Category Archives: caregiving and workplace

Live in Care – Senior Health Tips in NJ – Is it a Cold or Allergy –

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Expert Home Care helps New Jersey elders live independently at home in Somerville, Red Bank, Lakewood, Hackettstown, Ridgewood, Princeton, Trenton, Flemington, Morristown, Wayne.  Call us today! 800-848-2336.

Keeping elders and seniors healthy at home.. are your sniffles a cold or an allergy?

Though the symptoms are almost identical, the biggest difference between a cold and an allergy is the duration. Most colds last seven to ten days, while allergies can stick around for several weeks. Colds usually include a scratchy sore throat, thick mucus, muscle aches and a low grade fever. Allergies, however, mostly center on just sniffles and sneezes.

If you or your family seem to be involved in an endless struggle with allergy symptoms, one place you might want to look for relief is the ducts of your forced hot air heating and/or central air conditioning system.

Many home ventilation systems circulate the same air over and over again. Over time, dirt cakes against the interior walls of the ducts, providing a fertile home for a variety of indoor air contaminants including pollen, lint, dust, mold, mildew, dust mites, mold spores, animal hair and dander, fungi and potentially harmful bacteria. The American College of Allergists estimates that 50 percent of all illnesses are either caused or aggravated by polluted indoor air.

Discover Magazine reports that the average six room house collects 40 pounds of dust each year. And, The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers estimates that most commercial fiberglass filters for home heating systems are only 7 percent efficient in stopping dirt, dust, pollen, etc., from passing through.

What can you do to help improve your home’s health? If you have a forced hot-air heating system, contact a qualified contractor to have your ducts cleaned to remove the build-up of contaminants. If you are particularly sensitive to household allergens, you might want to consider having a whole house air purification system added to your ventilation ductwork. These two measures alone can save many people years of annoying and potentially harmful misery.

Expert Home Care helps aging seniors in New Jersey Live-in care, Elder care, & Senior home care in NJ – Expert Elder Home Care in Somerville, Red Bank, Lakewood, Hackettstown, Ridgewood, Princeton, Trenton, Flemington, Morristown, Wayne.  800-848-2336.

Seniors Citizens – Sleep Problems – New Jersey

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Expert Home Care when your aging seniors in New Jersey needs live-in care, elder care, or senior home care in NJ  800-848-2336.

“Mr. Sandman” Often Overlooks The Elderly in New Jersey

For many older people, getting a good night’s sleep can be a challenge. While for some, going to sleep is as easy as crawling under the covers and turning off the light, scientists are learning that more than half of the elderly have difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep.

Many well documented studies suggest that altered sleep patterns are a normal part of aging. Some studies suggest that the elderly produce less of the so called sleep hormone, melatonin, than they did when they were younger. Some evidence supports the view that those elderly individuals who complain of sleep problems have lower melatonin levels than other individuals who are the same age and who get better sleep at night.

Conversely, still other studies indicate that melatonin levels do not diminish as individuals age. Doctors are still trying to determine just how useful melatonin treatment could be for those over age 65 who experience sleep problems. Here are some suggestions from sleep experts that could help you improve your quality of sleep.

  • Stay active – Many studies have shown that exercise can be helpful for people 50 to 78 to regulate their sleep. Even getting enough sunlight during the late afternoon can help, too.
  • Avoid alcohol and caffeine – Having a cup of coffee after supper, or a few drinks before bed, can really affect your sleep. Alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first, but it actually makes it difficult for you to stay asleep and rest.
  • Take short naps – Daytime naps are okay as long as you limit them to 30 minutes or less. If you find it difficult to get the sleep you need, you should discuss the topic with your doctor. “Mr. Sandman” may be passing you by, but that needn’t rob you of the benefits of a good night’s sleep.

Do you have problems getting a full night’s sleep? How did you overcome “Mr. Sandman’s” absence? Please share your stories, we’d like to hear them!

To learn more about the type of care Expert Home Care in New Jersey offers seniors and elders choosing to live at home, giver us a call 800-848-2336.

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Senior citizens health care – Tips Physician Care New Jersey

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Ask your physician about the most common complaints he or she hears from elder patients in New Jersey and you’ll find the list of reasons for seeking medical help is common. Call Expert Home Care when your aging loved one needs live-in care, elder care, or senior home care in NJ 800-848-2336.

Here are some things that “worry” NJ patients and some of the symptoms that indicate you may need medical attention.

