Our Phoenix Caregivers enable seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.

Diabetes is a serious, but manageable, disease that affects millions of people. While it is very common in seniors, the disease can affect all ages. It is important to know what the risk factors are for each type of diabetes. This will help seniors determine if they may be at risk. If you feel you have any of the following risk factors and have not been diagnosed with diabetes, it is suggested you speak with your doctor about the possibilities of developing the disease.

1. Type 1 diabetes risk factors include family history and genetics. If you have family members who have been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, you will be at a higher risk of developing the disease. Disease of the pancreas or injury to the pancreas can have an effect on how the body produces insulin, placing you at a high risk. Rare infections and illnesses that affect the pancreas are also a risk factor.

2. Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes include being over-weight, having an impaired glucose tolerance and having insulin resistance. In addition, your ethnic background could also be a risk factor. Type 2 diabetes occurs more often in Hispanic/Latino Americans, Native Americans, Alaska natives, African-Americans and Asian-Americans. High blood pressure, family history, no exercise and age can all be risk factors.

3. Gestational diabetes affects pregnant women. The risk factors for this type of diabetes include obesity, age, family history and previous glucose intolerance.

4. The best way to reduce risks associated with diabetes is to maintain a healthy weight, exercise daily, have a healthy and balanced diet and manage your blood pressure. These things can reduce the chances of developing all types of diabetes.

Do you have a parent with diabetes? The American Diabetes Association offers these tips on how to help your parent manage their diabetes.

Source: diabetes.webmd.com

Home Care Phoenix enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.

With the addition of years, most senior citizens possess wisdom when it comes to matters of the heart that younger generations do not. The elderly have years of experience with love and heartache, but sometimes they do not always know how to keep their hearts healthy. Seniors can practice some home care heart health routines daily to ensure they keep up that heart wisdom in more ways than one.

• Lower Those Cholesterols Levels—People with coronary artery disease can monitor their cholesterol to ensure they don’t become another statistic or victim of heart disease.

• Practice Good Nutrition—Seniors worried about heart disease can eliminate some of that worry by merely changing their diets to follow healthier guidelines.

• Exercise—By taking that afternoon walk, seniors can decrease their chances of heart and circulatory problems a great deal. Exercise not only makes you feel good by getting out of the house, but also does a number on your heart.

• Read Up On Heart Health—So many publications nowadays offer great information when it comes to practicing good heart health. Seniors can turn to any of these publications such as the Harvard Heart Letter. This report helps seniors understand heart and circulatory health and the effects heart problems can have on emotional health. Such reports also provide detailed tips as to what you can do to lower your risk.

If you are a caregiver, or know anyone with a heart condition, you
could benefit from watching the following clip, which features a
modified form of CPR called CCR that is easier to learn, easier to do
and can save even more lives!

Source: health.harvard.edu

Seniors often make resolutions for the New Year. Losing weight is a common resolution made. While weight loss can be difficult for many seniors, there are some small changes that can be made in daily life that will help. Below is a list that contains some helpful tips for any senior looking to lose a few of their extra pounds.

1. Try to be more conscious of what you eat. While sweets are hard to resist, try eating a piece of fruit instead of candy. It will satisfy your craving for sugar and is much healthier.

2. Buy a scale for the bathroom. This will help monitor your weight. You can even use a journal to keep track of any changes. A good scale will help you through your weight-loss journey.

3. Increase physical activity. Seniors do not need to join a gym. A simple short walk each day will help burn extra calories. In addition, that walk can help keep your heart healthy.  Exercise also increases your mood, so not only will it have physical benefits, but your mental health will improve as well.

4. Discuss weight loss plans with a doctor. You want to make sure your diet is providing you with the intake you need to stay healthy yet at the same time will help you lose weight.

Source: aarp.org

Image Source: sxc.hu

Home Care Central Phoenix and Home Care Greater Phoenix provides elder care and senior care in Phoenix. Call us today at 623-583-5868, 602-265-8228 or 480-991-3959.

