Is it Dementia or Depression – Seniors in Arizona

For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Are you confused about whether or not your loved one has depression, dementia or maybe both? With many similar symptoms, it can be hard for family members to distinguish between the two illnesses. As much as 50 percent of people with Alzheimer’s (the most well-known form of dementia) also suffer from depression, so it’s natural to be concerned.  Fortunately, there are survey questions and treatment options that may be able to identify and help ease your loved one’s symptoms.

Diagnosis

There are many shared symptoms between dementia and depression, including anxiety, agitation, apathy, irritability, poor sleep, restlessness, memory loss and difficulty concentrating. Anton P. Porsteinsson, director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Care, Research, and Education Program, points out the difference: depression affects emotions while dementia affects cognitive ability. “Someone who’s depressed may not care to drive, pay bills or pay attention to the details of events; someone with Alzheimer’s can’t do these things,” he said.

Nina Laurencot, a geriatric social worker, added that other conditions, such as urinary tract infections, may also cause memory loss and can make diagnosis even more difficult. In addition, the lines between the two conditions are blurred because many people with dementia “feel anxiety about early memory losses, they acknowledge the loss of vocabulary and short-term events, all of which can catapult them into depression,” said Laurencot. So a person’s awareness of his or her dementia can actually cause depression.

There are several surveys or questions you can ask your loved one to determine whether a doctor’s visit is necessary. Watch for tell-tale signs specific to depression, which include sad feelings, feelings of hopelessness, frequent crying episodes, fatigue, sleeping too much or not enough, poor appetite or overeating, expressing thoughts of dying or suicide, or persistent aches and pains.  If these symptoms persist for at least two weeks, it is time to start asking your loved one some important questions.

According geriatrician Leslie Kernisan, M.D., for someone with mild or moderate dementia, there are five questions you should ask to assess whether or not your loved one suffers from depression:

• Are you basically satisfied with your life?
• Do you often get bored?
• Do you often feel helpless?
• Do you prefer to stay at home rather than go out and do things?
• Do you feel worthless the way you are now?

For people with more severe cases of dementia, there are two different surveys you can use. The first is Stanford University’s Geriatric Depression Scale.  This scale consists of 15 questions to ask your loved one. A five-point score or more indicates depression and you should schedule a doctor’s visit. The other is The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, which is a 19-question survey; a score of eight indicates depression. A high score on each necessitates a visit to the loved one’s doctor or a specialist.  Both surveys are available for free online.

Approaching Your Loved One

Bringing up the topic of depression and seeking help with your loved one can be difficult. Laurencot recommends “empathy, active listening, and recognizing that losing friends, health, and independence can be difficult and sometimes a little medical help can get us through it.” Many elderly people do not want to talk about their depression because they are embarrassed, so it is important to make it clear that what your loved one is going through is normal and that there is nothing to fear. Let your loved one tell you how he or she is feeling by asking questions, such as, “You seem to be more tired and down than usual lately, are you okay?”

Steps to Treatment

Laurencot suggests the first step after administering either the Geriatric Depression Scale or The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia is to schedule a geriatric assessment.  Your loved one’s General Practitioner (G.P.) can use this to rule out other medical conditions that may cause similar symptoms to depression or dementia.

Once a medical doctor has confirmed a diagnosis of depression, whether your loved one also has dementia or not, you have several options for helping your loved one that don’t require medication or professional assistance. One of the most important and effective options is physical exercise. Keep your loved one active by going for daily walks or doing other activities that are approved by the G.P. Exposure to fresh air and sunlight are also effective. You should try to plan daily activities based on your loved one’s interests. A visit to a museum, shopping, or a social get together are all things that can help alleviate your loved one’s feelings of depression. Joining a support group together is another idea you may consider to let your loved know there are others going through the same thing.

If these less-structured methods are not helping, there are other options. Many doctors will prescribe antidepressants or suggest psychotherapy, also referred to as counseling or intensive talk-based therapy. Be sure to tell the doctor about any medications your loved one may already be taking. Studies have proven psychotherapy to be very effective in treating elderly depression, and research has also shown that psychotherapy and antidepressants together is the most effective medical treatment. You may want to continue the psychotherapy and antidepressants even after the depression has been treated. A study in 2006 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that when treatment was continued, the elderly patients were less likely to relapse.

