What exactly is Swine Influenza? Learn the facts about the virus that’s catching the
attention of the news media and concerned citizens all over the US from The Center of
Disease Control and Prevention website and share your thoughts.
1.) How should this outbreak be handled?
2.) What can adults and seniors do to prevent exposure?
Please comment below with your opinions!
Image Source:
-New York Times
While you will never get the comforts of home during a hospital stay, being well-prepared with the items you will need for a hospital visit will help make your time in the hospital more tolerable and even comfortable. It is recommended that Phoenix elderly with a history of medical problems that require hospital visits keep a packed bag with the items they will need for the hospital. Other seniors can have a family member pick up the items for their time in the hospital on their behalf, although it’s easier if a list is drafted in advance and kept with a close relative or caregiver so essential items are not forgotten in the face of a medical emergency.
Items to include on a packing list for a hospital stay:
1. Copies of important documents - Insurance information, living will, Power of Attorney’s, phone lists and lists of current medications should be stored in an enclosed folder.
2. Clothing - if the hospital allows you to wear your own clothing choose nightgowns or nightshirts, loose fitting undergarments and short sleeved tops so that monitors and intravenous can still be applied easily. A buttoned cardigan or robe can also be worn for extra warmth.
3. Toiletries
4. Eye glasses, hearing aids etc.
5. Prepaid Phone card
6. Pen and paper
7. Books, magazines, knitting and other entertainment
8. Small amount of cash
9. Electronics (cell phones, laptops etc if allowed by hospital)
10. Momentos from home – framed photos or other items can make the hospital feel more like home
Sources:
1. MedicineNet
2. Inventor Spot Beth Hodgson
Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors quality care at home. Call today 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.
We all get older, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to watch the effects that aging has upon our body and minds. Nor is it easy for loved ones to accept particularly drastic changes that are occurring with a senior loved one. To help you cope with the aging you or an elderly relative is experiencing, consider the following tips:
Accepting Your Aging:
1. Determine why you are anxious about aging – if it relates to unaccomplished goals, find a way to reach them. Also remember to set goals that suit your lifestyle, as an older adult today.
2. Acknowledge your achievements – instead of looking at the things you are unable to do as a senior, acknowledge the accomplishments you have made with your family, in your community and in your life.
3. Embrace aging resources – read books and get online to understand the aging process and how you can accept it.
4. Maintain your health – don’t succumb to the challenges of aging; eat well, exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
5. Break the routine – at any age, you can embrace new experiences. Travel to a new place or choose a new hobby to keep up the variety.
Accepting Senior Aging:
1. Communicate effectively – if a senior struggles with their memory, avoid harping on them if they’ve forgotten something. If you’re really concerned, discuss it with a doctor.
2. Look at their positive traits – instead of focusing on the perceived decline of aging, focus on the senior’s beauty, wisdom and accomplishments.
Sources:
1. Ehow
2. Eldercare ABC Blog
Images: totallycebu.com
Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors quality care at home. Call today 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.
Beginning in May, HBO is presenting a series of documentaries with short films to create awareness and understanding about seniors and Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The major portion of the Alzheimer’s project which consists of a four-part documentary series will begin airing on HBO on May 10, 2009.
The first episode, titled “The Memory Loss Tapes” follows the lives and challenges of seniors suffering from dementia at varying points on Alzheimer’s disease. On May 11 the Alzheimer’s Project will feature “Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?” which features Maria Shriver and is a child-friendly film that depicts the trials and tribulations a child faces when living with a senior relative with Alzheimer’s disease; and “Momentum in Science Part 1” which will teach us about the scientific advances that are progressing in Alzheimer’s research. On May 12, the Alzheimer’s Project will feature a documentary titled “Caregivers” to show the hard work and sacrifices that family and professional caregivers endure when providing eldercare for a senior with Alzheimer’s; followed by “Momentum in Science Part 2”.
The Alzheimer’s Project is a great resource for Phoenix family caregivers and relatives of seniors with Alzheimer’s as it will increase their understanding and level of care they will be able to provide. The Alzheimer’s Project will also consist of a public awareness campaign and a resourceful book published by Published Affairs Books.
Sources:
1. Alzheimer’s Association
2. Alzheimer’s News
Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors quality care at home. Call today 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.
Grants for seniors in Phoenix are available from the Federal Government and foundations that provide financial assistance for seniors relating to housing, education and more. There are Federal Grants for seniors that cover a number of areas like housing, volunteerism, nutrition and housing.
Popular Federal Grants for Seniors Include:
• Capital Assistance Program for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities provides funds to provide transportation to elderly persons in areas public transportation services are not available, or when they are inappropriate due to a senior’s physical or mental condition.
• The Foster Grandparent Program encourages seniors to volunteer in their communities, specifically with special needs children, through funding which is available for seniors 60 and older who have limited incomes.
• Mortgage Insurance-Rental Housing for the Elderly - this grant insures mortgage lenders against loss, to increase the number of quality and affordable rental properties available for seniors.
• Retired and Senior Volunteer Program encourages community service by seniors 55 and older by offering reimbursement
• Nutrition Services Incentive Program works with the Department of Agriculture to provide nutritious foods to senior meal delivery programs and other nutritional-focused organizations.
To apply for senior grants provided by the Federal Government or foundations, Phoenix seniors must write a proposal, demonstrating the benefits that they would receive, or be able to dispense to others were they to become an approved recipient of the grant.
