With age, the health and safety of our seniors becomes a top priority – especially if they prefer to spend their retirement years in the comfort of their own homes. According to a report published by the AARP Public Policy Institute and the National Conference of State Legislatures, nearly 90 percent of people over 65 would choose to live out the rest of their lives – not in a facility – but at home. Of all of the benefits that come with aging in place – being in familiar surroundings, continued independence, reduced exposure to illnesses, and increased socialization with
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Archives for in home care
Activities for Homebound Seniors
Just because your senior parent or relative is not able to get around as much as they used to, doesn’t mean they have to forgo doing some of things they love to do. As we age, physical and mental activity becomes paramount to a long, healthy life. Today, homebound seniors are not limited to playing bridge and doing crossword puzzles all day. There are numerous ideas and activities that your loved can take advantage of and Freedom Home Care has come up with some unique ideas to keep your senior in balance – mind, body and spirit. Health & Wellness
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Caring for a Childless Relative
As our older loved ones age, the need may arise for assistance from family members, as health concerns leave them unable to be as independent as they once were. Determining the best way to go about meeting the needs of your relative can be difficult without a long-term care plan in place. There are a few things that you can do to help your older one decide what the proper course of action will be for them as an individual – what they expect, what their needs are, if they will need personalized care services, etc. According to the Department
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Is It Alzheimer's?
There is still so much to know and understand about Alzheimer’s. One thing experts are sure about is that it is a steadily progressive disease that often rears its head before symptoms begin. While almost 40 percent of all dementia patients can point to genes as playing a significant part in their diagnosis most cases, scientists say, occur with no family history or genetic predisposition. FHC searched and found new research stating that in dementia patients, the deterioration of the brain is linked to an abnormal build-up of protein. This accumulation of proteins is said to cause “frontotemporal degeneration.” What
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Thoughtful Ways to Celebrate This Father’s Day
Father’s Day is June 19th – which got us thinking here at Freedom Home Care, “What is the role of a father” anyway? A father’s role is more significant than most people actually realize. Sure, Dads are great at coaching little league softball games and scaring away ‘Monsters’ in the middle of the night. But they also play a deeper, more significant part in our lives. Fathers are not only the financial supporters and disciplinarians of their children, they are also central to a child’s emotional, cognitive and language development. It’s been proven that they are strong contributors to the
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Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Home Care Agency
Enlisting the help of others to help care for your senior can be a daunting process. And if you opt for more personalized care that meets your loved one’s daily needs, helps them retain a sense of independence, and allows them to remain in a familiar environment, in-home care may be the choice for you. There a number of things to consider when searching for a home health care provider – like if the agency is licensed and reputable, if the caregivers are trained and qualified, and what has their track record for care been in the past. After
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Three steps to “catch yourself” before falling
The Fall Prevention Center of Excellence at the University of Southern California is one of the top authorities on falls in the elderly population. The group spends their efforts helping those at risk to avoid falls of any kind. Therefore, they target those who are suffering from muscle weakness, arthritis, a history of falling, depression, difficulty balancing or walking, difficulty thinking or vision problems as well as those who take multiple medications. According to the group’s “Catch Yourself: Simple Steps to Prevent Falls” brochure, the following suggestions should help you or aging loved ones stay on their own two feet:
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The importance of hospice, in numbers
According to the Hospice Foundation of America, the word “hospice” finds its roots in the Latin word “hospitium,” which means guesthouse. In its original form, it was a place of shelter for weary and sick travelers returning from religious pilgrimages. Today, it still holds on to those roots, but does so in a different way. “During the 1960's, Dr. Cicely Saunders, a British physician began the modern hospice movement by establishing St. Christopher's Hospice near London,” the Hospice Foundation of America explains. “St. Christopher's organized a team approach to professional caregiving, and was the first program to use modern pain
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Learning about the potential for post-operative cognitive decline
According to Sunnybrook Hospital’s Dr. Beverley Orser, one in three patients will experience post-surgery memory loss. And unfortunate for some, cognitive difficulties can last as long as three months after a procedure has been performed. In the following video, Dr. Orser explains that memory loss is caused by inflammation in the brain and that it may be treatable and reversible, as shown in a recent study. Freedom Home Care, however, understands that later in life, these types of cognitive decline may make the transition back to home even more difficult. And order generic viagra online that’s why we implemented our
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Being aware to take care – identifying the risk factors behind dementia
As we’ve mentioned in past blog posts, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease vary in the sense that one is an effect of the other. Although Alzheimer’s is a disease that to date has no cure, there are many factors that lead to dementia that can be controlled. Some, of those factors, such as being genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s, can’t be changed. However, there are ways to reduce the chances of experiencing dementia. The Mayo Clinic has multiple suggestions as to how to do so and offered up the following guidelines: Alcohol use. Consuming large amounts of alcohol appears to increase the risk of
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