BrightPointe at Lytle Lake

Do You Have a Loved One Who Recently Had Surgery? As our loved ones age their bodies tend to become weaker and more susceptible to injury. There are times that these injuries can result in surgery. Heart attack, stroke, hip replacement, knee replacement, carpal tunnel, and many other ailments can all require surgery. One of the most difficult parts is the fact that these injuries occur without warning which means you do not really have time to plan for them. The problem is that when an elderly loved one ends up needing surgery due to one of these common ailments, they also need extensive after surgery care. This can be problematic for those of us who work full-time jobs, which is most of us or those of us that don’t live near injured loved ones. Most of us cannot afford to take off the amount of time it would require to care for loved ones needed to fully recover. The fact is that most of the time our loved ones need 24-hour care after surgery, and it is unlikely that we will be ab...

Working with the Elderly Is a Calling How many of you have heard this particular saying? Many people feel that their job is a calling, which is probably true. Not everyone is suited or cut out for careers such as teaching, entrepreneurship, or the medical field. Most people are drawn to a particular field due to an interest in it. No one says they want to be a surgeon just because of the money. People who want to go into the medical field have to be able to handle high-pressure situations, as well as, the presence of blood. They can’t have a weak stomach, and they have to be able to make rash decisions in a split second. They also have to be able to emotionally cope with the fact that not all of their patients are going to survive. So, being a surgeon is a prime example of a career that is a calling. Another example of a career that requires a calling and still fits within the medical field is being a caregiver for the elderly and injured. Working in a rehabilitation and recovery c...

Knee Surgery Can Put You Out for a Long Time. Are You Ready for It? Knee surgery is something that is quite common in all ages, genders, and sizes. You do not have to be old or overweight to suffer an injury that can need surgery to correct. When we think of knee replacement surgery, we often think of the elderly who have worn down their knees over the years, but this is not always the case. Knee injuries can happen by merely jogging with your dog. Your dog could decide to cut in front of you just to run to the other side of the road, you might end up making an abrupt stop and tearing up all the cartilage in your knee. This is resulting in knee surgery to remove the damaged cartilage and to put in a plate and screws. This is apparently something that you did not expect to happen. And the reality is that surgery is going to put you out of commission for a while. We all have busy lives, so not only do we need to take care of ourselves, but we may have others to care for. We will req...

Are Your Parents Able to Live on Their Own? Are your parents getting up in age? This is definitely a tough time for both you and them. You know that they’re reaching the age where they are not going to be able to take care of themselves anymore. The problem is that they still want to maintain their dignity and autonomy. There is a particular taboo about nursing homes and being placed in one. Many elderly people see the nursing home as a place of loss independence. You do not want this for your parents, and you do not want them to feel that way. At the same time, however, you are not able to move them in with you, and it is a potential health risk for them to be left alone. A Very Tough Decision One of the toughest decisions you’re going to make is whether or not it’s time to put your parents in a nursing home or living assisted property. You know that your parents may not be happy with the decision, but you know that it’s the right one to make. That’s why when facing this tough ...

Old Age is Nothing to Scoff At A family member always said getting old was no fun. Unfortunately, he is correct. As I drove down the highway the other day, I saw a billboard with the caption “Roles Change” with a picture on the left of a little girl with her parents, and a picture on the right with a grown woman and her parents. This is a true depiction of how roles really do change in life. Age tends to wear us down and break our bodies and minds. It is true that with age comes wisdom, but it is also true that with age can come a loss of independence and freedom. This is the problem that many aging people face. No one wants to lose their independence, especially when they’ve been independent their entire life. It is so difficult for families to take the car keys away from an elderly loved one, or put an elderly loved one in an assisted living facility or nursing home. These are typically two scenarios that can cause splits in families. Not All Nursing Homes Are the Same If you ...