Senior Health in Omaha, Nebraska

Making sure your elderly loved ones remains in good health throughout their aging process is definitely not a one person job. It is common knowledge that as one gets older, health problems and health risks increase, making alertness to possible issues and awareness of the resources in place to help with those both critical to maintaining the best quality of life possible. Luckily for seniors in the Omaha Metro and their family members, there are numerous businesses that tailor their offerings to any number of health-related items that come up in an elderly individual’s life and are there to help whenever and however needed.

Mobility issues are an obvious concern for people as they age. Arthritis issues, hip and knee replacements, fractures, stiffness, and muscle degeneration are all examples of key issues that would affect being able to get around independently and safely. Secondary concerns, such as lack of energy due to COPD or heart issues, hamper mobility, as do dementia, Parkinson’s, and ALS. A recommendation of Comfort Keepers is to stay active as long as possible to prevent mobility issues. Keeping up with cardiovascular and weight-bearing exercises and eating a well-balanced diet are among the best ways to minimize any difficulties related to the wide variety of issues that can potentially affect mobility. Furthermore, it is important to not put off therapy or seeing your doctor regularly. This works towards staying on top of health concerns before they actually occur, or become life-changing and even life-threatening. Preventative healthcare has come a long ways and is always considered to be better than its reactionary counterpart.

Sometimes, even if the elderly individual wants to stay home if disabled or sick in any way, one’s dwelling cannot accommodate the numerous changes that may need to be sought after to best support a healthy lifestyle while living there independently. A problem that could also come up related to this is the fact that one might not even be able to afford all of the changes that need to happen, especially if it’s all at once. Therefore it is actually advantageous to make small modifications now if one plans to age in place. As just one of the simpler examples, you could switch to lever door handles, which are easier for sore hands to use. You can also widen doorways to anticipate walker or wheelchair use.

In partnership with home modifications, in-home care is also a helpful tool for keeping a senior safely mobile, ensuring that living conditions are optimal, and as it’s generally need-based, there are varying levels of care that can be provided. To shed more light on the potential for home modification, and the importance of having guidance from a professional in this area, Jennifer Dil of Comfort Keepers explains, “Comfort Keepers is unique in that we offer nurse-guided services for in-home care. With a nurse initially meeting our clients, we are able to identify needs in the home from a nursing perspective and create a safe plan of care for our Comfort Keepers to follow. This includes recommendations for the home as well as care-related checkpoints. For all of our clients, our nurses can also assist with concerns our Comfort Keepers may have when they suspect a change of health status or troubling indicators, for example: medications that may have been skipped, bruises indicating a fall, or perhaps confusion that was not presented on an earlier visit. Clients and family members of clients say our nurses are among the top reasons for choosing Comfort Keepers as they feel it adds an extra level of protection and peace-of-mind for their loved ones.”

Researching into assisted living communities, touring them, asking questions, and finding the one that is the best fit is very beneficial towards seniors whose health points towards seeking that option. As part of the supporting cast for a senior individual, you’ll want to make sure that you have a plan in place for your loved one after consulting them about it, just in case something happens and they are unable to be in their own home any longer. You need to know what their wishes are, so do not be afraid to ask. Make sure their advanced directives are in place as well. Power of Attorney, Guardianship, and a Living Will are key, among other components that you need to know for your loved one such as preferences and passwords.

Going back to the topic of regular activity and mobility issues, Lisa Arp of SilverRidge Assisted Living and Memory Support Community emphasizes, “One of the biggest health-related issues in my opinion would be walking or transferring. Folks are remaining sedentary in their homes longer and not getting out as much as they used to. We have a saying that really holds true; ‘If you don’t use it, you lose it’. If you or your loved one’s activities or daily living are affected (bathing, dressing, eating, etc.) and day-to-day necessities (cooking, changing clothes, getting up out of chairs, etc.), chances are movement and walking are at a minimum. Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy are needed.”

In addition to moving around regularly, it remains important to stay involved in activities that get the senior out of the home where they’ll enjoy social interaction and more stimulation. Due to the logistics of this, it is advisable to move to a facility where activities are close so one can get out of their room and right into the action without complicated, time-consuming and potentially dangerous scenarios. If one does not stay active and involved in the community, chances are they will not be able to remain in their home as isolation can be very problematic. Some even have to be moved straight to a skilled care unit because they have waited too long. It is important to not be afraid to do research into assisted and independent living facilities. Security and safety is key; yet, help when it is needed is a must.

