A study appearing in an issue of the Journal of American Geriatrics Society says centenarian offspring retain important cardiovascular advantages from their parents compared to a similarly-aged group. The findings show that centenarian offspring have a 78 percent lower risk for heart attacks, 83 percent lower likelihood of stroke and an 86 percent lower risk of developing diabetes mellitus.

Additionally, the study found that centenarian offspring who were followed in the study were 81 percent less likely to die than the reference group of similarly-aged patients during the follow-up period. The survival rate is evidence that longevity runs in families, and the results reinforce the notion that there may be physiological and genetic reasons that longevity runs in families.

The authors claim the study is the first to assess the health of centenarian offspring over time and could be important for future research, as the subjects may be used as a model of healthy aging.

The results also are consistent with previous research, which suggested that the avoidance or delay of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure and diabetes, runs strongly in the families of centenarians, particularly amongst their children.

Be sure to stay current on all your health screenings and discuss with your doctor ways to continue to keep a healthy mind and body. Have you thought about volunteer work or a part-time job? There’s nothing like helping others to renew the spirit and soul. Check with your local senior center about needs in your community.

Why not talk with your local Home Instead Senior Care^® office? The company hires CAREGivers^SM to help seniors with services at home such as companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders and light housekeeping. Many are seniors themselves who can better relate to the interests and needs of older adults. Sharing your life with others could also bring more meaning to your own.

For more about the centenarian study, visit http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/SeniorStats/2008/20081120-ChildrenOfCenterarians.htm.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network has discovered that lack of companionship is the biggest mealtime challenge for seniors. It’s time for family caregivers to dig into the  the family recipe box to find a favorite family dish, and prepare and share a meal with their senior loved one.

Many families claim a favorite recipe that has been passed down through the years. We’d like you to share the stories about how that dish has changed through the generations. Perhaps Great Grandma substituted one ingredient for another that she didn’t have in her cupboard and improved the recipe. Or maybe Grandma added herbs or spices that became a welcome addition to the traditional fare. Whatever the case, we’d like to hear about your favorite version of the family recipe and the story that goes with it.  You can enter that recipe and story in the Craving Companionship recipe contest between July 15 and September 15 and be a winner. Go to www.mealsandcompanionship.com for more information about the Craving Companionship program and how a Home Instead CAREGivercould help your loved one.

The Home Instead Senior Care Craving Companionship program is geared to helping families support a nutritiously vulnerable population – older adults who live alone. In Canada approximately 37% of the population age 75 and older – nearly 1.8 million people – lives alone, according to Statistics Canada. These seniors face significant socialization challenges, particularly related to lack of shared mealtime experiences, often taken for granted by most Canadians. Loneliness can have a big impact on seniors’ nutritional health. In fact, two of five seniors who live alone have at least four warning signs of poor nutritional health, the most common of which includes eating alone most of the time (76 percent). Check out www.mealsandcompanionship.com to learn more about how they can help a senior loved one.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

As seniors age, their social life may slow down. Reasons for this varies like losing a spouse or if they suffer from physical conditions or illness. Yet it’s important for older adults to remain active because it increases good health and well-being.  Family caregivers can play a vital role when encouraging their loves ones to find ways that keep them physically active.

Here are a few suggestions of what family members can do in helping an aging relative be more active:

Assist in planting a garden – gardening is one of the most popular activities for seniors. Know that getting outdoors, especially in the heat may not be prudent, for your older senior. Instead, think about bringing the garden indoors like using a simple pot or window gardening. This is very attractive and will brighten their day.

Planning a trip or taking a family vacation can be fun for the entire family. Your aging parent or grandparent will enjoy spending time away with the whole family. Prepare early because you may need the support if an older adult is traveling with you.

Encourage your loved one to reconnect with old friends via Skype or meeting a friend for a lunch and movie.

Attending social functions at the local senior citizen centre is a great place for your loved one to be active. Most communities sponsor adult classes like yoga, fitness, stretching, even Pilates at the senior centre.

