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May 12, 2012
by Arcadia Health Care
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More parents opting for grandparent care

When both parents are working full-time, it can seem like an impossible task to find good caregivers who can tend to a child's needs. That's why more and more families are starting to rely on what the The Marco Eagle calls "the grandparent solution." 

This is often a win-win for both sides of the family, and the child. Seniors love having a grandchild to coddle and pamper when Mom and Dad need a break or are dealing with a busy week at work. Still, that doesn't meant that the transition will be flawless. The publication suggests having a trial weekend before making any longer arrangements. Younger children are sure to get homesick after a few days.

But what if a grandparent wants to help take care of a child, but is unable to keep up? Then, families may want to consider having another person there, too. Hiring a home care assistant can be a great way to not only make sure that the little ones are safe, but that older adults are, too.

In fact, having an aide assist Grandpa or Grandma with child care could be an effective method in getting seniors more used to the idea of having a professional in the house with them. So, when it comes time for senior care, they already have a relationship with these individuals.  

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May 11, 2012
by Arcadia Health Care
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Dr. Oz’s advice for being heart smart

Heart conditions continue to be a serious problem in America. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that heart disease is the main cause of death of both men and women, while approximately 785,000 people suffer their first heart attack each year.

February is the American Heart Association’s Heart Health Month, making it the right time to get on track in terms of taking care of this vital organ.

Dr. Oz recently gave his best advice for being heart smart and it starts with eating right and exercising often.

According to Oz, one surprising factor that can harm the heart is listening to music too loudly. Noise pollution can attribute to a rise in a person’s blood pressure, heart rate and stress levels which can all contribute to the risks of having a heart attack. Sounds as low as 70 decibels, the normal level associated with street noise, can be loud enough to enhance the risks. A long term study in Finland found that women who reported being “sensitive to sound,” had an 80 percent increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

Another risk factor for heart conditions is taking calcium supplements. Oz reports that a study in 2010 found that over time, calcium supplements on their own can cause calcification of the arteries, which can increase heart attack risks. Instead, users are suggested to take calcium pills that also contain vitamin D and magnesium.

Getting the flu shot may also do more than just keep elders or caregivers free from the virus. It might help ward off heart problems as well. According to Oz, the flu can cause inflammation in the body, including the arteries in the heart. There, it can fester and irritate plaque which may lead to rupturing and possibly a heart attack.

Oz reports that other ways to stay heart healthy include keeping a clean mouth and staying away from products that contain Bisphenol A (BPA).

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May 10, 2012
by Arcadia Health Care
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Promoting healthy eating could reduce risk of heart disease related deaths

A study conducted by the University of Liverpool shows that intervention policies for promoting healthy eating could reduce the death rate for cardiovascular disease (CVD), by half.

Poor diet is a major cause in developing CVD and even small improvements such as implementing nationwide requirements for eating better could drastically reduce the number of people who develop it.

Lead researcher Simon Capewell explains that there are six food groups that could improve the lives of patients suffering from CVD. According to Capewell, those who eat more fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, vegetable oils (in place of animal fats), and healthy fish could result in up to 9.2 million less deaths. Meanwhile, limiting salt intake could prevent 2.6 million deaths worldwide.

According to the study, implementing such programs are both cost efficient and work best at both the legislative level and in nationwide educational policies. For example, reducing taxes on healthy foods and increasing taxes on unhealthy options could prompt more people to start eating better.

Taking care of a loved one can mean doing the grocery shopping and cooking. A caregiver should try to purchase lean meats and vegetables high in antioxidants and fiber to reduce problems like cancer or osteoporosis from developing.

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May 9, 2012
by Arcadia Health Care
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Sleep comes easier to seniors, study finds

Adults who act as a caregiver to an elderly relative probably know not to call their loved one late at night, as many seniors tend to hit the sheets earlier than their younger counterparts. FamilyDoctor.org reports that most seniors opt to go to be earlier because they have trouble sleeping or because they generally wake up early in the morning and aren't able to go back to sleep.

