This interesting article from USA details one man’s regret for never recording the fascinating stories of his aging aunt. Today’s seniors have rich stories of their lives, and the lives of their families and we must remember how important those things were in making us the people that we are today.

Margalit Tocher

This interesting article from USA details one man’s regret for never recording the fascinating stories of his aging aunt. Today’s seniors have rich stories of their lives, and the lives of their families and we must remember how important those things were in making us the people that we are today.

If you are a caregiver for a family member or loved one in the Chicago North Shore area, an outside caregiver may be an excellent option for relief to ensure you also have some time for yourself. Home Care Assistance Chicago certified caregivers are available 24/7 to provide experienced, trustworthy caregivers to help with all your home care needs: transportation, healthy meal preparation, companionship, socialization, activities,  personal care, medication reminders, and specific Alzheimer’s and dementia care services. Located North of Chicago in Kenilworth (430 Green Bay Road, Kenilworth, IL 60043,) we serve Chicago and all of the North Shore, including Kenilworth, Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe, Evanston, Highland Park, Northbrook, Northfield, Deerfield, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Buffalo Grove, Glenview, and more! Call 847-853-7777 or visit www.HomeCareAssistance.com

This interesting article by Mary Alward explains the healing benefits of pets for the elderly. She writes that pest can provide companionship, acceptance, a way to stay active and remain responsible, a safe home, and a social outlet. She explains that pets can be very good for senior health, especially seniors [...]]]>

Margalit Tocher

This interesting article by Mary Alward explains the healing benefits of pets for the elderly. She writes that pest can provide companionship, acceptance, a way to stay active and remain responsible, a safe home, and a social outlet. She explains that pets can be very good for senior health, especially seniors who live at home, and gives great tips for how seniors can manage pets.

If you are a caregiver for a family member or loved one in the Chicago North Shore area, an outside caregiver may be an excellent option for relief to ensure you also have some time for yourself. Home Care Assistance Chicago certified caregivers are available 24/7 to provide experienced, trustworthy caregivers to help with all your home care needs: transportation, healthy meal preparation, companionship, socialization, activities,  personal care, medication reminders, and specific Alzheimer’s and dementia care services. Located North of Chicago in Kenilworth (430 Green Bay Road, Kenilworth, IL 60043,) we serve Chicago and all of the North Shore, including Kenilworth, Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe, Evanston, Highland Park, Northbrook, Northfield, Deerfield, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Buffalo Grove, Glenview, and more! Call 847-853-7777 or visit www.HomeCareAssistance.com

British and Finnish researchers have recently discovered that the more education one has, the more one’s risk of developing dementia decreases. According to Hanna Keage from Cambridge University, “More education is not associated with any differences in the damage to the brain, but people with higher education can cope with that damage better.” [...]]]>

Margalit Tocher

British and Finnish researchers have recently discovered that the more education one has, the more one’s risk of developing dementia decreases. According to Hanna Keage from Cambridge University, “More education is not associated with any differences in the damage to the brain, but people with higher education can cope with that damage better.” Keage believes that this may be due to psychological strength gained through better education, which might help people think of ways around their problems raised by dementia. These findings are incredibly important for America, due to the increasing number of dementia and Alzheimer’s patients in the U.S., and the growing cost of taking care of those patients. According to Keage, if dementia could be delayed by two years for Americans over age 50, “there would be nearly two million fewer cases of dementia over the next 40 years,” which would greatly cut the cost of care for these people.

If you are a caregiver for a family member or loved one in the Chicago North Shore area, an outside caregiver may be an excellent option for relief to ensure you also have some time for yourself. Home Care Assistance Chicago certified caregivers are available 24/7 to provide experienced, trustworthy caregivers to help with all your home care needs: transportation, healthy meal preparation, companionship, socialization, activities,  personal care, medication reminders, and specific Alzheimer’s and dementia care services. Located North of Chicago in Kenilworth (430 Green Bay Road, Kenilworth, IL 60043,) we serve Chicago and all of the North Shore, including Kenilworth, Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe, Evanston, Highland Park, Northbrook, Northfield, Deerfield, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Buffalo Grove, Glenview, and more!

Call 847-853-7777 or visit www.HomeCareAssistance.com

Margalit Tocher

This article goes into the lives of several seniors citizens to explain how and why they decided to go digital—and are loving it! One woman, Judy Bennett, chose to conquer her fear of computers and take classes [...]]]>

Margalit Tocher

This article goes into the lives of several seniors citizens to explain how and why they decided to go digital—and are loving it! One woman, Judy Bennett, chose to conquer her fear of computers and take classes at a local senior center in order to feel more connected with her young grandchildren. She signed up on Facebook and now feels much closer with her grandchildren, who she can check in on and talk to with a few simple clicks.

Bennett is definitely not alone, according to a survey that reported a 26 percent increase in the amount of 70-75 year-olds using the Internet from 2005 to 2008. Jerry Schulz, who teaches the senior center computer classes that Bennett utilized, says that most people take these classes to connect with their grandchildren, or reconnect with old friends and classmates. She also says that it helps seniors feel connected to the world, and can somewhat eliminate feelings of isolation.

Since many seniors feel scared or resistant to the idea of computers, Schulz gives some great tips on getting elderly family members onto the computer and how to help them learn to use it!

