Just a century ago, you could expect to live until age 50. That’s it. It was “end of the road,” not “over the hill” as we call it today. But thanks to advances in health care and overall standards of living since 1900, the current average life expectancy has risen to 78.4 in the U.S. and 81.5 in Canada, according to the CIA World Factbook. Today, many seniors even live into their 90s or past 100—a feat of healthy, purposeful living that other older adults can model with guidance from senior healthcare professionals.

It makes sense. Seniors who stay healthy live longer. But how can you help seniors maintain good health when the odds of developing dementia, diabetes, heart disease, some form of cancer, or a host of other ailments are against them? Some answers might come from the Greek island of Ikaria where a remarkable one in three natives reach 90 years of age.

According to an AARP The Magazine article called “Live More Good Years,” researchers discovered that, compared to Americans over 90, Ikaria’s 90-plus population experienced 20 percent fewer incidents of cancer, half the rate of heart disease, one-ninth the rate of diabetes and virtually no Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia.

To encourage similar habits to help North American older adults add years to their life. Advise seniors to eat meals incorporating whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, fish, and herbal teas to add important vitamins, antioxidants and complex carbohydrates to their diets. Seniors will also benefit from scheduling walks or daily exercises, naps, and opportunities for social interaction and religious practices into their day. Adopting a carefree attitude about time may not translate as well to our culture of hectic schedules and tight deadlines, but look for ways to reduce stress by demonstrating patience with seniors who might take longer to complete tasks.

Another approach to increasing lifespan takes into consideration not only the good behaviors to adopt, but also which behaviors to avoid. A recent CDC report boils the secret to longevity down into four key habits:

•Do exercise regularly
•Do eat a healthy diet
•Don’t smoke
•Don’t drink alcohol excessively

If your loved one needs help and assistance in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, call Mississauga Home Instead Senior Care at 905- 276-2273. Our CAREGivers are available to help your senior stay healthy.

Visit Caregiverstress.com for more information on healthy aging.

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

Call now for your free in-home care consultation: 905-276-2273 or 416-239-2200.

Everyone is home for the holidays. What could be better? Only problem is, sister Elaine can’t understand why Mom’s house isn’t all decked out as it used to be. And brother Bob has found a pile of unopened bills on the dresser. The holidays, when family is all together, are good times to assess if an older adult needs help. But take care not to ruin the fun or cause a family fight.

Don’t get into the topic when everyone is at the dinner table nor when they may have had too much holiday wine, advises Gail Hunt, President and CEO of the U.S.’s National Alliance for Caregiving.

“When talking with your siblings about your concerns for Mom and Dad, go out to lunch to have that discussion rather than right in the middle of the family festivities. Then approach a parent in a non-threatening way. Perhaps you’re in the kitchen making pies with Mom. You might ask, ‘I saw those bills on the dresser. Is there something I can do to help?’”

If you’re home for the holidays, keep an eye out for these red flags that might signal a senior needs help:

• Look in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry. Has food spoiled because Mom can’t get to the grocery store? Does she have difficulty cleaning tight, cluttered places?
• Look over the grocery list. Has Dad’s declining health prompted him to purchase more convenience and junk foods, and neglect proper nutrition? Is he losing weight?
• Look on top of furniture and countertops. Accumulated dust and dirt may be a sign that household cleaning is becoming too difficult for your parents.
• Look up at fans and ceilings. Has the inability to lift her arms and climb stepstools prevented your loved one from cleaning soot and grime from high places? Caution seniors not to climb.
• Look to your parents’ neighbours and other close friends to find out about their daily routine. Are your seniors at home more, watching television and avoiding stimulating conversation and companionship?

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.

New research, shedding light on eating habits, shows Canadian Seniors like taking part in family meals. Sadly, oftentimes our seniors are eating alone. This research, conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care network, showed that lack of the shared family experience, including companionship, is the biggest mealtime challenge for seniors.

That wasn’t the case at the Palisades on the Glen, as residents gathered together for the Home County Fair on September 28th. Executive Chef, Paul Tremain, demonstrated a cooking demo and residents brought in favourite home cooked/baked recipes for tasting to order to celebrate cooking with or for a senior family member or loved one. Winners received gift certificates. Residents also had a chance to listen-in on an informative presentation on what The City of Mississauga has to offer for older adults and a presentation from Home Instead about craving companionship.

Here is a list of warning indicators showing a senior is in trouble – Craving Companionship program:

1. Who wants to eat alone? Not only are seniors at more risk of poor nutrition, loneliness can lead to depression, which could make problems worse.  Try to make sure your older loved one has companionship at home or in a congregate meal site.

2. Nearly 71 percent of seniors take three or more different medications a day. Talk to your senior’s health care team about how medications might be impacting your older adult’s appetite.

3. Nearly half of seniors who live alone consume few fruits, vegetables or milk products, this research revealed. Talk with your older loved one about their favorite recipes – or yours – that incorporate healthy products.

