Senior Care in Dallas, TX

Senior Care in Dallas, TX – Finding Motivation Can Be Difficult with Increased Physical Limitations

Because seniors sleep less and tend to reduce their physical activity as they get older, they might start to pack on the pounds in their 60s, 70s and beyond. Being at a healthy weight is especially important for seniors who suffer from arthritis, diabetes and other chronic conditions. The extra pounds make these situations even worse.

However, many seniors – and adults of all ages – struggle with losing weight and keeping it off. There are so many fad diets out there that claim rapid weight loss, but the problem is that the weight quickly comes back. Permanent weight loss can be challenging, but it’s not impossible with these tips.

Weight Loss Means a Lifestyle Change

Many people try to get away with doing the bare minimum when it comes to shedding weight, but unfortunately, permanent weight loss requires much more than eating a few healthy meals here and there. It’s a commitment that a quick-fix diet can’t solve.

Don’t Shoot for Quick Results

A healthy weight loss goal is a pound or two a week. Losing weight too quickly may look good when you step on the scale, but the result is typically muscle and water loss. Your elderly loved one’s body ends up losing important nutrients and this can lead to fatigue and illness.

Find the Right Diet Plan

Not all diets are created equally. Those who exercise often need a lot of carbohydrates and protein to provide them with fuel. Most seniors can benefit from protein and fiber, along with vitamins and minerals such as calcium. Follow the food pyramid and place the focus on fruits and vegetables, adding in whole grains, meats such as fish and chicken, and low-fat dairy.

Show Support for Your Elderly Loved One

As a family caregiver, you can do your part by buying and preparing healthy meals for your elderly loved one. There are so many temptations out there, so expect your elderly loved one to have a few slip-ups once in a while. But by offering encouragement, support and an optimistic outlook, your elderly loved one will keep at it.

Set Long-Term Goals

Have your senior set goals that will allow him or her to keep off the weight for a longer period of time. Some examples include staying healthy enough to see grandchildren graduate from college, maintaining a healthy weight to keep diabetes and blood sugar in check or improved self-esteem. There are many benefits to losing weight, so have your senior loved one keep them in mind when he or she feels the urge to eat something unhealthy.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Dallas, TX and the surrounding areas, contact Approved Home Care at 972-658-4001 today.

Senior Care in Dallas,  TX – Mom will Still Need a Considerable Amount of Care once she Moves in

At first the idea was simple enough: your mother needed help at home and since she lived a little too far away from you, you told her that she should move in with you. Now that she’s finally agreed (albeit reluctantly), you’re wondering whether this is considered providing senior care.

Maybe you’re trying to determine if you can get some money through the government for helping her. Maybe she has continually talked about not wanting any type of home care for elderly patients because she didn’t want to be treated like a patient. Maybe there are other issues at play here.

She didn’t want to move away from her friends, but she also didn’t want to continue struggling with her basic care at home, living alone. You had given her the option of moving in with you or hiring a professional elderly health care provider and she chose to move in with you.

So, is this considered senior care? Not in the traditional sense of the word. When you’re talking about home health care services, you will be talking about having a person go to the home of the patient to provide support and care for him or her. That could be in the form of a home care aide or a visiting nurse, for example.

You’re just having your mother move into your home and even though you may provide some level of support for her, the main focus for you was to make sure that your mother was safe at home, and you assume that is now going to be achieved.

In truth, changing addresses isn’t going to change the overall situation. Your mother is still going to need the proper level of support and she may need someone to help her get around the house, get out of bed some mornings, get dressed, and she may need assistance getting into and out of the bathroom or shower. You might not have considered the safety of your home as opposed to where she had been living.

You might have brought a shower seat from her old home to yours, but is that enough? Are you going to be willing and able to support her with all of the things she needs help with?

Just because your mother moved in with you, that doesn’t mean she no longer requires any other type of senior care. She may even need MORE care now that she’s in an unfamiliar home, trying to get around furniture she isn’t used to. It may be a good start, but consider hiring professional senior care to help mom with her daily activities that you may not have time for, even in your own home.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Dallas, TX, contact Approved Home Care at 972-658-4001 today.