If you are a caregiver for a family member or loved one in the Chicago North Shore area, an outside caregiver may be an excellent option for relief to ensure you also have some time for yourself. Home Care Assistance Chicago certified caregivers are available 24/7 to provide experienced, trustworthy caregivers to help with all your home care needs: transportation, healthy meal preparation, companionship, socialization, activities,  personal care, medication reminders, and specific Alzheimer’s and dementia care services. Located North of Chicago in Kenilworth (430 Green Bay Road, Kenilworth, IL 60043,) we serve Chicago and all of the North Shore, including Kenilworth, Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe, Evanston, Highland Park, Northbrook, Northfield, Deerfield, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Buffalo Grove, Glenview, and more! Call 847-853-7777 or visit www.HomeCareAssistance.com

Margalit Tocher

While many of us might see a card game or a shopping trip with friends as a simple diversion, these are activities that may help preserve the physical and mental health of the elderly. New studies [...]]]>

Margalit Tocher

While many of us might see a card game or a shopping trip with friends as a simple diversion, these are activities that may help preserve the physical and mental health of the elderly. New studies have found that little or no social activity may cause cognitive function and motor function, like walking abilities, to decline much quicker than the functions of those who participate in social activities. The study also showed that physical activity could protect against mental decline, because it releases a protein in the brain that keeps neural connections alive. Researchers discovered that there is a connection between social activity and exercise: many of the participants in the study who had remained socially active were also physically active. This might relate to the findings that social activity increases motor functions, researchers believe. In fact, Dr. Joe Verghese of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York says, “The idea that cognitive and physical function are connected…is one of the new horizons in health care and prevention.” While more research needs to be done on this subject, these findings may help physicians and families to better protect the elderly against physical and mental decline through simply encouraging social activity.

Margalit Tocher

Falls have become a devastating issue for seniors living at home. In order to increase the quality of home health, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research has found that there are many ways to help seniors avoid [...]]]>

Margalit Tocher

Falls have become a devastating issue for seniors living at home. In order to increase the quality of home health, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research has found that there are many ways to help seniors avoid health problems related to falls.

According to the 2007 California Health Interview Survey, which researchers used as a reference, 14.5% of Californians over the age of 65 fell at least once in that year alone. Falling can cause many severe health problems for seniors, and one fall makes an elder much more likely to fall again. Furthermore, only about half of the seniors who reported falling actually went to the doctor after their fall. Many of those who did go to the doctor did not use all the prevention techniques described by their doctor.

The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research is giving a great push for seniors living at home to seek help and preventative strategies. The Center is also encouraging medical professionals to try to get seniors on board. This is an incredibly important issue for many seniors who wish to live at home as they grow older, because it can increase their home health and allow them to continue living in their own home for much longer.

If you are a caregiver for a family member or loved one in the Chicago North Shore area, an outside caregiver may be an excellent option for relief to ensure you also have some time for yourself. Home Care Assistance Chicago certified caregivers are available 24/7 to provide experienced, trustworthy caregivers to help with all your home care needs: transportation, healthy meal preparation, companionship, socialization, activities,  personal care, medication reminders, and specific Alzheimer’s and dementia care services. Located North of Chicago in Kenilworth (430 Green Bay Road, Kenilworth, IL 60043,) we serve Chicago and all of the North Shore, including Kenilworth, Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe, Evanston, Highland Park, Northbrook, Northfield, Deerfield, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Buffalo Grove, Glenview, and more!

Call 847-853-7777 or visit www.HomeCareAssistance.com

Margalit Tocher

According to a new study conducted by Northwestern Medicine, older, [...]]]>

Margalit Tocher

According to a new study conducted by Northwestern Medicine, older, heavier women may have more memory issues and poorer brain function than those who are a healthy weight.

The study was conducted on 8,745 women, ages 65 to 79, and it was found that a higher BMI (Body Mass Index) had a “detrimental effect” on memory and brain function. Even further, the study discovered that women whose excess weight is carried around their hips rather than around their waists experienced even more memory loss and decreased brain function. While there are still more tests to be conducted, researchers believe that this phenomenon may have something to do with the type of fat that accumulates around the hips. Obese women have more cytokines, which are a type of hormone released from the most common kind of fat in the body.

According to Diana Kerwin, M.D., from Northwestern Medicine, “The fat may contribute to…Alzheimer’s disease or a restricted blood flow to the brain.” While researchers are still trying to gather more information on this subject, the current findings can help doctors know with whom they need to be the most aggressive about weight

Margalit Tocher

‎”Heat can be miserable for all ages, but potentially life threatening for older persons,” according to Lois Aronstein, State Director, AARP New York.

A great article parentgiving.com posted from our founder Kathy Johnson, PhD, CMC to protect against the heat!

Monday, July 11th, the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease took place in Honolulu, Hawaii.   Many new studies and research were presented, but the most interesting findings were the role that race and culture play in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Margalit Tocher

Monday, July 11th, the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease took place in Honolulu, Hawaii.   Many new studies and research were presented, but the most interesting findings were the role that race and culture play in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Several professors at the University of California, San Francisco, conducted a study that examined the relationship between dementia and nursing home placement and mortality. The study found that many of the African American and Latino participants that were not placed in nursing homes lived longer than most of the white participants. This study suggested that in-home care might be more culturally appropriate for African American and Latino elders.

This study also explored the different ways in which varying cultures deal with death and the patterns in which these cultures seek help for dementia in their elders. While white families were found to seek elder care about two years after noticing dementia signs, American Indians and African Americans tended to wait about five or six years to seek help. R. Scott Turner, Director of the Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, believes that the culture differences affecting the treatment of Alzheimer’s are very important due to our country’s changing demographics.