Whether you are thinking about becoming active for the first time in your life, or looking to begin a regular exercise routine after recovering from an injury or health problem, there are some simple guidelines that all smart seniors can follow in order to ensure that activities are safe and beneficial.

1. Most men and women over the age of 50 need to consult a doctor before beginning a fitness program, so to be cautious about your health, get clearance first

2. Choose an activity/routine that you will stick with and enjoy. Work with a trainer, join a group class, invest in exercise equipment for the home, or exercise outside with a friend

3. Start off slowly, increasing the duration and intensity of activities as your fitness abilities increase

4. Listen to what your body is telling you, if it hurts or causes too much physical strain, then stop the activity

5. Set realistic short and long-term goals, which for seniors should be about improving overall health

6. Keep a journal about your fitness activities for health purposes and to keep you motivated

7. Ensure that you choose a well-rounded fitness routine that incorporates resistance training, cardiovascular activities, exercises that promote flexibility, and those that promote balance

8. Make sure you have the right equipment, particularly clothing and supportive shoes

9. Make simple lifestyle changes to promote further exercise, like parking farther away from the grocery store entrance, or doing more housework yourself

10. Reward yourself for working hard

Sources:

1. SeniorJournal

Image: pro.corbis.com

Home Care Central Phoenix and Home Care Greater Phoenix provides elder care and senior care in Phoenix. Call us today at 623-583-5868, 602-265-8228 or 480-991-3959.

Many Phoenix seniors find themselves on very limited budgets in older adulthood; it can be enough of a challenge to pay the bills and health care expenses, so it can be challenging to find room in the budget to accommodate fitness needs. Of course it’s possible to exercise for free by getting outside and active, but some seniors prefer to get the exercise under the supervision of a senior fitness expert, and that can comes with big costs. However, that’s not to say that seniors can’t get fit in the comfort of a fitness facility, under the supervision of fitness experts, because there are fitness facilities that cater to the many needs of seniors.

Silver Sneakers fitness centers are free to seniors who have Medicare or a Medicare supplement plan. For a Silver Sneakers Fitness Center near you in Phoenix, please click here - Silver Sneaker Locations. With their free memberships they have a Senior Fitness Adviser assigned to them to show them the equipment and amenities of the facility, and they offer fitness classes for seniors and health education seminars. Whatever your budget, and whatever your age, fitness doesn’t need to be sacrificed with Silver Sneakers!

Sources:

1. Silver Sneakers
2. Suite101

Home Care Central Phoenix and Home Care Greater Phoenix provides elder care and senior care in Phoenix. Call us today at 623-583-5868, 602-265-8228 or 480-991-3959.

Q – My elderly mother, who lives alone in Phoenix, neglects her nutrition because she says food doesn’t taste like it used to, and since my father passed away she doesn’t bother to cook for herself. I worry about her health with all the processed convenient foods she eats. Can you suggest a healthy, tasty recipe that would be easy for her to make that would encourage her to cook at home?

A – Here’s a great recipe that your mother will be able to make quickly and easily, and it has such a great taste she’ll surely be convinced that cooking at home is worthwhile. It also tastes so wonderful that she needn’t cook it just for one; if she invites over some guests they’re sure to think she’s been slaving away in the kitchen all day even though the recipe only requires about 10 minutes preparation time, and 30-35 minutes in the oven.

Lemon Dill Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup sour cream
1 TSP chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. lemon zest

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425? F. degrees.

Mix all ingredients except chicken.
Spray a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Spread 1/4 of the lemon dill sauce over the bottom of pan.
Arrange chicken breasts on top of sauce in a single layer.
Pour remaining sauce over chicken and spread evenly.
Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, until chicken is done.

Sources:

1. ClevelandAndSeniors.com

2. Nutritionwerks.com

Home Care Central Phoenix and Home Care Greater Phoenix provides elder care and senior care in Phoenix. Call us today at 623-583-5868, 602-265-8228 or 480-991-3959.

