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Long-term care includes a variety of services for people suffering from a chronic illness, injury or disability who can no longer care for themselves in the usual home setting. The need for long-term care is determined by a healthcare professional assessing an individual’s ability to perform routine tasks of life or activities of daily living (ADLs). When an aging loved one can no longer be cared for at home, if they have a high level of disability and need assistance with at least three of the ADLs listed above, long-term care can offer around-the-clock care by a specially trained team of healthcare professionals. To learn more about long-term care offered by American Senior Communities, visit www.asccare.com/service/long-term-care/.

Not only do spring activities provide some exercise and allow you to spend quality time with your loved ones, they give you the opportunity to soak up Vitamin D from the sun’s rays, which has been shown to have many positive effects. Gardening is an activity that can be contained to pots and flower boxes or expanded into a full gardening operation with rows upon rows of your favorite flavors and colors. Be a Part of the Community Events As we move into spring and into summer, there are countless community events that you can add to your senior’s social calendar. From free concerts in the park to art fairs to flea markets, this is a chance for seniors to get out and enjoy a little exercise and interact with people of all ages.

Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, occurs when a senior misses a meal or snack, and can result in confusion, lack of motor coordination, stomach pain, headache, or even unconsciousness. If your aging loved one is displaying signs of hypoglycemia, they need to ingest a form of sugar immediately, like juice or soda that can be easily absorbed. It’s important to manage the amount of carbohydrates in your diet if you have diabetes, because carbs have the most impact on blood sugar levels. You can get fiber from whole grains and fruits and veggies as well, and along with helping control blood sugar levels, fiber also helps decrease the risk of heart disease.

A team member approaches a resident in a Memory Care venue during lunchtime and notices that the resident is sitting patiently at the table with a significant amount of food on her plate. In this instance, the team member could easily think to himself that the resident’s confusion about the food could simply be attributed to her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s type dementia. A recent study conducted by Boston University explains what this experienced team member had already learned: That those living with diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease, or related forms of dementia can develop challenges in seeing the world around them accurately. The recent study conducted by Boston University also supports this idea by showing that those with dementia who were given red plates at meal time ate an average of 25% more than those who were provided with white plates.