Presbyterian Village North

Approved Home Care completed an in-service at Presbyterian Village North this week in Dallas about senior care in the home.  The topics discussed with Liz Cox, the Director of Social Services at Presbyterian Village North, along with three social workers included more information about our dual discharge program and private duty care services. Also presenting information was our friend, Carla Parrish of Reliant Home Health of Allen, and all enjoyed catered delicious sizzling Fajitas for lunch.  John Bolin of Approved Home Care also discussed more about reducing readmission rates and how our hands on care program specializes in Fall prevention, caring for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Stroke patients.  Our goal is to help the senior and elderly patient regain strength and heal in the home in a relaxed environment.  Our program promotes wellness and physical healing.  Many times during rehab, family members are overwhelmed with the shock of the ailing parent, and we are here to offer comfort and support.  We serve seniors and the elderly in Dallas, Plano, Richardson, Highland Park, University Park, White Rock Lake area, and Carrollton.  We provide as little as a few hours of senior care a day, up to 24 hour care and senior live-in care as well.

Presbyterian Village North offers short-stay rehab, independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, and Alzheimer’s, dementia and hospice care.  The beautiful spacious 63 acre campus has a tranquil park like setting to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit.  Presbyterian Village North offers an array of living options for adults 62 years old and older.  They also have an aquatics and rehabilitation therapy center, a resident clinic and onsite physicians, a large performing arts center, a fulltime chaplain, dining options, to name a few of the services offered.

Approved Home Care has a customized program for Presbyterian Village North to come into the patient room at discharge and pack the senior up after a short rehab stay, drive them home and unpack the elderly patient at home.  Our experienced caregiver also can provide daily care with making meals, laundry, housekeeping, change the beds, get out the trash, pick up prescriptions, and take the elderly patient to Doctor appointments as the healing continues.  The senior gets stronger with our CNA and Nurse Aid care, and stress is reduced by the senior.  And family members can take a break from the stress of the situation.  Our caregivers go through an extensive background check and are required to complete monthly inservice training to provide the best in senior home care for our clients.  We meet you in person to determine the number of hours needed for senior care, and our CNA’s or Nurse Aid’s can work a few hours a day up to 24 hour, and live-in care.  We also have experienced hospice caregivers that can sit with the patient throughout the night, and help to take care of incontinence, and medication reminders as well.

We also are excellent at processing long term care insurance claims since we are a licensed, bonded agency, approved by the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS).  We would love to meet you and answer your questions.  Call as at (972) 658-4001, and we are always just a phone call away to serve your family.

John Bolin of Approved Home Care and a good friend, Carla Parrish of Reliant Home Health of Allen participated in the first ever vendor fair of the new Methodist Hospital Richardson.  There was several vendors present including 13 post acute vendors.  The new Hospital CEO and CFO were also in attendance, along with Angie Cruz, the Director of Care Management. This new hospital serves Richardson, Dallas, Allen, Garland, Wylie, Sachse, Parker, Murphy, and Plano. Methodist Hospital of Richardson is located at Renner Road and President George Bush Turnpike.  It is a beautiful facility with 125 beds, all private rooms for your comfort.  They have a full service Emergency Department offering a 30 minute guarantee, with free valet service.

Vendor Fair Methodist Hopsital RichardsonJohn and Carla were able to discuss with the social workers and hospital case managers more about Approved Home Care’s dual discharge program while grilling hot fresh cheese quesadillas for the group to enjoy.  John said the group felt the quesadillas were a big hit for the hungry audience of Hospital employees as they learned more about our experienced caregivers ready to assist patients with Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, fall risks, Stroke, COPD, and heart conditions.  John and Carla shared a vendor table since we were the only private duty in home care company invited to attend this 1st ever vendor fair.  What an honor to meet this wonderful team, and we look forward to working together for years to come!