Suggestions for Further Research

According to Laurencot, most hospitals offer neuropsychiatry evaluations for diagnosis of dementia and elder services for home care support and social programs. She stresses the importance of seeking help and gaining an accurate diagnosis because she often sees delirium and depression mistaken for dementia. Be sure to ask your loved one’s G.P. any questions you may have and offer your support.

For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Right at Home Phoenix Conducts Free Blood Pressure Clinics for National High Blood Pressure Education month

Right at Home of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Carefree, Cave Creek and Fountain Hills, Arizona is available to perform FREE Blood Pressure Clinics at Senior Facilities in our area as a service to the senior community.  So far this month, we’ve done several clinics that have been very well received.

According to the CDC, normal blood pressure for adults is when the systolic pressure is less than 120 and the diastolic is less than 80. Someone who’s blood pressure is slightly higher than normal has prehypertension and those numbers are systolic pressure between 120 and 139 and diastolic pressure between 80 and 89. Someone with hypertension will have a systolic pressure greater than 140 and a diastolic pressure greater than 90.

Seniors often feel that, since they are on blood pressure medicines, checking their pressure is not necessary.  This could not be further from the truth.

High blood pressure increases the risk for heart disease which is the leading cause of death in the United States and stroke, the third leading cause of death in the U.S. About one in three adults have high blood pressure and many are not even aware of it. Undetected and untreated high blood pressure can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of the body, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC).

If you operate, are employed by or reside in an Senior, Adult, Independent or Assisted Living Facility in any of the above-named areas, please contact Right at Home at 602-569-7240.

For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Drowsiness, Staring and Other Mental Lapses May Signal Alzheimer’s Disease in Phoenix / Scottsdale, AZ

Drowsiness, Staring and Other Mental Lapses May Signal Alzheimer’s Disease

Older people who have “mental lapses,” or times when their thinking seems disorganized or illogical or when they stare into space, may be more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease than people who do not have these lapses, according to a study published in a recent issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

These mental lapses, also called “cognitive fluctuations,” were known to be common in people with a type of dementia called “dementia with Lewy bodies.” But researchers previously did not know how frequently they occurred in people with Alzheimer’s disease and, equally important, what effect fluctuations might have on patients’ thinking abilities.The study involved 511 people with an average age of 78. Researchers interviewed each participant and a family member, evaluated the participants for dementia, and tested their memory and thinking skills.

People with three or four of the following symptoms met the criteria for having mental lapses:

• Feeling drowsy or lethargic all the time or several times per day despite getting enough sleep the night before;

• Sleeping two or more hours before 7:00 p.m.;

• Having times when the person’s flow of ideas seems disorganized, unclear or not logical; and/or,

• Staring into space for long periods.

A total of 12% of the people with dementia in the study had mental lapses. Of 216 people with very mild or mild dementia, 25 had mental lapses. Of the 295 people with no dementia, only two had mental lapses.

“When older people are evaluated for problems with their thinking and memory, doctors should consider also assessing them for these mental lapses,” said senior study author James E. Galvin, MD, MPH, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who is a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Source: The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 22,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, which is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging.

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For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Hey Arizona…Too much soda and processed food can accelerate aging and shorten your life (Phospates)

Too much soda and processed food can accelerate aging and shorten your life

By Sharon O’Brien, About.com Guide

Are you lagging behind your same-age friends in the wrinkled-brow, saggy-neck and droopy-arm departments? Never fear. Just grab a cheeseburger and a soda or two and there’s a good chance you’ll soon catch up.

Phosphates Accelerate Aging
Food companies these days add a lot of phosphates to soda and other processed foods—things like meat, cheese and bakery products—and now researchers have found evidence that high levels of phosphates accelerate signs of aging.

Phosphates May Contribute to Chronic Diseases
More specifically, high phosphate levels can induce severe muscle and skin atrophy. Worse, they may also “increase the prevalence and severity of age-related complications such as chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular calcification,” according to a 2010 research studypublished in the FASEB Journal–the acronym stands for Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology—and reported in Science Daily.

“Soda is the caffeine delivery vehicle of choice for millions of people worldwide, but comes with phosphorous as a passenger,” says Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the FASEB Journal. “This research suggests that our phosphorous balance influences the aging process, so don’t tip it.”

Phospates Now Used More Frequently in Food
Food additives containing phosphates have been around for a long time, but the frequency with which they are used, the number of processed foods that contain them, and the amounts we unknowingly consume have grown significantly over the past two decades.

