National Preparedness Month is especially important for Seniors in Phoenix, Arizona

The article below reminds us of the upcoming important National Preparedness Month, September 2010.  As I look at the importance of being prepared for emergencies, my mind cannot help running to our Senior In Home Care Clients.

Please ensure the seniors in your life are prepared.  maybe you could even treat their homes as if they were expensions of your home and ensure the proper supplies, contact information, checklist, etc. are all in order.  Great info can be located at http://www.fema.gov/hazard/index.shtm.

Thank you!  If we can assist you with In Home Care and Assistance for the seniors in your world, please give us a buzz at 602-569-7240 or drop us a note at info@rah-phx.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

================================

September is National Preparedness Month, designed to encourage Americans toprepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and communities.

Citizen Corps is the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s grassrootsstrategy involve communities in all-hazards emergency preparedness andresilience. Local Citizen Corps councils enable planning between governmentand civic leaders and provide localized support for outreach and educationalefforts to the public. For more information about Citizen Corps, visit www.citizencorps.gov.

More free information can also be found at ready.gov, listo.gov,1-800-BE-READY, TTY 1-800-462-7585, and 1-888-SE-LISTO.

Borrowed from http://www.dailynewstribune.com/

Arizona Seniors – Arizona Department of Health Services similar to other agencies, working on much smaller budget

Right at Home Phoenix located this article for Seniors and their Loved Ones from the Glendale Star for you.

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

Arizona Department of Health Services similar to other agencies, working on much smaller budget

In spite of budget cuts, the Arizona Department of Health Services continue to offer services to people in need, Communication Director Laura Oxley said. She talked about the agency during a presentation last week for Peoria Rotary Club.

By Carolyn Dryer

The state is not going to provide as much in the future, so state agencies are looking for the help they need outside the government sector.

That was just one of the messages learned from a presentation last week by Laura Oxley, communication director for the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Oxley, originally from Kansas City, Mo., said her grandmother was a teacher who instilled in her the desire to “look things up.” In high school and college, Oxley said she was always curious and had a desire to educate. A degree in communication from the University of Missouri launched her career in journalism, a path and vocation that kept her busy for 20 years.

“I worked in television, was a news anchor in college,” she said. “It was very boring.”

She became a reporter/photographer/producer/edtior and eventually moved into management at a television station.

“I was a ‘Call for Action’ producer, a program that helped TV stations solve problems for people,” she said.

‘It was atounding to meet people losing their homes, contractors overcharged for work,” she said. “We helped people save their homes.”

Oxley moved to Arizona as a member of the Meredith Corporation, which owns KPHO Channel 5 in Phoenix. After a time, she went to work for the Department of Homeland Security for the state of Arizona, and helped secure grants.

Two years ago, she took her current position with ADHS.

“It’s a perfect niche,” she said. “ADHS has shrunk over time, but its mission is the same.”

The agency oversees operations involving behavioral health, licensing and public health.

In the area of behavioral health, there is a new budget, and now the department can only offer medication for people who do not qualify for AHCCCS (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System).

“Everyone has mental health,” she said. “But where is yours?”

Symptoms run from depression to schizophrenia, and ADHS must provide for all of the medications required for the patients who suffer from those mental illnesses.

In the licensing arena, ADHS oversees medical and child care facilities, hospitals, assisted living centers, speech therapists and audiologists.

“The good thing is we’re out there all the time,” Oxley said.

For public health, ADHS offers preparedness and prevention programs.For preparedness, the programs cover fire, flood and the flu. Prevention programs are designed to help people protect themselves.

Some problems never seem to get solved, and there are infrastructure issues as well as realizing polio still is not eradicated.

“We’re lucky to have fresh water,” Oxley said, “and health care facilities available to people, and vaccinations, which have come so far to enable us to do what we do.

“It comes down to what you can do for your health.”

She said H1N1 is a great example. It represented the longest flu season ever, but turned out to be not as dangerous as first thought.

“We had an emergency operation in the department,” she said. “If you’re sick, stay home. Wash your hands. We finally got the vacinations.

“It was back to you.You have to be the one responsible for your health.”

She said businesses have learned to cross-train.

The food stamp program is now called SNAP and it is changing to requiring healthier food. The program now pays for anything except tobacco and alcohol.

The biggest change in WIC (Women and Children) is there is not as much cheese being distributed.

Although programs are underfunded, ADHS still performs the necessary tasks to protect public health. It is OK to report a green pool. And Oxley advised people to be proactive, talk to their neighbors.

“We do have a decent system in place (for testing food). We have the safest food supply in the world because of the safety system in place,” she said.

