Understanding
Senior Care

Helping Seniors Move

From our Care Blog

When my parents moved from a 6,000 square foot home in Florida to a two bedroom condo in Arizona, it was a nightmare. What I considered “junk” suddenly became a priceless memory. Although my parents were not hoarders, they had accumulated 20 years of “stuff”, various collections and enough photos to fill a museum. From my own experience, the #1 tip I can give you if you are moving your aging parents to a new location is patience. Whether the move is voluntary or involuntary, there are many emotions involved. Emotions are running high as they get very sentimental about...

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Health Concerns in Aging Parents

From our Care Blog

As your parents age, it is important they receive proper care, especially if there are health concerns. We all know this is easier said than done since many aging adults hate to admit their health is fading. However, there is nothing more dangerous than an elderly parent living on their own and unable to care for themselves. When visiting and speaking to your parent(s), make sure to look for tall-tale signs of health problems. Listed, are five obvious signs of distress that may require medical attention or assistance for your parent. Note, that there may be other signs not listed, so it is...

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10 Early Signs of Alzheimer's

From our Care Blog

Early diagnosis is extremely crucial with Alzheimer's.  The sooner you know you mayhave Alzheimer's the more time you have to take advantage of all the treatment opportunities available.  It also gives you and your family time to know and understand the disease and enables you to plan for the future.  With that said, the Alzheimer's Association is a wonderful resource to use when researching information about Alzheimer's, including the brain science behind it, doctors visits, as well as early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's. Below is the list of signs and symptoms to look for when addressing the possibility of...

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Finding the Best Foods for the Elderly

From our Care Blog

Learn how to find the best foods for the elderly people in your life.

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Are Your Aging Parents Behaving Badly?

From our Care Blog

There are many stresses that people deal with as caregivers for their aging parents, but few are as difficult to handle as aggressive and negative behavior.  At FirstLight HomeCare, we receive countless questions and concerns about what to do with an aging parent who is abusive and hard to control.  The problem that many people face is the difficulty in confronting their parents about these behaviors saying things like, “they are stuck in their ways” or “they will get defensive if I bring up their behavior.”  Although these concerns are valid, you can and should address your aging parents behavior since it is...

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5 Great Senior Activities

From our Care Blog

Keeping busy can be a difficult task for aging adults.  Our entire lives have been run by schedules, whether it be homework as a kid or real work as an adult.  As aging adults enter the next chapter of their lives, they find themselves with more free time than they have experienced in a long time, and this leads to boredom, decreasing health, and lack of daily enjoyment.  In order to make sure your parents are maintaining a fulfilled life, introduce some activities in their lives.  Below we have listed 5 great activities that will not only help keep aging adults...

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Cost of Caregiving

From our Care Blog

Many of us are caregivers – for our parents, brothers or sisters, or other relatives – and don’t even think about the financial demands it places on us. Maybe you are a caregiver who provides “hands on” care right now, but may be called upon to provide financial assistance for your care recipient in the future. In addition to the emotional demands placed on caregivers, it’s important to consider the financial consequences. If it’s possible to plan ahead, this helps to avoid some costly mistakes so you don’t get yourself in a financial bind. If you’re taking care of a...

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Test your memory for Alzheimer's

From our Care Blog

Are you concerned that you or or a loved one might be showing early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease? Alzheimer's is a progressive form of presenile dementia that is similar to senile dementia; however, Alzheimer’s generally begins to appear in people’s 40s and 50s.  The good news is that with early detection you can have a better chance of managing the disease and living the fullest life possible for years to come. One of the best ways to determine if you are showing early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease is to do self-basement tests.  Self-basement tests are a great way to test your cognitive ability...

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Five Tips for Long Distance Caregiving

From our Care Blog

Caring for a loved one that lives locally can be stressful, yet caring for one that is long distance can extenuate the circumstances immensely.  There are a number of responsibilities in both situations, and in a long distance situation it is imperative that you feel comfortable delegating some of these responsibilities to others.  With that said, it is necessary for you to embrace communication among the family and those that are able to help locally.  Each family has unique situations, and something that works for one family may not work for others.  We have provided five tips that may be...

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A Great Gift For Your Aging Parents

From our Care Blog

Because we live in Denver, to say it is cold in the winter is an understatement. Of course, due to frigid temperatures and cars that sit outside, it’s exactly the time of year our batteries seems to go dead.  Go figure. As I watched me elderly father try to jump his battery in the freezing cold, a brilliant thought hit me … why not give him a gift membership to AAA? I am always looking for gifts for my aging parents and I am often stuck for ideas. I have a basic AAA membership which costs me only $75/year and...

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