Senior
Health & Wellness

Celebrating Wellderly Week

From our Care Blog

We read a lot in the news about exercise and nutrition regardless of your age. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy is 78.8 years. .. at an all-time record high. In fact, the life expectancy for females is 81.2 years; for males, it's 76.4 years. As more and more people wait longer and longer to retire, it’s top to banish all thoughts of sitting back in a rocking chair in your 60s! It’s time to get up and exercise. According to Dr. Richard Brassard, president of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), " The...

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FirstLight Home Care Salutes the American Red Cross

From our Care Blog

Did you know that the logo for the American Red Cross is one of the best recognized insignias in the world? That the Red Cross has won more Nobel Peace Prizes than anyone? And with good reason.  After such natural disasters as Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy, their disaster relief team was one of the first on the scene, distributing much needed food and medical supplies, providing shelters to keep warm, and dispensing the necessities we often take for granted – a clean toothbrush,  shampoo and deodorant. Although they respond to more than 70,000 natural disasters each year, many people...

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Bone Health Tip: Eat for your Bones.

From our Care Blog

When it comes to building strong/healthy bones there are two key nutrients: calcium and vitamin D. Calcium supports your bones and teeth structure, while vitamin D improves calcium absorption and bone growth. Here are some great foods to help you build strong bones. Yogurt: One cup of yogurt can be a creamy way to get your daily calcium. Yogurt is fortified with vitamin D. Milk: Eight ounces of fat-free milk will cost you 90 calories, but will provide you with 30% of your daily dose of calcium. Cheese: Just 1.5 ounces of cheddar cheese contains more than 30% of your...

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2015 Wellness Trend: Bone Health

From our Care Blog

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 15% of all women will break a bone in their lifetime. And the risk of breaking a bone increases dramatically as one ages, from 3 in 1,000 at age 55 to 45 in 1,000 at age 75. Thus, this is a major health risk for post-menopausal women. All signs indicate that bone health will continue its climb up the popularity ladder as the U.S. population ages and lives longer. In 2015 the health trend everyone will be talking about will be bone health. It’s one that if you start early (or even start today)...

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How Well Do You See: Senior Vision

From our Care Blog

January is National Eye Care Month. Why is this health awareness holiday so important?  The Vision Council of America notes that 12.2 million Americans require some sort of vision correction but don’t use any. Nearly 50% of parents with children under 12 have never taken their children to an eye care professional. Your eyes are very important and you should take care of them. Here are some reasons why you should visit your eyecare professional and have an eye examination: Unexplained headaches. If you have been having unexplained, constant headaches, your solution could be visiting your optometrist. An eyecare professional...

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How your midnight snacking could be killing you

From our Care Blog

We admit, there are many days where we are not going to bed at a reasonable time due to the distractions of our favorite late night television shows (darn you Jimmy Fallon), work, and just surfing the web on our tablet and smartphone. Too often, before we head off to slumber, we get something to eat. We know this is directly correlated to our feelings of not getting enough sleep and the extra pounds showing up on our scale. Unfortunately it’s been confirmed. A new study by researchers at the Salk Institute cautions against an extended period of snacking, suggesting...

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Get Ready for 2015

From our Care Blog

Where did this year go? We cannot believe in just a few weeks we’ll be counting down to midnight to bring in 2015. As we start to reminisce of the events of this year (and read every year-in-review piece of information we can), we also start to get a little excited for January and the renewed optimism for change, for a better life, for a better you that comes with the arrival of a new year. This fresh start gives us a chance to reinvent our lives, ourselves, our homes, and our outlook. It allows us to reinvigorate ourselves, to...

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Get Inspired

From our Care Blog

Did you know FirstLight Home Care is on Pinterest? We are. We’ve created some great boards about “Food and Memory”, “Caregiver Appreciation”, “Recipes for Health” and many more. One of our favorite boards, and one that gets a lot of views and re-pins is our Inspiration Board. In our business, and in life in general, it is great to have place to turn to and find an inspiring word or an image that motivates you to get through the day and this board provides that. Here’s a sample of what you’ll find on this board. We hope it makes your...

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Your Teeth and Gums Can Impact Your Health

From our Care Blog

October is Dental Hygiene Month (sorry, no cake or sweets with this celebration). Taking care of your teeth and gums can have great health benefits. Here are a few of our favorite facts: Boosts Your Self-esteem and Confidence: Decayed teeth and gum disease are often associated not only with an unsightly mouth but very bad breath – which, let’s be honest, affects your confidence, self-image, and self-esteem. May Lower Risk of Heart Disease: Chronic inflammation from gum disease has been associated with the development of cardiovascular problems such as heart disease, blockages of blood vessels, and strokes. Preserves Your Memory:...

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Best Foods To Support Memory

From our Care Blog

Are you feeling forgetful lately? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. There are many things that could be impacting what you recall. Pressures from work and home life, sleeping patterns and not allowing time in your day to do some form of exercise may be impacting your memory. However, did you know that your memory is impacted by the foods you’re not eating as well? Next time you’re at the grocery store, fill your cart with these tasty items. Blueberries: This tasty fruit has been shown in numerous studies to do wonderful things for memory and the brain in general. Blueberries...

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