This summer has seen record-breaking heat waves across the U.S. and Europe, and it has felt like our own North Texas area has been at the center of it all.

For the last two years, we've used our July posts to focus on ways for seniors to stay mentally sharp and socially active despite pandemic-era social distancing requirements and restrictions.

In July 2021, we presented longtime Overture Home Care caregiver Vivian Y. McNary with our First Annual Vivian Y. McNary Caregiver of the Year Award.

In 1996, the National Safety Council (NSC) established June as National Safety Month with the goal of increasing public awareness of the leading safety risks and decreasing the number of accidental injuries and deaths at homes and the workplace.

Denise Helms and Paige Wolk join My So-Called Fabulous podcaster and lifestyle influencer Tiffany Blackmon for an in-depth discussion of aging and independence.

June brings a second set of recognitions that are always in our thoughts as home care providers: Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month and the Longest Day fundraising event for the fight against Alzheimer's.

June is Men’s Health Month, and that means it’s time to get some difficult conversations started with your older male loved ones.

If you follow our advice from the previous post and visit the Fort Worth Botanic Garden this month, you may notice a charming mid-century building, surrounded by flowers and walking trails, just across the park road from the main parking lot. This building — officially 3111 Old Garden Road — is the headquarters of Texas Garden Clubs, Inc.

After a series of March and April fake-outs, real spring is finally here. But it won't last long, so don’t wait to plan fun outdoor activities. While you’re making those plans, consider a few special trips for your older or health-challenged loved ones as well. We all need to get outside to stretch a little and enjoy the sunshine. And with Mother’s Day on May 8 and National Senior Health and Fitness Day on May 25, what more encouragement do you need to plan outdoor events this month that the whole family can enjoy?

According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, the theme for this year’s National Parkinson’s Awareness Month is the Future of Parkinson’s Disease. To positively impact that future, it is important that we understand the disease itself, the current state of research, and the available treatment options.

Remember back in December when we suggested that holiday visits were a good time to take a look around your older loved ones’ homes and talk to them about the support they might need to continue living independently? We mentioned a number of red flags to look for, but here’s something we didn’t mention: the need for deep cleaning and decluttering.

Most of us can benefit from a seasonal tidy-up. But for older people and people with health or mobility concerns, clean and clutter-free living spaces and walkways aren’t just a spring-time thing. They are essential to independent life.

Every March since 1987, Women’s History Month has shined a light on the achievements and contributions of women throughout history. This year, that light is shining on YOU with the theme “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope: a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers…”

Did you know that approximately 66% of family caregivers are female, that the average female caregiver provides 20 hours per week of unpaid care while also working outside the home, and that up to 20% of all female workers in the United States find themselves providing care for a family member?

As a company of caregivers, founded by caregivers, serving caregivers and dedicated to providing healing and hope for those in need of care, Overture Home Care understands the goals and challenges faced by family caregivers, and we are here to help you carry the burden. Please call us 24/7 at (817) 887-9401 for a free consultation.

As a young Critical Care nurse back in the ‘90s, Denise Helms applied to be Director of Nursing at a local nursing home. Little did she know that the woman who interviewed her for the position would become her mentor, her friend — and eventually change her life…

During Social Workers Month this March, please join us in honoring our own Paige Wolk, LBSW, CDP.

Overture Home Care announced today that it has received the 2022 Best of Home Care – Employer of Choice Award from Home Care Pulse. The Employer of Choice Award is granted only to the top-ranking home care providers, based on caregiver satisfaction scores gathered by Home Care Pulse, an independent satisfaction research firm for home care. Overture Home Care is recognized among the best employers of in-home caregivers in the region.

To live independently — that’s a key goal for so many seniors. And losing that independence as we age is a major fear. But according to a 2012 AARP study, 57% of seniors over age 70 need help with daily tasks and no longer find it easy to live alone. For a senior who has confidently handled their own life for half a century, losing full independence can be a hard blow, and having to accept help with daily tasks can be depressing, frustrating and even frightening.

We know that you and your loved ones have heard all of these recommendations before. And we know that it is not easy to make lifestyle changes. But step-by-step, day-by-day, it can be done. And we want to help, so we’ve included a lot of links below with real information that you can use.

Here's a New Year's resolution we're going to add to our list, and hope that you do as well: visit your older loved ones, spend quality time in their bathrooms, and take careful note of anything that needs to be updated or added to improve their safety.

Our Overture Home Care New Year’s resolution is to continue being even more responsive to the needs of our clients and the needs of our caregiving staff. As a big first step toward that goal, we are thrilled to announce that Overture Home Care has incorporated a Caregiver Skills Lab into our training curriculum for 2022.

Consider the holiday visit a good time to have a look around for warning signs that you might have missed, and to sit down for a heart-to-heart talk about health concerns and care needs that your loved ones might not have wanted to burden you with.