New research revealing racial and ethnic differences in the emotional attitudes of caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients could lead to improvements in support services.

University of Michigan research found significant variations in the emotional reactions of blacks, whites and Hispanics to both caring for and grieving for Alzheimer’s patients, according to a Science Daily article.

“For those caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s, the process of bereavement often begins long before the family member’s physical death,” said James McNally. “These results bring into sharper focus some distinct social and cultural responses to the bereavement process, and help increase our understanding of the emotional costs of Alzheimer’s. This understanding can help to inform and improve culturally competent resources to help caregivers not only throughout all stages of their loved one’s illness, but also in finding a healthy resolution to grieving.”

Researchers examined data from the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health project. More than 600 caregivers in three racial/ethnic groups were part of the Bereavement Component.

Among the findings:
• Whites and Hispanics are three to five times more likely than blacks to report a sense of emotional relief at the death of an Alzheimer’s sufferer.
• Whites are twice as likely to report emotional acceptance at the death as blacks and Hispanics.
• Hispanic caregivers were only half as likely as blacks to report feelings of anger toward the deceased.
• White caregivers were considerably more likely to report anger than the other two groups.

It’s never too late to start exercising, and any amount is better than none, according to exercise experts. Getting older adults to start moving and stay moving, though, may be a challenge.

There are many reasons why older adults don’t start or stick with an exercise program, says Dr. William Hall of the University of Rochester School of Medicine in New York.

One out of every four persons – or more than 65 million people in the United States – serves as informal, unpaid caregivers, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving.

Providing assistance to another person who is ill, disabled or needs help with daily activities can be physically and emotionally draining. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia offers these tips to help caregivers navigate the system on behalf of their parents, grandparents and others:

• Gathering information: The first step is to gather as much information as possible about the loved one’s health and health benefits. While a loved one might be reluctant to share this information at first, experts recommend caregivers remain patient.

• Getting permission: While the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act protects patient privacy, it also can be an obstacle for caregivers.  It’s critical caregivers file the proper paperwork with their loved one’s health benefits provider.

• Enrolling in a chronic disease program: Eight out of 10 Americans age 65 and older have some chronic illness.  Those enrolled in a Medicare plan may have access to free programs to help them manage their diseases.

• Knowing your rights: Once the disclosure/authorization papers have been filed, caregivers can speak to a customer care agent on a beneficiary’s behalf and access information online.

• Investigating ‘extra help’: Extra help may be available to low-income people with a Medicare prescription drug plan through the Social Security office. Even if the senior doesn’t qualify for this extra help, other state and community resources may be available.

• Caring for yourself: The final and perhaps most important tip is for caregivers to take care of themselves. Get enough sleep, go for a walk, take an occasional day off, and maintain a sense of humor.

Home Instead Senior Care prides itself in its CAREGivers and the options that we have to help them maintain a low-stress lifestyle while still being excellent caregivers.  Home Instead has a program called Running On Empty that has even more tips and information on reducing caregiver stress.  There is also caregiverstress.com that is dedicated to caregivers and the extra care that you as a caregiver require with all of the hard work that you do.

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.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy 4^th of July celebration. I was thinking of the actual meaning of Independence Day and I came across an article in the newspaper that struck a nerve with me. It was about becoming totally dependent on others which means no independence.

The article was about an 80 year old man who was found trapped in his bed for two entire days as his arm was wedged between the mattress and the headboard of his ...

Exercise is emerging as one of the key ways to starve off chronic diseases and, in general, help people stay healthier in old age. Next to maintaining a healthy weight, exercise in men was found to be the most important factor in warding off heart failure. And, physical activity was just as important for women, according to a Health Day report.

Among men who exercised five or more times a week, 11 percent developed heart failure, compared with 14 percent of those who didn’t exercise, according to a study published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association. A study of 27,000 women with an average age of 55 found that, over an 11-year period, those who exercised were 40 percent less likely to have a heart attack than women who were sedentary. This study was published last year in Circulation.

“The most important organ in an older person’s body is their legs,” said Dr. Walter Bortz, 80, of Stanford University School of Medicine. “If your legs stay good, everything else takes care of itself. You don’t fall down and break your hip. Your heart stays good. You don’t get frail.”

It’s never too late to start exercising, Bortz says. “Even people in their 70s still have a tremendous capacity to improve their strength, flexibility and aerobic capacity.”

Bortz said seniors should strive for at least three 30-minute exercise session a week, though more is better. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends five sessions.

It's very well known by most people that exercise benefits everyone a great deal. This study shows that even an hour and a half of activity each week will improve a senior's overall health. What's missing is the motivation from someone to get them up and moving, but Home Instead Senior Care has your answer.

Home Instead has astounding CAREGivers that are certified to ensure that they are friendly and outgoing. They are always willing to get your loved one off of the couch and outside. So why wait any longer? Home Instead is the world's trusted in-home care company in the world, with over 800 franchises.

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 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.

Happy Summer and welcome to Serving Seniors’ blog. My goal is to share with you the latest news in caring for seniors plus my insights from many years of helping people navigate the rough waters of caring for their elderly parents or loved ones. It’s been a while since I’ve written here and it’s great talking to you again. I’ll be updating my blog weekly, so I won’t make you wait this long for my next post. I’ve also been dealing with lots of positive ...

Simply living longer isn't enough. What we really want is to live longer well, staying healthy enough to continue doing the things we love. While having good genes certainly helps, a growing body of research suggests that how well you age depends largely on you and what you do. Fortunately, research also finds that it's never too late to make changes that can help you live a longer and healthier life.

Here, from the American Geriatrics Society's Foundation for Health in Aging, are ten top ...

If you or someone you know is a devoted family caregiver, you understand the stress that comes with caring for a senior loved one each day.What better way to relax than to cruise your cares away?

The Home Instead Senior Care^® network is sponsoring a free, five-day cruise for one lucky caregiving hero. Or, if you nominate a friend or family member for this relaxing getaway, you could be eligible to win a laptop and camcorder.

Just go to