What's Happening in Johnstown?
5/1/2013
As families’ elderly parents celebrate Mother’s Day, there are many options for activities and gifts that can bring joy to all involved.
As people age, the ultimate expression of love is the way they care for others. This could be an elderly wife caring for her ailing husband, or an adult daughter providing care for her ill mother. This makes celebr...
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5/1/2013
Dr. Alex Kotch likes to be organized – so he appreciates the routine he worked out with his caregivers.
“I really like the structure. It’s what I wanted,” he said.
Alex, 86, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 16 years ago. For the past three years, Homewatch CareGivers has provided customized Parkinson’s care, helping him get around his home in his wheelchair. A ...
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5/1/2013
With the weather warming up across the country, a recurring danger will once again surface, but you can take steps now to stay safe. In 2012, West Nile virus sprung up earlier than normal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the number of cases soared to more than 5,000 last summer.
The 2012 number of 5,387 cases, including 243 deaths, was the highest number ...
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5/1/2013
Falling can be a person’s worst enemy as they age since it can lead to broken bones and other health complications. However, there are small changes each person can make around the home to mitigate fall risks.
The reasons for falling may be physical or environmental – that is, certain medical conditions or medications may be increasing the likelihood of a fall, or the design and s...
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4/1/2013
With the weather warming up across the country, it is the start of the spring-cleaning season. This often includes making some home improvements, which can come with several risks.
Seniors who want to do some work around the house should understand their own limitations. An older person should recognize when something they used to do in the past is too much now. Just because a sen...
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4/1/2013
The numbers keep growing. The amount people and the costs associated with diabetes have exploded over the past 50 years and it is now a major problem.
In 1958, doctors diagnosed fewer than 1 in 100 Americans with diabetes. In 2010, it was about 1 in 14. The most recent data shows even more problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the growth of d...
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4/1/2013
If you need to cheer up someone who is feeling sad or lonely, try offering them a carrot, an apple, or a rutabaga. New research suggests that when a person eats more fruits and vegetables, it makes them happier.
Experts looked at surveys that mea...
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4/1/2013
Last week, chocolate was good for your health and red wine was not so good. This week, red wine is good for your health and chocolate is only good in moderation. There is a lot of conflicting information about what foods, vitamins, and dietary supplements are actually good for us.
More and more, it is up to consumers of every age to educate themselves on these matters. This is no...
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3/1/2013
We want to say thank you to the social workers in each of our communities that provide help for our clients and their families. March is Social Worker Appreciation Month but Homewatch CareGivers is thankful for you every day of the year.
Thank you to social workers for the work you do to coordinate and communicate with your patients. We know you don’t just look at one asp...
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2/28/2013
More hospitals are changing the way they care for patients. The “treat ‘em and street ‘em” philosophy is giving way to emotional connections to ensure a patient’s recovery sticks. However, if a doctor is not being empathetic with your family member, you don’t have to stay silent and let it happen. You can act.
More and more studies show there is a relationship between empathy on t...
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2/28/2013
According to experts, sleep patterns naturally change as people get older. Older adults sleep for fewer hours and take longer to fall asleep. They also sleep less deeply and wake up more often during the night. Normal aging is not the only cause for sleep problems. Alzheimer’s disease, certain medications, and stress can all cause sleep problems.
People who do not sleep well are a...
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2/28/2013
When it comes to trying to lower levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol, the advice remains consistent.
"Lifestyle changes are usually the first step for reducing blood cholesterol, and are continued if drug therapy is added," said Kathryn McMurry, Nutrition Coordinator at the National Heart Blood and Lung Institute. "Recommended lifestyle changes include increasing physical activity, lo...
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1/31/2013
Valentine’s Day is not the only reason people think about the heart during February. February is National Heart Month, Feb. 1 is National Wear Red Day (to raise awareness about heart disease in women), and Feb. 7-14 is Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week. This focus on the heart reminds you and your loved ones to take care of yours.
It is common knowledge that there are steps y...
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1/31/2013
As many people age they suffer forms of mental decline. Research shows if a person keeps their brain active it can hold off that mental decline and even generate new brain cells. One way to do this is to act like a child again and play some games.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, staying mentally active increases your brain’s health and a good way to do that is to play ga...
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1/31/2013
Cancer is not something you are helpless against. While it can be random, there are often lifestyle changes you can make that can decrease your risk. Additionally, there are tests you can regularly have a doctor perform to screen for cancer so you can be sure and detect it early on.
