Osteoporosis is an unfortunate reality for many older Florida adults, as bone density changes. However, with a healthy diet that includes superfoods for your bones, fractures, breaks and other bone issues can be prevented and improve bone health overtime. Choose low-fat foods rich in calcium and healthy foods which contain phosphorus, magnesium, boron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin K and folate. Great sources of these vitamins and minerals, making them some of the best superfoods for your bones are the following:

•    Black pepper (contains 4 anti-osteoporosis compounds)
•    Cabbage (source of boron)
•    Cod liver oil (source of vitamins A and D)
•    Dandelion (source of boron)
•    Garlic (source of sulphur)
•    Onions (source of sulphur)
•    Parsley (source of boron)
•    Pigweed (source of calcium)
•    Arugula (source of vitamin K)
•    Broccoli (source of vitamin K)
•    Collards (source of vitamin K)
•    Kale (source of vitamins K and C)
•    Swiss chard (source of vitamins K and C, magnesium, and calcium)
•    Spinach (source of vitamins K and C and magnesium)

While supplements can be used to help enhance bone strength through use of these vitamins and nutrients, the best sources are the superfoods that promote bone health into the senior years.

Sources:
1.    Dole Superfoods
2.    Project-Aware

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

When hiring a new caregiver for an elderly loved one through a senior care agency ensure there is a trial period that allows the caregiver and senior to get to know each other without a firm commitment. Many Florida senior care agencies will replace the caregiver at any time if he or she doesn’t meet expectations or mesh personality wise with the senior; however, since not all do, you want to ensure you can change your caregiver at no fault if the arrangement doesn’t work out.

When introducing a new caregiver to a senior and their home, ensure that guidelines of responsibilities are set based on the senior’s needs at the time; but be flexible and listen to suggestions from the caregiver for the highest quality care. Also request that the agency complete an assessment; as eldercare professionals they may see additional areas of daily life that a senior needs help with and be open minded to their feedback.

Sometimes a senior can be invaded by a new presence in their home, whether it’s a family member or a professional caregiver, since it could be their first real loss of independence. Allow the relationship to grow by having the caregiver spend shorter periods of time with the senior at first and acting as a companion. As the senior becomes more comfortable, the caregiver can then take greater control over the household as appropriate.

Sources:
1.    Senior Care
2.   Ottawa.ca – Common Caregiver Questions

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Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

We all get older, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to watch the effects that aging has upon our body and minds. Nor is it easy for loved ones to accept particularly drastic changes that are occurring with a senior loved one. To help you cope with the aging you or an elderly relative is experiencing, consider the following tips:

Accepting Your Aging:

1.    Determine why you are anxious about aging – if it relates to unaccomplished goals, find a way to reach them. Also remember to set goals that suit your lifestyle, as an older adult today.

2.    Acknowledge your achievements – instead of looking at the things you are unable to do as a senior, acknowledge the accomplishments you have made with your family, in your community and in your life.

3.    Embrace aging resources – read books and get online to understand the aging process and how you can accept it.

4.    Maintain your health – don’t succumb to the challenges of aging; eat well, exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

5.    Break the routine – at any age, you can embrace new experiences. Travel to a new place or choose a new hobby to keep up the variety.

Accepting Senior Aging:

1.    Communicate effectively – if a senior struggles with their memory, avoid harping on them if they’ve forgotten something. If you’re really concerned, discuss it with a doctor.

2.    Look at their positive traits – instead of focusing on the perceived decline of aging, focus on the senior’s beauty, wisdom and accomplishments.

Sources:
1.    Ehow
2.    Eldercare ABC Blog

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Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

According to statistics, only about 20%-30% of seniors aged 65 and older are using the internet; and research predicts that these numbers may not change greatly for that demographic of seniors. However, approximately 55% of boomers aged 50-64 are actively using the internet for health research, online banking, and even to make online purchases; which shows that more and more seniors are likely to use the internet as a primary source of information over the upcoming years.