Another common issue for seniors that can seriously affect their health is not properly or correctly taking medications. This can exacerbate an existing issue and also create new ones. There are several options available to seniors and their families to ensure medications are taken when and how they are prescribed. Automated medication dispensers or having medications set up by a pharmacy in weekly pill boxes are two great options. However, for those who are experiencing memory loss or mobility issues, perhaps what is needed is having someone there to make sure the medications are taken. Care Consultants for the Aging can help by setting up one hour visits throughout the day. This ensures proper medicating, while also providing companionship and socialization. In fact, they can connect those in the community with any number of senior services to help fill in the gaps so that everything is going according to plan.

Elaborating on key lifestyle adjustments seniors can make to have a positive impact on their health and wellness, Michaela Williams of Care Consultants for the Aging advises, “As we age, isolation becomes more common. Trying to encourage the elders in your life to engage in social activities will help build their support system and aid in avoiding isolation. Caregivers can be utilized to take seniors to events if needed and the local senior center offers many activities and often meals to those who attend. If your loved one can get their legal and financial affairs in order, it will go far in making any health and long term care decision easier. Having an awareness of what the government offers also will help in utilizing the benefits that are available to your loved one.”

Care Consultants for the Aging produces the ElderCare Resource Handbook, which offers a complete list of senior services in Lincoln and Omaha areas. It is organized into five main categories and can help when you need to research senior care options for your loved ones. The handbook is published every two years and can be viewed online for free at www.careconsultants.com, or is available for purchase at the Lincoln and Omaha offices.

Although seniors may not always be able to control every factor that affects their health as they age, many options are in their hands. Some keys to living long, healthy lives include making healthful lifestyle choices such as eating right and practicing good hygiene, reducing stress and having a positive outlook, staying as active as possible mentally and physically, taking safety precautions, and not only seeing their health care provider regularly but following their recommendations for screening and preventative measures as well. One of the most important things seniors can do to stay healthy in their golden years is to maintain their sense of purpose by staying connected to people and things that matter to them.

Elk Ridge Village Active Retirement Community knows that being a caregiver for a loved one is one of the hardest jobs. Whether you are caring for a spouse, a parent, or a grandparent it can be a very taxing responsibility both physically and mentally. The following are some tips offered by Elk Ridge Village that will hopefully help you to better care for yourself if you are taking care of your loved one:
• Make sleep a top priority. So many of your body’s faculties suffer when sleep-deprived, not to mention your patience, memory, and coordination, which are all vital when providing day-to-day assistance to others. Try to get a full nights’ sleep consistently and grab a power-nap if those help.
• Go easy on the caffeine. Tripling your coffee intake to conquer a long day might seem like a good idea, but your body and sleep cycle will ultimately take a hit.
• Limit the junk food. You are a busy person and the drive-thru is such a quick and easy choice, but do not do it, at least not regularly. Empty calories chock-full of sodium and sugar, along with any number of other unhealthy ingredients found in processed foods, will only make you feel even more sluggish and probably even bloated.
• Prepare meals in advance. Crock-pot dinners and those that are easy to freeze and reheat are lifesavers after a long day. Do not forget to pack yourself healthy, energy-sustaining snacks to help you avoid the fast food pitfalls. Items like nuts, peanut butter on fruit, and veggies with hummus are great options.
• Get moving. It may seem counterintuitive to go for a walk when you are already tired, but exercise can help you get a natural jumpstart on your day or help you to wind down and de-stress at the end of it.
• Take some YOU time. Whether you spend these moments going for a walk, reading, meditation, or surfing Pinterest for goofy cat photos, make sure whatever you are doing is calming and pleasing to you. Set aside the needs of others, at least for a short while to recharge your own batteries.
• Ask for help. Someone has to take care of the caregiver. Accept offers of assistance and do not be afraid to assign tasks to other members of the family. Do not do it all alone if you do not have to.

Kristina Krumme of Elk Ridge Village further specifies, “We have a loaded activities calendar that is good for the health and overall wellbeing of the residents. This includes regularly scheduled exercise classes such as Range of Motion, Yoga, other sitting exercise classes with weights and exercise bands, walking club, Wii bowling, and much more. We often say that two of the biggest factors that residents move into retirement communities look forward to are the food and the activities, and they are also among the most important for good health. Having access to well-balanced meals is extremely important; it’s common for seniors to not be eating right for a number of reasons, particularly due to struggling with cooking and preparing meals. Also, it offers a social opportunity for seniors. This is generally welcomed by those who are used to living in their homes alone, as mealtime can be especially lonely. Just having the ability to sit at a table full of friendly neighbors and have great conversation is a big deal. The same goes for activities. They are a great way to be amongst people and to be involved in something as a part of a group. As seniors get isolated in their homes and their social circles decrease, when they move to a senior community, they again have the opportunity to pick up bridge or do crafts, join in on friendship coffee or happy hour, or even hop on the bus for a trip to the zoo or get out into the community to try a new restaurant!”

