The FirstLight Care Corner

Plan Ahead With Advanced Directives

From our Care Blog

None of us can predict when we are going to be suddenly incapacitated. You’re driving down the road, minding your own business and bam! Before you know it, you are in a car accident! Or maybe you find yourself in an unexpected coma. Although we hope it never happens, you have to be prepared. You want to be in control of your own healthcare options if you are too ill to express your own wishes. Advanced directives are legal documents that allow you to express your end-of-life wishes should the situation arise. In most states, these consist of two documents:...

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Hospice Care Doesn't Mean End of Life

From our Care Blog

It used to be that the term “hospice care” meant you were terminally ill and dying. It was a frightening word whispered under your breath so your parent or loved one didn’t think it was their end-of-life and give up. At FirstLight Home Care, we have provided hospice care for people who recover and rehabilitate and resume their normal lives. Basically hospice care can mean that dying is a possibility versus a guaranteed reality. Patients can go in and out of hospice care as needed. What Is Hospice Care? Hospice is indeed for those who have a limited life expectancy...

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Are You A Novice Blood Donor?

From our Care Blog

Did you know that every time you donate blood, you could be saving three lives? That you can store your own blood for future needs? There are many myths about blood donation and its safety after the initial scare in the 1990s when unsafe blood banking practices came to light due to people contracting HIV and hepatitis. However, the FDA put rigid guidelines into place to ensure sterile procedures and proper equipment disposal. About 5 million people get blood transfusions every year. They are often necessary after surgery, an injury, cancer treatments, heart surgeries, organ transplants or for those with...

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What Is Personal Care?

From our Care Blog

Actually, every service that FirstLight Home Care provides is personalized – whether it’s dementia care, senior care, respite care, care for people with disabilities, or care for the chronically ill. That’s because each of us is unique, with our own schedules, lifestyles and needs. At FirstLight, we call our home care aides caregivers, because that’s what they do – take care of you. You may have heard them called personal care assistants, companions, or personal support workers. No matter their title, they are passionate about helping you with the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), particularly those involving your personal, physical...

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Give Yourself A Much Needed Break With Respite Care

From our Care Blog

You may be burnt out. Stressed out. Like many Americans, you may be taking care of your Mom, Dad, or other loved ones. On top of that, you may also have a job and an immediate family of your own.  There is not enough hours in a day – definitely not enough hours to take care of yourself. You want to scream: can’t I get a break? As a matter of fact, you can and you need one. What The Numbers Say According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, you are not alone. In fact, more than 65 million people,...

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Ways to Make In-Home Care Easier

From our Care Blog

There's no question providing care at home for a loved one is a hard job. Having good resources at hand, both products and services, is a big help. Here are a few of the resources available for patients and for the people who help to take care of them. Oxygen Concentrators Oxygen therapy can be a difficult burden for patients and caregivers to take on, especially when first starting. Managing bulky tanks can be physically difficult and seriously limit patient mobility. Having sufficient oxygen supplies on hand is also a work-intensive chore. New oxygen therapy devices called oxygen concentrators are...

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Bring Light to the Holidays—How to Avoid a Blue Holiday Season

From our Care Blog

Many people look forward to the holiday season. This is a time of year that is often associated with holiday traditions, spending time with family friends, eating delicious food, going to holiday parties and enjoying the beautiful winter weather. However, this can be a hard time of the year for seniors. They may feel nostalgic or lonely or depressed during the holiday months. As the holidays approach, they can begin to become upset about health issues, the loss of loved ones over the past year or their inability to travel to see family this year. The holiday blues can affect...

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Holiday Gift Giving for Loved Ones with Alzheimer’s or Dementia

From our Care Blog

Shopping for holiday gifts for family members with Alzheimer’s can be tricky. You may be unsure about what they enjoy or what they’re capable of doing. When choosing a gift, think about their personality, their hobbies, their abilities and their favorite pastimes. A few great gift suggestions for those with Alzheimer’s include: A family calendar Give your loved one a personalized calendar for your family. Include pictures of family member—grandchildren, children, nieces, nephews, cousins, anyone who is close with your loved one. In addition to photos, take the time to fill in any special dates like birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and...

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Five Tips for Seniors for Good Bone Health

From our Care Blog

Millions of Americans age 65 and older suffer from a condition called osteoporosis, which weakens the bones and makes them more likely to fracture. As people age, their bones become more brittle, and fractures could lead to great pain, loss of mobility or force people into assisted living. Fractures can also require surgery, such as hip replacement, which can lead to additional complications. Maintaining bone health is also important because osteoporosis is a disease that sneaks up on people and often times has no symptoms until a fracture occurs. Adopting healthy personal habits is important for people to avoid having...

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Out of Town Siblings Doesn’t Mean Out of Sight

From our Care Blog

By Dr. Thomas Hoess Taking care of an elderly parent from out-of-town is not easy. It’s the late night calls from the group home that your Mom is on the way to the hospital because she may have a blood clot that causes your heart to race. It’s when the phone rings after 10PM that you worry it’s the final call, the one telling you that your Mom passed away. It is challenging. Harrowing. Stressful. In my family there’s only my sister and I. Sometimes I think having a bigger family and spreading  the caregiving around would be easier. I...

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