Rising health care costs are a concern for most Americans. And it’s especially true for senior citizens. With Election Day at our backs, however, the nation can again begin to address the issues that were seemingly put on hold while the candidates were on the campaign trail. In an article published today on the Crain’s Chicago Business website, editor Andrew L. Wang opened up the discussion of what the future may have in store for health care affordability. “Few expect major changes to the law’s fundamental pillars — the individual mandate, which requires most individuals to have health insurance, and
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Archives for Freedom Home Care
Overcoming the great digital divide
It’s not uncommon for the elderly loved ones in our lives to feel frustrated with today’s technology. After all, much of the new devices and tech tools seem to be geared more toward the younger generations. “What’s developing is a digital divide,” said Ken Dychtwald in a recent NY Times article. “New technologies are largely oriented to people under the age of 50. If you’re older than that, you have to muster the courage to ask your family how things work.” Dychtwald is the chief executive of Age Wave, a research and consulting organization that focuses on population aging, and
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Understanding how dementia differs from Alzheimer’s
As people get older, it becomes increasingly difficult to remember things. For most elderly individuals, it is an unfortunate fact of aging. In recent years, the term senility, which once referred to difficulties with cognizance, has now been replaced with the term dementia. The problem, however, is that now dementia is too often confused with conditions such as Alzheimer’s. In reality, dementia is merely a symptom of Alzheimer’s and other diseases associated with the brain. “A good analogy to the term dementia is ‘fever,’” explained the editors at AlzheimersReadingRoom.com. “Fever refers to an elevated temperature, indicating that a person is
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Learning the basic movements of Sun tai chi with Dr. Mike Neskovic
Yesterday, we here at Freedom Home Care posted a blog about tai chi and the benefits that the ancient form of exercise can offer elderly individuals. Therefore, for today’s blog, we felt compelled to post a video that can get the aging loved ones in our life started on a new path toward exercise and healthy living. The video highlights Sun-style tai chi, which is recognized by the American Arthritis Foundation as the official tai chi for arthritis. When seniors choose to follow along with Dr. Mike Neskovic, they quickly discover that the movements are gracious, slow and rhythmic. The
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Finding balance through tai chi
The Chinese have long been known for their unique way of living, which has produced some of the healthiest yet oldest individuals on the planet. It is a way of life that combines both body and mind. And at the heart of it lies tai chi, an ancient martial art that has been practiced for centuries for both its defense purposes as well as its health benefits. “Deeply rooted in Chinese meditation, medicine, and martial arts, tai chi (pronounced ”tie chee”) combines mental concentration with slow, controlled movements to focus the mind, challenge the body, and improve the flow of
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Early warning signs that your aging loved one needs help at home
As the people important to us most begin to grow older, we witness many changes in their appearance, behavior and health. Some of these changes are the natural signs of aging while others should be considered signals that help might be needed in the home. But if our loved ones don’t ask for help directly, how will we know if living alone is no longer an option for them? Encouraging open conversations should always be the first step. Talking with family members, friends and doctors will begin to open doors of understanding for all involved. However, to ensure the safety
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Knowing when it’s time to take the keys away from aging parents
As the elderly loved ones in our lives get older, it pains us nearly as much as it pains them to watch as they slowly lose their independence. And losing the privilege to drive is one of the most prominent and difficult-to-accept signs of aging. Although seniors may put up a fight when the time comes to take away the keys, their safety and the safety of others is at risk. Talking to an elderly individual about why they can no longer operate a vehicle won’t be easy. But if empathy and sensitivity are employed, it can be possible. Broaching
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Freedom Home Care to sponsor First Class Care training program
Freedom Home Care is happy to announce that it will sponsor First Class Care’s in-house training program, the First Class Care Academy. First Class Care, a full-service domestic placement agency in Illinois, helps families throughout the state find top-notch nannies, newborn care specialists, babysitters, housekeepers, personal assistants, house managers and chefs. The First Class Care Academy covers a wide variety of professional development courses, enabling individuals to take their service careers to the next level. The year-long sponsorship perfectly aligns with Freedom Home Care’s core strengths, which lie in providing quality care to those in need. Freedom Home Care has
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Tips for how to maintain a healthy weight later in life
Yesterday, we here at Freedom Home Care took a closer look at why older individuals are prone to lose weight. And we learned that a certain amount of weight loss can be considered normal. As it turns out, the actual decrease in pounds isn’t always attributed to a loss in body fat. Some of it can be due to a decrease in bone density, as well. Therefore, observing weight loss in your elderly loved one might not be something to lose sleep over. However, it’s also not something to ignore. In some cases, weight loss can cross the line from
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Understanding weight loss in older individuals
Weight loss in the older population is a common issue. As functions in the body begin to slow down – alongside activity levels – appetite also decreases. This, of course, is a simplistic explanation of why some of the aging individuals in our lives may look skinnier and skinnier as years pass. To truly understand weight loss later in life, however Livestrong.com, a website dedicated to healthy living, laid out the changes that take place in the body from a medical standpoint. As most know, the human body is composed primarily of bone tissue, lean muscle and organ tissue, fat tissue,
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