Your Boston Home Instead Senior Care owner, David Wert, possesses a heartfelt desire to work with seniors in the Boston MA area. It’s the reason why David was chosen to serve seniors and their families. When you’re ready for help, our caring staff is on call to quickly answer your questions and accommodate your senior services needs. Call us at 617.557.4600.

Whether it’s your parents, a grandparent, aunt, uncle or a cherished friend you’re looking out for, we understand how the responsibility can wear on you … at work, at home and in your relationships with family and friends. Do you fear for your loved one’s safety, but hope to find a manageable way for them to remain in their home? Do you feel like you want to be there for them all the time but can’t manage? Maybe you’ve thought about a nursing home or assisted living facility? Or you might have even considered having your loved one move in with you. At Home Instead Senior Care we have the expertise to help you discuss these important matters with your family and the experience to help you make the right decision – wherever home may be.

Our CAREGivers are residents of the local area who are carefully screened, fully bonded and insured. Each takes part in our exclusive multi-phase training and we place a high priority on matching our CAREGivers with our clients to help develop a bond that will foster independence, promote well being and support the senior’s needs with respect and dignity.

Testimonial of a happy client in Boston: I want to thank you so much for your attention to detail and let you know how very much we appreciate the flexibility of your staff. Every caregiver you have sent our way has been especially wonderful, professional and most of all caring. We find the caregivers easy to work with and enjoy their company as much as my mom does. Elizabelth

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

Home Instead Senior CAREGiver Carolyne tries to make every day a holiday for her clients. She takes them back in time to a day when they were surrounded by family and friends, sharing good stories and fantastic food.

She often sets their tables with fresh flowers and good dishes. Then she’ll whip up a gourmet meal of braised chicken breast with lemon butter or pecan-encrusted salmon. The table often features fresh produce from a local market.

“I think it’s the highlight of their day.  We have a lot of laughter – everything from news items to family stories,” she noted.  Occasionally, extended family drops by to share in the fun. Mealtimes often last nearly two hours.

In addition to preparing delicious meals and setting the stage for meaningful companionship, CAREGivers like Carolyne serve as a second set of eyes and ears for families who are concerned about a loved one. Holidays at home with Mom or Dad can highlight the areas where an older adult may need more assistance than they did last year.

If you’re headed home for the holidays, be sure to look for the warning signs that indicate your senior loved one might need additional help with issues such as loss of appetite, unwanted weight fluctuations, spoiled food in the fridge or clutter.

For tips on recognizing the signs, register for a free Home for the Holidays webinar – Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. ET, or Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. ET. Representatives from the Home Instead Senior Care^® network will be on hand to provide valuable information about the warning indicators that a senior may need extra help and what you can do to support them.

We strive to provide your loved one with a customized plan of care and appreciate the confidence you place in your local Home Instead Senior Care office. Thank you for trusting your loved one’s care to us. If you would like more information about Home for the Holidays, or have any comments or questions, please call me at 617.557.4600.

P.S.  Remember, your Home Instead CAREGiver can help with other holidays too, from answering the door for trick-or-treaters to making sure the good dishes are ready for Thanksgiving company.

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

When a parent or relative passes away, it’s a traumatic and emotional time for the entire family. During this end of life phase, there is special care that can make dying a less stressful and painful experience for those involved.

People don’t have the privilege to plan how or when someone will come to their end of life, but we can be open about discussing it and reviewing the options for care that may be appropriate under differing circumstances. It is important that the thoughts and wishes of your terminally ill loved one be honored and respected.

Some things to remember before the end of life stage occurs: make sure the advanced directives reflect the wishes of your loved one,  and that the planned actions are carried out properly and according to their wishes. Of course many times there will be no options as death comes quickly or circumstances require continued hospitalization.

If you have ever had the opportunity to talk with someone who has been through the end of live process with a Hospice organization, almost universally, they will relate what a good experience it was and will recommend it to other families.