  • Unexplained Weight Lost – when to worry: When accompanied by apathy and insomnia, it could be a symptom of depression. When accompanied by intense thirst and unusually frequent urination, it could be a symptom of diabetes. When accompanied with recurrent attacks of upper abdominal pain, it could be a symptom of a stomach ulcer.
  • Persistent Cough – when to worry - After a bout with a respiratory illness such as the flu, the cough worsens instead of improving, it could be a symptom of pneumonia (lung inflammation).
  • An Aggressive Rash – when to worry – When a sudden itchy rash appears, with or without hives, accompanied by swelling around the mouth or face, it could be a symptom of anaphylactic shock (a life threatening allergic reaction to a medication, food or insect sting). Go to the nearest emergency room for treatment immediately.
  • Severe Headaches – when to worry – When accompanied with blurred or double vision, loss of peripheral vision, unsteadiness when walking, nausea and/or vomiting, it could be a symptom of a tumor. When a severe, sudden headache is “like nothing else you’ve ever felt before,” it could be symptomatic of an aneurysm or mild stroke and you should seek immediate medical attention.
  • Chest Pain – when to worry - When sudden, severe pain in the center of the chest radiates into the shoulders, arms or back, and is accompanied by nausea, sweating and/or shortness of breath, it could be a symptom of a heart attack. When dull, heavy chest pain is brought on by physical exertion or strong emotion, but disappears with rest and calmness, it could be symptomatic of angina, a sign of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). In either case, seek prompt medical attention. The seriousness of most symptoms depends on what’s happening along with them. Symptoms that persist or worsen should always be brought to your physician’s attention as soon as possible.

Need Help Now? Call 800-848-2336. Expert Home Care is there for your aging loved one when you cannot be.

*Better Business Bureau – BBBOnLine Participation Confirmed For Expert Home Care, Inc. meets all BBBOnLine participation and Better Business Bureau membership standards and is authorized to display the BBBOnLine trustmark. This company has been in business since 01/01/1985.

Diabetes – Elder Care – New Jersey

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New Jersey Elders and Seniors need to pay attention to their diet and nutrition.. must take the time!

The most frequently cited reason why we don’t treat our bodies and minds to healthy, nutritious food or even a moderate amount of healthful exercise for seniors living in NJ is, “Too much to do, and not enough time to do it!”

One study found that approximately 64 percent of people combine eating with some other activity, such as reading, working or watching television. The same study disclosed that approximately 50 percent of those people surveyed rely on frozen, packaged, or take-out for their evening meal.

Most seniors in New Jersey are aware of the fact that what we eat today will affect our future health. Lowering our consumption of fats and red meat are the two most frequently mentioned ways that people say they are trying to improve their diets. Others, unfortunately, look for shortcuts through dietary supplements that promise effortless “miracles” of weight loss without any changes to one’s eating habits or physical activity.

Physicians warn against relying exclusively on miracle weight loss drugs, and suggest that the most sensible course of action is a healthy balance between a good diet and moderate and regular exercise.

If you have made a commitment to a healthier lifestyle, or are thinking about it, we urge you to keep the following in mind:

  • Always consult your physician before making any radical changes in your diet or exercise routine.
  • Always demand to see the clinical and medical research evidence that substantiates the claims of any dietary supplement. If in doubt, consult your physician or a professional nutritionist.
  • Remember, there is no substitute for nutritious food, properly prepared, combined with physical activity, to keep your mind and body healthy.

 

If you have an aging family member living in New Jersey and they need in-home or live-in care, contact Expert Home Care in NJ for a consultation. We can be reached at 800-848-2336.

 

Diabetes Tips for Seniors in New Jersey

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There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 is an insulin deficiency condition that people are born with. Type 2 diabetes develops gradually as a person grows older. It can appear anytime, in anyone. Undetected and untreated, Type 2 diabetes can represent a very serious life-threatening disease.

Diabetes is a condition that affects the way your body uses food. During digestion the body converts food into glucose for energy. To get the glucose into your cells, the body uses a hormone produced by the pancreas gland: insulin.

In those individuals with diabetes, the amount of insulin produced by the pancreas is either absent or too little, or, the body simply doesn’t assimilate it. The result is that digestion creates glucose the body can’t use. The glucose builds up in the blood causing high blood sugar levels, or diabetes.

Fortunately, when diabetes is detected early, it can often be controlled by diet and exercise. In more serious cases, oral medications may be prescribed to reduce the body’s blood sugar level, or insulin injections may be prescribed to boost the body’s ability to assimilate the excess glucose. Untreated, over time diabetes may harm your eyes, nerves, kidneys, heart and blood vessels.

The good news is that there is a lot you can do to prevent diabetes by eating a healthy diet, controlling your weight and getting regular exercise. Even those who develop diabetes can, with some relatively simple lifestyle changes, keep their blood sugar under tight control and avoid or delay other serious health problems.

The most common warning signs of diabetes are: fatigue, excessive thirst, increased appetite, frequent urination, sores that won’t heal, sexual problems, blurry vision, and numbness or tingling in the hands or feet. Anyone who is experiencing any of these symptoms, or has a family history of diabetes, or is significantly overweight, should see their primary health provider and have periodic blood sugar tests performed.

