elderly Archives - Altogether Care

A Society Learning to Live with Dementia

Posted on 4 July 2019 by dukadmin

Until somebody develops effective treatments to prevent or control dementia it is going to be an increasing fact of life for many of us. Not just for the estimated one million plus people who are expected to develop the condition in the UK by 2025, but also the many more people who will be affected as family, friends and carers.

There’s little doubt that the general population would benefit by understanding more about dementia. This can only help take away some of the fear and stigma that unfortunately still surround the condition. It can also help us to build a society and environment that are more dementia friendly.

One thing people often get confused about is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s. Technically, dementia is a syndrome. That means a group of symptoms that don’t necessarily have the same cause. In the case of dementia, the symptoms relate to reduced ability in areas such as memory and reasoning. Different people experience dementia in different ways.

Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. It is believed to account for between 50 and 70 percent of cases. Although recent research suggests that many people thought to have Alzheimer’s may, in fact, have a newly discovered type of dementia-related illness called limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy, or Late.

Dementia can also result from other conditions such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s, and can be caused by strokes, vascular diseases, depression and chronic drug use.

Understanding Dementia

In many practical ways, the exact cause is less important than understanding how dementia can affect people’s ability to relate to the world and people around them, how it might affect their behaviour, and how best to make life for people with dementia more inclusive and less stressful. This can only come from greater knowledge and being more comfortable about discussing the issues that surround dementia.

Care homes that specialise in dementia care, such as Sherborne House in Dorset, will clearly have a greater role to play as the population ages and more people are affected. But we all have a part to play by being more understanding about a condition that a significant number of us will be affected by – directly or indirectly.

How Would You Know if Your Elderly Relative Needed Care Support?

Posted on 24 June 2019 by dukadmin

Deciding when is the right time to have a conversation about care with an elderly relative can be a sensitive issue. For all of us, our ability levels will decline over time – that’s completely natural. What’s also natural is that many of us will resist any idea that we’re struggling to cope and that we need a bit of help. All of which means that we might miss the signs that our relative has a care need.

Here are a few signs that might indicate that it’s time for a serious talk and possibly a care needs assessment.

Declining Mobility

Mobility levels often drop off slowly so we don’t notice the change. Take a good look at how easy your relative finds it to do routine things like cleaning, shopping and walking. Are they struggling more than they need to?

Hygiene

If somebody takes less care over their appearance than they used to, it might mean that arthritis or some other physical condition makes tasks like laundry or washing themselves difficult or painful. It might also mean that they are getting forgetful, perhaps due to the early stages of dementia.

Missing Meals

Weight loss could be a sign that your relative isn’t able to prepare meals or may be forgetting to have them. Care at home support will help make sure that they maintain a good level of nutrition, which is essential for physical and mental wellbeing.

Changing Behaviour

Warning signs are when people become withdrawn, uncommunicative, angry, forgetful, confused or paranoid. These could indicate deteriorating mental health.

Medication Management

Confusion over what medication is a strong signal that care support may be necessary. Clearly, it’s important that prescribed medications are taken according to the instructions.

Financial Management

Financial problems and unpaid bills can be highly stressful in themselves. They can also be signs of failing memory and indicators of underlying mental health issues.

Injuries

Bruises, burns and other injuries can be some of the clearest signs that there are care issues that need to be looked at. It might be problems with balance, difficulty with cooking, memory loss or declining physical ability.

If you notice any of these signs, it’s important to remember that care isn’t about taking away independence. It’s about providing targeted support to help people stay safe and enjoy life as fully as possible.

Websites such as Age UK have plenty of useful information about different care options, costs and financial support. You can also contact the team at Altogether Care who will be happy to talk through the options available.

Home Care Services in Southampton – Extending the Altogether Care Family

Posted on 13 September 201822 February 2024 by dukadmin

Care at home is a lifeline for many elderly people. Being able to receive help with tasks such as getting in and out of bed, washing, dressing and housework can make all the difference to people who need some assistive care but want to stay in their own home.

