Family and professional caregivers have a lot on their plates, and organization is key in order to effectively manage their responsibilities without collapsing under the pressure. Even many seniors find themselves taking on a lot in retirement, so all generations can learn from organization and effective time management.

1. Prioritize – seniors and caregivers alike can prioritize their responsibilities. Not all tasks are of equal importance, and by starting with items that are crucial, they can work their way through, and if there’s just not enough time in the day, the non-priority items can wait so seniors don’t overburden themselves

2. Make a schedule – as part of prioritizing, plan out your day on a calendar, either by writing it down or using a calendar tool on your laptop or Blackberry. Seeing what needs to be accomplished visually, marked down hour by hour will help you set realistic goals for yourself whether you’re a caregiver or a busy senior

3. Don’t waste time – busy people known that time is of the essence,  so while important goals and responsibilities should bet me, time shouldn’t be wasted on focusing on the things that don’t matter

4. Ask for help – as a caregiver, don’t be afraid to ask for someone else to step in and provide respite that way you can focus on other things that are important, like rest and relaxation for yourself. As a senior, if there are things you need help to accomplish, just ask!

Via: Gaia

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

Breast cancer is most commonly associated with women, and when it comes to breast cancer awareness month, that’s where the focus typically is. But breast cancer does occur in 1% of cases in men, and since many men are embarrassed to talk to their doctors about breast cancer, it’s often left undiagnosed until it’s already in the later stages and harder to treat. Here are the risk factors of male breast cancer that senior men should be aware of:

1. Age – senior men aged 60 to 70  are most often diagnosed with breast cancer

2. Family history – 20% of men with breast cancer have a history of breast cancer in their family, either in other male relatives or women

3. Liver disease – men who have liver disease often have lower levels of androgens and higher levels of estrogen that can increase the chance of breast cancer

4. Estrogen treatmen – estrogen treatment can feed breast cancer, and therefore puts men at a higher risk

5. BRCA2 gene mutations – it’s a gene that can pass from generation to generation that increases the likelihood of breast cancer. In women it’s the BRCA1 gene that carries breast cancer

6. Klinefelter’s syndrome – men with this syndrome have two C chromosomes in addition to one Y chromosome  (men should have one X; the female gene and one Y)

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

When someone you love is diagnosed with breast cancer, you just want to undergo your own grieving process. But try not to focus on yourself, lend your support to your loved one who needs you:

1. Just listen – you don’t need to try and provide advice, especially if you haven’t lived a similar experience.  Just listen, lend them your presence and your ear so they feel they have the support of someone

2. Support with facts – instead of giving advice, do some research about the disease and provide the facts about treatment options, support groups that are available and other resources that could help

3. Support their decisions – no matter what your loved one decides through the treatment and coping process with breast cancer, support it

4. Don’t play a role – not knowing how to deal with someone with breast cancer sometimes causes people to act unusually. Simply be yourself, you’ll appear more genuine than if you try to play a role

5. Make a support network – have other friends and family members come together to extend their support so your loved one with breast cancer knows there are others there for her

6. Laugh and have fun – there might be a grieving process after a breast cancer diagnosis, but keep up the fun activities. Laughter really is the best medicine, so create enjoyable and memorable situations

Sources:

1. SheKnows.com

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

You might not think you’re at risk, but as a senior in San Antonio, you’re in the prime age group for developing carpal tunnel syndrome while tying at the computer. Whether you spend a lot of time online and sending email, or have a job that demands you do a lot of typing, you might find that you develop this condition which causes pain and numbness in your hands, wrists and arms. Protect yourself with these preventative methods:

1. Warm up before typing – this is especially important for people who find themselves working at a keyboard all day, so seniors who have not yet retired should focus on wrist exercises before they get started everyday to prevent injury

