Posts by Freedom Home Care

3 Ways to Recharge Between Holidays

The holidays are a time to celebrate with family, friends, and colleagues.  But if you sometimes feel like you need a break from it all, you’re not alone. According to a new study, more than half of the population needs downtime to recover from stressful social situations.  It doesn’t mean that you don’t like being with your friends and family, but all of the interaction can become exhausting and weigh you down. Finding some quiet time for yourself during the holidays can be tricky, but with a little planning it can be done. Follow these 3 tips: 1. Schedule a break. 
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Are Herbal Supplements Effective?

Many seniors dutifully take vitamins and other supplements to keep themselves healthy and make up for lacking nutrition.  But what exactly are those pills made of?  And are they doing your body any good? Recent studies have identified various herbal supplement ingredients and their effectiveness.  As many people know, the FDA doesn’t regulate many supplements. Because of this, many pills do not need to state exactly what is in their product. It becomes unclear if what they claim is in the supplements is actually accurate. And that’s exactly what the researchers found. Using a system of identifying the supplements’ DNA,
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The Secret Link Between Singing and Memory

Sarah Dessen said, “Music is the great uniter. An incredible force. Something that people who differ on everything and anything else can have in common.” But it seems that music not only unites people with each other, but also with their own minds. As we mentioned in an earlier blog post, researchers began a singing lab with seniors who have moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease.  The seniors were brought together three times a week to share the music of their youth.  Half of the participants were lead in singing songs from their young adulthood while the other half listened. While the
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The Next Generation of Seniors

As more baby boomers enter their retirement years, many are pushing for change.  Instead of being quietly pushed into a nursing home, seniors are demanding more and better ways of living.  So, what exactly does the future hold for this growing population of seniors? 1. More seniors will live at home.  It has become clear for some time that today’s seniors prefer to remain at home or in retirement communities.  And their health doesn’t have to prevent them from living where they want.  As quality home caregivers, like Freedom Home Care, are readily available and affordable, relying on nursing homes is a
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Can Using the Internet Reduce the Risk of Cancer in Seniors?

According to a recent study, seniors who use the Internet are less likely to get cancer than their less tech-savvy peers. The study showed that seniors who used the Internet regularly were more likely to have a lifestyle that kept them cancer-free. It was found that those seniors who valued their online time were more likely to exercise regularly, eat moderately, smoke less, and be screened for cancer more often – all good habits to avoid cancer. And, it turns out, the more a senior uses the Internet, the more likely he or she is to engage in healthy behaviors.
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Medications Found to Increase Risk of Falling

Falling is the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for seniors.  Head injuries and hip fractures are two of the worst and most prevalent results of a bad fall.  And some medications increase the risk of injury for seniors. We know that some medications can increase the chances of falling, but often seniors rely on their doctors to tell them if their medicine will put them at risk.  Instead, seniors should take matters into their own hands. Research has been done to discover which drugs cause the most falls.  The common link between the main offenders is that they
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Easy Ways for Seniors to Exercise This Winter

As we get deeper into  winter, Mother Nature makes it increasingly difficult to remain active outside. But the good news is, there are still ways for seniors to stay active even when the weather starts to become chilly. We have put together some great ways to stay fit this season.  S, grab a sweater, a pair of sneakers, and maybe a friend, and try these ways to get active this winter: 1. Enjoy the scenery.  If you’d like to do more than look out the window, consider taking a short and slow walk through a park or forest preserve.  Layer your
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Technology in Seniors’ Homes: Helpful or Intrusive?

As technology advances, many gadgets are being created to keep seniors safe.  From motion sensors to buzzing medication bottles, seniors are watched for any change in habit.  But is this “Big Brother” routine helpful or intrusive? With a growing number of seniors choosing to continue to live at home, or “age in place” as some call it, gadgets in the home are becoming commonplace.  There are motion sensors that are placed under the mattress.  There are pill bottles that text the caregiver if they aren’t taken on schedule.  If a senior doesn’t make coffee as usual one morning, the motion
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How to Enjoy Thanksgiving with Diabetes

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends, but a big part of the holiday revolves around the food. While we are all enjoying the treats of the season, diabetics are left between keeping their blood-sugar levels in check and eating what they want.  Here are some tricks to enjoying Thanksgiving as a diabetic. Start with the turkey.  Foods high in carbohydrates can quickly elevate blood-sugar levels.  Put food on your plate high in fiber and protein before you get to the carbohydrate-laden foods.  Begin with a salad, some turkey, and vegetables.  And, no, candied sweet potatoes do not count
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Simple Tricks for Seniors to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

Holidays should be a time of togetherness and celebration with family and friends.  Unfortunately, all too often the season becomes a time of injury or illness, particularly with seniors.  Along with the cold weather come opportunities to catch the flu, fall on the ice, and gain extra weight.   Stay healthy this holiday season by following these tips:  1.  Avoid illness. Fall and winter are the two times of year that you are most likely to get sick. Why?  The lack of moisture in the air allows germs to travel much further than they otherwise would.  That means that someone
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