If you are a family member caring for an aging relative living in New Jersey, Expert Home Care can help you keep your senior safe and healthy. Please call us at 800-848-2336.

Heart Disease – New Jersey Home Care – Seniors Risks

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New Jersey’s Senior Care and Live-in Care – Expert Home Care NJ - helps your loved ones stay safely in their homes longer. Call us today at 800-848-2336.

Women are at greater risk of developing heart disease than men. Heart disease, which can lead to heart attack, is currently the number one cause of death for American women! Here are some of the major “indicators” you should be aware of:

Overweight as a child. Excess weight during childhood can result in the development of thickened heart muscles which can significantly increase the risk of heart attack later in life.

If, at age 18:

  • You were 10-to-20 pounds overweight, you have a 25% higher risk of having a heart attack between the ages of 40 and 70. 
  • You were 18 to 24 pounds overweight, you have a 65% higher risk. 
  • You were more than 24 pounds overweight at age 18, you have a 100% greater risk than the average person.

High triglyceride levels in the blood. Like cholesterol, triglycerides can produce abnormally high accumulations of plaque in the blood vessels that lead to the heart, which can result in a heart attack.
What can you do right now to help lessen your risk? According to medical experts, here are six ways to help protect your heart and lower your risk of heart attack:

  • Quit smoking—It’s still the number-one contributing risk factor!
  • Eat a well-balanced diet. Avoid foods high in artery clogging saturated fats.
  • Choose a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, grains, low-fat meats and dairy products.
  • Exercise. Moderate exercise may well be the elixir of life. It raises good cholesterol, lowers bad cholesterol, lowers triglyceride levels, lowers blood pressure, helps control obesity.
  • See your doctor regularly. He or she can help you assess your risk, offer you advice and therapy options for quitting smoking, changing your eating habits and an appropriate exercise program. He or she can also monitor your vital signs and recommend the use of medications that can help you to control your blood pressure and/or cholesterol levels.
  • Whether you are a man or a woman, heart disease, heart attack and stroke represent your number one health risks. A proactive approach to improving your health and lifestyle can go a long way to put the odds in your favor by reducing your susceptibility.

 New Jersey’s Senior Care and Live-in Care – Expert Home Care NJ  -  800-848-2336.

Immune System – New Jersey Senior Healthy Immune System

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New Jersey’s Expert Home Care ensures the safety of your loved one in the comfort of their home.  Please call us at 800-848-2336.

A healthy immune system is capable of eliminating dangerous infections and diseases before you’re even aware of them. Our body’s immune system is a thriving swarm of billions and billions of white blood cells, T-cells and other antibodies that have one goal: to recognize foreign invaders within our body and destroy them!

When bacteria enters your body through a cut, specialized cells called macrophages rush to the scene to devour the invaders. Other helper T-cells, killer T-cells and B-cells which create antibodies also rush to the site to clean up any bacterial fragments left behind.

Viruses are more insidious than bacterial infections because they sneak into our cells and have the ability to alter them for their own purposes. Against a viral infection, the immune system dispatches swarms of antibodies to attack the viral invaders. In addition, your immune system has memory cells that analyze each viral infection, remembers the formula that successfully defeated it, and creates an immunity to that exact virus in the future.

Lastly, our immune system contains free ranging agents called natural killer (NK) cells that seem to be programmed to attack both viruses and cancer cells. Fortunately, you can strengthen your immune system without too much effort:

  • Eat a balanced diet.
  • Cut down on fats.
  • Take supplements containing the antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E.
  • Exercise regularly. Regular exercise increases blood flow and helps to move immune cells throughout your body.
  • Minimize or neutralize the effects of stress. Chronic, unrelieved stress is probably the most severe threat to your body’s immune system.
  • Limit alcohol consumption.
  • Quit smoking cigarettes
  • Get a good night’s sleep.

Without our immune system, even the mildest infection would be lethal. Under normal circumstances and with a little care and common sense, we can all keep our body’s immune system healthy and strong.

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care can help keep your aging relatives safe & healthy. Call us at 800-848-2336.

Senior Hypertention in New Jersey – Live in Care

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New Jersey’s Expert Home Care ensures the safety of your loved one in the comfort of their home.  Please call us at 800-848-2336.

Yesterday our post gave reasons “why” high blood pressure and hypertention is a potentially deadly disease, if left untreated. Today let’s share positive tips on caring for ourselves when living with high blood pressure.

Fortunately, there are certain lifestyle changes you can make to decrease your blood pressure, in addition to taking medication. For those whose doctor prescribes medication, compliancy is very important. Many people suddenly decide to stop taking their medicine because they don’t feel ill. As a result, their blood pressure increases and they put themselves at risk again for serious complications.

