The FirstLight Care Corner

2015 Wellness Trend: Bone Health

From our Care Blog

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 15% of all women will break a bone in their lifetime. And the risk of breaking a bone increases dramatically as one ages, from 3 in 1,000 at age 55 to 45 in 1,000 at age 75. Thus, this is a major health risk for post-menopausal women. All signs indicate that bone health will continue its climb up the popularity ladder as the U.S. population ages and lives longer. In 2015 the health trend everyone will be talking about will be bone health. It’s one that if you start early (or even start today)...

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How Well Do You See: Senior Vision

From our Care Blog

January is National Eye Care Month. Why is this health awareness holiday so important?  The Vision Council of America notes that 12.2 million Americans require some sort of vision correction but don’t use any. Nearly 50% of parents with children under 12 have never taken their children to an eye care professional. Your eyes are very important and you should take care of them. Here are some reasons why you should visit your eyecare professional and have an eye examination: Unexplained headaches. If you have been having unexplained, constant headaches, your solution could be visiting your optometrist. An eyecare professional...

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What are you reading? January is National Book Month.

From our Care Blog

Typically the weather in January isn’t cooperating in most states across our country. That’s okay. January is national book month so why not find a couple of great books and celebrate the month lost in something fabulous. Many of us at FirstLight Home Care are avid book readers. Here’s a small list of our favorite books (some we have read more than once) that we thought others might like. And no, they are not in any order, just our list. Tuesday with Morrie, Mitch Albom To Kill a Mockingbird – yes, if you had to read this book in High...

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Dealing with Loneliness in the Elderly.

From our Care Blog

Loneliness is something we can help elderly family and friends overcome.  Depending upon when you spot loneliness behavior in your elderly parent will determine how they react to your attempt to bring them into a more activities. They may well be in a depressive state if they are isolated and one of the symptoms of this is a lack of desire to socialize.  Consequently they may not be keen to make the effort, but you have to recognize the importance of breaking them out of this vicious circle. Here are some tips to help you and your elderly family members...

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How your midnight snacking could be killing you

From our Care Blog

We admit, there are many days where we are not going to bed at a reasonable time due to the distractions of our favorite late night television shows (darn you Jimmy Fallon), work, and just surfing the web on our tablet and smartphone. Too often, before we head off to slumber, we get something to eat. We know this is directly correlated to our feelings of not getting enough sleep and the extra pounds showing up on our scale. Unfortunately it’s been confirmed. A new study by researchers at the Salk Institute cautions against an extended period of snacking, suggesting...

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Top 10 Holiday Songs

From our Care Blog

It’s funny how the traditional Christmas songs from way-back-when are still the core of music being sung today. There are not a lot of new Christmas songs being written and published (thankfully). These classic songs can stir up memories of some of our favorite times during the holiday season. We love to hear them, but sung by the voices from our past – Perry Como, Doris Day, Jimmy Durante, Frank Sinatra and Johnny Mercer. Although we can appreciate artists like Lady Gaga, Michel Buble, and even Justin Bieber creating their own versions of these classics, it’s just not the same....

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Holidays and Elderly Loneliness

From our Care Blog

Isolation, regardless of your age, can kill. But for the elderly this seems to be bigger problem that many do not address. If family lives out-of-state and it is hard for them to visit frequently, the person may be alone for long periods of time. Loneliness can cause health problems. Clinical depression can develop – a genuine illness which is much more serious than just feeling low.  In many, loneliness can lead to drinking problems and often causes reduced levels of activity and exercise as well as poor diet. Prolonged isolation can damage the immune system, leaving people more vulnerable...

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Best Senior Gifts

From our Care Blog

Best Gifts for Elderly Parents or Neighbors If you have aging parents or are neighbors to an elderly couple and you are going to give them something for the holidays, maybe you’re not sure. May we suggest the following gift ideas? Create a coupon book. Make a fun, personalized coupon book with services to help them care for them home. For example: One Free Snow Removal of Driveway, Walkway, and Sidewalk. Or, a coupon for a free ride to the grocery store. Or, free raking of their leaves. Handmade is all the rage. If you have creative, sewing, or cooking...

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Get Ready for 2015

From our Care Blog

Where did this year go? We cannot believe in just a few weeks we’ll be counting down to midnight to bring in 2015. As we start to reminisce of the events of this year (and read every year-in-review piece of information we can), we also start to get a little excited for January and the renewed optimism for change, for a better life, for a better you that comes with the arrival of a new year. This fresh start gives us a chance to reinvent our lives, ourselves, our homes, and our outlook. It allows us to reinvigorate ourselves, to...

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Respite Care Over The Holidays

From our Care Blog

The holidays can be stressful. We have more things to do, family obligations, events, activities, shopping, and more. If you are a family caregiver – there doesn’t seem to be enough time for it all. It can all become too much. It’s tough and for many caregivers we become overwhelmed, exhausted, even depressed when the quality of a Caregiver’s daily life is out of balance. Many caregivers have no lunch hours, no coffee breaks, and no vacation. We all need breaks. It is why we are always emphasizing the importance of respite care. You will be a better caregiver when...

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