One of the most important decisions your loved one will make, is the choice to age in place. But for many family members not receiving around-the-clock care from a home health care agency, the idea of a senior parent or grandparent living alone is a scary thought. But it doesn’t have to be. Today, medical alert systems are offering families real peace of mind, while allowing older loved ones the option of being able to remain safely at home. But investing in a medical device is an important choice. So how do you find the system that’s right for you
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Posts by Freedom Home Care
Common Ways to Help Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson’s disease or PD is a nervous system disorder the affects movement. It may start with small tremors and eventually progress to muscle stiffening and a decrease in the range of motion. The cause of the condition is unknown, although research suggests that neurons in the brain break down and die. Over time, there’s a decrease in dopamine levels, leading to abnormal brain activity. Your loved one may be more susceptible to PD if they have family members who have been affected by it or they’ve been exposed to certain environmental toxins. While Parkinson’s can not be cured, doctors are
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Women's Eye Health & Safety Month: Tips for Your Eye Health
It’s likely that many people will experience vision problems with age. By 70, the risk of low vision or serious eye conditions in women significantly increases. In fact, in the next two years, there will be more women living with glaucoma than men. According to modernmedicine.com the number of Americans diagnosed with the disease will jump from 60 to 80 million by 2020 – with women outnumbering and out-living men. Fortunately, many of the changes we experience in eyesight are the result of the normal aging process. But while a slight decline in vision in expected to happen over
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Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease today. And according to the Center for Disease Control, out of the 30 million Americans with the condition, 1 in 4 don’t know they have it. The good news is that the rate of new cases being reported since 2008 has decreased each year. This is due to the fact that many new diabetes self-management education and support programs have been implemented across the U.S. to help boost prevention efforts. Still, because people are living longer with diabetes, the number of cases continue to increase. That’s why prevention and
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How Stress Affects Seniors and How We Can Help
Ready or not, stress always seems to have a sneaky way of finding us. And while most of the time it comes and goes and we’re able to bounce back fairly quickly, as we get older it’s harder and harder to get a hold on stress—and stress ends up taking a hold on us. Unfortunately, along with the stress comes a boatload of health concerns that are directly caused by it. But there’s good news: there are so many things you, and your home care agency, can do to help manage your stress and take back your life. How
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Go Green with Fun Earth Day Celebrations Perfect for Seniors
It’s by no accident that Earth Day falls right in the midst of a blooming spring season. After a long stretch of gloomy winter weather, your seniors will appreciate the chance to open up those windows, step outside, and enjoy some fresh air. This all-about-earth holiday is a fun opportunity to encourage seniors to engage in what brings them joy. And this year at our Highland Park Home Care, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite Earth Day activities that you can do with the seniors that are dearest to you. Getting Outside Walking in the Neighborhood
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Spring Arthritis Relief
The unfortunate truth about arthritis is that those who have it, are constantly trying to find relief from it. But is there a method that actually works? With more than 100 different types of arthritis, there’s no set treatment for everyone. Once your doctor does an evaluation to determine your specific type, a diagnostic test is done to confirm the diagnosis. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of the disease. It occurs when the cartilage in the joints starts to break down. Osteoarthritis mainly affects the hips, knees and spine, but can also target the neck, thumbs, fingers
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Fun Spring Activities for Seniors
With spring right around the corner, you want to make sure your senior has enough fun things lined up this season to help ward off boredom and prevent loneliness. And with warmer temperatures right around the corner, your loved one is once again able to enjoy all of their favorite outdoor activities – and maybe even try a few new ones. In fact, being outdoors, your senior gets a healthy dose of vitamin D – necessary for proper development of the brain, bones and muscles. Doctors say sunlight is also helpful in improving mood and cognitive function, while offering mental
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Healthy Eating Tips for Seniors
We’ve all heard the saying, “You are, what you eat.” So, it’s only natural that a healthy diet makes for a healthier you. This is especially true for older loved ones. A well-balanced regimen, rich in vitamins and nutrients, becomes more essential to our overall well-being as we age. Over time, the body begins to go through a lot of physical changes. Our metabolism start to slow down and we don’t burn as many calories as we should. The digestive system no longer absorbs nutrients the way it used to, and we tend to lose much of our appetite. That’s
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Improve Health and Mood with Aromatherapy
Often, when people think of their health and mood, the associations that come with these words relate to one’s diet, exercise regimen and stress level. To alter their state, people try all kinds of treatments and lifestyle changes to better themselves. One type of alternative therapy that is often overlooked is aromatherapy. What Is Aromatherapy? Defined by the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy as “the art and science of utilizing naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to balance, harmonize and promote the health of body, mind and spirit,” the use of essential oils’ is growing. Everyone from
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