Category: Uncategorized

Stress is damaging to the human mind and body. Stress releases hormones such as adrenaline to protect your body. These hormones allow your body to react quickly in the event of danger, but too much can cause chronic stress and can put your health at risk. Chronic stress can have physical effects such as chronic headaches, high blood pressure, and upset stomach. It can also lead to emotional issues such as depression, insomnia, anxiety, and panic attacks. Because of these issues finding ways to reduce stress is vital to one’s happiness and productivity. However, meditation can combat stress and its ill effects.

Stress can have detrimental effects on the elderly who are already battling age-related issues such as poor eyesight, hearing loss, and dementia. Additional stress can lower the immune system, making it harder for seniors to recover from illnesses and worsen their vision and hearing loss.

Regular meditations promote healthy living as it allows the mind to become focused and the body to become calm, it can definitely help one reduce stress and its harmful effects. The body goes through many changes during different meditations; your heart rate and breathing slow, and release tension. Meditating with a caregiver will encourage seniors to incorporate it into their daily routines. BlueDot Cares offers senior companion care to help with various household chores and support during meditation by providing feedback and motivation.

Here are three benefits of regular meditations for caregivers and seniors:

Meditation Improves Memory

Meditations have proven to delay the effects of brain diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. Training the mind by way of meditations can enhance the cognitive function of older adults. All caregivers for BlueDot Cares are trained to identify changes in the memory of their clients.

It Improves Digestive Health

Stress can severely affect the digestive system by making you feel nauseous and increase gastric juices in your digestive system, causing indigestion. Chronic stress can also result in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and weight gain/loss. Meditation increases the body’s oxygen levels, which is vital to the digestive system allowing it to absorb the required nutrients from the foods we eat. Meditations can also get rid of anxiety which may cause you to overeat.

It makes you a Better Person

Meditations involve actively training the mind to develop a greater understanding of yourself and improve your mood. Many seniors become depressed because they have experienced significant loss in their life or believe they have become a burden. Meditations not only allows them to become a better version of themselves, but it also encourages positive actions towards others.

Anyone can meditate and does not require additional equipment. Just a few minutes daily, and its effects can be felt in a short amount of time and are long-term.

Growing up comes with wisdom, knowledge, and the sad awareness that the aging of our loved ones is unavoidable. It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes more than a few sets of hands to lead our seniors graciously into old age. Our companionship services can ease some of that stress away, however.

The moment when a senior realizes they can’t be fully independent anymore can be devastating for them. From not being able to drive themselves anymore to struggling to leave the house safely, seniors can face a variety of issues concerning their outside lives. However, with the services we offer at BlueDot Cares, outdoor activities don’t have to be so intimidating anymore.

Outdoors is for Everyone

Nowadays, senior activities don’t have to come to an end with age. There are people who dedicate their time, effort, and their entire hearts to assisting our geriatric population.

Our companionship services can provide you with confidence that the elders you know and love can still feel fulfilled by doing their daily errands, outside activities, religious activities, and more. According to testimonials, our caretakers are “earthly angels,” “efficient and caring,” and “real professionals.”

Care Services for Seniors

Our parents and grandparents are anything but burdens. However, caretaking is a real and often exhausting job. Sometimes it’s grooming. bathing, and recovering from medical procedures. Sometimes it’s assistance writing a letter to an old pen pal. There are home care services that can help with this, and everything in between. These services provide the stimulation and support that our elderly often need so that they can stay active in their senior activities. It helps them keep a positive outlook on life!

Our companionship services page details some options that are provided. This includes reading books aloud, playing games, taking strolls, and doing around-the-house chores. These are things we’d all love to do for our own families, but sometimes there isn’t enough time. These services give you peace of mind that your loved one is in good hands and staying healthy, happy, and on the go.

Looking at options for senior care for your aging parents? You’ll want the best – a warm, nurturing environment that offers companionship, comfort, and excellent care. BlueDot Cares is right for you! Caregivers do things like provide transportation, cook healthy meals, play games, read books aloud, write letters, and go for walks with clients. They also have the task to monitor the home. We strive to help the client maintain their health by showing obvious health improvements in both physical and mental health. Other services BlueDot Cares feature include respite, grooming, bathing, light housekeeping, mobility assistance, meal prep, errands, and transportation.

Healthy Living

We take senior care very seriously. Senior meals include well-balanced and nutritious meals. Light housekeeping services, combined with companion services offering friendship are many ways of keeping your senior healthy using BlueDot Cares. BlueDot Cares will also provide safe transportation to doctors’ appointments. Senior respite care is there to provide your loved one with individually tailored care as needed. Care staff has specialized training in a home setting with full-time RNs who supervise their staff. We are on call 24/7 for all your needs now.