4. Older adults struggle with health conditions and some don’t feel like eating as a result. Discovering favorite recipes from the recipe box and making mealtime a social event may help.

5. 25 percent of seniors who live alone encounter issues getting to a grocery store. Your local Area Agency on Aging office has staff to help and your local Home Instead Senior Care office in Mississauga can arrange for a CAREGiver.

6. Check out expiration dates of food. Check the freezer for outdated frozen items or foods that have not been packaged appropriately.  Help by packaging food in small portions and labeling in big letters with the date.

7. Help your senior put together a grocery list, reminding them of all the wonderful foods they used to cook for you.

8. When visiting a senior, check out things like skin tone – it should be healthy looking and well-hydrated – as well as any weight fluctuations. Suggestion: A visit to the doctor can help ensure your senior is healthy.

9. Prepare by stocking back-up food, water and high-nutrition products such as Ensure® in case a trip to the store isn’t possible.

10. Isolation is one of the biggest threats to an older adult. If you can’t be there, develop a schedule of friends and neighbors who can help. Or call us at 905- 276-2273 to enlist our services.

Please visit www.palisadesontheglen.com

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.

Call now for your free in-home care consultation: 905-276-2273 or 416-239-2200.

Perplexed about what to get the senior in your life this holiday season? That older adult on your shopping list may well be facing two challenges: the economy that has seniors looking for basic items they can no longer afford and the loneliness that many seniors encounter because families may not be able to visit.

Many seniors, including those in care communities, could have no one to visit them during the holidays this year as families cut travel expenses and treasured family time. So the most valuable gift is companionship.

That’s why the Home Instead Senior Care^® network has developed a gift guide of presents that seniors may not be able to afford, but that can bring families together. Following are several suggestions:

1. A newspaper subscription – Some of your senior loved one’s fondest memories could revolve around life at the dinner table discussing the day’s events. A subscription to a daily newspaper can help them continue that tradition with you.
2. DVD player and favorite DVDs – A DVD player will help your older adult enjoy their favorite old movies. But it will be much more special if you bring the popcorn and make a night of it.
3. Tickets to a sporting event or play – What better treat than tickets for your senior loved one and the rest of the family to attend a play or favorite team event?
4. Scenic train or boat trip – Many communities have day excursions – such as scenic train or boat trips – which can serve as great incentives for seniors to get out and about.
5. A calendar – Create a calendar with activities that are going on in your family’s life so a senior can feel a part of them. Check online; there are many resources for personalizing calendars with family photos.

If you’re looking for other gift ideas, consider the Homemade Memories Cookbook, which features family recipes and stories. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Home Instead Senior Care Foundation. If you can’t be there with an older loved one, remember that the next best thing is the gift of companionship services. Call your local Toronto Home Instead Senior Care office today for more information – 905-276-2273 or 416-239-2200.

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 holidays are a good time for family caregivers returning to Mississauga to tune into the signs that an older family member or friend may need extra help to remain safe at home.

To learn more about those signs, register for the free Home for the Holidays web conference, moderated by a representative from the Home Instead Senior Care^® network.

The hour-long web conference will be available in the U.S. and Canada, and offered on two dates and times: Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time, or Monday, Dec. 5, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. To register, go to www.caregiverstress.com/familyeducation.

“It’s easy for busy family caregivers to overlook the subtle signs that a senior loved one needs assistance,” said Greg Bechard, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Mississauga. “But during the holidays, when many return to their childhood homes, the difference between your last visit and now can highlight those red flags.”

The web conference will be moderated by Director of Strategic Alliances Mary Alexander of Home Instead, Inc., the franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care network. Alexander is a family caregiver and a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA).

“Signs of potential trouble can be evident in a senior’s home – such as spoiled food in the refrigerator and piles of unpaid bills – or personal indicators such as episodes of confusion or dirty and unkempt clothing,” Bechard said.

President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), Gail Hunt, said the holidays, when everyone gathers, sometimes bring to light those problems. “If you’re a long-distance caregiver perhaps you haven’t seen your loved one in a while. You may notice some real differences since a few months ago. The hometown caregivers might not see the signs because they’re so busy and the changes are so subtle.”

Countering senior resistance to assistance can be a challenge, added President and CEO of the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA), Suzanne Mintz. “Family caregivers must recognize that their parents are adults and – unless there are cognitive or emotional problems – they can make their own decisions. We do not and should not become our parents’ parents. We must remember we will always be their children.”

The web conference will feature information about countering senior resistance to assistance as well as resources that can help family caregivers and senior care professionals.

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.

Going home for the holidays often leaves family members shocked at the declining health or independence of a loved one. Warning signs can help make decisions that will keep your senior safe long after you’ve returned home.

To learn more about these signs, register for the FREE Home for the Holidays web conference.

