Understanding
Senior Care

Best Practices for Effective Elderly Medication Management

From our Care Blog

One of the first questions to ask aging parents when helping them navigate their healthcare journey is about the medications they are taking. Studies conducted by the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists have reported that 87% of seniors take at least one prescription drug, while 36% take five or more. It was also noted that 38% use over-the-counter medications.  Knowing which medications your parent takes can ensure effective elderly medication management and avoid common mistakes like taking the wrong dosage or missing doses. Taking the correct medications at the correct times will help your loved one stay on track with...

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Common Causes of Vision Loss in Older Adults

From our Care Blog

January is National Eye Care and National Glaucoma Awareness Month. Vision changes can occur as you get older. Based on statistical data from the American Optometric Association, approximately 142 million U.S. citizens age 40 and older have vision problems. It is important to know the most common age-related eye and vision problems, the signs and potential treatment options in order to retain good vision as you age. GLAUCOMA is a group of eye diseases characterized by damage to the optic nerve resulting in loss of peripheral (side) vision. It often affects both eyes, typically one eye before the other. If...

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Prevent Falls in Seniors with These Home Safety Tips

From our Care Blog

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are the most common cause of non-fatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults. The facts are alarming: Ninety-five percent of the 250,000 hip fractures that occur annually are the result of a fall. Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in an emergency room due to a fall. Every 19 minutes an older adult will die from a fall. However, falls are often preventable. Our team at FirstLight Home Care has outlined the most common causes of falls in the elderly, as well as what to do to...

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Simple Ways to Fight the Winter Blues

From our Care Blog

Don't put yourself or your loved one at risk for depression or other illnesses. By: Tina Glenn & Roget Berendes Our two worst enemies when it comes to our ability to fight the winter blues are a lack of sunshine and our tendency to shut ourselves off from others during the cold winter months. Sunshine is vital for good mental health, and it also provides our bodies with needed Vitamin D. Socialization is vital to staying connected to the outside world. Here are some simple ways to help fight the winter blues: Get more sunlight throughout the day Do your...

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Aging and Staging Your Life for a Better Future

From our Care Blog

By: June Duncan, Guest Contributor At a certain age, we all must accept that our bodies will weaken, our minds will wander, and someone will likely have to provide us care each day. But it’s what we do before that time that makes a difference in our end-of-life happiness. Planning for the long road Age brings with it the possibility for many health conditions that can’t be handled alone. According to Texas A&M, seniors experience a host of issues that affect physical and mental well-being. Sensory impairments, accidents, cognitive decline and even low self-esteem can negatively impact an individual's ability...

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Wishing You a New Year Full of Blessings

From our Care Blog

As we close out 2019 (and an entire decade!), we want to wish you all a wonderful new year. May 2020 be your best one yet! We’ve rounded up a few inspiring posts to help you stress less through the remainder of the holiday season and to assist in making and keeping those New Year’s resolutions. We hope you enjoy! Here are some useful tips for all of us to help with the stress of the holiday season. Read 5 Tips to Manage Holiday Stress. The beginning of the year is a perfect time to evaluate our lives, address challenges...

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4 Ways Caregivers Can Cope with Alzheimer's During the Holidays

From our Care Blog

The holidays can be tough for families affected by Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Your loved one living with Alzheimer’s may experience confusion or anxiety, especially with the additional hustle and bustle of the holiday season. And that could put added stress on families. Our local FirstLight® caregivers shared these tips to help make the holidays merry, bright and, most of all, memorable for family caregivers and the people in their care. Create a safe and calm space. It’s easy to go all out during the holiday with decorations, blinking lights, music and loud gatherings. Simplify holiday decorations. Avoid blinking lights...

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How To Recognize Dementia: 7 Early Signs

From our Care Blog

Dementia is a term that describes a variety of symptoms affecting a person's cognitive functioning. The most recognizable being their ability to think, remember and reason. It is a disease that can be characterized by a decline in memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking skills that affect a person's ability to perform everyday activities. Every person is unique, and dementia affects people differently - no two people will have symptoms that develop in the same way. Signs of dementia can go unnoticed for a long time because the changes that occur in your loved one can be small at first....

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5 Tips to Manage Holiday Stress

From our Care Blog

With all the decorating, cooking and gatherings, Hanukkah, Christmas and the New Year tend to bring additional stress. But a little planning and prioritizing can help you enjoy a peaceful holiday season. Here are some useful tips for all of us to help manage holiday stress: Remind yourself that things don’t always go as planned… and be flexible. It’s ok if you can’t make it to every holiday party you are invited to or stay for hours at each one. If you need to make an appearance at more than one, just be cautious of the time and leave when...

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Happy Thanksgiving!

From our Care Blog

On this day of gratitude, may the good things in life be yours in abundance not only at Thanksgiving but throughout the coming year. At FirstLight Home Care, we have a lot to be thankful for. We are most grateful for our extraordinary caregivers who continue to provide exceptional care and compassion to our clients and families. We are also thankful for the more than 40 million family caregivers who will spend this Thanksgiving – as they do every day – placing the care and safety of a loved one first. We thank them for their care, commitment, generosity and...

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