Senior volunteers are making a difference each day in local churches, community organizations, neighborhoods, senior centers and health care organizations. In total, these unsung heroes are making a bigger impact than ever as local budgets evaporate and community needs escalate. For many of these seniors, helping others defines who they are in their retirement years.

In response, Home Instead Senior Care has announced the launch of Salute to Senior Service(SM) program (www.SalutetoSeniorService.com) to honor the many volunteer contributions that older adults make to this nation. This program, which launched on January 15, 2012, includes a search for the country’s most outstanding Senior Hero(SM) in each state and culminates with the selection of a national Salute to Senior Service winner during Older Americans Month in May. State Senior Hero(SM) winners will receive plaques and their stories on the www.SalutetoSeniorService.com site. In addition, $5,000 will be donated to the national winner’s nonprofit charity of choice.

Between January 15 and March 12, 2012, entries can be submitted to nominate seniors 65 and older who volunteer at least 15 hours a month, making a positive impact on their communities through volunteerism. Stories can be submitted online at www.SalutetoSeniorService.com.

“Not only are senior volunteers changing their communities, but they are also changing the face of aging,” said Jeff Huber, President and Chief Operating Officer of Home Instead Senior Care. “Volunteer opportunities for older adults should not diminish because of age and, by all accounts, don’t. Home Instead is thrilled to be able to take this opportunity to recognize and showcase their important contributions.”

About half of U.S. seniors (52 percent) volunteer their time through unpaid community service, according to research conducted by the Home Instead Senior Care network. Nearly 20 percent (one in five) of senior volunteers surveyed started volunteering when they reached the traditional age of retirement – 65 or older. Furthermore, 20 percent of seniors who volunteer say that their community service is the most important thing they do. Seniors who volunteer give an average of 15 hours a month in unpaid service.

Seven in 10 seniors (70 percent) who volunteer indicate they plan on volunteering “forever.” This percentage is slightly higher for senior volunteers who suffer from chronic health problems. In fact, managing chronic conditions and maintaining health are important motivations. Three-fourths of senior volunteers surveyed (75 percent) who have chronic conditions say that staying active through volunteering helps them manage these conditions. But the benefits go much deeper. According to Home Instead Senior Care network research, 95 percent of senior volunteers feel that seniors who volunteer are healthier and happier than seniors who do not. Volunteering enables seniors to develop and maintain important social connections, learn more skills, and pursue new interests.

“We know from our work with seniors that the more active an individual the more likely that he or she will continue to remain independent while aging. Those who find a way to give back, even if they have their own aches and pains and need help, realize many benefits,” shared Huber.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

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.

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 Walnut Creek Home Instead Senior Care at 925-280-9688. Our CAREGivers are available to help your senior stay healthy.

Visit Caregiverstress.com for more information on healthy aging.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

Home Instead Senior Care® network research reveals that volunteering is a magic bullet of sorts to keep seniors mentally and physically engaged in the world around them, making a difference in the lives of others as well as benefiting their own Salute to Senior Service.

Other benefits that the senior volunteer survey respondents identified include:

I want to help others – 99 percent

I want to make a difference in my community – 99 percent

I want to provide assistance to causes I care about – 99 percent

I feel like my volunteer contributions are appreciated – 98 percent

I enjoy volunteering with my friends – 93 percent I want to socialize and meet new people – 92 percent

I want to share my talents, skills and experience – 90 percent

I enjoy learning new skills – 89 percent I have more time now – 86 percent I want to occupy my free time – 84 percent

Home Instead CAREGivers in Concord and Walnut Creek are available to help your senior loved ones continue to pursue their passions by providing non-medical assistance at home – call us for more information 925-280-9688.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

A recent study has shown that heart failure patients who don’t consume enough vitamin C-rich foods have more inflammation and a higher risk of cardiac complications and death. The study was presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2011.

Compared with those with high vitamin C intake from food, heart failure patients in the study who had low vitamin C intake were 2.4 times more likely to have higher levels of a certain protein, which served as a marker for inflammation and a risk factor for heart disease.

