Home Care Rockville Maryland (MD)

I found this article and wanted to pass it on to you.  For more assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit our website at www.rightathomemd.net. 

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 or by Clicking Here.

Here is a helpful article that I found and wanted to pass on to you.  For more assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit our webiste at www.rightathomemd.net. 

Not long ago, a doctor friend recounted the story of a patient who had recently died from complications stemming from the treatment of a chronic bleeding problem. “I felt terrible about it,” said my friend, who had cared for the patient for several years. “Something didn’t add up in this case, and I had to wonder if it was my fault, if I had done something wrong.”

Spurred on by these recurrent self-doubts, my friend went back to review the records. Nothing at first glance seemed amiss; all the recommendations, visits and discussions were consistent with what both of us knew was good, evidence-based clinical care.

But then, while reading through the pharmacy records, my friend discovered something unexpected. The patient, it turned out, hadn’t been taking all of the medications my friend had prescribed. In fact, several of the prescriptions had never even been filled.

Read more from the New York Times by Clicking Here.

There are a lot of myths out there regarding the brain and how it ages.  I found this article that will help clarify a lot of those myth’s.  For more assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit our website at www.rightathomemd.net. 

(ARA) – Who says you can’t teach a mind new tricks at any age? Recent research shows that Americans have the power to positively influence their brain function throughout life – an important realization that is especially relevant for the more than 78 million baby boomers in the United States. Brain health is one of the top health-related concerns of aging populations and has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control as a public health priority.

“The fear of memory loss and losing brain capacity looms large among the minds of boomers,” says Dr. Majid Fotuhi, a leading neurologist and author of “The Memory Cure.” “But we can maintain and even improve our brain health as we age. In fact, our brains have the ability to grow and change throughout life.”

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Here is a great article for anyone who is struggling with hearing loss.  For help with an aging loved one in the area, visit www.rightathomemd.net. 

Not your father’s hearing aid: the new generation is small, sleek and super high-tech

(ARA) – “If you think hearing aids are synonymous with getting old or becoming less capable, think again,” says Dr. Kathy Landau Goodman, chairperson of the Audiology Awareness Campaign. Most individuals experiencing hearing loss are younger than 65, and hearing loss is significantly affecting their lives at work and home. Fortunately, with today’s wealth of discreet and stylish hearing aid options it has become easier than ever to address a hearing loss.

Today’s advanced technology digital hearing aids offer features and sound processing systems that offer wearers major advantages over older analog instruments. These features include superior sound quality, improved clarity of speech in noisy conditions, and reduction in hearing aid feedback or whistle. Some hearing aids now connect wirelessly and seamlessly to cell phones, TVs, computers, mp3 players, radios, landline phones and other electronic devices. Audio sounds are streamed directly into the hearing device using bluetooth technology.

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How do you know when in-home care is required for your parent?

Carol Bradley Bursack

Most of us want to take care of our own families, so arriving at a decision to hire a stranger to come into the home to help with the care of a loved one can be difficult. Still, once people find a good home care agency and regular caregivers to help care for a loved one, they often wish they’d taken action earlier.

To continue reading Click Here.

For more assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit our website at www.rightathomemd.net.

Here is a great article from the New York Times that answers some of the more basic questions regarding the Class Act, which has gone through many changes throughout the health care overhaul.  For information and assistance with elder care for an aging loved one in the Annapolis, MD area, visit us at www.rightathomemd.net.     

Parsing the New Law on Long-Term Care

Call it Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s final bequest.

A new blog about what changes in the health care system might mean for

The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, or Class Act, the first national plan to help the great majority of Americans who have no insurance for long-term care, became law in March. Even though there was little fanfare — the measure was just one piece of the broader health care overhaul — the idea had been hugely important to Mr. Kennedy and his staff, who had been working on the current version of the plan since 2003.

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Avoiding Elder Care Stress

Care for the elderly in home can be overwhelming. To avoid elder care stress it is important for the caregiver, or potential caregiver, to help the aging adult organize and plan for the unplanned events in life. Taking a proactive approach with the aging adults in your life will save you time, energy, money and undue stress.

To continue reading Click Here.

For more assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit our website at www.rightathomemd.net.

