Cancer is not something that seniors just need to accept as being a potential part of their future. There are steps that they can take in order to reduce the risk factors that might contribute to cancer development:
1. Maintain a healthy diet – don’t underestimate the power of a healthy diet. A nutrient rich, well-rounded diet of fruits, vegetables and grains can help to fight cancer. Seniors need to avoid foods high in fat as well which increase their risk-factors for cancer
2. Protect yourself in the sun – even if you weren’t careful with sun exposure when you were younger, it isn’t too late to start and help prevent skin cancer. Wear sunscreen and a hat when you’re out in the sun, and don’t be afraid to cover up!
3. Avoid alcohol – drinking alcohol consistently drastically increases the risk of cancer
4. Exercise regularly – by exercising and keeping weight under control, one major risk factor of cancer is eliminated
5. Quit smoking – smoking can be responsible for so many different types of cancer, that this is really the best way that Canadian seniors can prevent the development of cancer
Our Mississauga Caregivers help aging adults stay safe, active and healthy in their own homes.
Seniors can find it challenging to maintain a healthy diet. Even those that try to remain conscious for the sake of their health often find themselves focusing too much upon the little things, like the quantity of calories in every item they choose that they neglect to look at the important points. Eating right is simple when seniors know what to look for in order to create a healthy diet!
1. Don’t worry about counting calories – don’t focus so much upon the numbers, but do make sure that anytime you are eating foods higher in calories that they are also rich in vitamins and nutrients
2. Escape from your comfort zone – variety in eating is key. Don’t just stick with the same foods time and time again; try different colours of fruits and vegetables as a guideline
3. Understand not all fat is bad – some fat, like Omega 3 Fatty Acids are beneficial to a senior’s diet. But saturated and trans fats are not, so it’s essential to read labels and know the difference
4. Get moving – exercise is always essential. Exercise for at least 30 minutes every single day to supplement a healthy diet for good health!
Mississauga Home Care helps aging adults stay safe, active and healthy in their own homes.
The Canada Food Guide provides essential guidelines that seniors should follow with regards to their nutrition, and so often this is a resource that is overlooked in adulthood. Seniors and caregivers need to follow the nutrition guidelines of the Canada Food Guide and also follow these tips to ensure that while they’re getting their recommended daily values of fruits and vegetables, they also prepared them in the right way.
1. Choose vegetables by colour – when seniors are picking out their vegetable servings for everyday, they need to ensure that at least one green vegetable and one orange vegetable is included
2. Look for the rich colours – for green, seniors should look for the dark coloured ones like romaine lettuce, broccoli and spinach. Great orange vegetables are winter squash, sweet potato, and carrots
3. Pay attention to how you cook and prepare fruits and vegetables – avoid adding fat and sugar in preparation of fruits and vegetables, otherwise the benefits can be counteracted. For vegetables, steam them, back them and stir fry them
4. Skip the juices – even fruit or vegetable juice with added sugar or sodium doesn’t have quite the same positive benefits as the natural thing, so try to incorporate raw or cooked fruits or vegetables over juices
Mississauga Home Care helps aging adults stay safe, active and healthy in their own homes.
For many Canadian seniors, diabetes is a scary possibility that looms in their futures. But often, they have no idea whether or not it might rear its ugly head until they’ve already been faced with symptoms and had a doctor make a diagnosis. If Canadians received information about diabetes risk factors earlier in life, they would be in a position to make better life choices to support their health. This is why the government of Canada has implemented the CANRISK program which has the following components:
• Questionnaire – Canadians are asked to fill out a questionnaire outlining their family health history, personal eating habits, height, weight and other key elements of their health
• Blood test – a blood test is completed to determine if perhaps seniors might already be developing diabetes of pre-diabetes
• Education – those who are considered at risk for diabetes in the near or distant future are offered educational seminars relating to general information of the disease, as well as lifestyle changes that could be made to reduce their risk factors
Mississauga Home Care helps aging adults stay safe, active and healthy in their own homes.
Winter is in full swing in Canada, though compared to the rest of North America, we seem to be having it pretty easy. That doesn’t mean that seniors should become overconfident and forget to take steps to make themselves safe and comfortable during the season. Whether you’re a senior yourself, or care for someone who is – these are some tips that can be beneficial to you:
1. Focus on energy-efficiency – ensure that appropriate home maintenance is taken care of. Check windows and doors, the efficiency of a furnace and other aspects of the home that could result in colder temperatures or high heating bills
2. Be cautious outside – just because there isn’t snow on the ground, doesn’t mean that there isn’t the potential for ice to form. Particularly with warmer temperatures when any snow melts, there is the potential for it to refreeze and cause black ice. Seniors should make sure they have proper footwear and it’s recommended that they use a cane or walker, winter is not the time to choose to go without it
3. Have someone take care of outdoor maintenance – to avoid slips and falls, seniors should have someone to shovel their walkway, steps and driveway. Some home caregiving franchises will provide this as part of their services, or a senior can hire a neighbour or ask a family member to provide assistance
Mississauga Home Care enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.
