Six Mistakes Adult Children Make Taking Care of Sick Parents
From our Care Blog
Learn about the common caregiving pitfalls to avoid when taking care of sick parents to ensure a smooth transition for you and your loved one.
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From our Care Blog
By Cindy Smith, Guest blogger As a die-hard smoker myself for 20 years, I know how hard it is to quit smoking. Nicotine is an addiction like no other! In fact, it’s two addictions: a physical addiction to nicotine and a psychological addiction to daily smoking rituals. It is estimated that most smokers will attempt to quit two or three times, or more, before finally kicking the habit. I have tried a variety of methods to quit – unsuccessfully I might add. I ordered an e-cigarette on the first of the year, so I will keep you updated! Some days I think the only way...
From our Care Blog
Osteoporosis is known as the “silent disease” because many people do not realize they have it until they fall or experience a fracture. There are certain things we know: osteoporosis is a disease in which the bones become more and more fragile as they lose density, usually due to aging, menopause, and other factors like lack of calcium and vitamin D in the diet.We know that osteoporosis is predicted to affect as many as half of all Americans over age 50 by the year 2020. However, there are still many myths and misconceptions surrounding the illness which FirstLight Home Care would like to explain so you can more...
5 Steps To Controlling High Blood Pressure
From our Care Blog
After being diagnosed with high blood pressure, there are a number of ways to keep it under control. Having high blood pressure isn't something anyone wishes for, but if you do have high blood pressure, think of it as a time to change your lifestyle for the better. There are a number of ways to control high blood pressure without the use of medication. However, if you are doing well with all of these steps and still seeing high blood pressure, don't be afraid to use medication. It is important to find out what type of blood pressure medication will work...
From our Care Blog
Falling is an all too common problem with seniors that often lead to injuries and future health complications (due to a decline in bone mass throughout aging, falls can be the first step to decreasing health.) In fact, the majority of accidents that occur in retirement facilities are falls. The bright side is that falls can be easily prevented since they usually are caused by simple mistakes. In order to help avoid future health complications and maintain independence, our team of caregivers at FirstLight Home Care have developed some tips to prevent falls for seniors. Keep a Well Lit Living...
From our Care Blog
Today, November 15 is the great American Smokeout, a day initiated by the American Cancer Society to bring awareness to a habit that can be life-threatening. Did you know that one in five Americans still smoke? Or that using tobacco is the #1 cause of premature death in the United States? It's going to take more than warnings on cigarette packages to get people to quit. Although smoking has been banned in many restaurants and buildings, we know that people who smoke will always find a time or place to smoke. And even though a pack of cigarettes can cost...
From our Care Blog
November is National Diabetes Month and FirstLight Home Care would like to bring your attention to an illness that impacts millions of Americans every day. According to the National Diabetes Association: Nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes. Another 79 million Americans have pre-diabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The statistic that is most startling is: Recent estimates project that as many as 1 in 3 American adults will have diabetes in 2050 unless we take steps to Stop Diabetes. Although Type 1 diabetes is not preventable, Type 2 diabetes is....
Tracking Devices for Your Wandering Parent
From our Care Blog
A GPS tracking device for your aging parent? I know, it sounds a little strange at first… at least it did to me. I had really only heard of tracking devices being used by search and rescue teams, the police, and possibly the nervous parents of toddlers and/or new teenage drivers. But, then you throw in the additional word “wandering” before “aging parent,” and my curiosity was peaked. Maybe there are more uses and benefits than I originally thought. So, I recently began to read up on the various tracking device options that are out in themarket. Similar to satellite...
Wii by Nintendo: An Effective Way For Seniors To Exercise And Have Fun
From our Care Blog
Video games often get a bad rap, especially when it comes to how many hours young kids and teenagers can be glued to them. Hours of sedentary sitting along with the less-than-nutritious diets of many children are a recipe for an overweight, unhealthy generation. But, video game promoters and advocates can create a case for the positives of video games for kids. Are there also benefits for seniors? The resounding answer seems to be YES! Nintendo has been around since 1985, and they continuously come out with new and improved video games. Starting with the Nintendo Entertainment Systems, moving on...
Learn More about Wii by Nintendo: An Effective Way For Seniors To Exercise And Have Fun
From our Care Blog
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a long-time friend of mine who had been caring for his elderly mother. My blog entry was also about how FirstLight Home Care is meeting the needs of aging America, and an unfortunate lack of awareness surrounding caregiving options. This week however, I want to circle back to the fact that my friend Dave* (a male obviously) was in a caregiver role for his mom. Dave* is not alone in having that title. According to a National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) survey, 44% of caregivers are men. Yes, I said 44%, and...
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