Home Instead CAREGivers help do all of the things you would to help your aging relatives get ready for a trip, plant an indoor garden or transport them to the nearest senior center. Give us a call!

Source: Care for Yourself while Caring for your Aging Loved One

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Nearly 90 percent of seniors say they want to stay in their home. Doing so gives them a wonderful sense of continued independence. But having mom or dad live alone can be a source of worry for their adult children. The, “What if?” scenarios can often overwhelm the mind. “What if she falls down?” “What if he forgets something on the stove?” “What if she doesn’t tell me it’s getting harder for her to get around?”

If you feel like this, you’re not alone. In 2007 the AARP surveyed boomer women and found that two-thirds are concerned about their parents’ ability to live independently. Most caregivers have other important and pressing responsibilities, so the added responsibility of caring for a senior loved one is likely to cause both emotional and physical stress on the caregiver. In fact, according to a survey by Home Instead Senior Care, 31% of family caregivers admit they’d like more help. Companionship Contributes to Healthy Aging and Better Nutrition for the Elderly. The Home Instead Senior Care® network is arming seniors and family caregivers with nutrition resources for healthy aging.

Healthy aging is a goal we all share and, for seniors, a well-balanced diet can be even more important. Good nutrition is the first line of defense for older adults who are striving to maintain their independence as they age, helping to protect them from illness and disease.

To learn more about Healthy Aging and Better Nutrition for the Elderly.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Family caregivers instinctively know when an elderly loved one is faced with obstacles like not eating healthy meals. Research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network reveals 10 mealtime challenges that could impact senior health.

The following percentages refer to the number of seniors who believe these are challenges for older people who live alone. After each are tips for how to make the most of mealtimes, from the Home Instead Senior Care network and Sandy Markwood of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.

1. Lack of companionship during mealtimes (62 percent). Tip: If you can’t be there to dine with a loved one regularly, look for alterative options such as friends and neighbors. Check out special activities at churches and senior centers as well as resources from the local Area Agency on Aging and local Home Instead Senior Care offices.
2. Cooking for one (60 percent). Tip: Freeze most any type of leftover including sliced and seeded fruit by placing it in plastic containers or freezer bags. Buy your senior healthier low-sodium dinners for one.
3. Eating nutritious meals (56 percent). Tip: Buy fresh, when possible, or frozen foods including fruits and vegetables. Frequent affordable farmer’s markets in season. Your older loved one may enjoy perusing the racks of produce. If your senior is able, help plant a garden.
4. Grocery shopping for one (56 percent). Tip: Transportation can be a big issue for seniors. Contact the local Area Agency on Aging and local Home Instead Senior Care offices, or encourage your loved one to engage neighborhood support systems when possible.
5. Eating three meals a day (49 percent). Tip: So many seniors are on prescription medications that must be taken with or without food. Coordinate the food plan with the medication plan. “Remember, Dad, to take this pill when you’re eating oatmeal for breakfast.”
6. High expense of cooking for one (45 percent). Tip: Encourage shared meals when possible – your older loved one will get the benefit of reduced costs of meals as well as companionship. Check out your local senior center, which often offers affordable meals for older adults, as well as the home-delivered meal program, “Meals On Wheels.®”
7. Relying too much on convenience food (43 percent). Tip: Encourage your older adult to meet with a nutritionist or talk with the doctor to learn how to read labels. So many older adults don’t know the foods that are good and bad for them.
8. Loss of appetite (41 percent). Tip: Help older adults make mealtimes an event, which can make dining more appealing. Pull out a favorite recipe, help that older adult prepare a meal, get out the good dishes and decorate the table with real or artificial flowers.
9. Eating too much food (38 percent). Tip: The bigger issue is eating too much of the wrong types of food. If you’re helping an older loved one with a shopping list or grocery shopping, encourage healthier choices.
10. Eating too little food (35 percent). Tip: Plan a trip to a favorite restaurant for a special dish. If lack of food is an ongoing problem, check with your senior’s doctor to learn about supplemental products that could contribute to better health for the elderly.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

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

Via: Health Canada

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Please call 905- 276-2273.

