chicagopodiatrist-768x482.jpeg
03/Jun/2023

It’s normal for people to experience some foot problems as they age. But experts say that problems with feet can be the first sign of more serious medical conditions, particularly among older adults. Health problems, such as arthritis, diabetes, nerve issues, and circulatory disorders, may first be manifested in the feet. That is why it is important to pay attention to your feet and seek medical attention as soon as you notice a problem. Big Hearts Homecare provides foot care for seniors in Vancouver.

Healthy feet play an important role in overall good health and wellness. We help our clients achieve optimal foot health with preventative care, ongoing assessment and treatment from our professional staff.  Our Foot Care services are provided by nurses with specialized education. There many benefits of Foot Care include:

  • Control of fungal infections
  • Improved skin integrity and fewer cracks
  • Improved comfort, mobility and balance
  • Early detection of serious health problems

Here are some foot care tips for older adults:

  • Practice good foot care. Check your feet regularly or have a member of your family check them for you.
  • Keep blood circulating to your feet as much as possible. Do this by putting your feet up when you are sitting or lying down, stretching if you’ve had to sit for a long while, walking, having a gentle foot massage, or taking a warm foot bath.
  • Wear comfortable shoes that fit well to prevent pressures that can lead to friction and infection and keep your foot structure properly aligned.
  • Avoid exposing your feet to cold temperatures.
  • Don’t sit for long periods of time (especially with your legs crossed).
  • Don’t smoke because it decreases blood supply and increases the chance of swelling and other circulatory problems.

Contact Big Hearts Homecare today by calling us at 778-788-5578 or emailing us at info@bigheartshomecare.ca


Home-Care-VS-Long-Term-Care-e1565686643193.jpg
03/Jun/2023

As we age, certain everyday activities become difficult. We may not be able to perform easy tasks such as cooking, cleaning and even bathing.

Safety also becomes a concern as we get older. Besides forgetting to take our daily cocktail of medications, we may have trouble getting out of bed, or we could slip and fall and become severely injured.

If you or your loved one needs everyday assistance, you have many care options available. Do you hire a home care worker or do you opt for a residency in a long term care centre? Are home care service companies in Vancouver going to deliver you the quality of care you need?

Pros of using home care:

  • Caretakers and nurses come to you on a daily basis to assist with everything from bathing to cooking, cleaning, buying groceries and taking you to doctor’s appointments.
  • You don’t have to leave the home you’ve been living in for many years.
  • If you’re someone who prefers to keep to themselves, a long term care facility may be very overwhelming, while home care allows you to only interact with your assigned caretakers.
  • Your family can come over at any time.
  • You can maintain your independence. Elder home care services have become popular for this reason.

Cons of using home care:

  • You may have to retrofit your home with ramps, railings and chairlifts, which can become costly. If you don’t revamp your home you may have portions of it that remain unused like a basement or second and third floors.
  • In-home care is often more expensive than long term care, however government assistance can help relieve that financial burden.
  • If you’re a social person, you will not have the company of other people your age that you would find in a senior long term care centre.
  • Your home caregiver may have to move into your home as you get older and become less mobile, in which case you’ll be paying the same prices as you would to live in a residence.

Pros of long term residential care:

  • You are provided with room and board and do not have to worry about making your own meals.
  • Medical and non-medical care is available 24/7.
  • If you are married, your spouse/partner can come with you.
  • Most senior care facilities offer activities and field trips so you are not confined to your room.
  • Staff can take care of making your bed, ensuring you take your medication and cleaning your room.

Cons of long term residential care:

  • You are essentially paying rent to live in a long term care facility, which some seniors cannot afford.
  • Although most residences have all-day visiting hours, the location of the care centre may be far away from where your family lives and they will not come visit often.
  • Some people find it hard to adapt to their new surroundings and have trouble dealing with the hustle and bustle of a care centre.
  • Due to dietary restrictions of many of the residents, meals may be bland. Plus, you are not cooking your own meals leaving you with no control over the menu. For this reason, home care assistance companies and senior care agencies in Vancouver can offer higher quality and personalized services.

If you’re looking to make a choice for yourself or your elderly family members, contact us today. We’ll help you choose the best option for your loved one.

