Understanding
Senior Care

The $41 Billion Problem with Hospital Readmissions

From our Care Blog

Before the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), hospitals were not penalized for patient readmission within the first 30 days of a discharge. This led to the American healthcare system spending $41.3 billion dollars in just 11 months to treat readmitted individuals. Today, even with the ACA’s readmission penalty, hospitalization makes up nearly a third of the $2 trillion spent on healthcare. While some readmissions are unavoidable, a large number can be prevented. This means at-risk individuals such as seniors, adults with disabilities, those recovering from injuries and veterans should be safeguarded from hospitalizations. Here are a few ways...

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Does Life Insurance Pay for Home Care?

From our Care Blog

Will life insurance pay for home care? For many, life insurance can be used to help cover the costs of long-term care.

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Beat the Odds: Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

From our Care Blog

Did you know that only 8 percent of the people that set a New Year’s resolution actually achieve their goal*. Why is that? Research from Psychology Today has found that making your resolutions work will involve changing behaviors—and in order to change a behavior, you have to change your thinking (or "rewire" your brain). This takes work. We have to set specific, measurable, time-bound goals and keep them front and center. If you are one of the millions of people in the United States compelled to make a New Year’s resolution, here are some helpful tips from Ray Williams of...

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Family Finances: Coping With the Costs of Dementia

From our Care Blog

Money Magazine just released an article in a series of stories written by Donna Rosato on Coping with the Aging’s Costliest Challenge: The Costs of Dementia. If you have a family member living with dementia or Alzheimer’s and you’re caring for them, you know first-hand the financial challenges this uniquely devastating disease can bring. We are proud that our own Nurse Gina, our professional geriatric care manager and RN on staff, was quoted in this article. Nurse Gina has been a vital part of FirstLight Home Care’s team, dedicated to building caring and affordable services to help families with aging...

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5 Healthy Tips To Avoid Weight Gain During The Holidays

From our Care Blog

The holidays are here and no one wants to be around a killjoy at a Christmas party or a family get-together because they’re trying to avoid the temptations of the season’s high-calorie bounty and dodge the gift of a few additional pounds this season. Whether it’s one, three, or seven pounds, experience says that most of us will gain weight between now and New Year’s Day because of those darn frosted cookies, eggnog, chocolate, candies and more lurking around the office, at the neighbors, and in your own home. To make the most of the season and keep the holiday...

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Embracing Old Man Winter

From our Care Blog

The last few leaves on your tree are about to fall. Gray skies have taken over. Winter is approaching fast. Unless you plan on heading south for the next 5 months to avoid the cold, you need to get prepared. Winter can be a challenge, so you need to find the bright side. We’ve put together a list of things you can do to embrace old man winter and make the most of it. Make a bird/squirrel feeder. Snow, frozen ground, and lack of vegetation makes it hard for wildlife to find food. Make simple feeders out of peanut butter...

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The Art of Letter Writing

From our Care Blog

Letter writing is an almost lost skill and all of us living in our digital-centric world are missing out on the beauty of a handwritten letter and the joy of finding something personal in your mailbox. We can change that, December 7th is Letter Writing Day. We’re encouraging everyone to take a few minutes and send someone a hand written letter. By going through the process of writing a letter and physically committing words to a paper, it shows your investment of time and effort in a relationship. It can be a very meaningful experience for you – but you...

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To Grandmother's House You Go! Are You Ready For Winter Driving?

From our Care Blog

Driving during the winter months can be treacherous. Cold weather, ice, snow, and limited daylight hours can make a simple trip across town a long and exhausting journey. You need to be prepared. Here are some helpful tips to help you get your car ready for winter travel: Make your own or purchase a pre-made car weather safety kit. This kit should include: first-aid kit, jumper (booster) cables, tow ropes, cat litter (or something to gain traction under your tires if stuck somewhere slippery), a windshield scraper, candle, and matches. Check your tires well before the winter season begins. Be...

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Living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia

From our Care Blog

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. If a family member has been diagnosed with dementia, it can come as a shock and create anxiety within the family as to what will happen next. For many adults and seniors diagnosed with this disease, they want to remain independent and in their own homes for as long as possible. To achieve this goal, there will need to be some changes to enable people with dementia to remain independent for longer or make it easier for others to give support.* Avoid falls: Falls are a common and potentially serious problem affecting older...

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National Family Caregivers Month

From our Care Blog

There are hundreds of thousand families in the United States that are currently the primary caregiver to aging parents, adult children with disabilities, family members of wounded soldiers, or adult children caring for parents with Alzheimer’s disease. We know caring for a parent, family member or loved one day in and day out takes its toll on the caregiver. It’s a tough job and sometimes caregivers need a break and should take time for themselves to rejuvenate their own body, mind, and soul. November is National Family Caregivers Month and throughout the month we will be honoring and celebrating the...

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