Posts by Freedom Home Care

Online Tool Created to Help Manage Dementia

Online Tool Created to Help Manage Dementia

July 8, 2013 | No Comments

Family caregivers to seniors with dementia often feel overwhelmed.  Although memory loss and cognitive problems are most commonly associated with the condition, dementia can often include drastic and disruptive changes in behavior.  Sometimes the behavioral symptoms are treated with antipsychotics, but they have severe side effects and often don’t work.  These changes can sometimes become too much for the family caregiver and the senior often ends up in a nursing home and heavily medicated. Researchers from the University of Michigan saw this problem and are in the process of finding a solution to help caregivers manage dementia.  They are creating an
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Dementia Patients Benefit from Using Imaginations

Dementia Patients Benefit from Using Imaginations

July 5, 2013 | No Comments

Imagination is powerful, but can it actually improve some people’s quality of life? That’s what TimeSlips’ founder, Anne Basting, asked herself in 1996.  So she steered dementia and Alzheimer’s patients away from reminiscent-based therapies, and led them towards improvisational and imaginative play.  What happened?  The patients were happier.  They interacted better with caregivers.  It even helped the staff become closer with the patients.  How Does It Work? According to futurity.org, the facilitator shows the seniors various pictures and asks each to describe what is happening in that picture.  When asked to use their imagination rather than memories, the seniors often become
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Becoming a Super-Ager

Becoming a Super-Ager

July 4, 2013 | No Comments

Could you be a super-ager? A “super-ager” is someone who at 80 has the brain size and memory performance of a 50 year old.  They tend to live longer and be healthier.  If you see someone still happily at work in her 90’s, it would be a fair guess that they are a super-ager. So, how do we know if we are one of the lucky ones?  Neurologists and other scientists are still trying to figure out the “key” to aging well, although genetics are certainly a big indicator.  Often those whose parents lived long and healthy lives do the
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Avoiding a Healthcare Crisis

Avoiding a Healthcare Crisis

July 3, 2013 | No Comments

As more baby boomers pass 65, a healthcare crisis is beginning to appear.  With medical advancements, seniors today will be living longer than their parents or grandparents.  They will also be living sicker for longer. According to surveys, 8 out of 10 seniors have chronic conditions, with half having two or more.  According to the CDC, seniors will spend three to five times more money on healthcare than everyone under 65.  This will put a heavy burden on seniors and their families. What can seniors do to prepare? Make small changes to improve health.  Many of these chronic diseases, such
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Take Caution with Artificial Sweeteners

Take Caution with Artificial Sweeteners

July 2, 2013 | No Comments

It appears that yet another artificial sweetener has been deemed bad for you.  The Center for Science in the Public Interest has raised the safety rating of Splenda from “safe” to “caution” after a concerning study done in Italy. Scientists in Italy recently researched the effects of Splenda (also called sucralose) in mice over time.  It was determined that there may be a correlation between the sweetener and leukemia in rodents.  Although the study hasn’t yet been peer reviewed or published, it does raise some red flags. This comes years after another common sweetener, NutraSweet, was questioned as to its
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Study Find Seniors Living with Children Unhappy

Study Find Seniors Living with Children Unhappy

July 1, 2013 | No Comments

Today many grandparents are living with their children and grandchildren.  Is this trend good for the happiness of the senior?  Studies say no. With the economy the way it is, as many as 16% of families are forced to have several generations in one home.  The common thought is  that it will be good for everyone involved:  the grandparents will have more time with their grandchildren, the parents will be able to care for the grandparents, and the children will have more adults to learn from. But studies surprisingly show that seniors living with children have a lower quality of
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Seniors Star in New Video Game

Seniors Star in New Video Game

June 28, 2013 | No Comments

One of the biggest fears of a senior is falling and getting injured.  One video game company saw this problem and set out to find a solution.  Now the company Blue Marble Game Co. has created a game they are confident will revolutionize fall prevention. The best way to minimize falls is through balance and strength exercise.  If the muscles are strong, they will prevent the fall.  So Blue Marble created a video game called Zoezi Park that will help the senior exercise specifically aiming at building the muscles to maintain balance. This fun and educational game takes place in a virtual
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Doctors Come Together with 'Accountable Care Organization'

Doctors Come Together with 'Accountable Care Organization'

June 27, 2013 | No Comments

If you or someone close to you has multiple health problems, you know how frustrating it can be when doctors won’t talk with one another.  Prescription mistakes happen, time is wasted going over the same information, and perhaps there is an extraneous emergency room trip due to miscommunication.  It is a massive problem, and one that is costing Medicare millions each year. To solve this, Obama put into motion the Accountable Care Organization model.  If all of the doctors work together to care for the patient and avoid emergencies, they are rewarded with keeping some of the money that was saved
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Study Finds High Blood Pressure Linked to Cognitive Decline

Study Finds High Blood Pressure Linked to Cognitive Decline

June 26, 2013 | No Comments

An estimated 67 million American adults have high blood pressure – that is a third of the adult population!  We know that hypertension can cause conditions such as strokes, aneurysms, and kidney damage.  But now we can add another condition to the list:  decreased cognitive abilities. A recent study found at Huffington Post was done in Australia to determine if there was a relationship between high blood pressure and cognitive abilities.  It was found that those with hypertension fared worse with visual processing, recognition, and processing speed. Why do they think this is happening?  Our arteries are the blood vessels
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Talk with Your Parent About Driving

Talk with Your Parent About Driving

June 25, 2013 | No Comments

Has your elderly parent had a few auto accidents lately?  Perhaps a new medical condition has you concerned that they are behind the wheel?  Whatever the reason, having the conversation about having a senior hand over his keys is difficult.  Here are some ways to make that discussion go a little easier. 1. Pay attention.  Ride as a passenger while your parent drives and pay attention to their driving.  Make notes of any driving errors that occur. And try not to cheat by prompting them to use their turn signal or reminding them of an upcoming stop sign.  Bring this list
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