(Source article here)


shutterstock_114189160-1200x800-min.jpg
03/Jun/2023

Alzheimer’s disease causes brain cells to die, so the brain works less well over time. This changes how a person acts. Big Hearts Home Care can help you deal with your loved one’s condition and here we provide you with suggestions on coping with Alzheimer’s disease.

Common Changes in Personality and Behaviour

Common personality and behaviour changes you may see include:

– Getting upset, worried, and angry easily
– Acting depressed or not interested in things
– Hiding things or believing other people are hiding things
– Imagining things that aren’t there
– Wandering away from home
– Pacing a lot
– Showing unusual sexual behaviour
– Hitting you or other people
– Misunderstanding what he or she sees or hears

You also may notice that the person stops caring about how he or she looks, stops bathing, and wants to wear the same clothes every day.

Other Factors That Can Affect Behaviour

In addition to changes in the brain, other things may affect how people with Alzheimer’s behave:

– Feelings such as sadness, fear, stress, confusion, or anxiety
– Health-related problems, including illness, pain, new medications, or lack of sleep
– Other physical issues like infections, constipation, hunger or thirst, or problems seeing or hearing

Other problems in their surroundings may affect behaviour for a person with Alzheimer’s disease. Too much noise, such as TV, radio, or many people talking at once can cause frustration and confusion. Stepping from one type of flooring to another or the way the floor looks may make the person think he or she needs to take a step down. Mirrors may make them think that a mirror image is another person in the room.

If you don’t know what is causing the problem, call the doctor. It could be caused by a physical or medical issue.

Other Tips

Caregivers cannot stop Alzheimer’s-related changes in personality and behaviour, but they can learn to cope with them. Here are some tips:

– Keep things simple. Ask or say one thing at a time.
– Have a daily routine, so the person knows when certain things will happen.
– Reassure the person that he or she is safe and you are there to help.
– Focus on his or her feelings rather than words. For example, say, “You seem worried.”
– Don’t argue or try to reason with the person.
– Try not to show your frustration or anger. If you get upset, take deep breaths and count to 10. If it’s safe, leave the room for a few minutes.
– Use humour when you can.
– Give people who pace a lot a safe place to walk. Provide comfortable, sturdy shoes. Give them light snacks to eat as they walk, so they don’t lose too much weight, and make sure they have enough to drink.
– Try using music, singing, or dancing to distract the person.
– Ask for help. For instance, say, “Let’s set the table” or “I need help folding the clothes.”

Talk with the person’s doctor about problems like hitting, biting, depression, or hallucinations. Medications are available to treat some behavioural symptoms.

(Adapted this article from,
<https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/managing-personality-and-behavior-changes-alzheimers> )


kitsilano-swimming-pool-1200x801-min.jpg
03/Jun/2023

Summer is most Vancouverites’ favorite season. When the sun shines on Vancouver, there’s no prettier place on earth, and locals make the most of the summer months—June, July, and August—with tons of festivals, parties, outdoor adventures, and more.

Celebrate Canada Day

Canada Day, celebrated on July 1, is always a massive party in the city, with free events popping up across Metro Vancouver. The patriotic flair of the celebrations at Granville Island are incredibly festive (who doesn’t love the Truly Canadian Pancake Breakfast?), plus all the street festivals, parades, and fireworks. There’s also Surrey’s Canada Day outdoor concerts—the biggest Canada Day celebration in all of western Canada.

Attend a Unique Summer Festival

June through August in Vancouver is the season for festivals, and some of the year’s biggest and best music and multicultural events happen at this time of year. Vancouver’s International Jazz Festival is held each year at the end of June, while the Vancouver Folk Music Festival typically takes place each July.

Hit the Beach

Whether it’s barbecuing or wading into the low tide on Spanish Banks, playing volleyball on English Bay Beach or sunbathing on Kits Beach, summer weather makes Vancouver’s already-stunning beaches the place to be.

Eat at a Summer Night Market

Asian-style night markets are a summer tradition in the Lower Mainland. There are two great night markets to visit: the Richmond Night Market and the Shipyards Night Market in North Vancouver. The Richmond market is a must-see; it features over 300 vendors, fantastic food (pork shumai, Osaka balls, hurricane potatoes, and snow-cones, at the same time) and live entertainment, that attracts nightly crowds of thousands.