Reach the reporter at cdryer@star-times.com, or 623-847-4604.

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

Did you know there is a Plan from Arizona’s Governor called “Aging 2020 Arizona’s Plan for an Aging Population”?

As we were searching around for resources for seniors in Arizona, we found this plan originally written under Governor Janet Napolitano’s hand.  Although we have a new Governor in Jan Brewer now, the plan exists and is very important.

Here is the link to the entire plan and a copy of the table of contents.   As always, if RIGHT AT HOME PHOENIX can be of assistance with your Senior Care or Elder needs, please call us at 602-569-7240 anytime.  Thank you!

http://azgovernor.gov/aging/Documents/Aging2020Report.pdf

Message from Governor Janet Napolitano• Acknowledgements• Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1•

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4•

Arizona is Changing ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 4•

Aging 2020 Goals ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7o

Goal 1: Access to Information & Services……………………………………………………. 7o

Goal 2: Increased Awareness & Understanding of Aging Issues ………………….. 8o

Goal 3: Remaining Active, Healthy & Living Independently……………………….. 9o

Goal 4: Increased Safety and Well-Being…………………………………………………….10o

Goal 5: Capitalize on an Integrated & Well-Trained Workforce………………….11o

Goal 6: Systematic Capacity Building & Infrastructure Development………….15o

Goal 7: Promoting Quality of Care in Aging Services ………………………………….17o

Goal 8: Effective & Responsive Management for Aging Services …………………18•

Future Directions & Updates………………………………………………………………………………….19•

References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….20•

Arizona’s Aging 2020 Plan……………………………………………………………………………………..A-1

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

iPad for Seniors in Scottsdale /Phoenix, AZ

With new gadgets and gizmos coming out every day, it can be hard to keep up and to know which ones are worth sharing with your elderly loved one.  Laptops are heavy and expensive, the iPhone has numerous useful applications but it’s too small for many seniors to use and desktops are virtually a thing of the past.  But there’s one new gadget that has the power to check your blood pressure and teach you Tai Chi all with the slide of a finger:  the iPad.

The size of the iPad versus the iPhone is an obvious advantage for seniors, but what else does this device offer for your loved one?  Of course, there are the standard brain teaser, scrabble and Tetris games, but there are also thousands of other applications which can help your aging loved one to live at home and enjoy life.

Health Information Applications

The new iPad offers many functional applications regarding your loved one’s health.  In fact, Healthful Apps, a series of medical-related applications, can be downloaded on iTunes.  This application offers Alzheimer’s Apps, Dialysis Apps,Health Tracker Apps and Caregiver Apps, to mention a few.  iPharmacy uses GPS to locate the nearest pharmacy and also provides information on medications and side effects.  The Bones, Joints, and Muscles application offers valuable information about the aches, pains and problems your loved one is facing in easy-to-understand terms.  In addition, WebMD has created an application for the iPad, offering all the same features available on the website, including drug information, medical listings and a symptom checker.

Self-Check Health Applications

Various self-check and tracking applications allow seniors to calm their fears when they notice worrying changes.  Perhaps the most intriguing of these applications is the HeartWise Blood Pressure Tracker.  Using illustrations and visualizations, this application tracks your blood pressure, resting heart rate and body weight, identifying any changes and alarming numbers.  With available vision and hearing test applications, your loved one can also keep track of sensory changes between doctors’ visits, alleviating any lingering concerns.  The free Stress Checkapplication not only offers research-based tests to assess your loved one’s stress level, but it also offers videos about Yoga, meditation and other stress relieving activities.

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Applications

The Alzheimer’s and Dementia applications are life-changing for those with the disease and their caregivers.  The I Know You application allows the user to upload labeled photos of loved ones to assist with recognition during visits with family and friends.  Another application, Alzheimer’s Cards, offers images that are intended to stimulate memory and help seniors to recognize their surroundings and communicate, even when words elude them.

Functional Applications

In addition to health applications and tracker features, the iPad also features functional applications that offer seniors convenience, particularly when out of the house. For example, many seniors are on restricted diets due to cholesterol, risk of heart disease and other conditions.  This makes it difficult to go out to dinner and enjoy social time with friends and family.  The Restaurant Nutrition application provides nutritional information about nearby restaurants, using GPS, and also allows the user to create a profile to track what he or she eats over time.  This takes away some of the stress of eating out.

Many seniors are also at risk for jet lag when traveling because they already have trouble sleeping under normal conditions.  Jet Lag Fighter is designed to help, using the travel and time zone information.  It tells you when to sleep and exercise in order to lessen the effects of jet lag, making it easier for aging adults to travel to see family and friends across the country and the globe. There are even applications to help seniors learn Tai Chi and Origami.

