Home Care LaCrosse Wisconsin (WI)

Love Hurts: Finding a Mate May Take Months Off Your Life in Vernon, WI

kathy — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:57:53 +0000

Who knew that finding that right someone could affect your health? Here is an interesting article that I found on about.com Senior Living that explains just that. Read the exceprt below, to read the full article Click Here.

By: Sharon O’Brian

Saturday August 14, 2010

Love may be a universal need, but working hard to find a mate could shorten your life.

A new study shows that men who reach sexual maturity in an environment where they far outnumber women–and therefore face more competition in finding a mate–live an average of three months less than men who come of age with more women around and don’t have to work as hard to find the love of their lives.

The higher the gender ratio of men to women (also known as the operational sex ratio), the shorter the lifespan for those hard-working romantic men, according to the study, which was led by Harvard Medical School and published in the August issue of the journal Demography.

"At first blush, a quarter of a year may not seem like much, but it is comparable to the effects of, say, taking a daily aspirin, or engaging in moderate exercise," says Nicholas Christakis, senior author on the study and professor of medicine and medical sociology at Harvard Medical School as well as professor of sociology at Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, in a statement. "A 65-year-old man is typically expected to live another 15.4 years. Removing three months from this block of time is significant."

To continue reading Click Here.

Remember for the best in Home Care visit our website at www.comfortkeepers.com.

Scaling Down (Almost) Painlessly in La Crosse, WI

kathy — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:52:25 +0000

Moving a loved one into a smaller residence can be a difficult task emotionally. I found this article on SeniorAdvice.com that gives you advice on how to help your loved one with their move. Here is an excerpt below, to read the full article Click Here.

Moving to a smaller house or apartment in a retirement community almost always involves a certain degree of trauma, both for the elder who’s moving and for family members. However, by planning ahead you can reduce the discomfort involved and turn what might well become a nightmare into a pleasant event.

Begin by Planning for the Move

Where is the elder moving? Go to the actual house or apartment with tape measure, pad and pencil and write down measurements. Floor space is important, but don’t forget about ceilings. Many elders own large pieces of furniture that may not fit into rooms with low ceilings. Your work here will determine which pieces can move with your elder.

And while you’re at the actual location, talk to several other elders who already live there. What is their life style? Do they go outside the property on frequent trips? How do they dress? Casual lifestyles will require an entirely different style of dress than more formal ones.

Gather Supplies and Contact Helpers

Having all the supplies you will need in one place will speed your task. You’ll want a number of storage bins; five or six should be sufficient to hold sorted items. Plastic bags can be used for discarded belongings and as a container for articles to be donated to charities. Packing boxes and supplies such as padding materials and wide sealing tape are must-haves. Labels and dark marking pens are essential to ensure that boxes go to their intended location.

While you’re in the gathering stage, begin to contact helpers you’ll need. Among these may be:

estate sale professionals

certified appraisers

moving companies

house cleaners

repair specialists (electricians, plumbers, carpenters, painters)

Ask friends, relatives, and senior real estate specialists for recommendations. Also, check with the Better Business Bureau to ascertain whether problems have been reported about particular companies or individuals.

Approach Your Task One Room at a Time

Who should help? The elder and one family member should assume responsibility for sorting all items and some packing. Do not include everyone in the family if you want to make the job quick and easy because distractions increase in geometric proportion to the number of persons doing the sorting.

Sort all the items in one single room at once, beginning and ending in the kitchen. Why start there? Because kitchens in small houses and apartments typically are short on storage space, and the elder needs time and experience to determine which items are true necessities, and which may never be used. If you reduce kitchen items to a bare minimum at the beginning, your elder can determine what’s needed and what’s not by living with them ahead of time. After living with fewer items, your elder may find that items once thought essential may not be needed. Complete work in the kitchen at the very end of your tasks.

Even though you intend to stay in only one room, distractions will occur. Resist them by stacking items that belong in another room at the door. A bin or box placed just inside the door can contain all the items that have homes elsewhere.

Make your motto One Thing at a Time; One Time for each Thing. Once you’ve picked up an item, decide then and there what its fate should be. Place it in one of the bins you’ve labeled:

Discards

Donations

Distribution to Relatives

Keepers

Uncertainties

Large collections of books may require their own bins. You might have bins for Collectors’ editions, books to be stored, books to be sold to book dealers.

When you have finished categorizing all the items in the room, start the packing process. Items in the Uncertainties bin can be packed for storage.

If an unbreakable item is to be moved only a short distance, don’t waste time on elaborate packing and padding. Items like crystal and china, however, require excellent packing, regardless of the distance they will be moved. If you can’t do a great job, leave packing fragile items to professionals.

Mark boxes as you go.