Sources:
1. LovetoKnow
2. Foundation Center
Image: www.heartlandconnection.com
Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors quality care at home. Call today 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.
According to a report by US News and World Report, many common ailments and changes that we naturally affiliate with the aging process, are not in fact normal for everyone and many common aging myths don’t hold as much truth as we like to assume.
1. Extra weight cuts your life short – studies show that carrying a few extra pounds (up to 30lbs) in you senior years may not result in a shortened lifespan after all, provided you are not obese with a BMI over 30. At age 75 an extra 30 lbs can actually be protective of the immune system, staving off other illnesses; proving that carrying a little extra weight isn’t always bad, as we’ve been taught to think.
2. Everyone must prepare for senility – we’ve all heard the expression “old and senile” when discussing older adulthood, but senility doesn’t happen to everyone contrary to the stereotype. Some cognitive decline may occur, but it typically doesn’t compromise a senior’s ability to live independently.
3. Phoenix Seniors Shouldn’t Exercise – the belief is that seniors won’t have the energy to exercise, or that it can be harmful. However, seniors who exercise have a lower occurrence of heart problems, and less fatigue.
4. All hearing loss requires a hearing aid – only 35% of seniors require hearing aids; although many seniors do experience some form of hearing loss, many maintain perfect hearing into their later years.
5. Seniors are cranky – while some seniors may experience personality changes due to Alzheimer’s or dementia, or may experience bouts of depression due to their declining health, research proves that our personalities don’t change after age 30. The cranky Phoenix seniors you know have probably always been that way.
Sources:
1 US News & World Report
Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors quality care at home. Call today 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.
Q – My elderly mother was recently diagnosed with a chronic illness which they cannot treat because of her age. Can you provide me with any tips to help her cope with the unpleasant news that she recently received?
Coming to terms with the fact that you have a serious, even chronic illness is never easy, whether the news comes in your senior years or during the early stages of your life, you are forced to face your own mortality. Senior health can change quickly and drastically, so often receiving the news of a crippling illness, such as cancer can come as a serious shock.
To help your mother cope with the unpleasant news that she received, relating to her chronic illness, work with her to implement the following steps to increase her knowledge and drive her towards acceptance.
1. Get support – seniors can join support groups for those coping with chronic illnesses or seek independent support. Speaking with someone impartial, who is not a close family member or friend can be beneficial, since they will be better able to listen without becoming upset.
2. Keep records – maintain detailed records regarding medical history and treatment recommended by each doctor visited during the course of the illness.
3. Seek knowledge – learn as much as possible about the illness including symptoms, treatment methods and common procedures and operations.
4. Find a health advocate – seniors can benefit from having an escort at appointments, to keep records and assist with decisions
5. Accept your feelings – it’s okay to feel angry, sad or resentful for the cards you’ve been dealt; allow yourself to run the gamut of emotions and allow yourself to grieve.
6. Find acceptance – come to terms with your illness at your own stage.
Sources:
1. Cancer journal
2. Carol O’Dell Blog
Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors quality care at home. Call today 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.
Q – How can I help retain a good memory into my senior years?
A - A healthy, active brain in older adulthood can prevent the onset and symptoms that relate to Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and the natural process of aging upon memory. Some simple tips, which you can implement into your daily routine, can help to keep your mind sharp and active. These tips will not only help you to remember information, it will ensure that your brain remains active and can help you maintain your cognitive capacities into old age.
1. Use the art of focusing and meditation
2. If you want to memorize information, mentally repeat it
3. Summarize the information you’d like to remember
4. Create acronyms to help you remember details
5. Create associations
6. Use landmarks and objects to help you remember, especially when driving and practicing routes
7. If you have a daily routine, make it into a ritual instead, to help you remember simple daily tasks
A healthy, fit brain into older adulthood, whether you are developing early Alzheimer’s or simply want to prevent the development of future cognitive issues, may start with brain fitness. But like with the body, brain fitness does not only involve exercising the mind directly. Ensure that you incorporate these tips into your daily routine as well, for a sharp mind.
Sources:
1. Prevention
2. Third Age
3. Reader’s Digest
Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors quality care at home. Call today 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.
“Spring forward” “fall back” are statements to remind us to change our clocks at the appropriate time of year, but Daylight Savings Time can make a far greater impact on the lives of seniors in a way that has nothing to do with time. Fire safety experts are encouraging Americans to use time changes as the perfect opportunity to ensure that smoke detectors in the home are working properly. So, anytime you go to change your clocks, remember to check and change the batteries in your smoke detectors and test the fire alarms in your residence to ensure that you don’t become a statistic as one of the 3,800 fire related deaths that take place in the United States each year.
To test your smoke alarms at the twice yearly intervals, check the battery power by pressing the “Test” button on the smoke detector, and to ensure that the device remains fully-functional, remove any dust and debris from the battery compartment and mechanics of the electronic. Smoke alarms should also be replaced once every 8-10 years to ensure they are capable of alerting residents of the home about the threat of fire.
More information about fire alarm and smoke detector safety is available at the US Fire Administration website (http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/all_citizens/home_fire_prev/alarms/)
Sources:
1. USFA
2. News-press.com
Image: ubergizmo.com
Nursing Home Care Greater Phoenix & Nursing Home Care Central Phoenix gives Phoenix elders and seniors quality care at home. Call today 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.
