By K. Jackson July 14, 2010
I just wanted to let you know how pleased we all are with the care provided to my parents-in-law. They both like Maria and she is doing an excellent job, and in fact has done more than we requested - she sees something that needs to be done and she goes ahead and does it! This has been a big help to me, both emotionally and physically. I also really appreciate your checking in often to make sure that everything is okay and for the level of concern you show. I know that I made a good decision in securing a personal caregiver for my in-laws. K. Jackson, Spring ...read more
By Robert March 18, 2010
Home Care Assistance helped me so much! They provide great care and are a great asset to anyone. Don't hesitate to hire one of their caregivers, they are all so friendly and helpful. ...read more
By Jennifer February 28, 2010
Home Care Assistance...thank you for caring our parents while we were away. your care givers were well trained, professional and compassionate. ...read more
Alzheimer's diseaseaffects nearly 5.3 million people nationwide, and 26.6 million worldwide. By 2050, it is predicted to affect 1 in 85 people globally. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the world. More than 50 percent of people with Alzheimer's live in developing countries, and by 2025, this number is expected to be over 70 percent. The cause and progression of Alzheimer's are not well understood. Research has indicated that the disease is associated with plaques and tangles in the brain. Recently,Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Bayer and General Electric have all been working on a radioactive dye that attaches to the plaque buildup in the brain, allowing it to be seen with a PET scan. The Amyloid plaques are unique to the disease. Previously, Alzheimer's could only been see by pathologists on autopsies. Even more recently, research has suggested that an Alzheimer's marker in cerebrospinal fluid can reveal early signs of the disease, even in healthy adults, and before any symptoms appear. The spinal tap was 90 percent accurate in identifying Alzheimer's in patients already diagnosed with the disease. The test relies on three protein "biomarkers" linked to Alzheimer's. People with different levels of mental impairment had different amounts of the biomarkers. This indicates that the disease is detectable earlier than previously thought possible. Researchers predict that this spinal tap will be able to predict the onset of Alzheimer's with a sensitivity between 94 and 100 percent. Although the latest PET scans are not yet commercially available, the spinal fluid tests are. Researchers say the spinal taps are safe, and not particularly painful for most people. ...read more
By Home Care Assistance of the Woodlands August 12, 2010
Over the next few weeks, I will be focusing on the different aspects of the body, and what precautions seniors can take in order to ensure optimum health and function. Last week'sCareBuzz care tipconcerned senior eye sight. It said that in order to help prevent the onset of cataracts, seniors over the age of 65 should focus on maintaining a healthy, active lifestyles that will benefit their over well-being, as well as the health of their eyes. Common lifestyle factors, such as smoking, heavy drinking, inactivity and poor eating habits, as well as diabetes, UV exposure, long-term use of certain medication and family history can all increase the risk of cataracts. If your senior is over the age of 60 and experiences some of the following symptoms, they should immediately visit their physician or optometrist. Increased dryness or tearing A drooping eyelid A film over the colored portion of the eye or faring of the colored portion of the eye Diminishing peripheral vision Blurred or distorted vision If eyes are troubled by light or flare, and are not able to adjust to them Seeing colored rainbows or halos Severe eye or brow pain Redness of the eye MSNBC reportsthat by age 65, 1 in 3 Americans have some sort of vision-impairing eye disease. This can include glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic eye disease and cataracts. Seniors with diabetes (approximately 16 million people in the US have it, and one-third of them don't even know they have it) should have a professional eye examination performed as soon as their diabetes is diagnosed, and then once a year. People with diabetes are 25 times more likely to become blind than people without it. Seniors should also ask their physician to prescribe supplements that will help improve eye health. Medicine.netalso suggests that seniors take off their multi-focal lenses before participating in outdoor activities, as these lenses can affect balance and increase risk of falls. However, this research only proved true for seniors that frequently went outdoors; those that mostly stayed in and switched to singular lenses when they ventured outside actually increased their number of falls. ...read more
By Home Care Assistance of the Woodlands July 19, 2010
DbS, which is a company that contributes research and education in behavioral profiles of lost subjects, has a very helpful page onAlzheimer's wanderingon theirWeb site. They point out that it is not the wandering itself that harms the patient, but the fact that these patients are wandering away from supervised care, which can lead to dangers. Wandering can happen for all different types of reasons. These can include being placed in an unfamiliar environment, change in medication, being in a confrontational or argumentative situation, or even that they simply saw a coat or hat and decided to leave. In order to help prevent wandering, try some of these tips: Remove "trigger" items such as hat, coat, keys, etc that signal to the person it is time to leave the structure. You should also cover bicycles or cars that are not used often, as this too will reduce the possibility that they will think about leaving. Place large signs on the bathroom door to reduce wandering in a search to find the toilet. Place anight lightin the bathroom. Provide continuity with same room assignments, and same furnishings in the room. Designing a quiet and comfortable place for the person to sit if they become agitated. Regularly checking that doors and gates are securely locked. Conceal doors with curtains or other objects that divert the person's attention away from exiting. Put a gate across stairs. They also mention a curtain, but I think this may do more harm than good, as they could push the curtain aside and fall down the stairs. You can even consider putting a large STOP sign on a door the inside of the front door. You should also prepare for the event of wandering: Sign your patient up for theAlzheimer's Association's Safe Return program. There is a one-time $49.95 fee for registering the patient. It comes with an emblem engraved with information for contacting emergency services. Sew cloth tags with identification information onto their clothing. If they take your clothing, sew it into yours as well. Keep a recent photograph of the person nearby. Notify neighbors and/or local businesses of your patient's condition. Tell them to contact either you or emergency services if they ever see that person out by themselves. ...read more
By Home Care Assistance of the Woodlands July 15, 2010
Hospice services are very personal and caring in nature, so it does not seem right to produce a huge marketing method to sell these services. It is better to build relationships and participate in events to make your services know to potential patients. ...read more
Although we hope everyone will recover from an illness or old age, this is oftentimes not the case. In some situations, there is nothing that can be done to restore a person’s health. However, hospice care can make the end of one’s life much more comfortable through physical, e... ...read more