Understanding
Senior Care

Avoiding Caregiver Burnout When Dealing with Alzheimer's

From our Care Blog

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s is a tough job. The stress, demand, and constant worry can take a heavy toll on the family caregiver, so much that they often don’t take good care of themselves. It can also be an emotional journey as the family member providing care watches their loved one’s memories disappear and their daily skills decline. This inevitably will lead to caregiver burnout. Caregiving for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia can be all-consuming. Family caregivers face many responsibilities and it is easy to become overwhelmed. The best advice our caregivers at FirstLight...

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Coping Strategies for Dementia Caregivers

From our Care Blog

This week, we have a guest post from one of our readers, Annabelle Short. Anna is a caregiver to her mom who is living with dementia and she has some valuable advice on coping strategies for dementia caregivers. Sometimes, the decision of becoming a caregiver is not entirely up to you. Unexpected life events might lead you to start taking care of a loved one, and suddenly you realize you have a new career commitment: to care for someone else. This was precisely what happened to me when I had to start taking care of my mom. My mom suffers...

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Let’s Talk About Dementia

From our Care Blog

World Alzheimer's Month is an international campaign every September to raise awareness and challenge the stigma that surrounds dementia. The impact of World Alzheimer's Month is growing, but the misinformation that surrounds the disease remains a global issue that requires global action. We also understand that caring for someone with dementia can be challenging and stressful. It is important for family caregivers to take care of their own physical and mental health needs by seeking respite and focusing on self-care. Throughout the year, we focus on the impact Alzheimer’s has on the family. Here are three blog posts we have...

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Spotting the Signs of Senior Self Neglect in Adult Parents

From our Care Blog

Knowing how to recognize and respond to senior self neglect in elderly parents is essential to understanding their current healthcare needs.

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Avoid These 5 Mistakes When Caring for Your Aging Parents

From our Care Blog

Approximately 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older in the last 12 months [National Alliance for Caregiving, 2019]. Every day a new family caregiver becomes part of this large group of people dealing head-on with the tasks of helping their parents with daily living: personal hygiene, dressing, food preparation, walking and mobility, transportation, housekeeping, medication management and more. If you are the family caregiver - whether you’re new to the role or not - we have compiled some advice to help you avoid 5 common mistakes when caring for your aging parents. Mistake...

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5 Ways to Ease the Stress of Back to School

From our Care Blog

Back-to-school time can be stressful and hectic for kids, and let’s be honest…for parents too. As families prepare to head back to school, parents may be feeling overwhelmed by the pressure that comes from managing their family’s needs in addition to their daily work and household responsibilities. Here are five ways to ease the stress of back to school for parents and help the entire family make a healthy transition from the lazy days of summer to the structure of the school year. 1. Establish routines: Before summer comes to an end, start establishing everyone’s school-day routines to avoid shocking...

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Caring for Our Military Caregivers

From our Care Blog

From cost of care to dealing with conditions like traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder, military caregivers face many obstacles.

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Immunization Awareness for Older Adults

From our Care Blog

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, an annual observance meant to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. However, vaccines are particularly important for older adults because as you age, your immune system weakens, and it can be more difficult to fight off infections. The older you get, the more likely you are to get diseases like the flu, pneumonia, and shingles. Certain immunizations can help keep seniors from getting and spreading serious diseases that could result in poor health, medical bills and the inability to care for themselves. Getting vaccinated can help keep your older loved...

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How Sandwich Generation Caregivers Can Manage Stress

From our Care Blog

Are you part of the sandwich generation? You know, those adults who are “sandwiched” between their elderly parents and their own children. Sandwich generation caregivers are made up of people who are caring for their aging parents while also supporting their own children. This generation typically includes people in their 40s, 50s and sometimes 60s. Most of these individuals work outside the home. It is predominantly women who take on this caregiving role. The majority struggle to balance the demands that come from caring for so many. According to a 2017 Pew research report, nearly half of those aged 40...

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Happy Birthday, America!

From our Care Blog

With a true national spirit of courage, integrity, sacrifice, liberty and independence we wish you a Happy Independence Day! From all of us at FirstLight Home Care, we wish you a happy 4th of July.

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