Doctors often tell their aging patients to walk or maybe even jog, depending on the senior’s current fitness level, in order to maintain heart health and fight off obesity. The Running Trainer Lite application helps your aging loved one to exercise safely, offering interactive GPS maps, information regarding lighting for night walks and planned exercise schedules designed for his or her goals and fitness level.

Accessibility

While these applications are fascinating, they are useless if your loved one can’t use the iPad.  Thankfully, the new iPad is designed for accessibility.  In fact, a 99-year-old woman named Virginia in Lake Oswego, Oregon just got her first iPad and is now using it to read and write poetry again, which she hasn’t been able to do in years because of poor eye-sight due to Glaucoma.  If your loved one has poor eyesight like Virginia, the iPad offers VoiceOver, which names the icons out loud when you touch them on the screen.  The screen also offers a zoom feature to help with visibility and it offers the capability to switch from black-on-white text to white-on-black, which may make it easier to read.

If your loved one has trouble hearing, the iPad offers Mono Audio.  When using headphones, this feature plays all audio in both ears so that nothing is missed due to surround sound audio.

Possibly one of the most innovative applications is Speak it! Text to Speech.  This application allows non-verbal seniors to type what they want to say and choose from four different voices to speak the text.  For the first time, this kind of tool is easily portable, making it fun and engaging for non-verbal seniors to leave their homes for a day of shopping or coffee with a friend.

Aging at Home

So, what does all this mean for aging at home?  It means that your aging loved one can have access to tools and information to function alone while you are out of the home.  It means that you can squelch your fears about your loved one with a simple self-check test.  It means that your loved one doesn’t have to feel disconnected from the rest of the world just because he or she is aging, and can have a little independence.  And that means your loved one can enjoy life, even though it’s changing.

Right at Home is a national in home care and assistance agency that provides trained, insured, and bonded caregivers for a variety of senior home care services. Whether it’s for extra assistance after a stay in the hospital, an aging parent who needs extra help, or as a respite for a husband or wife who cares for an ailing spouse, we can help with your senior home care needs.

(With thanks to Will Flavel for this post on http://www.rightathome.net/blog/)

=======================

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

Weight Loss in your Senior Parent – A Problem? Info for Seniors and Loved Ones in Arizona

Losing body mass is a common sign of aging. In fact, weight loss is far more common than weight gain as people reach and exceed the age of 65. But it is not necessarily cause for alarm. Dr. Asha Wurdeman offers suggestions for determining  if your loved one’s weight loss is healthy.

Signs That Your Loved One’s Weight Loss is Serious

Geriatricians become concerned when a patient’s Body Mass Index (BMI) drops below 21. BMI is measured by dividing the individual’s height in inches by their weight in pounds. A benchmark to watch for at home is a drop of 10 pounds or more within a six month period. For a nursing home dweller the benchmark is a 10 percent weight decrease over the same time period. This extreme level of weight loss is a strong indication of malnutrition and the individual should be tested to determine whether or not other indicators are also present.

Along with extreme weight loss, you should look for signs of malnutrition which include dehydration, a poor protein level and low cholesterol level – in particular when the Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) or “good” cholesterol is low. In combination, these conditions are clear indicators that your loved one is malnourished and should receive immediate treatment to reverse the downward trend and rebuild physical health. A return to robust good health is more challenging when dealing with the inherent added physical frailty of an elderly patient.

Guidelines for Helping Your Loved One

Dr. Wurdeman offers a number of corrective approaches to reverse elderly weight loss that has deteriorated to the point of malnutrition.

• Monitor your loved one’s weight weekly and measure the percentage of food intake.
• Encourage your loved one to eat frequent snacks and drink nutritional supplement shakes in between meals so that her mealtime appetite will not be affected.
• Liberalize your loved one’s diet and remove restrictions on things such as salt or sugar to enhance the overall taste of food. The health risk caused by malnutrition will outweigh other health issues in the short-term.
• Have a professional assess your loved one’s ability to feed herself.
• If necessary, utilize outside help – like a Right at Home caregiver – to ensure that your loved one eats meals.

Incorporating Physical Activity

It may be beneficial to introduce your loved one to a physical activity program designed to increase muscle mass, Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and bone strength, which have been compromised by the lack of proper nutrition. Under the care of a trained medical professional, elderly weight loss degenerating to malnutrition can be successfully reversed.