Local Senior Care

We are locally owned, making business decisions based on clients in our community. We’re are not happy unless you are 100% satisfied with our work. Additionally, we are licensed, bonded, and insured while also being home safety oriented. Most importantly, we have a proven track record for keeping seniors safe at home as well as giving to our community by buying a bed for a child in need for every new client we have.

BlueDot works to prevent seniors from falling by analyzing the multiple risk factors by educating our staff about muscle weakness, balance and gait, and a drop in blood pressure, and walking too fast. Unsafe footwear, vision problems, or even bad lighting are a cause of falls because 55% of falls happen in the home, with 25% of falls happening outside a short distance away from the home. Bluedot staff members have knowledge as well-trained professionals who can see beyond a condition to suggest possible solutions which can ease the likelihood of a fall.

Based in Charlotte, NC, BlueDot Medical has provided senior care to over 40,000 local families with quality home medical equipment to make it easier for you or your loved ones to stay in their homes, instead of a nursing home remaining independent for as long as possible, in the present.

When springtime arrives, the sun is shining bright, and flowers are magically popping out of the earth, it’s also time to think about Mom and Grandma. Now is the perfect time to think of a special gift to make their Mother’s Day memorable. Days can get busy and can cause creativity to run low. Below are some suggestions that will help get your creative juices flowing. Mom and Grandma deserve every second of the time you take thinking of them and showing how important they are.

Start With Them

A great way to get gift ideas flowing for Mother’s Day is to start by thinking of their personalities. What do they like the most? Does she enjoy drinking coffee or tea? Is there any special tea or coffee flavors that are their favorites? Purchase them a few boxes for stocking up their pantry. Maybe get a variety pack of flavors for trying something new, and if she finds a new favorite flavor – bingo! Something to get for her birthday or any other upcoming special occasions.

Give the Gift of a Laugh

Does she like to laugh a lot? – a coffee mug with a funny saying filled with her favorite candy will show her that you put thought into the gift. She will think of you every time she uses the mug and will have fun showing it off to her friends.

Stick With Mother’s Day Classics

Do they still prefer to send out greeting cards through the mail? Plan a Mother’s Day date to treat her for lunch and then head to a greeting card shop. Have her pick out cards that she would like to send to family and friends. Pay for the greeting cards and include a book of postage stamps along with the greeting cards, which is an excellent idea for Grandma, who is on a budget, and a Grandma who loves to spend time with you.

The Little Things Count on Mother’s Day

Does she enjoy playing card games with friends? Get her a fresh pack of flashy cards that she can show off and enjoy with her time with her friends.

An electronic picture frame would be great for Mother’s Day, too. Most likely, you would have to set it up with several pictures of Grandchildren and happy family memories. She can enjoy this every day and even show off to her friends with a big smile on her face.

Always make Mother’s Day a special day for Mom or Grandma as they will always be looking forward to their special day, and if you are on a time crunch, the classic gift of flowers is always appreciated!

Art Therapy is a form of care that utilizes visual arts to enhance an active and satisfying lifestyle. This type of therapy started in the early 1970s. It’s since become one of the most innovative and effective senior care and community service programs available. The unique therapy helps to relax senior citizens by engaging their senses and instilling a sense of well-being.

Types of Art

There are a variety of ways to receive this kind of therapy, including painting, drawing, photography, and music. Some seniors prefer to focus on areas such as communication, health, or history. Other seniors choose to receive counseling, exercise, massage, or even voice/voice therapy. Depending upon the senior’s needs, the art therapist will design a program to best meet their specific needs. This can include learning how to cook, learn how to play the guitar or sing, and much more!

Who Does It?

This kind of therapy works in conjunction with many senior care professionals such as therapists, doctors, and nurses. The art therapist and his/her staff are highly trained professionals who understand the importance of working with senior citizens, and how art can provide healing, relaxation, stimulation, and hope. Because it’s common in an in-home environment, art therapy for seniors provides an intimate setting in which to work. The results are amazing for senior citizens who often find themselves at a loss about how to lead an active and fulfilling life once they retire.

Does it Work?

This form of therapy is not a new concept but recent advances in technology and the expertise of the therapists who practice it has made this treatment more accessible to senior citizens than ever before. As the senior citizen ages, he/she often moves into a state of deep depression. Therapy attempts to bring out the feeling of happiness and joy in these senior citizens by encouraging a feeling of well-being and self-worth.

Art can be beneficial because it allows the senior to take in the experience of creating art as an activity that is enjoyable, rather than a task that requires concentration or focus. Therapy for seniors offers opportunities to participate in group activities, such as painting or drawing sessions. This helps to reinforce the positive aspects of the feelings about what the painting or drawing signifies.