As part of National Cancer Prevention Month, Homewatch CareGivers compiled a list of screenings an...
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1/31/2013
While you read these words, it’s probable that someone new has landed on the list of people waiting for an organ donation. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, it happens every 10 minutes.
Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, is also National Donor Day. An average of 79 people receive organ transplants every day, but an average of 18 people die each day while wait...
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12/31/2012
The most common New Year’s resolutions people make are to lose weight and be healthier.
It’s well known that exercise helps prevent or decrease the severity of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, anxiety, depression and it can also delay the onset of memory loss and some forms of dementia. However, an older person who wants to ...
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12/31/2012
More than 2.2 million Americans have what is often called “the sneak thief of sight.” It’s a condition that can take away nearly half of a person’s vision before they even notice and experts believe that half of the people who have glaucoma don’t even know it.
January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month. Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that causes blindness through damage to ...
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12/31/2012
It’s like natural gas and can be just as deadly. It is an odorless, tasteless and invisible gas and it is created naturally when uranium in soil and water decays. It’s called radon, and with the start of the new year, it may be something to watch out for and test for in 2013.
The EPA designates every January as Radon Action Month because radon can cause cancer in many people throu...
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12/31/2012
Structure and routine creates benefits for both an in-home caregiver and their loved one with dementia.
“If the person with dementia is enjoying the comfort, safety and security provided by a predictable routine, the caregiver is making their job easier by avoiding the behavior challenges that come from unexpected events or erratic schedules,” M. Barbara Betts Swartz, a Program Di...
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11/30/2012
You might notice it when you go out shopping for presents in December. The roads are icy and your mom or dad is behind the wheel. But instead of their usual confidence in the driver’s seat, they are timid. It makes you nervous.
The roads aren’t that bad right now, but if they get worse and your parents can’t handle them – what happens? What if there is a major snowstorm?...
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11/30/2012
During a visit to her grandma’s house at Christmas not quite two years ago, Cristina Deptula noticed a trail of ants roaming through the kitchen.
“There was trash that needed to be taken out and dirty laundry,” she recalled, noting that her 87-year-old grandmother suffers from scoliosis. “My mom and I offered to do the dishes and my grandma refused! She insisted that she didn't n...
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11/30/2012
It is human nature to correct and try to help someone who might be confused. However, with a person caring for someone living with dementia, it can actually be more beneficial to avoid corrections and even tell harmless fibs.
“Sometimes the factual truth creates more havoc for the person with dementia,” said M. Barbara Betts Swartz, Program Director for the Alzheimer’s Associati...
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11/30/2012
Gift giving can be a complicated matter for loved ones of any age and any ability, but it can be even trickier for someone with a disability or in need of elder care.
“I might call it: giving a gift that promotes independence despite the disability,” said Monica Heltemes, an occupational therapist and founder of MindStart (www.mi...
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10/31/2012
They can get very extravagant and look very professional. There are some with gold and silver inlaid in them, made up to be certificates. Others have what appears to be handwriting on it – like a family member has already looked over the flyer and made notes on how beneficial it is. They come in the mail and they are trying to get money out of people – especially the elderly.
Pam...
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10/31/2012
November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and while there is no cure for the disease, new medical advancements are made each day that brings us closer to a solution.
“We always hope,” Dr. Dean Hartley, Director of Science Initiatives at the Alzheimer’s Association, said. “It’s not a matter of if we find a treatment. We will. It’s a matter of when.”
In September, resea...
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10/31/2012
Patrick Russ and his brothers are part of a growing population, but they just wanted to make their mom happy. The number of male caregivers in the U.S. continues to grow. Pat will be the first to tell you that his mother, Marjorie, made it easier on them when it came to her dementia care.
“This is something she’s always wanted. We’d ask her if she would like to stay with us and sh...
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10/31/2012
More than 13 million Americans live with a disease that makes every breath they take difficult. November is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Awareness Month. The diagnosis of COPD often comes as a shock but it then changes how a person lives each day. COPD causes airways to become partially blocked, making it hard for a person to breathe. There is no cure, but there are ways to slow...
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10/1/2012
It starts with a middle-aged man sitting next to an older woman. She’s clearly his mother. They are talking to someone who looks like a medical professional. Then he opens his mouth wide in a huge scream – but there’s no sound, just music. Then it’s a middle-aged woman sitting in a car. Next to her is an older man, her father, tubes in his nose for oxygen. She grips the steering wheel and there...