Nothing is more frustrating than finding that you’ve shipped your elder’s bed linens to Aunt Minnie and kept a silver salver you meant to send your nephew.

Don’t try to do everything at once. Do only one room on any given day, and take the time to enjoy reminiscing as you sort items.

This is also the perfect time to have a certified appraiser come in to appraise items that may be of significant value. Very expensive items may be auctioned at an auction house such as Christy’s or Sotheby’s. Less expensive items can be sold to local antiques dealers. By having an idea of their value before going to dealers, you reduce the chance that dealers can scam you.

You could also consider selling items through an on-line auction. If you do so, remember that you will be responsible for shipping items and ensuring their condition to successful bidders.

Distribute Items to the Intended Recipients

Schedule a single day for distribution of items. In-town relatives can come to pick up items intended for them; they may also be helpful by taking bags to charities, books to resellers, boxes to storage, and trash to dumps.

Use this day for shipping as well. Small items can be shipped via UPS or FedEx; large pieces of furniture and antiques may require special handling by movers. Once you’ve finished distribution, you should have a considerably reduced pile of boxes and furniture. These boxes should contain only items to be moved to the elder’s new residence or to storage. Remaining items should be those to be sold in an estate sale.

For more ideas, continue reading HERE – http://www.senioradvice.com/inner.php?aid=178

Remember to visit our website at www.comfortkeepers.com for the best in Home Care.

Skin Care and Aging in Winona County Minnesota

kathy — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:18:02 +0000

I found this article on skin care and wanted to pass it on to you. For more assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit our website at http://www.comfortkeepers.com/office-231.

Skin changes with age, becoming thinner and appearing different than it used to. Damage to skin may take longer to heal, and areas of skin exposed to lots of sunlight can become wrinkled, dry, or even cancerous. Depending on the issue, there are many ways to treat problems with aging skin.

Dry Skin and Itching

Senior citizens are prone to rough and scaly skin that appears on the lower legs, elbows, and lower arms. A few causes of dry skin include:

Dehydration due to not drinking enough fluids
Staying in the sun for long periods of time
Being in very dry air
Smoking
Experiencing stress
Losing sweat and oil glands which happens naturally with age
Some health problems like diabetes or kidney disease
Using excessive amounts of soap, antiperspirant, or perfume
Taking hot baths

Dry skin can lead to itching, bleeding, and infection. It can also contribute to sleep problems. Such problems can be treated by medication, so it is encouraged that one seek medical attention before itchy skin leads to more serious conditions.

Men and women can also use lotions and ointments, take fewer baths, use milder soap, use cooler water when bathing, or use a humidifier in order to treat dry and irritable skin.

Bruises

With age, men and women can bruise more easily and take longer to recover from bruising. Senior citizens with excessive bruising should see a doctor.

Wrinkles

Over time, ultraviolet rays and gravity can cause the skin to become less elastic and subsequently sag and wrinkle. Other habits like frowning and smoking can cause the smile to wrinkle. There are many ways to treat wrinkles but seeking medical advice before using these treatments are highly recommended.

Age Spots and Skin Tags

Age spots, which are sometimes referred to as "liver spots" are brown spots that can appear on the body. They are harmless signs of years of sun exposure. Women especially can also experience "skin tags" or flesh-colored growths of skin. Although these age spots and skin tags are harmless and are simply due to aging, it is important to alert your doctor as it may be difficult for those without medical training to discern between these and irregular growths. A dermatologist can remove both of these types of growths if they are bothersome.

…continue reading HERE.

Advances in Equipment Adapted for Elders in Houston County WI

kathy — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 02:32:15 +0000

Here is an interesting article that I found and wanted to pass along to you. For more assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit our website at http://www.comfortkeepers.com/office-231.

I’m thrilled by the recent advances in adapted equipment. Books, videos, Web sites, and pamphlets are out there for almost any type of elder care, handicap, or special need. They are more widely available than people think. Once you determine your elder’s need, you should be able to find adapted equipment that will improve the quality of his or her life.

Adapted equipment draws from a wide variety of products that can help your elder function more independently and/or on a higher level. They can help your elder regain confidence in his or her abilities, and they can even alleviate your elder’s overwhelming fear of being dependent on others. Along with advancements in medical technology and pharmaceuticals, adapted equipment has come a long way in recent years and can be a vital part of a senior’s later years.

Most people are unfamiliar with adapted equipment, but as a caregiver, you must become aware of this growing field. I’m talking about commonplace products like a wheelchair or an elder-safe stepladder, as well as more obscure products, like jar/bottle openers and grocery store scooters. Other examples include high curved bowls and large-handle eating utensils that help prevent food spills and modified “sippy” cups that prevent liquid from spilling. Anything that can help maintain dignity and independence should be integrated into your elder’s life.

