The holiday season can be a stressful time as it is, but when you have a family member with Alzheimer’s planning can get even more complicated. If someone in your family has Alzheimer’s, there are some additional considerations that you need to plan in advance so that everyone will be able to enjoy the day. Most people with Alzheimer’s do best with a predictable daily routine – which the holidays inexorably disrupt. To cope, try to keep as much of their daily routine intact. Would one large Thanksgiving gathering with all the family really be better than shorter visits throughout
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Posts by Freedom Home Care
Helping Your Loved Ones Hold On to the Past this Holiday Season
It’s that time of year when families get together and talk about all the good times they’ve had over the years. This Thanksgiving, we will all most likely gather around the table and take a collective trip down memory lane. Sometimes, there are instances where you try to recall a memory but you just can’t grasp it from your recollection. While this type of occurrence may seem a rare occasion for most, for those dealing with dementia it is a recurring event that can be frustrating and painful. And as these lapses progress, it can be difficult for a family
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How Can Essential Oils Benefit Seniors?
Essential oils have been used for thousands of years for cosmetic purposes as well as for their purported spiritual and emotionally uplifting properties. Recent research now shows that essential oils used as aromatherapy or during massage can combat physical and mental stressors in senior citizens, as well as improve the symptoms of diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. We spoke to Dr. Tom McNulty of Highland Park’s Back and Body Health Center to find out more. Dr. McNulty is a Doctor of Chiropractic, a digestive health specialist, a certified acupuncturist, and an Active Release Techniques Practitioner. He is also certified
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November is Home Care Month!
When the time comes to consider home care for your spouse, parent, or loved one it can easily become a daunting prospect. It is a very thoughtful process in making the decision on a loved one’s care, and often in the process the option of home care arises. Here at Freedom Home Care we’ve put together a helpful guide to some of the benefits to having your loved one cared for right in the comfort of their own home, and just in time for November – Home Care month! Home Sweet Home There is a reason people say ‘home is
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Could Alzheimer’s Be Caused by a Simple Fungus?
Every year, more people over the age of 65 are suffering from dementia. Here at Freedom Home Care, we specialize in Alzheimer’s Care, and we want to keep everyone as up to date as possible about potential causes of this disease. Today, researchers are still searching, but a new study offers a fascinating possibility: some cases of Alzheimer’s may be linked to a simple brain fungus. The study appeared this week in Nature Scientific Reports, and is already stirring up controversy in the research community. Molecular biologists Diana Pisa, Luis Carrasco, and colleagues studied 25 cadavers, 14 of which belonged
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Stay Healthy This Fall Season
As the leaves begin to turn vibrant colors and the evenings get shorter, it’s easy to feel that Fall chill in the air. Every year as the season changes and the temperature drops, it can be easy to fall into habits that can leave you susceptible to illness. Here at Freedom Home Care we have compiled a list of a few tips that can keep you healthy this fall season. Take Care of Yourself Far too many of us aren’t maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Whether it’s staying on top of your diet or finding time to exercise, it is important
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It's Easier to Support Breast Cancer Research Than You Think!
October is in full swing, and this time of year everyone has Halloween on the brain. But October is also a very important month for Breast Cancer awareness! Some people may want to help, but don’t know where to start. Thankfully there are businesses all around Chicago that want to help make donating as easy as possible! So here’s a list of where to go this month to help benefit breast cancer research: Adamus: For all of October, $1 from every Diva Cocktail sold will be donated to Chicagoland Susan G. Komen foundation. 10 S. Wabash Ave., 312-372-7696, www.silversmithchicagohotel.com Barbakoa: Through
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How to Make Halloween Healthier
In the days and weeks leading up to Halloween, the stores are filled with pumpkins, costumes, and of course candy- lots and lots of candy. What originally started as all Hallows Eve has now turned into a day of tricks and treats. While many will spend this day snacking on bite sized chocolates and sugar filled sweets, there are plenty of options to make this Halloween just as fun without all the added calories and sugar crashes later on. Here at Freedom Home Care we have complied a few healthy alternatives to the traditional candy fare that will still delight
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Yoga Offers Seniors a Multitude of Health Benefits
As a culture we may not be able to agree on much, but one thing we can all agree on is that yoga is good for you. Nobody knows this better than Susan Wolf Smolin, a certified yoga instructor who offers therapeutic and rehabilitative instruction to people of all types – from the prenatal to the elderly. Susan has over 20 years of experience; she discovered her passion for yoga shortly before her own father moved into an assisted living home. Susan began teaching classes in chair yoga to the seniors there and quickly discovered the life-changing benefits yoga can
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The Benefit of Seniors and Interaction with Young Children
Senior citizens run a high risk of loneliness and isolation due to a lack of social interaction – especially with younger generations. But that’s where the Intergenerational Learning Center at the Mount (ILCM) is trying to change things: they recently put a preschool in their nursing home. And it changed everyone’s lives. Studies have shown that 43% of older adults experience social isolation, which is closely correlated with loneliness and depression as well as mental and physical decline. And many elderly become lonely when they move into nursing homes, or lose a loved one and remain alone in their own
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