Everyday more and more people all over the world are diagnosed with breast cancer. It would be hard to find someone that hasn’t personally been affected, or doesn’t know someone affected by breast cancer. Here at Freedom Home Care we know this type of cancer can be one of the most testing as it doesn’t target a specific age group, race, or religion. Its victims, while mostly female, can also be male. The American Cancer Society states that 232,340 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. According to statistics from Susan G. Komen one in eight women will develop
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Posts by Freedom Home Care
How Alzheimer’s Disease Affects Men and Women Differently
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s data the current life expectancy for women is 83 years, and 78 years for men. It is not yet known why women tend to live longer, but experts suggest a combination of factors like genetics and a general partiality of men for riskier behavior like smoking, drinking alcohol, or fighting can be factors in these statistical estimations. With many men and women living longer than ever before, it opens up a larger possibility for more people to develop age related disorders like Alzheimer’s. Here at Freedom Home Care we like other care facilities have
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Caring for a Loved One with Lung Cancer
The word cancer can hit a person like a ton of bricks, and every year more and more people are diagnosed with various types of cancer including one of the most serious, lung cancer. Although coping with treatment and daily life that goes along with lung cancer isn’t easy. There are a few things you can do to make life a bit more manageable for caregivers and loved ones as well. The American Lung Association notes that a senior with lung cancer can expect a survival rate of 53% when detected early before it has spread to other areas in
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Making the Difficult Decision: In-Home Senior Care or Assisted Living?
Making the decision to remain at home or move to a senior care facility is a serious one. Often, seniors don’t know where to start or what variables might come into play. They become overwhelmed and choose to push the decision off until it is too late. An illness, injury, or other emergency then may make the decision for them. Instead of putting it off another day, make today the day when you start to gather all the information and put the pieces together to find what is right for you. Or, if you are helping a loved one to
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Senior Health: Right Nourishment Equals More Energy!
The days are getting shorter and the air is getting cooler. It suddenly becomes more difficult to start a daily exercise routine. Heavy stews begin to sound more appetizing than light salads. Our bodies begin to naturally slow down for the impending winter. But don’t give up and fall into a routine of laziness just because of the change of season. By nourishing your body, mind, and spirit, you can stay energized even through the coldest of months. Nourish Your Body! Watch your Diet. It’s no surprise that we need to nourish our bodies to remain energized. Eating protein-rich
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Interview with Connie Branstrom, Healthcare Outreach Coordinator for Brandel Health & Rehab at Covenant Village of Northbrook
Did you know? Your knees and hips are your largest joints. They support the majority of your body’s weight and must work together to provide the mobility most people take for granted, until injury, arthritis, or other problems interfere. Depending on the cause of your pain, the resolution will vary. For some, it might be a set of exercises, pain relief medication, minor surgery, or some combination of these. But for many people, knee and hip problems become so troubling that the best solution is to replace a worn-out knee or hip with a mechanical joint. Talk with your doctor to find
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Long-Distance Caregiving: When is it Too Much to Handle?
As lifespans are increasing and the number of seniors is growing in America, we are seeing the children who are acting as caregivers being torn between two places: where the caregiver lives and where the senior lives. While long-distance care-giving can work for a time with regular visits, it often breaks down when emergencies happen. What if the senior injures himself? What if he or she falls and can’t get up? The worries never stop for a long-distance caregiver. And often the caregiver must then make a difficult choice: Should you move closer to your elderly loved one or should
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Study: When is it Too Late to Begin an Exercise Routine?
A recent study was conducted to answer the question, “When is it too late to benefit from an exercise program?” And what was the answer they found? It’s never too late. This study, lasting three years, targeted seniors aged 70-89 who were inactive and not in the best of health. All participants were enrolled in a moderate weekly aerobics, balance, and stretching program. Their progress was closely followed. What researchers found was that the seniors who participated in the exercise program were 28% less likely to develop a persistent mobility problem compared to inactive seniors. Not only that, but several
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The Power of Our Breath: Lecture by Susan Smolin, Registered Yoga Instructor, Breathing & Relaxation Coach
Life begins with our first breath. We breathe in oxygen 10-16 or more times in the first minute of our life. We will take about 100 million breaths, before we take our last. The Power of our Breath is immense. To mind the breath is to make a decision. The second we choose to mind the breath, we have decided that this moment is worthy of our full attention. The instant we do this, we have extricated ourselves from the hold of the past and the pull of the future. We are living life today, not yesterday, not tomorrow. Breath
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Technology: Improving Quality of Life for Seniors with Hearing Loss
If you are a senior experiencing hearing loss, you aren’t alone. One in three seniors over the age of 60 has some form of hearing loss, and the number jumps to one in two for those over 85. And while not being able to hear clearly can be frustrating and inconvenient, technology is improving seniors’ quality of life, especially when it comes to hearing loss. Here are two ways technology is helping today’s seniors suffering from hearing loss: 1. Cochlear Implants. Just a few years back, if you had hearing loss due to damage of the tiny hairs in the
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