There has been a growth in the activities that seniors are engaging in online. While around the year 2000 most seniors were using the internet as a form of communication through email; more are now engaging in more complex activities that are central to their lives by arming themselves with medical information, reviewing their financial data, filing their taxes and doing their shopping. For those seniors with mobility problems and other declining capabilities, the internet gives them access to resources at their fingertips without ever leaving home. However, increased internet accessibility through adjustable font sized websites and other gadgets to assist with vision and hearing when online might allow more seniors to get online with ease as the boomer generation enters their elderly years.

Sources:
1.    Pew Internet Susannah Fox
2.    Pew Internet and American Life Project

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Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Often seniors who are not feeling physically well, will not voice their concerns because they do not want to feel like they are complaining for no reason, or placing additional burden upon their family or professional caregivers. When a senior has a stroke, it can be difficult for a caregiver to identify, since the majority of the symptoms require that the senior tell someone what they are experiencing. But, by paying close attention to the symptoms that a senior is exhibiting and asking the right questions, a Florida senior caregiver can help to identify a stroke and get them needed medical treatment.

Signs of a Stroke:

•    Numbness – a feeling of numbness might appear along one side of the body, in the face, arms or legs. Caregivers should pry further if a senior seems to be exhibiting perpetual signs that they have limbs that are asleep.
•    Poor communication – trouble speaking, confusion about situations or lack of understanding are signs of a stroke that caregivers might be able to identify without relying on senior’s accounts.
•    Vision changes – problems with sight or blurred vision might indicate a stroke. Apparent visual disorientation may alert a caregiver of a senior stroke.
•    Poor motor skills – problems walking, dizziness or loss of balance that appears out of nowhere can tell a caregiver their senior needs medical assistance.
•    Headache – sudden, severe headache

Sources:
1.    American Heart Association
2.    National Stroke Association

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

When a grandparent is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, grandchildren may find it difficult to comprehend the changes their loved one is experiencing, especially if they are at a young age. In order to help grandchildren cope with the grief they will experience due to their grandma or grandpa’s Alzheimer’s, grandchildren should be encouraged to talk about the disease and their feelings, both to their grandparent and to other family members.

It’s important not to shelter a grandchild from the realities of Alzheimer’s disease, however, it does need to be understood that they may face greater challenges due to the change they witness with their grandparent. In order to help them cope, elder care providers in Florida can involve the grandchildren in the routine set for the senior with Alzheimer’s during a visit. Grandchildren can help record important dates on a calendar, or make reminder signs around the home. Visits with a grandparent with Alzheimer’s can be frequent, but should be limited to 15 or 20 minutes so they take the most enjoyment out of the visit without experiencing a mood change that might be upsetting to the grandchild.

Florida grandchildren who spend time with senior Alzheimer’s patients, may help to retrieve forgotten memories in the minds of the seniors, and by allowing them to talk about their feelings and experiences with Alzheimer’s, they will gain a better understanding to help them deal with the natural grief.

Sources:
1.    Grand Magazine Sara Hodon
2.    Alzheimer’s Society of Canada

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Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Grants for seniors in Florida are available from the Federal Government and foundations that provide financial assistance for seniors relating to housing, education and more. There are Federal Grants for seniors that cover a number of areas like housing, volunteerism, nutrition and housing.

Popular Federal Grants for Seniors Include:

•    Capital Assistance Program for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities provides funds to provide transportation to elderly persons in areas public transportation services are not available, or when they are inappropriate due to a senior’s physical or mental condition.
•    The Foster Grandparent Program encourages seniors to volunteer in their communities, specifically with special needs children, through funding which is available for seniors 60 and older who have limited incomes.
•    Mortgage Insurance-Rental Housing for the Elderly -  this grant insures mortgage lenders against loss, to increase the number of quality and affordable rental properties available for seniors.
•    Retired and Senior Volunteer Program encourages community service by seniors 55 and older by offering reimbursement
•    Nutrition Services Incentive Program works with the Department of Agriculture to provide nutritious foods to senior meal delivery programs and other nutritional-focused organizations.