The most direct and efficient way to learn more about Hospice is to contact a Hospice in your area. You can click here on Find A Hospice to locate one near you. Call them and ask for information and help in learning more. That you do not having an immediate need for their services will not keep them from being helpful. Everyone who works in the Hospice field is passionate about their work and will be happy to assist. Don’t put this off, as a weight will be removed from everyone when the plan and agreement is in place.

Source: Life Ledger Caregiving Tips by John Boden.

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

Elderly faces nutritional health challenges when living alone. If you are planning to visit your elderly loved one during the holiday season this year, Home Instead Senior Care will help you determine if your loved one is facing a health challenge. When you first arrive to your elderly mom’s house and, once again, the fridge is empty and your mother is eating toast for dinner. “Why cook,” she asks, “when I’m all alone?” Or, perhaps, Dad has quit eating altogether since Mom – the gourmet cook in the family – died last year.

When family caregivers live away from elderly relatives, we know how difficult it can be to ensure older adults are eating properly. After all, seniors often face multiple challenges. Much can stand in the way of good nutrition and maintaining elderly health.

For instance, illnesses and diseases can dampen taste buds. Seniors on multiple medications or recovering from an illness may lose interest in eating. The conditions of aging sometimes make shopping and preparing food difficult. And then there’s loneliness. All of these issues can mean your mom or dad could fail to thrive like they should.

Two of five seniors who live alone (44 percent) have at least four warning signs of poor nutritional health such as eating alone, taking multiple medications and having an illness, according to research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care.

“Nutrition is certainly a key factor to an individual’s overall health and well-being,” said Sandy Markwood, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). “If someone is at risk, their health is impacted. When you see the warning signs, it’s indicative of a larger risk. Combine that with loneliness and you’re looking at increased mental and physical health risks.”

Read the warning indicators that a senior could be in trouble: Warning Indicators.

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

Activities and social life may begin to wane for older adults who have lost spouses. But staying active is still very important to the health and well-being of seniors no matter what their circumstance.

That’s where family caregivers can help. Loved ones can encourage the seniors in their lives to find new ways to remain active if the old ones no longer work. Whether it’s assisting them in planting a garden, planning a trip or just reconnecting with old friends, it’s never too late to offer that older adult in your life an encouraging word and a helping hand.

Family reunions are great ways for seniors to connect with other generations after loss. Family caregivers can play an important role ensuring that older adults get the kind of reunion they want. The support of a professional Home Instead CAREGiver could help as well.

Planning a family reunion is a big job at any age that requires plenty of advance planning. We researched this topic and most resources we found suggest that you ask yourself the following questions when you’re laying the groundwork for a reunion:

Determine how big of an event you’d like to host. If you have a large family, should all the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren be included, or do you want immediate family only?

Select the city that is most centrally located for all who will be attending and then think about a site within that city.

If the reunion will be a several-day event, lodging will be another important consideration in the planning.

If you’re planning a bigger event, the best way to handle that is by establishing a committee. Put individuals in charge of various aspects of the event. That way, all your bases are covered.

Tip: Home Instead CAREGivers do more than you may know. They can help seniors with all holidays, including decorating for autumn and answering the door for trick-or-treaters.

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

When someone you love has been diagnosed with breast cancer, your first instinct is not knowing what to do or say. You’re not sure what to do in order to help. Here are some great alternatives; ways you can provide support after a breast cancer diagnosis:

1. Lend an ear – Just listen, lend them your presence and your ear so they feel they have the support of someone

2. Do some research about the disease and provide the facts about treatment options, support groups that are available and other resources that could help

3. Support them no matter what your loved one decides through the treatment and coping process

4. Be yourself – not knowing how to deal with someone with breast cancer sometimes causes people to act unusually

5. Have other friends and family members come together to extend their support so your loved one with breast cancer knows there are others there for her

6. Keep up the fun activities – laughter really is the best medicine, so create enjoyable and memorable situations

Home Instead Senior CAREGiver is the perfect gift of respite and care for both the patient needing help after chemo or surgery and for their primary caregiver. Call us to learn how we can help your friend who is experiencing the devastating trauma of this disease.  Call 617.557.4600.

