February 28, 2010 by nanniesinn

Home Instead Senior Care will be featured in an upcoming story on ABC's World News with Diane Sawyer. The interview is scheduled to run the week of March 8th.

Home Instead worked with Franchise Owners Jack and Jacqueline St. Clair and have a client and CAREGiver from their office in Manassas, VA for the interview.

The client, John C., along with his daughter and decision maker Susan will be interviewed, as well as one of John's CAREGivers Daniel B. Paul Hogan, the Co-Founder and CEO of Home Instead Senior Care, will also be interviewed ...

While elevators are one of the safest forms of transportation, they can pose a real danger for the aging population. Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine recently looked at the frequency, nature and opportunities for prevention of these injuries.

From 1990 to 2006, some 44,870 (about 2,640 annually) elevator-related injuries that were severe enough to require a visit to a hospital emergency department occurred in individuals 65 years and older, according to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission data. Hip fracture was the most common diagnosis for the 14 percent admitted to the hospital.

Posted: 21 Feb 2010 07:13 PM PST

One of my favorite lines from the movie Men in Black was:

A new study suggests Americans who use ordinary kitchen spoons may be taking the wrong doses of critical medicines. Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, reported that using a kitchen teaspoon or tablespoon to measure liquid medicine often results in taking too much or too little medicine.

Nearly 200 students who had recently been treated for the flu at a health clinic were asked to pour cold medicine into a teaspoon that held the correct 5 ml dosage. They then were asked to pour the same amount into a medium-sized tablespoon and a larger spoon. The students tended to pour about 12 percent too much medicine in the large spoon and some 8 percent too little in the tablespoon, according to a report in AARP Bulletin Today.

“That may not sound like a lot, but it can be crucial, especially for older people and children,” Wansink said. It’s important to have the correct dosage for prescription drugs that are taken several times a day for a number of days, he added.

He recommends using a measuring cap, dosing spoon, measuring dropper or dosing syringe to take liquid medicines.

That is why Home Instead Senior Care's caregivers are charged with the duty to remind and supervise our clients when they need to take medication. Although they cannot physically dose out the medicine themselves, they will keep a watchful eye to ensure that seniors are taking the correct dosage. It is understandable that when people try to pour out liquid medicine they tend to miss the mark by a little bit; this incorrect amount adds up very quickly when you have to take numerous amounts even in one day.  Home Instead Senior Care ensures that there is little error when dosing out medication.

Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world's trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

Weight-bearing exercises may help minimize cognitive decline and impaired mobility in seniors, according to a new study.

Led by Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose of the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility at Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia, the research found that 12 months of once-weekly or twice-weekly resistance training improved executive cognitive function in women aged 65 ...

CIC SALUTES AWARDS OF COURAGE WINNERS AT ANNUAL BREAKFAST

For 25 years, The CIC has been the voice of persons living with chronic illness, providing education and a networking forum for health professionals, patients and caregivers. CIC members represent the service organizations that service persons with heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and a host of other diseases, as well as health care professionals, agencies and vendors.

Four new studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine link exercise with healthy aging.

In an editorial accompanying the reports, Drs. Jeff Williamson and Marco Pahor of the University of Florida, wrote: “Regular physical activity has also been associated with greater longevity as well as reduced risk of physical disability and dependence, the most important health outcome, even more than death, for most older people.”

In the first study, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School found that among women aged 70 and older, those who engaged in regular physical activity during middle age were more likely to show signs of better overall health, according to MediLexicon.

Another study linked resistance training to improved cognitive skills in older women. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups that undertook a particular exercise program for a year. Researchers from Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and University of British Columbia reported that those in the resistance training groups performed better on a cognitive test of selective attention and conflict resolution.

Exercise may be linked to reduced cognitive impairment in adults, according to the third study. Researchers in Germany followed a group of older adults for two years and found that moderate or high physical activity appeared to be linked with a lower risk of developing cognitive impairment.

The final study looked at the link between exercise and bone health. German researchers recruited and randomly assigned more than 240 women aged 65 and older to follow an exercise program or a wellness program for 18 months. Those in the exercise group appeared to have denser bones and a reduced risk of falls but not a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

These studies are just another clear indicator that seniors should stay as active as they can, as it will only be beneficial to their overall health and reduce mental decline. Although you may not be able to find the time to get your loved one up and out of the house, you can always find help at your local Home Instead Senior Care. CAREGivers are passionate about their work, and they can help motivate your loved one into participating in even the simplest forms of activity.

Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world's trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

Education plays a key role in lifelong memory performance and risk for dementia, and it’s well documented that those with a college degree possess a cognitive advantage over their less-educated counterparts in middle and old age. Now, a large national study from Brandeis University finds that those with less schooling can significantly compensate for poorer education by frequently engaging in mental exercises, such as word games, puzzles, reading and lectures.

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Winter’s icy sidewalks and frigid temperatures can be challenging for anyone, but they pose extra hazards for the elderly.

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths for adults over age 65 in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 1.8 million people age 65 and older were treated in emergency departments for falls ...