The web conference will help you recognize the warning signs that indicate your senior loved one might need additional help for things such as loss of appetite, unwanted weight fluctuations, spoiled food in the fridge or clutter. Whether you’re a long-distance caregiver or just live down the street, the holidays are a good time to assess the situation with Mom and Dad, and help them come up with a solution if necessary.

The web conference will be:

• Moderated by a Home Instead Senior Care® representative
• Hosted by the American Society on Aging (ASA)
• Co-sponsored by the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC).

The hour-long web conference will be offered on two dates and times:

Tuesday, Nov. 15th—1 p.m. Eastern Time

Monday, Dec. 5th—8 p.m. Eastern Time

Get more information and pre-register for the November 15th web conference

Get more information and pre-register for the December 5th web conference

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.

Whether it’s your parents, a grandparent, aunt, uncle or a cherished friend you’re looking out for, we understand how the responsibility can wear on you … at work, at home and in your relationships with family and friends. Do you fear for your loved one’s safety, but hope to find a manageable way for them to remain in their home? Do you feel like you want to be there for them all the time but can’t manage? Maybe you’ve thought about a nursing home or assisted living facility? Or you might have even considered having your loved one move in with you. At Home Instead Senior Care of Mississauga we have the expertise to help you discuss these important matters with your family and the experience to help you make the right decision – wherever home may be.

An emergency with older adults can happen at any time. Seniors are at particular risk because of the large numbers of medications they are taking.

A call in the middle of the night that Mom had a bad fall or Dad accidentally overdosed on his meds can strike terror in the hearts of family caregivers. It could happen at any time, often because seniors take so many different medications. According to a study conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network, far too many adult sons and daughters don’t have the information they need should that emergency call come, and their senior mother or father needs help.

Should you need to speak to someone immediately about arranging care we are available to support you.  We are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week to receive your calls and arrange for care on short notice.

During Regular Business Hours:

Please call 905.276.2273 and explain to the receptionist that you need to speak with someone immediately about arranging care for your loved.  They will ensure that you speak with a Staff Coordinator and do not get voicemail.

Off Hours:

Please call 905.276.2273 and press “2” and you will be connected with our on-call Staff Coordinator who can arrange for services on short notice during off hours.

***Although we prefer a few days to arrange for care we are able to place CAREGivers within a few hours in emergency or crisis situations.

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 challenges of caregiving are many and can include; working with relatives, easily managing your aging parent’s lives and health, coordinating schedules, making sure aging relatives are eating healthy meals, the upkeep of their home and yard, and putting measures in place to keep them safe.

But we know that the world is not always so tidy and supportive. Probably no family works smoothly all the time, and many families are troubled by strife of various kinds.

Antagonisms Can Get Worse

If anything, old antagonisms are likely to get worse in the urgency, and sometimes emergency, of caregiving.

How do you prepare yourself for battles that may come? We offer advice in this chapter from our book, Stages of Senior Care, about how to deal with some specific situations that arise frequently. Here are some examples of situations we explore:

- Advice on Some Common Parent-Child Conflicts
- Your Father Won’t Surrender the Car Keys
- Your Parents Refuse to Make a Will
- Your Mother Is Suspicious of Strangers–And Even Caregivers
- When Paranoia Points to Something More
- Your Mother Is Unmanageable at Home but Refuses to Go to a Nursing Home
- Coping in a Strained Relationship

Based on research, up-to-date information and the experience of 15 years in the senior care industry, the Hogans have provided a book that will take the trauma out of decision making, eliminate guilt, and build the confidence for those thrust into the position of making care decisions.

All of the authors’ profits from the sale of this book will be donated to the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation.

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.

Older adults are particularly vulnerable to food poisoning because many of them have weakened immune systems – are particularly vulnerable. Assisting seniors at home is a good way to ensure an older adult is eating safely.

Dr. James L. Smith, a microbiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, wanted to find out if and why seniors are more at risk for food-borne illness. Dr. Smith reviewed food-borne outbreaks at nursing homes, and compared the immune and digestive systems of seniors and younger individuals. Here is what he found:

Dr. Smith found that as we age, inflammation of the lining of the stomach increases and a decrease in stomach acid occurs. Because the stomach plays an important role in limiting the number of bacteria that enter the small intestine, a decrease or loss of stomach acidity increases the likelihood of infection if a pathogen is ingested with food or water.

Older adult’s lifestyles and diets make them more vulnerable. Malnutrition, for instance, leads to increased incidence of infections, including those that result from food-borne bacteria.

There are many reasons why malnutrition occurs in seniors including a decrease in the pleasure of eating. Medication, digestive disorders, chronic illnesses, physical disabilities or depression may result in a loss of appetite. Good nutrition is an important factor in maintaining a healthy immune system.

Helping seniors buy nutritious food, maintain it properly and cook it safely also are valuable lifestyle factors. Perhaps your elderly loved one needs assistance. If so, consider discussing with your aging loved one the option of hiring in-home companionship.

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.

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.