 ”Arthritis is a debilitating disease that profoundly impacts the lives of millions of Americans on a daily basis,” says John H. Klippel, M.D., president and CEO, Arthritis Foundation. “The effects of the 46 million Americans with arthritis on the economy are enormous; the direct and indirect medical costs of this disease are estimated to be $128 billion each year. With the aging of baby boomers, the prevalence of arthritis is expected to rise by 40 percent – that is up to 67 million people – by the year 2030.”

Moving is the Best Medicine is the message for the 2010 Arthritis Awareness Month.

Original content HERE.  

Please visit http://www.arthritis.org/ to learn more about this debilitating disease.  For information and assistance with elder care for an aging loved one in the Rockville, Maryland area, visit us at www.rightathomemd.net.

I found this interesting article and wanted to pass it on to you.  For more great information and assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit our website at www.rightathomemd.net. 

1 in 4 elderly need care decisions made for them

By STEPHANIE NANO

NEW YORK — A significant number of the elderly — more than one in four — will eventually need someone to make end-of-life decisions about their medical care, a new study suggests.

The results illustrate the value of people making their wishes known in a living will and designating someone to make treatment decisions for them, the researchers said.

In the study, those who spelled out their preferences in living wills usually got the treatment they wanted. Only a few wanted heroic measures to prolong their lives.

Read more by Clicking Here.

Here is a good article that I found and wanted to pass on to you.  For more good information and assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit our website at www.rightathomemd.net. 

How you can take action against heart failure

(ARA) – It’s a syndrome that affects more than 5 million Americans – and probably more: heart failure. Heart failure is a serious illness that can affect your quality of life and how long you live. With proper medications in the right doses and careful management, you can live longer and feel better.

What’s important to know is that heart failure doesn’t develop overnight. It’s a progressive condition – it starts when the heart muscle is weakened after being injured.

The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) offers these tips to patients, their families and individuals at risk.

1. Talk to your doctor. One of the keys to making heart disease a diagnosis you can live with is to get diagnosed as early as possible. Simply getting checked by your doctor for heart disease is one of the most powerful steps you can take to maintain your health. Heart failure is diagnosed through a number of tests ordered by your doctor, the most important of which is an echocardiogram or “echo.”

2. Know your risk factors. A number of factors can lead to or indicate an increased risk of heart failure. While the disease can strike people of all ages, it is more common in those aged 65 and older. For people in that age group, it’s particularly important to get checked, because some of the symptoms of the disease can be mistakenly attributed to simple aging. Heart failure risks include: high blood pressure, prior heart attack, a history of heart murmurs, an enlarged heart, diabetes and a family history of enlarged heart.

3. Know the symptoms. Ideally, your doctor can diagnose heart failure before it has major consequences, but it’s important to know the symptoms. Heart failure symptoms include: shortness of breath, even in mild activity; difficulty breathing when lying down; weight gain with swelling in the legs and ankles from fluid retention; and general fatigue and weakness. If you notice these, don’t just assume that they’re part of the aging process – be proactive and check with your doctor.

4. Adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle. Changing your lifestyle to be more heart-healthy doesn’t mean giving up on a way of life you enjoy. In fact, it can add to your enjoyment of life and have the double benefit of being good for your health. Start by giving up any tobacco use and focusing on a healthy diet. Center your meals on whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes – consult cookbooks or cooking magazines for delicious, low-sodium recipes. Other great ingredients are lean meats, poultry, fish and low-fat dairy. Keep trans-fats, saturated fats and cholesterol intake low.

The other enjoyable element of a healthy lifestyle is exercise. Talk to your doctor about what’s right for you, but he will inevitably tell you that it’s a great idea to get your body moving. It can be as simple as going for daily walks that let you take in the beauty of nature or, if you’re able to take on a more strenuous regimen, you could think about trying a sport like tennis, taking yoga classes or going swimming. If you can find an exercise companion, so much the better – you’ll both be getting the benefit of exercise and have a motivating partner.

The Heart Failure Society of America offers a number of tips covering a variety of topics including low-salt diet, medications, self-care, heart rhythm problems and lifestyle changes. To learn more, visit abouthf.org. When you take an active role in your health, it’s possible to live a full, enjoyable life, even after a heart failure diagnosis.

Courtesy of ARAcontent