One area that has been improved tremendously is transportation. Cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans can now be modified before they are purchased or on the aftermarket. No matter what your elder’s handicap may be, vehicles today can be adapted so that even a quadriplegic or paraplegic can operate them.

…continue reading HERE.

Science Finding Alzheimers Hard to Treat in the Trempealeau counties in Wisconsin

kathy — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:36:43 +0000

Science Finding Alzheimer’s Hard to Treat; Best Strategy May Be Prevention

Institute on Aging clinical trial seeks volunteers to help find the disease at very beginning in senior citizens

Finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, or an effective treatment, has been difficult for the world’s best researchers. There is substantial progress in finding ways to delay or prevent the disease by identifying AD risk factors and developing targeted treatments, according to a special issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

To continue reading this article Click Here.

For more assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit our website at http://www.comfortkeepers.com/office-231.

Vitamin D Levels Associated With Parkinsons Disease Risk in Jackson, WI

kathy — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:06:20 +0000

Individuals with higher levels of vitamin D appear to have a reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Neurology.

Vitamin D is known to play a role in bone health and may also be linked to cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to background information in the article. “Recently, chronically inadequate vitamin D intake was proposed to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease,” the authors write. “According to the suggested biological mechanism, Parkinson’s disease may be caused by a continuously inadequate vitamin D status leading to a chronic loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain.”

Paul Knekt, D.P.H., and colleagues at the National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland, studied 3,173 Finnish men and women age 50 to 79 who did not have Parkinson’s disease at the beginning of the study, in 1978 to 1980. Participants completed questionnaires and interviews about socioeconomic and health background, underwent baseline examinations and provided blood samples for vitamin D analysis.

Continue reading by Clicking Here.

For more assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit our website at http://www.comfortkeepers.com/office-231.

New Scam Targets Elderly Homeowners in Monroe, WI

kathy — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:53:42 +0000

Here is an informative article that I found and wanted to pass along to you. For more assistance wtih an aging loved one in your life visit our website at http://www.comfortkeepers.com/office-231.

New Scam Targets Elderly Homeowners with Reverse Mortgages

Just in the last two months we have received calls from two former borrowers who had been targeted for a new scam. It seems that there is a new way to try to separate borrowers from their money and at this time we don’t know if it is aimed specifically at Reverse Mortgage borrowers or all borrowers, but since the borrowers calling us are all homeowners 62 and over, we know they are targeting senior borrowers for certain.

To continue reading Click Here.

How Do I Know if My Parent has Alzheimer’s Disease in Vernon, WI?

kathy — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 01:57:42 +0000

Here is a good article on Alzheimer’s that I found and wanted to pass on to you. For more assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit our website at http://www.comfortkeepers.com/office-231.

When an elderly parent starts having trouble with memory, the family automatically think its Alzheimer’s disease. The concerns are valid. Alzheimer’s usually begins after age 60 and nearly half of people age 85 and older may have Alzheimer’s, according to the National Institute on Aging. However, only a doctor can diagnose Alzheimer’s, and there are some other diseases or conditions that may cause Alzheimer’s-like symptoms.

If you suspect your parent has Alzheimer’s, here are some warning signs to look for:

Read more at agingcare.com by Clicking Here.

Are Seniors or Teens Safer Drivers in La Crosse, WI?

kathy — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:29:37 +0000

Here is a good article that I found and wanted to pass on to you. For more assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit our website at http://www.comfortkeepers.com/office-231.

Picture this: You’re out on the road, driving in mixed traffic with your choice of drivers to follow. One is a gray-haired senior puttering along in the right lane and the other is a fresh-faced teenager moving briskly in the left lane.

Statistically speaking, which driver is safer to follow? Kirk Seaman of AOL Autos’ blog asks whether it’s older driver with the slower reflexes, poorer vision and cautious driving style, or the younger driver with faster reactions, better eyesight and driving with the flow of traffic?

Seaman’s answer: Stay in the right lane, behind the oldster, and let the teenager go on his way. According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the safest drivers are in the age group between 64 and 69 years old. And studies of the data reveal that teenage drivers — especially male teenage drivers — are the most dangerous drivers on the road.

Read more from usatoday.com by Clicking Here.

Spouses Face Challenges in Caring for Themselves and Their Ailing Partners in Winona County Minnesota

kathy — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:47:30 +0000

Caring for a sick or disabled elderly relative exacts a toll — physical, emotional, financial — on any family member, but being a spousal caregiver brings particular challenges.

“Spouses are older and dealing with their own age-related health limitations,” says Steven H. Zarit, a Pennsylvania State University gerontologist. The tasks they shoulder have grown more demanding: Family caregivers now administer arsenals of medications and undertake procedures, from wound care to dialysis, that were once the province of medical professionals.