Archives for Freedom Home Care

Caregiving on the silver screen, from the oldest-ever Oscar nominee

Yesterday, the folks here at Freedom Home Care gave a much-deserved shout-out to 76-year-old Shirley Bassey, the voice behind multiple James Bond theme songs. Bassey serves as an inspiration not just for seniors, but for all individuals and especially those who are striving to make their way in the competitive field of entertainment. Like Bassey, Emmanuelle Riva, the 86 year old nominated for best actress for her role in the French film, “Amour,” is an inspiration for many, as well. In addition to those in the film industry, those in the field of caregiving consider her a role model. Her
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Getting in tune with Shirley Bassey

Last night’s Academy Awards ceremony highlighted Hollywood’s best and brightest. It gave viewers a chance to celebrate the world’s most famous actors and actresses – as well as some of the greatest voices ever to grace the silver screen. Shirley Bassey, the famous voice behind the James Bond title hit, Goldfinger, may have stolen the show, however. At the age of 76, Bassey belted out the tune as if she were at the peak of her career. Her Oscar performance garnered a standing ovation and had viewers almost forgetting the fact that none of the James Bond actors were featured
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Looking at transitional care through the eyes of family caregivers

In a recent study titled, “Family Caregiving and Transitional Care: A Critical Review,” published by the Family Caregiver Alliance, authors Mary Jo Gibson, Kathleen A. Kelly and Alan K. Kaplan looked at the risks held by the elderly when transitioning to new settings, such as those between the hospital and home. In the study, they focused on the role of family caregivers. The major findings include: Family Caregivers Receive Inadequate Support – Relatively little research has been conducted on how family caregivers perceive their own roles and needs during transitions across settings. However, the evidence that is available indicates they
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Testing for macular degeneration at home

We here at Freedom Home Care have focused much of our blogging efforts over the past week on macular degeneration, hoping to educate our readers on who the condition can affect, how they can be affected, and methods to slow or prevent its side effects. debt settlement company In the YouTube video below, viewers can test for the presence and degree of macular degeneration with the Amsler Grid, which is a simple and effective test that helps to monitor the function of the macula or central area of vision. The graph-paper-like test features a black dot in the center, where
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Learning about methods to prevent or slow macular degeneration

Last week, we here at Freedom Home Care dedicated a blog to explain age-related macular degeneration, a condition that affects more than 15 million Americans. In that blog, we promised to deliver methods that could help those who suffer from AMD. And thanks to the editors at AllAboutVision.com, we learned that there are multiple ways to do so. Here are a 11 guidelines, courtesy of AllAboutVision.com, to help prevent or slow the progression of AMD: 1. Don’t smoke. Period. 2. Eat plenty of dark, leafy green vegetables, such as raw spinach. Just a half cup of raw spinach three times
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Understanding age-related vision decline

The signs of aging – if only they didn’t exist. Unfortunately, however, there are many ways in which the body will change as the years progress. Failing vision is just one of many areas where older individuals will experience the signs of aging, and therefore, it is by no means rare. In fact, it’s one of the most common aspects to growing old. Macular degeneration, a progressive eye condition, affects nearly 15 million Americans, and its numbers are growing as Baby Boomers reach their 60s and 70s. According to AMD.org, the website for the Macular Degeneration Partnership, “the disease attacks the
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Getting a clearer picture on the future of Medicare

Last night’s State of the Union address was full of proposals and promises for everything from job creation to gun control. The problem with an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink speech, however, is making heads or tails of it. As viewers know, President Obama devoted a fair amount of his more-than-an-hour-long address to Medicare. But many are still trying to figure out what it will all boil down to. To get a clear picture of what the future of Medicare could look like, Sarah Cliff of the Washington Post took Obama’s words and broke them down into easy-to-digest pieces. She said that there were
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Six tips for being a frugal retiree

Yesterday, we here at Freedom Home Care posted a blog that highlighted ways to save at the grocery store. Because some retirees are living on a budget and are often looking for methods to stretch a dollar, we thought that we would continue with the topic of thrifty living. So without further ado, here are a handful of ways to make less equal more, courtesy of SelfGrowth.com: 1. Consolidate car trips: Group all of your errands into one outing with the trip mapped out to avoid unnecessary back-tracking. This will save money on gasoline and really stretch your gas dollars.
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Tips to stretch every dollar at the grocery store

Many retired individuals live on a fairly strict budget. And although making every dollar – and every dime – count is a great rule of thumb no matter one’s age, it doesn’t always come into play when making purchases. For those living on a pension or a retirement fund, however, being thrifty is more than just a smart idea; it’s a must. Thanks to Jeff Yeager’s ultimate cheapskate ways, it’s easy to see that there are plenty of methods to save money every single day. When shopping for groceries, for example, which can take a big chunk out of everyone’s
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Settlement enables improvements to maintenance care for chronic diseases

Medicare members and caregivers for those suffering with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and other chronic diseases were applauding a federal judge’s recent decision this week. According to an article published by AARP, the approval of a proposed settlement agreement paves the way for Medicare beneficiaries to receive needed health services to maintain their current level of functioning. “The settlement, which represents a significant change in Medicare coverage rules, ends Medicare’s longstanding practice of requiring people to show a likelihood of improvement in order to receive coverage of skilled care and therapy services,” AARP explained. “The Agr write my essay eement, which
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