In an earlier study, published in 2008, which showed that inorganic phosphates might speed the growth of lung cancer tumors and also contribute to the development of such tumors, scientists concluded that . . . “while a moderate level of phosphate plays an essential role in living organisms, the rapidly increasing use of phosphates as a food additive has resulted in significantly higher levels in average daily diets. Phosphates are added to many food products to increase water retention and improve food texture.

“In the 1990s, phosphorous-containing food additives contributed an estimated 470 mg per day to the average daily adult diet. However, phosphates are currently being added much more frequently to a large number of processed foods, including meats, cheeses, beverages, and bakery products. As a result, depending on individual food choices, phosphorous intake could be increased by as much as 1000 mg per day.”

Lower Phosphate Intake for Better Health and Longer Life
So there you have it. Phosphates make processed foods look better, but in large quantities they could do just the opposite for you, making you look and feel old before your time.

Take a tip from one of the researchers involved in the recent study: “Humans need a healthy diet and keeping the balance of phosphate in the diet may be important for a healthy life and longevity,” says M. Shawkat Razzaque, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Medicine, Infection and Immunity at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. “Avoid phosphate toxicity and enjoy a healthy life.”

With our thanks for http://www.about.com ================================================

For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

“Brain Exercises” May Delay Memory Decline in Dementia in Phoenix, AZ

“Brain Exercises” May Delay Memory Decline in Dementia in Phoenix, AZ

People who engage in activities that exercise the brain, such as reading, writing, and playing card games, may delay the rapid memory decline that occurs if they later develop dementia, according to a study published in a recent issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study involved 488 people age 75 to 85 who did not have dementia at the start of the study. They were followed for an average of five years; during that time 101 of the people developed dementia.

At the beginning of the study, people reported how often they participated in six leisure activities that engage the brain: reading, writing, doing crossword puzzles, playing board or card games, having group discussions and playing music. For each activity, daily participation was rated at seven points, several days a week was rated at four points and weekly participation was rated at one point.

The average score for those who later developed dementia was seven points total, meaning they took part in one of the six activities each day, on average. Ten people reported no activities, and 11 reported only one activity per week.

The researchers then looked at the point when memory loss started accelerating rapidly for the participants. They found that for every additional activity a person participated in, the onset of rapid memory loss was delayed by 0.18 years.

“The point of accelerated decline was delayed by 1.29 years for the person who participated in 11 activities per week compared to the person who participated in only four activities per week,” said study author Charles B. Hall, PhD, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY.

The results remained valid after researchers factored in the education level of the participants. “The effect of these activities in late life appears to be independent of education,” Hall said. “These activities might help maintain brain vitality. Further studies are needed to determine if increasing participation in these activities could prevent or delay dementia.”

The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging. The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care through education and research.

Learn More

The American Academy of Neurology has created a website for consumerswhere patients and caregivers may find information about the human brain and neurological disorders.

Right at Home is a national organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for those we serve. We fulfill that mission through a dedicated network of locally owned, franchised providers of in-home care and assistance services.

For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

New Technologies to Keep Seniors Safer, Healthier in Arizona

On the Horizon: New Technologies to Keep Seniors Safer, Healthier

Many tech reporters on the scene at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show noted that among the usual displays of the latest, hottest gadgets, senior-focused innovations were prominently showcased.

In development: Microsoft’s innovative SenseCam, a memory support aid for people who have Alzheimer’s disease. The SenseCam automatically takes a constant stream of photos, allowing the user to review an “instant replay” of the day’s past events. This is just one of the many innovative new technologies on the horizon to support our aging population. ________________________

In the last few issues of Caring Right at Home, we’ve just taken a look at ways seniors benefit from computer use and social applications. But enhanced online communication is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential of new technologies to improve the quality of life of older adults. We’d like to share with you some of the upcoming technical trends that we have been following—technologies that promise to support in-home caregivers and the seniors and families they serve.

Here are just a few examples of computer-driven senior support offerings on the horizon. Some are still on the drawing board, while others are being tested and used today.

Technology to keep seniors safe at home

Today, many seniors take advantage of home security systems, personal emergency response systems or wander guards for those with Alzheimer’s disease. But this is only the beginning. Some of the other developments we can look forward to help us “age in place” include enhanced home safety monitoring, and even sensors in seniors’ clothing or shoes to detect a change of condition. Interactive “telehealth” products will allow seniors and caregivers to perform routine health monitoring at home, automatically transmitting the results to the senior’s healthcare provider.