Adequate intake of vitamin C was associated with longer survival in patients with heart failure, said Eun Kyeung Song, Ph.D., R.N., lead study author and assistant professor at the department of nursing, University of Ulsan in Korea.

The use of diuretics also may play a role because vitamin C is water soluble, and diuretics increase the amount of water excreted from the kidneys, according to research.

Diet is the best source of vitamin C, researchers say. Eating the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day provides an adequate amount.

Home Instead CAREGiver can help with meal preparation and medication reminders as a senior loved one recovers from a health problem. Call to learn more 925-280-9688.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

“Older volunteers are finding ways to use their lifetime of skills and experience to make an impact on issues they care about,” said Dr. Erwin Tan, director of Senior Corps, who serves as the expert U.S. source for the Salute to Senior Service℠ program. “Whether they serve every day or a few times a year, older volunteers contribute to the health and vitality of their communities by tutoring at–risk students, providing job training to veterans, supporting independent living, or responding to natural disasters.”

The availability of more time now in their lives is just one of the reasons many volunteer. More important, they want to be agents for change in their communities. According to this research, their motivations include:

• 99 percent want to help others
• 99 percent want to make a meaningful difference in their communities
• 99 percent want to provide assistance to causes they care about

A majority of senior volunteers (61 percent in the U.S. and 58 percent in Canada) say they are volunteering more now because the need is greater as a result of the slow economy.

Senior volunteers say they experience significant health and emotional benefits from volunteering. Most (more than 90 percent) feel that seniors who volunteer are healthier and happier than those who do not volunteer. The specific personal benefits that keep seniors volunteering in the U.S.—according to Home Instead Senior Care network research—are:

• I gain a sense of purpose—98 percent
• I stay active and feel better physically—98 percent
• I feel better mentally and emotionally—98 percent
• I am able to overcome feeling isolated—74 percent
• I am able to overcome feeling depressed—70 percent

Many seniors enjoy the socialization aspect of volunteering. Four in 10 seniors say they typically volunteer with someone else, usually a friend or their spouse.

These seniors report relatively few barriers that prevent them from volunteering more in their communities. The most common barriers, mentioned by about one in five U.S. and Canadian senior volunteers, are their disabilities, health issues or physical limitations.

You’ll be moved and inspired by these real-life stories behind the statistics about why seniors volunteer.

Help us recognize outstanding senior volunteers who make a difference in the Contra Costa counties. Nominees have a chance to win $5,000 for their favorite volunteer organization. Please share volunteer stories from your community and nominate a senior for Salute to Senior Service.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

Early detection of Parkinson’s disease is important because treatments can slow the disease progression. Continuing research, including a recent Penn State study offers hope for additional early detection techniques.

People with Parkinson’s disease swing their arms asymmetrically – one arm swings less than the other – when walking. This unusual movement is easily detected early.

No cure for Parkinson’s disease exists. But, if taken early, certain drugs can improve some of the disease’s symptoms and even reduce the likelihood of death, making early diagnosis important. Some people also believe that changes in nutrition and other lifestyle factors can modify the progression of the disease.

To diagnose patients with Parkinson’s disease early, some doctors and scientists have proposed the use of a smell test because people with the disease lose their ability to distinguish odors.

The Penn State team’s method of evaluating arm swing can be applied quickly and inexpensively by primary care physicians in their own offices when the smell test is inconclusive and before the application of an expensive brain scan.

The scientists plan to further investigate whether the arm swing evaluation in combination with a smell test can enhance early diagnosis even more. They also plan to further develop their technique so that the accelerometers give immediate readings, which, they said, would save the extra step of downloading the data to a computer and analyzing it, thereby making the arm swing assessments of Parkinson’s disease even easier.

Our CAREGivers at Home Instead Senior Care in the Contra Costa Counties can help alert family to possible problems with an older adult and assist that senior in a goal of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Call us today at 925-280-9688 to find out how.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

How Stroke Affects People – Effects on the Body, Mind, and Feelings

Each stroke is different depending on the part of the brain injured, how bad the injury is, and the person’s general health. Some of the effects of stroke are:

Weakness (hemiparesis–hem-ee-par-EE-sis) or paralysis (hemiplegia–hemee-PLEE-ja) on one side of the body. This may affect the whole side or just the arm or the leg. The weakness or paralysis is on the side of the body opposite the side of the brain injured by the stroke. For example, if the stroke injured the left side of the brain, the weakness or paralysis will be on the right side of the body.

