March 2010

Seniors Living With Heart Disease and Stroke: A Family Affair

Seniors and other adults recovering from a heart attack or stroke—and their families—face many new physical and emotional challenges and feelings of uncertainty. If you find yourself in this situation, you do not need to feel alone. Many resources are available to help patients and families cope and gain hope in the midst of the [...]

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Help Seniors Stay On-Guard Against Germs

photo credit: Arlington County As people grow older, natural defenses against disease weaken. Caregivers of elderly relatives or seniors need to strengthen efforts to keep germs at bay—and protect seniors’ health and quality of life. Here are some tips: Wash your hands Often neglected, hand washing is a key infection control practice that substantially reduces [...]

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How to Detect Reactions to Medications – Tips for Seniors and The Elderly

photo credit: Nils Geylen When a senior or elderly loved one takes medications ordered by a physician, it is very important that other medicine not be taken unless the physician knows about it. This includes over-the-counter medications as well as drugs prescribed by the same or other physicians. The actions of some medicines are changed [...]

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Do you or a loved one need in-home care? Take Our Care Survey!

Is it time for you to consider in-home care for your loved one?  Start by taking our short Care Survey to help you better understand whether the time may have come to pursue care options for your loved one.  Click here to take our online survey and just answer “Yes” or “No” for each of [...]

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Respite Care: Relief for the Family

No matter how much you love the person you are caring for, you need regular breaks from caregiving. Nonstop caregiving will zap your energy and take a toll on your physical, mental and emotional health. If you will not do it for yourself, please consider that respite care also benefits the person you are caring [...]

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A Furry Friend For Loneliness

Many seniors have discovered that pets are an antidote to isolation and loneliness. And numerous studies show cats, dogs, and other creatures are a prescription for improved health in the elderly. Kelly Connolly of the Humane Society of the United States says on HSUS’s Web site (www.hsus.org), “Emotionally, pets can bring new meaning and purpose [...]

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Staying Strong: Aging & the Musculoskeletal System

As people get older, it’s common for the spine to shorten. This causes people to “shrink” very gradually, losing from one to four inches in height. In some people, the upper spine also begins to curve, leading to a stooped posture. Usually elderly people experience a shrinking in their muscles, especially if they don’t exercise. [...]

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What’s Good for the Heart Is Good for the Brain

When you take healthful eating to heart, it will go to your head, too. A well-balanced, heart-healthy diet—rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains—reduces plaque build-up in the arteries to help deliver a free-flowing stream of oxygen to all parts of the body, including the brain. This boosts mental performance, slows the aging process and [...]

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Florida Seniors! Write your life story!

Passing on Wisdom from Generation to Generation Today’s seniors have lived through significant historic events and change – from the Great Depression and World War II to rapid-fire advances in technology and medical science. And along the way, through times both challenging and prosperous, they have collected a treasure trove of experiences and wisdom that [...]

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Caring for a Senior Parent from a Distance: Cross Border Guardianships

Caring for an aging parent across town can be a challenge when you have a household of your own to run. A growing number of Americans, however, have a cross-country challenge: caring for parents living in another state. As caregivers in Central Florida, a retirement hot spot, we see many families struggle with the responsibility [...]

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