The FirstLight Care Corner

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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Know the 10 Signs of Alzheimer's. Early Detection Matters

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Father's Day Gift Ideas

From our Care Blog

Is your dad hard to buy for? Father's Day is Sunday, June 21st. Finding the perfect gift for your dad might be challenging, so we came up with a few gift ideas for all the different kind of dads out there. FOR THE "TRAVELING" DAD:  If your dad loves to travel around the world or just get out on the weekends, this SCOTTeVEST is perfect. He can carry everything he wants, protect important documents and stay connected with these 26 pockets (including 10 zip security pockets). There's a pocket for your passport and a patented internal cable system which safely...

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Tips On Caring For Your Aging Parents Long Distance

From our Care Blog

For many adult children, caring for their aging parents long distance is just a fact of life. You may live in one place, but your parents live thousands of miles away. You can’t pick up and move because of work or other family commitments. Talking on the phone daily is not the same as seeing them in person;  you can’t judge for yourself how they are really doing. You are not alone. According to a study by Met Life, more than 80% of long distance care providers are working either full or part-time and more than four in ten had...

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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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How Dogs Can Positively Impact The Elderly

From our Care Blog

When my Mom turned 60-years-old, I asked her what she wanted for this special birthday. I figured maybe she would want a trip or have all the kids and grandkids fly home. Her answer floored me: a dog. My Mom and Dad had dogs when they were children, but I was allergic to pets.  It had been 40 years since my parents had a dog, and I was a little afraid whether it would be too overwhelming for them. After all, dogs require a lot of attention, love and training. Would my Dad really want to get up and walk...

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Dear Mom,

From our Care Blog

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 10, 2015. To celebrate the day, FirstLight Home Care pulled together some wonderful ways to celebrate and honor your mom. 1. Write Her A Letter. Yes, we're saying go "old school". The art of letter writing is dying and we want to revive it. Find a great card, sit down and memorialize what you love about your mom. Mail it to her and it will be a surprise in her mailbox when it is delivered. 2. Take A Stroll. Spring has sprung and if you both can, take a stroll. Head out to a local...

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Thinking About Senior Care For Your Aging Parents?

From our Care Blog

Maybe your parents should no longer drive or have mobility issues. Maybe your Mom or Dad has dementia and needs constant monitoring. Whatever the case, baby boomers handling care for an elderly relative has become the “new normal.” In fact, more than 43.5 million Americans are caring for someone older than 50, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance. Whereas your parents used to take care of you, you may now find the roles reversed – you are now considering how to take care of them.  How could you not? They loved you and provided for you all those years so now...

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National Eye Donor Month

From our Care Blog

Are you an eye donor? Many of us have checked the eye donor box on our driver’s license or state ID card, but do you really know what it means?  Did you know you can be an eye donor even if you have cataracts, bad vision or have had lasik surgery? Although the cornea  (the clear tissue in the front of the eye) is usually the only part of the eye that can be transplanted, the sclera (white of the eye) can also be used in some surgeries, and eye banks accept the whole eye for research and education.  In...

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Celebrating Wellderly Week

From our Care Blog

We read a lot in the news about exercise and nutrition regardless of your age. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy is 78.8 years. .. at an all-time record high. In fact, the life expectancy for females is 81.2 years; for males, it's 76.4 years. As more and more people wait longer and longer to retire, it’s top to banish all thoughts of sitting back in a rocking chair in your 60s! It’s time to get up and exercise. According to Dr. Richard Brassard, president of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), " The...

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