of achievement and self-worth.
• It helps them feel that they are not dependent on help from others and can still do something for themselves.
• It fights frustration and feelings of futility.

Encouraging independence in your elderly loves ones helps them feel like they have a purpose in life. At Aunt Ann’s Home Care, we encourage our senior and disabled clients to maintain their independence to the best of their abilities by providing them with activities, care coordination, and assistive devices that allow them to live their lives to the fullest. Find out more about our special brand of in-home care by contacting us at 415.974.3530 or 650.757.2000.