Some older adults simply resign themselves to the fact that they might suffer from heart problems because it’s occurred with previous generations in their family. Others believe that nothing they can do can help reduce their risks of having cardiovascular problems. In reality, there is a lot that older adults can and should be doing to reduce the likelihood of various heart problems that commonly occur with men and women at all stages of life.
1. Quit Smoking – smoking or being in the presence of second hand smoke greatly increases heart issues. Blood circulation, blood clots and other issues can develop that can be deadly. Whether you smoke or are around it every day, it’s time to make a change
2. Exercise – active people are less at risk, and even those who have already suffered from cardiovascular disease should exercise. Often seniors worry that following a heart attack, exercise would cause damage. However, remaining active can help prevent another one
3. Poor eating – an unbalanced diet, high in sodium and that results in high-cholesterol can all contribute to heart issues
4. Stress – it’s not an exaggeration; severe levels of stress can lead to heart problems. Learning to manage stress triggers is essential for health.
Mississauga Home Care enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.
Nearly 5 years ago, Canada’s Health Minister recognized the need for a better strategy to address cardiovascular disease; the country’s number one fatal health issue. $5.2 million was promised to focus more upon the detection and prevention of heart disease, rather than the retroactive methods traditionally used.
One major benefit of the implementation of this program is that it was designed to really create an alliance throughout the country. Whereas individual provinces and branches of healthcare may have had different approaches to heart health; this strategy would ensure that it was a joint effort by health care providers, non-profit agencies and more.
Naturally, a program like this is not designed strictly to target seniors since it focuses upon early detection and prevention; however, with improved heart health throughout life with awareness, the real benefits really come to light in the senior years!
If you are a caregiver, or know anyone with a heart condition, you could benefit from watching the following clip, which features a modified form of CPR called CCR that is easier to learn, easier to do and can save even more lives!
Mississauga Home Care enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.
Valentine’s Day might be viewed as a romantic holiday, but seniors who may no longer have spouses or partners later in life don’t have to be left out of the celebrations. Caregivers can play a major role and help to make Valentine’s Day fun for seniors. Whether or not you believe it’s a commercial holiday, it’s one that inspires different activities that can be enjoyable for seniors and caregivers alike.
1. Do some Valentine’s Baking – on February 14th have some fun and bake some themed cookies, cupcakes or something else that you enjoy. Whether you use cookie cutters to make heart shaped cookies, food coloring to change the baked goods red or pink for the season, or buy colored sprinkles it’s a great way to take a common activity and make it fun. Plus, this is something that can then be shared with the family. If the senior you care for isn’t up to baking, involve other members of the family, like grandchildren and present the tasty treats to the senior to enjoy!
2. Make homemade cards – get crafty with your senior and put together some handmade cards or other decorations. This can be a fun idea for seniors and caregivers to do together, or for seniors to do with other family members. Like above, if seniors aren’t up to these activities, they would certainly appreciate receiving homemade items from their loved ones
3. Get out and do something memorable – change the routine for the day so it feels like a day that’s special. Seniors who have lost their spouses may feel lonely on a day like Valentine’s Day. Encourage them to pick an activity that reminds them of their loved one, or simply one that will lift their spirits.
Rising Tide: the Impact of Dementia on Canadian Society is the final report of an Alzheimer Society project funded by Pfizer Canada, Health Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Rx&D.
Rising Tide was undertaken in order to alert the Canadian public and federal, provincial and territorial politicians of the need for policies and approaches to address the looming dementia crisis. In the reports, you will find four suggested interventions. They are not meant to be definitive but to serve as illustrations of how the base case can be used to inform and shape policy in this field. The 5 recommendations in the report were developed through a comprehensive process of consultations with subject experts and stakeholders. The underlying message is that we must act now and that change is possible.
The Economic Burden of dementia doubles every decade, increasing from $15 billion in 2008 to a startling $153 billion in 2038.
Home Care Mississauga cares for a number of older adults who are suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. This disease affects millions of seniors and can cause serious problems, not only for the patient, but for those around them as well. For many loved ones, it may be hard to understand the disease and what is happening. It is important for all caregivers, family and friends to understand what could possibly happen when Alzheimer’s is present. Below is a list of the ways Alzheimer’s can affect the life of the individual diagnosed.
1. Mental abilities are impaired. The individual will begin to forget things and may start to communicate differently. Their ability to make decisions will be affected and simple, daily tasks will become every difficult or even forgotten. Alzheimer’s causes memory loss and can also affect how the person speaks and communicates with others.
2. Moods and emotions will change. Many times, the patient will seem uninterested and can lose interest in things that they used to love. Some people will become more withdrawn and will not interact in conversations. Alzheimer’s does not cause the patient to stop feeling. They will still experience moods, including joy, anger, sadness and love. However, these moods may not coincide with current events.
3. The way the person reacts to their environment will begin to change in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. They will begin to repeat words and actions, may appear restless and can have physical outbursts.
4. Mobility and coordination can be affected which will lead to a decline in physical health. Daily tasks will be affected and the person may not remember how to eat, bathe or do other daily tasks.
Cancer is not something that seniors just need to accept as being a potential part of their future. There are steps that they can take in order to reduce the risk factors that might contribute to cancer development:
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