In Canada approximately 37% of the population age 75 and older – nearly 1.8 million people – lives alone, according to Statistics Canada. These seniors face significant socialization challenges, particularly related to lack of shared mealtime experiences, often taken for granted by most Canadians.

Home Instead Senior Care launched a program, geared to promoting healthy aging by helping seniors eat nutritiously and stay connected socially.  The study that the program is based on, revealed that 59 percent of seniors say they eat more nutritiously when family and friends are around. Families who provide mealtime companionship, whether it’s a family caregiver or a professional caregiving service, are contributing to their senior’s health and well-being in a big way.

When seniors were asked what’s important to you when sharing a home-cooked meal with family or friends?

98% – Good tasting food

97% – A hot meal

94% – A nutritious meal

72% – The entire meal process

38% – A set decorated table

Seniors want good-tasting, nutritious food and stimulating conversation when they share home-cooked meals with family and friends. Having a set, decorated table is not as important; this is even less important for men than women.

Seniors attribute many positive benefits to sharing meals with their family and friends. These include:

• I take longer to eat 84%
• I feel happier than eating alone 81%
• The food tastes better than eating alone 71%
• I eat more nutritious meals 68%

Download the Canadian research results as a PDF (3.3 MB)

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Close to six million people in Canada and the United States have Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. The number is expected to reach nearly 20 million in the next five decades. To some these are just statistics, but to us, they represent millions of families with loved ones who require special senior care, both at home and in assisted living facilities.

Studies have shown that the best place for a person with memory loss is in familiar surroundings. Our approach of encouragement and assistance helps family members cope with the challenges of dementia. Since 1994, families like yours have trusted Home Instead Senior Care to provide one-on-one Alzheimer’s care and dementia care for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The services provided by Home Instead Senior Care are a valuable, trusted solution to help your loved one maintain a regular routine, thus enhancing his or her quality of life.

Alzheimer’s is one of the leading concerns of boomers and aging seniors today. In a recent article on AgingCare.com, it suggests to not worry or panic. “Stress can be a huge culprit when it comes to memory problems, as can medications, infections and sleep deprivation”, says Carolyn Bradley Bursack. She suggests that if you do have symptoms that bother you, see a doctor, for your care receiver’s sake as well as your own. If your mother has Alzheimer’s, you can’t properly care for her if you can’t keep her medications straight.

Other possible causes of forgetfulness:

-New Medications

-Medication Interactions

-Emotional and physical stress

-Infections

-Sleep deprivations

*Make sure your doctor is aware of your worry about the symptoms of dementia.

Read the full story on How to Tell If You Have Early-Stage Dementia

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Home Instead Senior Care developed a website to help family caregivers make sure their aging loved one are eating nutritiously. These tips and more are on the www.mealsandcompanionship.com website. Please check it out. This site is designed for anyone who is caring for an elderly person be it a parent, other relative or friend. You will learn why proper nutrition is important and what can happen if your senior loved one doesn’t have good eating habits; simple ways to help your senior loved one shop for good food and eat right; as well as ideas for specific dietary and health concerns.

Nutritious meals are important, but many seniors want to relive a time around the dinner table when they are sharing their lives with the people they love most. Maintaining good nutrition for older adults can be a challenge because many seniors no longer can cook for themselves. What’s more, illnesses and medications can affect their appetites. Companionship is one way to help keep seniors interested in good nutrition.

Senior Challenges to Eating Healthy Meals:

1. Grocery shopping for one
2. Lack of mealtime companionship
3. Cooking for one
4. Eating nutritious meals
5. Eating three meals a day
6. High expense of cooking for one
7. Loss of appetite
8. Relying too much on convenience food
9. Eating too little food
10. Eating too much food

Seniors Need Good Nutrition

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.