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10/1/2012
With October comes the presence of pink ribbons; businesses hang them from skyscrapers, cities hang them from trees and fountains turn pink. It is all to stand with those battling and those who lost their battle with breast cancer. One organization wants to make it so those ribbons aren’t necessary.
Two years ago, the National Breast Cancer Coalition began an initiative that woul...
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10/1/2012
Homewatch CareGivers is offering a unique form of help and more people are starting to notice.
The Male Caregiver Community, or MCC, first launched in June 2012 and activity on the interactive forum continues to grow. The MCC is an online destination for men who care for their loved ones – a place where they can get answers and talk with each other.
The profile of t...
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10/1/2012
The FDA is warning the public about a natural dietary supplement that claims to help treat arthritis, muscle pain, osteoporosis, bone cancer, and other conditions. The FDA says both Reumofan and Reumofan Plus contain potentially dangerous ingredients that are not listed on the label and in some...
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8/31/2012
The steps they took may seem like common sense, but a neurologist in Chicago says we might be surprised. A recent study in Germany found that patients guided by a physician on ways to prevent stroke or dementia risk factors lived longer.
This study is important to note during September, which is Healthy Aging Month.
In the study, doctors guided about 4,000 people in...
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8/31/2012
The government says all Baby Boomers should get tested for hepatitis C. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anyone who was born from 1945 to 1965 should get a one-time blood test to see if they have the virus.
Hepatitis C can destroy a person’s liver, but it can take decades to cause liver damage. Experts say many people don’t know they have the blo...
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8/31/2012
Each year since 1994, groups supporting those with Alzheimer’s disease around the world unite on Sept. 21 for World Alzheimer’s Day. This year, the cause is taking up an entire month. The Alzheimer’s Association, and other global groups like it, are making September 2012 World Alzheimer’s Month.
An awareness-raising campaign will take place over 30 days, with Sept. 21 playing a ke...
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8/31/2012
September has several days where many taken a moment to pay tribute to those who continue to live with HIV/AIDS and those who have lost the battle. However, more people are winning the fight.
In late July 2012, a hospital in Boston announced that two men who had HIV for years may now be free of the disease after each received stem cell transplants. Researchers found that as the p...
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7/31/2012
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 400 people die every year in the U.S. from heat exhaustion or heat stroke. These deaths do not need to happen.
Seniors are especially vulnerable to heat-related illnesses because their bodies don’t adjust as well to sudden changes in temperatures, they could have chronic medical condition that alters how a b...
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7/31/2012
August means students across the country are heading back to school, and not all of those students are young children. A growing number of them are over the age of 50.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, of the 17 million college students in the U.S., more than half a million of them are older than 50. Just this past May, Twila Boston graduated from Utah State University at the ...
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7/31/2012
August generally sees the start of the school year, but other things begin then as well. Many service-based organizations start running their events and they are always looking for help.
While an older person may not be able to lift heavy boxes or drive a forklift – these organizations are always looking for helping hands. Just because people reach the age of 55 or older, it doesn...
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7/31/2012
For those with lung disease, the American Lung Association now has a tool so people can know about the danger of the air quality before they go outside.
The ALA created a new State of the Air smartphone app. It can be a life-saving resource for those living with a lung disease like asthma or COPD. The app is free and lets you enter in a zip code, or use the phone’s GPS location s...
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6/26/2012
Homewatch CareGivers is launching the Male Caregiver Community forum – an online destination for men while they care for their loved ones.
The number of male caregivers is growing quickly. According to the National Family Caregivers Association, up to 44 percent of caregivers are men. That’s compared to only 19 percent in 1996. Additionally, 40 percent of men use outside help – li...
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6/26/2012
With the warm, summer weather it’s nice to do activities that take you outside. For people living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, the outside world can be full of ways to trigger a memory. There are many outside places you can go and sit for hours with a senior to let them enjoy their surroundings as they reminisce.
A good example is botanic gardens. These often have a wide...
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6/26/2012
The summer generally means families across the country will get in a car or onto a plane to see each other. Seniors can do this too, but it can be a very stressful process without careful planning. However, there are good tips you can follow so the vacation is as enjoyable as it’s meant to be.
The biggest roadblock for any senior getting on a plane is getting through security at t...
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6/26/2012
Alzheimer’s disease afflicts nearly half of the people in the U.S. who are over 85, but new research is giving new hope.