Normal Elder Weight Loss

When assessing weight loss in the elderly, medical professionals determine if it is a case of normal body mass loss by evaluating three frequently occurring conditions, all considered to be a part of aging. The first is sarcopenia in which lean muscle, body water and the basal metabolic rate all decrease as body fat increases. This means the body needs fewer calories thereby causing the individual to feel less hungry. This common phenomenon is the reason we sometimes watch our elderly relatives as they pick at their plates and complain about a lack of appetite at mealtime.

The second is a decrease in stomach acid, affecting the body’s ability to absorb vitamins and nutrients into the system. This is particularly problematic with the water soluble Vitamin B12. The loss of stomach acid coincides with a decrease in digestive enzymes which can lead to constipation. These individuals also typically experience dry mouth, which is the primary reason for a decrease in their sense of taste and smell.

The loss of stomach acid causes food to be less nutritionally productive.  Your loved one may also feel abdominal discomfort due to constipation and may be generally less interested in food due to its lack of taste. Under these circumstances it is no wonder that eating becomes a chore rather than a pleasure.

The third condition is a loss of bone mass, or osteoporosis, partially due to the fact that our bodies become less able to synthesize Vitamin D, which inhibits our intake of calcium. Lack of bone density causes your loved one to weigh less. The inherent risk in osteoporosis is a marked increase in bone fractures, particularly in the hip.

For the small percentage of elderly that experience weight gain, it is generally attributable to a significant decrease in activity and/or a shift in muscle to fat ratio causing the body to burn fewer calories. Under these circumstances, increasing physical activity would help to control weight gain as well as strengthen muscle mass, which is advisable whenever physically possible.

Information gathered from interview with Dr. Asha (Patel) Wurdeman, a board certified family physician who recently completed a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine with experience in Hospice and Palliative Care in Los Angeles, California. Her practice will focus on health care of the elderly with aims to promote health and prevent disease and disability.

===================

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

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

Total Body Strength for Seniors in Maricopa County, Arizona

Total Body Strength for Seniors

This total body workout is a great way for seniors to get started with strength training.  The exercises focus on building total body strength with an emphasis on improving balance, stability and flexibility.  See your doctor before trying this workout if you have any pain, injuries or other conditions you’re dealing with.  Take your time with the moves and only add weights or resistance when you feel comfortable with the exercises.

Precautions
See your doctor before trying this workout if you have any injuries, illnesses or other conditions and modify any exercise that causes pain or discomfort.

Equipment Needed
Various weighted dumbbells, an exercise ball, a resistance band a medicine ball, a chair and a step or staircase.

How To

• Begin with a 5-10 minute warm up of light cardio (walking in place, etc.).
• Perform each exercise as shown for 1 set, using no weight or light weights to get used to the exercises.  Weights are suggested for each exercise, but modify according to your fitness level and goals.
• To progress, add a set each week until you’re doing a total of 3 sets of each exercise with 30 seconds of rest in between each set.
• Click on the links or pictures for a larger picture and more detailed instructions.
• Do this workout 1-2 non-consecutive days a week, taking at least one day of rest between workouts. For best results, combine this workout with regular cardio and a healthy, low-calorie diet.

Chair Squat Stand in front of a chair with feet about shoulder-width apart. Sit down and, as soon as you make contact with the chair, stand back up and try to do so without rocking back or using momentum. You can place your hands on your thighs if you need to. Hold weights for added intensity.  Repeat for 12 reps.

Ball Taps Sit in a chair and place a ball front of both feet (a mid-sized ball works best). Sit straight up and try not to rest against the back of the chair, keeping your back straight and your abs contracted. Lift your right foot and tap the top of the ball and take it back down to the floor. Switch sides and do the same with your left foot, alternating each foot for all repetitions. Repeat for 30-60 seconds.

Step Ups You can do this exercise on a staircase with rails or on a step if you have one. If you’re on a staircase, stand at the bottom step and step up with your right foot. Bring your left foot up onto the stair next to your right and then step back down on the floor (hold onto a rail if you need to). Perform all reps by stepping up and down with the right foot. Then switch sides and start with your left foot. You can use a resistance band under the working leg (as shown) or hold weights for added intensity. Repeat for 1 set of 12 reps on each leg.

Hamstring Curls Stand in front of a chair and hold onto it for balance if you need to. Loop a resistance band around your ankles (optional), keeping it looped under the standing foot.  Bend your right knee, bringing your foot up behind you (like you’re kicking your own butt) and keeping the right knee pointing towards the floor and right next to your left knee. Slowly lower back down and repeat for 12 reps on each leg.  You can also use ankle weights instead of a resistance band.

