Senior
Health & Wellness

Important Immunizations for Seniors

From our Care Blog

August is Immunization Awareness Month Vaccines are not just for children. There are important immunizations for seniors as well. Certain immunizations can help prevent seniors from getting and spreading serious diseases that could result in poor health, medical bills and not being able to care for themselves. In fact, some seniors may need one or more vaccines, even if they received them as a child or as a younger adult. Immunity to certain diseases can wear off over time, and as people get older, they are at an increased risk of contracting various illnesses. Some may also be at risk...

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Art and Aging: How Art Can Benefit Older Adults

From our Care Blog

Older adults need to exercise their brain and their body. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association have found with older adults that exercising the brain is as important to keep the brain alert and strong as physical exercise is to keep the body strong and able.The benefits of movement, building, inventing or creating things is fulfilling, and it gives people a sense of worth and contribution while helping them to maintain a positive outlook on life. In the book Successful Aging, John W. Rowe, MD, and Robert L. Kahn, PhD, discuss three aspects of successful aging: low...

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Hot Weather Safety Tips for Older Adults

From our Care Blog

Extremely hot weather is in the forecast for many parts of the country.  If you have older family members or elderly neighbors living nearby, it is important to make sure that, as temperatures rise, they are protected from the extreme heat. Here are some great hot weather safety tips that the elderly, as well as their caregivers, can follow to make sure they stay cool and hydrated during these hot summer months. Drink plenty of cool water throughout the day and avoid alcohol and caffeine. Dehydration is the root of many heat-related health problems. Eat cooling, hydrating snacks like popsicles,...

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Understanding Scleroderma

From our Care Blog

Pronounced “skleer-oh-DUR-muh”, it is a disease that involves the hardening and tightening of the skin and connective tissues – the fibers that provide the framework and support for your body. June is Scleroderma awareness month. The entire month has been dedicated to this disease because so few people know about it, but yet, there is an increasing number of people being diagnosed with the disease. And, since awareness of the disease is low, many researchers do not always receive the resources they need to better understand the cause, symptoms and find a cure. Scleroderma affects women more often than men...

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Healthy Eyes - June is Cataract Awareness Month

From our Care Blog

Your sight matters! Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss in the United States, and it is the leading cause of blindness in the world.  (Source: Eye World, 2017) Over twenty-two million Americans are affected by cataracts, resulting in an annual estimated cataract treatment cost of $6.8 billion. (Source: Friends for Sight, 2017) FirstLight Home Care wants you to take care of your eyes and to be aware that you can help protect yourself from cataracts by understanding the disease and being proactive on how to prevent it. A cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens that leads...

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Keeping You Aging Parents' Home Safe

From our Care Blog

June is National Safety Month. It is important to keep everyone safe, especially when it comes to your aging parents living independently at home. FirstLight Home Care put together a list of home safety tips to help aging parents prevent falls and accidents in their homes. Start with the outside of your parents' home. Walk around the home to check out the condition of sidewalks, handrails, lighting and vegetation or shrubs. Uneven sidewalks, loose handrails, poor lighting and overgrown landscaping could become a trip hazard. Move or put away outdoor furniture, flower pots, and gardening tools that could obstruct their...

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Aging and Mental Health: Activities To Improve Your Mental Health

From our Care Blog

One in five older adults experience mental health concerns that are not a normal part of aging – the most common of which are anxiety or mood disorders including depression*. Most mental health cases respond well to treatment, but unfortunately many older adults go do not get diagnosed and go untreated, which can lead to diminished functioning, substance abuse, poor quality of life, and increased mortality. Mental health is as important as physical health. Good mental health contributes to an overall feeling of well-being which impacts your stress levels, memory, sleepand how you think and feel about yourself. There are many...

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Stroke Risk Factors, Know the Four H's

From our Care Blog

Knowing stroke risk factors is half the battle. A stroke, sometimes called a "brain attack," occurs when blood flow to an area in the brain is cut off. The brain cells, deprived of the oxygen and glucose needed to survive, die. If not caught early, permanent brain damage can result. A stroke can happen to anyone at any time, it doesn’t discriminate between gender, race, or age. The good news, if you know the stroke risk factors, up to 80 percent of them are preventable*. May is Stroke Awareness Month and it’s important to know the risk factors that can...

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Age Out Loud, FirstLight Home Care Celebrates Older American's Month

From our Care Blog

Older Americans, it's time to celebrate your age! May is Older American's Month and this year, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) wants to celebrate what getting older looks like today. The theme, Age Out Loud, gives a new voice to older American adults who are working longer, trying new things, and engaging in their communities. They’re taking charge, striving for wellness, focusing on independence, and advocating for themselves and others. At FirstLight Home Care we take pride in celebrating Older American's Month and the fact that we are all getting older. Actually, we celebrate aging every day. For us, our...

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The Benefits of Humor as we Age

From our Care Blog

For many people getting older isn’t funny, but keeping your sense of humor as we age has proven to help us cope with the changes, challenges and unexpected obstacles of aging. A dose of humor promotes good health, and has a beneficial effect on some of the most common health challenges of aging. These benefits fall in four important areas, including: Humor reduces stress: It is believed that laughter works by relieving stress, which is implicated in so many negative impacts on our health. Laughing can help relax muscles, lowers blood pressure and increase the oxygen level in your blood. When...

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