Firstlight Resources

5 Tips For Helping The Elderly With Personal Hygiene

From our Care Blog

Everyday tasks can become more difficult as we age. For many seniors, good personal hygiene can be especially challenging due to a lack of mobility and sometimes a sheer lack of energy. Depression, isolation, dementia, a fear of falling, or medication side effects can all cause seniors to lose interest in or completely neglect their personal hygiene and grooming. Health and hygiene go hand in hand. If you or an aging loved one is having difficulties maintaining a daily hygiene routine, here are some helpful tips. Identify the issues. Get to the root of why your loved one has neglected...

Learn More about 5 Tips For Helping The Elderly With Personal Hygiene

How to Talk to Your Parents About Home Care

From our Care Blog

As our parents get older, they may need more help than they are willing to ask for. Talking with your parents or an aging loved one about needing home care can be a difficult conversation for both of you. For them, it might represent a loss of independence. For you, it can be difficult because you must come with terms with the likelihood that you will need help caring for them. Here are seven helpful tips to help you to start the home care conversation. Do your homework. Before you start the conversation, research the various options that are available....

Learn More about How to Talk to Your Parents About Home Care

6 Ways to Help Aging Loved Ones Adopt Healthier Habits

From our Care Blog

If you ask family caregivers, getting their aging loved ones to eat healthier foods can seem nearly impossible. Sadly, this problem isn’t uncommon: One in every eight Americans older than 65 are at risk for malnutrition, according to research conducted by Kaiser Permanente and the National Institutes of Health. Various physical and mental conditions, as well as medications, can make aging adults less likely to get the nutrition they need to thrive. Whether the enemy is fast food, high cholesterol or a lack of vitamins, here are six ways to incorporate healthier habits (and maybe even some vegetables!) into your...

Learn More about 6 Ways to Help Aging Loved Ones Adopt Healthier Habits

Safely Resume Activities in the New Normal

From our Care Blog

We all want to stay safe and connected. With cities across the United States easing restrictions and lifting stay-at-home orders, many family caregivers may be wondering if it is safe for seniors to venture out? There is still a high coronavirus risk to older adults, but there are ways to help them get out of the house and resume activities in the new normal while keeping them safe and healthy. We put together some helpful tips on how to test the waters and safely ease back into social activities while minimizing coronavirus exposure. This piece was originally featured on the...

Learn More about Safely Resume Activities in the New Normal

Ten Early Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s 

From our Care Blog

A speedy diagnosis matters when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease. The sooner you can identify the early warning signs of Alzheimer’s, the sooner you can take advantage of the treatment opportunities that are available. It also gives you and your family time to understand the disease and plan for the future.  The Alzheimer’s Association is a wonderful resource for researching information about this disease, including how it’s diagnosed, its stages, treatments and the early warning signs and symptoms.  Who’s at Risk? While we still don’t fully understand it, there are several known risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. Advancing age is the most...

Learn More about Ten Early Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s 

Family Caregiver Stress Solutions

From our Care Blog

Now more than ever, family caregivers are faced with the stress that comes with caring for an aging loved one. We can help. Our free Family Caregiver Stress Solutions Guide offers tips and strategies on how to accept and manage stress while you take on the responsibility of caregiving. [caption id="attachment_5692" align="alignright" width="300"] Click the image to download our free Stress Solutions: A Family Caregiver Guide to Less Stress[/caption] Download our free Stress Solutions: A Family Caregiver Guide to Less Stress Use the tools and techniques in the guide to relieve stress, care for your loved one in more ways...

Learn More about Family Caregiver Stress Solutions

Family Caregivers Should Practice Self-Care During a Pandemic

From our Care Blog

The COVID-19 pandemic has made caring for a loved one even more difficult. Family members caring for a loved one in their home are faced with so many more concerns during this time. But family caregivers should practice self-care. Simple tasks like shopping for groceries or picking up medication have an added layer of complication and worry. Senior isolation may be a concern. Even making sure your loved one is getting proper nutrition and enough sleep can be a challenge. Some family caregivers may be without respite care or the help of other family members, making the task of self-care more difficult than...

Learn More about Family Caregivers Should Practice Self-Care During a Pandemic

Health Benefits of Gardening for Seniors

From our Care Blog

Getting your hands dirty in the garden is the first step toward cleaner living. Gardening allows you to create beauty while enjoying the benefits of fresh air. Unlike some activities, such as walking on a treadmill, gardening gets seniors outside. It also offers tangible rewards in the form of gorgeous blossoms or tasty food. That's just the beginning when it comes to the health benefits of gardening for seniors. Exercise Gardening can help you stay active at any age. It’s considered a moderate activity and it can burn about 300 calories an hour. Plus, the movement of planting and tending...

Learn More about Health Benefits of Gardening for Seniors

How to Pay for In-Home Care

From our Care Blog

When your elderly parents or loved one needs senior care, they will often tell you that they would prefer to receive care in the comfort of their own home. At first, the in-home care services they need could be non-medical, such as light housekeeping, food preparation, companion, or personal care. As they age, however, the home services they require could increase to include medical services that involve the expertise of health care professionals like nurses and therapists. Every In-Home Care Scenario is Different Non-medical home care, like any other elder care service, costs money. And every in-home care situation is unique. To...

Learn More about How to Pay for In-Home Care

Considering Options for Your Loved One? Home Care is the Answer

From our Care Blog

Most adults over the age of 65 prefer to stay in their own homes for as long as possible. We know that there are many long-term benefits of allowing adults the freedom to age in place. Staying at home helps seniors maintain a routine, and home provides the familiarity and comfort that no other place can. While aging at home is the ideal situation, many seniors need help with various tasks throughout the day to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. When faced with this need, some gravitate toward assisted living or other senior living communities. While these options offer...

Learn More about Considering Options for Your Loved One? Home Care is the Answer