Statistics show that more and more seniors are beginning to use the Internet, and a large percentage of these individuals are using it to find information about their health. Home Care Central Phoenix and Home Care Greater Phoenix provides elder care and senior care in Phoenix. Call us today at 623-583-5868, 602-265-8228 or 480-991-3959.

While it is a great tool to get information about general wellness issues and to access additional resources, it should not be used to self-diagnose a senior’s health complaints.

Seniors can use the internet to learn about the possible causes of any symptoms they’re experiencing, but need to understand that what they find online just may not be relevant to their situation. Often, internet searches may point to more serious chronic issues that share similar symptoms, which can automatically generate worry. Since many and major and minor health issues may share symptoms, a senior needs to have a doctor assess their situation before forming any opinions.

Physicians are trained to look at all the facts, and look for simple explanations that fit the senior’s complaints. So, when a senior goes to see their doctor about any health issues they’re experiencing, they should start with a blank slate, simply providing a list of their symptoms and problems.

Use the internet for its wealth of information, but remember it can’t replace the insight of a medical professional.

We understand that it can be difficult for seniors to maintain a well-balanced nutritional plan for a number of reasons; difficulty getting to the grocery store, challenges with cooking, and now the poor economy makes financial considerations all the more relevant.

Instead of spending money on expensive yet often convenient junk foods, they should choose fresh fruits and vegetables; or for a more economical option, can opt to select the canned or frozen variety which contains the same number of essential vitamins or nutrients. Frozen lean meats purchased in bulk packages can also offer a less expensive alternative for seniors in Phoenix to get fresh meats from a butcher; or seniors can buy fresh products that are nearing the end of their lifecycle available at a discount, which can be cooked and frozen.

For those who experience significant challenges with finances; senior nutrition programs, like Meals on Wheels are available in almost every local community which operate by donation and deliver directly to senior’s homes daily or serve meals in established public locations. These programs are made possible with the help of organizations like MedAssets, which improves healthcare providers’ margin and cash flow through revenue cycle and supply chain initiatives. By their partnership with senior nutrition programs, these businesses can expand their operations and lower costs; allowing them to reach more seniors in need of healthy, low cost meals.

In order to learn more about community resources relating to healthy eating and senior nutrition programs, we recommend that you contact your local Area Agency on Aging or Eldercare Locator.

Sources: http://www.poststat.net/pwp008/pub.49/issue.366/article.598/
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_/ai_n11838042

Home Care Central Phoenix and Home Care Greater Phoenix provides elder care and senior care in Phoenix. Call us today at 623-583-5868, 602.265.8228 or 480-991-3959.

Home Care in Phoenix for Seniors - Helping aging seniors stay safe at home.

Bill Cantrell, Owner, Home Instead Senior Care in Central Phoenix, Goodyear, Avodale & Biltmore Area speaks to you about the importance of a trusted and reliable source for elder home care in Phoenix.

Are you getting less than 7.5 hours of sleep a night? If so, this may increase your risk of heart disease, if you are an elderly person with high blood pressure, Japanese researchers say.

The study, reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, tracked the sleep of 1,255 people, with an average age of 70.4 years, and followed their health for about 50 months. During the follow-up, there were 99 cardiovascular disease events, Health Day reports.

“The incidence of cardiovascular disease was 2.4 per 100 person-years in subjects with less than 7.5 hours of sleep and 1.8 per 100 person-years in subjects with longer sleep duration,” wrote Dr. Kazuo Eguchi of Jichi Medical University in Tochigi.

Researcher found that the elders with shorter sleep duration plus an overnight increase in blood pressure had a higher incidence of heart disease as compared to those who slept longer and had no overnight increase in blood pressure. The incidence of cardiovascular disease in patients who had more sleep compared to those who had less sleep was similar in those who didn’t experience an overnight increase in blood pressure.

Researchers noted that adequate sleep is essential for preventing health problems, such as obesity and diabetes, as well as several risk factors for cardiovascular disease.