To apply for senior grants provided by the Federal Government or foundations, Florida seniors must write a proposal, demonstrating the benefits that they would receive, or be able to dispense to others were they to become an approved recipient of the grant.

Sources:
1.    LovetoKnow
2.    Foundation Center

Image: www.heartlandconnection.com

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

A large number of seniors in Florida, and around the country suffer from some form of dementia, which can impact their level of independence and require them to rely upon family caregivers and other forms of elder care. Since personal safety, caused by dementia-related memory issues is a big risk for dementia sufferers living independently at home; new “Smart Homes” are being developed to provide seniors with independence and safety.

A group in the UK, the Bath Institute of Medical Engineering that’s behind the Smart Home hopes to have the senior living innovation available on the market within the next 5 years. Currently, there are two trial systems in the UK which monitor seniors’ movements around the home; which can detect unusual changes in behavior which could indicate a medical emergency or other senior crisis. The Smart Homes also have the ability to remind seniors to turn off lights, appliances, or taps that have been left on with verbal prompts, and can automatically turn functions in the house on and off.

The Smart Homes may not be able to replace traditional Florida elder care services entirely, but they will allow seniors to maintain their pride in living with independence well into their later years, even with dementia.

Sources:
1.    Science Daily
2.   Caregiverunderground

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

In Florida, a moderate to vigorous exercise program can be safe for seniors of all ages who exercise caution and gather knowledge about safe exercise methods so that the physical activity generates improvement to their health rather than create complications. Before beginning any exercise program, seniors should consider the following exercise tips.

1.    Clear it with a doctor – before beginning any exercise program, a doctor can ensure that physical activity will be beneficial to a senior’s health
2.    Start easy – if you’re a senior who doesn’t normally exercise regularly, start with light exercise and work yourself up to more vigorous activities
3.    Consider your options – would you prefer to exercise at a gym or outside? What options are available close to home? Which options are best considering the climate where you live?
4.    Choose safe gear – ensure that you have shoes with proper support, and clothing that is easy to put on and is comfortable to wear during exercise
5.    Forget “no pain, no gain” – when you’re young you might want to feel the burn, avoid activities that cause you pain during, or extreme discomfort later; know your limits.
6.    Pay attention to your body – if you begin experiencing new health issues or symptoms like chest pain, irregular heartbeat, severe shortness of breath, extreme weight loss, infections, or severe muscle or joint pain, consult a doctor and avoid further activity without medical approval
7.    Set goals – short and long term goals will get you to where you want to be
8.    Have a buddy – exercise with a friend or a senior care professional to make the physical activity more enjoyable

Sources:
1.   SeniorLiving.about
2.    Healthy Ontario/ Health Day News

Image: Rittman Recreation

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Common bathroom safety techniques, which include the installation of a variety of senior safety devices, can improve Florida senior living but have the tendency to be quite pricey. However, there are some simple bathroom safety techniques that can help ensure that seniors remain safe at home that will not break the bank, which is a bigger requirement at a time of economic uncertainty.

•    Declutter – ensure that there is nothing on the bathroom floor that can cause a senior to trip, slip or fall. This includes towels, bath mats and bathroom garbage cans.

•    Make it bright – install strong wattage bulbs in the light fixtures, ensure there’s a nightlight with a battery backup and use a brightly colored rubber bath mat in the tub so they can differentiate the mat from the ceramic bathtub.

•    Store things in reach –Toiletry items, medications, and even toilet paper should be easy to reach to prevent slips and falls from bending or stretching.

•    Choose safe materials – glass and other breakable items should not be kept in the bathroom, especially if seniors are unsteady; if something gets knocked or dropped it could result in cuts and injuries.

•    Control water temperatures – make sure the hot water temperature is set to a maximum of 120 degrees, so a senior can never scald or burn themselves in the bathroom

•    Remove door locks – should an accident or fall occur, despite the implementation of cost-effective safety methods, a family member or caregiver should be able to easily access a senior in the bathroom.

Sources:
1.   EZine Articles
2.   Associated Content

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Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.