It’s also important to note that although people are considered “senior citizens” once they hit a certain age, they are not all to be written off as low functioning adults. Places like Remington Heights cater towards higher functioning senior citizens. With a slogan that encourages one to “Live Among Friends”, Remington Heights features both wonderful independent living and assisted living. They have stunning surroundings in addition to their outstanding services and large amounts of amenities catered towards their residents. Their goal is to promote an active and carefree lifestyle for their residents through their dynamic activities, with that mission alone offering a host of health benefits. Aiming their offerings towards to seniors who are still living independently but also more on the social side, Remington Heights offers many facilities, services, activities, and ground amenities. With bingo, wellness and exercise classes, and many other social, recreational, and educational programs, and cultural events, it is certainly no wonder why Remington Heights always has its occupants smiling and active.

However, the unfortunate truth is that our health is sure to decline at some point no matter how well we take care of ourselves. Therefore, thinking about end-of-life choices today can improve a senior individual’s quality of life in the future while also easing the burden on family. Although these are tough topics to bring up, discussing your wishes with loved ones and as previously touched upon, preparing a will, Power of Attorney, and having other legal documents in place offers the best assurance that decisions regarding your future medical care and other plans will reflect your own values and desires. Also, this helps establish a plan as opposed to waiting for a crisis and trying to get these documents in place or gathering and locating all of the important information, which is oftentimes chaotic.

While it’s a scary prospect to consider at any age, you never know when a health condition will strike, so an emergency plan is always advisable too. For those with cardiac conditions such as heart failure, Home Nursing with Heart is an excellent option for assistance with the treatment of your senior loved one considering most of their population has such conditions. Heart failure is the number one diagnosis for hospital admissions when it comes to seniors and is a severe condition. But, by pursuing the proper nursing and education necessary, it can be managed well in the home. With the help of Home Nursing with Heart, seniors can count on a trained professional taking their weight daily, having the proper medications on hand, aiding you in following a low sodium diet, and keeping you and your family or caregivers educated on how to best manage these conditions. This allows seniors to stay in their homes and continue on with their normal in-home lifestyle with the exception of a few necessary modifications. As we can all relate, it is also important to have the support of others when it comes to encouragement of good habits. Home Nursing with Heart recognizes that, focusing their support on making sure positive social interactions are seen, keeping an eye on the senior’s eating habits, stressing the importance of daily exercise, and making sure they are taking their prescriptions when necessary.

Along with many others, Home Nursing with Heart also recommends looking into the medical power of an attorney and the other legal measures that might possibly need to be taken in regards to a senior’s health. Julie Laughlin of Home Nursing With Heart advises, “Always have a Power of Attorney and Medical Power of Attorney documented on file and let your family know about it. All-too-often we’ve seen that if there is a radical change in mental or physical status, it can be difficult for some families to make decisions and agree on those decisions. With the Power of Attorneys in place, decisions are made with less stress and more formality.”

Laughlin also emphasizes the importance of knowing what resources are out there for you to take advantage of in any given situation. She states, “Home health care is covered entirely by Medicare if the patient is homebound, meaning it is very difficult or a taxing effort to leave the home. In this case a nurse or therapist is authorized to provide elevated healthcare in the home. We have a social worker on staff who talks with patients in regards to their needs and discusses additional community resources available to address their needs alongside the in-home care services they might require.”

The healthcare continuum as we age is set up to address just about any need that could possibly arise along the way, so there’s no problem that will come up to which an answer can’t be found. This by far is one of the most important things to keep in mind as you navigate through life’s twists and turns. While certain seniors might be very high functioning and need little assistance, there are definitely others who benefit from having others in better condition, both physically and mentally, keep an eye on them. Different avenues of treatment, living arrangements, amenities, and so on are more beneficial on a case-by-case basis, so it is important to look at all of the options that the Omaha area has to offer before choosing which caregiver and what method of care the beloved senior in your life will derive the most benefits from. After all, good health is directly linked to quality of life, and that is the ultimate goal with all of the days we are afforded.