Summer Safety: Know the Signs of Heat Stroke in the Elderly
During the long, cold winter, we enthusiastically anticipated the heat of summer. What a relief to finally throw open the windows and allow the warm breezes to blow through the house! However, now that we are in the midst of the dog days of summer, it is necessary to take precautions and know the signs […]
Elderly Joint Pain Increases Fall Risks
The statistics related to senior falls are surprising. Falls are the primary source of injury in older adults, and bring about hundreds of thousands of hip fractures annually, along with numerous other injuries experienced. As prevalent as falls in seniors are, the risk is more than doubled for individuals with osteoarthritis, according to research by […]
Questions to Ask When Planning Long Term Care for Aging Parents
Being together over the holidays is a good time to get caught up and an ideal time to have discussions about planning long term care for aging parents. Having an open and honest discussion around care needs, home modifications and finances is important to help meet the wishes of senior loved ones. Live Free Home […]
Transitional Home Health Care Services: Help with Returning Home After a Hospital Stay
Following a medical procedure or hospitalization, the words we look forward to hearing most are, “Here are your discharge papers – you’re free to return home now!” What a sense of relief there is in coming through the front door, sinking into a favorite chair, and relaxing. Yet there are often a number of tasks […]
Modification Tips to Create a Dementia-Friendly Home
The daily challenges of providing care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s are continuously changing. Today, the challenge may be frustration because of the inability to communicate effectively. Next week, it could be wandering and seeking to go “home.” There could be sleepless nights if sundowning is a factor, or aggressive actions and words which […]
Dangers of Dehydration in Seniors: Don’t Overlook This Health Risk
During the warmest time of the year, maintaining proper hydration is crucial, particularly for seniors. As a matter of fact, approximately 1/2 of all seniors are chronically under-hydrated, as documented in a newly released UCLA study, which can result in a variety of health risks, including kidney stones, urinary tract infection, as well as a […]
Summer Heat Safety Tips for Older Adults
The longer days of summer mean extra time for swimming, family cookouts, gardening, and all of those other wonderful seasonal pursuits. Yet it also means an increased risk for a variety of health concerns for senior citizens, who happen to be more susceptible to heat-related complications such as: Heat syncope (faintness/dizziness) Heat cramps Heat edema […]
Safe Driving Tips for Seniors
Do you remember that feeling as a teen when you first climbed behind the steering wheel, experiencing the excitement of being in a position to go anywhere you wanted? The freedom that having the ability to drive grants us is beyond compare! Nevertheless, as we grow older, a number of factors may come into play […]
Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms and Prevention for Older Adults
When you think of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), your first thought may be a sports-related accident, such as a football player crashing head-first into a rival, or even a head-on collision in a car accident – something less likely to affect seniors. Yet the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries in older adults is much […]
Doctors Prescribing Antibiotics Can Lead to Drug-Resistant Diseases that Impact Seniors
The days of doctors prescribing antibiotics unnecessarily are over, or soon will be. According to the CDC, an astounding two million people each year are identified as having an antibiotic-resistant strain of disease, and a full 23,000 of them die as a result. The reason? Over-prescribing of antibiotics, or prescribing them when unnecessary. The truth […]