Archives for Senior Care

Avoiding a Healthcare Crisis

Avoiding a Healthcare Crisis

July 3, 2013 | No Comments

As more baby boomers pass 65, a healthcare crisis is beginning to appear.  With medical advancements, seniors today will be living longer than their parents or grandparents.  They will also be living sicker for longer. According to surveys, 8 out of 10 seniors have chronic conditions, with half having two or more.  According to the CDC, seniors will spend three to five times more money on healthcare than everyone under 65.  This will put a heavy burden on seniors and their families. What can seniors do to prepare? Make small changes to improve health.  Many of these chronic diseases, such
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Doctors Come Together with 'Accountable Care Organization'

Doctors Come Together with 'Accountable Care Organization'

June 27, 2013 | No Comments

If you or someone close to you has multiple health problems, you know how frustrating it can be when doctors won’t talk with one another.  Prescription mistakes happen, time is wasted going over the same information, and perhaps there is an extraneous emergency room trip due to miscommunication.  It is a massive problem, and one that is costing Medicare millions each year. To solve this, Obama put into motion the Accountable Care Organization model.  If all of the doctors work together to care for the patient and avoid emergencies, they are rewarded with keeping some of the money that was saved
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Study Finds High Blood Pressure Linked to Cognitive Decline

Study Finds High Blood Pressure Linked to Cognitive Decline

June 26, 2013 | No Comments

An estimated 67 million American adults have high blood pressure – that is a third of the adult population!  We know that hypertension can cause conditions such as strokes, aneurysms, and kidney damage.  But now we can add another condition to the list:  decreased cognitive abilities. A recent study found at Huffington Post was done in Australia to determine if there was a relationship between high blood pressure and cognitive abilities.  It was found that those with hypertension fared worse with visual processing, recognition, and processing speed. Why do they think this is happening?  Our arteries are the blood vessels
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Talk with Your Parent About Driving

Talk with Your Parent About Driving

June 25, 2013 | No Comments

Has your elderly parent had a few auto accidents lately?  Perhaps a new medical condition has you concerned that they are behind the wheel?  Whatever the reason, having the conversation about having a senior hand over his keys is difficult.  Here are some ways to make that discussion go a little easier. 1. Pay attention.  Ride as a passenger while your parent drives and pay attention to their driving.  Make notes of any driving errors that occur. And try not to cheat by prompting them to use their turn signal or reminding them of an upcoming stop sign.  Bring this list
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Think about Your Future

Think about Your Future

June 14, 2013 | No Comments

As the senior population in the United States reaches 25% of the total population, we are seeing more seniors who are not thinking about the future.  Even the people in the over-65 crowd who are in good health are still not preparing themselves.  What should be in the back of every senior’s mind?  Exercising, eating right, and saving for long-term care. Many seniors claim to be feeling healthy, but they do not regularly exercise.  Even if they are well now, they are putting themselves at risk for cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and high blood pressure.  Even daily light exercise, such as
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Key to Good Senior Care is Planning

Key to Good Senior Care is Planning

June 12, 2013 | Comments Off on Key to Good Senior Care is Planning

Are you providing senior care to a loved one?  You are not alone. Today, there are nearly 67 million people in America providing care to a family member.  Helping him or her age with dignity and independence can be overwhelming for the adult child.  Here are some tips to help you cope: Devise an individual plan for care.  Every senior is different and will need different resources for care.  Make sure that you look for help when you need it.  Just because a friend you know easily takes care of her parent at home, don’t think that you can do it all on
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Pets Help Seniors Stay Healthy

Pets Help Seniors Stay Healthy

June 7, 2013 | Comments Off on Pets Help Seniors Stay Healthy

May was National Pet Month, a time to celebrate the faithful dogs and the people who care for them.  Anyone who is a pet owner knows what happiness a dog can bring to a home.  Not only are they excellent at keeping the home safe but they are also endless entertainment, excellent listeners, and want nothing more than to be loved. The benefits for seniors are even more than those mentioned.  Retirement can be a lonely time of a person’s life.  A dog can reduce some of that loneliness and can even be helpful to introduce the senior to others. 
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The Long Term Effects of Seniors Falling

The Long Term Effects of Seniors Falling

June 6, 2013 | No Comments

You most likely have heard this story before: a senior has a bad fall and gets injured.  But instead of getting better, they seem to never be the same.  They have such a fear of falling that they begin to only walk when they are holding on to something, or maybe not walk at all.  They sleep less and seem consumed by the possibility that they may fall again.  Eventually their health begins to decline. This series of events has a name:  post-fall syndrome.  It is a psychological condition that affects one out of five seniors who has fallen and
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Seniors Benefit from the Affordable Care Act

Seniors Benefit from the Affordable Care Act

May 31, 2013 | Comments Off on Seniors Benefit from the Affordable Care Act

Confused about the Affordable Care Act?  Join the majority of Americans. President Obama signed the healthcare reform law three years ago, and still most of us are unsure that we understand what it is.  In fact, a whopping 41% didn’t even know that it was still the law.  For whatever reason, the implementation seemed messy and many feel negatively about it.  And bits of the law seem a bit murky.  So, does the Affordable Care Act actually help seniors? To answer the question simply, yes. The new law reduces the risk of Medicare fraud.  Many seniors have fallen prey to
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Lack of Care in Nursing Homes

Lack of Care in Nursing Homes

May 27, 2013 | Comments Off on Lack of Care in Nursing Homes

Health care workers from across Minnesota came to the capitol earlier this month to demand more money from the state.  Much like Illinois, Minnesota has a lack of care in nursing homes throughout the state due to inadequate funds and lowered quality of skilled professionals in the industry. Skilled health professionals are beginning to leave nursing homes in favor of a bigger paycheck.  And who can blame them?  They haven’t seen a pay increase in five years. What this means is that the quality of the nursing homes relying on the money to pay their staff will decrease.  This reduction
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