2. Use ergonomic computer accessories – ergonomic keyboards are designed to work with the natural positioning of the hands and fingers. If typing a lot, rather than using your laptop keyboard, purchase an external one because they tend to be the worst for causing carpal tunnel. You can also purchase a mouse that is more ergonomic and buy supportive cushioned wrist rests

3. Take breaks throughout the day – there are programs available that will remind you to take a break every hour and lead you through a series of exercises designed to help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. Or, you can just do it yourself, taking a break for 5 or 10 minutes every hour. Get up, walk around, and shake out your arms to remove your hands from their repetitive position that could be damaging

Sources:

1. About.com

2. EHow.com

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

Touch has healing properties that can run deeper than any medication. For seniors, touch and healing massage can have extensive benefits which include:

1. It can improve the mobility of seniors who otherwise find it too challenging or painful

2. Can help seniors to relax, addressing stress and sleep issues like insomnia that are also prevalent in seniors, effecting their overall health and well-being

3. Increases circulation in the limbs and joints, improving lubrication which can help to prevent the progression of diseases like arthritis

4. Flexibility, coordination, strength and posture are all improved when massage is applied to seniors

5. Wounds heal faster with the power of touch

6. Respiration and digestion are both stimulated with overall helps to improve the health of seniors

7. Respiration can be improved with touch and massage, and energy levels are boosted

The greatest benefits can be achieved if the massage is administered by a professional, although caregivers and family members can learn some of the techniques used to try at home as well!

Sources:

1. EZine Articles

2. Associated Content

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

As parents, we think we look forward to the day when our kids leave home and we’re left with freedom. But in reality, a sense of loneliness kicks in known as empty nest syndrome. Older adults might feel like they’ve lost their sense of purpose once they’re no longer parenting day-to-day. But empty nest syndrome can be combated and avoiding in the following ways:

1. Take time to yourself – while your life might have been about everyone else previously while caring for children, a spouse and a household, as an empty nester, appreciate and take advantage of the quiet. Enjoy the time you have to yourself instead of allowing it to remind you what you no longer have

2. Make new connections – finding yourself with an empty nest can feel lonely, so fill the void by reconnecting with family members and friends, and making new ones by joining social groups and activities available in San Antonio

3. Renew marriage vows – it might feel like your life has been all about the children for decades, but reconnect with your loved one and renew your vows to remind each other what brought you together in the first place!

4. Do something meaningful – being a parent is one of the most meaningful jobs , and finding a way to fill that void after the children have left home is a challenge. Do something else that makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something important; volunteer somewhere you can make a difference!

5. Get out there – with new found time on your hands, achieve the things you never had time to in the past. You can travel or take on a new hobby.

Via: Let Life In

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

It’s breast cancer awareness month, but unfortunately, there are many older adults who still avoid breast cancer screening out of fear or lack of awareness. Well, it’s time to put all that aside and make sure that health comes first, and the first step in that is to get a mammogram.

For those who are worried about what to expect, here are the steps of the breast cancer screening process:

1. When dressing the day of the mammogram, avoid applying deodorant, talcum powder, or any other heavily scented items that can be irritating to others, or that could affect the imaging. Also wear a 2 piece outfit.

2. When arriving at the imaging office, you will be asked for copies of previous mammograms, if they do not have them already, and will also ask you to fill out a form with your medical records

3. Upon going into have the mammogram done, you will be asked to remove jewellery and clothing that can interfere with the procedure, including your shirt and bra, and any other clothing you have on above the waist

4. To prepare for the mammogram itself, one breast at a time will be placed on an imaging cassette and will be compressed with a paddle so that the maximum amount of breast tissue is visible on the image

5. The image will be taken and then the process will be repeated with the other breast

6. The images will be examined, not for results but to ensure they are effective. Typically, you will be allowed to get dressed and wait to find out if you are able to leave, or if more images are needed

7. The images and results will be returned for your doctor for review

Sources:

1. About.com

2. Imaginis
San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

How do you stay connected with your grandchildren when you never get to see them? You want to be more than just that person that they pick up from the airport once a year; you need to make sure the bond lasts year-round even if you aren’t physically in each other’s company. Staying connected with your grandchildren can be easier than you think, even from afar; give these methods a try!