Would you like to send something special to someone that’s going through this devastating illness? You may want to help, but don’t know how to do that. Let us take the worry from you. Instead of a poinsettia or fruitcake, why not send them a Basket of Care (www.BasketofCare.com)? These baskets are lovingly designed by a cancer patient & survivor, and chock full of items that will lend comfort. A Basket of Care is just the way to say, “I care”.

Sources:

1. SheKnows.com

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

Scientists think they may have found why humans lose energy with age and hope this will point the way to new diets or pharmaceuticals to slow the aging process. According to Biologists at USC, major declines in the availability of an enzyme known as Lon protease, human cells grow older.

• When the body fights oxidative damage, it calls up a reservist enzyme known as Lon protease that protects cells.
• Biologists at the University of Southern California discovered major declines in the availability of Lon protease as human cells grow older.
• As the cells age, they lose the ability to mobilize large numbers of Lon, the researchers reported in The Journals of Gerontology at http://bit.ly/pNmxHf
• Researchers are investigating potential treatments to boost the function of Lon. If normal tasks seem too overwhelming to a senior who has lost energy and the ability to remain independent, remind readers how their local Home Instead Senior Care® office could help.

Oxidation is the process behind rust and food spoilage. In the body, oxidation can damage or destroy almost any tissue. Lon removes oxidized proteins from the mitochondria and also plays a vital role in helping to make new mitochondria.

Study Findings:

• To fight the oxidant, young cells doubled the size of their Lon army within five hours and maintained it for a day. In some experiments, young cells increased their Lon army as much as seven-fold.
• Middle-aged cells took a full day to double their Lon army, during which time the cells were exposed to harmful levels of oxidized proteins.
• Older cells started with a standing Lon army only half as large and showed no statistically significant increase in Lon levels over 24 hours.

Source: Natural Anti-Oxidant Deserts Aging

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

Dementia is one of the biggest fears that many older adults face. U.S. adults fear Alzheimer’s more than heart disease, diabetes or stroke, but few prepare…MetLife Foundation Survey reveals little planning for Alzheimer’s among its key findings. It is an illness that attacks nearly 50 percent of those who live past age 85.

These are two key findings from a report, “MetLife Foundation Alzheimer’s Survey: What America Thinks,” conducted by Harris Interactive for MetLife Foundation. The survey also found that more than a third of U.S. adults have a family member or friend who has Alzheimer’s, and three out of five are concerned that they may someday have to provide for or care for someone with the mind-robbing disease.

Other major findings in the MetLife Foundation survey are that while U.S. adults surveyed (93%) say they know a lot or a little about the disease, and eight out of 10 think it is important to plan ahead for the possibility of getting Alzheimer’s, fully 87 percent have taken no steps to prepare for the possibility of Alzheimer’s. For example, more than half (58%) report that they have not designated anyone to take care of their affairs if they were to get Alzheimer’s disease.

First, seniors who lead sedentary lifestyles and consume a lot of sodium in their diet may be damaging their mental health. A study from Canada has found evidence that high-salt diets coupled with low physical activity can be detrimental to cognitive health in older adults. While low sodium intake is associated with reduced blood pressure and risk of heart disease, this is believed to be the first study to extend the benefits of a low sodium diet to brain health in healthy older adults. Elsewhere, evidence from a recent study of seniors indicates that consuming fish oil supplements has a positive impact on brain health and aging.

It’s important to stay active and eat healthy. If you need help at home caring for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s, call Home Instead Senior Care. We provide well-trained CAREGivers who has deep knowledge of how to work with patients living with the disease.

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.