The effect of taking care of senior loved ones can have on you widely depends on how you take care of yourself. If you do not have the proper support, you won’t be able to maintain your own good health. However, even if you eat healthy foods, you can benefit from more support in your responsibilities.

If you want to protect your health, you must take care of yourself. This is especially true when you care for a senior family member or other adults. The right Senior Care Services can help you by providing nutritious meals, supervision, medications, help with personal care, and more.

Stress Plays a Big Role

When someone in your family becomes ill, you may feel responsible to take care of them. This can be overwhelming. Of course, you love the seniors in your life and want to help them in any way you can, but taking care of them can be overwhelming to your health. The best thing that you can do is to consult with a senior care professional for help. Once you find the right senior home care services, you can relax and try to focus on taking care of yourself. With the proper care plan, you will know that you are taking care of them no matter where you are.

Consider In-Home Senior Care

For some individuals, in-home senior home care is an excellent option to consider. Not only is it a cost-effective solution to providing your senior family member with the help they require, but it can also protect your health. You also have peace of mind knowing your senior loved one is receiving the type of care that they deserve. Additionally, other family members will also get a break from their care responsibilities! Furthermore, it’s a great way for seniors to keep their independence. There are many benefits associated with this type of care.

The Importance of Companionship

A main benefit to acquiring professional care is that your loved ones will get the companionship they need. By allowing your senior to remain in their own environment, they can keep their independence without having to worry about other adults in their household controlling their lives. These services offer their clients a range of companionship solutions that allow them to still live at home but gives them the company of other loved ones. These types of services include pet sitting, housekeeping, shopping, errands, gardening, visiting with sick family members, and more.

As your loved one ages, it’s a good idea to hire the help of a professional senior care company. Maintaining independence, dignity, and high quality of living is essential. Not all senior care companies are equal, however – that’s where BlueDot Cares comes into play. The BlueDot family of companies, founded in 2002, has helped over 40,000 families. The company recognizes the special needs of seniors.

A strong concern for all families is that their loved ones receive assistance to be able to live at home for as long as possible, independently and with dignity. Oftentimes, we don’t realize the skills required to keep up with the activities of daily living. We run errands, load and unload our car, clean our home, groom ourselves, remember our medication schedule, and much more. Fortunately, BlueDot Cares can provide senior care for all these tasks, thus empowering them to live independently.

We understand each client has unique needs, so we offer a variety of services. Please check our Services page for detailed information about our customized care services.

Senior Care Should be Unique

Every situation for senior care is different. Perhaps your loved one has no issues maintaining their home. They can cook, clean, and keep up with their medications. However, they may face obstacles such as no longer being able to drive. Our Errands and Transportation service could be a perfect fit for such a situation. We safely and dependably transport clients to both essential appointments, such as doctor visits, and to general shopping and fun activities. Does your loved one enjoy going to the local park, or perhaps a monthly visit to an activity center to play games and socialize? We will gladly drive them there.

Senior Care With Heart

Another popular service we offer is simple companionship. Having a companion caregiver gives seniors a multitude of benefits including sharing friendship, doing enjoyable activities, sharpening memory through stimulating conversation, and taking away the feeling of being alone. Additionally, it’s widely known that socializing, paired with consistent mental stimulation, is as important to well-being as physical and medical care. You can learn more about our Companionship Services here. Companionship can easily go hand-in-hand with our other services as well.

See How BlueDot Cares is Right for You

Whether you are looking for help with activities of daily living, transportation, or simply needing a caring and watchful companion, BlueDot Cares is here to serve all of those needs. Contact us today for trustworthy senior home health services.

What is Medicare and what does it cover? Learn what parts A, B, and C mean and how they can help to provide affordable healthcare services and reduce prescription expenses.

Statistics indicate that there are over 23.9 million people in America who use Medicare. That’s a significant number when you look at the fact that 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day. By the year 2030, studies suggest that there will be at least 70 million senior citizens who will use this plan to ease the burden associated with prescription and healthcare expenses. Based on these statistics, it’s easy to understand how important it is to know what this government-funded program is, and what it can cover. So, what exactly is Medicare? Essentially, it’s a federally funded health program that caters to senior citizens over 65 and for people with disabilities. People who are eligible for this type of plan have four options:

• Part A (Hospital Insurance)
• Part B (Medical Insurance)
• Advantage
• Supplements

Medicare Parts A & B

A & B plans cover 80% of your healthcare-related cost, leaving you with a copay of 20%. Unlike some private health plans, there is no cap on how much you could pay in regard to that 20% co-op fee. As such, there is no out-of-pocket max. If you have worked for a minimum of 10 years and paid into social security as you were working, you can get part A, free of cost. As far as part B goes, it can cost anywhere from $100 -$330 per month. The amount you will have to pay to get part B is primarily based on the amount of income that you make. As such, it could change on a yearly basis depending on your taxable income.