1. Take advantage of technology – email and social networking sites can allow families to remain connected. Post pictures, videos and share stories using sites like Facebook or others that can help keep grandparents and grandchildren up to date on what’s happening in each other’s lives

2. Create fun long-distance games – to stay connected, grandparents can try fun long-distance games that let their grandchildren know they’re loved and being thought about. Create personalized crossword puzzles or word searches, send them a jar of M&Ms to countdown to the next visit, or play long-distance hide and seek, having someone hide items around the house and then giving the clues to their grandchildren over the phone

3. Make a point to get together – it’s hard to bring families together, and easy for too much time to pass between visits. Family reunions that bring grandchildren together with their grandparents should happen at least once a year no matter what!

Sources:

1. Let Life In

2. FamBooks

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

Today it’s not uncommon for grandparents to be the primary caregivers for young children, and while often this is an ideal arrangement for more than 6 million households, taking in a child in older adulthood comes with challenges as a result of age, health and financial aspects.

1. Seniors who are retired often have limited finances available, and adding another member to the household can come at an increased expense

2. Seniors may not have the same physical capabilities that younger parents would when responsible for the physical care of children when carrying them around, bathing, and physical chasing after children

3. Seniors may neglect their own health needs when worrying about others

4. Seniors may be under the stress of legal issues when trying to adopt a child or ensure that they legally remain the child’s guardian

These are challenges that can be overcome through knowledge, support and access to a wealth of resources that are available to help with the transition going from grandparent to caregiver.

1. Find out if there are assistance programs available in their area to help grandparents raising grandchildren financially

2. Remember to simply do the best that they can, and remember, that loving the children and ensuring their safety, health and happiness is all that’s really important

3. Of course, the health of their grandchildren is important, but grandparents need to remember if they don’t take care of themselves, they’ll be unable to care for anyone else

4. Seniors can try to minimize the stress of the process by seeking support from those who have been in similar situations

5. Respite help is necessary to give seniors a break. If children are too young to be in school seniors can find a daycare or ask for help

Sources:

1. Care-givers

2. AARP

3. Answers for Families

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.

Young children don’t necessarily know how to express their support when someone they love is struggling with breast cancer, but a great way to do it is with a product that supports breast cancer awareness. Simply giving a grandparent a gift that represents the appreciation for their fight can mean the most, and act as a reminder everyday as to how much they’re loved. Here are some ideas for breast cancer awareness gifts for grandparents.

1. Breast cancer awareness t-shirts: you don’t need to participate an in event with giveaways to receive a breast cancer awareness t-shirt. Buy one for a friend or loved one to honor their fight against breast cancer. T-shirts are available that take a light-hearted perspective to the disease and others are sentimental. Choose something that you know will mean the most to the recipient, although the gesture in itself will have the greatest meaning

2. Ribbon magnets – buying a magnet for someone who has survived breast cancer can allow them to put it on their fridge and be reminded everyday that their fight against the disease is appreciated by the people who love them. Even those who are still going through the fight will fight harder to survive if they know they are supported

3. Coffee Cups for breast cancer awareness – coffee cups can be used year-round, and like magnets, can remind recipients about the fight they’ve undergone and let them know that there’s someone to help them contribute to awareness and support towards a cure

4. Lapel pin – unlike other clothing items for breast cancer awareness, a lapel pin can be worn with any dress code, including office wear. If you purchase a lapel pin for someone who has gone through the fight against breast cancer, they can wear the accessory to show their support everywhere they go

Via: Associated Content

Image: giftsforyounow.com

Home Care San Antonio provides senior care in San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Springs, Castroville, Pearsall, and Pleasanton. For more help, please call Home Instead Senior Care San Antonio at 210-614-1132.