Tag Archives: new jersey

New Jersey Planning for Live in Care

Posted on by

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

 “According to some sources, 60% of us will need long term care sometime during our lives. It is important for all of us to prepare for that day when we will need to help loved ones with elder care or we will need elder care for ourselves.”

“It is simply a fact of life to prepare financially for unexpected disasters by covering our homes, automobiles and health with insurance policies and to provide funding for our retirement. But no other life event can be as devastating to our lifestyle, finances and security as needing long term care. It drastically alters or completely eliminates the three principal retirement dreams of elderly Americans, which are:

1. Remaining independent in the home without intervention from others
2. Maintaining good health and receiving adequate health care
3. Having enough money for everyday needs and not outliving assets and income

Yet, it is our experience that the majority of the American public does not plan for the devastating crisis of needing eldercare. This lack of planning also has an adverse effect on the older person’s family, with sacrifices made in time, money, family lifestyles and even affecting the family’s or caregiver’s medical and emotional health.” National Care Planning Council “The 4 Steps of Long Term Care Planning”.… read the entire article by going to the link below

Please go to the following URL for the entire article and previous articles: Either click on the link   http://www.planforcare.org or copy and paste the following into your browser:  http://www.planforcare.org

New Jersey Help for Seniors

Posted on by

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

A recent report in AARP’s Bulletin Today by Sid Kirchheimer, author of “Scam-Proof Your Life” (AARP 2006), says that with a tough economy more Americans are looking for new ways to bring home the bacon — often by working from home. But far too many fall victim to scams. According to Kirchheimer, the Internet has proved to be a great recruiting tool for work-at-home prospects, allowing scammers to hide their identities and post phony “testimonials.”

An October 2007 report by the Federal Trade Commission says that about 2.5 million Americans — nearly 1 percent of the entire population — fall for work-at-home scams each year, and many are repeat victims.

Here are two of the most common work-at-home scams:

    * “Bait-and-switch” schemes require up-front payment for materials. Victims may pay an initial cost and then not receive the promised supplies, instructions, or “client” leads; or they may receive some goods but then must shell out more for the “complete package.”
    * “Check-forwarding” scams occur when victims receive a check for promised or completed work only to be asked to wire a portion of it back to the scammer. The received check inevitably proves to be counterfeit, and banks hold victims responsible; victims may also face check-fraud charges.

For more information on preventing these scams, go to http://www.ftc.gov/bizopps.

New Jersey Live in Care for Elders

Posted on by

Caregivers provide assistance to other people who because of physical disability, chronic illness or cognitive impairment are unable to perform certain activities on their own. So-called informal care can be offered by family members or friends, often in a home setting. Or paid or volunteer professional care, so-called formal care, can be obtained at home, in the community or from institutions such as nursing facilities or government institutions.

Roughly, 11.1 million Americans of all ages are receiving formal or informal care at any given time. This represents about 4% of the population and is comprised of about 9.5 million receiving care at home or in the community and another 1.6 million residing in nursing or intermediate care facilities. About 25.8 million family caregivers provide personal assistance to individuals 18 years or older who have a disability or chronic illness. And nearly one out of every four households (22.4 million households) is involved in giving care to persons aged 50 or older. About 43% of those receiving care are under the age of 65 and are evenly spread between ages 18 to 64. Children under 18 and receiving assistance because of disability are often characterized under different criteria of caregiving.

Sometimes human caregivers can be replaced or assisted by mechanical devices. These might include special computer systems for communication, special locomotion equipment, remote vital sign monitoring devices or remote oversight monitoring. Continued technology advances may help relieve the time commitment of human caregivers.

New Jersey Caregiving for Elderly Relatives

Posted on by

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

Just a few years ago, workers were likely to need time away from work for parent-teacher conferences, running kids to medical appointments, and staying home to nurse sick children.

Today, workers are more likely to miss work because of the needs of their parents. “Elder care has begun to rival child care as a workplace issue, and companies have started to realize that such support props up not just workers but also the bottom line,” according to the Dallas Morning News.

The National Alliance for Caregiving estimates that one in six American workers cares for an older relative. Caregiving usually adds 18 hours to the 40 hours most workers clock at the office. That means that those workers are working a job-and-a-half. Some companies are now hiring geriatric care managers as resources for employees bewildered by the demands of parents who are no longer capable of living independently. Estimates are that one in five caregivers quits or looks for a less demanding job. And that makes businesses’ responsiveness to employees’ caregiving needs more than a nice thing to do; it makes it an essential thing to do.

 

Senior Fitness

Posted on by

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

The National Institutes of Health recommend four types of exercises for seniors who want to stay healthy and independent (and who doesn’t?). Sharon O’Brien reports on them for About.com

Strength exercises build older adult muscles and increase metabolism, which helps to keep weight and blood sugar in check.

Balance exercises build leg muscles, decreasing the chance of falls (leading cause of admission into nursing homes).

Stretching exercises give you more freedom of movement. It’s particularly important that older drivers do stretching exercises because not being able to turn your head adequately, for instance, will limit your range of vision.

Endurance exercises are any activity – walking, jogging, swimming, biking, even raking leaves – that increases your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time. Build endurance gradually, starting with as little as five minutes of activity per session.

For details on the exercises and how to get started, go to http://seniorliving.about.com/od/exercisefitnes1/a/4seniorexercise.htm.

Remembering the Deceased

Posted on by

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

Q1 – Why is it important to remember those who have passed away?
A1 – After the death of a loved one, some feel like to cope, they should push aside the memories. Families need to honor the memories of those they’ve lost out of respect, and to aid the healing process.

