News and Blog
There is certainly no doubt that you’ve heard something about the terrible epidemic of opioids that is sweeping the nation, ruining and costing so many lives in the United States.
Opioids Raise Fall RiskDeep vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in a large vein, most often in the lower leg, thigh, pelvis, or arm. The clot can not only cause temporary or permanent damage in the vein where it forms, but there is another risk of it breaking free. Once free, it can travel through the bloodstream and enter the lungs, which can result in a pulmonary embolism, an arterial blockage that can be fatal.
Lowering the Danger of Blood ClotsIn the United States, more than 30 million people are currently living with diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that happens when levels of blood glucose, more commonly known as blood sugar, are too high.
Managing and Preventing Diabetes ComplicationsStaying hydrated during spring activities is of utmost importance for seniors. Read more and learn about the importance of hydration so you can fully enjoy your spring outdoor activities.
The Importance of Staying Hydrated during Spring ActivitiesMaybe your trips to the supermarket produce section are limited to grabbing a few tomatoes, bananas, apples and an onion or two for a basic selection of fruits and vegetables.
Leafy Greens for a Younger BrainStaying safe during the spring season allows seniors to fully enjoy the beauty and warmth this time of the year has to offer. Read on to learn safety tips seniors need to be aware of so they can make the most of springtime.
Springtime Safety Tips for Seniors: Avoiding Injuries and AllergiesWhen the word travel comes up, most people have different images come up in their minds. For some, it means jet-setting off to a exotic, tropical locale. For others, a simple road trip out to see tourist stops along the highway, or maybe an all-inclusive cruise through the Gulf of Mexico.
Travel Tips for SeniorsOur teeth and gums change as we age. The years of wear and tear will take a toll, often leading to thinning enamel and broken or lost teeth. And even when teeth are repaired, with crowns, fillings, root canals or bridges, they are still less hardy. And gums recede, leading to sensitive areas of the teeth not covered by enamel to be exposed.
Oral Health for SeniorsDementia is a collection of symptoms that can occur due to a variety of diseases. They include impairments in thought, communication, and memory. Currently, there is no cure for the symptoms or the diseases that cause them, and the best way to combat it is to adopt a healthy lifestyle and hopefully prevent it. For care providers and family members of the elderly, it is important to be aware of the early signs of dementia.
Recognizing DementiaMany of us are not alone in feeling tired and sleepy. According to the CDC, one in five adults suffers from insufficient sleep every day. As we get older, adequate, restful sleep can seem to slip away from us. Creating good sleeping habits when you can will pay off later in life.
Alleviating InsomniaOne thing that seems to be in the air today is that good feelings for other people can be in short supply. Whether it’s arguments shooting back and forth from either side of the political divide, snarky comments on Facebook or Youtube, mean and inflammatory tweets, and news sites about one misery or another happening in the world somewhere, it seems like everything is designed to make us all feel prickly, judgmental, and self-focused.
Feel Better About Yourself By Feeling Better About OthersWith Daylight Savings past us and an extra hour of sunlight in the evenings as the days get longer as we travel through Spring on into Summer, it’s a good time to remind everyone that sunburn season is officially upon us. That means that it is time to start thinking about protecting our skin from the harmful ultraviolet rays that can give us painful sunburns as well as raise our risk of contracting skin cancer.
Here Comes the Sun!There are many things that must be taken into account when planning out our retirement years. Sorting out health care plans, looking over financials and planning for the future monetarily, securing living arrangements and planning for necessary changes, and how to maintain a healthy social network of connections with friends and family. But there is one thing that many seniors may neglect to plan for, which is taking steps to prevent a fall.
Plan Ahead for Fall PreventionToday, there is a marked increase in emphasis on reducing prejudice in society and examining our own biases based around human traits like race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and identity, and other characteristics. Ironically, though, in discussions of bigotry, many young people and even some seniors themselves, will often make snide remarks about “old people” who do not share their attitudes or vote in the same way as them. Remarks like this lump all seniors into one bucket.
Fighting AgeismRetirement and assisted living facilities can be great options for seniors who need assistance with daily activities. Learn how it can benefit your senior loved one and find out the hidden costs so you can make an informed decision.
What Are The Hidden Costs Of Moving Into A Retirement Or Assisted Living Facility?The airport experience can sometimes be a bit overwhelming when traveling with a senior loved one. Here are tips on how to make your journey more stress-free and enjoyable.
Traveling With A Senior: Eight Tips For Easy Airport Troubleshooting During LayoversElderly independent living abuse is a legal term that refers to the illegal or unauthorized use of a senior citizen’s assets, property, or money. When someone exploits the elderly to use their wealth without the permission or knowledge of their caretakers or the full understanding of the elderly person, it is a crime of a type of fraud.
Preventing Financial Abuse of the ElderlyAmericans are living much longer than ever now, and the truth is that bad health is not an unavoidable or natural part of the aging process. There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding getting older, but with moderate research findings and practical experience they can be disproven, altering the way we think about aging into and through the twilight years.
Senior Health MythsAfter the age of 40, muscle mass and strength in people will begin to deteriorate. As a consequence, the capability to engage in physical exercise becomes less and less. After the age of 50, the decline in strength and muscle mass rises to 15% per decade. Muscles will atrophy and grow weaker and smaller when not used, which creates a vicious cycle of age reducing muscles which then causes the person to do less activity, which reduces them further. In the elderly, the leading cause of this problem is sarcopenia, which is the involuntary loss of muscle mass and bone density due to age.
Leg Strengthening Exercises for SeniorsPalliative medicine is an important form of care that can improve the quality of life for elderly patients. Learn more about palliative medicine and how it works.
What Is Palliative Medicine & How Does It Work?People tend to sleep more lightly as they get older. Midnight awakenings due to aches or bathroom needs are common occurrences for the elderly, as well as taking a nap during the day to make up for lost sleep at night.
Causes of Elderly SleepinessMeal plans that are low in sodium, fat, and carbohydrates can have tremendous benefits for diabetics. Here is our guide on how to prepare nutritious meals if you are taking care of a diabetic relative.
Preparing Meal Plans With Low Sodium And Low Fat Or Carbohydrate Counts For Diabetic RelativesSepsis is a serious and life-threatening health condition that can and does affect all age groups. Infants, people with chronic health conditions, and those who have damaged immune systems are all more likely than those without to acquire sepsis. However, adults over the age of 65, particularly those who have health problems, are more prone to sepsis than all other groups and demographics. Adults 65 years of age and older are 13 times more likely than adults younger than 65 to be hospitalized with sepsis, and 63% of older adults admitted to the ICU present with sepsis upon entry. Just as with strokes and heart attacks, sepsis is a critical medical emergency that requires swift diagnosis and treatment to save the health and life of the patient.
Preventing Sepsis in SeniorsChronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and others can significantly affect the quality of life of the person suffering from them. Even though many chronic disorders do not have a cure, there are usually several treatments or strategies that are available to help manage and alleviate symptoms. Home care is a type of health care that offers assistance and support to people while they are at ease in their own home.
Will Home Care Improve Quality of Life?One thing you may notice if you should look at the fossils of early man is that their skeletons were comprised of thick, heavy and powerful looking bones. While you may attribute this to their existing in a state closer to nature and being closer to our wild, unevolved state, the surprising truth is that our own bones today have the potential to be just as strong.
Exercise Lessons from Our Ancestors