FirstLight
Care Blog
Dedicated to helping seniors and others maintain their independence
Respite Care for the Dementia Caregiver
I just don’t know when I’m going to have time to get all my errands done. It would be so nice to take a long walk. Or even a long nap! I really wish I could spend some time catching up with my friends. If you’re a dementia caregiver, you...
Family Caregivers Need Vacations Too
We talk about it all the time – the tremendous responsibilities that fall on family caregivers. Caring for an elderly parent can be emotionally and physically draining. And for primary caregivers, it is often a 24/7, 365-day-a-year job. Taking any kind of break – let alone a planned vacation –...
Respite Care Can Make a Difference in Lives of Family Caregivers
Don’t feel guilty about taking care of yourself too. Consider respite care. Caring for a loved one can be very fulfilling. Family members often step in as caregivers to help an elderly parent or grandparent, chronically ill family member or loved one with a disability because they are loving and...
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Home Care: Enhancing the Lives of People with Developmental Disabilities
For an estimated 5 million people in communities across the United States, developmental disabilities are part of life. Their conditions – autism, Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy, to name a few – may impact physical capacity, language, learning or behavior, but not their spirit. When people with these...
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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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Limited Engagement: Short-Term Care Can Provide Long-Term Boost
Chances are you’re already aware that non-medical home care is growing in popularity as a way to help older adults age in place – over the long term – while maintaining their quality of life. But you may not know that home care can also provide short-term assistance for adults...
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Support for the Family Caregiver: The Home Care Lifeline
If you’re a family caregiver – a person who provides regular physical, emotional or household support to a loved one who is elderly, disabled, ill or recovering – you’re in good company. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, an estimated 43.5 million Americans have provided unpaid care...
Learn More about Support for the Family Caregiver: The Home Care Lifeline
In a matter of moments, your responsibilities in life can shift from those of a full-time employee, to an unpaid caregiver. Whether it’s for an aging parent or recovering sibling, voluntary family aid is estimated to be worth $375 billion a year and 29 percent of Americans provide some sort...
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...
4 Tips to Ease Caregiver Stress
The responsibilities and challenges of caring for a loved one can place significant stress on the family caregiver. In fact, this stress can build up and cause caregiver distress—a situation where the caregiver may become more susceptible to other health risks, including depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, and nagging health problems such...
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- Companion Care
- Health & Wellness
- In-home care
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