If you or someone in your life life struggles with a chronic illness, you know that managing it is no walk in the park. What if you suffer from more than one? Over two-thirds of Americans past the age of 65 suffer from two or more chronic conditions, which increases to three-fourths of the American population past the age of 80. The more they are strapped with, you’ll find that tackling more than one chronic illness is even more of a challenge.
February might be the shortest month of the year but it certainly is full of national holidays ad traditions. In December of 1963, President Lyndon Johnson issued a proclamation making February American Heart Month and the first celebration of this important health-awareness month took place in 1964! In his proclamation, Johnson wrote, “I urge the people of the United States to give heed to the nationwide problem of the heart and blood-vessel diseases, and to support the programs required to bring about its solution.”
The Holidays are behind us. It’s time to take a breath, and look forward to the new year. As a caregiver, not only do you think about your health, but also the health of your loved one for whose care you are responsible. As is often the case, the holiday season takes a toll on our health. It can also take a toll on the health of those in your care. You may be wondering; how do I gauge their health? We have four signs to gauge your loved ones’ health.
As a caregiver you've seen your parents' health fade a little bit every year. It could be something as simple as being more forgetful, or stumbling when she walks or maybe your father is dealing with an illness or one or both of them are recovering from a hospital stay. They're determined to remain in their own home and for the time being that might be an option.
If you ask your physician he will explain that shingles is a disease related to chicken pox and individuals that had chicken pox at some point in their lives are more prone to developing a case of shingles. The virus that causes chicken pox is also responsible for shingles. In many individuals, the virus for shingles is dormant and resides in clusters of nerve tissue. The affliction typically affects the elderly.
Aging is an inevitable fact of life. With aging comes the realization that we may be faced at some point with the inability to live independently. Whether making a move to an assisted living facility or moving into the home of a family member, aging-in-place is a dream that many seniors do not want to give up.
Home automation may offer the aging relative in your life an opportunity to remain in his or her home for a longer period of time than may have been possible in the past. While home automation won't address every issue that may arise, it can add to the safety factor in your relatives' home. The technology available ranges from home medical alert devices to the ability to not only talk with, but physically see, your relatives through the use of a web camera.
There will likely come a time when your parents can no longer care for themselves and when it does, it's a time filled with some difficult decisions. You will have to determine whether they can continue to age at home or if they need an assisted living facility. Taking their needs into consideration as much as possible is something that the family will want to do, but safety and security needs to be your primary motivating factor in making decisions for and with them.
When your parents are aging it's a difficult time for everyone. One of the best gifts you can offer your parents is the opportunity for them to “age in place.”
If you are involved in the well-being of your aging parent or a loved one, it’s important to recognize that people over the age of sixty are more prone to bone related injuries and disease increases. Approximately half of all women over the age of fifty, and approximately 1 in 4 men will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Encouraging your loved one to maintain strong bones will allow them to age in place longer.
* On Annual & Quarterly Plans.
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