According to an article in Psych Central, researchers recently found that a protein involved in Alzheimer’s binds to cholest...
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6/1/2012
The Fourth of July is right around the corner and it can give you an excuse to look for ways to make sure everyone involved in an in-home care situation is getting the independence they are looking for.
To make sure everyone enjoys the national holiday, it’s a good time to check in with the entire family on how things are going. Is everyone happy with the status quo? Do...
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6/1/2012
With the arrival of warmer weather across the country, many people are venturing out of the kitchen and out to the grill. It’s important to remember that while this summer pastime is always fun – it can also be dangerous.
1. Cook your meat thoroughly:
Food poisoning can hit a person receiving in-home care very hard. It is something that can easily happen when a ha...
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6/1/2012
With the start of summer, many people benefiting from in-home care want to get out of the house and into the garden. It is important for the caregiver to understand that many of the people they help have a habit of working in the garden every year – it’s something they’ve done their entire lives.
When you bring a senior into the yard, it’s probably not...
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6/1/2012
June is National Scleroderma Awareness Month. Scleroderma is a chronic connective-tissue disease that can, in part, cause a hardening of the skin. Women tend to get the rare disease more than men, but it can hit anyone at any age.
The disease makes it a challenge for some people to dress themselves completely – buttoning buttons and other things can become impossible.
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4/3/2012
If you don’t have a loved one who has been impacted by this disease, the first image that comes to your mind after hearing “Parkinsons” may well be actor Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed at age 30. Along with Michael, there are 4 to 6 million others worldwide who suffer from the slowly progressive brain disorder.
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month and a good time to bru...
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4/3/2012
Palliative care is largely misunderstood. It’s an area of healthcare concerned with prevention and relief of suffering. Many assume it’s for people at the end of life, which it often is, but is relevant to people of any age in any disease state, whether the illness is curable or not. In addition to medications and traditional healthcare therapies, practitioners are highly integrative- employ...
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4/3/2012
We all want our elderly loved ones to live enriched and full lives as they age. We also want peace of mind knowing our loved ones are safe, healthy, and comfortable wherever home may be.
Having a plan in place to organize changes in care once they are needed can avoid an “urgent situation” that many clients face as accidental falls, or trips to the hospital happen.
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4/3/2012
When a diagnosis of ALS happens, it can bring out the best and the worst in families coping with the devastating implications of the disease. While there is no known cure for ALS, there are Drug treatments for the disease that can prolong life and help manage symptoms to maintain quality of life. Acceptance, support, communication, and positivity are vital from all parties involved to navigate...
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3/2/2012
Social workers interact with family caregivers of older adults not only throughout the network of aging services and across the health, mental/behavioral health, and long-term care continuum, but also in diverse settings such as child welfare agencies, employee assistance programs, faith-based organizations, housing programs, schools, and veterans service programs.
3/2/2012
If you or someone you know is living with diabetes and requires therapeutic diet, you are not alone. The prevalence of Diabetes continues to grow, and in 2010. 26% of U.S. residents ages 65 and older were living with Diabetes according tothe National Diabetes Information Clearing House. On top of that, an estimated 54 million persons have pre-diabetes, a condition in which ...
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2/10/2012
The sweetest gift of all is to ourselves.
My aching back. My twitchy eye. The outside of me might look ok, but it feels like the life has drained out of me. What many of us want for Valentine’s Day is some sweet, quiet time alone, to put feet up, sip chamomile tea, and to simply breathe. Forget the chocolate and flowers, how about a little time away from all...
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2/10/2012
Undergoing heart surgery is a traumatic endeavor, and with as much planning and preparing as it takes going into the surgery, it is equally important to have a well prepared game plan for coming home. Try creating a checklist of the things you will need and schedule help in the weeks prior to your surgery. When you get home, it is likely that the first thing you will want to do is bathe. Be ...
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2/10/2012
We all crave some level of independence. It could be argued that as we age and become wiser, we demand independence to a greater degree, because we have more experience, more competencies, and tend to care less about what others think.
When there’s a health care issue that threatens this independence, thoughtful consideration is required so that the elder is no...
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12/19/2011
Because there are no symptoms it is extremely important to be aware of the effects of glaucoma. Once an individual with glaucoma loses their sight, it is permanent – and up to 40% of vision can be lost without notice. As stated by the Glaucoma Research Foundation, “Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness.”
Over 4 million Americans suffe...
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