Senior
Health & Wellness

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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Is It Normal to Have Aches and Pains at 60?

From our Care Blog

Is it normal to have aches and pains at 60? Learn what is common, what is cause for concern and how FirstLight Home Care professionals can help.

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Health: Tips to Stay Cool during a Heat Wave

From our Care Blog

It’s August and that means it’s hot outside. Heat waves are hitting the U.S. hard and temperatures are soaring. For many people – especially our senior population - they do not have air conditioning. If you know someone in your neighborhood who does not have air conditioning and is struggling to keep cool, here are some tips for surviving a heat wave that you can share with them. Purchase a fan. Box fans and ceiling fans can promote air circulation throughout the home. Opening doors in the house and using box fans to push hot air outdoors can function as...

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Health: Foot Care and the Right Pair of Shoes

From our Care Blog

Be kind to your feet. As we age, the years of wear and tear can be hard on them. Disease, bad circulation, poorly trimmed toenails, and wearing shoes that don't fit can also harm your feet. Nurse Gina has discussed many times within the FirstLight Home Care family that foot problems are sometimes the first sign of more serious medical conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and nerve or circulatory disorders. Her recommendations.... practice good foot care. The National Institute on Aging recommends that you look at your feet often; use a mirror to look at the bottoms of your feet....

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Aging: 7 Ways to Stay Active with Arthritis

From our Care Blog

If you have arthritis, there may be days where you don’t feel like being active. But this just might make your arthritis pain feel worst and add to the pain problem. It is important to stay active with arthritis. Here are a few fun things we found on WebMD that you can do even with your arthritis: Start walking: walking keeps your joints flexible and your muscles strong. This low-impact, weight-bearing exercise is a good choice for people with arthritis. Carry your groceries: Make the most of your supermarket trip by carrying your groceries in the store and to your...

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Keep your Brain Sharp and Healthy with 5 Small Changes

From our Care Blog

Are you getting more forgetful? We all have occasional lapses, especially once we hit our forties. It might be alarming to you to have a “senior moment” now and then, but the good news is that research shows that by keeping your brain healthy with the right diet and “brain” exercise, you can keep your cognitive function strong – boosting your memory and brainpower. Here are five things you can do to stay sharp. Eat Fish: People who eat fish once a week have a 60% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (research by Martha Clare Morris, ScD.). The reason...

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The Benefits of Dancing and Aging

From our Care Blog

Dancing is a great social outlet, a fun form of exercise and will help you slow down the aging process. Hello people, let’s boogie. Dancing and depression: Australian researchers* found that men and women with mood disorders who participated in a two-week tango instruction program felt less depressed and experienced significant reductions in their levels of stress. Dancing is good activity to keep you social and active. Dancing and Strength: Dance classes, such as Salsa, can increase an older adult’s strength and balance. A study published in the journal Gerontology found that dancing provides a safe and feasible exercise program...

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Restore Your Joy With These Caregiver Stress Relief Tips

From our Care Blog

Find yourself overwhelmed with your caregiving duties? Try these caregiver stress relief tips from FirstLight Home Care.

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Road Safety for our Aging Population

From our Care Blog

Getting older does not necessarily mean a person's driving days are over. But it is important to plan ahead and take steps to ensure the safety of your loved ones on the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have established recommendations to help families with aging drivers discuss changes in your older loved one's driving. Stay physically active: Staying physically active improves your strength and flexibility. In turn, physical activity can improve driver safety by making it easier to turn the steering wheel, look over your shoulder, and make other movements while driving and parking. Schedule regular vision and...

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The Facts About Parkinson’s Disease

From our Care Blog

April is National Parkinson’s Awareness Month to help bring awareness to a disease that one million people currently suffer from with 50 – 60,000 new cases being diagnosed each year. Although there is no cure, there are many medications and therapies that can help to relieve the symptoms. Armed with information, you can help your family members live with this chronic and progressive disease. What is Parkinson’s? Parkinson’s is a neurological or brain disorder that affects the nerve cells in the portion of the midbrain that controls body movements. Although initially there may be no symptoms, there may be a...

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