Advantage

As mentioned, you still have to pay a co-pay of 20% with Medicare, but if you can’t afford your co-pay, you have several options at your disposal. Advantage is one of the best at your disposal. Advantage plans are essentially private party insurers that offer policies that can cover prescription drug costs, out-of-pocket max, and co-pays.

Supplement

As its name implies, Supplement covers expenses that Medicare and Advantage plans don’t. The cost of Supplement plans depends on your age, region, and gender. Supplement plans provide an added benefit of more coverage than Advantage plans. For instance, with a Supplement plan, you would be able to see any doctor with little to no restrictions, as opposed to being stuck with Advantage’s network of doctors.

Heart-healthy eating for seniors is important. If you live in a home where meals are cooked for you, you will find many good dining options. Being a senior, you already know that you need to watch what you eat and keep yourself active. You also understand the benefits of healthy eating. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants can help prevent and reverse some of the effects of aging.

Many foods will help you maintain a healthy weight, as well. Your senior peers are your biggest advocates when it comes to healthy eating. Many of them have encouraged you to eat foods low in saturated fats and high in fiber. They encourage you to start eating whole foods and avoid processed foods.

You might not think of fruits as something to eat, but certain types of fruits are perfect for seniors. For example, blueberries benefit your cardiovascular health, as well as being good for your eyes. Eating three or more servings of berries each week can greatly improve your health.

Fruits and Vegetables Are Important!

Fruits and vegetables are filled with nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Just make sure that you avoid high-fat, greasy, canned, and packaged foods. Instead, choose foods that are rich in fiber and have low fat. Many homes for older adults are often able to help with dietary needs. Healthy eating is something that can be easily adjusted if you ask!

Several foods are better for eating than others. Green leafy vegetables are an excellent choice. In fact, green leafy vegetables are better than other types of vegetables in several ways. Vegetables are low in fat and are naturally low in sodium. Studies show that eating seven to eight servings of fruits and vegetables per day can lower your risk of stroke and certain cancer types. Just remember that not all fruits and vegetables are right for you. Focus on heart-healthy food.

Don’t Forget to Exercise

Another great thing that you can do to maintain heart health is to engage in regular exercise. Exercise will help you lose weight as well as keep you physically fit and mentally active. It will also increase your HDL cholesterol level, which is considered suitable for your heart, and protect you against high cholesterol. These things are important if you want to maintain a healthy eating plan, so start making some changes today.

As we age, we need to ensure that we remain active, while avoiding activities that can cause injuries. Here are four great low-impact exercises seniors should give a try.

Nutrition and various exercises are two important things that can help us to live a long and healthy life. Studies have continuously shown that exercise is especially crucial for older individuals. However, as we get older, certain exercises are no longer recommended. Many doctors recommend that seniors who are 60 and up should only partake in low-impact exercises.

Chair Yoga

As its names suggest, the medical community defines this exercise as one of the perfect low-impact exercises you can do from your chair. This form of activity can help to improve mobility, balance, flexibility, and strength. Chair yoga is a more accessible type of yoga that doesn’t put as much stress on the joints or muscles.

It’s also worth noting that studies demonstrate chair yoga can help to improve mental health. Individuals who partake in this form of activity typically report having lower instances of anxiety and depression, better sleep quality, and a more positive sense of well-being.

Pilates

Contrary to popular belief, Pilates has been around for over 100 years ago and is one of the most popular low-impact exercises that older individuals participate in. During a Pilates session, there is an emphasis on core strength, alignment, and breathing. The routine itself commonly includes the utilization of pilates balls, mats, and other kinds of inflated accessories used to build strength without the added stress that high-impact exercises cause.

Resistance Bands Workout

Resistance bands are user-friendly and easily accessible to beginners. The bands themselves are made of flexible strips of rubber which provides some resistance to workout routines without adding stress on the body. An additional bonus is that they’re inexpensive equipment, making them a popular choice amongst older individuals.

Water Aerobics

Water aerobics is one of the most useful low-impact exercises for seniors who have joint-related pain and conditions such as arthritis. This is because the buoyancy of water leads to less stress on the joints. In addition to that, water has natural resistance which means you don’t have to add weights for strength training. Water aerobic exercises can help to improve flexibility, balance, and strength. Some examples of ideal water aerobic exercises older individuals should consider include:

• Leg lifts
• Arm curls
• Flutter kicking
• Aqua jogging
• Water Pushups (While Standing)

Whatever low-impact exercises you decide to try, it’s always a good idea to talk with a medical professional first. While these are general ideas great for the average senior, your doctor can suggest activities tailored just for you.