The FirstLight Care Corner

How to be the Best Long-Distance Caregiver

From our Care Blog

Caring for loved ones from far away isn’t always an easy task. Many times, they need stay-at-home care that can’t be given from miles away. Sometimes you can feel helpless not being able to provide personal home care for those in your life who need it the most. Know that these feelings are valid, and you are not alone. In fact, there are about 7 million Americans providing long-distance home care to their loved ones. Like you, they are in charge of arranging doctor appointments, coordinating all the healthcare and insurance, working full time and taking care of their own families....

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Top 5 Quit Smoking Products

From our Care Blog

By Cindy Smith, Guest blogger As a die-hard smoker myself for 20 years, I know how hard it is to quit smoking. Nicotine is an addiction like no other! In fact, it’s two addictions: a physical addiction to nicotine and a psychological addiction to daily smoking rituals.  It is estimated that most smokers will attempt to quit two or three times, or more, before finally kicking the habit. I have tried a variety of methods to quit – unsuccessfully I might add. I ordered an e-cigarette on the first of the year, so I will keep you updated! Some days I think the only way...

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Knowing Your Parent's Last Wishes

From our Care Blog

Talking with your parents about their last wishes can be a touchy subject. Chances are, it’s harder on you than them! It’s a subject that can’t be avoided, however, because there are some very important financial and emotional implications. The more you plan ahead -- before someone is in a hospital bed or incapacitated – the better. A study by the Hartford insurance company revealed that seniors are much more comfortable discussing estate planning than their boomer kids are! The study also revealed that 70-something year-old parents are more financially savvy when it comes to protecting their children and grandkids financially than boomers realize. They’re also more open...

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Myths About Osteoporosis

From our Care Blog

Osteoporosis is known as the “silent disease” because many people do not realize they have it until they fall or experience a fracture. There are certain things we know: osteoporosis is a disease in which the bones become more and more fragile as they lose density, usually due to aging, menopause, and other factors like lack of calcium and vitamin D in the diet.We know that osteoporosis is predicted to affect as many as half of all Americans over age 50 by the year 2020. However, there are still many myths and misconceptions surrounding the illness which FirstLight Home Care would like to explain so you can more...

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5 steps to controlling high blood pressure

From our Care Blog

After being diagnosed with high blood pressure, there are a number of ways to keep it under control.  Having high blood pressure isn't something anyone wishes for, but if you do have high blood pressure, think of it as a time to change your lifestyle for the better. There are a number of ways to control high blood pressure without the use of medication.  However, if you are doing well with all of these steps and still seeing high blood pressure, don't be afraid to use medication.  It is important to find out what type of blood pressure medication will work...

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How to Reduce Your Stress Over the Holiday Season

From our Care Blog

We all look forward to Christmas, right?  It is a day of relaxing, possibly watching the annual Christmas parade and/or football, eating too much yummy food, being thankful for all that we have and being surrounded by family and friends. Well, that’s how it’s supposed to be in a perfect world. But, we all know that holidays aren’t perfect and neither are our families. Unfortunately, there can be a lot stress that comes with the holidays too.  For one, traveling (whether it’s by car or plane) can be taxing on one’s patience, especially if there are kids involved.  And, as much...

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2012 Best Holiday Gifts For Seniors

From our Care Blog

It’s that time of year again when I rack my brain for what to get my parents and loved ones for the holidays. If I ask them what they want. I get the standard reply: “nothing, I have everything I want”. So I decided to do some research on the Internet to find out what’s hot, what’s new, and some standard tried and trues. I knew that I wanted a gift that would keep them engaged and active. Definitely no dust collectors as our family home is chock full of doo dads and mementos! Wii. Who said video games are...

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Fall Prevention for Seniors

From our Care Blog

Falling is an all too common problem with seniors that often lead to injuries and future health complications (due to a decline in bone mass throughout aging, falls can be the first step to decreasing health.) In fact, the majority of accidents that occur in retirement facilities are falls.  The bright side is that falls can be easily prevented since they usually are caused by simple mistakes. In order to help avoid future health complications and maintain independence, our team of caregivers at FirstLight Home Care have developed some tips to prevent falls for seniors. Keep a Well Lit Living...

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Home Care For the Holidays

From our Care Blog

When we talk about home care at FirstLight Homecare, we are usually referring to our home healthcare services. However, as the holidays are upon us, I began to think of the other “home care” services I could get my parents for the holidays. Every year I wrestle over what to get my parents. They are in their late 70s and have virtually everything they want. They live in the same home I grew up in and if I even mention the word “upgrade” or “remodel”, they shush me. My Mom likes her well-worn furniture, because it is comfortable. And that’s...

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Three Early Signs of Dementia

From our Care Blog

So, it’s a Saturday and you have just taken your mom out for a nice lunch.  Your elderly mom however cannot remember where she put her checkbook.  And, she tripped a couple times as you brought her back to her house.  You also noticed that she seemed distant at lunch, and you caught her staring off into nowhere several times. None of these things should be a cause for alarm, right?  Geez, even I misplace my car keys about once a day.  However, as our parents and loved ones age, the occurrence of these events could be early signs of...

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