Right at Home 2017 Caregiver of the Year Award
What commendable care qualities do you see in caregivers you know?
Can Table Tennis Help Prevent Falls?
Table tennis is an activity that many elders participate in, regardless of physical ability. Aside from being enjoyable, playing table tennis can also help elders avoid falling. As a physical exercise, table tennis helps reduce the risk of falls.
Socialization –– How It Benefits Caregivers and Care Receivers
Caregivers are frequently told how important it is for them to stay engaged socially, but I think we sometimes forget how beneficial it can also be for the care receiver.
Do You Suffer From Caregiver Guilt? Bipartisan Support for Senior Issues
These and other stories are in the November edition of the Caring Right at Home e-newsletter, providing information, advice and support for adult caregiving.
5 Things We Learned From Reagan’s Alzheimer’s and Thatcher’s Dementia
In what is considered his farewell address to the American people, former President Ronald Reagan penned a November 5, 1994, letter announcing his recently diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease, the irreversible neurological condition that is the most frequent form of dementia.
Moving Keeps You Mobile
Decreased mobility due to aging is not irreversible, even though studies show that people typically lose 8 percent or more muscle mass every decade after age 40. Muscle mass gives you strength and is associated with mobility. For some older adults, it is also vital to their independence.
3 Indicators That It Might Be Time to Bring In Outside Help
You don’t always have to wait until an emergency happens to get help, though. Here are three indicators that it might be time to bring in some help.
Centenarian Devoted Career to Civil Service
“People waste their later years because they feel defeated by age, or by health,” says Ladimer. “But there are still ways they can create change. It’s never too late for change.”
How Family Mediation Can Help You Manage the Aging Process
As our parents age, it is time for the family to unite to create a working plan that considers the needs and concerns of the entire family. Family members need to have these difficult conversations in a real way to ensure that their aging parents are safe and that family relationships survive. Elder/family mediation is a successful tool that gives families a way to effectively manage the aging process that confronts us all.
How to Spot a Guilt-Tripper
As caregivers, we often feel guilty for losing our tempers, for having negative feelings toward our care receivers, or for wanting a little time for ourselves. Unless you have intentionally inflicted physical or emotional pain on someone else, however, guilt is not an appropriate response.
Legal Issues for Family Caregivers; Is Yoga Safe for Seniors With Joint Pain?
These and other stories are in the August edition of the Caring Right at Home e-newsletter, providing information, advice and support for adult caregiving.
The Sandwich Generation Feels the Squeeze; Stress-Reducing Tips for Alzheimer’s Caregivers
These and other stories are in the July edition of the Caring Right at Home e-newsletter, providing information, advice and support for adult caregiving.
Safety Tips for Summer Family Fun
Summer is a wonderful opportunity for children, parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents to stack up fun memories while staying injury-free and healthy.
Overcoming Caregiver Fear
As a caregiver, you will be confronted daily with people, situations and events over which you have little or no control, and if you allow yourself to dwell on what might happen, you could easily become overwhelmed by fear.
National Cancer Survivors Day Honors Those Who Beat Cancer
A cancer survivor is a person living with a history of the disease from initial diagnosis through the rest of his or her life. Each year on the first Sunday in June, National Cancer Survivors Day® honors the millions of courageous individuals who beat cancer.
Helping Seniors With Seasonal Allergies
Seasonal nasal allergies strain the body: runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, itchy eyes and fatigue are some of the resulting symptoms. Extreme weather swings, particularly in spring and fall, kick up the production of pollen, the fine powder released by flowering plants. Spread by the wind, pollen settles in a person’s skin, nose and lungs and can cause an allergic reaction. Other common nasal allergens include animal dander and dust mites.
Bathroom Safety: A Shower Chair or Bath Bench?
Shower chairs, shower stools and bath benches are a good option to help with bathing safety and fall avoidance.
Humor: A Radical Solution for Caregiver Fatigue?
Many caregivers have sacrificed sleep; however, when we don’t get adequate sleep, it affects our ability to think and reason. It can lead to poor decision making, erratic behavior, and increased falls and accidents.
Counseling Assistance for Every Need
How do you gain a better balance and not discount your mental and emotional health as you care for another?
When Families Disagree About Senior Care; Keeping Alzheimer’s Patients Socially Engaged
These and other stories are in the May edition of the Caring Right at Home e-newsletter, providing information, advice and support for adult caregiving.
Coconut Fat May Slow Aging
Nutrition experts praise coconut fat as a super food that improves brain function, boosts energy and burns the body’s excess fat. Plus, research is finding that a diet high in coconut fat also may delay brain cells from aging.
3 Steps to Developing an Attitude of Creative Indifference Toward Caregiving
Maintaining emotional equilibrium while caring for a loved one who is aged, chronically ill or disabled is not easy. It takes constant effort, and some days you will do better than others so you must be gentle with yourself.
Boomers Need to Talk About Care; Distracted Driving Stats May Surprise You
These and other stories are in the April edition of the Caring Right at Home e-newsletter, providing information, advice and support for adult caregiving.
Coping With Caregiver Stress
Most caregivers frequently struggle with anger, fear, frustration, guilt, depression and grief. Coping with caregiver stress is something many people struggle with, although it’s hard sometimes to remember that you are not alone.
Decreasing Fall Risk Through Dancing
A new study showed that elders who participated in a half hour of ballroom dancing (three days a week for three months) had a 50% improvement in balance and fewer falls.
