In a recent Freedom Home Care blog, we posted a video from the UCSF’s Memory and Aging Center that covered the importance of understanding the side effects of prescription medication. No matter the drug – be it synthetic or natural – there is always a chance that it will produce an unwanted effect. The possibility for that increases when a patient is taking more than one prescription, considering that those drugs have the potential for interacting with one another. “This does not imply that the drugs are bad, but rather that they should be used carefully in order to reap
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Understanding the side effects of medication
Prescription medications are one of the most important items for aging individuals to properly manage. Not only do aging individuals have to ensure that they are taking the proper dose, but they also have to be sure they are staying on the prescription’s schedule and for the correct length of time advised. Additionally, seniors and their caregivers need to be aware of a medication’s side effects. And so is especially the case for individuals who have been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s. In the following video, Ron Finley, RPh of UCSF’s Memory and Aging Center reviews the side effects of
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Sharing stories of caregiving excellence
We here at Freedom Home Care frequent the AARP website on a regular basis. We’ve found that it’s a great resource for anyone over the age of 50. Whether it be for health-related concerns, retirement questions or even travel recommendations, the folks at AARP have us covered. Today, while we were perusing the site, we stumbled on a call-to-action that piqued our attention. AARP places a lot of importance on the caregivers in our aging loved ones’ lives and have asked that visitors to the site share their personal stories about those integral people. “If you have a story that you
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10 reasons why living alone is a blast and a half!
As we here at Freedom Home Care head into the weekend, we thought that we would leave you with a lighthearted item posted by our friends at AARP. The article, titled “More People Choose to Live Alone: 10 Great Reasons Why,” serves as a fun-loving reminder of just how good so-called spinsters and bachelors have it! Enjoy! 1. Raiding the refrigerator at 1 a.m., knowing that mango sorbet is there for you and you alone. 2. Decorating as you please — no more “his” favorite orange recliner or “her” Twilight books front and center on the shelf. 3. Going to bed when you
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Superagers – defying age in a single bound
Last night, if you were watching the 9 o’clock nightly news, you might have noticed a spry, good-looking older gal cruising the shops of downtown Chicago. And then, if you continued watching, you would have learned that that older woman was, in fact, 85 years old. According to a study taking place at Northwestern University, 85-year-old Barb Shaeffer falls under the category of superager – men and women in their 80s or older who exhibit remarkable memory and energy for their age. Since discovering this category of age-defiance, Northwestern researchers examined 12 individuals from the Chicago area who fit the
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What is a geriatrician and how do I know if one is needed?
For senior citizens or anyone caring for an older individual, many of the signs of aging can be quite obvious. The ways to deal with those signs, however, might not be as clear. Whether it be depression, incontinence, arthritis or an increase in falls, a common question is whether the long-time family doctor has the necessary experience to provide proper care and advice. At some point in time, a visit to a geriatrician may be a good idea. But what is a geriatrician and how do I know if it’s worth it to add another doctor to the mix? According
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Alzheimer’s – 10 ways to detect it on its onset
In a recent blog post here at Freedom Home Care we reported that more than 5 million Americans age 65 and older are thought to have Alzheimer’s disease and that one person in the United States is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease approximately every 69 seconds. The numbers are staggering, but the forms of treatment are growing and improving every day. An early diagnosis will allow patients to have a say when it comes to decisions about care, transportation, living options, and financial and legal matters. Therefore, it’s important to look for early warning signs. Although Alzheimer’s usually begins after the age
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Flexing the mental muscles to maintain a healthy brain
As most of us know, the brain is like a muscle, and if you don’t flex it from time to time, valuable functions like memory can be weakened. And just as exercise stimulates the body, exercising the brain will help to keep it healthy and strong. grow grape vines Our brains are constantly hungry for new information and so is definitely true later in life. One way to feed the brain, so to speak, is to learn a new language. Taking on tasks like learning simple French of Spanish can give the brain the workout that it needs and can
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Celebrate National Grandparents Day this Sunday with someone special
These days, there are a lot of far-fetched holidays, fabricated by the likes of Hallmark and 1800Flowers.com. Take some of the silly holidays in September alone, for example. There was Newspaper Carrier Day on the 4th and Dogs in Politics Day on the 23rd. And although Fido and the kid that flies by on his bike every morning might like a little something special, we should all truly turn our attention to the people who make Sept. 9th special – and every other day during the year, for that matter – because this Sunday is National Grandparents Day. “The impetus
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Preventing the unforeseeable through the Affordable Care Act
Before the weather turns cool and the fall season makes its official appearance, people are already talking about flu vaccinations. And it's no surprise, considering that changing temperatures can serve as breeding grounds for a whole host of illnesses. But thanks to the Affordable Care Act, seniors with Medicare are able to receive preventive services such as flu vaccinations, screenings, immunizations and advice to help them stay healthy. order generic viagra During the first six months of 2012, 16 million people have already taken advantage of these now free preventative services. And of those 16 million, more than 1 million
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