Knee Lifts with a Med Ball Hold a light weight or medicine ball (e.g., 2-5 lbs) straight up over your head in both hands. Lift the right knee up to waist level while bringing the arms down, touching the weight to the knee. Return to start and repeat on the left side. You can add intensity by speeding the movement up (while still maintaining control of the weight and your body) and lifting the knees as high as you can. Alternate each side for 30-60 seconds (or more). If you have back or knee problems, you may want to avoid the upper body portion of the move and just do the knee lifts.

Side Leg Lifts Stand sideways to a chair or wall for support and tie a resistance band around your ankles (optional).  Lift the left leg out to the side, foot flexed and hips, knees and feet in alignment. Try to lift the leg without tilting at the torso–hold the torso upright as you lift the leg a few inches off the ground. Lower back down and repeat for 12 reps on each leg. You can also use ankle weights if you don’t have a band.

Wall Push Up Stand a few feet away from a wall or stair rail (as shown) and place hands on wall at shoulder level, a few inches wider than shoulders. Pull the abs in and, keeping back straight, bend elbows and lower body towards the wall until elbows are at 90 degree angles. Push back to start and repeat. The further away from the wall you are, the harder the exercise. Make sure you don’t sag in the middle–keep the abs tight and the back flat.

Chest Squeeze with Med Ball Sit on ball or chair, back straight and abs in. Hold a medicine ball (suggested weight:  4-6 lbs) or any type of ball at chest level and squeeze the ball with the palms of hands to contract the chest. While continuing to squeeze the ball, slowly push the ball out in front of you at chest level until elbows are almost straight. Continuing the pressure with your hands, bend the elbows and pull the ball back to chest. Repeat for 12 reps.

Lat Pulls With Bands Stand or sit holding a resistance band in both hands up over your head. Hands are wider than shoulder-width apart and back is flat, abs engaged. Keep the left hand in place and contract the lat muscles (at the sides of your upper back) to pull the right elbow down towards the ribcage. Press back up and switch sides, alternating right and left for all repetitions.

Lateral Raises Stand or sit holding dumbbells (suggested weight:  3-8 lbs) in both hands at the sides. Keeping the elbows slightly bent and wrists straight, lift the arms up to the sides only to shoulder level (palms face the floor). Lower back down and repeat for 12 reps.

Bicep Curls Sit or stand holding dumbbells (suggested weight:  5-10 lbs) in both hands, palms facing out. Contract the bicep (front of the arm) and curl the weight up towards your shoulder (without touching the shoulder). Lower back down, but keep a slight bend in the elbow at the bottom–don’t swing the weight and keep the elbows in place as you curl the weights. Repeat for 12 reps.

Tricep Extension Sit or stand and hold a dumbbell (suggested weight:  5-10 lbs)  in the right hand straight up overhead and directly over your shoulder. Your palm should face the front and you can use your other hand to support the right arm. Bend the elbow and lower the weight down a bit behind your head (the elbow should be facing the right side of the room) to about 90 degrees. Contract the back of the arm to pull the weight back up and repeat for 12 reps.

Bird Dog Begin on hands and knees with the back straight and the abs pulled in. Lift the right arm up until it is level with the body and, at the same time, lift the left leg up and straighten it until it is parallel to the floor. Hold for several seconds, lower and repeat on the other side, this time lifting the left arm and right leg. Continue alternating sides for 12 reps. Modify by lifting the arm and leg a few inches off the ground until you’re able to balance.

Seated Rotations Sit tall on a ball or chair and hold weight (I’m using 8 lbs) at chest level, shoulders relaxed. Keeping the hips and knees facing forward, rotate the torso to the right as far as you comfortably can. Focus on squeezing the muscles around your waist. Rotate back to center and then to the left, keeping the movement slow and controlled. Continue alternating sides for 1-3 sets of 10-16 reps. Borrowed from the wonderful folks at http://exercise.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

The latest issue of CARING RIGHT AT HOME provided for Seniors and their Loved Ones in the Phoenix / Scottsdale, AZ area

The latest issue of CARING RIGHT AT HOME is here:

http://www.poststat.net/rightathome/pub.59/issue.1348/

In This Issue:

June 2010

» “Wandering” in Dementia Patients: the Home Care Perspective

» New Research Demonstrates Connection Between Physical Activity and Healthier Aging

» This Father’s Day, Remind Dad About Health Screenings

» Social Security Adds Early-Onset Alzheimer’s to “Compassionate Allowance” Program

» Travel Health and Safety Tips for Seniors

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.

=====================

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