Watch an Incredible Fireworks Display

If there is one event that defines summer in Vancouver, it’s the Celebration of Light international fireworks competition: three nights of the best fireworks displays you’ve ever seen. Lighting up the sky over English Bay in incredible color compositions, the annual event, typically help late July through early Augusthas become one of the most prestigious fireworks competitions in the world.

Go Swimming in Kits Pool

With its white bottom and turquoise water and its spectacular views—of the ocean, the mountains, Kits Beach, and the Vancouver skyline glittering across English Bay—Kits Pool, open mid-May through mid-September, is a vacation destination unto itself. Just stepping through the gates feels like an escape and many Vancouverites will tell you that summer wouldn’t be summer without a swim in this pool!

Watch a Play on the Beach

With the gorgeous summer weather comes lots of outdoor theatre and concerts: There’s the Theatre Under the Stars in Stanley Park and the Enchanted Evenings Concert Series at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden. Among the best, however, is the Shakespeare festival Bard on Beach, which stages plays in open-backed tents in Vanier Park. The northern mountains and glory of English Bay become the plays’ backdrop. What could be more dramatic than that?

Hike at Stanley Park

Stanley Park may be a tourist destination—it attracts 8 million visitors a year—but it’s also cherished by locals, especially in the summer months. When the sun shines, there’s nothing better than biking or walking the scenic Seawall or hiking the 16 miles of forest trails. The Stanley Park Gardens are also a summer must-see!

Ring in Summer at the Fair at the PNE

If there’s one summer tradition that can bring out the kid in anyone, it’s the annual Fair at the PNE. Cotton candy, mini donuts, Playland rides, farm animals, live performers like Superdogs, and the nightly concert series make this end-of-summer extravaganza one of the best family events of the season.

Pick Berries at Krause Berry Farms

Take a quick trip to Langley where you can spend an entire day picking blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries at the 200-acre Krause Berry Farm. Even if picking berries yourself isn’t your thing, the family-run farm has tons of fresh fruit for sale, as well as pies, jams, jellies, and more. It’s a great outing for little ones, who can take tractor train rides or simply enjoy spending time outside.

Take a Day Trip to a Hot Spring

British Columbia is home to a vast array of hot springs, which can make for the perfect summer day or weekend trip from Vancouver. Halcyon Hot Springs, in Nakusp, is among the most popular, featuring breath-taking views and mineral-rich waters that are supposedly healing. There are also chalet-style homes that you can rent.

Do a Beer Crawl Down Brewer’s Row

If you love beer, get thee to Brewer’s Row, a tiny Vancouver street filled with local breweries. Murray Street, right across from Vancouver’s Rocky Point Park, has four small breweries that are open to visitors for tastings and tours, making it a great way to spend the afternoon. Start your day at Yellow Dog, before moving on to Moody Ales, Twin Sails, and Murray Street’s newest addition Parkside Brewing.

Shop at Vancouver’s Eastside Flea

This modern flea market features more than 50 vendors selling vintage clothing, collectibles, plants, and artisanal food. If shopping isn’t your thing, the flea’s organizers also invite food trucks and local DJs to turn the event into a veritable party. The flea typically takes place every weekend and moved to Eastside Studios in fall 2018.

Watch a Movie Alfresco in Stanley Park

For more than a decade, Stanley Park has hosted its Summer Cinema series on Tuesday nights. Movies start right after sunset and mostly include family favorites like Mean GirlsThe Lion King, and Grease. Admission is free, but you’ll want to bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket.
16of 18

Join in on a Massive Water Fight

A newer event on Vancouver’s summer calendar, the massive Vancouver Water Fight has already become tremendously popular. Held in mid-August, the great water war takes place at the Lumberman’s Arch at Stanley Park. Bring your bathing suits, water guns, and water balloons.

Go Kayaking at Deep Cove

If you want to spend a day outside, head to Deep Cove, a seaside village on the Eastern edge of Vancouver. The cove has great hikes and is a tranquil spot to go kayaking. The Deep Cove Kayak Centre will rent out kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes, and also offers lessons.

Listen to Classical Music in the Park

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performs a free outdoor concert each year at Deer Lake Park. The lineup typically includes classics from Tchaikovsky and other renowned composers as well as contemporary favorites, like the score from Star Wars.


Copyright by Big Hearts Homecare 2021. All rights reserved.

Call Now Button Click to call our care team