Selecting Home Care Help

When recovering from surgery or need long-term care at home, an individual may need extra help. However, when hiring home health care, it's critical to understand the agency's state ratings and learn exactly what the factors mean and how each affects your loved one's quality of care.

How to Select the Best Home Care Agency

 

Flu in Older Adults

Older adults and people with chronic diseases are at the greatest risk of problems associated with seasonal flu. 

Of all age groups, individuals older than age 84 have the highest risk of dying from seasonal flu complications; those older than age 74 face the second highest risk of flu complications. Children age 4 and younger have the third highest risk of problems with seasonal flu. http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/flu-guide/fact-sheet-elderly-people

Dementia Directory

We all forget things as we get older. Mild memory loss is common in older adults and as long as it doesn't affect their daily lives, isn't usually a problem; but memory loss that gets worse and affects daily life may be a sign of dementia. Dementia can cause problems with memory and how well a person is able to think and plan. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and it usually gets worse over time. How long this takes is different for each person. Some people stay the same for years while others lose skills quickly. Follow the links below to find WebMD's comprehensive coverage about dementia, what it looks like, how to treat it, and much more.
http://www.webmd.com/brain/dementia-directory

Physical Activity as You Get Older

It's never too late to start getting active. Being fit is important for everyone. You can benefit from physical activity even if you think of yourself as "elderly" or if you already have conditions such as arthritis or heart disease. Being more active will help you feel better and may even help you live longer.
http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/tc/physical-activity-as-you-get-older-topic-overview

Caregivers Guide to Medications and Aging

“Any symptom in an elderly patient should be considered a drug side effect until proved otherwise.”
Brown University Long-term Care Quality Letter, 1995.
https://caregiver.org/caregivers-guide-medications-and-aging

Family Caregiver Alliance™

Mission . . .
To improve the quality of life for caregivers and those they care for through information, services, and advocacy.
https://caregiver.org/about-fca

Senior Health

If you’re 65 or older, you’re a part of the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. By 2030, about 72 million people will be 65 or older. Today's seniors live longer than before, which makes it important to make your extra years as fun-filled and pain-free as possible. Maintaining a healthy body, mind and spirit is not only important for older adults but also for their family and their caregivers.

Unfortunately, two out of every three seniors have two or more chronic conditions. Age increases the risk of several conditions like osteoarthritis and Type 2 diabetes. Osteoarthritis may lead to knee or hip implants, and some implants have stronger safety records than others. Many Type 2 diabetes medications also carry potentially dangerous side effects. It’s important to be aware of the risks of all drugs and medical devices.

Fortunately, embracing simple tips for healthy aging and being informed about a number of prescription medications and medical devices can allow seniors to live longer, pain-free lives.  http://www.drugwatch.com/seniors/

What is a Hip Replacement?

Hip replacements — the surgical repair of an aged or injured natural hip joint by adding an artificial joint, or implant — date back three centuries. Reasons for these implants are the same now as then: a fracture or similar injury to the hip, arthritis or a wearing down of the joint over time. The goal is to reduce pain and increase mobility.

Although there are varied designs and models of hips built by several manufacturers, there are three basic components of an artificial hip — a stem that is inserted into the femur (thighbone); a ball that attaches to the top of the femur; and a cup that attaches to the pelvis.

Modern implants, increasingly popular since the 1970s, are made from a combination of materials, including plastics, ceramics and metals. Many of the most recent devices were metal-on-metal designs, created with the hope that hip replacements would last longer to give younger, active patients more pain-free mobility for more years.  http://www.drugwatch.com/hip-replacement/