In addition to medication, experts recommend the following ways to lower blood pressure:

  • Lose weight. For every 10 kg (22 pounds) of weight loss, blood pressure can drop as much as 20 points.
  • Eat less salt. This can reduce blood pressure by as much as 8 points.
  • Eat more fruits and vegetables and less fat. This has the potential to decrease it by 14 points.
  • Start exercising. Even a brisk walk 30 minutes a day has the potential to drop blood pressure as much as 9 points.
  • Reduce alcohol intake. This can result in an improvement of up to 4 points.
  • Stop smoking. This will result in an all-around blood pressure improvement, as smoking causes the blood vessels to constrict putting added stress on the heart.
  • Reduce stress. People who live with unrelenting stress tend to experience higher blood pressure readings.

 Certain stress reduction practices can be incorporated into one’s lifestyle. Taken together, these strategies can often impact dramatically on lowering your blood pressure. In addition, it’s important to have your blood pressure checked periodically to determine what, if any, changes need to be taken.

Call New Jersey’s Expert Home Care at 800-848-2336.

Hypertension a Silent Killer – NJ Senior & Elder Care

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Expert Home Care in New Jersey helps elders in New Jersey stay in their homes safely. Call us at 800-848-2336.

If an elder is suffering from high blood pressure, or hypertension, without ever knowing it can damage the heart, kidneys, brain and eyes before the condition is ever diagnosed. Hypertension is widespread, affecting as many as 60 million Americans, or one in every four adults. It is often killed the “silent killer.”

In the medical world, 120 over 80 is considered a normal blood pressure reading and the range for pre-hypertension is 120 to 139 over 80 to 89. Stage 1 hypertension is a range from 140 to 159 over 90 to 99.

The top, larger number is called the systolic pressure. This is the pressure generated when the heart contracts (or pumps), and it reflects the pressure of the blood against arterial walls. The bottom, smaller number is called the diastolic pressure. This reflects the pressure in the arteries while the heart is filling and resting between heartbeats.

The key risk factors for hypertension include obesity, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, diets high in salt and fat, increased alcohol consumption and physical inactivity. Men 55 and over and women 65 and over are most prone to the disease. African Americans, particularly women – and family history are also factors.

Visit us tomorrow when we give tips and lifestyle enhancements to decrease your high blood pressure.

In the meantime call Expert Home Care when you need live-in care for your loved one.. call us at 800-848-2336.

New Jersey Senior Live In Care Features Elder Law, Estate & Elder Care Planning

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Expert Home Care – A New Jersey Senior Care, Elder Care, and Live-In Home care agency sponsors a Live Focus on Senior Radio program on wsRadio.com. Hosts are David Goodman, President of Expert Home Care New Jersey and Frank Esposito, Vice President of Expert Home Care New Jersey.

You are invited to listen to our host, Frank Esposito, interview Donald Vanarelli, Esq., certified elder law attorney and co-founder of the Elder Mediation Center of New Jersey. The topic of the radio interview is Elder Law Mediation (click to listen). Don Vanarelli explains the circumstances that make elder law mediation a viable option for resolving disputes between family members over care, finances, independence and other issues involving elderly parents.

What is elder mediation?

Mr. Vanarelli explains that mediation is primarily for family members to find resolution when helping aging parents become a topic of family dispute, “when family members are unable to hear one another and find resolution on hard elder care issues, mediation can help find agreement between family members,” says Don Vanarelli.

Some of those hard elder care issues are:

  • Housing Issues
  • Power of Attorney
  • Guardianship
  • Family caregiving – scheduling sibling’s time committments and responsibilities
  • Finding in-home help for aging relative or parent
  • Living arrangements
  • Healthcare Issues & planning
  • Estate Planning
  • Finances
  • Medical Treatments

It’s best to come to resolution before filing a lawsuit, going to court, and having the judge make decisions for the family. If you are in dispute over any of the issues listed above or maybe another hard elder care concern, you might consider going to a professional like an elder law attorney to get resolution before your family comes to an impasse. It’s always better to keep the lines of communication open, especially when seeking soltutions that are best for your mom and dad.

Donald Vanarelli, Esq., certified elder law attorney points out in the radio interview some of the benefits you, a family as a whole, receives from mediation:

  • Siblings come together in the same room – this may be the first time in years if family siblings live in different states.
  • You get to experience sibling’s body language and make eye contact
  • You may also view your parent’s reactions, physical responses
  • Walk away with problems resolved, next steps to take, and have specific, clear action items for each family member to do/take

Listen now and hear if family mediation is right for you: Elder Law Mediation.  Brought to you by Expert Home Care New Jersey, the leader in New Jersey elder & senior live-in home care.

Call us for senior live-in help today, 800-848-2336 or contact Expert Home Care New Jersey.