Although these notions may ring true for some, a recent study conducted by the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the Perlman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that seniors may actually be the age group that gets the best sleep.

To come to this conclusion, researchers conducted phone surveys on 155,877 American adults of various ages. Each participant answered questions on their rate of sleep, number of disturbances each night and levels of daytime fatigue. They each provided personal information including their general health status, race, education levels and pre-existing health conditions.

From the data, scientists discovered that people with health conditions and those who were depressed had the worst time sleeping. Women were also found to have more sleep disturbances and had higher daytime tiredness over men. The most surprising finding was that sleep quality improved consistently as people aged, with the eldest participants claiming to get the best night sleep of all.

"This flies in the face of popular belief," said Michael Grandner, lead author of the study. "These results force us to re-think what we know about sleep in older people – men and women."

Grandner also said that although more research needs to be conducted to verify these results, he urges seniors struggling to get in between 7 and 9 hours of sleep to discuss the issue with their doctors.

"Even if sleep among older Americans is actually worse than in younger adults, feelings about it still improve with age," said Grandner. "Once you factor out things like illness and depression, older people should be reporting better sleep. If they're not, they need to talk to their doctor. They shouldn't just ignore it."

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May 8, 2012
by Arcadia Health Care
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Cold air workouts may put people with heart conditions at risk

Most people agree that shoveling snow or doing other cold weather chores can be a bother. A new study by researchers from the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Penn State University has found that for people with heart conditions, such as coronary artery disease, these activities might also be problematic. This may put new emphasis on the benefits of having an elder care provider or a home nursing professional perform certain tasks that may be unsafe for people with heart conditions.

Lawrence I. Sinoway, the lead author of the study, reports that breathing in cold air while exercising can cause "uneven oxygen distribution throughout the heart." For healthy individuals, the body is able to correct this issue and redirect the blood flow where it needs to go. However, the hearts of people with coronary problems may have to work harder to correct the issues in a similar situation, which can then lead to heart attacks, strokes or other problems.

To test this theory, researchers recruited a group of healthy people in their 20s and another group of healthy adults in their 60s.  This way scientists could measure how healthy hearts react to cold weather exercise. During the study, participants took part in gripping an isometric or static handgrip for two minutes while in cold temperatures.

"There are two different things going on here – demand and supply," said Matthew D. Muller, a fellow researcher. "We thought that oxygen demand in the heart would be higher with cold-air breathing and we also thought that oxygen supply would be a little bit impaired. And that's generally what we found."

From the results, researchers noticed that there was a mismatch of supply and demand of oxygen in the left ventricle, though the patients' hearts were able to make up for the issue.

"[These findings] suggest that healthy humans can adequately redistribute blood to the subendocardium [the blood vessels entering the heart] during the combined stimulus of cold-air inhalation and handgrip exercise," said Sinoway.

According to USA Today, a 2011 study from researchers at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada, found that a significant number of participants suffered from a heart attack while shoveling snow. 

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May 7, 2012
by Arcadia Health Care
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Getting a little more help for Mom’s dog

Older parents often need a little assistance getting around the house as they age at home, but families are often baffled when they have to start taking Mom's dog out for walks, too. Balancing pet care duties along with all the other caregiving responsibilities can be a burden, but there are ways to make sure that an elderly still has the company of a furry friend. 

Safety should be one major consideration, however. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that almost 90,000 Americans fall each year, because they trip over a pet or accessories for a pet, according to FloridaToday.com.

Still, the health benefits may outweigh the potential hazards. Owning pets encourages seniors to take them outside and go on walks more often. Animals also offer companionship throughout the day.

If families are struggling to juggle the needs of a pet with a loved one, it may be time to hire some help. Home care assistants can provide both pet and senior care, while also driving older adults to doctor's appointments, grocery stories and other amenities. These experienced professionals also help around the house with food preparation and cleaning.  

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May 6, 2012
by Arcadia Health Care
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Bypass surgery better option for long-term survival rates among heart disease patients

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the U.S., with approximately 785,000 Americans suffering a heart attack for the first time each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are many options out there for helping people deal with this disease, with the most popular being bypass surgery and a non-surgical treatment. A recent study, conducted by scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has found that people who undergo bypass surgery have a higher long-term survival rate over those who opt for the non-invasive option. 

