Labor Day weekend is approaching, and if you're the caretaker of a senior citizen in Cook County, IL, it's time to consider how you will manage your responsibilities over this busy weekend. Will you be taking your elderly loved one out of town? Will they need to host family visitors? 

Whatever the case may be, here are a few things to consider before and during the holiday weekend from Senior Helpers Chicago.

Whether an individual is a lifelong resident or new to the community, finding new groups and social activities can sometimes be challenging. However, there are several ways to find meetups, events, and like-minded individuals in the Chicago area.

Chicago summers can be great fun. They can also be difficult to navigate when the heat and humidity become oppressive. That doesn't mean you need to stay indoors all summer. An outdoor swimming pool may be a perfect place to stay cool as long as you use plenty of sunscreens and stay in the shade when not swimming. 

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It's where we gather, cook and eat. However, as our bodies age, we become less flexible. This leads to a higher risk of falling, inability to reach things on the top shelf, and other difficulties. It's prevalent for seniors with dementia, Alzheimer's, or Parkinson's disease; the kitchen can feel overwhelming and confusing for them. This article will look into ways to reorganize the kitchen and make it safe for seniors.

For most seniors in the Chicagoland area, safe and reliable transportation is critical to staying independent and healthy. After all, they need rides to meet their doctors, run errands, and meet family and friends. Most people who care for their senior parents are not always around to take them to these errands, especially when you also have work to do. Happily, ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft have made getting around easier and more convenient.

FaceTime is the most common way of video chatting today. It enables seniors to create a long-distance bond that helps in building a strong relationship with their grandkids.

Despite the challenges of distance and hectic schedules, seniors can find ways to interact with their grandchildren. For grandparents who wish to see their grandkids, the greatest hurdle is distance. Nevertheless, grandparents must maintain contact with their grandchildren sinceit provides them with a mental and emotional boost. To make up for time constraints, grandparents are increasingly using new technology with their grandchildren, such as video chats and FaceTime.

According to a 2019 AARP poll, 38% of American grandparents use video chat to speak with their grandchildren regularly. Here is a guide on how to FaceTime the grandkids.

Non-medical home care services (for instance, Senior Helpers of Chicago) is provided to a person in their home. Medicare provides Home Health Care with quite a few limitations. Medicare provided Home Health only entails physical and occupational therapy at home and some needed equipment (commodes, walkers, etc.), but it does not assist with activities of daily living. Non-medical home care services will assist with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, as well as transportation. Because it is confusing, it is vital for people considering home health care services to understand what kinds of services are available, who qualifies for these services, and how to access them.

We are here to help you out. Read on.

We all, eventually, plan for getting older. Over time, living alone may become less practical and the major question becomes how you will make sure that you have the assistance you need. Should you hire a service to help you age at home, or should you move to a continuing care retirement community?

Seniors want to be able to live safely and comfortably in their homes. And as we get older, our homes must be updated to meet our new needs. Home improvement can often be difficult, time-consuming, and costly. But there are many easy and inexpensive things you can do to make a safer home for seniors.

So many people are living quite well into their middle 80s and beyond without too many physical problems. It's so easy to get caught up in the moment and forget about the future. But, now is a great time to start planning. Here are a few things to think about if you want a less stressful future.

If you or a loved one need long-term care due to advanced age, stroke, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease or other reasons, you may be wondering if it is time to begin using your long-term care insurance policy. Standard health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid generally do not cover the costs associated with long-term care. This is because long-term care is different from medical care, in that it is often focused on assistance with daily living activities, such as bathing and hygiene, using the bathroom, mobility and general day-to-day care, and this is where your long-term care policy comes into play. Read more...