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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Summer is right around the corner, bringing with it sunshine, warmth, and fun.  Unfortunately, those lovely afternoons outdoors can lead to skin damage, particularly for seniors.  Keep your skin healthy and strong with these four tips: 1. Eat more fish.  Though you may not think of eating healthy foods as a great way to keep your skin healthy and youthful, it can be a secret weapon to fight skin damage.  The omega-3’s that are found in fish and some vegetables will keep skin hydrated by managing the oils naturally produced by your skin.  It also acts as an antioxidant, protecting
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It’s finally beginning to feel like springtime.  The flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and the trees are budding.  And, if you’re one of the 36 million Americans with seasonal allergies, your nose is running, your eyes are burning, and your sinuses are screaming. This year is shaping up to be one of the worst springs for allergy sufferers in years, particularly those allergic to mold and tree pollen in this area.  The particularly harsh winter pushed spring back, only allowing a growing mold problem coupled with a sudden explosion of many types of pollen.  And, unfortunately, the “Pollen
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Seniors today have a great amount of stress in their lives.  From uncertain financial futures to health issues, seniors can become consumed with worry.  Unfortunately, this constant stress can be accompanied by high blood pressure, headaches, and depression. But there is an easy, free way to combat stress and all of its negative effects. Laughter. Each chortle, giggle, or guffaw can bring a myriad of health benefits.  Not only does laughing decrease stress, it gives you a work out.  Anyone who has laughed until it hurt knows that laughing exercises many muscles throughout your torso.  It also gives your heart,
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This Heart Month, we are all a little more aware of ways we can help our heart stay healthy.  And one of the best ways, according to the American Heart Association, is by eating the right foods. Have you ever heard, “You are what you eat”?  Well, it may be truer than you know.  Just by eating the right foods, you can reduce the risk of heart conditions, and all of the medications and doctor visits that follow. But before you can make any big diet-change plans, you need to know what you are eating now.  The best way to
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February is the month when people decorate their windows with red hearts and spend time with their special someone.  It is also a time to thing about taking care of your heart. That’s because February is Heart Health Month. Heart Month is designed to bring awareness to a condition that takes more women’s lives each year than all types of cancer combined:  heart disease.  Heart disease strikes one in three women and often goes unnoticed until it is too late.  So each year the American Heart Association puts forward several programs to bring heart disease into the national conversation. As
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Do you know a happy and stress-free senior?  Chances are that he or she is a social butterfly.  A Gallup poll shows that happiness and stress reduction are clearly linked to socialization. How do you stop a senior from getting too socially isolated and perhaps depressed?  Here are some easy tips to help keep a senior social: Arrange transportation.  If a senior is unable to drive, then she may not be able to be as social as she likes.  Arrange transportation through family and friends, or find a service to drive her to events and outings. Schedule guests at mealtime. 
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Pets can be very important to seniors’ mental and physical health.  Caring for a dog or cat can lower blood pressure, decrease the chance of depression, and generally increase a sense of well-being. However, some seniors have trouble providing the best care for their pets because of health or financial issues.  Luckily, Freedom Home Care is able to provide assistance to seniors by helping take care of their pets. Care assistance.  Caring for pets can be more than a senior can physically handle.  Dogs in particular need regular exercise, and a senior may not be able to walk the dog as much
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