To test this, researchers looked at more than 189,000 elderly adults who had either undergone a coronary artery bypass graft (CABC) or a non-surgical procedure called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Scientists then looked at their long-term survival rates.

From the information, it was found that after one year there was no difference in survival rates among people who had either form of treatment. However, after four years, CABG patients were found to have a 21 percent lower mortality rate in comparison to those who received PCI procedures. Looking closer, researchers noticed that these results remained true even after looking at other risks among individuals. Risks included prior heart attacks, gender, race, diabetes, number of blocked coronary vessels and body mass index, among other issues.

This information may offer people with coronary disease and their elder care providers with real facts on the effectiveness of both procedures so they can make a more educated decision on treatment plans.

"In the United States, cardiologists perform over a million revascularization procedures a year to open blocked arteries," said Susan B. Shurin, a member of the NIH's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which funded the study. "This study provides comprehensive, large-scale, national data to help doctors and patients decide between these two treatments."

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May 5, 2012
by Arcadia Health Care
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Seminars help seniors in more ways than one

Senior centers around the country are tuning in to the new guidelines for keeping elders healthy by promoting activities aimed at getting seniors exercising and eating well, The Sentinel reports.

Being a caregiver is a full time job and being able to be there for an aging loved one is important to many. However, seniors still relish the time they spend with others their own age, and signing them up to go to a senior center one-day-a-week or more is a way to help ensure they still know they're independent.

A senior center in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, recently began a set of weekly meetings aimed at showing seniors new forms of exercise – Pilates and even playing ping-pong, as well as what foods to eat to combat certain issues that are common with aging.

"Exercise classes help with strengthening, balance and overall good health." "Obesity and depression can set in by not moving," Ann Hinkle, the center's director told the news outlet. "Everything is to promote healthy living."

During the program, seniors are able to enjoy learning about new methods of exercising, better eating habits and each others company.

"I think it's great," Pat Thomas of Shippensburg told the news source. "It's just what us older people need."

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May 4, 2012
by Arcadia Health Care
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Michigan’s dependency ratio surges with latest Census figures

The dependency ratio, as recorded by the Census, compares the number of children under the age of 18 and adults 65 and over to the amount of working people in each state. The residents between these two categories generally account for taxes, support and overall labor contributions toward the economy. 

However, as the United States experiences an unprecedented graying in the coming years, many states are seeing their dependency ratios drastically grow. This is particularly the case when it comes to senior citizens and working people.

The Detroit Free Press reports that the number of elderly residents went up from fewer than 20 per 100 working people to 22 in the span of two years. This is a hint that home care agencies will soon have their hands full, as they help adult children take care of aging parents.

The tightening ratio "portends a profound change in Michigan, sharper on both ends than the nation will see, and a trend that will likely do more to shape the immediate future of this state than all of Gov. Rick Snyder's reinvention plans," according to the news source.  

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May 3, 2012
by Arcadia Health Care
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Seniors continue to stay in their homes for the long haul

With seniors staying more active as they age, many are choosing to continue to age in place rather than move to a senior living facility. This seems to be true as the recent State of the Nation's Housing 2011 report, compiled by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, found senior home ownership is on the rise.

Because of the stay at home trend, the report also showed that seniors are the leaders in home renovations, as they "will choose to stay in their current homes or age in place, which may involve remodeling to make their living spaces more senior-friendly," said writers from the Joint Center report.

Such remodels could be in the kitchen to lower countertops or even redoing stairs in the home to make them wider or to add more lighting.

A second group of boomers and seniors are choosing to sell their large, family-raising homes for more modest smaller or one-level homes that are easier for them to navigate through. The report found that between 2010 and 2020, there will be an increase by 10.2 million of households headed by individuals between the ages of 55 and 74.

A caregiver can assist their parents in updating or moving into a new home by installing hand rails in their bathrooms and keeping clutter around their home at bay to avoid falls. 

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