Author Archive
How to Lend a Hand at Halloween
Boo! Halloween is just around the corner. If your favorite senior is no longer driving, volunteer to purchase candy for him/her to distribute to children who come to the door on Halloween night. If the senior is still in their own home, volunteer to distribute the candy. Many seniors find it difficult to get to [...]
Influenza Shots: A Must for Seniors
It is that time of year again. Yep, cold and flu season. Which means, it is also time for you to get your annual flu shot. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in an online article entitled, Immunizations for Adults, “the most common causes of death, pneumonia and influenza remain among the [...]
How to Recognize if You are Suffering a Stroke
According to Everyday Health in an article entitled “Am I Having a Stroke?,” “The window of opportunity to successfully treat a stroke is short – about three hours – so awareness of stroke symptoms is important. Maybe you think you can spot stroke symptoms in someone else, but would you know if a stroke was [...]
Hoarding: Keeping the Clutter at Bay
Hoarding is an issue that we have addressed before on our blog (See our February 3, 2009 post, entitled, “Hoarding and the Elderly.)” This post stresses the importance of ensuring that seniors have a safe, clutter free environment to get around. I recently read an online Psychology Today article on hoarding that some of you [...]
How to Start a Walking Program
As most of us already know, we should be exercising on a regular basis. Walking is a great, low-impact way to get such exercise. Health professionals have recently been encouraging Americans to walk 10,000 steps a day. The American Heart Association provides a great online pamphlet with tips on starting your own walking program. The [...]
An Easier Way to Keep Family & Friends Up-to-Date on a Loved One’s Condition
As most of our readers/followers know, a little good always comes from adversity. A neighbor and dear friend of my Mother’s suddenly fell ill a few weeks ago and passed away last week. She was a leader in her community and loved by many. Her illness and passing has hit her community hard. Her children [...]
Put Your Favorite Senior’s Cell Phone on ICE
Take a few seconds this weekend to put your favorite senior’s cell phone on ICE. Ice stands for “in case of emergency.” Emergency room physicians are frequently faced with being asked to treat critically ill or hurt patients but have no idea who the patient is or his/her medical history. They typically look for the [...]
How to Recognize & Treat Heat Stroke
The elderly are particularly at risk for heat related conditions such as heat stroke due to a number of age related factors: poor circulation, heart/lung/kidney conditions, high blood pressure, side effects from medications such as diuretics, etc. Now that temperatures are rising, it is important to know the signs of heatstroke and to know how to [...]
AARP Fall Driver’s Safety Courses
In a March 30, 2009 post (AARP Driver Safety Program), we wrote about the AARP Driver’s Safety Program. For those of you who are interested in taking a fall course, many locations have opened up registration. Since writing our previous post, it has come to our attention that many insurance carriers throughout the United States [...]
How to Find Your Local First Aid or CPR Class
All Americans should be well versed in basic first aid, CPR, and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) skills. If you are caring for a senior, your chances of needing such skills increase dramatically. The good news is that training classes are readily available throughout the United States. The American Heart Association dedicated the first week of June [...]