Q2 – How can families honor those they have lost?
A2 – Families can create memorials, maintain rituals, and adopt causes that were important to the deceased. They can also make sure to carry on the legacy, by continuing on with their lives and chasing their dreams.

Q3 – What types of memorials can be used to remember seniors who have passed?
A3 – More typical memorials include photo collages, plaques, and flowers left at the resting place or other significant locations. Families and friends can also light candles, write a poem or story in their honor, or make a quilt.

Q4 – How can families maintain rituals?
A4 – Families should think about the things that their loved one liked to do and honor their memory by taking on the activities themselves. They can cook and enjoy a favorite meal as a family, visit a favorite location, or listen to music that the senior loved.

Q4 – What does it mean to adopt causes that were important to the decreased?
A4 – Think about which good causes, like charities or community organizations, were important to the person who has passed on. Make a donation or volunteer to help with these causes. Buy a gift for your loved one during special occasions and make a donation to a charity that was significant to them. You can also start a memorial trust or scholarship on their behalf, even making it out in their name.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Remember-Those-Who-Have-Passed-Away&id=397777

Nutrition for Seniors

Posted on by

You Are What You Eat – By Senior Daily Living

Our eating changes as we age. When we’re young, we gravitate towards foods that are fun, fast, and satisfying. Our lives are hectic, our pocketbooks are light, and our stomachs are never satisfied. You grab some hot wings when drinking at a bar with friends, you reach for pizza on your lunch break, and you indulge in your banan walnut muffin the morning. We often don’t think twice about these choices when we’re healthy and have our whole lives ahead of us.

However, when we age and our bodies become ill or just more susceptible to illness, it’s necessary to create a different relationship to food and our bodies.

The concept of “health food” can be a confusing one. Everyone seems to have a different notion about what foods heal and promote life, and which foods do not. But the answer could be as simple as getting the facts, and experimenting with your own body to find what’s satisfying, nourishing, and creates your own personal state of well-being.

NJ Senior’s 2009 Resolutions

Posted on by

Setting Realistic Goals for the New Year

Every year we make New Year’s resolutions, and sometimes we set our expectations of ourselves so high that they are lifestyle changes we can’t keep up with throughout the remainder of the year. This year, seniors should set goals for themselves that are realistic and consider their lifestyle and physical abilities. Those who are not already focused on exercise, nutritional and maintaining their overall health should make 2009 the year to improve their lives.

In order to establish a healthier lifestyle in the New Year seniors should incorporate 30 minutes of daily exercise into their regular routine. Seniors should pick activities within their physical abilities, like walking, swimming or other cardio exercises that get them moving and get their heart rates up.

Nutrition should be another major focus in 2009; seniors should eat healthy, well-balanced meals that include fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s important that their diet includes fiber, vitamin D, calcium and that limited amounts of sodium sugar and fat are consumed. Since many seniors have challenges preparing and cooking healthy meals, as part of their New Year’s resolutions they can hire a professional to assist them with these tasks to ensure that proper nutrition remains a priority.

As the New Year approaches, it’s time for people of all ages to plan for the future; putting greater emphasis upon health will secure a longer, happier life.

7 Tips on Keeping the Weight Off

Posted on by

While there are many ways to successfully lose weight, most people regain it over time. Ongoing research is now giving us insights into how to keep the weight off.

The National Weight Control Registry makes these suggestions:

* Keep eating fewer calories.

* Eat a healthy breakfast.

* Exercise regularly. More than 90 percent of people who’ve kept the weight off use physical activity as part of their weight-control program.

* Weigh yourself daily. If your weight begins to creep up, make a plan to get back on track.

* Beware the fast food. If you do eat fast food, eat it less than once a week. Do not eat out more than three times a week, at any type of restaurant.

* Don’t be a couch potato. Successful weight losers watch less than ten hours of TV per week — much less than average. Try to exercise instead of eating while you watch.

* Be consistent. Those who “go off their diet” on weekends, vacations, or holidays have a harder time keeping the weight off.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/index.aspx?puid=dc54f5d2-47ca-473b-aea1-c787005f3004&p=19&xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyLiving_20080920

Facts About Hypothermia and NJ Elders

Posted on by

Q1 – How does hypothermia occur?
A1 – Hypothermia can happen anytime a senior’s body temperature anytime it drops even a couple of degrees below its ordinary temperature.

Q2 – Does hypothermia only occur outdoors?
A2 – While it is a common misconception that hypothermia only occurs in extremely cold temperatures outdoors, or when being exposed to very cold water, it can in fact occur inside when the temperature is too cold.

Q3 – How can seniors prevent hypothermia?
A3 – Seniors may not feel cold, but should always dress appropriately for the temperature. It’s important to always dress in layers, make sure that their house is well-insulated, and that the temperature indoors is kept at no less than 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Q4 – How can I help someone with hypothermia?
A4 – Avoid trying to rub their limbs to warm them up, this can actually cause more damage. Do try to wrap them up in a warm blanket or sweater, and hold them close to share your body heat. Emergency medical attention should also be sought.

Q5 – What are the signs and symptoms of hypothermia?
A5 – There are a number of signs that someone may have hypothermia to look out for:

• They may demonstrate poor muscle and nerve functioning such as stumbling, mumbling, fumbling and grumbling
• Slow reactions
• Excessive or absence of shivering
• Stiffness of the limbs
• Change in appearance or behavior
• Weak pulse
• Low blood pressure
• Slow or slurred speech
• Shallow breathing
• Sleepiness or fatigue