National Nutrition Month®
The 2016 theme of the March healthy eating campaign is “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right.” One of the main goals of the March healthy diet focus is to help children through older adults make informed food choices and develop sound eating and regular physical activity habits.
Medical Skepticism Over Brain Games
The influx of computer-based brain games has promised people even more command of their mental acuity—improved memory skills, faster recall of childhood stories and even prevention of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive decline. But are these brain games really working?
National Social Work Month
Commemorated every March, National Social Work Month highlights the significant contributions that social workers make on behalf of all citizens, serving as champions for disadvantaged and vulnerable people in every U.S. community.
Tax Credit Tips for Seniors and Family Caregivers
If you are a senior receiving care or are caring for an older relative, you may be eligible for additional tax deductions and credits. Examples of elder care tax benefits include claiming a parent, stepparent, father-in-law or mother-in-law as a dependent on your tax return or deducting contributions you made toward your aging relative’s medical expenses.
High Blood Pressure and Alzheimer’s Disease
If you have high blood pressure, known as hypertension, and are taking certain medications for the condition, you also may be lowering your risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
Biomarkers Help Predict Illness
Biomarkers help predict illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Through the decade of measurements and a final round of tests and a physical exam in 2009, researchers discovered biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid that can help predict Alzheimer’s cognitive impairment years before the onset of disease symptoms.
Heart Disease and Women
Two types of heart disease, coronary microvascular disease (MVD) and broken heart syndrome, are lesser known but pose a specific risk for women. The American Heart Association reports that 64 percent of women who die suddenly from coronary heart disease, the most common type of heart disease, showed no previous signs of heart trouble.
Dementia Caregivers Worry About Own Risk; Home Care Supports Seniors With Heart Failure
These and other stories are in the February edition of the Caring Right at Home e-newsletter, providing information, advice and support for adult caregiving.
Touchscreen Tech Trends Are Helping Grandparents Connect!
Now, sleek and easy-to-use touchscreen devices streamline how older adults use technology to video chat and share photos, emails and more.
Sleep Deprivation and Alzheimer’s Disease
As Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are expected to rise with the upsurge in America’s baby boomers, the good news is that guarding your rest may just keep your memory sharp. And that’s something you can sleep on.
What are the Stages of Dementia?
Most forms of dementia have no cure, but are reversible if caused by treatable factors including nutritional deficiency, an infection or brain bleed. Right at Home senior care providers can help patients who have dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
What Are Driver Rehab Specialists and How Do They Help Seniors?
Because of his fused spine, 83-year-old Jim is unable to rotate his neck fully. His family frets about him driving. Another family worries, too. Is Marilyn's arthritic knee slowing her from reaching the brake pedal?
3 Home Modifications to Help Your Aging Family Members
87% of adults ages 65 and older “want to stay in their current home and community as they age.” How can you ensure the safety of your loved ones to age in place?
4 Online Safety Tips for Older Adults
Every year, thousands of seniors join the ranks of those exploring the Internet to chat with grandchildren, view family reunion photos and handle personal finances. But with every online interaction comes a risk: savvy Internet thieves are eager to steal from unsuspecting senior citizens.
When You Can’t Be Home for the Holidays; National Influenza Vaccination Week is December 6-12, 2015
These and other stories are in the December edition of the Caring Right at Home e-newsletter, providing information, advice and support for adult caregiving.
Gift Ideas for the Elderly
In an effort to reduce your stress when shopping for your parents or grandparents, Right at Home has put together a brief guide to gift ideas for the elderly. We’ve taken into account budget, lifestyle and interests. After all, the holidays shouldn’t be about the stress of finding the perfect gift; they should be about the joy you feel when watching someone you love open it.
A Caregiver’s Gratitude at Thanksgiving
I discovered firsthand that caring for someone who is suffering changes a lot of things – including how you count your blessings. Before, I never thought to be thankful that Alex could get into or out of bed by himself. It hadn’t occurred to be grateful for conversations that weren’t focused on pain levels, medication schedules or bowel functions. Above all, I had no idea of how thankful I could be for a good night’s sleep.
Thanksgiving Safety Tips
The house is full of bustling conversations and the rich aroma of your favorite Thanksgiving entrees. The grandkids are scurrying from room to room, while the adults mingle and munch in the kitchen, grandkids
RightConversations
Mom is showing signs of mental slowing. Dad’s arthritis leaves him barely able to walk. Their need for at-home care is becoming more evident, but you dread “the conversation.”
Sarcopenia: An Unfamiliar Cause of Falling
Sarcopenia begins around age 45 and increases thereafter. By age 65, people, especially those who are sedentary, have lost almost half of their muscle mass and strength. The muscles become so weak that everyday mobility becomes difficult.
I’ve Fallen! Is it Alzheimer’s?
If an elder with memory problems suffers a fall, there’s a tendency to just dismiss the cause by saying that the person has Alzheimer’s. But Alzheimer’s is not the only health issue that can lead to memory loss, confusion and forgetfulness.
Can Home-Monitoring Technology Prevent Falls in Elders?
Up to 50% of elders fall each year in their home. Many of these falls result in broken bones, hospital admissions and relocation to nursing homes for ongoing care. Can an elder, who is growing frailer with age, remain at home safely?
Bathing Tips for Seniors
Four Right at Home franchisees offer the following tips on making bathing more pleasant for your loved one.