The holidays can cause large amounts of stress for people caring for elderly parents. In addition to caregiving duties, they now add shopping, holiday parties and family gatherings to a never-ending to-do list.

The Agingcare.com community has seen an increase in stress-related issues on our discussion boards. One AgingCare member said, “I feel more stressed every year…It starts before Thanksgiving and lasts through the New Year. Holiday planning always falls on my shoulders. Last year, Mom was in the hospital, which added to the stress. I keep promising myself to get more involved in something other than caregiving…to recharge myself.”

Here is some advice for weary caregivers.

Continue reading HERE

Visit us at www.commcareinc.org/index.htm for help with an aging loved one this holiday season.

‘Tough Love’ – Caregiving For Alzheimer’s Patients

It is an understatement to say that taking care of a loved one who is stricken with Alzheimer’s Disease, also known as ‘AD’, is a tough job.

(AD is an illness which results in the progressive loss of brain nerve cells, leading to a gradual decline of mental functions and is the most common cause of dementia).

AD is considered to be among the most stressful illness a family caregiver can face and one of the most physically and mentally exhausting situations in a person’s life.

Continue reading HERE.

What It’s Like to Have Dementia

Understanding dementia symptoms from the inside can make you a better caregiver – and bring you closer to your loved one.

You know how frustrating and heartbreaking dementia symptoms are from the point of view of a caregiver. You know the pain of slowly seeing a loved one slip away. But what is it like for her? What is it like for a person to slowly — or sometimes quickly — forget almost everything she ever knew?

Continue reading article HERE.

Top 10 Ways to Celebrate National Family Caregivers Month 2009

There are many ways to celebrate family caregivers and to take action and communicate the important messages of NFC Month.

The following are ideas and guides to help you create a successful National Family Caregivers Month in your community:

1. Offer a few hours of respite time to a family caregiver so they spend time with friends, or simply relax.
2. Send a card of appreciation or a bouquet of flowers to brighten up a family caregiver’s day.
3. Encourage local businesses to offer a free service for family caregivers through the month of November.
4. Participate in the National Family Caregivers Association’s FREE national teleclass: Safe & Sound: How to Prevent Medication Mishaps The free one hour teleclass/webinar will be November 12 at 2 p.m. ET. For more information visit: www.thefamilycaregiver.org.
5. Help a family caregiver decorate their home for the holidays or offer to address envelopes for their holiday cards.
6. Offer comic relief! Purchase tickets to a local comedy club, give a family caregiver your favorite funny movie to view, or provide them an amusing audio book to listen to while doing their caregiving activities.
7. Find 12 different family photos and have a copy center create a monthly calendar that the family caregiver can use to keep track of appointments and events.
8. Offer to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for a caregiving family in your community, so they can just relax and enjoy the holiday.
9. A United States postage stamp honoring the more than 50 million family caregivers in America is officially “under consideration” by the U.S. Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee for introduction as early as 2011. Sign the petition at www.thefamilycaregiver.org and ask others to sign the petition letter.
10. Help a family caregiver find information and resources on the internet or to locate a local support group.

Original content can be found HERE.

Diabetes and How it Affects You

Nearly 24 million adults and children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with diabetes. Another 57 million people have pre-diabetes, a condition that increases their risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

The term “diabetes” refers to a number of diseases, the most common being type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. In each, the body does not produce or properly use insulin — a hormone that is needed to convert sugar starches and other food into the energy we need to live. The exact causes of diabetes are still unclear, although both genetics and environmental or lifestyle factors can play an important role in the development of diabetes and its complications.

• Type 1 diabetes — In this type of diabetes, the body fails to produce insulin, the hormone that “unlocks” the cells of the body, allowing glucose (sugar) to enter and fuel them. People who have type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily to survive.
• Type 2 diabetes — This is the most common form of diabetes. It develops when the body cannot produce or properly use insulin. Older people (and minorities) carry the highest risk for type 2, but a growing number of children and young adults are now being diagnosed with it.
• Gestational diabetes — This type of diabetes occurs during pregnancy and then usually goes away after the baby is born. It’s very important to treat gestational diabetes because it can harm the developing fetus. Mothers who experience gestational diabetes are also at greatly increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
• Pre-diabetes — This is a condition that occurs when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

What is the Link Between Diabetes and Being Overweight?

Being overweight is a leading risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes and makes treating diabetes more difficult. Studies show that overweight people who lose as little as 10-15 pounds and exercise just 30 minutes a day 5 times a week reduced their risk of developing diabetes by almost 60%.

Are You at Risk for Diabetes?

• Take the Diabetes Risk Test

Warning Signs/Symptoms of Diabetes

• Unusual thirst
• Frequent desire to urinate
• Blurred vision
• Tired feeling for no apparent reason
• Extreme hunger
• Irritability
• Tingling/numbness in the hands or feet
• If you have any of these symptoms, why take chances? See your doctor and ask to be tested for diabetes. Find out for sure.

For more information about diabetes, please visit the American Diabetes Association site at: www.diabetes.org

Read original article HERE.

Here is a great article from the New York Times.  If you are in need of assistance for an aging senior in , visit us at www.commcareinc.org/index.htm.

About 30 percent of adult children in the United States contribute financially to their parents’ care, according to the Pew Research Center. On average these children pay $2,400 a year on everything from uncovered medical expenses to making sure the refrigerator is stocked each week. The money often goes to parents who diligently saved all their lives, but in the face of longer life spans and chronic illness, the savings just isn’t enough.

Continue reading HERE.

Feeling Sporty?  Popular Sports and Activities Among Seniors

By Senior Daily Living

If you feel like you need to get out more, you’re not alone.  Senior citizens and non-seniors alike are in need of consistent physical exercise.  Sporty activities are an enjoyable way to get your body moving, but not all forms are best for senior citizens.  Seek out those sports that you enjoy and that exert your body to a comfortable degree.  Here are some of the top ranked sports for the active senior:

Continue reading HERE.

Here is a great article I found from Senior Daily Living.  If you need help for an aging senior in the area, visit www.commcareinc.org/index.htm.

“We are fortunate for the advances in western medicine. It seems like there is a medication for every possible ailment threatening senior citizens. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs can treat diseases, minimize symptoms, and contribute to a longer, healthier life.”

“However, medication cannot be “taken lightly”, and is a more complicated issue than just swallowing pills.”

Continue reading HERE.

Study Suggests Hairstylists Can Help Identify Senior Citizens in Need of Health Services

‘Hair stylists are in a great position to notice when their older clients are starting to suffer from depression, dementia, or self-neglect’

By Jeff Grabmeier

Hairstylists may have a unique opportunity to help steer their elderly clients to needed health services, according to a small, exploratory study.  Continue reading HERE.

Here is a great article that I found by Senior Daily Living.  Visit us at www.commcareinc.org/index.htm if you need help for a senior loved one in the Uniontown area.

“As we age, we naturally have difficulty remembering things or finding the right words to say. This is normal. However, Dementia is not normal. The condition causes mental changes that make it difficult to function and carry out our normal lives, not just remember names and dates.”

Continue reading HERE.