Online health records

Online health records promise to streamline healthcare and to allow patients more control over their own care. Older adults especially stand to benefit by a centralization of their records, as they are most likely to be dealing with multiple conditions, doctors and medications. Equally important to many consumers, new security technologies are addressing the important issue of privacy.

Senior fitness innovations

Few game developers anticipated how quickly older adults would embrace motion sensing video games, such as the popular Wii system. Do “virtual” sports games really give older adults a good workout? A recent study from the American Heart Association says yes, demonstrating that many active video games provide benefits equal to moderate intensity exercise. Another study suggested that active games such as “Dance Dance Revolution” can help reduce fall risk. Game developers who formerly focused on teens are now working on more devices targeting the over-65 user.

“Senior-friendly” gadgets

Many modern devices that were designed to make life easier actually have the opposite impact on older adults. A confusing, complicated menu of features and choices on phones, remote controls and computers makes for a daunting experience, especially when there are mysterious settings to inadvertently toggle. Fortunately, more companies are studying the needs of seniors and developing models tailored for users with low vision, decreased manual dexterity, memory loss, or just a disinclination to continually learn “what’s new.” For example, senior-friendly mobile phones come with larger buttons, high-contrast numbers, amplifiable volume—even a dial tone. Computers and software with simplified interfaces are available. Intuitive remote controls make home electronics more accessible. Developers are getting the message that although technology can play a critical role in quality of life for older adults, technology can also be intimidating.

Dementia support technology

Increasingly sophisticated tracking systems prevent people with Alzheimer’s and related conditions from getting lost, while providing peace of mind for family caregivers. Researchers are also developing simple handheld devices and smart phones that offer memory prompts and reminders. (For example, see the Microsoft SenseCam device at the top of this page.) Research also continues on memory-care computer programs that support brain health.

Of course, these emerging trends can’t take the place of the human touch when it comes to caring for seniors. But with the aging of the baby boom, with more and more older adults preferring to age in place, and with increased pressure on family caregivers, new technical developments will continue to provide cost-effective supplemental support.

Photo: Microsoft Corporation

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For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Signals of Alzheimer’s Disease in Maricopa County, AZ

Drowsiness, Staring and Other Mental Lapses May Signal Alzheimer’s Disease

Older people who have “mental lapses,” or times when their thinking seems disorganized or illogical or when they stare into space, may be more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease than people who do not have these lapses, according to a study published in a recent issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

These mental lapses, also called “cognitive fluctuations,” were known to be common in people with a type of dementia called “dementia with Lewy bodies.” But researchers previously did not know how frequently they occurred in people with Alzheimer’s disease and, equally important, what effect fluctuations might have on patients’ thinking abilities.The study involved 511 people with an average age of 78. Researchers interviewed each participant and a family member, evaluated the participants for dementia, and tested their memory and thinking skills.

People with three or four of the following symptoms met the criteria for having mental lapses:

• Feeling drowsy or lethargic all the time or several times per day despite getting enough sleep the night before;

• Sleeping two or more hours before 7:00 p.m.;

• Having times when the person’s flow of ideas seems disorganized, unclear or not logical; and/or,

• Staring into space for long periods.

A total of 12% of the people with dementia in the study had mental lapses. Of 216 people with very mild or mild dementia, 25 had mental lapses. Of the 295 people with no dementia, only two had mental lapses.

“When older people are evaluated for problems with their thinking and memory, doctors should consider also assessing them for these mental lapses,” said senior study author James E. Galvin, MD, MPH, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who is a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Source: The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 22,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, which is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging.

For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Belly Fat and Dementia: Is There a Connection? (Arizona Seniors)

Belly Fat and Dementia: Is There a Connection?

Need one more bit of motivation to maintain a healthy weight? Research now suggests a connection between extra pounds around the middle and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

A number of studies have suggested that excess body fat, particularly around the abdomen, may increase the risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Just how body fat and its many chemical components may affect the brain is a complex problem that researchers are now investigating, with support from the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

“We have two very serious public health burdens—Alzheimer’s disease and obesity—and if they interact so that one accentuates the other, then this is obviously a significant crisis,” says Dr. Suzana Petanceska, a program director in the NIA’s Division of Neuroscience. “This is very important to know, because if metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity do indeed harm the brain, and we are able to understand how that happens, there is great potential for intervention.”

