Senior
Health & Wellness

Tracking Devices for Your Wandering Parent

From our Care Blog

A GPS tracking device for your aging parent?  I know, it sounds a little strange at first…  at least it did to me.  I had really only heard of tracking devices being used by search and rescue teams, the police, and possibly the nervous parents of toddlers and/or new teenage drivers.  But, then you throw in the additional word “wandering” before “aging parent,” and my curiosity was peaked.  Maybe there are more uses and benefits than I originally thought. So, I recently began to read up on the various tracking device options that are out in themarket. Similar to satellite...

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Wii by Nintendo: An effective way for seniors to exercise and have fun

From our Care Blog

Video games often get a bad rap, especially when it comes to how many hours young kids and teenagers can be glued to them.  Hours of sedentary sitting along with the less-than-nutritious diets of many children are a recipe for an overweight, unhealthy generation.  But, video game promoters and advocates can create a case for the positives of video games for kids. Are there also benefits for seniors?  The resounding answer seems to be YES! Nintendo has been around since 1985, and they continuously come out with new and improved video games.  Starting with the Nintendo Entertainment Systems, moving on...

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Men Are Caregivers Too

From our Care Blog

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a long-time friend of mine who had been caring for his elderly mother.  My blog entry was also about how FirstLight Home Care is meeting the needs of aging America, and an unfortunate lack of awareness surrounding caregiving options. This week however, I want to circle back to the fact that my friend Dave* (a male obviously) was in a caregiver role for his mom.  Dave* is not alone in having that title.  According to a National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) survey, 44% of caregivers are men.  Yes, I said 44%, and...

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Diabetic Care: five ways to avoid complications.

From our Care Blog

Diabetics and those caring for diabetics know and understand the severity of this disease.  When living with diabetes it is important to also understand the care needed to prevent any complications.  Diabetes has the ability to wear down our bodies over time; this chronic illness requires constant  awareness.   Here are five ways to avoid complications with diabetes: Stay up to date with diabetes information.  Become an expert of the topic, medications, interventions, symptoms, complications, and new research and treatment. Maintain blood pressure and cholesterol levels since both can aid in blood vessel deterioration.  A healthy diet and exercise can...

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Be Positively Happy

From our Care Blog

Happiness begets happiness. When we think positive thoughts, we lessen stress, increase our coping skills and reduce the risk of depression and cardiovascular disease. Everyone likes being happy, but it’s not always easy to get there. To start on your path to happiness and positivity, follow these tips: Surround yourself with positive people and things. Toxic relationships will make you unhappy. Take count of all the meaningful relationships in your life and work on nourishing them, then distance yourself from relationships that cultivate negativity. Make your home a place that relaxes and inspires you; fill your space with things that...

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Caregiving doesn’t stop if your loved one is hospitalized

From our Care Blog

Today we handed the spotlight over to Martine Ehrenclou, M.A., an award-winning author and patient advocate, who shared her personal experiences of handling the care and hospitalization of her mother and godmother and how others can navigate the intimidating hospital world. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. Have a great weekend, all! -- Jeff Bevis I began my journey into advocacy eleven years ago when my mother and godmother were patients in hospitals for very lengthy stays (five months and seven months respectively.) I was not prepared for what I saw and experienced with their...

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Stress Awareness Month: Stress stops here

From our Care Blog

April is Stress Awareness Month, a national effort sponsored by The Health Resource Network (HRN) to inform people about the dangers of stress, offer coping strategies and disprove harmful misconceptions about stress that are prevalent in our society. Prominent writer Martin Boroson, author of One-Moment Meditation: Stillness for People on the Go, published an article yesterday on Huffington Post about “stresscalation”—the way in which we pass our stress to other people, often unwillingly. Boroson challenged readers to vow not to pass their stress on to others for one day, in honor of National Stress Awareness Day on April 16. It’s...

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Get involved! A little goes a long way

From our Care Blog

Brian Kreindler, owner of FirstLight Home Care in Columbus, Ohio, is facilitating a Current Events Talk and luncheon for seniors next week at his local Jewish Community Center. The luncheon will focus on discussing politics and the upcoming election. Events like this are a great way for seniors to GET INVOLVED and interact with others in the community. It also gives Brian a chance to network with other small business owners and potential clients in the area. For those of you who are looking to become more active in your community or want to volunteer and make a positive contribution...

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Hospitals need to revamp to cater to aging population

From our Care Blog

According to a recent article on USA Today’s website, an astonishing one-third of hospital patients older than 70 leave more frail than when they arrived. Further research shows that even after they are released, nursing home care or rehabilitation can be necessary. The elder care experts quoted in the article believe that this is a result of “conventional hospital care focusing on treating disease rather than preventing frailty.” So what can be done to help better the quality of care our elderly are receiving? Many hospitals have implemented walking programs to help get the seniors out of bed and moving—a...

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Caregiving Does Not Discriminate

From our Care Blog

I'm happy to introduce another guest blogger this week. Cindy Laverty is a nationally recognized caregiving expert who has dedicated her life to empowering caregivers. Today, she discusses her personal experiences as a family caregiver. Caregiving does not discriminate and caregiving usually happens when we least expect it. If not managed in an organized way from the beginning, it has the potential to rock and wrack your world. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. I know this to be true, because it happened to me. Several years ago, I was one of those people literally...

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