Archives for safety

Tips for Feeling Safe When Visiting Businesses as Illinois Enters Phase 3

As Illinois makes its way into phase three of re-opening the state, there are some important tips on how to prevent you and your loved ones from getting sick when going to newly re-opened businesses, restaurants, and stores. We at Freedom Home Care have listed ways you can feel safe when traveling outside. Check it out below! What you need to know before going out: Stay at home if you are feeling sick or have a high temperature Wear a cloth face covering when going inside establishments or running errands Use social distancing by staying at least 6-feet away from
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Fall Preventions and Precautions to Take

The start of colder weather makes it a more dangerous time for seniors to get around. In order to help you or a loved one be safe this winter, we have put together some tips and facts on fall prevention. Check them out here at Freedom healthcare.   While it is common for people of all ages to fall, seniors are the ones at the most risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 1 in 4 seniors fall at least once a year. If you are over the age of 75, you are 5 times more likely
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Fall Prep for Seniors

Believe it or not, the leaves are already changing color and soon they will be falling off the trees. The beginning of fall brings a new season with everything pumpkin spice and cinnamon. While there are a ton of good things to look forward to, fall comes with some important health tips to keep in mind. At Freedom Homecare Highland Park, we’ve got you covered. As the temperature begins to drop in the next few weeks, you are at an increased risk of contracting a cold or flu virus. Make sure you are washing your hands more frequently so you
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Tips for a Smooth Hospital to Home Transition

Making the change from hospital to home for many seniors is often one of the most difficult aspects of the transition of care. In fact, one in five Medicare patients end up returning to the hospital within 30 days due to unforeseen challenges they face when returning home. Unfortunately, many loved ones aren’t aware that when their senior leaves the hospital, it’s not just continuing health and mobility issues that are at play – there is often the dilemma of getting dialed in to the proper resources. According to rightathome.com the overall structure within the healthcare system lacks the transitional
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Ways to Help Protect Your Senior Against Fraud

With age, comes good times, great memories and lots of wisdom and fulfillment. As more and more Baby Boomers begin to reach the age of retirement, the likelihood of scammers and con artists attempting to use financial schemes to target seniors receiving personalized elder care, grows. Freedom Home Care did some digging and found out that according to the National Council on Aging, while the number of older Americans falling victim to fraud is rising at alarming rates, 90 percent of elder abuse associated with finances happens involving another family member. Because they are more to likely to have savings
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Tips for Choosing the Right Walking Cane

Choosing the right cane requires a little more planning than most people can imagine. Before investing in a cane or walker, seniors should first identify the reason they need walking support, if they need it to support their full weight and the appropriate type, size, and fit of the device. Canes and walkers provide different levels of support for the person using them. They can be beneficial to seniors with pain, weakness and problems balancing on their own. They’re also helpful in avoiding falls and providing extra support when needed. And according to Lori Ramage, physical therapist and the Joint Club
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Tips To Prevent Identity Theft for Seniors

Identity theft. It’s something most people think could never happen to them. Until it actually happens. According to nationwide surveys we’ve come across at Freedom Home Care nationwide, 26 percent of Americans have been the victim of telemarketing schemes in their lifetime. Nearly 57 percent of people over 50 years of age lose $40 billion to telemarketing fraud each year, and baby boomers are the main target for criminals who commit investment fraud. Experian Credit Bureau says reports of identity theft involving tax returns and medical care are the fastest growing cases in America. Unfortunately, individuals who defraud unsuspecting seniors
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Spring Cleaning Tips for You and Your Senior

With spring comes budding trees and plants, blooming flowers and changing temperatures. It’s also a time when people begin to organize and de-clutter clutter the space around them. What you may not consider is how much caring for your senior involves a routine spring cleaning of their apartments or home in order to help them stay organized, as well. Oftentimes old photographs, papers and mementos have a habit of accumulating and collecting dust in the basement or attic. But before you begin the process of straightening and systematizing the memories of your loved one, it might be good to sit
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How to be Prepared for in Home Emergencies

When loved ones begin to age, the risks for in-home injuries begin to rise. However, preparing for the unexpected before it actually happens may help decrease that number and save the day. Home fall related injuries are at an all-time high, affecting about 2.5 million older folks per year. About 1 in every 3 people aged 65 and older will fall, and only about half of those individuals will actually tell a doctor about it. Here are a few tips to help you prepare for a health related emergency, as well as ways to make your home as safe as
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Three steps to “catch yourself” before falling

The Fall Prevention Center of Excellence at the University of Southern California is one of the top authorities on falls in the elderly population. The group spends their efforts helping those at risk to avoid falls of any kind. Therefore, they target those who are suffering from muscle weakness, arthritis, a history of falling, depression, difficulty balancing or walking, difficulty thinking or vision problems as well as those who take multiple medications. According to the group’s “Catch Yourself: Simple Steps to Prevent Falls” brochure, the following suggestions should help you or aging loved ones stay on their own two feet:
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