Problems with balance or coordination. These can make it hard for the person to sit, stand, or walk, even if muscles are
strong enough.

Problems using language (aphasia and dysarthria). A person with aphasia (a-FAY-zha) may have trouble understanding speech or writing. Or, the person may understand but may not be able to think of the words to speak or write. A person with dysarthria (dis-AR-three-a) knows the right words but has trouble saying them clearly.

Being unaware of or ignoring things on one side of the body (bodily neglect or inattention). Often, the person will not turn to look toward the weaker side or even eat food from the half of the plate on that side.

Pain, numbness, or odd sensations. These can make it hard for the person to relax and feel comfortable.

Problems with memory, thinking, attention, or learning (cognitive problems). A person may have trouble with many mental activities or just a few. For example, the person may have trouble following directions, may get confused if something in a room is moved, or may not be able to keep track of the date or time.

**If you are seeking home care services for loved ones who have had a slight stroke call 925-280-9688.

Get Free Stroke Information.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

Stroke survivors and family members may find the hospital experience confusing. Hospital staff are there to help, and it is important to ask questions and talk about concerns.

What Happens During Acute Care

• The main purposes of acute care are to:

• Make sure the patient’s condition is caused by a stroke and not by some other medical problem.

• Determine the type and location of the stroke and how serious it is.

• Prevent or treat complications such as bowel or bladder problems or pressure ulcers (bed sores).

• Prevent another stroke.

• Encourage the patient to move and perform self-care tasks, such as eating and getting out of bed, as early as medically possible. This is the first step in rehabilitation.

Before acute care ends, the patient and family with the hospital staff decide what the next step will be. For many patients, the next step will be to continue rehabilitation.

The last stage in stroke recovery begins with the person’s return to community living after acute care or rehabilitation. This stage can last for a lifetime as the stroke survivor and family learn to live with the effects of the stroke. This may include doing common tasks in new ways or making up for damage to or limits of one part of the body by greater activity of another.

Recovering After a Stroke: A Patient and Family Guide

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

Maintaining good health is essential for a long life. Many people are living much longer, which makes staying healthy even more important. In addition to staying physically active and eating a healthy diet, seniors also have to pay attention to their mental well being. The mind can also benefit from many of the same things that promote good physical health.

The following list contains some interesting information on healthy aging.

1.   Low cholesterol, low blood pressure, healthy weight, physical activity and a healthy diet will all benefit the mind and the body.

2.   There will be many changes that occur in mind and body as we age. It is important for seniors to do all they can to keep their mind active and healthy.

3.   By being active and having lower cholesterol levels, the brain will receive oxygen-rich blood. This will help promote and maintain mental health.

4.   There are many ways in which seniors can keep their mind and body healthy. Doing simple things like reading, crossword puzzles and staying active in a social aspect can all provide great benefits.

5.  Many seniors, and a lot of caregivers, will underestimate the power of social interaction. For seniors to stay healthy physically and mentally, being involved with other people is essential.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

For family members still searching for gift ideas for grandparents or aging relatives, think about the things you could purchase that would really help benefit their lives. Here are a few great ideas to help you out:

• Items that allow them to fell pampered – seniors on a budget are not likely to splurge on things they consider non-essentials. For Christmas gifts, buy candles, soaps and body lotions that allow them to feel pampered at home. Gift cards to restaurants or spas are added luxuries

• Gift baskets – gift baskets with a combination of items, including some of the above, as well as seasonal foods, books, and craft supplies that they will enjoy and make use of are all great things to include! Gift baskets can be bought pre-fabricated or can be created at home

• The gift of companionship – seniors will most appreciate the company of their loved ones. If this is not possible, senior care services can be gifted for companionship and assistance at home

• Take an elderly loved one out for the day – a trip out for lunch around the holidays to see a movie or a musical event can be a very enjoyable way for them to spend a day and it will be memorable!

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.