Since we have personal experiences with our parents in and out of the hospital after my Mother’s heart surgery and Dad’s prostate cancer diagnosis, we understand the benefits of having a full time caregiver helping our parents, even during the hospital and rehab stay.  Stress is relieved when there is an extra set up qualified hands ready to assist.  Approved in Home Care promotes Nurse Aid training and our experienced caregivers take ongoing in service training on the latest in home care techniques to provide the highest level of in home care to our elderly patients who have been battling a diagnosis.  That’s why we feel our dual discharge hospital program is so unique and such a benefit for a caregiver to come in and help pack up Mom after a Hospital stay and drive her back home.  The caregiver can get the trash out, pick up the mail and groceries, and cook nutritious meals as a senior heals back in the home. What a blessing our caregivers are to so many families we serve.

Addressing our parents senior care helped give us the experience we benefited from to open a licensed in home care company.  We are licensed to provide hands on care in Dallas, Collin, Denton, Grayson, and Rockwall counties, with the majority of our patients in the heavier populations of Dallas, Highland Park, University Park, Plano, Allen, Frisco, and McKinney.   We can have a scheduled caregiver come and help as little as 4 hours a day to 24 hour care, along with living in, if you prefer.  Our caregivers help the senior with bathing, dressing, grooming, meal preparation, laundry, picking up groceries, medication reminders, doctor appointments, and can help the senior do the physical therapy exercises the Doctor has ordered for the healing patient. Your parents deserve the best, so give us a call.

If you could benefit from in home care from a highly trusted and reliable licensed agency, please give us a call at (972) 658-4001.  We are happy to answer your questions and come out and meet you in person.  We understand how important that transition back home is to help speed the healing process and that keeps your loved one from going back into the hospital.  Our low hospital re-admission rate is what makes a huge difference in the seniors life as they heal in the comfort of home.  Give us a call, we would love to talk!

Dallas Office at Forest Central One

Approved in Home Care is pleased to announce our new office location, conveniently located in the Dallas metroplex off of Central Expressway, nestled between Royal and Forest Lane. Our new Dallas office location is strategically located a few blocks between Presbyterian Hospital and Medical City Hospital, ready to serve seniors in their homes in Dallas, Richardson, Highland Park, University Park, Lake Highlands, White Rock Lake area, and Garland.

As the population of Dallas ages in this region, Approved Home Care, a licensed, insured, and bonded senior care agency, is trained to help seniors age in place in the comfort of their home. Our caregivers are carefully prescreened and go thru extensive monthly training on stroke awareness, fall prevention, dementia care, and safety in the home, Parkinson’s care, and emergency preparedness.

We have an excellent staff that is ready to assist you around the clock.  We also offer a medical alarm button for those patients who want additional around the clock security and peace of mind.  Our button is light weight and water proof and has a 24 hour call center ready to assist you at the push of a button.  We recommend wearing your button around your neck at all times, to push if you needed help after a fall, or if you feel sick and need assistance.  We are always only a phone call away to care for you.

The Dallas offices will be utilized for multiple purposes including: conducting local face-to-face interviews with experienced caregivers, CNA’s, Nurse Aids, and for caregiver training, and a convenient location for our Marketing staff to coordinate services while helping serve the Dallas community.

We understand seniors in Dallas prefer to continue to live in their homes as they age. We are a great solution in providing home care for the elderly including bathing, dressing, grooming, medication reminders, laundry, light housekeeping, and meal preparation, to errands. Our team will make your life simple, and our new Dallas location on Highway 75 at Forest, just made it easier for you to receive the care you deserve.

Some elderly experienced falls, leading to hospitalization, and are coming out of rehab and need additional help while recovering at home. Since we specialize in helping Parkinson’s and Dementia patients, our caregivers have the skills and experience to help assist elderly who are diagnosed with illness or stroke, and prefer to continue living in the comfort of home.

We provide as little as 4 hours of care up to 24 hour and live-in care. We customize a plan of care to fit your needs. Give us a call in Dallas and we can come over and answer your questions and schedule care with an experienced caregiver to give you added peace of mind. Our caregivers are on our payroll, and our staff will make this process simple for you.

For those of you that have a long term care policy, we are excellent at helping you set up services to start using your long term care insurance benefit.  We review your policy and help you initiate a claim to get your benefit paid by your long term care policy. Give us a call at (972) 658-4001; we would love to talk with you. We have caregivers ready to help you today.

Approved In-Home Care Dallas at Frisco Blood Drive

Approved Home Care enjoyed a day with Carter BloodCare at Strikes Bowling in Frisco, Texas this past week.

