FirstLight
Care Blog
Dedicated to helping seniors and others maintain their independence
Stress and the Family Caregiver
April is National Stress Awareness Month Long-term stress of any kind, including caregiver stress, can lead to serious health problems. At FirstLight Home Care we understand how stress impacts families. When a family member is ill, aging, disabled, or unable to complete daily tasks on their own, a family member...
Solutions to Help Your Loved One Age in Place
October 15 – 21 is National Aging in Place Week. This is an annual effort to expand awareness of the Aging in Place movement and the available means for seniors to remain in their homes for as long as they would like. Here are four things to consider when elderly...
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New Year’s Strategies for the Family Caregiver
By Beth Bourgault, Caregiver, FirstLight Home Care of Salem, Mass. FirstLight Home Care 2016 Caregiver of the Year Being a family caregiver is both a rewarding and challenging role. Becoming a primary source of care – when you used to be a daughter, son, sister, brother, wife, husband, friend –...
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Give Your Loved Ones the Gift of Memories This Holiday
One of the joys of aging is sharing stories. For many older adults, stories are a connection to the past and evidence of a life well-lived. And for the families of these historians, stories are a way to preserve memories for years – and generations – to come. With so...
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Benefits of Walking: Walk Your Way To a Better You
I have long ago passed the point in my life where I can jog. Two ACL surgeries have left my arthritic knees unable to take the impact. I don’t live anywhere near a swimming pool and I am too hyperactive to do yoga. Spin classes give me a headache just...
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Family: Traveling with your Aging Parents
Summer travel is in full swing. If you are like any families across the United States, your traveling and your trip mate might include traveling with a senior. They may not be as mobile without a wheelchair, or they may have a specific health condition such as Alzheimer’s disease or...
Family Discussion: Long Distance Caregiving
Caregiving from a distance is no easy task. It can be stressful because you can’t be there at a moment’s notice when your parents need you. To help reduce some of the stress and to help you organize the process for care when your loved ones do not live near...
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How Dogs Can Positively Impact The Elderly
When my Mom turned 60-years-old, I asked her what she wanted for this special birthday. I figured maybe she would want a trip or have all the kids and grandkids fly home. Her answer floored me: a dog. My Mom and Dad had dogs when they were children, but I...
Guilt, I’m discovering, is a huge part of this aging thing. Our parent feels guilt for putting us out, frets about being a burden, worries about picking up the phone to ask for help. We the adult children question our decisions, second-guess our actions, and feel guilt for all we...
Opening The Conversation on Care
Molly Rowe owns FirstLight Home Care of Salem, MA with her husband, Steve, and lives in Swampscott with their two sons. A few weeks ago, I wrote about our regrets related to my father-in-law in the last few years of his life. Since then, I’ve heard many stories from people...
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