At first, researchers did not consider obesity to be an independent risk factor for dementia, separate from the conditions obesity worsens, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which are both linked to dementia by numerous studies. But then, in the early 2000s, researchers turned their attention to obesity itself as an independent threat to the brain. Since then, imaging studies have demonstrated brain changes in association with obesity.

Location, Location, Location

There are several types of body fat (adipose tissue). Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, is the most damaging type. It wraps itself around organs, makes the abdomen protrude, and produces molecules that can pass into and interact with the brain. Excess visceral fat is risk factor for type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, heart disease, stroke, and premature death, studies show. The fat that coats the hips and thighs, called subcutaneous fat, lies just below the skin and is benign in comparison.

In 2008, an NIA-funded study found that middle-aged people with large abdomens are more likely than are their flat-bellied contemporaries to develop Alzheimer’s later in life. Study participants in the top third for belly size had a threefold greater risk of dementia than participants in the bottom third, even after researchers controlled for other factors, like diabetes, that increase a person’s risk for developing Alzheimer’s.

Belly fat churns out a host of hormones, including cortisol and glucocorticoids, known as stress hormones, which normally increase with age as well as during stress and are believed to affect cognition. “The more we understand about adipose tissue, the clearer it becomes that belly fat is its own disease-generating organism,” says NIA’s Dr. Lenore Launer.

As with other conditions that are affected by body fat, such as diabetes and heart disease, weight loss greatly lowers the risk. Researcher Dr. Rachel Whitmer points out that it also makes sense that maintaining a healthy weight would also reduce the risk of dementia. And another bit of good news: visceral fat comes off first when people lose weight.

Source: The Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center (ADEAR). Visit the ADEAR website for coverage of the latest research on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia.=====================

For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

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For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Aging in Place; Staying Healthy and Connected in Arizona

Home Care: An Important Part of the Aging in Place Challenge



As our legislators work to shape the new face of healthcare in the U.S., many Americans have received a crash course on the topic of long-term care. The costs of caring for our seniors will climb as the population ages, and how best to provide this care has been the source of some debate. Under discussion is a mandate that every American purchase long-term care insurance to help cover costs if they become disabled. The related Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act is a proposed new voluntary insurance program that would pay enrollees a benefit that could be applied to nursing home care or in-home care. And the increasingly important role of family caregivers is in the spotlight, with policy experts urging the enhancement of programs that build better relationships between formal and family caregivers.

An increased emphasis is emerging on keeping seniors at home—for the best quality of life, and as a cost-effective alternative to institutional care. Two recent studies, taken together, show why the need for senior home care services will continue to grow:

• Last month, researchers at the UCLA Division of Geriatrics called into question the commonly held belief that Baby Boomers will be healthier than previous generations. The study suggests that people now entering their 60s could actually have an increased rate of disabilities, with functional limitations, and difficulties with the basic activities of daily living and mobility.
• Meanwhile, surveys by AARP and the National Association of Home Builders show that 85% of seniors wish to “age in place”—to remain in their own homes.

This desire to stay at home, combined with a projected increased rate of disability, means that our dwellings will have to adapt to our needs as we age. Modifications for safety and accessibility, including home medical equipment as needed, are part of the picture. And for many seniors, in-home care will be an indispensable part of successful aging in place…just as it is today.

Professional caregivers can provide a wide array of services:

Visiting nurses and rehabilitation professionals provide skilled medical services in the home. Registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) perform hands-on procedures such as wound care and IV therapy. Rehabilitation professionals include physical, occupational and speech/language therapists.

Home health aides are trained to provide personal care and help with the activities of daily living, such as feeding assistance, dressing, bathing, oral hygiene, getting in and out of bed, and using the facilities.

In-home caregivers are trained to provide companion services that support the senior’s independence, including laundry and housekeeping, meal preparation, transportation, companionship, and respite for family caregivers.

Though legislators have been slow to take notice, today’s healthcare reform debate is now shedding new light on the value of in-home care.

Learn More

Read Caring Right at Home each month for information about senior home care services and how home care can keep seniors independent in their own homes.

Read coverage of the generations study in “People Entering their 60s May Have More Disabilities Today Than in Prior Generations” on the UCLA website.

Right at Home is a national organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for those we serve. We fulfill that mission through a dedicated network of locally owned, franchised providers of in-home care and assistance services.

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For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240