Our owner, Zack McConnell, was one of the first to volunteer to donate blood for this great cause. Carter BloodCare saves lives and is a not-for-profit organization with locations in Allen, Plano, and Lewisville. Carter BloodCare is a part of a network of community blood centers, serving the greater Dallas area, that collect and distribute almost 50% of the nation’s blood supply to hospitals caring for transfusion patients in the hospital.

After giving blood, the day included entertainment from Radio Station Lone Star 92.5, Classic Rock for Dallas, on hand promoting the event at Strikes Bowling Alley, in Frisco. Lone Star 92.5 is sponsoring several summer blood drives featuring Bo & Jim In The Mornings and Jeff K. They know how to promote an event and have a good time. Fun was had by all and the Lone Star 92.5 had a vampire on hand complete with fangs and beady eyes. To add an exclamation point to the day, our owner, Zack & Linda McConnell won tickets to the Jimmy Buffett concert for later that evening at the Frisco Toyota Stadium, home of FC Dallas Soccer team.

Strikes Bowling in Frisco, Texas hosted the event and provided a free hour of bowling for all who gave blood to Carter BloodCare during the blood drive last Saturday. Strikes offers a great bowling experience for the whole family and also has an arcade and laser tag area for all to enjoy.

Donating blood is an important service that not only benefits seniors & the elderly, but all of those experiencing healthcare needs. Approved in Home Care supports seniors who are hospitalized and in need of blood. We believe in helping our community and encourage healthy residents to give blood on a regular basis to our blood banks.

For seniors or elderly who are recovering from surgery, Approved Home Care staff regularly donates blood to Carter BloodCare to support our service area of Dallas, Plano, Highland Park, McKinney, Frisco, and Lewisville. Approved Home Care helps patients at home, along with providing caregivers and Nurse Aid’s for folks getting out of the hospital or rehab, recovering from illness and who need help at home.

Let us know if you have a loved one recovering in the hospital, and we are happy to drop by and check in on your loved one and discuss how we can help with recovery after a hospital stay. Call us at (972)658-4001 anytime, we are here to help.

Parkinson’s is a neurological disorder caused when the brain cells that are responsible for producing dopamine die. A dopamine deficiency leads to a series of physical and mental problems, such as tremors, speech problems, moodiness, impaired memory, bad posture, bradykinesia (slowness in movements), and rigidity. What does senior care for Parkinson’s entail?

There is no cure for Parkinson’s but there are medications that can help minimize the effects of the disease. However, the effectiveness of some of the drugs used will diminish over time. Be aware of some of the side effects with taking certain medications.

Parkinson’s will present differently in each person making it difficult to treat. The right treatment for the unique set of symptoms a person incurs is often found by trial and error.

There are four main things that senior care should know about what a patient with Parkinson’s needs:

Find a Good Doctor – a good doctor isn’t necessarily one with the best credentials. A good doctor listens to the patient and the caregiver. A good doctor will have the ability to assess and respond to the ever-changing condition of the patient as the disease progresses. If you feel that your loved one isn’t getting the care they need, don’t hesitate to look into a second opinion or getting a different doctor.

Exercise – exercise on a regular basis makes it easier for people with Parkinson’s to move. Walking, yoga, and dance classes are good exercises for movement. Physical therapy can also help with symptoms of Parkinson’s.

Support Group – it is essential for those facing the challenges and limitations of Parkinson’s to be able to talk to others who are going through the same experience.

A Loving Caregiver – many times caregivers of people with Parkinson’s struggle with the difference between helping and enabling their loved one because conditions of the disease are going to affect their ability to perform daily activities. Senior care can be challenging in this way because you want to encourage your loved one to do as much as they can without overdoing it.

For most people with Parkinson’s disease, it is the lack of control over their body movements that they find the most frustrating. Some days will be good and some days are going to be really off.

Senior care for an individual with Parkinson’s is going to play an important part in their daily life as the disease progresses. The caregiver needs to be patient, loving, and supportive to what the patient’s needs are.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Dallas, TX, contact Approved Home Care at 972-658-4001 today.

Approved Home Care Dallas