Knowing a trusted home care provider can make all the difference. Altogether Care has an established reputation for providing high quality residential and domiciliary care in Dorset and Somerset. We are driven by helping people to live as independently as possible. Building on this success, we are now able to offer the following care services in the Southampton area:

Personal Care,
Live-in Care,
Getting out and about,
Domestic support,
Sleeping/Waking night care,
Companionship and sitting service

We aim to help people continue to live life as independently as possible, with the reassurance that help is available through pre-arranged visits at times they choose. Just because everyday tasks are becoming a little more difficult, it doesn’t mean that you have to give up your independence.

Extended Services

Staying in your own home might also mean that some help is needed with every day, non-care activities such as DIY, gardening and cleaning. To make life easier for our clients we’ve extended our services to include these tasks. Whatever support you need you can get it from one trusted organisation.

Being an established care provider means that we can carefully select and vet tradespeople who will understand your needs and be ideally suited to helping older people in their own homes.

In launching our Southampton office, we are bringing the same family-run, caring approach that has earned us an excellent reputation for in care for 30 years. If you’d like to find out more, please get in touch with us on 02382 351 800 or visit our Southampton home care services page.

Why Retirement May not be the Time to Put your Feet Up

Posted on 16 November 2017 by dukadmin

There is very clear evidence that staying active in older life has enormous benefits for overall health. There are strong links between physical activity and mental and emotional wellbeing.

According to the World Health Organisation, by being more physically active, older people can expect:

Lower rates of mortality, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer and breast cancer.
Better bone health.
Higher levels of functional health, a lower risk of falling, and better cognitive function.

WHO also reports that physically active older people have ‘reduced risk of moderate and severe functional limitations and role limitations.’ In other words, they are able to cope better and do more.

An Individual Approach

Naturally, the level and nature of physical activity that older people are able to undertake will be different from when they were younger. It’s important for care providers to work closely with health professionals such as physiotherapists to design appropriate activity programmes based on individual needs and levels of mobility.

Dancing, gardening, walking, light aerobics, stretching and yoga can all be highly beneficial. As well as exercising hearts and lungs these activities help to keep joints mobile.

Normally, it’s best to encourage people to do as much as they feel able to take on. For residents who have become accustomed to low levels of physical activity – a programme that gradually increases activity levels can be transformational for their general wellbeing.

Where people receive care at home, awareness of their activity levels and, where appropriate, help and encouragement to join in with community based activity and exercise programmes should be a feature of good care planning.

Physical exercise also promotes independence and social enhancement these are very important for older people in tackling any feelings of loneliness and isolation. An active body and mind alongside a healthy and positive emotional outlook makes a huge difference to your life and those golden years, which is hopefully what everyone should look forward to.

Mental Wellbeing – We All Deserve the Fullest Life Possible

Posted on 10 October 2017 by dukadmin

According to the British Council for Counselling and Psychotherapy, 22% of men and 28% of women aged over 65, experience depression. Mental wellbeing for the older generation is a serious issue that doesn’t always get the attention it should.

For most, this stage of life should be a period of contentment, free of the pressures of work, with plenty of time to do what you want and enjoy. Often, the reality is different. Without a sense of mental wellbeing, many opportunities to lead a full and satisfying later life become closed off.

Isolation is one of the biggest risks. Lack of social interaction is highly detrimental to mental wellbeing. In a residential care setting this is something that can be easily monitored. We would always know if people were becoming withdrawn and we’d spot the tell-tale behavioural changes that go with increasing isolation or deteriorating mental health.

The need for social interaction is addressed through activities designed around residents’ interests. These offer different experiences and opportunities to interact with people both within and outside the care home community.

When people receive home care support, care workers have a vital role in watching out for signs of poor mental health and social isolation.

Whatever the care setting, care providers need to work closely with health services to promote healthy mental wellbeing and ensure the necessary support or therapy is provided. There is no stage in life when simply sitting and watching the world go by is the best thing. Giving people the support they need to continue living as full and active a life as possible is the least they deserve.

Naturally, mental wellbeing is closely interlinked with both physical and emotional wellbeing and we’ll look at these aspects in future articles.

National Pizza Day at Sherborne House

Posted on 17 February 2017 by dukadmin

Regular group activity within a care setting provides residents with opportunities to engage with others as well as providing a creative outlet. Ensuring that residents are regularly involved in group tasks not only contributes to overall wellbeing but also aids stimulation and maintains an active mind.

