Posts by Freedom Home Care

Making the Difficult Decision: In-Home Senior Care or Assisted Living?

Making the Difficult Decision: In-Home Senior Care or Assisted Living?

October 6, 2014 | No Comments

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!

Senior Health: Right Nourishment Equals More Energy!

October 4, 2014 | No Comments

  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

Interview with Connie Branstrom, Healthcare Outreach Coordinator for Brandel Health & Rehab at Covenant Village of Northbrook

October 3, 2014 | No Comments

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?

Long-Distance Caregiving: When is it Too Much to Handle?

September 29, 2014 | No Comments

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?

Study: When is it Too Late to Begin an Exercise Routine?

September 18, 2014 | No Comments

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

The Power of Our Breath: Lecture by Susan Smolin, Registered Yoga Instructor, Breathing & Relaxation Coach

September 12, 2014 | No Comments

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

Technology: Improving Quality of Life for Seniors with Hearing Loss

September 3, 2014 | No Comments

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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What is the Flu? What You Need to Know before Flu Season Hits

What is the Flu? What You Need to Know before Flu Season Hits

September 1, 2014 | No Comments

What is the Flu? Influenza, also called the “flu,” is a highly contagious respiratory infection. Flu can cause fever, chills, headache, dry cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, and muscle aches. Unlike other common respiratory infections such as the common cold, influenza can cause extreme fatigue lasting several days to more than a week. Although nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can sometimes accompany influenza infection, especially in children, gastrointestinal symptoms are rarely prominent. The illness that people often call “stomach flu” is not influenza. Influenza is spread easily from person to person primarily when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
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Scientists Find New Link Between Vitamin D and Dementia

Scientists Find New Link Between Vitamin D and Dementia

August 26, 2014 | No Comments

In a previous blog post titled, “The ABC’s of Vitamin D” we mentioned the importance of including Vitamin D in a senior’s diet.  We talked about how it is a necessary component in the process of keeping bones strong and healthy.  Well, scientists have now found yet another reason to keep vitamin D levels high: it significantly lowers the risk of dementia. Researchers have been thoroughly studying dementia and its causes and progress for years.  One study in particular looked for a connection between seniors who didn’t have sufficient levels of vitamin D in their bodies and their risk of
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Playing Games for a Sharper Brain

Playing Games for a Sharper Brain

August 20, 2014 | No Comments

Does playing games cause bigger brains and sharper thinking, or are those who already have healthier brains more likely to play games? This chicken or egg question is something that scientists have been wondering for some time.  The popular theory is that the mental activity of playing games exercises the brain in such a way that deters dementia. But, another theory says that those who already have sharper minds and have a mental reserve of sorts are inclined towards game playing and naturally less susceptible to suffering from dementia. However, in either case, doctors can agree on one thing –
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