The FirstLight Care Corner

The Art of Letter Writing

From our Care Blog

Letter writing is an almost lost skill and all of us living in our digital-centric world are missing out on the beauty of a handwritten letter and the joy of finding something personal in your mailbox. We can change that, December 7th is Letter Writing Day. We’re encouraging everyone to take a few minutes and send someone a hand written letter. By going through the process of writing a letter and physically committing words to a paper, it shows your investment of time and effort in a relationship. It can be a very meaningful experience for you – but you...

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To Grandmother's House You Go! Are You Ready For Winter Driving?

From our Care Blog

Driving during the winter months can be treacherous. Cold weather, ice, snow, and limited daylight hours can make a simple trip across town a long and exhausting journey. You need to be prepared. Here are some helpful tips to help you get your car ready for winter travel: Make your own or purchase a pre-made car weather safety kit. This kit should include: first-aid kit, jumper (booster) cables, tow ropes, cat litter (or something to gain traction under your tires if stuck somewhere slippery), a windshield scraper, candle, and matches. Check your tires well before the winter season begins. Be...

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Living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia

From our Care Blog

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. If a family member has been diagnosed with dementia, it can come as a shock and create anxiety within the family as to what will happen next. For many adults and seniors diagnosed with this disease, they want to remain independent and in their own homes for as long as possible. To achieve this goal, there will need to be some changes to enable people with dementia to remain independent for longer or make it easier for others to give support.* Avoid falls: Falls are a common and potentially serious problem affecting older...

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National Family Caregivers Month

From our Care Blog

There are hundreds of thousand families in the United States that are currently the primary caregiver to aging parents, adult children with disabilities, family members of wounded soldiers, or adult children caring for parents with Alzheimer’s disease. We know caring for a parent, family member or loved one day in and day out takes its toll on the caregiver. It’s a tough job and sometimes caregivers need a break and should take time for themselves to rejuvenate their own body, mind, and soul. November is National Family Caregivers Month and throughout the month we will be honoring and celebrating the...

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Diabetes Awareness Month

From our Care Blog

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. Nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes. Another 86 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association estimates that the total national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $245 billion. Staggering! If you are overweight, have high blood pressure, or are age 45 or older, you are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The good news is that making healthy changes...

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Staying Healthy: Why Do Some People Get Sick and Other's Don't?

From our Care Blog

Why is it that some people get sick and others don't? Why do some people get the cold and flu each year despite the fact they get all the right shots and vaccinations? What can we do to stay out of the doctor's office each year? How To Stay Healthy As flu season is upon us, I decided to consult the experts at WebMD. What are the characteristics of people who get sick less often? What can you do to stay healthy? Keep your stress at lower levels so it does not weaken your immune system. Enjoy sex on a...

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Benefits of Walking: Walk Your Way To a Better You

From our Care Blog

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 thinking about it. And because I am a work-a-holic who works out of my house, I need to get out and about for my own sanity and the sanity of my family. I have a million excuses NOT to exercise. “I’m too busy” is my favorite. “It’s too hot outside”...

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Organization: Write Things Down

From our Care Blog

Life gets busy and we are inundated with a ton of noise coming from our cell phones, emails, text messages, videos, TV and more. When things get hectic, we can tend to get forgetful. A simple but powerful habit to get into your daily routine is to write things down. Why is it so important you ask? Time has a way of changing our memory: Writing things down as they happen or right after they happen will help you to memorialize the facts. Every time we remember something, we recreate what happened and each time we do this things change....

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Aging: Live Well & Happy

From our Care Blog

There’s no avoiding it. We’re all getting older. That doesn’t mean we have to feel like we’re getting older. There are many things you can do to impact the process of aging so that you will age well and be happy. Here are a few of our favorites. Keep Your Cool. It is said that some levels of stress can be good for us. “If you never have to react to anything demanding, the mechanisms in your brain that help you deal with taxing situations will atrophy,” says Luigi Ferrucci, MD, PhD., scientific director of the National Institute on Aging....

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Family: Traveling with your Aging Parents

From our Care Blog

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 heart problems that may require you take the lead, not only as the tour guide, but as the caregiver. This may make your vacation much more complex, regardless of whether you’re traveling by plane, cruise ship or your own family car. We spoke with Nurse Gina and she put together...

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