Firstlight Resources

Always Be Prepared: What To Do When A Natural Disaster Strikes

From our Care Blog

Did you know that September is National Preparedness Month? Being prepared for any type of emergency or natural disaster is important for everyone, but is especially important for seniors. Because each senior’s needs are different, it is essential that each individual have a unique emergency plan that fits all of your needs. If an emergency or disaster occurred today, would you be ready? So, how can you prepare your loved one for an emergency? 1. Make an emergency kit This kit should contain basic essentials like food, water, a flashlight, a battery-powered or hand crank radio and a first aid...

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Helping Seniors De-Clutter

From our Care Blog

Moving is hard under the best of circumstances. Moving your aging parents to an assisted living facility or retirement home takes on a whole new level of stress, because what you call “junk” are their prized possessions! Even downsizing to a smaller home can be traumatic. After living in one home for a long time, your senior parents have cupboards, closets and storage spaces overflowing. It can even look like a bad episode of Hoarders. Most of the heavy lifting and packing will fall to you unless you hire a small move specialist. The hardest part of the move is...

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How Can I Age Healthier?

From our Care Blog

It’s September. That means that this month is Healthy Aging Month, designed to help promote the positive aspects of growing older. Healthy Aging Month encourages individuals to take responsibility for their own physical, mental, social and financial health. Health is extremely important at any stage in life, but becomes even more essential as you begin to age. So, what can you do to take advantage of Healthy Aging Month? Head back to school. You are never done learning and, what better way to improve your mental health than expanding your knowledge? Take courses at a local college or university; you...

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Should Healthcare Cover Extended Families?

From our Care Blog

With so much debate going on right now over Obamacare and extending health insurance benefits to same sex couples, it raises the question: when are healthcare benefits going to be offered to extended families? “With so many parents living with their children in their senior years, the idea of a ‘nuclear family’ has changed with many generations living under one roof,” says Jeff Bevis, CEO of FirstLight Home Care. “In the future, I hope we will see employers of the ‘sandwich generation’ extending healthcare benefits to more than just spouses and children.” Right now the only option for adult son...

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10 Things Seniors Can Do To Keep Up With Their Grandchildren

From our Care Blog

For older adults, relating to young people can be a challenge. It may take time, observation and investigation to fully understand what your grandchildren are interested in. But, after investing the time to learn about them and their interests, grandparents are able to relate to their grandchildren. 1. Play video games. Video games, especially games on the Wii system, are a great way to have fun with grandchildren. Playing video games allow grandchildren to do something that they enjoy and also helps seniors to exercise their hand-eye coordination. 2. Teach your grandchildren how to do something you enjoy. This can...

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The Financial Toll Of Caring For Your Aging Parents

From our Care Blog

Are you jeopardizing your own financial future and health by taking care of your aging parents? If you’re in the sandwich generation, your kids may be in college or thinking about going to college in the near future. You’d like to retire someday yourself, but your 401K is not as hefty as you’d like.  You’re also hoping to collect your own Social Security. This is the predicament many of the sandwich generation and baby boomers face. At FirstLight Home Care, we know it’s not about the money … caregiving for your parents is a labor of love, a payback for...

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Essential Exercises for Seniors

From our Care Blog

For seniors, physical activity is essential. A regular exercise routine can help to boost your energy, relieve stress and manage symptoms of illness and pain. Being inactive can be extremely risky, making it hard to do even the simplest task. Your exercise doesn’t have to be a hassle—you don’t need to join a gym or buy any special equipment, everything you need to exercise can be found around the house. There are four main areas of exercise that seniors should focus on to stay healthy: 1. Cardio and Endurance For seniors, the best cardio and endurance exercises are swimming, walking and cycling....

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7 Activities You Can Do With A Parent This Summer

From our Care Blog

Summer is a fun and exciting time—the sun is out, the kids are out of school and the days are longer. But, sometimes the summer heat and humidity can be overwhelming, making it hard to spend extended amounts of time outdoors. So, how can you and your family enjoy the summer with your aging parent without having to brave the extreme heat? Try one of these fun summer activities: Attend an outdoor concert. This is an extremely popular activity in the summer. Outdoor concerts usually take place later in the evenings when the heat and humidity have died down for...

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How Can You Celebrate National Senior Citizens Day?

From our Care Blog

August 21 is National Senior Citizens Day! Discover some practical ways to celebrate the older adults in your community.

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What aids are available to help elderly people walk?

From our Care Blog

Aging not only becomes apparent in the appearance of the skin and hair, it also has a marked effect on the body’s steadiness and ability to move. This is due to the body’s natural deterioration, though issues such as arthritis can also play a part. This can make moving around the house a difficult task and the prospect of going outside in the fresh air a distant hope. However, many aids are available to help elderly people remain independent and walk with renewed confidence. First, seek advice from an Occupational Therapist Before you invest in any type of mobility aid,...

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