Even in old age, there’s no reason not to take care of yourself. Whether it’s a walk in the park or choosing fruit instead of dessert, finding simple habits to integrate into your everyday life is the easiest way to stay healthy. With old age, you might see a decline in your physical health even when your mind feels 30! So what are some practical ways to keep your mind—and body—feeling younger? Light strength training is a great way to improve senior health and coordination, and can even be done at home with a chair (and pillow, if needed). There
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Posts by Freedom Home Care
Quality Over Quantity: Big Changes to Medicare
The Obama Administration is enacting big changes in Medicare to reward healthcare providers for quality rather than quantity. Instead of paying a set rate per hospital procedure, the government will now take into account the effectiveness of those procedures – and the resulting health of patients. The change in policy will provide an incentive for hospitals to increase their quality of service. For example, under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (part of the Affordable Care Act), Medicare can reduce payments to hospitals with excess readmissions. Such readmissions for high-cost or high-volume conditions (heart attack, pneumonia) usually result from inadequate hospital
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A Knock on the Door of a Neighborhood Senior Could Save a Life
In the midst of dark winter weather, many elderly people are isolated at home, and this can be a dangerous situation for those who don’t have caretakers or family members in the area. From slipping and falling inside to getting stuck in bad weather, there are a variety of situations that can be hazardous for older people home alone, which means its important that we take care of those around us! There are several factors to consider with an elderly person in your area. Not only the weather, but their own health issues can make daily activities more dangerous as well.
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Studies Prove That Volunteering Helps Senior Health
Volunteering has a positive effect on everyone: the volunteers, the recipients of their care, and the community overall. New studies show that volunteering benefits seniors specifically – and not as benefactors of volunteer programs, but as the volunteers themselves. Volunteering Keeps Your Body Healthy Exercise is a huge part of maintaining physical health, but you don’t have to lift weights or go for a run. Simple daily movements like walking and interacting with others are enough to keep seniors sufficiently active. As we grow older, our lifestyles tend to become increasingly sedentary, giving rise to health problems such as heart disease, hypertension,
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Still Alice, Starring Julianne Moore, Gives Insight to Alzheimer’s struggle
Julianne Moore told Access Hollywood that working on Still Alice was “amazing,” and “a privilege” while on the red carpet for the SAG Awards this week. If you haven’t heard yet, Still Alice is the heartbreaking book-to-film story of professor Alice Howland (played by Moore) who struggles with the discovery she has early onset Alzheimer’s. While tear jerking, Still Alice offers some serious insight into the lives of Alzheimer’s sufferers. Starting with Alice’s descent into forgetfulness alone, she finally confronts the reality her disease in the presence of her family, including her husband (Alec Baldwin), Anna (Kate Bosworth), Tom (Hunter
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Over the Counter Meds Save Time but Cause Long Term Memory Problems
For anyone who goes to over-the-counter medications to cure allergies or the sniffles, this could be bad news: studies now show that medications like Benadryl can increase your chances for Alzheimer’s or long term memory problems. This also applies to some anti-depressants and sleep aids, among other popular OTC products. This data is inferred from the idea that acetylcholine, a key chemical messenger in the brain, can’t travel freely within the body when under the influence of some medications, and long term exposure to these medications can result in dementia. The lead of the study, Professor Shelly Gray of the
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Share the Love this Valentine's Day
Romance is in the air as Valentine’s Day approaches, and while many are buying candy and making dinner reservations for a date night with a special someone, there are also many who don’t have a special friend or companion to share in the fun with. As our loved ones grow older, they often suffer from loneliness, especially during the holidays. But Valentine’s Day can be a day for everyone. Here at Freedom Home Care, we encourage you to share your love and friendship with those of all ages, including seniors. Whether it is a parent or even a neighbor living on your
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Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate Will Satisfy Both Body and Soul
We all love chocolate. Sometimes a little too much. Sometimes so much that it becomes unhealthy. But maybe we don’t have to give up chocolate, we just have to change the kind of chocolate we eat. The one magic plant that makes chocolate so delicious —cacao— is the secret to all of our chocolate obsessions. The seed is dried and fermented, carrying with it a deceivingly brown, powdery texture resembling hot chocolate mix. Take a small taste to find out that cacao by itself has a terrible flavor. Only after sugar is added and the seed is processed does the
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Fun Activities for Seniors in the Winter
With snow on the ground, there is officially no doubt that winter has arrived. As the days become shorter and frigidly cold temperatures settle in, it can be easy to stay cooped up inside for the long haul. But even though temperatures may be chilly, it’s important for everyone, including seniors, to keep busy and socialize. Here are a few ideas from us here at Freedom Home Care for some activities for seniors in the winter to keep active and have fun too! · Join a club- Be it a book club or a coin collectors club, finding a group of people with
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The Benefits of Home Modification
As we get older, the possibility of leaving our home becomes more of a reality, and the stress of that consideration can be overwhelming. No one wants to leave their comfortable environment, but if you or your loved one is unable to take care of themselves in their daily routine at home, there may be an alternative Freedom Home Care can offer to keep you in your home safely. Home modification is essentially a simple idea. The home you live in is evaluated and modified in order to make it a safer and easier place to live and maneuver through.
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