Participation in a variety of group tasks ensures that residents regularly feel involved, happy, and at ease.

This month, residents and staff at Sherborne House marked National Pizza Day on the 9th February by making their own pizzas together. Everyone enjoyed tucking into their home-made creations!

Photo: residents Amy and Raymond prepare to layer on the cheese!

Wellbeing at the core of care

Posted on 14 February 2017 by dukadmin

Wellbeing; the new concept for quality of life, covering both physical and mental capabilities & emotions.

As we age, we experience more aches and pains than before, we might not be able to walk as far as we once did or stay up as late as we used to. But what does this mean for the quality of our lives? Will we become more isolated because of it, will this make us lonely and how might we cope if we lose a loved one?

Understanding wellbeing and its importance to an individual’s life is at the very core of personal centred care.

The fundamentals for wellbeing may sound basic to some, but if they are not met they can have an astounding effect on somebody’s life. These fundamentals include:

• Personal – Feeling safe and being listened to, valued and respected
• Physical – Able to get the help they need, when they need it and how they need it
• Comfort – Live in a place that suits them and their lives
• Lifestyle – Are able to participate in the things that matter to them and that they enjoy

Person centred care is based on the care worker understanding your own individual life; this includes many aspects such as your needs & wants both physically and mentally and your favoured lifestyle choices. Understanding, appreciating and being considerate when caring for someone will be key to helping them maintain good wellbeing.

Altogether Care’s perfect balance was coined to ensure our personal approach embraces physical and emotional needs to deliver just the right balance between independent living and professional care. Enabling you to enjoy life as you want with the assurance of us at your side.

With a complete range of care options available from Altogether Care you can select the right choice for you and as your needs change over time, it is simple to change your care options to suit you. To find out more get in touch on 01305 300 161 or visit our homepage.

Loneliness: And how it can be minimised within the elderly

Posted on 20 January 2017 by dukadmin

Loneliness is a feeling that many people will experience at least once in their lives, whether
it’s from being isolated at school, moving to university, becoming a stay at home parent, having mobility issues, bereavement or retiring. The feeling for many cannot be described easily, it is not only emotional but it can also affect overall physical and mental health.
Our outlook on life can also be affected, which then makes for a vicious circle, becoming ever more socially isolated and lonely.

The group to be most affected by loneliness is often older people; a mixture of retirement, loss of a partner, difficulties with independence & mobility and not living close to their family can make loneliness a sad inevitability. Research from Age UK indicates 200,000 older people in the UK have not had a conversation with friends or family for a month and 3.9 million agree their television is their main form of company. So what can be done to beat loneliness before it strikes?

Social activity

Social activity is important in all walks of life – it gives us the opportunity to talk, engage in hobbies and get out and about. Loneliness is often associated with social isolation so part of beating this issue can be found in the engagement with social activities. Dancing clubs, art and book groups, charity volunteering and befriending programmes are a great way to maintaining wellbeing whilst being social.

Knowing who can help

It can be difficult to get the ball rolling; knowing where to find clubs, the ability to access them and keeping the momentum going. But there are many organisations out there to help – British Red Cross run many local projects to help older people retain their independence and beat loneliness. Age UK is another great source of advice, guidance and local projects to help combat loneliness.

For those in care, accessing different clubs can be more difficult however, social activity can be promoted through clubs, entertainment and activities being brought to you. This is something that is seen at Altogether Care. Having an active social calendar within homes encourages social interaction, gives variance between the days and promotes wellbeing. Even if your loved one is coming to stay for a short period of respite care, we still encourage them to get involved with social activities which they may not get the chance to normally.

Nobody should feel alone when it can be so easily combatted.

Happy Birthday John Redhead

Posted on 11 January 2017 by dukadmin

Steepleton Manor resident John Redhead celebrated his 80th birthday on 10th January.

He enjoyed a chocolate and strawberry birthday cake and was given a book. John, who loves to read, lived in Blackpool and taught English to overseas students after studying languages at university. Staff and residents joined John in celebrating his special birthday.

He has been a resident at Steepleton Manor for 17 months and was born in Middlesex.