Why Volunteering Keeps You Young At Heart

Giving to others has proven to be one of the most fundamental ways to bring fulfillment and contentment into your life. Research studies have proven that when people volunteer their time to help others it promotes a sense of well-being and greater purpose in the individual’s life. Seniors are at a unique time period when they are able to volunteer their time and also have the wisdom to impart to others.

Here are some other great reasons to volunteer:

1. Reduces the senior’s risk of depression. Being isolated is common for seniors. Oftentimes spouses have passed away, children and friends have moved away and the senior finds themselves alone most of the time. By volunteering, it gets the senior out and about and with other people which ultimately leads to less loneliness, and less depression.
2. It connects seniors with the younger generation. While seniors, certainly, have accrued much more wisdom over their years than the younger generation, both can learn from each other. And, when seniors interact with kids, teens, and younger adults, it boosts their “young at heart” attitude.
3. It’s good for the brain. Did you know that as we get older, our brain shrinks up to 10%? This results in cognitive impairment and decline. Fortunately, this can be delayed or staved off by participating in activities that promote good brain activity – and volunteering is one of them. The physical aspect of volunteering also helps the brain through increased blood and air flow to the brain.
4. Puts seniors in a more positive light. Youthfulness is glorified in this world, oftentimes leaving seniors out to dry. By volunteering their time, seniors can help promote a more positive light surrounding the senior experience, helping to change society’s POV.

Volunteer opportunities exclusively for seniors:

1. Seniors helping Seniors
2. RSVP
3. The International Senior Lawyers Project
4. Foster Grandparents
5. Road Scholar Service Learning
6. The Senior Companion Program.

If you are a senior living in the Raleigh area and would like to learn about home care assistance in Raleigh or assisted living in Raleigh NC, you are invited to contact the Always Best Care Raleigh location at 919-724-4297 to set up a free care consultation. They look forward to hearing from you!

Medication Management Tips For Seniors

Polypharmacy. If you’ve never heard of the term, you’re not alone but it’s becoming more and more common as a record number of people reach the age of 65 and over. It refers to when an individual takes more than one medication to treat multiple illnesses or conditions on a daily basis. Most seniors take at least five medications every day, and this can result in various problems such as accidental overdose, taking the wrong medication, administering the wrong medication, adverse medication interactions, and more. 

Medication Management Tips for Seniors:

• Create a medications list. Continually update your medication list with every medication you take – even OTC medications and herbal remedies. Take it with you to your doctor’s appointments and specialist appointments.

• Reason for taking medication should be on label. This will not only help you, but also any caregiver that is helping you. It will also ensure that you aren’t taking too many medications for one issue.

• Utilize your pharmacist’s knowledge. Your pharmacist is highly knowledgeable; if you have any questions at all about the medications you are taking, make sure to ask them.

• Utilize the Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults. This is a list of medications put together by the American Geriatric Society that seniors should take with caution. 

• Cut back on providers and pharmacists. Ideally, if you can have just one pharmacist, that will help you to keep better track of all of your medications and avert any medication accidents.

• Ask if the dosage is age-appropriate. The human body changes as it ages, and what might be the right dosage for a 35 year old may not be the right dosage for someone who is 75. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about this.

• Don’t hesitate to get a second opinion. If you are uncomfortable with taking a prescribed medication for any reason, don’t hesitate to seek out a second opinion on whether or not you should be taking it.

• Know the medication side effects. Before taking the medication, read up on the side effects, and take note (actually write down) any side effects you might encounter so you can relay them to your doctor.

Always Best Care has been providing compassionate and exceptional in-home care giving services to seniors in the United States and Canada for the past 20 years. Seniors living in the Raleigh area, who are interested in finding out more about Apex home care and home care assistance in Raleigh, are encouraged to call the Always Best Care Raleigh location at 919-724-4297 to set up a free consultation.

Obtain Premium Home Care Assistance in Raleigh with Always Best Care

Are you a senior living in the Raleigh area? Has the time come for you to consider your options for the future like obtaining in-home assistance, or moving into either an assisted living facility or other type of senior living community? The team at Always Best Care in Raleigh can help you decide what is best for you. Simply call them and set up a free care consultation and they will help you make the decisions that are best for you and your future.

The in-home care assistance in Raleigh that Always Best Care provides includes an entire spectrum of services. These services fall within the home helper, companion, and personal care categories and include (but certainly aren’t limited to): light housecleaning, grocery shopping, home maintenance supervision, medication and appointment reminders, pet care, companionship, assistance with evening tuck-in and morning wake-up, escorting to various locations such as doctor’s appointments, grocery store, etc.

Regardless of the level of care that you need, Always Best Care can provide it. The company takes enormous pride in pairing the best caregiver with the best senior client. They will also create a free care plan for you which is a detailed personalized assessment of your needs. You can rely on Always Best Care when you require:

• Companion Care (Level 1): Personal Care Assistants assist with all types of errands, light housekeeping, preparing meals, and friendly companionship. It is perfect for seniors who would like to have non-medical in-home assistance, giving both the senior clients and their families’ peace of mind.

• Personal Care (Level 2): Trained Caregivers visit you to help with daily activities such as medication reminders, bathing and grooming, incontinence, as well as everything involved in companion care. 

• Very High Level of Care (Level 3): Highly Experienced Caregivers provide everything in levels one and two, plus knowledgeable assistance to help seniors who are suffering from a chronic illness, who are bed-bound, and those who are on hospice.

If you live in the Raleigh area and would like information about home care assistance in Raleigh or Apex home care, you can call the Always Best Care Raleigh location at 919-724-4297 to set up a free care consultation. They look forward to hearing from you!